Yooji: Love is War [Winrina]

23: Seeing You

               Weekends were lazy days.

               This was when I would only cuddle with my bed and watch movies all day long without having to worry about anything. A habit that had begun as a way to somehow assure those people who cared for my well-being that never would I unreasonably overwork myself again because rest had been added back to my vocabulary again long ago.

               There were days, however, when a certain someone would drag me out of my room and force me to go somewhere with them, like this particular day for example.

               “Tell me again why we are in a mall on a Saturday morning?” I asked, exasperated while trailing behind my best friend who was marching toward a familiar boutique, excited and all.

               “We are going to buy you a dress for Auntie’s birthday celebration tomorrow, of course!” she replied, sounding as if I should’ve already known that.

               “I have a fair amount at home.” I sighed, remembering those clothes that Jisoo had bought for me which were just collecting dust in my closet. “There is no need to buy me a new one.”

               “Nonsense.” She stopped walking to gaze over me with her eyes bulging comically. “You need to look your best since you will be meeting your in-laws!”

               I pursed my lips, fighting off the heat creeping up on my face. “Ri, they are not my in-laws. Winter and I are not really together.”

               “Winter?” She looked at me, amusement all over her face. “It’s funny how the first person that came up in your mind was her.”

               I blinked, my mind failing to comprehend her point. “W-What’s that supposed to mean?”

               “I was actually talking about Ryujin,” she said. “Since it is her who you like, right? Or is there something you aren’t telling me?”

               As soon as the last word left her mouth, it dawned on me.

               Crap.

               This was not so good.

               “O-Of course not,” I answered, internally cursing myself for stammering. “I just t-thought that you were referring to Winter since we are technically dating even if it’s fake. Yes, that’s it. It was an honest mistake. There is no need to make a big deal out of it.”

               Aeri appeared unconvinced, her eyes holding mine for a while as if to see through me before shrugging her shoulders, continuing to walk.

               “If you say so.”

               I discreetly released a sigh of relief.

               Fuck, that was close.

               What was I even thinking?

               I was in trouble.

               The more time I spend with Winter, the more I was getting used to our setup. Calling her my girlfriend doesn’t sound foreign now in my ears nor do I feel myself cringing in distaste because thereof as if it had become the most natural thing in the world. Unknowingly, I was falling deeper into the trap.

               The moment we entered the boutique, Aeri made me try several kinds of clothes; from dresses to gowns right away, and I, as a good friend, just obeyed and let her have her way without a single complaint. I knew she was currently having fun since it wasn’t every day we get to shop together.