The cool breeze rustled through the trees, carrying a faint scent of blooming flowers. Ryujin, Yeji and Yuna sat on the bonnet of the photographer's car, their feet dangling off the edge as they waited for the med students to complete their final exam.
Leaning back on her palms, her gaze fixed on the cat-eyed woman, watching the gentle glow of the street lights highlight her features perfectly as Yeji exhaled a cloud of smoke.
"I can't believe that they are taking their finals." Yuna chuckled, her fingers absentmindedly tracing patterns on the car's surface. "They are really going to become doctors."
Yeji nodded in agreement, resting her back on the windscreen, "I swear, the other day, Lia was studying so hard that she had a nosebleed."
The trio laughed softly, reminiscing over the late-night study sessions at Ryujin and Chaeryeong's apartment- the bottomless cups of coffee, the groans of frustrations while cramming years of information in one night, the droopy eyes as they tried to stay awake. Ryujin couldn't help but envy them, their hard work and dedication to help people.
"Ryu." Yeji called out softly, looking over at her girlfriend with a gentle smile. "If you weren't a hitman, what would you be?"
Yeji's question hung in the air, causing Ryujin to momentarily pause and deeply think about her answer. She never thought about the 'what ifs', contract killings were the only field she knew.
"I honestly don't know." She answered after a moment, taking a puff of the cigarette. "I mean, it's hard for me to imagine doing anything else."
The photographer's eyes were soft with understanding, "But let's say, in an alternate universe where you never got involved with... killing people... What would you have done?"
The hitman let out a contemplative sigh, tapping her cigarette and watching the ashes fall from the tip of the stick, "Well, if the Ryujin in the other universe had compassion and empathy... Maybe something to do with crime."
"You'd still be a criminal?"
Ryujin chuckled, "No, maybe a detective."
Yuna leaned forward to face her sister, "Detective Shin Ryujin?!"
"Rolls off the tongue doesn't it?" Yeji giggled with the cigarette in between her lips, "Detective Shin... It suits you."
"In another lifetime, my love." The hitman smirked as she placed her hand behind her head, looking up to the dark sky. "I hope you'll be there too."
They sat in comfortable silence for a moment, imagining the different paths that they might have taken if circumstances had been different.
"They're coming out!" Yuna pointed out to the doors opening in front of them. They all sat back up, waiting with anticipation for their friends to make their appearance.
Some students wore successful grins on their faces as others were filled with solemn, leaving the women worried about their friend's reactions. As the last of the students trickled out of the building, Lia and Chaeryeong walked out hand in hand, sending their farewells to another student.
The hitman's gut feeling arose within her, watching her friends waving at that student. Who is that?
The pair of med students approached the car, their expressions a mix of relief and exhaustion as they finally wrapped up their exams.
"It's fucking over!" Lia yelled out with her arms in the air.
Yuna greeted them with a cheerful smile, "Congrats guys!"
Chaeryeong let out a tired laugh, running her hand through her blue hair, "Thanks Shinnayu!"
"You guys were waiting here the whole time?" The blonde's eyes brightened as she glanced at the group sitting on the car's bonnet.
"Duh? Obviously, we have to support our future doctors." Yeji grinned, hopping off her bonnet to give her best friend a tight hug. "Now let's go eat!"
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The group arrived at the BBQ restaurant that the med students had been talking about constantly, the group chat spammed with Tiktoks raving about a new drinking spot that was open until the early hours of the morning. Yeji parked the car while Ryujin pulled up on her bike, a small grin on her face as she joined them.
"You ride like an old lady." Yeji said with a teasing smile on her lips as Ryujin removed her helmet.
Ryujin chuckled, running a hand through her hair. "Maybe you drive like a teenager that just got her license."
Chaeryeong exited the car and her mouth immediately began to drool, "Fuck, it smells so good here."
As they entered the restaurant, the aroma of sizzling meat filled the air, making their mouths water. They were quickly seated, the grill in the centre of the table ready for them to cook their own delicious meat.
Yeji took a seat next to Ryujin, their shoulders brushing as they looked over the menu. "What should we eat?"
They all glanced at the options, scanning at all the delicious meat that was on display. Ryujin furrowed her brows, unable to decide on what to eat.
"Let's go all out." She said, placing the menu on the table.
The other women all raised their eyebrows in astonishment. "Seriously?" Lia asked hesitantly.
The hitman took her wallet out of her pocket and placed a stack of cash on the table, "My shout."
The servers took their large order and returned with trays of marinated meat and a variety of side dishes. The group chatted and laughed as Ryujin took charge of cooking the meat, ensuring that everyone was served before herself.
Ryujin's eyes crinkled with a smile, watching Yuna enthusiastically devour her food. "Yuna, slow down. The food isn't gonna run away."
Yuna looked up from her plate, her cheeks slightly filled with her lettuce wrap, "It's too fucking good."
Chaeryeong laughed, patting Yuna's head affectionately, "Don't listen to Ryu, keep eating."
The blonde placed her chopsticks on her plate, "We should order some drinks." She suddenly remembered that Ryujin didn't drink alcohol and immediately withdrew her proposal.
"We can drink." The dark-haired woman said reassuringly with a small smile.
"Are you sure?" Yuna asked worriedly, knowing that drinking was a sensitive area for her.
Ryujin nodded, "I'll be fine."
With Ryujin's approval, they ordered a couple of bottles of soju for the table. Chaeryeong carefully poured out her best friend a small amount of liquid into her shot glass. She stared at the shot in front of her, her heart palpitating inside her. The memories of sitting in the passenger seat, the bitter taste of the alcohol running down her throat-
"You don't have to drink, Ryu." Yeji whispered, holding her hand underneath the table.
"I want to."
