What I Cannot Say

Part 3- End

Mina was the first to notice Tzuyu's presence.

"Tzuyu-ah? Why are you home so late? Where have you been?" Tzuyu was too distracted to answer properly though.

"Where is Jihyo-unnie? I need to talk to her."

The mention of their leader made Nayeon look up. She narrowed her eyes at Tzuyu, who instinctively winced at the sudden aggression.

"Mina asked you a question, Tzuyu-ah. Why are you asking about Jihyo?"

"W-we were hanging out earlier today, and I must have said something..." Tzuyu was having difficulty breathing. "I think that made Jihyo-unnie angry, and she left."

If Nayeon's voice made Tzuyu feel a bit apprehensive, the look of utter shock and disbelief on all three members present frightened her.

"... What happened, Nayeon-unnie? D-did something happen to Jihyo-unnie?" She hesitantly asked, fearing for both the answer and her life.

Before either Sana or Mina had time to react, Nayeon angrily bolted from her sitting position, grabbed Tzuyu's shoulder and pushed her down the nearest chair she could find. Staring deep into Tzuyu's helpless eyes, she whispered in a dangerous tone.

"Tzuyu, Jihyo is crying in the bedroom. She asked to be alone, and we have no idea why. But now we know it has something to do with you."

Tzuyu was ready to burst into tears in any second. At this moment, a gentle hand laid itself on Nayeon's shoulder to appease any further outburst.

"Nayeon-unnie, don't be like this," came Mina's soothing whisper. "We know you're worried, but you're just making Tzuyu feel worse."

It calmed Nayeon down enough to throw Tzuyu a look that could pass as apologetic, and she backed away. Mina took the opportunity to crouch down and gently cup Tzuyu's cheeks. She instinctively leaned into the newfound source of warmth for solace. It helped, albeit not by much.

"Tzuyu-ah, I know you feel terrible right now," she said, low and soft, as comforting as she could manage. "We don't hate you. We all love you very much, we just want you guys to feel better."

It was more than Tzuyu could take. After all that had just happened, the tenderness and care was far too much for her to handle. Her lips quivered. Her throat clogged up and her lips bit together tightly, and even though she squeezed her eyes shut, she couldn't keep the tears in. Another heartbeat and she choked on the first sob.

"M-Mina-unnieee... I'm sorry, I'm so sorry... I hurt Jihyo-unnie, I don't know what to do..." She said between hiccups, her voice cracking.

Mina's eyes watered, it hurt so much to see her closest friends like this. First Jihyo, now Tzuyu. She pulled the maknae's shaking form into her arms. She held Tzuyu in silence, rocking her slowly as the torrent of tears soaked her chest.

_____

After a few minutes, Tzuyu managed to calm down a little and retold the whole story. She glanced desperately at her unnies, who all had their heads buried in their hands.

"Tzuyu-ah..." It was Sana who gave the first opinion. "I thought since you two are really close, you'd know this already, but Jihyo hates photography. Like, she really hates it." Nayeon and Mina nodded.

Tzuyu's eyes widened. She looked at her unnies slack-jawed, hoping she heard it wrong. At Tzuyu's bewilderment, Sana sighed and continued.

"Do you remember our second mission in Sixteen?" Tzuyu slowly nodded. "You were in Minor back then, so you wouldn't know this. Jihyo was scolded for being so inconfident, since she always hid herself behind us. She was really insecure about her weight back then, you know."