The Pursuit of Shin Ryujin || Ryeji ff

- 11

!!! Every speaking part is in Italian for this chapter !!!

-

It's been a fortnight since the incident at the bar. Ryujin hadn't spoken to Yeji in a while, not since Haechan came back anyway.

She remembered the phone call between her and Ryujin. The girl was absolutely ecstatic to have her fiancé back home. According to her, Haechan's story checked out. She regretted doubting him after speaking with his grandfather.

Yeji felt a tinge of irritation that Haechan wasn't caught lying. He seemed too clean for Yeji's taste. Everyone had some dirt on them but Haechan had yet to show any of his.

It was for that exact reason that Yeji called Kai. She had asked him if he could verify Haechan's whereabouts when he went on that week-long visit to San Antonio. Kai agreed and said they'd have word back from his PI by the end of next week.

Yeji told herself that she was only doing this for Ryujin's best interest, not because of her obsession with being in-the-know. But this didn't stop the horrible, churning feeling in her gut every time she heard nothing but radio-silence from Ryujin. She hadn't had time to schedule any time with Ryujin, considering how her management and the Lee family had been hounding after her.

Her management was absolutely baffled that someone like Yeji could know Shin Ryujin personally. Yeji cannot explain how hard it was not to blurt out just how personally Yeji knew Ryujin.

Because of that tweet that Ryujin posted, Yeji's fame had risen to astronomical heights. Yeji was immediately dazed by how little she cared about fame now. Before, she valued of herself based on whether she could get Ryujin to recognise her success. Now that she had, Yeji saw no point in pursuing or marketing her brand for fame.

For once, she could focus on her music again. That's why she was sitting on her bed, notebook and pencil on her thigh and Hongsam napping at her feet. She had managed to make three songs this past week — a new record for her — and was currently re-reading over them.

She couldn't remember the last time she'd just sat down and let the words pour out of her. She supposed she'd let fame get to her head the same way it happened to Ryujin.

The only thing to break her out of her groove was when she got a notification on her phone. At first she doesn't look up, thinking it's her management trying to persuade her to perform a duet with Ryujin. By now, she would have told them to get fucked but because they are Lee's, she just ignored them.

But when it beeped again, she grabbed the phone and read the words: One missed called from Uncle Junho, she froze.

Why would Uncle Junho be calling her? It was getting late now, almost sun-down on a Sunday. At this time, Uncle Junho would have locked up the club and gone home for dinner with his family. Was he inviting her for dinner?

Her stomach grumbled at the thought. Her family had left her to go on a cruise ("We had already booked our tickets when you told us you were coming home, Yeji. We can't just not go."). They had re-stocked the fridge and Yeji was too tired to make herself a meal. She had contemplated going over to the Shin's — having been invited, of course — but decided against it.

There was only so much of dorito-boy that she could take.

She did ring Uncle Junho back and when he picked up, Yeji could tell something was off.

"Uncle?" she asked, a slight tremor in her voice.

"Yeji," He began, voice gruff and raw, "I need you to come down to the club."

"What's wrong? Did something happen?" Yeji asked, already throwing some clothes on.

"Do you love this family, Yeji?" He asked.