chp. 25
"Hey, Ryu!"
The said girl snapped her gaze to the direction of the voice, plastering on a small smile when she spotted Isa running towards her desk. She was the girl that had first approached her after the accident, probably the first girl to gain a spot on Ryujin's contacts list too, with the intention that Ryujin was completely oblivious to. "Hi, Isa."
Right before Isa spoke, most of Ryujin's friends had caught up, stopping by her desk. "We're going to the movies after school today! My dad gave us free tickets, want to come with?"
"Uh..." Fiddling with the hem of her sweatshirt, Ryujin averted her gaze, chewing on her lip as she thought. She had planned to hangout with Yeji again today, even though she hasn't informed the latter yet, and hoped to carry it out. However, it has been a little over a while since she went out with her friends, as she often busied herself with the bakery or comic books. "I'll see?"
"You should come," Minjeong butted in, arms crossed over her chest. The look in her eyes sent a specific message that Ryujin caught. "It could take your mind off some things."
"I also have a minion costume in my house too!" Seungmin exclaimed, his head popping out from the other girls'.
"I'll be Gru," Yeonjun grinned, soon followed by a loud laughter, specifically talking to the other boy.
"Jisu can be Agnes," Chaeryeong contributed, giggling when the said girl raised her fist in threat. "You've got the height!"
"Yah! It's not even a minion-related movie!"
"Fine..." Ryujin mumbled, gaining the attention of her friends.
Ningning's eyes narrowed. "Why do I feel like there's a twist—"
"Only if Yeji can come."
"I knew it!"
Receiving either teasing looks or facades of disgust — plus Minjeong's "that's not what I meant" look —, Ryujin didn't notice the way Isa's expression faded. "Yeji? Isn't that your..." she trailed off under her breath, standing upright with her nail in between her teeth.
"But.." Minjeong suddenly interrupted, hesitantly raising her hand so the others could see. "If Ryujin can bring Yeji, then can I—"
"Yeah, yeah, you can bring your girlfriend." Chaeryeong rolled her eyes playfully, snorting when Minjeong adorably muttered a 'yes!'.
"If that's the case, then I'll bring Soobin too," Yeonjun said quickly, almost too fast to the point where most people missed his entire sentence. However, one individual did not.
"Soobin?!" Jisu gaped. "Since when did you have a thing with my brother??"
"N-No, it's not like that!" Yeonjun defended, making an 'X' with his arms. Unfortunately, the smaller girl was enraged, more at the fact that they had been doing this behind her back rather than the newfound information of their whole relationship. "I said it's not like thAAAT—" Yeonjun's voice cracked and soon shifted to a scream due to the furious girl that was now chasing him.
"Anyway!" Isa cleared her throat, directing the attention back to her while the other two ran around the classroom like cat and mouse. "Since we're having plus-ones, I'll bring someone as well. And, I need to ask dad for more tickets, might take some time."
"Fine with me," Ryujin shrugged, placing her elbows on her desk before resting her chin in her palm. "I need to tell Yeji too." She smiled as the mentioned girl popped into her mind, reminding her of their library and hospital adventures yesterday. But not only that, an unpleasant memory of another individual's name coming out of Yeji's mouth had also surfaced, reminding her that things did not end the way she wanted it to last night — and the fact that she could no longer hide her flashbacks from the brunette as well.
At that, Ryujin realized that she hadn't seen much of the brunette Hwang today, even though lunch was rolling around the corner. Normally, she would catch a glimpse of her by the lockers, or even when she was squeezing through the crowd to get to her next class. Yet, oddly enough, she didn't see her at all. So, when the realization clicked, Ryujin began to wonder where the girl was, whether or not she was even at school today.
And as her thoughts ran, coincidentally, she found her answer walking down the halls outside her classroom window. Typically, Ryujin's eyes would instantly light up at the mere sighting of the chestnut-haired. But, today seemed to be a strange day. A frown made its way across her lips, almost mirroring exactly what Yeji was wearing.
Something was wrong.
