Yeji nearly jumped out of her chair in surprise when Ryujin shot through her apartment door, carrying a box of random items, settling them on her kitchen table with a huff. She was dressed casually, her blonde locks tied behind her in a low ponytail.
Yeji rolled her eyes as Ryujin's unceremonious slamming of the door behind her knocked over the little wooden chess pieces she'd been busying herself with. Scrambling to pick them up and return them to their designated spots on the board, she felt Ryujin gaping at her, her hazel gaze boring into Yeji's general direction.
She felt nervous, fluttery and unsure of herself under that gaze, and that gaze alone.
It was pathetic.
"Chess?" Ryujin scoffed. "By yourself? Seriously?"
"Hello, Ryujin." Yeji drawled in exasperation.
"Hello, nerd." Ryujin grinned, sitting across from her with a huff, eyes catching the way the light framed Yeji angelically as she clenched her jaw in focus.
"Was the art of knocking not part of your...intensive art schooling and education?" Yeji asked plainly, feline eyes glinting with humor.
Ryujin smirked. "Girlfriends don't knock."
Yeji glanced up in surprise, mouth parting slightly. "I...right." She sighed, shaking her head.
Why, oh why, did Ryujin do that to her? She was bright, the best of her class. She was more than capable of coming up with witty responses, and Ryujin was just a bubbly, funny,... beautiful, intelligent....
Focus, Yeji.
"So... I seemed to have walked in on you playing with yourself."
Yeji's jaw actually dropped this time as a crimson blush made its way to her cheeks, her now shaking hand knocking over a poor bishop.
Well, that comment was unholy, wasn't it? Poor Bishop.
Ryujin bit her lip to keep from laughing at her own juvenile joke. "You okay there, slick?" She smirked.
Yeji took in a sharp breath, steadying herself. "This game requires focus, Ryujin."
Ryujin reached over and propped the bishop back up, eyes never leaving Yeji's gaze. "Sorry." She murmured, but her voice was clearly unapologetic.
"Let's see what you have..." Yeji made a motion to rise, but Ryujin caught her wrist.
"No, Yeji..." Ryujin stifled a laugh. "That can wait. We have, like, months. Let's play."
Yeji's eyes widened in surprise as she slowly sat back down, wrist burning where Ryujin touched her. "You... know how to play?"
Ryujin rolled her eyes. "I'm not an idiot, Yeji."
Yeji immediately reproached herself mentally. "I... That's not what I meant. I... it's just... from what I gather, you were the...cool girl, in school. The socialite with fantastic art skills and no time for...menial games."
Ryujin quirked a brow, wearing a smirk. "You weren't cool? No way." Ryujin folded her arms over her chest, leaning back in her seat.
Yeji shook her head. "No one wants to be friends with the foster kid, Ryujin." She spoke like it was an old wound that had scarred over without ever completely healing.
Ryujin's very soul ached for Yeji.
She'd heard the stories. Yeji was a product of the foster system, sent from house to house until her final years of high school, where she'd forced herself to get perfect grades for scholarships to prestigious schools.
And she'd become an incredibly astute business major, in the hopes that she could provide for herself.
It was, seemingly, much more noble than Ryujin's history of wealth and overbearing family.
Ryujin glanced at the way the light illuminated the amber flecks in Yeji's eyes. She was breathtaking, but Ryujin had no more air left in her lungs to spend looking at Yeji. She'd suffocate before she could ever be sated.
"I would." Ryujin pressed earnestly.
Yeji glanced up with a small smile of appreciation.
"Besides..." Ryujin leaned forward, wearing a smirk. "Don't tell her I told you, but... I think the foster girl's pretty hot."
Ryujin smirked when Yeji's cheeks flushed, and she dodged a pen that came flying her way from Yeji's swift throw.
Ryujin knew humor was the quickest way to segue out of those conversations with Yeji. They'd had a few, over the year, but... something told Ryujin, Yeji was never fully ready to open up.
Ryujin respected that.
"So..." Ryujin drawled out, re-setting the pieces on her side. "Who was winning that last match there? You, or you?"
"Shut up." Yeji rolled her eyes. "It... relaxes me."
Ryujin let out an amused chuckle. "Your chess is my art."
Yeji smiled, blinking in surprise. "I'd hardly claim to be that good."
It was Ryujin's turn to blush heavily, looking away suddenly. "Thanks but... I don't think the rest of the world shares your sentiments."
