The Wall | Yejisu

Chapter 13

Ryujin put her legs on the table and drank, like a bad girl.

"Manager left. I told him I got friends here"
"Yeji, can you tell me about new town? I wonder what it looks like now"
"Much the same, when did you leave?" Yeji asked.
"Twelve. I left all of them behind and came here. I remembered subway had only one line then"
"Six years ago...we have seven lines now. And they added new trains too"

Twelve. This number hit Yeji hard. She met the girl when they were twelve. A train station. A big ship. Her face. Yeji felt her heart pounded again. She drank the beer and calmed her down.

"I hope Lia has told you why I left. I like new town. I do. But in my bone is an explorer. I wanna go to places. Old town caught my eyes and I find it mysterious"

Ryujin paused and looked at her boots.
"But I think, I'll still leave here"
"Why? You're good here. If I were you, I will stay" Yeji said

Ryujin drank up her beer and tossed it into a bin.
"I have been finding a place called home. New town is not. They think I am mad. And I realise lately that old town is not, either, which is a good thing! A journey is calling. It brings up the explorer in me"

Yeji and Lia seemed a little bit down because they just learned that a cool friend would leave. Especially Lia, she got a complicated face.

"Don't worry. I will miss you. And I still need to buy Yeji's boots" Ryujin smiled.

They continued the talk until eight. They walked out the store and Ryujin locked it up. People, cars, bikes. Old town was lively at night.

"You don't see sparkling, huge digital signage here. And there aren't buses lining up in the middle of the street. Old town has its own beauty" Ryujin said while she walked between Yeji and Lia.
"But you will be leaving" Lia pouted

Ryujin patted her back and glanced at the watch. 20:47

"Yeji, how about you two sleep at my apartment. It's not safe to return. They add soldiers to the border these days. I heard from my friends"
"Thanks, You're so kind" Yeji said
They walked two blocks to where Ryujin lived.

/

They turned right at a crossroads and came to a quiet place. Apartment sat next to apartment. The buildings looked old on the outside, the colour of the bricks had faded. The frame of windows were painted white. They got balcony for each room.

Three of them walked on the sidewalk and followed the weak light of street lamps. They entered one of the buildings and walked up a few stairs.

"Here we are~the apartment. Make yourself at home" Ryujin said to them while she opened the door of her apartment.

She turned on the light. Yeji looked around and felt the texture of the walls.
"It's nice" she said.
"I'm glad that you like it. The bathroom is over there and kitchen next to where you stand. You two share a room. Is that ok?"

They both nodded. They liked Ryujin's place very much. She got a big LCD-TV, a sofa enough for five people and potted plants.

After shower, they watched series on TV. Lia noticed something on Ryujin.
"I can't imagine you in a cute pajamas like this" Lia said and chuckled
"You mean deep blue with white dots?"
"Yeah, not like you" Yeji said
They discovered a cute side of Ryujin.
"Shhh. This is between you and me. I prefer to be cool" her whiskers dimples showed on her face.
They went to sleep later. Ryujin used her own room.

At midnight, Yeji heard something. She sat up and walked out from the bedroom. She saw Ryujin lean on the railing of the balcony, bathed in moonlight. Her short hair looked silver. It felt as if she wasn't real.

"Can't sleep? my friend" Ryujin didn't look back.
"I heard something. I came out to check" Yeji walked to the balcony and rub her eyes.
"I guess it must be me" a puff of smoke rose into the air.

"You smoke?"
"My older sis does. You two remind me of her. We were so close. When I miss her, I smoke. Rest of the time, I prefer lollipop"
"Is she..." Yeji hesitated.
"No. She went to college in Canada. We haven't contacted for years"
"Lia lived there before"
"she did? It's a beautiful country. My sis is an explorer too. She can't stay at a same place for too long" Ryujin smiled.

"Where will you go next?"
"Dunno. I haven't got a plan. Canada mat be an option" she put out the cig.
"I gotta sleep. Don't look at the moon for too long. It is sentimental" she went back into her bedroom.

The next morning, a note on the table.
"I got stuff to do, don't wait for me, love you two~"

That bad girl Ryujin was back again. On the other note, she wrote down where they could get hearty breakfast.

They found that place and enjoyed a delicious french breakfast.
/