Skin Deep

11 - End of Year

Sana walked through the crowd, waving at people she kind of knew. Tzuyu hung onto her arm, hoping to feel a little happy by being near someone just like her.

"Sana... I'm terrified of this.." Tzuyu frowned.

"It's okay. I got you." Sana smiled while making her way through to where the rest of their friends were. They had claimed a table, waving their sisters over.

"Finally you two made it." Jihyo gasped.

"Sorry! Tzuyu got nervous about the crowd." Sana smiled while ushering the younger to sit between her and Nayeon.

"Don't worry. He's not here. He can't hurt you." Nayeon whispered to her while placing a hand on Tzuyu's knee. Sana smiled as she saw texts from Chaeyoung and Dahyun.

Chaeyoung: Aye! Do you guys have good seats?? Please tell me you don't!

Dahyun: I'm embarrassed. Nervous. Terrified. Petrified.

Sana: We get it.

Tzuyu: Just do it.

Tzuyu: Yeet the feelings.

Sana: Wtf Tzuyu.

Dahyun: ^^^^^

Chaeyoung: Tzuyu for president.

Jihyo: Please stop.

Tzuyu: YEET THE FEELINGS.

Chaeyoung: If I go on stage and the crowd is chanting that I swear to god I will shit myself laughing.

Sana: Nayeon is on it.

Sana smiled when she saw Nayeon and Tzuyu chanting the phrase. Only a few men joined in, laughing at the phrase.

"Excuse me..." Sana heard a woman's voice from next to her, she looked over at the table next to hers, seeing a beautiful woman staring at her. "Are you guys trying to get a chant going?" She asked with a smile on her face.

"In a joking way really. Our friends are going on first so they're nervous." Sana explained.

"Ah, I was going to say we could help, we have some pull on our side." The woman smiled. "What's your name?"

"Sana, yours?" Sana scooted closer to the girl to hear her better.

"Sooyoung, but my friends call me Joy." She smiled at her. "What school do you belong to?" She asked.

"Science and Tech. You?" Sana answered.

"Law." She chuckled.

The two continued to talk, both of them genuinely interested in each other. Jihyo noticed the two talking, a small smile appearing on her lips. Even though people were assigned soulmates from the universe, people still tested the waters and dated other people. She was hoping Sana would try that eventually instead of being so hung up on Momo.

Eventually, the girls took to the stage, Sana giving her full attention to her friends performing on stage. Nayeon started screaming for her friends, Sana as well. Tzuyu started chanting, a small laugh escaping her lips.

Sana couldn't help but watch them on stage, she watched Momo dance and sing so effortlessly... It was back to when she was in high school, watching her perform for the first time. She felt a burning feeling in her chest, she winced at the pain, her hand rubbing it slightly, only going away when she looked away from Momo. She closed her eyes as the pain slowly subsided.

"Are you okay?" Sana looked up to see Sooyoung staring at her with a worried expression.

"I'm fine." Sana tried to smile, but the feeling came back as soon as she heard Momo sing again. She looked to her sorority sisters and frowned. "I have to go. I'll be back." Sana stood up and quickly left the concert area. She made her way outside and leaned against a railing over looking the school's park area. "What the actual fuck." Sana breathed. The pain was subsiding, she felt like she could finally breathe.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Sana looked over to see Sooyoung again. "Sorry I know we just met and all.. But your sisters didn't know if they should chase after you. So I did it for them." She quickly apologized.

"I'm fine... Really." Sana gave her a small smile, she knew she meant well. Sooyoung walked next to her, leaning against the railing with her.

"I know that feeling you had." Sooyoung sighed. "I could see it in your eyes."

"What are you talking about?" Sana frowned.

"You've peeled." Sooyoung frowned at her. "And you saw your soulmate who hasn't peeled yet." She shrugged.

"How do you know?" Sana asked.

"Because I peeled at fourteen. My soulmate met me, and he killed himself immediately after." She looked down at the railing and the ground below them. "I wasn't anything he expected me to be. Hated me. So much to the point where he blamed himself. Saying how he deserved to die." She explained. Sana frowned, feeling a sense of guilt for feeling the way she did. Her soulmate was still alive...

"I'm so sorry..." Sana whispered.

"It's fine I guess. But I've been without someone for a while now." She shrugged. "Just Nice to have feelings again." She laughed.

"Do you take medicine for them?" Sana whispered.

"Nope. Once this mark appeared on my arm, my feelings slowly started to come back to me. Still can't see in color though." Sooyoung explained. "Kinda sucks." She chuckled under her breath. Sana smiled, knowing the feeling well.

"I've opted to just purchase black and white things lately." Sana admitted. "Easier to just dress that way." She smiled.

"Thank you! My roommate told me I looked like I was going to someone's funeral." She laughed.

"Same with mine!" Sana laughed with her. She felt a warm feeling in her chest, she was happy but it wasn't medically induced this time. She actually felt it.

The group made their way to the table, everyone smiling and talking about the girls' performance on stage.

"Where's Sana?" Dahyun asked when she sat down.

"She said she had to leave..." Tzuyu frowned. "But she would be back." Everyone nodded, wondering where the blond could've gone. It was a giant festival, so she couldn't have gone far and gotten lost. She would never do that.

Momo looked around at the girls, smiling when she saw Nayeon.

"Oh! This is Momo. The only one you guys haven't met yet." Nayeon laughed. "Momo, these are the girls." She introduced them one by one, so she gave them a small smile, waving slightly.

"Wait... Momo?" Jihyo whispered to Chaeyoung. Chae nodded, her eyes flicking to the empty seat next to Tzuyu and back to Momo. Jihyo covered her mouth slightly, trying to compose herself again. "No wonder she left." Jihyo muttered.