Yeji frowned. "What makes you say that?"
Ryujin shrugged sadly, eyes finding a knight on the chessboard to be particularly interesting. "It's not really... getting me anywhere, you know? I wish... I'd been a pragmatist, like you, and went to business school. At least then I wouldn't be pathetically relying on my parents..."
Yeji shook her head, cutting her off. "Ryujin." The way she spoke, so sharply and eloquently enunciating the name, gave Ryujin chills. "Don't." she warned.
"Don't what?" Ryujin sighed, watching her friend, eyes falling to the dust particles between them, illuminated by rays of the afternoon sun, bleeding meticulously into the apartment from the window.
"Don't doubt yourself." Yeji spoke in a gentle, even tone. "There's nothing better than just taking a chance. I don't want to say follow your heart, because that'd just be... trite, but really. What you're doing is admirable."
Ryujin lifted a brow in surprise.
"You're doing what you love, without fear of consequence. Without fear of how you'll appear to others, which.... is incredibly cool, by the way." Yeji murmured teasingly, causing Ryujin to mirror her smile. "I guess... I'm trying to say that.... I envy you. You get dreams and smiles and art... while I have pragmatism and boring suits and business calls."
Ryujin let out a light, delicate, breathy little laugh that sent Yeji over the edge.
"Let's uh..." Yeji cleared her throat, shifting awkwardly. "Let's play."
Ryujin's features were wiped, a smirk in their stead. "I'll have you know; I was in chess club in high school."
Yeji glanced up, eyes widening in surprise. "Seriously?" She gasped.
Ryujin nearly fell over in her self-induced laughter. "No..." She grinned, recovering slowly.
Yeji rolled her eyes and gave Ryujin the courtesy of the first move.
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"Oh my god." Ryujin groaned, burying her face in her hands. "Shut up, Yeji."
Yeji's telltale smirk was driving Ryujin insane from her position just across the table.
"I didn't say anything, Ryujin." Yeji's voice was just dripping with humor.
"Yes, you did." Ryujin grumbled. "You and those...incredibly stupid, full lips in that stupid, stupid smirk."
Yeji feigned a look of hurt, mostly to cover up for her flattered expression.
Ryujin was staring at her lips.
"You get injections, right?" Ryujin fired off, licking her wounds from a terrible defeat.
Yeji rolled her eyes. "Yes, Ryujin, I'm financially struggling to keep my company afloat because I just have to get my lips plumped." The sarcasm was evident.
"I'd believe it." Ryujin muttered, causing Yeji to blush harder.
Luckily for her, Ryujin's head was still down and buried in her hands, the ultimate expression of shame.
"You're just... salty because you lost." Yeji commented wryly, testing out Jisu's proposed vocabulary.
Ryujin's eyes shot up as a grin broke out on her face. "What?" She grinned. "Did you just use the term salty?"
Yeji shook her head, pinching the bridge of her nose in exasperation. She really needed to stop hanging out with Jisu. "I... suppose I did."
"Nice!" Ryujin smirked. "You secretly sleeping with Lee Chaeryeong too?"
Yeji shook her head, rising to stretch her legs. Her shirt drifted revealing her soft skin just above her toned stomach, and she missed Ryujin completely gaping at her. "I'm afraid not. Seeing as I'm going to be...taken, quite soon."
Ryujin's voice sounded a bit scratchy. "Um... yeah, yeah." She nodded slowly. "I... I think I need some water."
Yeji made her way to the cabinet, reaching for a glass. "You never ask for anything."
Ryujin rubbed her temples as if she had a massive headache. "I... uh..." she couldn't formulate an answer in time, so she simply snatched the glass and took it to the fridge, filling it.
"Okay...." Yeji muttered to herself, shrugging as she eyed the box Ryujin had brought. "What's all this?"
After several gulps of water, Ryujin approached the table, leaning forward. "My memoirs."
"You write?" Yeji asked in confusion, glancing at the books and binders included in the box.
"No. But my parents are camera freaks. There's a picture of me for just about every damn seconds of my life up until I moved the hell away." Ryujin replied, annoyed.
Yeji smirked. "Baby pictures of Shin Ryujin? Wow, I must have done something good in my past life to get this kind of reward."
Ryujin rolled her eyes. "Not so fast, champ. I'll only be showing you the relevant ones."
