I wanna be happy that you're happy

One Shot

Here's your second 'cheer you up over the Lizzo situation' present, Sabrina.:)

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For every full month anniversary of their breakup, she'd sleep until noon, today, the six month anniversary of their breakup, being the day that Tzuyu sits downstairs in the dorm kitchen with a cup of chocolate milk not at noon but at five in the morning. Being a bit positive will do her a lot better than sitting here sulking, Tzuyu forcing herself to see this morning as taking her first big step toward finally moving on from San. She's up before noon and is proud of herself for it but with the rise of her eight older sisters from their beds will come a bustling in the dorm she doesn't wanna deal with today, Tzuyu wanting nothing but a day of pure solitude.

Everyone has their own version of self-care, her own brand of self-care today being wandering the streets of Korea looking like absolute shit, the one upside to her feeling so emotionally vulnerable today being that she doesn't feel that intrinsic need to look presentable, Tzuyu pulling the hood of her hoodie further over her head of brown locks. So few people are up and about, Tzuyu, for a change, feeling like Chou Tzuyu the normal person rather than Tzuyu, maknae of Twice. Setting an alarm so she can get up at around this time of day to take a walk just to experience the refreshing rush of momentarily living in normalcy like everyone else is an appealing thought to the beautiful woman.

Never has she understood the mass disapproval of going to the movies alone, the idol supposing her comfortability with the controversial act has everything to do with her being a shy introvert. She's delighted that The Little Mermaid is still in theaters, having seen it the first time with her mother and left the theater in tears over how wonderful the remake was, today being her third time watching it and boy is she looking forward to watching it as if she's seeing it for the first time. This is all nice, sitting at the back of the theater wrapped in her bunny blanket, the cookies & cream ice cream she'd purchased at the concession counter sitting at the ready for her to eat on the pull out counter.

Tzuyu is actually feeling like today will be a decent day when as she's turning to sift through her purse for her kleenex pack, she sees the profile of a handsome, dimpled man very familiar to her eyes, the man laughing aloud as he walks to his seat while holding the brown hand of a lovely woman confirming to Tzuyu exactly who the man is. Her kleenex pack forgotten, Tzuyu watches as San and the stunning woman sit two rows ahead of her, Tzuyu wishing she were oblivious to their presence like they were oblivious to hers.

She'd come to relive the wonder and magic and romance of The Little Mermaid, Tzuyu not a healed woman but a still very much brokenhearted woman, keeping her eyes not on the movie screen but on the man she's still in love with and the beautiful woman he seems to be very happy with. Their breakup has done nothing to change how naturally affectionate he is, San keeping an arm around his pretty date the entire time, even kissing her lips and the side of her face. He's done what she can't seem to do: move on.

The film credits roll, Tzuyu smiling in nostalgia as she listens to San coo at his crying date, the way he runs his hand through her hair with that same gentleness he onced used with her making fresh, new cracks of pain form in her heart. She suddenly remembers the kleenex pack in her purse, pulling it out before opening her mouth to act outside of her social awkwardness.

"Excuse me?"

San's pretty date turns back toward her first, San following her lead seconds later, Tzuyu in awe that a woman could still be so beautiful even with tears running down her face. Smiling sweetly at the beauty, Tzuyu holds a tissue out to her.

"One of us could use this and it's definitely not me," Tzuyu says smilingly.

Laughing, the woman accepts her tissue with a grateful smile. "Thank you. Really."

The feeling of being looked at is a feeling all too familiar to her, is a feeling she had no choice but to get use to when she chose to be an idol, Tzuyu feeling San's gaze on her and god, if she stays here a second longer, she's afraid of what'll happen. Not acknowledging San's presence for her own sake, Tzuyu grabs her bunny blanket, the ice cream she hadn't touched the entirety of the movie, and her purse before squaring her shoulders and making her way toward the exit.

The girls are all asleep, Tzuyu sat wide awake in the living room watching Aladdin. She smiles as A Whole New World starts to play, swaying back and forth, mouthing along to the lyrics. The best part of Disney movies were the songs, not a single day going by where at least one Disney song isn't playing in her head. It's true that the love portrayed in Disney movies isn't the most realistic, is a love children would cling to but even as an adult, Tzuyu can't help but admire that love. Admiring it only hurts her, only makes her self-esteem suffer, makes her question everything she'd ever done when she was still San's and San was hers.

"I don't wanna give up on love," Tzuyu whispers to the screen, letting her tears freely flow, breaking out into a big smile when carpet being meddlesome results in Aladdin and Jasmine's first kiss.

Thinking back on all the times San had kissed his pretty date during The Little Mermaid, Tzuyu smiles even harder. "I'm happy you're happy."