INVISIBLE STRING - Duan Jia Xu

NINE

Hui Ying stared at her, mouth slightly open. She had not expected a full sentence with an opinion to leave Yoon Ji's mouth.

Then she laughed. A short, surprised little sound.

"Okay... fair point." Hui Ying admitted, smiling despite herself.

For a second—just a second—Yoon Ji's lips twitched, like she might almost smile too. There was a small beat of quiet — not awkward this time — before Yoon Ji closed her book halfway, standing up.

She walked over toward the kitchen, but paused near the couch, like she was forcing herself to say something.

"Thanks," Yoon Ji muttered, eyes focused anywhere but Hui Ying. It made the girl sitting on the couch stare at her with wide eyes, not really believing that she was making a conversation. "For telling me about your friend." She cleared her throat.

Hui Ying blinked, caught off guard again. She coughed slightly, clearing her throat from choking on her saliva. She smiled, casual but warm. "No problem. I didn't wanna just... surprise you with a random stranger." She spoke, her smile warming up her face.

Yoon Ji gave a tiny nod, clutching her book tighter against her chest.

And although the conversation was short, there was a hint of comfortableness swelling around the two. Hui Ying could tell they were growing closer, maybe that was something Yoon Ji was afraid of. Being close with someone.

Hui Ying had now made it her mission, to grow closer to her roommate.

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HUI YING WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF RE-TYING HER HAIR, when Yoon Ji had quietly slipped out of the dorm. She had mumbled something about having to do her laundry that had been sitting in her area for a day.

Sang Zhi was sprawled on Hui Ying's bed, scrolling through her phone, while Hui Ying sat on the floor, back resting against the side of the mattress.

The room felt quiet without Yoon Ji's cold stare occasionally cutting through the air.

Sang Zhi tossed her phone aside with a bored sigh. "Finally. Privacy." She stretched out like a cat, kicking her feet lightly against the mattress. "So, how's the head, old lady?" Sang Zhi asked, her eyes looking at Hui Ying's head.

Hui Ying rolled her eyes, pretending to throw a hair tie at her. "Better. Stop calling me that." She spoke while laughing lightly.

Her head had finally stopped hurting, she had taken some medication to stop it from hurting more.

Sang Zhi grinned, but it softened quickly when she leaned over to look at Hui Ying properly. "Seriously, though. You okay?" Sang Zhi asked as her eyes looked at her friend carefully. She had been very worried about her friend that day, if it wasn't Hui Ying jumping that ball would've landed on her face instead.

Hui Ying nodded as she hummed, tying the hair tie around her wrist.

They sat there for a second, the kind of easy silence that only came from people who didn't have to force it. It was nice to have some quiet sometimes, it wasn't always that the two would fall into this quiet zone. Normally Sang Zhi would be drawing and Hui Ying would be coding, but now they were both not really doing anything.

Hui Ying picked at a loose thread on the carpet. "Hey," she said after a while, voice quieter than usual.

Sang Zhi hummed in response, sitting up a little.

"Yesterday..." Hui Ying started, hesitating like she wasn't sure if she should even say it. "With Duan Xu..." She slowly spoke, almost afraid of her reaction.

Sang Zhi perked up immediately, a teasing smirk already forming — but she caught herself when she saw Hui Ying's face. She settled back down, serious now.

"I felt something," Hui Ying admitted, staring at her hands. "And it's not — it's not a crush. It's just... something." Hui Ying spoke, almost defending herself in a way.

Hui Ying didn't know what it was, she felt mushy inside just thinking about the way he was so careful with her that day. She felt in that moment that they were the only people in the world, no one to disturb them or ruin them. It was just them.

Sang Zhi didn't say anything right away. She waited, letting Hui Ying find the words herself.

"He was so... careful, you know?" Hui Ying said, Her voice hid the frustrations slightly. She was frustrated as she had no idea what it was about it that made him so different. "Like, the way he made sure I was okay, the way he stayed. It made me feel..." she shrugged helplessly, cheeks heating. "Warm. Safe." She shook her head lightly.

Sang Zhi smiled gently, resting her chin on her knees. "I get it," she said simply. "Duan Xu's always been that way. He's...he's like a brother to me. Always has been."

Hui Ying nodded quickly, latching onto that. "Right. Exactly. He's like... family. So i don't understand what i'm feeling for him." She shrugged, she knew it was something she was feeling but she had no idea what it was.

"Yeah," Sang Zhi agreed, not pushing. "But... just because it's not a crush doesn't mean it's not real." She shrugged.

Hui Ying looked up at her, startled.

"You're allowed to feel something when someone cares about you," Sang Zhi said, shrugging like it was the simplest thing in the world. "It doesn't have to have a label right away."

Hui Ying let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. "You're so annoyingly wise sometimes," she muttered.

Sang Zhi laughed, reaching over to lightly flick Hui Ying's forehead. "Old ladies like you need all the wisdom they can get." She spoke while laughing.

Hui Ying laughed, slapping her friend as she shook her head. "i thought i told you to stop calling me that!" She spoke, laughing as she began to lightly attack her best friend.

"Never!" Sang Zhi spoke, shaking her head.

The door creaked open, and both girls whipped their heads around as Yoon Ji stepped back inside, carrying a small laundry basket.

The moment broke instantly.

Hui Ying shot Sang Zhi a warning look, and Sang Zhi just winked at her, like a secret only they shared now.

Yoon Ji didn't comment — she just placed her basket down and went straight to folding clothes at her desk.

Hui Ying smiled a little to herself, tucking the feeling — whatever it was — somewhere deep inside her chest, safe for now.

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