The way Yeji shuffled down the halls while her eyes were fixed on the tiles, and the sulky expression paired with the improper posture that was completely out of character — Ryujin could tell that something was different, and definitely troubling the brunette. But even with that simple acknowledgement, if anyone asked her what was going on with Yeji, she wouldn't be able to come up with an accurate answer.
Ryujin's heart tugged as she watched Yeji from afar, the worry creeping in. It wasn't hard to tell that something had trampled her mood, and it took everything in Ryujin to not rush out of the class, find Yeji, and ask her what was wrong.
"Hey, Ryu, are you okay?" Isa's voice brought her back to the present moment, and she realized her friends were looking at her, concerned expressions on their faces.
"Yeah, sorry, just got lost in thought," she replied, her gaze still fixed on Yeji as she disappeared around a corner. Just then, the bell had rung, signalling the start of their lunch period. Ryujin used that distraction to her advantage. "Let's go before our table is stolen."
She rose from her seat, grabbing her already prepared bag before sliding it up her shoulder. While Ryujin desperately tried to divert her friends' attention from her previous behaviour, a majority of them could tell that something was now bothering her, yet they couldn't figure out why.
"Seungmin, wanna get some oranges with me? I heard they're in stock," Ryujin excitedly asked as her gaze turned to the boy, taking notice that he was the only one who was dumbfounded about the whole situation at hand.
As expected, the taller boy smiled instantly as his ears quirked up at the word 'oranges'. "Yes! I'm coming with!" he agreed, trailing behind the purple-haired like the puppy he was.
"Something's up," Jisu deducted, now returning from her relentless chase, with her eyes tracing Ryujin's figure as they all collectively followed behind.
"I bet it has something to do with Yeji," Yeonjun added, fixing his disheveled hair while staring at his beautiful reflection from the classroom windows. "She's the only person Ryujin's mood depends on nowadays."
"As much as I'd hate to admit it, he's right," Jisu rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest as they exited the classroom together. Her thoughts following her words, and her eyes lit up for a split second. Acting on her new realization, she landed a hit on Yeonjun's arm. "You also never apologized to Yeji!"
——
"It's unlike you to skip your classes."
Yeji frowned at the older's words, as it forcefully reminded her of her dumb, impulsive decision. She was starting to regret it the longer she stayed. "I know, but I didn't have anyone else to confide in."
Jimin raised a brow, sliding a glass of a watermelon smoothie over the marble counter before placing her narrow chin in between both hands. "You have Ryujin."
"I don't think talking to my crush about my first love is a good idea." Yeji held the glass of smoothie, bringing it up to her lips for a quick sip.
The older gasped. "So you finally admit to having a crush on Ryujin?" Her lips curved into a smirk, then reached for her glass of water. Apparently, she had drank too much alcohol last night as the result of binging sad romance movies, which should be able to explain her plain choice of beverage.
"Well, 'friends' isn't really the best word to dictate what my emotions mean towards her, so..." Yeji shrugged, her gaze training on a random spot of the counter as she set the smoothie down.
"Hm.." Jimin hummed, nodding. "This is about your first love, Minju?"
Yeji mimicked her. "It's like the past again, I realize that I don't have a chance."
"And that's because...?"
"She—"
DING! DING!
Both their phones dinged, indicating a delivered message from someone. The two best friends exchanged strange looks before simultaneously checking their notifications.
"Movie?" They exclaimed in unison.
"I hope it's not romance..." Jimin muttered to herself as she typed back to her girlfriend, while Yeji only stared at the text with doubts floating in front of her. "Are you going?"
The brunette tucked her bottom lip between her teeth, taking one last glance at her phone screen before placing it down. "I'm not sure."
"It could take your mind off someone," Jimin suggested, a flicker of a smile appearing due to a certain Kim, then she copied the younger, phone facing down. "And potentially clear up some unanswered questions."
"That doesn't seem right though..." Yeji murmured, a downwards smile occupying her lips.
"How come?"
"Wouldn't that just be me using Ryujin to distract myself from Minju? I don't like the sound of that."
Jimin sighed, pursing her lips with an understanding gaze. "I know what you mean, but sometimes we need distractions, especially when dealing with heavy emotions. That doesn't mean you're necessarily using Ryujin in a negative way, no. Friends support each other, and if she wants to include you in her plans, then it might be a good opportunity to spend time with her and let your mind take a break."