Yeji smiled, sitting back in her chair. "Lead the way..."
Ryujin sat beside her, taking in a breath. "Yeji. In the next few months..." Ryujin began with a dramatic huff. "We have to convince everyone that we are madly, deeply in love."
Yeji's eyes widened, but she said nothing.
"Now, my parents might have worked for the CIA before, I'm not entirely sure..." Ryujin sighed.
Yeji stiffened. "What? Really?"
Ryujin let out a laugh at Yeji's response. "No, but damn, the way they interrogate my significant others....They probably should have."
Yeji gulped audibly, and Ryujin smirked. "Oh yeah. This is serious business. Ready to learn every aspect of each other's lives until we have it down to a science? Since you are a nerd and all..."
Yeji blinked. "Couldn't we just tell them that we're a new couple?"
Ryujin sighed. "I thought about that. Thing is... you want a loan, or an investment. There's no way in hell my parents would give that to you unless they thought you were committed to me."
Yeji looked guilty as ever, remorse in her brown gaze, but Ryujin went on with her charade.
"Second of all- why would I bring someone I wasn't really serious about to meet my family?" Ryujin proposed her thoughts to Yeji fairly. "They would see something wrong from a mile away."
Yeji nodded, sighing. "I suppose I should trust you."
Ryujin gave her a reassuring smile. "We're already close, Yej. I know a lot. We just have to...stretch it out. Dig deeper. The juicy stuff."
Yeji found her throat drying. "Juicy?" She echoed unsurely.
Ryujin nodded. "You know...little nuances, things that only couples would know about each other... some...sexy stuff..." Ryujin wiggled her eyebrows.
Yeji's mouth was definitely dry. "Your parents would ask about.... 'sexy stuff'?"
Ryujin made a face of disgust. "No, but... my friends probably will, the nosy little shits they are. And remember, we're selling this to everyone."
Yeji nodded slowly. "Let's... cover the basics."
Ryujin leaned back, lacing her hand with Yeji's.
Yeji's heart was hammering in her chest for some reason, at the contact with Ryujin. Before she could ask what Ryujin was doing, Ryujin took a breath and then began reciting lines like it was a play she was rehearsing for.
"Oh my god, Ryujin, honey..." Ryujin's voice was high pitched and dramatic. "You never told me she was gonna be so beautiful!"
Yeji rolled her eyes, blushing, while Ryujin smirked. "Thanks, mom." She answered her own statement.
Ryujin broke character for a moment, facing Yeji. "Now here's the sucker punch: my mom's kind of protective? No, I'll say it... bitchy. She's gonna be on your ass from the moment we get there till the moment we leave."
Yeji's eyes widened. "Uh... may I ask why?" Ryujin nodded. "She's always wanted me to get with Felix. So does Felix's mom, Mrs. Park. But...ew."
"Ew?" Yeji repeated, feeling a tinge of...was that jealousy? No, it couldn't be. Maybe she just disliked him because of the way Ryujin did.
"Ew." Ryujin confirmed, nodding. "He's like a brother."
"Ew." Yeji commented, chuckling at Ryujin's nod of approval. "So... you're basically telling me that your mom will hate me?"
Ryujin nodded.
"So.... what is the purpose of this?" Yeji sighed. "What if I can't win her over? What if it's just an exercise in futility?"
Ryujin grinned. "Daddy."
Yeji nearly choked. "Uh, what... did you just... call me?"
Ryujin's blush was almost instant. "Oh! God, no! I wasn't talking about you... I was actually... my dad, I meant my dad." She clarified.
"Oh..." Yeji fanned herself, wondering why she suddenly felt so hot. That was so unnecessary.
Dammit Yeji, you and your perverted mind.
"My dad..." Ryujin cleared her throat, redder than a tomato. "My dad will love you."
Yeji nodded slowly. "Oh... I see."
Ryujin grinned. "Don't worry, it's not like a good-cop bad-cop routine. My dad's just... genuinely nicer. It's weird, I know."
Yeji nodded once more, taking mental notes. "So...." She began. "Mrs. Shin is the one I need to watch out for. And Mr. Shin-"
"-Keith." Ryujin interjected.
"Keith?" Yeji quirked a brow. "That's... rather impolite, isn't it?"
Ryujin's grin widened. "Oh, he's going to adore you."
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The weeks flitted past Ryujin and Yeji, and an entire month of the two they had two practice had ended.
