Ri is a girl fated for greatness who's biggest dream is a simple life. After years of one tragedy after another, everything finally seems to fall into place. There are pitfalls and some people will always be assholes, but things start going well.
Un...
'I've stopped looking for the good in people, and started listening to the sunshine in their eyes, the sadness in their laughs.'
— unknown
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RI STOOD VERY STILL. Then decided 'screw it, this is a public space' and walked forward. Minhyuk tensed, his bloodshot eyes snapping up to glare at her. She fixed him with a steady stare. No pity, no questions, Ri didn't care for him enough to ask about his problems.
The bench was damp when she sat down, finally looking away from him and down at her phone. Pepper had texted asking about her application. There were a couple hundred messages in the first class group chat. Almost none from the second, since that one also had all their professors.
Sitting not two feet away from him was uncomfortable and not in the least bit relaxing. There was this uneasy vibe coming off of him in waves and Ri debated just getting up and finding a quieter place.
"Have you applied?"
The question was sudden. Almost as if her uneasiness had been felt and now he was trying to...fix it? She didn't know if it was making her feel better or worse. Ri looked up at Minhyuk. His eyes were dry but still tinged with red. He'd pressed his lips together in a fine line. It made him look a little constipated.
"To the internship?"
"No, to the Star Trek fan club. Yes, the internship."
Ri rolled her eyes, "Yeah I have. To both."
"Oh," Minhyuk was quiet for a while. Ri went back to scrolling through her texts. She was halfway through arranging dinner with Pepper when he spoke up again, "I didn't think anyone else from our class would."
Ri's lips quirked down at that. So Minhyuk had applied too. There wasn't much that was unknown about him, but the biggest fact was that his father owned LuNa. "Are you going to take the exam?"
"If I can persuade my dad to let me." He chuckled humorlessly.
"Instead of just handing you a job?"
"Yeah."
"Why?" Ri asked, leaning back. The cold marble bit into her palms.
Minhyuk frowned, "Why what?"
"Why don't you just...take the opportunity if you have it? There's a shorter route but you want to go the long way."
"No one will resent me if I go the long way. I won't feel like-" Minhyuk paused, then continued in a softer tone. "Like I'm begging for handouts."
Ri nodded. Which probably wasn't the right thing to do, going by the weird expression on Minhyuk's face. Oh, reassurance, right, that's what she'd missed.
"I hope you can get him to see your side of the story." She cringed mentally as soon as she'd said it. She genuinely wished that things would work out for him but her voice sounded flat and uninterested.
Fix your tone, goddamnit.
"I need to go, I have a lot to catch up on." Ri stood up quickly and motioned to the main building.
"Hey, are you going to study alone?" Minhyuk frowned, looking at her like she confused him. His brows furrowed even deeper when she shrugged, "Wow, that's amazing and....reckless. I don't think I can study all that shit by myself, do you want to go at it together?"
Ri considered. Sitting by herself in some quiet corner of the softly lit library seemed very tempting. But Pepper had told her to socialize more and Minhyuk wasn't a bad guy. Also, he was smart. They could help each other.
"Aren't you meant to be competition?"
"Well, not really," the 'since the company's practically mine anyway' was left unsaid but very much heard.
Ri narrowed her eyes, "Tomorrow, after classes. I'll meet you in the library."
"And I'll be there," Minhyuk beamed, "Thanks."
She shrugged it off and quickly walked out of the circle of rose bushes. Her head hurt. It was barely past six in the evening, which meant she could pop into the library, eat and rest as planned. She didn't feel any better than she had when she first walked in on Minhyuk.
A part of Ri debated if studying with him would be worth the energy it took. Another part felt guilty for even thinking that. It was this constant push and pull inside her head. She loved silence and being alone, she loved the peace and focus it gave her. But she also adored making friends with all sorts of people.
In her year of staying at Harrows, Ri had talked to almost every student and professor at the university. She'd learnt so much from listening to all their stories, their advice and there was a certain kind of closeness that came with knowing everyone. It filled her with so much warmth that she'd started feeling that this place...was home.
It helped Ri forget. She worked hard to make shiny new memories to replace the old ones. Back alleys and shady foster homes replaced with study dates, movie nights and the smell of books. Ri was pretty sure she was living through the best and most beautifully normal time of her life.
She wondered what kind of memory Minhyuk would leave with her. Would it be short or long? Muted and subtle or fizzing with brightness?
One of happiness or...one she'd want to bury away like the rest?
Ri scoffed at herself. If it even came close to that, Minhyuk would be cut out immediately. Her threshold for bullshit had shrunk to nothing and she wasn't going to deal with anymore anytime soon.
