RYUJIN
After a few minutes, Ryujin wasn't exactly sure how long, Yeji pulled away and wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her jumper. "Please could I have the hot chocolate?"
"Of course." Ryujin said, stroking Yeji's hair, a gesture she knew often comforted the other, except Yeji quickly moved her head away to stop her. Ryujin blinked, saddened by the reaction, but said nothing and went over to flick the switch on the kettle. Preparing the mug and chocolate powder while Yeji went and sat on her bed, fiddling aimlessly with one of Ryujin's stuffed toys.
An strange awkwardness fell over them as the water in the kettle came to the boil. Ryujin poured it into the mug, stirring the drink carefully with a teaspoon, the clinking at least providing an escape from the otherwise silent room. Ryujin handed the hot beverage to Yeji who nodded a thank you before taking a small sip. Ryujin desperately wanted to uncover what was going on with her friend so she tried broaching the topic as gently as possible.
"Do you want to talk about what happened or...?" She saw Yeji's sipping halt as she lowered the mug in her hands.
"I-I don't know that I can." She replied quietly, looking everywhere but Ryujin.
"I'm not going to judge anything if that's the problem." Ryujin quickly said, knowing it must be serious if Yeji wasn't even attempting to tell her. They usually told each other everything, Ryujin already knew about Yeji's mum and how controlling she could be, so what could have happened between them that was so bad Ryujin wasn't allowed to hear. "I mean look at me and my life." She continued, "There's nothing I can even attempt to judge you for."
Yeji was quiet.
Ryujin pulled her chair from where she'd left it by the window and positioned it in front of where Yeji was sitting on her bed and sat on it facing her.
"Please Yeji, you always told me it's bad to keep stuff bottled in and I hate seeing you like this." Yeji's eyebrows creased and her lips wobbled.
"I just..." she sighed in a sad frustration. "Earlier I was chatting with my mum and she mentioned how it was ridiculous I hadn't got a boyfriend by now, you know how she is, and said that I should find someone I liked." Ryujin pursed her lips in understanding as Yeji took a shaky breath before continuing, "So I told her I actually did like someone but she laughed and said she didn't believe me because she's never seen me hang out with any guys, let alone show interest in them. So I told her that I... I didn't like guys and I actually liked girls instead." Yeji winced as she said the last part but Ryujin simply stared, thoughts zipping through her head. She didn't know what to say. Fortunately Yeji carried on anyway, "My mum thought I was joking and said I must be must be mistaken until I convinced her I wasn't joking and had feelings for another girl. She told me that I was disgusting and about how disappointed she was and..." Yeji's voice cracked as did Ryujins heart.
"I'm so sorry she said that." Ryujin said gently. She saw a few tears running down the other girl's face and quickly removed the hot mug from Yeji's shaking hands and placed it on her desk before hugging her again, this time Yeji sobbing quietly into Ryujin's chest.
"She's wrong by the way." Ryujin then said, stroking circles onto Yeji's back, "You're not disgusting." Yeji slowly looked up at her.
"But I'm-"
"You're beautiful Yeddeong." Ryujin didn't even want to let Yeji finish whatever self-depreciative sentence she had started. "It doesn't matter if you like girls or not."
Suddenly Yeji's frown crumpled into a smile, a look of relief washing over her. "You don't mind?"
"Of course I don't mind." Ryujin said softly, holding the other girl's hands in her own. "As long as whoever you like loves you more than anything else and treats you like the actual angel that you are, I don't care who they are, as long as you're happy."
Yeji beamed, the tears in her eyes now twinkling like stars. "Thank you." She whispered.
"No need to thank me." Ryujin replied shaking her head and Yeji hugged her again.
In truth Ryujin was slightly saddened at the news. Sad knowing Yeji hadn't trusted her enough to tell her anything about it. Sad knowing there was someone out there that Yeji looked at the same way Ryujin was looking at her. But as she felt the older girl quivering on her shoulder from crying, the sadness was suddenly diluted with a drop of anger.