Sunrises and sunsets were accompanied by the sound of their laughter and teasing as they explored every topic about each other.
What Yeji imagined to be difficult and grueling was fun, and light hearted.
What else had she expected from Shin Ryujin? The girl radiated joy and laughter wherever she went. They spoke of almost everything and anything, with intimacy being the one topic they reserved for the last few weeks.
It was their friendship in its finest form.
Yeji had learned so many things about Shin Ryujin, and vice versa.
Ryujin had seen Yeji as a rose, budded and closed, with a gorgeous, delicate petal of a layer to peel away at every turn. She watched Yeji blossom, her beautiful characteristics coming to light over the passing weeks' conversations and late night talks and "rehearsals".
Neither girl had more fun in years.
Neither one would fully admit it, either. After all, it was supposed to be a strenuous task.
Who wanted to admit they were wrong?
Ryujin often spent much of her time, when she wasn't with Yeji, thinking about their discussions.
They'd discussed Felix:
"So that's what he looks like." Yeji murmured as Ryujin scrolled through his social media account's pictures.
"Hot stuff, huh?" Ryujin teased, watching Yeji frown in disapproval.
"He's... decent, yes." Yeji admitted. "You're sure you're not interested?"
Ryujin rolled her eyes. "Yeji, please, you're breaking my bi little heart over here."
Yeji shrugged apologetically. "He's my competition. I have to be somewhat hostile, right?"
Ryujin bit her lip to hide a smile. "Competition would imply that he wants me."
Yeji glanced up. "And?"
Ryujin shrugged. "I don't know that he does."
She kept scrolling through his pictures, various images of him hiking, surfing... a lot of shirtless photos. It was enough to make any girl swoon.
Ryujin was staring at Yeji's gaze, trying to gauge her thoughts.
"Why wouldn't he?" Yeji retorted carefully.
"You sound like my mom." Ryujin mumbled, feeling her heart thud at Yeji's words.
Ryujin scrolled to the next photo, an image of him and Karina on motorcycles, grinning. It was captioned: Miss riding with my baby sis. Can't wait to see you in a few months, Rina!
"His sister Karina is stunning." Yeji's response made Ryujin drop the phone several inches on to the table, causing Yeji to glance up in surprise.
What the hell was wrong with Ryujin?
Ryujin looked bashful. "Uh... sorry." She muttered, grabbing the phone and wiping the screen with the lower end of her flannel shirt.
Yeji nodded in response, eyeing Ryujin with curiosity. Did she not like Karina? She'd been under the impression that Ryujin, Karina, and Chaeryeong were the best of friends.
"No, yeah..." Ryujin sighed, straightening up. "Karina's hot.... But, Hwang Yeji, do you have wandering eyes already?" She questioned with what was, mostly, a teasing tone.
"My eyes are only for you, dear." Yeji's saccharine response earned her a grin from Ryujin.
"Dear?" Ryujin grinned. "Little old-fashioned."
Yeji frowned. "Uh..."
"Baby." Ryujin murmured.
"Hmm?" Yeji hummed, eyes snapping up to meet Ryujin's.
"My eyes are only for you, baby." The way Ryujin murmured it, so well-polished and rehearsed, it almost seemed true.
"Oh..." Yeji murmured, nodding. "Okay. Baby. I'll remember that."
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Ryujin remembered talking about Yeji's family situation:
"Ryujin... you should know." Yeji pressed earnestly. "Really."
Ryujin shook her head, eyeing Yeji from her spot beside her on the couch. "Yeji, this isn't part of our story. You don't owe it to me, and you don't owe it to anyone else. It's private. I respect that."
Yeji's eyes glistened briefly with a tender emotion. When she spoke up, her voice was small. "And that's why I want to tell you."
Ryujin's eyes widened slightly as she nodded. "Okay...whatever makes you comfortable, Yeji."
Yeji nodded slowly. "I... I didn't originally grow up, here. I went to school... in California."
Ryujin's nod was reassuring. "You mentioned living in LA for a while..."
Yeji glanced up in surprise. "You... you remembered that?"
Ryujin nodded with a smile. How could she ever forget anything about Yeji?
"Right, well..." Yeji huffed. "I was a foster child. You know that much. I... moved from family to family, I never really knew my biological parents...they passed away, before I ever was old enough to seek them out. Well, that's what they told me, growing up. They don't like to inspire hope. I'm sure they're still around somewhere, forgetting they ever had a child. I had to move on, anyway."
