The Girl In The Painting (ON HIATUS) (Hyetomi/Chaetomi)

Beautiful Nightmare?

Third-Person POV

Hitomi stared at the girl seated in front of her. She kept repeating Hyewon's words in her head. Small steps. Small steps. Small steps. Screw it all.

Hitomi noticed how Nako was still practicing the dance while she was in her seat. Hitomi took a deep breath and prepared herself, fixing her hair before reaching for Nako's shoulders. As she was about to reach her, she abruptly took her hand back. She felt to nervous too actually call for Nako's attention.

She tried again and again but her heart is beating way too fast now and her hands are shaking. She could feel the cold sweat forming on the side of her forehead. She leaned on the back of her seat and hit the side of her head with fist. She closed her eyes to relax and gain a bit of composure.

She took a deep beath and thought of Hyewon's pretty face and her advice.

Screw what they think. Just take small steps.

She slowly and finally reached Nako's shoulder and caught the other girl's attention. Nako paused the video of Twice and looked behind her.

"Hmmmm?", Nako asked while she had a bewildered look on her face. It was the first interaction wherein Hitomi was the one to approach first, of course she'd be curious of what Hitomi might say or do.

Hitomi stood up and took the empty seat to the right of Nako. Nako only followed her with her gaze. Hitomi then put the chair closer to Nako and she sat on it. She pointed to Nako's phone, specifically on what's on her screen.

"Wha- What are you saying? Twice? Are you also a fan of Twice?", Nako asked Hitomi.

"Y-yes.", Hitomi replied, earning a squeal from the other girl. Nako expected a nod but instead she heard Hitomi's voice. Before, she noticed her smile but now she's starting to speak too. She couldn't deny that she somehow felt proud and honored to be the one to notice these things.

Hitomi and everyone in were a bit surprised because of Nako. Everyone in the classroom turned to look at them, even Yuri who was sleeping woke up.

"What? What are you... Why are you staring at me like that?", Nako tried to say with an unbothered look on her face to her other classmates, pretending that she didn't just scream loudly a while ago. Everyone went back to their own business.

"You've made progress, Hitomi.", she whispered to Hitomi and smiled at her while she patted Hitomi's head.

Hitomi smiled a bit as a reply. Nako giggled, happy to see Hitomi smiling again.

"Who's your bias?", Nako asked.

Hitomi still isn't comfortable when it comes to speaking so she just made a gesture, a gesture someone in Twice made. She pointed with both of her hands at Nako, with her thumb pointing upwards. She then moved her right and left shoulders alternately.

"Ohyo", Hitomi said softly. Instead of a reply, she got two hands pinching both of her cheeks.

"Sana! So cute.", Nako said to Hitomi. Hitomi felt her face getting warmer so she looked down.

"Look at this. I've been studying Heart Shaker.", Nako said to Hitomi and removed her hands from Hitomi's cheeks. She then played the video on her phone and started dancing to the part she paused earlier.

Hitomi could only put her right elbow on top of the chair's desk and lean her face on her palm as she stared at the girl dancing happily to her group's song while still seated on her chair. That is until she noticed that Nako made a wrong step.