Roses & Thorns

Chapter 001

"Ryujin-ah, you see that shiny thing over there? Go grab it for me," 11-year-old Ryujin looks over at the rack of things in disinterest. She was sick and tired of this already.

"Get it yourself," Ryujin muttered as she looked elsewhere, stretching her sore muscles. Having 4 hours of straight practice surely had a toll on her, especially if it was a continuous routine for her.

Ryujin sucked in a pained breath when her father slapped her back, insisting she take the item. She glared at him sharply, before he raised a threatening eyebrow. He shoved her toward the rack, Ryujin exhaling sharply.

She grabbed the item harshly, tossing it to her father before she stalked off. She was in an incredibly bad mood today. She waited for her father near the check out, her hands in her pockets as she watched mindlessly.

"Let's go home," her father smiled tightly, grabbing her hand as they walked out the store. Ryujin frowned, the grip on her wrist was surely strong.

"You decided not to get it?" Ryujin asked in confusion, it had seemed like he desired it immensely earlier. Ryujin flinched slightly when alarms went off the moment they left the store.

Her eyes widened incredulously when her father pressed the item that was in his jacket into her hands, giving her a small smile. She stared up at him, full of hatred as a look of betrayal played on her face.

"Stop right there!" Ryujin looked over to the policemen running over to them. She scoffed, gripping so tightly on the item that the packaging was getting crushed under her strong grip.

"Ah, I'm getting a headache," Shin Ryujin lamented as her eyes fluttered open. She sat up, having just reached home from training. She got up and dragged her feet to the kitchen, her hands instinctively reaching out for the aspirin.

She popped it into her mouth, unscrewing the cap of the water bottle on the table before washing it down with a huge gulp of water. She let out a sigh as she shook her coat off, unbothered to actually hang it as she threw it in the direction of the sofa.

She put the water bottle back onto the table, rubbing her eyes tiredly. Just as she was about to walk to the bathroom to freshen up, a knock on her door sounded. She frowned, wondering who on Earth would come knocking at her door.

"Chaeryeong?" Ryujin frowned when her next-door neighbour stood in front of her door, holding only onto her phone as she looked around her anxiously. She locked eyes with Ryujin, giving her a sheepish smile.

"Do you mind if I stay here for a while? In-ho is coming over," Chaeryeong excused softly. Ryujin sighed, stepping aside to let Chaeryeong in. The girl gave her a wide smile before walking in, Ryujin closing the door after her.

"How was practice?" Chaeryeong asked as she sat down on the sofa, having frequented the place countless times.

"Tiring," Ryujin provided plainly, looking through her fridge for anything Chaeryeong could have while she was over. Her eyes spotted the cheesecake she bought from that cafe the other day. It was so good Ryujin couldn't resist buying another one home.

"Have this while you wait. I'll be in the shower. If anything, just call for me, okay?" Ryujin hummed as she placed the plate of cheesecake and a cup of water in front of Chaeryeong.

"Thank you Ryujin, truly. I don't know what I would do without you,"
"Yea, maybe breaking up with that boyfriend of yours."
"Babe, you know better than anyone how scary In-ho can be,"

Ryujin rolled her eyes at her friend before walking to the bathroom, feeling icky after hours of practice. She shut the door behind her before she started to undress, heating up the water.

She frowned seeing herself in the mirror. Her body was growing tired after having put so much physical exertion on it for many years. Various parts of her legs and arms were covered in muscle tape, nothing out of the ordinary for athletes.

She rolled back her shoulders and stretched her neck after removing all that tape, feeling refreshed yet exhausted at the same time. She undid her hair before stepping into the shower.

She shut her eyes as her head started to spin again, did she need a stronger dose of aspirin? She shook her thoughts away as droplets of hot water pelted harshly on her skin, distracting her from the pain in her head.

She stepped out after a few more minutes, draping a towel over her bare body in a languid manner. Practice had worn her out, so she moved around slowly and lazily.

The inked tattoo that rested on her collarbone shone under the bathroom light, a contrast to her pale skin. She put on a shirt and pyjama pants, drying her hair more thoroughly before she walked out to see how Chaeryeong was doing.

"Was it good?" Ryujin asked seeing the half-eaten cheesecake. Chaeryeong had barely touched the water and she was busy typing away on her phone. She nodded, distracted by her phone as her brows knitted together.

Ryujin sat next to Chaeryeong, unbothered as she got a call from her boyfriend. She tuned out their conversation, eating through the cheesecake slowly as Chaeryeong lied to her overbearing and abusive boyfriend that she was out and not at home.

This wasn't a new thing. Although Ryujin had told Chaeryeong to break up with her boyfriend, she disregarded it and often tried to change the topic. Ryujin was getting irritated because she couldn't do anything about it as her public image would be at stake.

She looked over to Chaeryeong who let out a relieved groan as she fell back onto the sofa, closing her eyes as the phone call ended. Ryujin shook her head disapprovingly, continuing to eat the cheesecake.

"Alright, I should go home. I have a huge essay to complete by the end of the week." Ryujin hummed goodbye to her friend who got up to return back home, waving goodbye as Chaeryeong left the house.

Ryujin was left at home all alone again, with a cheesecake she was nearly done with and a sad glass of water. She leaned back onto the sofa, staring at the cheesecake as she smacked her lips.

"This is missing something," Ryujin muttered to herself, scrutinising the cheesecake. Her mind immediately replayed the moment she was at the cafe. She couldn't deny, the person who served her was incredibly cute.

"I kind of want coffee now," Ryujin spoke again, to no one in particular. She sat in silence for a few more seconds before ultimately deciding to get up, grabbing her coat and slipping on her sneakers to walk to a cafe.

Instinctively, her feet carried her to the new cafe she was obsessed over, the one where she met the cute waiter. Ryujin wasn't embarrassed to admit she might have a tiny crush on this guy.

She stopped outside, tilting her head as she read the closed sign. Her lips pressed into a small frown, disappointed she won't get to see the guy and get a cup of coffee.

She turned around to leave before she halted again, her head spinning yet again. She pressed her eyes closed, massaging her temple as she waited for the headache to get rid of itself.

Her eyes shot open before she turned around hearing the sound of a door opening.

"Do you want to come in?"

And there he was. The cute waiter.

i agree ryujin
indeed, he is very cute