Ryujin couldn't help it. She was an emotional wreck. Her eyes were already watering, like rainy blue skies turned grey.
Yeji heard a sniffle. She glanced into Ryujin's gaze. "Ryujin?" Her voice was tinged with sad humor. "Are you... are you crying?"
Ryujin shook her head wordlessly.
"I..." Yeji seemed lost for words. No one really cared like that before. "Don't let me stop you." Ryujin's mumble was silent, but Yeji heard.
"I..." Yeji sighed. "There really isn't much else to say, Ryujin. I was a product of the system. I made a few friends along the way... Jisu, for example."
"And that girl..." Ryujin murmured sadly. "The one you still skype call."
"Yuna." Yeji replied with a smile. "She's... like me."
Ryujin felt guilt ball up in her gut. She was living life in the lap of luxury, and here was Yeji, busting her ass to stay afloat. She felt undeserving. She felt awful.
"And then I... just... kept my head down in high school. I was offered a scholarship to Georgetown...and well, you know the rest." Yeji finished quietly.
She was surprised, and even let out a gasp, when she was pulled into Ryujin's embrace, warmly and tightly secured.
Words weren't adequate to describe what they felt.
Silence, in the form of unspoken words and declarations of love and friendship, filled the void between them.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And now, Ryujin coached her about lighter topics, like the names of their friends, their interests, favorite shows, and the like.
"What's my favorite TV show?" Ryujin grinned, quizzing Yeji as she took a sip of her beer, Yeji doing some sort of yoga-like workout on a mat in the center of her living room, furniture pushed aside.
She couldn't lie. The view was fantastic.
Yeji was in a sports bra and yoga pants, and she was currently bent over, ass in the air waving temptingly at Ryujin.
Her hair was neatly tied behind her, revealing her cute cheeks and dimple.
And she had no idea what she was doing to her.
She'd offered to make room on the mat for Ryujin to join her, but Ryujin laughed in her face and said she'd rather die than lift a finger to work out again after their morning runs.
Ryujin took another sip of the beer Yeji had bought especially for her, and awaited a response.
"That's a trick question." Yeji replied coolly, mid-stretch. "You have approximately five or six."
"Name them." Ryujin challenged.
Yeji rose to a tall position, bending over flexibly, leaning down and stretching her right leg. "You enjoy Game of Thrones, Orphan Black, Orange is the New Black, House of Cards, Old Friends re-runs.... amongst other things." Yeji replied.
Ryujin's eyebrows were raised. "Nice." She commented wryly. "
You also consume a lot of pornography." Yeji smirked.
Ryujin nearly dropped her drink. "Wh...what? No I don't!"
Yeji's gaze bore into Ryujin's. "I could hear it."
Ryujin looked taken aback. "You.... you could?"
Yeji shook her head, smirk widening. "I was bluffing, Ryujin."
Ryujin's jaw nearly dropped. "You learn that in business school or something?"
Yeji grinned. "I had to manipulate people at every stage in my life. Comes in handy."
Ryujin's eyes widened. "You... you are not as dorky and innocent as you seem." She wagged her finger in the air accusingly.
Yeji shrugged with a knowing smile, switching to her other leg. "I'm simply... not as forward when it comes to staring at people's asses."
She knew, deep inside, there was no way Ryujin was into her. But hell, she could learn to play along if it would eventually result in the company's success.
Ryujin reddened, rolling her eyes. Okay, Yeji was really fucking smart.
"What are my favorite shows?" Yeji challenged cockily.
Ryujin rolled her eyes once more. "Uh... anything about old dead white guys."
Yeji tutted. "The history channel has a name, you know."
Ryujin laughed. "Yeah, that. I also know you love Game of Thrones and House of Cards; so don't even pretend you're not listening when I watch it."
Yeji nodded slowly. "And your favorite animal is the shark, so.... Shark week." Ryujin grinned.
Yeji smirked at her. "I'm impressed."
"What about Harry Potter?" Ryujin tried once more. "What house would I be in?"
Yeji rolled her eyes. "This won't even come up in discussion."
Ryujin gave her a small smile. "I just want your evaluation." She admitted.
Yeji froze, straightening up as she sat face to face with Ryujin. "How do you know I've read them?"
Ryujin smirked. "I bluffed. I just figured you were a nerd, and you didn't disappoint."
