Saved Me; Ryeji FF

forty two.

"You made it!" Yeji said ecstatically as she pulled away, wiping a stray tear.

Yuna smiled gleefully, "Obviously, I have to come back to see you graduate."

As they settled into the car, Yuna couldn't help but let curiosity get the better of her.

"Ryu?"

She looked through the rearview mirror, "What?"

"Are you still..."

"No, I'm not." Ryujin answered, her hands steady on the wheel as she looked back into the mirror with a serious expression. "Haven't done anything since I killed Giselle."

The younger sister felt conflicted by the response, but nevertheless, she was relieved. "Good to hear, Ryujin."

The moment the front door opened, Yuna's eyes widened with surprise as she spotted a white kitten darting around the apartment.

"You guys got a fucking cat?!" The younger Shin yelped in delight while she bent down to try to pet the feline but it scampered away with a playful and energetic leap.

"Well, she came to us." Yeji replied, taking Yuna's luggage into her old bedroom.

The older sister bent down and extended her hand out slowly, using a gentle tone to coax the cat over. "C'mere Chaeri."

The kitten, seemingly won over by Ryujin's soothing tone, quickly bounced towards them and allowed her to touch its fur. Yuna lowered her hand down and allowed the kitten to sniff her fingers before brushing its body against her.

"You know, cats have a remarkable sense in judging character." Yuna said while looking at her sister. "If she trusts you, it must be a pretty good sign, don't you think?"

Before Ryujin could come up with a response, a knock on the door suddenly surprised the both of them.

"I'll get it." Yeji announced as she sped and walked over to the door.

Her eyes widened in surprise when she opened the door and found her best friend standing there with a bouquet of yellow tulips in hand. It had been a while since they'd seen Lia, given her busy schedule at the medical clinic. She had dyed her hair back to black, making her look as ethereal as ever.

"Lia!" She exclaimed, a warm smile breaking across her face. "It's been too long!"

The doctor stepped inside with a tired but contented smile. "It has been."

Yuna's eyes lit up with joy as she rushed forward to embrace Lia in a warm, heartfelt hug. "I missed you."

Lia hugged the younger back tightly, her exhaustion momentarily forgotten in the warmth of her friend's embrace. "Missed you too."

As they separated, Yuna looked at the doctor with a concerned expression. "You lost weight, and you look exhausted. Have you been working too hard?"

She chuckled softly, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Yeah, it's been busy lately. But I'm fine."

The doctor looked past Yuna's shoulder to see Ryujin standing there with a nervous smile. She walked over to the dark-haired woman and pulled her into a tight, heartfelt hug. "How have you been, Ryujin?"

"I've been good. But I have something to tell you, Lia."

She pulled away from the hug and led Lia into her bedroom. Ryujin took a deep breath before recounting what she had done several months ago, hoping to bring some sort of closure for her.

Lia's eyes widened in shock,, and she grabbed onto the former hitman's arm for support. "You really did it?"

Ryujin nodded, her gaze never leaving Lia's. "I had to do it for her."