Yeji clenched her teeth, slicing her fingers through her hair as a way to take out her frustrations. She was simply torn between her thoughts and her best friend's advice.
"Plus, you should probably write back a reply before she sends a search party."
Her best friend's abrupt suggestion managed to elicit a laugh out of her, and she deemed it to be good advice. Knowing Ryujin, she was probably checking if she had replied every two seconds. "I guess I could use a break."
Slowly, a grin made its way on Jimin's face while Yeji picked up her phone, shooting out a reply. "Especially with your crush~" Her eyebrows wiggled.
Yeji suppressed a cheesy smile at the supposed term for the purple-haired, covering up her antics with a punch in the arm instead. "Shut up and worry about your girlfriend."
"Soon, you'll be worried about yours," Jimin winked.
"Yu Jimin!"
>>
"No offense, but—"
"Do not finish that sentence."
"Hear me out, will you?"
"Sentences that start with 'no offense' will not be positive—"
"But—"
"—THEREFORE! I will not hear you out. I can't hear you! BLAH BLAH BLAH!"
Minjeong let out an unattractive, long groan, deciding to flick the younger's forehead to snap her out of her immaturity. "Shin Ryujin! Shut your mouth and let me speak!"
Defeated, Ryujin jokingly sniffled, then crossed her arms. "Okay, but keep your eyes on the road."
"Of course, I wouldn't want to die before marrying Jimin," Minjeong murmured, something that only she was supposed to hear. However, much to her dismay, the purple-haired gasped.
"And yet you call me obsessed!"
"Wha—?! First of all, I didn't even say that!"
"You were about to when you said 'no offense'!"
"Arghhh!" Minjeong cried out, wiggling her torso in annoyance. "How did you even know? Plus, I am not obsessed! I just..." She paused, her cheeks slightly flushed. "...care deeply."
Ryujin smirked, satisfied with her reaction. "See, you just admitted it!"
Minjeong huffed, but she couldn't deny the truth in her friend's words. "Fine, I care a lot. But so do you, about Yeji."
Ryujin's playful expression softened and shifted to a thoughtful one, though accompanied by a small frown. "Yeah, I do. She seemed off today and she even skipped class! How could I not..."
With one glance, Minjeong felt a slight pang at her friend's down expression. She had seen it much too often as of recent, and even though their bond may not be the same as before, she still didn't find peace at the upsetting sight. That said, she removed a hand from the steering wheel and firmly placed it on Ryujin's shoulder, squeezing it lightly. "You'll find out, Ryu. You're close to her, and I know for a fact that she trusts you more than anyone else. Just give her some time, and when she's ready, she'll tell you."
Ryujin sighed, looking out the window as they turned into a rather unfamiliar neighbourhood. "Thanks, Jeongie. But I just hate seeing her upset and not knowing how to help."
Minjeong sympathized, knowing that if she was in Ryujin's spot, she'd feel the same way. "I get that." She retracted her hand with an exhale, gaze shifting to the house that was now coming into view. "And I'm confident you'll get your answer today."
Now steering into a driveway, Ryujin unbuckled her seatbelt and spent no time stalling in the car once they stopped. She quickly exited and was the first to reach the door. Acknowledging that this was an unfamiliar territory was enough to insert hesitance into her action, but not enough to make her back out.
"Eager to see your girl?" Minjeong teased after catching up, adjusting her perfectly positioned bangs as she came to a halt.
Ryujin ignored her friend's remark and exhaled heavily, ears perking up at the faint sound of footsteps behind the door. And soon enough, the door swung open, revealing a tall Yu.
At the sight of two shorter girls, Jimin's gaze landed on her beloved first, her eyes were practically the example of heart eyes. "Minjeongie!!" she squealed, not spending another second away from being in the said girl's embrace.
Chuckling at the sight of her friend being crushed in the older's arms, Ryujin had nearly missed the beauty that appeared from behind Jimin. She gulped when her eyes met her favourite ones. "Y-Yeji!"