Yeji's features softened. "Reading was a favorite pastime of mine, because you know... used books being cheaper than TV and all that."
Ryujin nodded, heart melting.
She could imagine little Yeji, sprawled under a tree, soft grassy field beneath her as she read while other kids shoved each other around.
She must have smiled at the thought, because Yeji was staring at her confusedly. "What?" She asked gently.
"Nothing." Ryujin shook her head, smiling still. "I read them too. What's your label for me?"
"Oh." Yeji bit her lip. "Arrogant...kind of annoying..." she teased.
"The houses, Yeji." Ryujin rolled her eyes, laughing still.
"Slytherin, maybe?" Yeji guessed.
Ryujin's eyes widened. "Do you think I'm evil?"
Yeji laughed. "Slytherin isn't evil, Ryujin. You could be a Hufflepuff, though."
Ryujin shrugged, seeming to accept either fate. "As long as I'm in the cool house or the badass house, I'll survive."
Yeji rolled her eyes, what was becoming a habit around Ryujin. "And let me guess... you think I'm a Ravenclaw? The nerd house?"
Ryujin smirked. "Actually...maybe you're evil too."
Yeji pouted and Ryujin's smirk widened. "Maybe little nerdy Hwang Yeji is actually a badass."
Yeji smirked. "About time you realized it."
They began to banter like a married couple, their practice effectively paying dividends in their ever growing chemistry.
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Ryujin was up in the kitchen, drooling over Yeji's cooking, while Yeji diligently set about working on the pasta.
It was amazing, how terrible Ryujin was at cooking.
Once, when she'd been starving, she'd bought a cheap packet of Ramen noodles, the kind you could just pour in a pot and boil for three minutes.
---
Ryujin melted the pot handle, and, in her haste to see what the hell was causing her to scream, Yeji took the painting off the wall that had a hole in it, and peered through.
"Ryujin?" She called hesitantly, feeling suddenly very invasive for staring into Ryujin's living room.
"Fire! The plastic! It's melting!" Ryujin's hurried cries were enough to send Yeji running to her apartment door, which was, as always, unlocked.
"Ryujin?" Yeji tried, running into to see Ryujin slapping at the fire with a towel, the smell of melting plastic assaulting Yeji's lungs.
"It's fine!" Ryujin heaved a sigh of relief as the flames died down. "I'm good."
Yeji quirked a brow, adrenaline still pumping through her. "Are... you? What were you making?"
She expected some sort of elaborate dish, maybe some sort of flambé. Instead, she heard Ryujin murmur, "Uh.... Ramen?"
Ryujin ate dinner with Yeji and slept in her apartment while she aired out her own.
---
Ryujin grinned fondly at the memory, while inhaling the strong scent of basil and tomatoes.
Thank god for the ever competent Hwang Yeji.
"That smells so good." Ryujin commented from over Yeji's shoulder.
Yeji smirked. "Back off there, Ramen girl. These are real noodles. Can't have you burning them."
"Shut up." Ryujin grinned. "You were so worried about me."
"I was worried that your apartment fire would result in the entire building catching fire." Yeji defended stubbornly.
"Yeah? That's why you stuck your head in the impromptu peephole in the wall?" Ryujin smirked, jerking her head in the direction of said wall, which now had the painting back up.
Yeji reddened slightly. "What can I say? I'm nothing, if not heroic."
"Heroic?" Ryujin drawled. "Is that what you tell yourself when you stare at me change?"
Yeji's eyes widened. "I have done no such thing!"
Ryujin grinned. "Whoa, easy, girl. I'm kidding. But maybe you should start..."
Yeji nearly dropped the pot of boiling water she was holding. "Wh...what?"
Ryujin smirked. "I mean... we are supposed to be girlfriends, right?"
"Girlfriends, not perverts." Yeji muttered, cheeks red once more.
"I'm just saying..." Ryujin teasingly lifted her shirt, revealing the very hint of toned abs underneath. "You can't be acting surprised when I'm in a bikini and-"
Yeji bit her lip, hard.
What the hell was wrong with her? She never lost her self-control.
"You're already getting a free dinner, no need to compensate me for it." Yeji found herself muttering.
Ryujin grinned, dropping the hem of her shirt. "I thought you'd never offer."
-------------------------------------------------------------------
They finished dinner with haste, and Yeji spent most of it busying herself with learning about Ryujin's family.
