What is love? (Mina's Story | Michaeng)

19. Patching up the puzzles

It had been a month since I knew the truth. I hadn't seen Chaeyoung since that day. I missed her. For the past month, I had been busy supervising dance practises for the upcoming Annual Day, not just one group or two groups but five groups. I had to, since I was the president of the dance club. These five groups practised in different periods so I missed out a lot of classes. I made up for those classes by getting tutored by Jihyo and copying notes from her on Sundays.

It wasn't like I could not make time on Sundays to meet Chaeyoung but I didn't know how I should face her. Every time I made up my mind to see her, I got too nervous and felt faint.

I hadn't told Chaeyoung that I loved her, nor did I tell her that I knew her secret. Because when I tell that I wanted her to be in front of me. I wanted to see her reaction.

I heard Chaeyoung was discharged from Jihyo. I talked to Dahyun and Tzuyu when school week started. They were at the house booth. Seeing no Chaeyoung with them, I missed her terribly.

"How's she doing?" I asked them.

"She's fine. Her cast got removed but she couldn't walk from fear. She wasn't convinced that her bones are healed. She kept saying it will hurt if she walk," Dahyun said.

"But she took three steps yesterday," Tzuyu added.

"Right, and then she immediately clung to you like a koala," Dahyun chuckled.

"She won't walk again after that. She also keeps wearing the sling for her hand. The doctor already told her they're all healed but she's scared to move her limbs," Tzuyu said.

November 12, I was alone in the house booth when she walked in.
"Why didn't you come see?" Chaeyoung asked. I looked up to her and scrutinised her adorable facial features. She was wearing a sling for her arm.

"How are you?" I asked.

"I missed you," she said and sat beside me. I just kept staring at her. "What?" she asked. I will tell her today that I love her. How should I start this? Let's first tell her I know her secret.

"I know your secret, S.A." I said.

She was surprised. "How did you know?"

"Your mom told me about your nickname. I put the pieces together and guessed it. Bambam knew about you. He eventually told me the truth."

She sighed heavily, "Is that why you didn't return to the hospital to see me?" I kept quiet.

"Actually I came to reveal myself today. I know what your response will be but right now I don't care. I'm prepared to bear the pain. I am going tell you what I wanted to, the reason why I'm here. I can't keep quiet anymore. It's tormenting me, it's suffocating me. I need to speak up what has always been buried inside me. Even if you don't like it please listen till the end," she pleaded.

"I'm listening."

"It's been 3 years since I liked you.." she said. It surprised me. It had been 3 years since I knew her.

"It all started the day you dragged me into that JAM competition. I will be wrong if I say I was not embarrassed. I couldn't sleep that night and your image, dragging me, kept replaying in my mind. After that day I kept seeing you; you worked so diligently for our house, I instantly liked your personality.

"Then, the day of your dance competition you were so beautiful, I couldn't tear my eyes off you. My eyes kept following you. I saw you take an empty bottle from Jihyo unnie and leave. I had to talk to you. I grabbed my own bottle and followed you. My bottle had three-fourth fill of water. I drank them all so it'd be empty and I could make an excuse to fill bottle and talk to you. I needed to get to know you.