Tzuyu's POV
--Dream--
I found myself in a huge forest and i'm alone here. It feels like there's no one here and it's eerily quiet. I looked around to see any trace of a living human but none. So, i'm really alone. How did i end up here in the first place anyway?
I didn't know what to do and all i could do was look around, at the sky and my surroundings. Where are my friends? Are they not here too? Am i really alone in this forest with no living human?
I don't want to continue staying on the same spot and decided to rest my legs, feeling the numbness entering my legs. I walked to a nearby tree and sat down and leaned my back onto the trunk, having my legs fully on the forest floor. I stared at the bluish sky, wondering what to do here and questioning how i got here. I don't remember walking towards a forest or living with a forest nearby.
I soon heard leaves rustling and being stepped on. Someone is here, was what i thought as i quietly stood up and waited for whoever it is to appear in my sight. I noticed a figure approaching in my direction, they are coming from the direction across me. I think they noticed me because they stopped walking for a short moment but soon continued walking again, definitely coming towards me.
As they came closer, i instantly recognized the person. She's here too but not with her friends. Just like me, she's alone too. I walked towards her, feeling relieved to see her.
"You shouldn't be here, Tzuyu-ah." Sana said once we are standing in front of one another. I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. I didn't come here on purpose though and i was about to tell her that but she said something.
"You should go back." She said and i became even more confused. How do i even go back?
"How do i do that?" I asked her, finally speaking to her.
"Lie down and close your eyes." She immediately said, sounding like it's an obvious answer. She looks kind of serious. Is this the Sana i know? She gives off a different vibe from the Sana i know.
"Will you be by my side when i open my eyes again?" I asked her and for a short moment, i saw her eyes flickered in surprise.
"Yes, i will be there..." She trailed off and looked away, mumbling something under her breath.
"even though she's hurting on the inside." Was what i heard since we were standing quite close. I wanted to ask her what she meant by that and who she's referring to but she told me to lie down, sounding urgent. I did and she sat down next to me. I closed my eyes and the last thing i remembered before closing was her face hovering over mine.
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I slowly opened my eyes to a very familiar ceiling, the ceiling i always see whenever i wake up. I'm back in my room, no longer in the forest. I feel much better though it feels like my strength is not fully back yet, still feeling weak. I turned my head to the left side after noticing a figure from the corner of my eye. Sana, she's really by my side. Did she stay here the entire time?
I cleared my throat and Sana jolted her head up, fully awake from the noise, and looked at me with worry. She got up from the chair right away, looking really worried.
"Tzuyu-ah! Are you feeling better now? Do you want more water?" She asked with concern and i shook my head when she holds up the cup of water and she placed it back down onto the bedside table.
"I'm feeling better now but i still feel weak." I told her honestly and cleared my throat again. I sat up from the bed with her support.
"Maybe because you haven't eaten. Are you hungry?" Sana asked and on cue, my stomach growled and she heard it. She chuckled while i looked down at the blanket in embarrassment.
"I will get you dinner." She said and i looked at her to see her smiling at me.
'Even though she's hurting on the inside.' Her smile reminded me of those words. Is she going through something bad? But if she is, she would have told me already. The more i try to think what they meant, the more i find it confusing and complicated. Why is Sana hurting and what is hurting her exactly?
Sana was about to head out of the room when i asked,
"Are you in pain?" It's best to be direct and straightforward about this if i want to find out what those words mean. Sana was already at the door and turned around to me with a questioning expression but still answered nonetheless.
"I'm not in pain. Is there something wrong, Tzuyu-ah?" She said and i shook my head, saying that it's nothing. She then went out of the room and i heard mumbles from the outside. I can hear Jihyo-unnie and Nayeon-unnie's voice so i assumed that all of our friends are here.
Sana came back in after minutes, sitting back down on the chair. We both simply stared at each other in the eyes in silence, not saying a word at all.
"Did someone hurt you?" I asked, finally breaking the ice.
"Hmm? No one did." She answered, pouting her lips with confusion. Then what does those words mean? I feel like i'm going to get a headache from thinking about it.
"Why?" She asked, wanting to know why i asked that question out of nowhere.
"I'm just curious." I simply said and she stared at me intensely, reading my expression to see if i'm lying or saying the truth. In the end, she stopped and believed that i'm being truthful though i wasn't.
"Do you want to rest until dinner is here?" The older girl asked and i nodded my head after thinking that it's best to rest more in order to recover fully. I lied down with her support and she was about to leave the room so i could rest but i stopped her from doing so, wanting her to stay with me. I know i'm being clingy but her presence makes me feel at ease and safe. I won't need to worry about someone breaking or opening the window from the outside.
