Mirror | Natzu

8

A/N: Does this chapter ring any bells??? (hint: Writer's Block) ;)

Washed, dry and dressed in an oversized track suit, Nayeon stood in the centre of Tzuyu's room, waiting for her to come back. Tzuyu had a bathroom attached to her room through a sliding door. It was small and neat like the rest of her house and the water was hot and good and she almost thought she could never get enough of it. It had been almost a week – as disgusting as it sounds – since Nayeon had found a place to shower properly.

She let her bare feet wriggle in the feeling of the soft carpeted floor as she wondered where Tzuyu might have gotten to. She looked over to the neatly made single bed and the bedside table to its right. On it was a picture framed in black of Tzuyu, looking much younger than now, but older than she was in Nayeon's distant memories of high school in the arms of a young man that looked only a few years older than her.

He had the same hair, eyes, and nose as her a little shorter at the time of the picture and his smile barely apparent on his face unlike Tzuyu's beam; dimples and all. Nayeon wondered if this was her brother, and where he might be? Could he speak Korean like Tzuyu could? She wondered if she would be able to meet him.

She also started to wonder if she should call Jeongyeon to tell her that she was still alright. She usually called at around lunch time every day to convince her that she was still on her feet.

She thought she might have to borrow Tzuyu's phone, but she was still nowhere to be found.

Nayeon wondered over to the door to the bedroom and took the handle. She clicked it open carefully and peeked out from the crack.

She spotted Tzuyu standing at the end of the hall with her father in a heated conversation. It looked like Tzuyu was about to say something when she turned and spotted Nayeon's figure peeking through the bedroom door. She smiled softly in acknowledgement before turning on last time to her father, her expression menacing as she seemed to spit something his way.

Nayeon felt terrible for snooping and apologised immediately as Tzuyu made her way back down the hall toward her.

"No, no. It's fine. I left you alone for quite a while. You had every right to look for me."

She shut the door behind her.

"I was just... talking with my dad. He's... not too thrilled that you're staying here tonight." She looked to the ground, embarrassed. "He's never been fond of strangers. He even hates it when my brother brings home girls on his nights out."

Nayeon didn't let the strange phrasing of the sentence cloud her mind and she giggled awkwardly.

"It didn't seem like he was very happy. But don't worry. I'll be out of your hair after today. I don't want to be a bother."

"You're not a bother!" Tzuyu said this too quickly, taking Nayeon aback at the desperation of her tone. She swallowed in the awkwardness, and they were silent for a few more seconds before Nayeon remembered why she had gone looking for Tzuyu in the first place.

"Um, Tzuyu, is it okay if I borrow your phone? It's just that I usually call my friend at this time to let her know that I'm still okay."

Tzuyu nodded, pulling the device from her back pocket, and handing in to Nayeon sheepishly.

"You don't have your own phone?"

"No." Nayeon looked down at the phone in her hands. The case was plain and clear. For some reason she had imagined Tzuyu's case to be covered in stickers and little drawings... She didn't know why. It's not like she knew Tzuyu at all. "I sold my phone a long time ago to pay for my bed and breakfast accommodation. I usually use pay phones."