Desire - Winrina

13

Seeing the time on the wall that symbolized her break was near, Minjeong frantically wiped her tears as she neared her dormitory, hearing Yuna's voice screaming a song inside, she pushed a chuckle through a sniffle and entered the hot room with a weak air conditioning circulation.

"Yah Minjeong unnie! The captain came and he assigned us alt-" Yuna opened her clutched eyes, frown drifting upon seeing Minjeong's state.

"Minjeong? What's wrong?"

Minjeong showed a weak smile to the girl who's aura had fell, ruffling her blonde hair with another sniff.

"Nothing. Don't worry about me. What were you saying?"

"Oh, right! The captain assigned us to the casino tonight!"

Minjeong clenched her jaw with unease,

"The casino?"

The younger girl nodded eagerly with her common smile that resurfaced.

"Why are you so excited?"

Yuna looked at Minjeong in shock that was soon followed by a scoff,

"Why? Why? Because we don't have to do kitchen or wait staff duty! We're finally doing something different!" Yuna pounced with her liberal values.

"I don't know."

"Come on Minjeong! You only live once!"

The statement made Minjeong cringe but in the end, the persuasive optimism from Yuna infected Minjeong.

The giddy girl was stopped as if a bell rung in school, the rest of the girls suddenly came pouring in with bright expressions, chattering about stuff Minjeong didn't necessarily care about.

"Guys! Guys! We'll be stationed at the casino tonight!" Yuna yelled with joy through the still atmosphere.

"I know! I know!" Chaeryeong replied excitedly. The maknaes's presence was only in the room for about a few more moments before they bolted to their rooms, loud and grateful shouts pounding through the thin walls.

"Jeez." Ryujin laughed in way to Minjeong who's puppy eyes scanned the younger girl's.

"How are you? How is it being Karina's assistant?" Ryujin smirked but quickly wiped it off at Minjeong's quietness.

"Minjeong?"

"Y-Yea?" The puppy dazed back to Ryujin.

"How is it going with you and Karina?"

The older one gulped, feeling guilt and worry?

"Uhm, I think the ties have been cut today."

Ryujin's eyes immediately bulged out of her head, representing one of her trademarked faces,

"What? Why? What happened?!"

Minjeong took her bottom lip between her teeth and chewed, eyes falling to her black shoes in fear of eye contact.

"Her father's opinion."

"Opinion? What opinion? About you spilling soup over his daughter and you being clumsy?"

"No."

"Then what?"

"..... I don't really want to talk about it."

Ryujin nodded with an attempted smile that showed reassurance and care, two of her best traits,

"It's fine, I understand."

Minjeong nodded with her eyes back on her shoes. Slowly raising them up to her pants and shirt, she felt an unexpected wave of disgust. The clothes. The mental note about the soap. It flew back to her.