Under Her ✔

38

"So... What do you think about Yeji unnie?"

"What I think about... Yeji?"

"Yeah..."

"She's okay, I guess."

"Geez, what an elaborate answer, Ryu."

Chaeryeong rolled her eyes in annoyance, giving Ryujin a stern look as she waited for her to explain further. Ryujin sighed, but she knew better than to keep her bestfriend waiting. This girl was an amazon and Ryujin doesn't want to hear an earful from her, at least, not tonight.

"She's... Interesting."

"Oh, really? In what way?"

"Her face reminds me of... of that person... But they're completely different..."

Chaeryeong was astounded by her answer. No, Ryujin shouldn't remember that person, she shouldn't be reminded of her. Chaeryeong panicked and turned Ryujin over to face her, and there she saw those empty looking eyes once again. The same ones she saw when they finally saved her.

"What?! Hey, Ryujin, look at me. You get reminded of her as you look at Yeji unnie?"

"Yes... but she's not her... I don't know... Yeji just keeps on drawing me in despite making me remember bits of... what happened..."

Ryujin's hands were balled into fist so hardly that her knuckles turned white and her nails started to dig on her palms painfully, but she didn't mind that, as nothing was more painful than the heavy feeling on her heart that never lets her sleep at night. The constant whisper in her ears that makes her mind go crazy, and the images of those people- oh, how cruel of them to not let her rest.

"Ryu, listen. Yeji unnie is a good person, they're completely different. She's not her."

"I know! I know that she's not her! But why does it satisfy me to see Yeji being submissive- as if it was her whom I am controlling?! Why does she remind me so much of my memories with her? Why does she draw me in just like what she did back then? Would she hurt me? Would she hurt the people around me?! Would she kil-"

"Ryujin, enough."

"No, you don't know her! You don't know what I saw and what I felt as I stared at her eyes! You don't know how powerless I felt as she stood before me! You don't know anything!"

Ryujin had Chaeryeong pressed against the wall as she gripped her shoulders so painfully, yet Chaeryeong said nothing. She pushed Ryujin's buttons, so she have to let her anger subside first. Ryujin's breathing was ragged and fast, and Chaeryeong patiently waited for her bestfriend to collect her bearings and calm down.

"Ryu... It's not your fault..."

"It is! No one would've died! She wouldn't have had to hurt those innocent people!"

"No, Ryu, you were powerless that tim-"

"That's it- if I was stronger and smarter during that exact moment, those people wouldn't have perished!"

Ryujin's tears have already flowed out, and her grip on Chaeryeong's shoulder loosened as she sobbed and hung her head low, too afraid to show her vulnerable state again. Chaeryeong also couldn't help but cry at the sight of her bestfriend looking so broken beyond repair. Ryujin doesn't deserve this. No one else does. She slowly wrapped her arms around her, engulfing her in a hug, and Ryujin finally clung onto her as she sobbed so painfully.

Unbeknownst to them, three pairs of eyes were watching the two of them from the inside. Yuna was crying as she watched her sister broke down, Lia was also crying as she hugged the younger girl to console her. And Yeji... Yeji didn't knew what they were talking about, but tears also fell from her eyes as she watched them. She couldn't take in the sight of Ryujin looking so weak in someone's arms, no, it was something that Yeji never wished to see. Whatever was the reason behind those tears must've been the same reason for Ryujin to act so different among everyone, Yeji thought.

The beautiful night became a very painful one as the five friends let their tears fall...