Memories - Purinz

Chapter 5 - Parallels

"Jen," she says with a giggle as she turns around and looks at her, not caring if Yunjin could see her tear streaked face. She stares back at the girl in front of her, trying to refocus her vision, but Chaewon's head was spinning, and she begins to hate that she wore heels because she feels like she's going to fall any second.

The other girl sighs in relief. "Since when were you able to run fast?" Yunjin asks with a lopsided smile.

'Why are you here?' she wants to ask but she just giggles again, "I get fast when I get drunk, Jen!"

"No. You get even more affectionate when you're drunk, Chae." Yunjin retorts with a soft chuckle and Chaewon feels like she's twenty years old again, falling in love for the first time with a girl who reminds her of summer when she smiles.

Why aren't you back at the club with him?

"It's true!" Chaewon argues, a small pout forming on her lips, "I can run again if you want!"

She is intoxicated and she's gotten good at lying.

Yunjin laughs again, "Stop. You're drunk. I don't think you should be alone." She smiles at Chaewon and stretches out a hand, "Let's get you out of here, okay?"

Chaewon takes Yunjin's hand, feeling a familiar warmth enveloping her when their fingers intertwine.

They still fit. After all this time, Yunjin's touch still feels like home. Chaewon stares at her and wants to do nothing else but kiss her, tell her she loves her, and beg her to take her back.

But Chaewon smells the stench of alcohol on both their clothes, in their breaths, and she realizes that she's twenty-seven, damaged almost beyond repair but still in love with the girl who's broken her heart so many times. And she remembers the scene in the club earlier, she remembers Yunjin in some stranger's arms.

Why are you here, Yunjin? Why aren't you with that guy?

Chaewon feels a sudden surge of anger sweep across her chest, she wonders how Yunjin could stand there, smiling and laughing with her like they were fine, like Chaewon didn't have mascara and eyeliner streaming down her face.

Her face twists in irritation as she pulls her hand out from Yunjin's grasp. The latter's eyes widen, and her smile disappears, caught off guard by Chaewon's sudden movement.

"No," she spits out, tone sharper than she intended, "I'm not going anywhere with you. What do you want?"

She was allowed to be angry, Yunjin's been nothing but cruel as well.

"I saw you in the club. I, uh, wasn't sure if it really was you but when I got a good look, you ran out," she replies, cheeks red and looking almost sheepish against the glow of the street lamp.

Chaewon wants to vomit.

"And? You wanted me to say hi or something?" Chaewon glowers, eyebrows raised and lips pulled into a thin line.

"No, uh, I —"

"Cut the crap, Huh. What do you want?" she asks again, harsher.

Chaewon wants to get out of there.

"Chaewon, I just wanted to tell you tha—"

Chaewon feels the bile rise up her throat and rushes to the side of the sidewalk before she hurls.

Yunjin breathes out, "I really should take you home."

She reaches inside her bag and fishes out a wet wipe and walks over to where Chaewon was.

"You're drunk," she says softly as she hands the wipe over to her.

"So are you," Chaewon replies, taking it and wiping her mouth with it, anger briefly dissipating.