Ryujin, ever the gentlewoman, offered to wash the dishes.
When Yeji protested, she rationalized that water was a much safer element for her to use than fire, apparently.
Yeji's laugh was a symbol that she was in the clear.
"You know..." Ryujin called over the sound of the water pouring over the sauce pot. "I uh... should probably tell you something."
"Hmm?" Yeji glanced up in concern.
"My family does this really stupid thing..." Ryujin sighed, shutting the water off as she took the towel that was draped over her shoulder.
"Where they love you?" Yeji teased.
Ryujin bit her lip. "No, it's just...my birthday always ends up being during the reunion."
Yeji nodded. "Yes, Ryujin, birthdays Chand to fall on the same day, every year."
Ryujin threw the towel at her, watching as she caught it with a swift motion. Of course, she did. Stupid athletic nerd.
"You know what I mean!" Ryujin argued. "What I'm trying to say is... they always end up throwing me a surprise party. But it's never really a surprise, because... they do it every time."
Yeji couldn't help the grin on her face. This was priceless.
"I know. It's stupid." Ryujin shrugged, looking sheepish.
"It's... admirable." Yeji tried, snickering just a little.
"Just... I'm warning you ahead of time. They might put you in on it or something.... So, you have to tell me." Ryujin pleaded. "I hate surprises."
Yeji faked a gasp. "You mean, lie to you? My fake girlfriend? How could I ever?"
Ryujin rolled her eyes. "Ha, very funny. Just a heads up, okay? My family is just... weird."
Yeji tried not to feel the pang of emptiness whenever Ryujin brought up her family.
She'd wished someone had been there to throw her a surprise party she didn't want.
She, instead, returned to reciting the names from the picture Ryujin had handed her.
She tried not to focus on how cute Ryujin looked five years ago.
She also tried not to focus on the aching feeling it gave her when she saw the happy, wealthy, closely knit families smiling back as if they had no pain or troubles.
She couldn't afford to be petty.
She'd agreed to confide in Ryujin about the birthday, and moved on.
"Okay so there's The Parks; Karina and Felix, Sunoo and Ri-ki... Chaeryeong, of course, and..." Yeji trailed off, staring at the last reunion picture.
"-Changbin, the sadistic little shit." Ryujin quipped.
"Changbin." Yeji nodded. "Not Channy?"
"Not unless you're looking for a black eye." Ryujin grinned, patting the spot beside her on the couch.
"As if." Yeji muttered.
"You could... probably take him." Ryujin mumbled.
"You think so?" Yeji retorted in surprise.
"Uh... yeah. Have you seen yourself....?" Ryujin motioned to the episode of Game of Thrones she'd been watching while Yeji studied her friends.
Yeji blushed. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Ryujin smirked. "Fishing for compliments, are we?"
Yeji frowned. "I wasn't-"
"Lucky for you, baby, I'll bite." Ryujin grinned, turning to face her.
Yeji was still unused to the new nickname. It made something in her stomach Ryeongrn, and it made her heart beat a little too fast.
"You..." Ryujin began with a deep breath, "are, and hear my theory out here.... a secret badass."
Yeji's eyebrows shot up. "This is quite a change from nerd. Care to elaborate?"
"I will." Ryujin nodded. "Okay, if we're talking about looks... Well, if looks could kill, I'd be dead."
"Be still my heart." Yeji rolled her eyes, trying to cover for the embarrassment and pleasant feeling it gave her.
"No, seriously..." Ryujin motioned to the Targaryen princess, the one she always drooled over. "You're like... at her level. But better. I feel like you can kick major ass."
Yeji smirked. "Danerys Targaryen?"
Ryujin nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah but... You could totally fit into that show. Some, I don't know... war paint? A few swords? 'Badass Yeji' could be a real thing."
Yeji chuckled, shaking her head. "That's very flattering. Somehow, I peg you as the protagonist, though?"
Ryujin smirked. "I love taking charge."
Yeji paled suddenly, her heart thumping.
Ryujin had a tendency to slip little innuendos into her conversations, and it drove Yeji crazy. Was she doing it purposefully? Did she know what effect it had on Yeji? Was she testing the waters for their big talk? Was she supposed to say anything about that?
"I...I think we should have the talk."
"Hmm?" Ryujin hummed, turning towards Yeji. "What talk?"
"The sex talk."