"If your mum ever tells you anything like that again I am completely willing to physically fight her." Ryujin ground out through her teeth. Yeji pulled back laughing and hit her gently in the arm. "What? I'm being serious."
"I know you are, that's the problem." Yeji said with a smile.
"Also don't feel you need to go back home anytime soon if you don't want to. You can stay here as long as you need." Ryujin said, gesturing to her one roomed flat."Although it only has one bed, so as long as you're fine with that then I'm sure I have spare clothes and food and stuff." Ryujin paused, "Oh and as long as you don't mind the mess." She scratched the back of her neck, slightly embarrassed as she glanced over at the pile of dirty dishes in the sink. Yeji just stared at her, with an unreadable expression.
"You know what you said just now about you wanting whoever I like to treat me well?"
"Like an angel, is what you mean." Ryujin reiterated, trying to make sure Yeji got it into her head that she was one.
"Yeah well...I think they do." Yeji replied shyly.
"Oh really? Well that's good to hear." Ryujin paused a moment before asking the question that had been floating around the corner of her mind since the other had first mentioned it. "Out of interest, who is it?" She said, suddenly hoping she wasn't crossing an invisible boundary Yeji had set. "You don't have to say, I just wondered cuz you know, I am your best friend and all, so I guess I need to know who I'm beating up if they break your heart... N-not that they will..." she quickly added internally smacking herself, "Just in case they try any... funny business, you know?"
Yeji chuckled, but then quickly turned serious again. Ryujin noticed she was clenching her jaw.
"The girl I like is... well... I've known her for a bit now. We met cuz we both liked dancing. She's the kindest person I've ever met, and the silliest. And she's so pretty." Ryujin's breathing shallowed, was it someone they both knew? Her stomach rolling in what she hated to admit was jealousy. But Yeji continued, unaware she was now stabbing holes in Ryujin heart every time she spoke. "She's probably the person I trust most in the world, she knows basically everything about me. I just don't know if she likes me the way I like her." Yeji's eyes drooping slightly.
Ryujin could no longer suppress the pained expression on her face and she knew Yeji had noticed. The older girl shaking her head and wiping away the final remnants of the tear tracks on her cheeks, sniffing out a giggle.
"What?" Ryujin said in a low tone, failing to hide the disappointment in her voice.
"The girl I like is also totally oblivious to the fact I'm confessing to her right now."
Ryujin's heart suddenly stopped. Yeji looked away, her cheeks reddening, Ryujin realized her own were doing the same. "Sorry." Yeji then said, "I didn't... I won't... it's ok if you don't feel the same-" And all of a sudden Ryujin couldn't control herself.
She leaned forwards and took Yeji's face in her hands, gently planting a kiss on her lips, the other girl gasping into it at first before then kissing her back. At that moment everything else around Ryujin seemed to fade away, the sensation of Yeji's lips on hers overpowering all other thoughts. She wondered if perhaps she was dreaming. If she was she hoped she'd never wake. She felt Yeji smile as they both broke apart to catch their breath. And as Ryujin looked into the other girl's deep brown eyes she found herself giggling into another kiss. Yeji's hands clasping around Ryujin's nape, a tingling feeling emanating from the tips of her fingers down Ryujin's spine.
"I really like you too." Ryujin said breathlessly pulling away, tucking a loose strand of Yeji's hair behind her ear. Yeji smiled gently, her small dimples appearing on her cheeks. Ryujin felt butterflies dance in her stomach at the sight. "You're so beautiful Yeji." She breathed out.
Yeji blushed.
"You are too." She said bashfully. Ryujin couldn't help the grin that spread across her face seeing Yeji get so shy.
Just then Yeji let out a big yawn and rubbed her eyes. Ryujin glanced at her clock and realised it was already two in the morning. She hummed before walking over to her chest of draws and pulling out a spare set of pajamas.
"I think it's bedtime." She said chucking them at Yeji. The older girl catching them with a frown, but making no effort to argue with the statement. "We can talk in the morning."