The brunette hesitatingly smiled, whether or not that was the product of her shyness and anxiety mixed together was solely up to her to decide. "Hi," she uttered.
Ryujin, stepping forwards and away from the disgustingly cute couple beside her, scanned Yeji's figure after stopping. Coming to a simple conclusion, her expression shifted to confusion. "You're okay."
Yeji blinked, unable to decipher what the other was referring to. "I am...?"
"Is that a question or a statement?" Ryujin's eyes suddenly narrowed, and the brunette felt goosebumps at the girl's sudden shift in demeanour.
"S-Statement."
Or rather, she felt goosebumps at their close proximity and the intense sparks between their eye contact.
Now breaking away from her girlfriend's embrace, Minjeong cleared her throat and caught the pair's attention. "We're going to be late, I'm sure the others are already there."
Yeji's eyes briefly flitted to Minjeong, giving her a small nod in acknowledgment. Then, her gaze returned to Ryujin. "Yeah, I'm okay. Just had a rough morning," she admitted, her voice softer than usual.
Ryujin studied her for a moment, sensing that Yeji wasn't telling the whole story. But she didn't want to pry, not in this moment. "Alright, let's not keep them waiting," she said, managing a gentle smile.
With that, they all walked to the car, Ryujin and Yeji quietly walking side by side. Minjeong and Jimin chatted animatedly, clearly excited about the outing. And as they settled into the car, there was a silent agreement that Yeji and Ryujin would sit in the back together, while Minjeong took the wheel with Jimin beside her.
The car ride was filled with a mix of conversation and comfortable silences. Ryujin occasionally glanced at Yeji, wanting to ask more about her morning, but she decided to respect Yeji's boundaries. After all, she trusted that Yeji would share when she was ready.
When they arrived at the movie theatre, identifying their friend group wasn't hard, as Seungmin was the main attraction with his minion costume. They exchanged brief greetings and wasted no time in getting the snacks for the movie, which meant that the group eventually separated off to different stations, picking out their own preferred snacks.
Ryujin stole a brief glance at the brunette beside her, knowing that it was their friends' doing on how she ended up with Yeji. Not that she had any complaints, but she would've preferred to handle her own... friendships and love life instead of letting their friends have the controller.
"Jinnie, do you like bread?"
The peculiar and new nickname had immediately snapped Ryujin out of her thoughts, and a part of her was confused about whether the brunette was asking her or someone else. However, the look of anticipation she received from the other had proven that the latter was incorrect.
So, pushing aside the nickname for a later conversation, Ryujin shifted her attention to the pastry in front of them. She chuckled. "Yeji, my family owns a bakery, what do you think?"
Yeji pressed her lips into a line, pretending to think with her finger tapping her chin. "You hate it," she concluded, snapping her fingers before they turned into finger guns, directed at the shorter. "Am I right or am I right?"
Ryujin deadpanned her. "Neither."
"Aw," Yeji pouted.
Deliberately avoiding that bottom lip jutting out, Ryujin cleared her throat and grabbed a package of mocha bread. She lifted it, captivating Yeji's curious eyes. "This, is my favourite."
Yeji hummed in approval, her lips curving into a grin. "Noted!"
Ryujin mirrored her grin, the only difference was the mischief within them. "You're noting down my favourite food? Wouldn't that be a little misleading, Yeji?" she teased, totally abandoning her usual nervousness when it came to the taller.
Because of her flirtatious words that Yeji didn't fail to notice, the chocolate-haired blushed. Her cheeks burned up, and her gaze had never darted away as fast as it did just now. "I.. don't know what you're talking about..." she murmured.
The purple-haired was surprised at her own words the moment they came out. It felt odd, the way they rolled off her tongue so well made her question if that was her own doing at all. Just like how things had been lately.
Addition to that, she could easily tell that Yeji was flustered, also caught off-guard by her words, and now Ryujin didn't know what to do.
Therefore, she proceeded to clear her throat, an attempt to change the focus of their conversation. "Anyway... do you have any favourites?"
Yeji puffed her cheeks as she breathed out, the redness of her cheeks fading at the same time. "Uh... not really. I like anything that's yummy," she admitted, adding a shrug at the end.
