"Do we really need to practice hugging each other?"
"We do. Remember our goal is to make them believe that we're indeed dating for the past year."
"I told your mom's secretary that we've been dating for two years."
"Right. Thank you, you uplift my spirit."
"It's hard to pretend to be dating someone like you." Sana rolls her eyes. "Insensitive and selfish."
"Keep your comment to yourself. This is your fault so you need to cooperate." Tzuyu spreads her arms, "hug."
Her face contorts in disgust or maybe she's confused, or hungry. Who knows exactly?
"Ugh." Sana groans. "Do I have to?"
"Hug." Tzuyu repeats herself.
"Fine."
It's not the first time they hug, of course. They were friends for years. It was when..
"Face me, you freaking psychopath!" Sana kicked the door of the apartment next door. "You want me to burn your apartment?! Sure! Watch me!"
"Sana, calm down." Tzuyu whispers while hugging herself and holding the leash of the dog of their neighbor. "You're scaring her." She meant the dog, not the owner.
Sana ignored her and kept fighting the door. "You won't really face me?!" She kicked it before rushing inside their apartment, opening the cupboards, looking for something that can cause fire.
"Sana..." Tzuyu called her. "Sana.. that's enough."
"This is why people look down on you! You let them step on you! You're a freaking adult!"
Sana felt guilt instantly when she saw Tzuyu in her hoodie. She's pale and looked tired. She's been sick and she only went outside to buy medicine but her opportunist neighbor saw her and asked to freaking walk her dog.
"It's not a big deal."
"You're sick, you know that right? Yet you still walked her dog."
"I'm being nice to our neighbor."
"You're not a politician in a campaign. Out of my way."
Tzuyu stands firm in front of the fuming woman. "No."
"Get out of my way, Tzuyu."
Tzuyu grabbed her shoulders and pulled her into a hug. "Always hot headed. I'm fine. Stop being mean to people."
"So it's my fault?!"
"No. No. It's mine." Tzuyu rests her chin on top of her head. "I could cook an egg on your head. It's so hot."
Sana hates how people take advantage of Tzuyu. Her friend is too nice and it's starting to get on her nerves.
"Are you cold?"
Tzuyu nodded her head though Sana won't see it.
You can't say that Sana is the opposite of Tzuyu or vice versa. Sana is as nice as Tzuyu, the difference is she won't let anyone step on her, take advantage of her, and treat her badly. While Tzuyu has a patience longer than the longest river in the world. She doesn't express her anger the way Sana does.
"How long do we need to hug?"
"Should we look in the mirror if we look like a couple?" Tzuyu suggests.
"You're so weird."
Tzuyu drags Sana while her arms are wrapped around her. Sana kicks like she's being kidnapped, her arms are searching for anything she can grab. "What the hell, Tzuyu?!"
Tzuyu releases a hearty laugh. "Look. What do you think?"
They are standing in front of a floor to ceiling mirror in between the living and dining area. Tzuyu is looking at them while she forces Sana to take a look and examine if they will already pass as a couple.
"You look bad."
Am I this short??
Sana looks confused. Did Tzuyu grow taller? Did she shrink? She's pretty sure she wasn't this short.
I look cute though.
"You don't look happy."
"I am not happy."
Sana didn't work hard to forget her attraction towards Tzuyu just to pretend they are dating in the end.
"You have to look happy."
"Not right now."
"I will remind you, that if you didn't—"
"Blablabla. Stop nagging me. I'm older than you."
Tzuyu holds her tighter, pulling her closer.
"What the hell are you doing?!"
"Will you stop shouting? Stop getting mad and focus."
They both look at their reflection in the mirror. The first thing they notice is their height difference. Sana thinks she looks too small, on the other hand Tzuyu likes how Sana is shorter than her.
"We look pretty comfortable with each other. What do you think?"
"Yeah, because I'm trying my best. We look normal."
"Should we practice kissing?"
Her eyes bulge from the socket, she pushes the taller woman and glares at her in disbelief. "WHAT?! Are you insane?!"
"People in relationships kiss. I want us to be as convincing as possible."
