CHAOS IN YOU || RYEJI

10.

While away from home at college, Yeji had attempted to make contact with Ryujin. Just so they could remain acquainted with each other. However, every single time she would ask her brother for the girl's number he would simply dismiss it. Even going as far as claiming he didn't have it.

In fact, she had taken notice that her brother had posted a photo with Ryujin. Captioning it with something about Ryujin leaving. Maybe for vacation? Yeji didn't think much of it. Besides, surely wherever she would be going Ryujin would still have her phone, right?

Now she would finally be going back home for the first time since leaving. Having missed her extremely annoying brother and her loving mother, Yeji could wait to spend some time home.

"Hey, ugly. I'm home." She yelled out, bursting through the bedroom door and jumping into Hyunjin's bed immediately.

He had been playing video games and turned to face her, a smile on his face once their eyes met. Right before focusing his eyes on the screen again. His fingers quickly tapping the buttons on his remote.

"Hey, Yeji."

She looked at him curiously. Noticing something was off and it wasn't just her imagination. Hyunjin might have smiled but he looked sad and Yeji knew exactly why that was.

"What do you want to do?"

With a sigh, her brother pressed a few burros. and ended the game he had been playing. Hyunjin then leaned back on his chair, playing with it and spinning around a couple times before facing Yeji once again. "Heejin wanted to go get ice cream."

Yeji hummed. In all honesty, she really wanted to ask a few question about what happened. And why he was acting like a grieving husband. Her mind filled with questions such as why Ryujin had gone away or why Hyunjin didn't even have her number anymore. But she didn't. It was clearly causing him pain and she didn't want to add to that.

Besides, it had been months since she had last seen Ryujin. It wasn't right for her to be asking questions about the girl to her brother who had just lost his best friend. Although it all sounded entirely too dramatic to her.

They ended up at an ice cream shop, with Heejin who looked just as rough as her brother did. Both of them were clearly affected by Ryujin being absent from their lives. Yeji would have loved to tease them about it but their faces prevented her from doing so. Instead, her curiosity growing with each passing minute.

Sitting at a table, they were busy eating their ice cream but there was a lot of tension in the air. It was unnerving how tense everything felt. Yeji wasn't sure of what to do about any of it but it was making it extremely uncomfortable to be in that environment.

"This is so good." She stated, earning a small nod from both of them.

Sighing, Yeji tried once more. "What have you guys been up to?"

Heejin shrugged. "Work, mostly."

Hyunjin nodded at her answer, agreeing with the girl.

"So no partying?"

"Sometimes." Hyunjin answered.

They remained in silence for a while after. None of them knowing what to say and all of them having one thing on their mind. It had been two weeks since Ryujin had been gone and they were acting like she had been gone for years now. Maybe they knew it to be more serious than she did. Because surely a vacation or even a sudden move to another city wouldn't cause both of them to act like they're at a funeral.

Heejin took a deep breath, looking down at her ice cream before looking back up. "She deactivated her social media."

Hyunjin looked at her with widened eyes, quickly pulling out his phone and checking it.

It was true. Ryujin didn't have a phone number or social media. She was determined to stay unreachable.

Her brother looked to be on the edge of breaking down and Yeji honestly still didn't know what the hell was going on.

"Can't you just visit her?" Yeji questioned, confused about it all. Surely they could just go to her if she, for whatever reason, didn't want to be contacted through her phone.

"We don't know where she is." Hyunjin stated, staring at his phone.

"Why?"

Heejin shrugged. Hyunjin didn't respond, pressing his lips together instead.

And just like that the conversation ended. Leaving her more confused than she had been before it happened.

Eventually, the three of them managed to have a more lighthearted conversation. As Yeji started to tell them about her college experience so far.

It hadn't been a bad outing but it surely wasn't the most easygoing and relaxing one either. Everyone seemed so down, carrying their grief for a friend that wasn't even deceased.

So the next day, before having to go back to Seoul, Yeji focused on cheering up her brother. She spent the entire day playing video games with him and watching movies. Anything that could keep his mind off of Ryujin. But in the process, hers was filled with thoughts of the girl.

They hadn't shared many moments before Yeji had gone off to college. But she still remembered each of them as if they had happened just a moment ago.

Yeji couldn't say that she loved the girl. Nor did she like her as anything other than a friend. The reality was, Ryujin was beautiful in so many ways. She was extremely attractive, as everyone seemed to notice, and her personality had always caught her attention. She was kind and protective but rather silly at times. Her flirting had always had an affect on Yeji but it had never crossed the line to anything serious and both of them were okay with that. It had been innocent and casual. Just two people who met and had good moments, getting along better than she had ever expected.

Many people have crushes right away when they first see someone. Honestly, Yeji had never been that way. Ryujin was someone she had unknowingly found attractive but she didn't feel lust when she looked at her. Nor had she fallen madly in love with the older girl.

For the time being, Ryujin was a mystery and someone Yeji would love to know better. If she were ever given the chance.

After the short time home, Yeji went back to university. Back to her room and her books that caused her many sleepless nights. The classes that she dreaded and the people she barely knew. Back to her new normal.

It wasn't until weeks later, the day before she was meant to go back home again for her birthday that she received a call from her mother.

"Honey, I know your education is very important but you should come back home today."

"But-"

"Your brother is in the hospital, Yeji."