"Then..." Ryujin hesitated, soon smiling as she came up with an idea. "Have these with me."
Yeji's head whipped towards Ryujin, surprise and confusion within her gaze. "We're s-sharing?"
A snort escaped. "No, smartass. We can get the same thing," Ryujin replied, pausing in her movements when another idea came into mind. "Unless.. you want to?"
"No! I'll buy my own!" Yeji quickly spurted out, frantically grabbing a package of what Ryujin was holding before speeding towards the cashier.
The cashier raised an eyebrow at Yeji's eagerness, but she didn't comment. As the group gathered at the cashier to pay for their snacks, Ryujin couldn't help but chuckle at Yeji's adorable overreaction.
With their snacks in hand, they made their way to their designated theatre, finding their seats. Minjeong and Jimin, being the power couple they were, managed to secure seats next to each other, leaving Seungmin with his Minion costume beside them. Yeonjun with his surprising plus-one, Soobin, chatted away, with the addition of Jisu beside them, of course. No funny business was about to happen under her radar. Meanwhile, Chaeryeong sat between the chaos, already munching on her popcorn. And Isa, sitting with her plus-one, Sumin, had their phones out, likely checking out something related to the recent trends.
Ryujin noticed that there was an empty seat next to her, and she instinctively looked to see if Yeji would sit there. The brunette, however, seemed to be hesitating, glancing at the seat and then at Ryujin. At that, Ryujin offered a warm smile, patting the seat gently.
"Sit. I don't bite, if that's what you're worrying about," Ryujin joked, hoping to ease any reservations the brunette might have.
And much to her satisfaction, Yeji blushed slightly and gave a small nod, taking the seat beside her crush. As the previews started playing, they all settled in, getting ready to enjoy the movie. Ryujin couldn't help but steal glances at Yeji, who seemed a bit more relaxed now. The worry she felt earlier was still there, but being with her friends, especially Ryujin, seemed to be helping.
Throughout the movie — one that they soon found out was horror —, there were often moments of screaming, laughter, and definitely clinging. It was inevitable that something were to transpire between the two confused crushes during those moments, as they were sitting beside each other and Yeji seemed to be afraid of jumpscares. There were whispered comments between them, and for most of the movie, Yeji was fighting against the automatic urge to cling onto Ryujin when jumpscares occurred.
Although, despite her best efforts, she had eventually given in.
"AHHH!" Yeji let out a high-pitched scream at the sudden jumpscare on the screen. Her hand reflexively reached out and clung onto Ryujin's arm, her fingers gripping the fabric of the other girl's sleeve tightly. Her heart raced, and she felt embarrassed by her own reaction.
Ryujin, on the other hand, was completely surprised by Yeji's sudden grip. Her eyes widened for a moment, but she quickly realized what was happening. She glanced at Yeji, seeing the mixture of fear and embarrassment on her face. Without thinking, she let out a laugh, earning a frown from the other.
"Just how long have you been holding that in? Gosh, that was ear-piercing," Ryujin giggled, touching her ear to empathize her joke. But as her hand returned to the armrest, she noticed Yeji's pout, and her playfulness immediately died down. With no hesitation, she patted the brunette's hand that was resting on her bicep. "It's okay, Yej. Just a movie, you're safe."
Yeji's pout gradually subsided, and after a few moments, she nodded. Much to Ryujin's disappointment, Yeji's grip loosened a bit, but the thing that was keeping Ryujin's heart racing, was the fact that the brunette didn't exactly let go yet.
In fact, it wasn't only Ryujin's heart that was racing, Yeji's was close to bursting out of her ribcage. She didn't know if that was the result of a successful jumpscare, or if her heart was acting that way because of the physical contact with Ryujin. Either way, she couldn't focus on the screen anymore, as her attention was now trained on her hand wrapped around the shorter's arm.
Despite that, as the movie progressed, Yeji grew more comfortable with holding Ryujin's arm. She even purposely strengthened her grip at times when she desired to, and Ryujin didn't seem to mind as well.
Little did she know, the girl's heart was unstoppably beating at every squeeze.
