The scent of freshly made seafood pancakes filled the air, and the clinking of utensils could be heard as she moved around the kitchen. After placing the pancakes onto a plate, Yeji carefully scooped the rice into a small bowl. Meanwhile, the hitman sat on the balcony as the gentle breeze rustled through her dark hair while she stared out into the distance, lost in her thoughts.
Ryujin indulged herself in the warmth of the sun, letting in a sense of comfort and peace that she hadn't felt in a long time. The rays of sunlight gently caressed her skin, and for a moment, she closed her eyes, allowing herself to bask in its soothing embrace.
Her thoughts swam to Winter. She couldn't help but wonder why she had chosen to come after her alone. Ryujin knew that she had her reasons. From what she could gather, her motives were heavily impacted by love. Perhaps, Winter made it a personal mission to take Ryujin out in hopes of regaining Karina's attention back.
"Hey." Yeji uttered softly as she stepped onto the balcony with a tray of food in her hands.
Ryujin looked up at her, offering a small smile as she shuffled over on the bench, making room for the photographer.
"I didn't have much in the kitchen, this is all I can offer." She placed the tray down on the small table in front of them and handed Ryujin a bowl of rice and a pair of chopsticks.
"It's fine, thank you." Ryujin replied, looking at the home-cooked meal in front of her.
Taking a piece of the pancake and placing it in her bowl of rice, she immediately dug into the food. Yeji watched as the hitman took a bite, resulting in a look of satisfaction washing over her face.
"You haven't eaten properly, haven't you?" the cat-eyed woman asked, bringing a small chunk of rice up to her mouth.
"I haven't had an appetite since I left." the dark-haired woman uttered, her tone lowering just enough to hear between them.
They sat in comfortable silence, both lost in their own thoughts. Yeji could tell that Ryujin had been through a lot, and understood that she required some space.
"Ryujin." Yeji spoke, almost whispering, as if she did not want to scare off the girl sitting beside her. "What happened during the time we were apart?"
Ryujin placed her bowl on the table, eyes softening with her tongue pressed against her canine tooth. She spent a good minute pushing down the pressure rising within her chest, drawing in more fresh air, thinking that would help clear her mind.
"I stayed in my old apartment."
The cat-eyed woman stared at the girl in silence, listening attentively. She couldn't imagine how lonely she must've felt locking herself behind a closed door because of who she was. And she also blamed herself for being the root of all the aftermaths.
"What happened last night, Ryu?"
As Ryujin looked into Yeji's concerned eyes, she took a deep breath, "There is this group of women after me."
"Why?"
The hitman explained her past with the group's leader, and how she was hellbent on getting revenge for not reciprocating the same feelings, hence, her team coming after Ryujin. She then went on and explain how she had been followed back to her apartment, and how Winter had attacked her. And the chaos that had ensued between them. Ryujin didn't hold back any details, including the fact that she decapitated the hand of the armamenter.
The events leading up to the previous night were messy and there was a mix of shame, guilt, and vulnerability lingering in her brain while recounting the violence she had caused and left inside the apartment. She noticed that Yeji was trying to hide the disgust and shock on her face, her lips were slightly parted after having to collect the horrifying news in one sitting.
"Ryujin..."
"You probably think I'm insane- some crazy monster that you have the displeasure of meeting." Letting out a dry chuckle, the hitman then pointed out her injured face. "A literal monster."
Yeji reached out and gently took Ryujin's hand in her own, giving her a reassuring squeeze, "No."
"Don't lie to me, Yeji."
"I'm just surprised with your capabilities." She said carefully, word after word. Yeji didn't want to lose her again, not for the second time after she had witnessed the results of her reckless behaviour and her own words, and how they manipulated Ryujin into viewing herself as a ruthless creature.
"You know that I wouldn't hurt you... even though I've already done so."
"I know you wouldn't hurt me intentionally. Like every wound, it'll heal over time." Yeji smiled, letting her know that everything would be okay in the end. "Let's keep eating."
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After their breakfast, the pair decided to have their own time apart. Yeji needed to complete her homework for her photography degree. She offered to ask for an extension to hand in her essay at a later date so that she could spend more time with Ryujin, but the latter refused and told her to prioritize her work.
While Yeji sat at the dining table, working hastily to finish her essay, Ryujin made her way to the bathroom. She gazed at her reflection in the mirror, the soft glow of the illuminating light visibly exposing the mark that marred her face. Her hand reached up to it, gently tracing the length of the cut but immediately grimacing at the pain under the fingers.
As she studied her new appearance, a mixture of emotions washed over her. Ryujin was always confident with her look, earning praise and compliments from everyone she had known, as well as complete strangers on the street. Now, she bore a revolting blemish on her face.
The cut also came in with a new sense of fear, that she could die at any moment. If one person who wasn't specialized in combat could catch her off guard and injure her, what would have possibly happened had they all ambushed her?
Returning back to the dining table, Ryujin found Yeji engrossed in her laptop, typing up her essay. However, the photographer quickly noticed the other's presence and shut her device.
"Are you okay?" She asked, observing the solemn look on the hitman's face.
Ryujin nodded and headed over to the couch, sitting down with a sigh lazily escaping her lips.
"Are you sure?" Yeji asked again, walking over to Ryujin and taking a seat beside her.