"Can you lie down beside me?" I asked, wanting her to be closer to me. She was hesitant at first, looking unsure, but soon lied down next to me stiffly. I turned my body around, facing her, and she was trying not to come near me as if she's scared of me though i really feel like she is.
"Is there something wrong?" I asked, clearing my throat again. She shook her head with a soft hum.
"It's the first time you asked me to do this." She said. Ah, so that must be why.
"But we lied down next to each other before." I said bluntly and she avoided eye-contact with me, turning her body around so that her back is facing me.
I don't know what came into me as i slid closer to her, hugging her from behind and resting my forehead on her hair. I didn't know why i did that, it's out of a sudden. I just felt like doing this and even i'm shocked by my own actions. It's the first time i hugged her like this. Yes, we did lie down next to one another before but that's when we have our usual night-talks so we didn't hug each other, not feeling the need to do it, after all. So why do i feel the need to hug her at a time like this?
Sana didn't say anything. It makes me feel nervous and guilty for hugging her out of nowhere without warning and the fact that i can't see her face makes me feel even more nervous and guilty.
Minutes have passed and she showed no signs of movement. Has she fallen asleep? She's probably sleeping right now. I shouldn't wake her up then. I closed my eyes as we continued staying in this position.
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I heard murmurings in my room, making me frown. I slowly opened my eyes and the first thing i see was hair. I widened my eyes, gasping silently, in realization and pulled away, shifting away from Sana. Right, i almost forgot that i hugged her from behind. I wonder if she feels uncomfortable with me now.
I noticed our friends are in the room too, staring at the both of us with smirks and teasing smiles. Great. We are going to get teased by them. I turned to Sana, who turned her body around and sat up from my bed. She turned her head towards me with a small smile and there's no emotion of uncomfortable on her face, not even one bit.
"Dinner is already here but i didn't want to wake you up so i let you sleep longer." She said and giggled while the others were watching us with eager and intense eyes. I am feeling pressured from their gaze. Sana probably noticed that i'm feeling tensed and pressured from their intense stares because she turned towards them.
"Can you guys go to the dining room first?" Sana asked and they all went out of the room, groaning and pouting their lips in disappointment, wanting to be in the room longer.
"Is your strength back?" She asked once everyone left and looked at me, her eyes looking like a cute puppy.
"Yeah, i don't feel weak anymore." I told her and she nodded her head with a happy and relief smile.
"Resting is worth it then. Let's go eat our dinner." She said and i nodded my head as we got off the bed and went to the dining room, joining the others. There are two vacant seats and it seems like they did it on purpose. It feels like they want us to sit next to each other. Well, we have no choice so i just sat down and Sana followed, sitting on the last empty seat which is next to my right side.
"Here's your rice." Dahyun said, passing Sana a bowl of rice with a pair of chopstick placed on top. The older girl thanked her while Jeongyeon-unnie, who is sitting across me, passed me a bowl of rice with a pair of chopstick too. I thanked her and we started eating in silence.
"Ah, by the way, Momo-ah. You should try Dahyun's homemade food. It's very delicious." Sana said to her fellow Japanese friend, who is sitting across Dahyun. Momo-unnie gave a blank expression to Sana, making her and Dahyun laugh.
"Yah! Since when did you eat the food she cooked?" Momo-unnie soon asked, looking envious.
"This morning~" Sana sang and giggled while the older girl pouted her lips, eating a bite of chicken with an envy look. So Dahyun cooked breakfast for Sana this morning, she looks so happy and smiley just from talking about it. It must be delicious.
"Dahyun, why you never cook food for us? You don't need to use your money for our lunch anymore." Nayeon-unnie asked, chewing on the food while looking at the pale girl.
"You guys never asked...!" Dahyun pouted her lips in sadness, making us laugh.
"Ah, then you can cook for us next time we come to your house!" Jihyo-unnie suggested excitedly and Nayeon-unnie agreed with anticipation. Dahyun didn't have a choice so she gave in, saying that she will cook for everyone when we go to her house.
After dinner, everyone left, making sure to tell me to get well soon even though i'm feeling quite well now. Dahyun and Sana have not left yet. It seems like Dahyun is staying here for a bit longer. Dahyun was in the living room while Sana and i are inside my room with the door open.
"How are you feeling now, Tzuyu-ah?" Sana asked as i sat down on the bed and putting my back against the headboard while the older girl sat back down on the chair.
"I'm feeling good. Thank you for taking care of me." I said, smiling slightly at her. She returned back the smile with a soft giggle.
"Are you going to sleep?" I asked her with a curious look.
"I'm going to sleep at Dahyun's house for the night." She said, voice became softer and softer as she fidgets her fingers on her lap.
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