This is insane. This is torture. This is not fair.
"No. We won't." Sana shakes her head. "Kiss the wall if you want to practice."
Tzuyu chuckles. "Why did you break up with Chris? I heard it from Mina."
"None of your business."
"We won't look convincing if you keep that attitude. And why are you even mad? This is all your fault."
Sana huffs. "My fault? If you didn't do what you did I wouldn't be like this."
"Is this about leaving your apartment again? I told you I need my own space."
"You didn't tell me beforehand!"
"Why do we always talk about this? It's all in the past. Stop wasting your time on things that don't matter."
"Because you haven't told me your real reason. We will keep talking about this until you tell me why you ruin our friendship."
"Kiss me, then I will tell you." Tzuyu smirks. She knows Sana won't do it.
Sana balls her fist. So Tzuyu is really messing with her, she's lying, she's been lying to her. She hates liars.
Tzuyu is smiling, not too smug, but annoying enough. "Then I guess—"
Sana tiptoes and tilts her head, pressing her lips on Tzuyu's.
Sometimes all you have to experience is your ego getting bruised to push yourself to do the most stupid thing.
Tzuyu has a concrete plan. They will meet in areas where they will act like they have been caught when people see them. Like in the fire exit, in the toilet, and in the parking lot. They won't display their affection toward each other in obvious ways, that will spark more doubts.
Momo, Dahyun, Mina and Chaeyoung know about the truth. So they will be the judge of their acting performance.
But this morning is not part of their plan. They didn't talk after the kiss. Tzuyu went home after that, she didn't even change her clothes and just grabbed her phone and called a grab.
"When is your wedding?" Jeongyeon asks Sana when they meet in the elevator. They are not alone though, there are three people with them.
She lowers her head and hides her face. "We don't have the date yet." Her voice is too quiet for Jeongyeon to hear.
"What?" Jeongyeon bends, moving closer to Sana. "I didn't know it's possible for you to be this quiet."
"No date yet."
"How about Tzuyu's birthday?"
What a junk idea. Sana thought.
"Certainly not." Her eyes widened when she realized what she had said. "I mean, I want to celebrate her birthday and our anniversary separately."
"He..he." Then a nervous laugh.
"That's sweet. I didn't know you've been dating. You guys always fought in the past."
"Uh—just like every other relationship, we've been going through some—uhh—"
"Difficulties?"
"Yeah. Right."
Jeongyeon nods, her hands on her back. She leans on Sana and whispers, "can you help me with her cousin?"
Uh-oh.
"Sana is here. She's with Dahyun and Momo." Chaeyoung informs her like she always does. "She doesn't look like a dragon today. Weird."
Tzuyu just nods, then removes her jacket that she wore during site inspection. She folds it and places it on her lap. She makes sure the chair beside her is empty.
"I told you, your jacket smells like sweat."
Tzuyu just nods.
"Wait.."
Chaeyoung laughs loud enough to get the attention of other designers occupying tables near them.
She covers her mouth and giggles. "I don't think Sana will sit beside you."
"Shut up."
"But I can make it happen." Chaeyoung smirks and raises her hand. "Tzuyu's future wife!"
Tzuyu feels like someone hit the back of her head, and another is choking her, or maybe she wants to choke Chaeyoung. She's hyperventilating, she needs oxygen. She looks at Sana and she's....
So pretty. So attractive.
Sana is wearing a white shirt tucked into her jeans, blue cardigan and a white sneakers. She woke up very late so she didn't have time to choose better clothes.
Sana and Tzuyu both look at each other at the same time but quickly look elsewhere. Tzuyu clears her throat and stares at her sandwich instead.
Sana watches in horror when Momo and Dahyun walk towards the table of the two engineers.
"Did they really?" She whispers to herself. "Goodness."
"Hi!" Dahyun greets them, putting her tray on the table. "I have your clothes that you forgot in Sana's apartment. I'll give them to you later."
Dahyun looks so innocent, while Sana and Tzuyu lose the color on their faces. People start to whisper, probably gossiping about them.