The hitman pointed at her face, "It hurts."
"Looks like it does." Yeji's lips formed a thin line as she properly observed the cut. "Give me a second."
The dark-haired woman watched as Yeji got up from the couch and walked into the bathroom. After a short moment, she returned with a tube of ointment in hand.
"You don't want to get it infected, right?" She said, sitting back down beside her.
The younger watched as Yeji squeezed out a small amount of cream onto her fingertips. As Yeji reached for her face, she noticed the hitman flinched a little.
"May I?"
With a short, calming breath to prepare herself, she nodded and moved her face closer towards Yeji's hand, the touch sending a shiver down Ryujin's spine. She tried to control her instincts to pull away, reminding herself that this was Yeji.
"Are you okay?" The cat-eyed woman asked, carefully applying the ointment along the cut and watching for any indication of pain on her face.
Ryujin could just swallow the lump in her throat, feeling too vulnerable to express herself, especially to the older. She knew that she could confide in her, but ever since the confrontation that night, she had been chased by the older's hate-filled words even by then.
"Why do you still care for me, Yeji? You could've left me out there, just shut the door and forget about me."
Putting her hand down on her lap, Yeji stared at the tips of her fingers. "Perhaps I also felt guilty that night."
"What are we then?" Ryujin bit her tongue, eyes searching to meet the older's, but still nervous upon hearing her answer.
Yeji looked back at Ryujin, her gaze frozen, "I don't know, Ryujin."
The dark-haired woman blinked, tears welling up from the bottom of her eyelids. She expected that the confrontation would have driven a wedge in their relationship, uncertain of what the future held.
"We both hurt each other and that's something that would take time for us to move past. But, I still want you in my life." The photographer continued, picking up the younger's hand before gliding her thumb over the bruised knuckles softly.
Moments later, they both whipped their heads towards the door upon hearing the constant knockings. Yeji gave out a slight smile and placed the hitman's hand back on her lap before heading to it. She looked through the peephole, only to spot a familiar group of women on the other side.
"The girls are here." Yeji glanced over her shoulder, her cat-like eyes eventually landing on the girl on the couch. "Are you going to be okay?"
"I don't know if I'm ready for them to see my cut. It's hideous." Ryujin muttered with her hand moving up to wipe a tear running down her face.
"You're still beautiful as ever, Shin Ryujin." The older responded with a soft smile- a smile that eased the growing storm forming inside the hitman's chest.
Another knock on the door alerted them, causing Yeji to quickly place her fingers around the doorknob.
"You're going to be okay." The cat-eyed woman reassured her as she slowly pulled the door open, revealing the faces of people she was uncertain of witnessing again.
Lia and Chaeryeong stood in front of her, concerned and eager. Behind them, Yuna was ceaselessly rubbing her arm to slow down her unsteady breathing.
"Is Ryujin awake?" The blonde asked, her eyebrows slightly raising.
Yeji nodded and stood aside, allowing them to see Ryujin facing the balcony on the couch. The couple stepped in, cautiously making their way towards the hitman. But then, the photographer noticed the younger Shin hesitating to head into the apartment.
"Yuna?" Yeji whispered out.
She snapped out of her daze, half smiling at the other before quietly taking a step into the apartment. As Yeji closed the door, she observed Lia and Chaeryeong standing in front of Ryujin.
"Hey." The blue-haired woman kneeled down beside her friend.
Ryujin stayed silent, fighting the urge to run away.
"How are you doing?" She spoke again, placing her hand on Ryujin's lap. "I've missed you a lot, we all did."
"Life was better without me. Don't lie, Chaeryeong." Ryujin mumbled, unable to bear the sight of seeing her friends.
"You, and I know that's bullshit." Sternly, the medical student uttered. "Why else would we be here?"
The dark-haired woman closed her eyes, avoiding her best friend's unmoving gaze on her.
"Ryujin, we care for you." Chaeryeong whispered out loud, voice cracking slightly. "Look at us."
However, the hitman refused, "No."
Opposed to her friend's avoidance, Chaeryeong gently placed her hand on the side of the girl's face, guiding her to look at them. As Ryujin's sunken face and cut were revealed, a small gasp came out from Lia as her heart dropped.
Ryujin laid her eyes on her best friend, then on to Lia and Yeji. But as she saw her sister, all of her emotions were caught in her throat. In the back of her mind, she had many words to confess- sorry for lying to you for years. That your sister is a murderer.
"We are all here, Ryujin. And we won't leave your side." Lia spoke up, taking a step closer. "You don't have to hide anymore."
Her breathing hitched, never had she felt warmth from the others. Granted, she knew what it was like to experience the sunshine and rainbows in a short time with Yeji, but being encapsulated with the support from her friends, it was conflicting.
For a large majority of her life, she had always cowered in the shadows which had been her comfort. She was safe from the prejudice that came with her sociopathy and her job, sheltering inside the confines of her home and never opening herself to anyone other than Chaeryeong.
Now that the truth was unveiled, she was scared. For the first time in her life, the mists surrounding her had dissipated. There was nowhere to hide.
With teary eyes, she finally let out a small smile which was sincerely filled with guilt underlying with relief.
Note:
sorry about the disappearance, i was busy w work and then i spent some time just relaxing heh
thank youuuuu @l3montreee for helping and editing this chaptah~