Intertwined Souls (JiTzu)

Chapter 30

Tuesday Evening: 6:00 P.M

3rd Person POV

Jihyo told everyone about the letter from her father during their lunch break. Everyone tried reassuring Jihyo, but all of their words essentially fell on deaf ears. Even Tzuyu's attempts were failures. Tzuyu was able to convince Jihyo to stay at work as it was not safe for Jihyo to go home alone under the current threat. She constantly came out to the front-of-house to check on Jihyo's condition.

The end of day came rather quickly. Nayeon and Jeongyeon excused Jihyo and Tzuyu from the daily cleanup so that Tzuyu could bring Jihyo home as quickly as possible. Jihyo ended up rushing to the washroom and sitting in the bathtub. Tzuyu rushed behind Jihyo and was surprised when she saw that Jihyo had buried her face in her knees which she was hugging closely to her body.

"Ji-Ji?" Tzuyu asked as she approached and sat down beside the bathtub, "Can you look at me please?" she asked softly.

Jihyo lifted her head and weakly looked Tzuyu in the eyes. Tzuyu instantly read every emotion behind Jihyo's eyes. She reached over the bathtub rim and pulled Jihyo into a hug. Jihyo started sobbing as she wrapped her arms Tzuyu. Tzuyu started rubbing Jihyo's back and whispering reassuring words.

"Would you like to talk about what you are feeling right now?" Tzuyu asked softly as she kissed the side of Jihyo's head.

"I am terrified," Jihyo sobbed, "This whole time I thought my father was just an abusive alcoholic," she explained before her body started to shake, "But it turns out that he was using me for his sick vile pleasure. What would have happened if I didn't escape him? Would he have gotten his way with me? Would he... have violated me?"

Tzuyu held back her tears as the gravity of Jihyo's words hit her. She did not want to imagine the alternate present that Jihyo spoke of. It hurt her to no end to see how one letter detailing the sick mind of a predator affected her girlfriend.

Tzuyu slowly broke away from the hug and held onto Jihyo's shoulders to support her, "Ji-Ji, can we move to our bed? It will be more comfortable, and you won't get sick if you fall asleep."

Jihyo shook her head as she looked down at her shaking hands, "I-I-I can't. My body refuses to move. It's almost as if it finds this bathtub as a safe space. I don't get it."

Tzuyu looked at Jihyo with worried eyes, "Is there... something I can do?"

Jihyo shook her head, "You are already doing enough. It's just... I don't know," she said before sobbing again, "I am too terrified to move. I-I-I don't know what to do."

Tzuyu leaned forward to place a kiss on Jihyo's forehead before wiping the falling tears from Jihyo's eyes, "It's okay. You don't have to know. Can you wait here for a moment while I go make a call?" she asked, getting a meek nod in reply.

Tzuyu left the washroom and pulled out her phone. She called her mother who instantly picked up. She explained the situation at hand to her mother who listened attentively. Tzuyu's mother said she will head over right away before hanging up.

Minutes later, Tzuyu's mother arrived. Tzuyu quickly brought her mother to the washroom where Jihyo was still sitting in the bathtub, head buried in knees. Tzuyu's mother entered and sat down beside the bathtub. She gently caressed Jihyo's head.

"M-m-mom?" Jihyo asked as she looked up.

Tzuyu's mother nodded her head, "Yeah. Do you mind telling me what happened?" she asked with a motherly smile.

Jihyo started explaining everything that happened. Tzuyu's mother listened without saying a word as she slowly pulled Jihyo into a hug. Jihyo's body started shaking but felt a weird weight lifted off of her chest. The way Tzuyu's mother embraced her showed a motherly love that soothed her heart.