This should not happen. Their friends shouldn't be announcing these things.
Tzuyu sees Sana standing a few feet away from their table. Her hands tremble while carrying her food. She heard about Sana and Jack. It is really the biggest hole in their fake relationship.
People might think that she cheated on Tzuyu.
Tzuyu breathes deeply before standing to rescue Sana from fainting.
"I'll carry that for you."
Sana nods and lets go of the tray after Tzuyu holds it.
"I won't be in the meeting later." She informs Sana. "I have a meeting with a client." She says, making sure some people would hear her. "I will drive you home after."
Tzuyu thinks nothing has registered as Sana is too occupied with the whispers from their officemates. She has a slightly bad reputation in terms of relationships. She's playful and clingy with some men employees, though Sana doesn't see any wrong with it, some people think differently.
"Thank you for taking care of me last time." Tzuyu says before arranging the food on the table.
Dahyun, Momo and Chaeyoung watch how Tzuyu takes care of Sana. It isn't shocking at all, though Tzuyu is known for being cold, everyone has seen how she treats Sana, she's always gentle.
"Would you like some soda?"
"Uh—no, it's—"
"I'll get it for you."
Tzuyu would frown everytime Sana drinks the excessively sweet drink. She would scold her, trash talk the drink, tell her it's not good for her skin. But the look on Sana's face is like asking for a comfort.
"Don't mind the people. I guess they are just shocked and confused." Chaeyoung says, though she knows how Sana treated her best friend before. "You look great together by the way."
"T-thank you."
Momo coughs, Dahyun turns and gives her a glass of water. "Here."
"Don't mind them." Momo says before giving back the glass to Dahyun. Dahyun frowns and pouts when she sees her glass is now empty.
"I don't." Sana says. "How did she deal with her hang over?"
Sana starts to have a decent conversation with Chaeyoung, so she won't focus on the way people give her a look. Tzuyu was well when they were together but she wanted to make sure that she didn't die for a minute.
"Took medicine. It wasn't bad." Chaeyoung answers. "Why do you have her clothes?" She asks Dahyun.
"Sana asked for a favor." She shrugs.
"You can give it to her though?"
"Uh—"
She didn't expect that she'd be having lunch with Tzuyu. She wanted to clear her thoughts first after their kiss.
"I don't think they are really dating. Tzuyu will date Sana?" A cockroach behind them whispers loudly.
"I know. I heard Sana has slept with most of the men employees. Jack is her recent fling." Cockroach two answers.
"She's not Tzuyu's type. That can't be."
Tzuyu is viewed as the most attractive employee in their company. Single, smart, tall, and pretty. She has it all. So everyone couldn't believe it after the news broke out. Tzuyu is dating Sana. Someone even created a group chat so they could pray all together to ask the heaven to save Tzuyu from Sana.
Chaeyoung shifts in her seat and faces the three women on the table behind them. "I am Tzuyu's best friend, I know her best, and Sana is her type."
"Here's your soda, and yogurt."
"T-thank you."
Tzuyu wasn't there when she received a promotion, a salary raise. Tzuyu wasn't there to celebrate with her.
But Tzuyu drove an hour to meet her after she called her, informing she stepped on a concrete nail when she visited one of their projects. Tzuyu left a meeting for her.
Tzuyu wasn't there to celebrate with her when their big client mentioned her for being an exceptional architect. She was over the moon.
But Tzuyu was there when one of their clients cursed her, called her names, and insulted her. Tzuyu didn't leave her side until she stopped crying.
Tzuyu places her hand on top of Sana's head. Momo, Dahyun and Chaeyoung watch her weird action.
"What?" Sana asks curiously.
Tzuyu is just staring at Sana.
"Tzu, you okay?" Chaeyoung asks. "Are you praying for Sana or something?"
"You're pretty without even trying." Tzuyu says without emotion, like she was programmed to say it. "Thank you for forgiving and accepting me. I will treat you better and won't cheat on you again."
Like the stars, Tzuyu only shows her presence during the dark times.
Or maybe she's just plain stupid for creating another problem.