Time seemed to fly by, and before they knew it, the movie was over. The lights in the theater came back on, revealing the slightly disheveled state of the group. Minjeong and Jimin were holding hands, Seungmin's Minion costume looked a little worse for wear, and everyone seemed to be buzzing with post-movie adrenaline.
Unfortunately, they all had to leave the theatre, which required Yeji to let go of Ryujin's arm, a disappointment to both. But it was short-lived as Yeji took action.
She turned to the shorter, a rather upset expression amongst her face. "Why did you laugh at me earlier?"
Ryujin, caught off-guard by the random question, chuckled and scratched her nape. "Well um... it was funny."
Yeji huffed, the wrinkles on her forehead deepening.
"Okay, I admit it, that was kind of mean. But it was just your reaction, I didn't intend to make you feel bad about it, Yej," Ryujin explained, her tone genuine and apologetic.
Yeji pouted again, a mix of annoyance and amusement playing on her face. "You're not supposed to laugh at the person clinging to you for dear life during a horror movie, you know."
Ryujin grinned, trying to lighten the mood. "Yeah, well, I can't promise I won't do it again if we watch another horror movie together. But hey, at least you had an excuse to hold onto me."
Yeji's cheeks flushed a little, realizing the implications of what Ryujin was saying. "I, um, yeah, well... It wasn't that bad. I mean, the movie wasn't scary enough to make me scream like that, but it was... nice."
Ryujin felt her heart skip a beat at Yeji's words. "Nice? How so?"
Now looking away, Yeji hesitated to proceed with her explanation. Eventually, she did. "Being with you... it's nice. You could say it made me feel safe too."
Ryujin was suddenly silent, too stunned to even think about her response.
Noticing her behaviour, Yeji bit her inner cheek and encouraged herself, continuing. "It's silly, yeah, but I'm glad you were here with me. Made the whole experience better, y'know?"
"W-What are you doing?" Ryujin murmured, mostly to herself, but at the same time, she wouldn't mind if the brunette heard it. She looked down at her shoes. "This isn't making things better."
Yeji's eyebrows met in the middle, puzzlement written all over her face. "What do you mean...?"
Suddenly, Ryujin stopped in her tracks, and Yeji copied her. She took a deep breath, deciding to put her memories aside and raised her head. Electricity buzzed between them as their eyes met.
"I—"
RIIIIIIIING!!!
Ryujin flinched at the interruption, her face soon scrunching into bitterness as she realized it was the brunette's phone. Yeji sent her an apologetic glance before pulling out her phone, her eyebrows furrowing at the caller ID.
"Minju? What's up?"
At that particular name, Ryujin's ears automatically blocked out everything. She refused to hear whatever they were talking about, because the mere thought of Yeji and Minju conversing happily had her curling into a self-conscious ball. It was mood-crushing, especially with the jealousy that came with the package. However, the call soon ended, and so did their moment.
"Ryujin, I'm so sorry but— I need to go," Yeji said quickly, stuffing her phone back into her pocket as she prepared to jet. "Thanks for inviting me!"
"Wait— what?" Ryujin tried to stop the other from leaving so soon, but she failed as she completed missed Yeji's arm, her hand gripping the air before it dropped to her side.
Anger and sadness fuelled her to the brim. Yes, she knew that it wasn't anyone's fault that their situation turned out like this — if anything, it was hers—, but a major fraction of her wished that Yeji had at least a little bit of trouble when choosing between her and Minju. Of course, Ryujin acknowledged the potential that something serious might've happened to Minju, but the selfishness of hers was overshadowing every logical reasoning behind Yeji's actions.
It seemed like Minju held more value to Yeji compared to her, and she hated that feeling.
Ryujin disliked being neglected and ignored, but being ditched was another story. And it wasn't that she wanted to feel this way, because she still understood that Yeji has other friends aside from her — but her frustrations were overweighing the understanding part.
Her chest tightened, and she muttered the continuation of her sentence to herself.
"I think I'm falling for you, Yeji..."
︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶
i think the sad chinese songs i listened to while writing had influenced this chapter... 😜
4000+ words !! i hope this one was enjoyable since i'm actually proud of this chapter hehe
JIAN .