Orange Waves - Ryeji

Off The Court

"What should we do about this?" Ryujin asked while they sat at the kitchen table.

"Well, I mean how bad can it be really?" Yeji tried being more optimistic even though she was panicking a few minutes ago.

"Everyone knows us, and they used the word scandal, which has a negative connotation. People are going to really judge you two at competitions and in public." Lia said, sighing as she imagined what kind of things people would say to them.

"Okay." Ryujin said, looking at Yeji with guilt. "I'm sorry."

"What? It's not your fault." Yeji said, knowing she was really about to completely devour Ryujin in that car, and that it was Ryujin who actually pulled back.

"Everytime you hang out with me something goes wrong." Ryujin said, standing, preparing to leave since it was later at night.

"That's not true, hey come here." Yeji said, standing as well and pulling Ryujin close to her. "Stay." She said, giving the raven-haired puppy eyes that Lia cringed at. But, she couldn't deny their effectiveness.

Ryujin gave in of course.

"Just be careful outside you two, try to ignore anything people say." Lia said, worried for Yeji. The media was cruel. But what people believe is much more cruel.

"Yeji hurry! We can't be late." Ryujin's voice rang as she ran to the car, throwing her board up and quickly getting in. It's competition day, and Ryujin said she wanted to get there early.

"I'm nervous." Yeji said while Ryujin went over the speed limit a few times to get through yellow lights.

"You'll be great, I have no doubt." Ryujin said, smiling. Yeji appreciated her words, and hoped she herself could trust them...

"Ah welcome back Ryu, taking number one again?" The announcer said as the two approached the sign in booth. The raven-haired smiled, and made him halt his writing.

"Actually, she is. I'm not surfing today." Ryujin said, pointing to Yeji who was nervously grinning as she waved at him.

"You didn't surf last time right? Had to leave early or something?" He said, eyebrows scrunched together while he wrote down her name. Yeji thought back to that day, her aggressive way of tearing off her number and crying in the parking lot.

"Yeah... family emergency." Yeji said, and only Ryujin knew it was a lie. Once she was checked in they made their way to an open spot near the shore and sat.

"You ever thought about boating?" Ryujin asked as she spotted a sail in the distance much further out than she'd go for surfing.

"Well, not really. How come?" Yeji replied, looking at the raven-haired who was staring out into the endless sea.

"I just wonder what it'd be like to sleep, or even to live out there for a few days. If it'd be as calm as I think. Or even romantic maybe. Nothing but myself and the blue." Ryujin said, eyes closing as her head tilted up, the sun warming her cheeks.

"When you put it that way, I kind of want to do that now." Yeji said before she laid down on the plush ground, her hands resting behind her head.

"We should do that sometime Hwang." Ryujin turned on her side to face Yeji, opening her eyes and meeting cat-like brown irises. "Just you and me, out there while waves rocked us back and forth."

"We should." Yeji smiled while her imagination ran wild. The thought of her and Ryujin seemingly in their own little world, free from judgement and distractions; it sent her heart into a fast beat.