"Okay, I'll be right here with you." She whispered with a supportive smile, caressing her hand with her thumb.
The small glasses of soju glinted under the restaurant's warm lights as they held up their shot glasses.
"Congrats to Lia and Chaeryeong for conquering Hell!" Yeji announced with a cheerful smile, raising her glass.
"Cheers!" The chorus of voices rang out as they all clinked their glasses together, the sound echoing throughout the restaurant.
While the women chugged their shot, Ryujin held the glass between her fingertips, her gaze fixed on the clear liquid within. She found herself grappling with her conflicting thoughts, the scars of her past and the weight of her trauma loomed over her, reminding herself of the reasons she had chosen to distance herself from drinking.
She took a deep breath, trying to quell the rising anxiety within her. She needed to confront her fears.
With a determined exhale, Ryujin held the glass up to her lips and took the shot. The taste of the soju burned down her throat, bringing both bitterness and warmth into her body. Yeji wrapped herself around Ryujin's arm, giving her a light peck on her cheek, proud of her for taking a step closer towards her healing.
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Laughter echoed through the streets as they made their way to the photo booth. Per Yeji's suggestion, they came to an agreement that it was a night to remember. Slightly tipsy, they stumble their way into the photo booth, trying on all the props on display while frantically apologising to other people for bumping into them.
Yeji reached over to the shelf filled with various coloured cat ear headbands. She turned around to Ryujin who was trying on the pixel sunglasses, and smiled with glee.
"Ryujin~"
The hitman faced her girlfriend, instantly smiling as she saw the fluffy pink cat ears on her head. "Cute."
She walked over to the shelf and picked out another headband for her, "Here."
"Monkey ears?" Ryujin tilted her head, taking the monkey headband into her hands. "Is there something you wanted to confess?"
"Nope, Ryusoongie!"
Inside the photo booth, they squeezed in one by one, drunken laughter and giggles bubbling over. The curtain closed, giving them privacy as they continued their mischief. As the timer counted down, they all struck their first pose, each one embracing their unique personalities.
"Okay, okay, serious face this time." Chaeryeong ordered, fixing her fox headband.
They all complied, holding their most serious expressions as the countdown began. As the flash illuminated the small space, the serious facade quickly melted into laughter once more.
"Act sexy!" Lia quickly suggested, clinging onto her girlfriend and lifting her leg up for her to hold. Chaeryeong quickly flinched when Lia's huge pink bow on her head poked her in the face.
Yeji placed her hands on Ryujin's chest and faced the camera, presenting her dangerously sharp eyes that would make anyone falter. The hitman lifted her glasses and winked with her iconic smirk, eluding the confidence that she had.
Yuna, left alone with no one to hold, threw her arms in the air and made a love heart pose out of awkwardness. As the photo booth captured a snapshot of their dynamic relationship, they were left in a fit of laughter. After taking a few more photos, Lia, Chaeryeong and Yuna huddled around the screen to pick out their favourite shots. Yeji and Ryujin, side by side, exchanged a glance before breaking into matching smiles.
As the final set of photos printed out, they eagerly collected them from the machine, their excitement growing with each image. They huddled together, holding up the photo strip to admire their antics frozen in time.
"We're a mess." Chaeryeong exclaimed, laughing as she carefully observed everyone's faces in the photo, especially towards the sexy pose with Yuna's white cat eyes peeking through her arms.
Ryujin focused on the strip, her heart warmed by the genuine joy radiating from her friends' faces. It was moments like these- filled with laughter, fun and love that she wanted to cherish. These were the people that filled the void in her heart, the people that were more than just friends; a family.
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The hitman brushed her hair back before putting on her helmet. While the women got into the car, Yeji stood beside her girlfriend, watching her hop onto the bike.
"I'll see you at home, okay?' The photographer said softly, holding Ryujin's gloved hand.
"See you soon."
As they pulled away from the curb, the cool night air brushed against their faces. Ryujin revved the engine of her motorbike, the powerful purr of the bike blending with the car's exhaust. Side by side, they moved through the city, the vibrant lights painted streaks of colour across the road.
Glances were exchanged between them, unspoken words passing in those fleeting moments. Yeji's eyes lingered on Ryujin's silhouette, illuminated by the headlights shining onto her black leather jacket.
Ryujin pulled on the throttle the moment the traffic lights turned green at the intersection. The screeching sound of tired echoed through the air as oncoming headlights came barrelling towards her at an alarming speed.
This was it.
In the last second, she swerved to the side, hoping to lessen the impact of the crash. Her body flew into the windscreen of the car, shattering the glass with her back. The sudden collision of Ryujin's motorbike with the car was jarring, the sound of metal on metal echoing through the street. The car's tires screeched to a futile stop, leaving skid marks on the asphalt.
Time seemed to slow down for the women in the car, Yeji's hand flying to her mouth, muffling the pained scream as she watched Ryujin roll off the bonnet. Her eyes were fixed on the collision, her mind unable to process what had just occurred.
"Fuck, Ryujin!" Chaeryeong yelled, her eyes widened as she gripped the passenger's headrest.
As Ryujin fell to the floor, the car sped off, leaving the scene of the accident. Yeji's hand trembled as she fumbled for her seatbelt, her heart pounding in her chest. Chaeryeong and Lia immediately stepped out of the car, sprinting to Ryujin's unconscious body.
With shaky hands, Yeji finally managed to unbuckle herself. She stumbled out of the car, her steps unsteady as she approached the scene of the accident. All the noise around her was silence, only the loud thumping in her ears.
Chaeryeong immediately kneeled down and supported Ryujin's head to prevent any further injuries as Lia called for the ambulance. Yeji turned to her car to see Yuna staring back at them, dissociating from reality.
"Ryujin, please." She knelt down beside her, holding her hand against her cheek. "Please."