7pm || Jitzu

Chapter 3

The next few days are pretty hectic for Jihyo. She is busy with her University project, her part-time job, and now having to find a solution to Tzuyu's Visa's situation. She looked it up and realized Tzuyu needed to find a job within 2 months or she would have to leave Korea.

They get closer in 20 days living together than the last 2 months they had been talking at the store. Jihyo learns everything she wanted to know about Tzuyu for so long and Tzuyu doesn't hold back. She asks even more questions than Jihyo does. Despite the language and communication barrier, they understand and fit each other well.

When Tzuyu wakes up, Jihyo has already prepared her breakfast and left a good morning note on the kitchen countertop. When Jihyo gets back from her classes, Tzuyu has already prepared the table, waiting for Tzuyu to cook them something because she can't cook for life. They clean the plates together like they did the first time and then sit on the sofa and watch some drama until Jihyo has to go to work or Tzuyu has to go hand out her CV to as many shops as she can. On Wednesdays and Saturdays, they clean the apartment together and every night they talk for an hour before sleeping, their blankets close together every night now.

It is Saturday and cleaning time. Tzuyu puts on some music and starts dancing with the broom on her hands. Jihyo laughs at the sight before her and wonders how she is so lucky to have found a friend as cute and bubbly as her. She has not been bored one day since Tzuyu came into her life.

Tzuyu writes on the phone and shows it to Jihyo. "Dance with me" it says. Jihyo doesn't have time to react when Tzuyu is taking her to the middle of the living room, throwing the broom to the side and holding her with her right hand on her back and her left hand on her shoulder.

Jihyo feels nervous. Too nervous, actually. The strange feeling on her stomach back again at full force. Why is she feeling like this again? She thinks. She must have been too entranced that she feels Tzuyu shaking her up and clasping her fingers close to her eyes for her to wake up.

Jihyo reacts and composes herself again. She takes one step back but Tzuyu holds her again pushing her against her body. She shakes her head as a way to tell Jihyo to not go. She starts moving to the music and Jihyo let's her guide her. It's one of the ballads Tzuyu likes. Jihyo forgets about what's good or bad or wrong or right and just lets herself be, moving with Tzuyu and feeling the music.

The song ends and a dance song starts playing. Jihyo is still not over the previous moment when Tzuyu starts jumping making Jihyo jump with her. They start laughing and dancing all over the room. After a few songs, they are exhausted and stop dancing. The rest of the day passes as always but Jihyo is still thinking about the dance. She can't stop thinking about that dance for days.

One night, when they are about to sleep, with her phones on their hands to communicate, they start talking about their past. About their friends, their families, and what kind of childhood and adolescence they had. Jihyo is curious about something but she's not bold enough to ask.

Just then, Tzuyu brings up the subject that's been on her mind for an hour now. Well, since that day they danced to the ballad.

"Unnie, why don't you have a boyfriend?" Tzuyu writes on the new phone Jihyo got her.

"I..." She starts saying out loud. She is about to write something on her phone when Tzuyu shows hers again.

"Or a girlfriend?" The new message says.

Jihyo is shocked to death. Does she ask because she's more open or because she thinks I might like girls? She knows Taiwan is more open than Korea but none of her friends ever dared to be so direct or openly speak about something like this. She's from the countryside, were it's taboo to talk about it so since she was little she's never even had to think about it. Now, living in Seoul, she is more open and accepting seeing foreigners of all classes around and reading social media posts about her favorite idols and actors. But it still is shocking to be asked so directly. She's had a boyfriend. She thinks she's straight but she's never had to think about the possibility and she's never liked a girl, or any other boy whatsoever so she's not sure what do say. She now is unsure and questioning her sexuality for the first time and she does not want to lie to Tzuyu, who is still awaiting an answer.