True to her promise, Ryujin made a conscious effort to come home earlier, spending more time with Yeji and trying to be present in their relationship. The late nights and mysterious disappearances became less frequent, and they both began to cherish the simple moments they shared at home.
They cooked dinner together, Yeji sometimes experimenting with new recipes, and other times taught Ryujin how to cook her comfort food. They curled up on the couch, binge-watching their favourite K-dramas, and sometimes inviting Yuna and Lia over for a hang-out session or just to try out Ryujin's attempts at making a three-course dinner.
Weekends were now dedicated to adventures, exploring the city or taking short trips to nearby places. They discovered new cafes, hiked in the mountains, and watched sunsets by the beach. The hitman found herself relishing these experiences, taking a break from the chaos of scouring the industrial area for any signs of Aespa.
Some days, Ryujin would arrive home in the afternoon only to find Yeji missing, a sense of worry would gnaw at her heart. She'd call her phone, anxiously waiting for it to be answered, hoping for an explanation.
Eventually, she would pick up the call and notify her that she was either busy with finalising her final assignment or hanging out with some of her classmates. As much as she understood Yeji's need for independence and her own life outside of their relationship, she couldn't shake that instinctual need to protect the woman she loved the most.
Against her better judgment, she opened up a tracking app on her phone that she had Yeji to download to have her location at all times. (She also forced Yuna and Lia to download the app but the only places they frequented were at home or at uni.)
Ryujin's heart raced as she found Yeji at a location she didn't recognise. Before she knew it, she was already on her motorbike, riding through unfamiliar streets with worries for Yeji's safety gnawing at her.
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A cemetery?
She parked her bike at a distance, hidden behind a line of trees as she watched Yeji step out of her car and enter the cemetery with a bouquet in hand. Her heart sank at the sight, she had forgotten what day it was.
Gingerly, Ryujin followed Yeji into the cemetery, trying her best to stay out of sight. The photographer navigated herself around the countless gravestones as if she had memorised the place like the back of her hand.
The hitman watched from behind a tall tombstone when Yeji stood in front of a grave, her posture heavy with grief. Unable to resist the longing to be there for her girlfriend, she finally stepped out from behind the tombstone and approached slowly. As she drew nearer, she could see the tears glistening in Yeji's eyes as she gently brushed the gravestone.
"Yeji." Ryujin whispered softly, placing her hand on her shoulder.
The cat-eyed woman quickly turned to see Ryujin standing beside her. "Oh hey, I didn't know you came."
"You should've asked me to come, Yej."
"I didn't think you would want to." She replied, wiping away her tears.
They stood there, the cemetery cloaked with the silence of the evening, the wind gently carrying the falling leaves down to the grass. The world seemed to stand still as Ryujin dwelled with the heavy weight on her shoulders. It was a burden that she had carried ever since she had known Yeji. Her gaze remained fixed on the stone, etched with the name of the man she had killed, the man that Yeji loved with everything she had in her.
"It must be hard for you to stand here, isn't it?" Yeji asked, her eyes still wet from tears as she sensed her girlfriend's inner turmoil.
"It is, but it must also be hard for you too." The hitman replied, closing her eyes for a moment before looking back at her. "I still don't deserve your for-"
"I forgive you, Ryu." She interrupted, placing her hand on her shoulder. "You didn't know. It's okay."
The weight felt a little lighter after absorbing her words, she took her hand off her shoulder and brought it to her lips. "Thank you, Yej."
She turned to face the stone again and kneeled down. "I'm so sorry." She whispered with sincerity, catching Yeji off guard. "I didn't know who you were, but Yeji told me what kind of person you are and for that, I've been living with regret."
Yeji's hand on her shoulder squeezed gently as Ryujin continued with her apology. "I promise you, I'll do everything in my power to make amends, to protect Yeji, to care for her and to love her unconditionally for as long as I'll live."
The photographer's eyes soften, her heart heavy but filled with a sense of understanding. She knew that Ryujin couldn't change the past, but having Ryujin kneeling in front of her father's grave and seeking redemption meant more than words could express.
As Ryujin got up off the grass, she immediately pulled her in for a hug. "If I know my father, he would forgive you."
After a quiet moment, Yeji pulled away and took Ryujin's hand to the grave beside Youngjae's. "My mom and brother are also here."
Standing beside Yeji at the graves of her mother and brother, she couldn't imagine the depth of pain and suffering that she had endured. To lose not just one, but all her family members was a tragedy of unfathomable proportions. As she bowed down, paying her respects, a heavy lump formed in Ryujin's throat as her heart ached for Yeji.
When the sun began to set behind the trees, casting long shadows over the rows of tombstones, they headed back to the parking lot. Yeji spoke with a fond smile, reminiscing about her relationship with her brother.
"God, Hyunjin and I were inseparable." The cat-eyed woman started with her voice laced with nostalgia. "Growing up, we did everything together. Making up random songs that we used to perform for our parents, playing board games that resulted in one of us crying to our mom when we lost, staying up late at night under the covers watching animes when we weren't supposed to."
Ryujin listened intently, her heart swelling with warmth as she watched the twinkle in Yeji's eyes light up.
"One summer, when we were about twelve, we snuck out of our house and ran to our nearby park. It was our favourite place. We'd sit on the highest point of the slide, sharing secrets, and our plans to live together when we grow up as we watched the stars at night. Hyunjin always said that he would look out for me no matter what."
The dark-haired woman squeezed her hand in a silent understanding. "Take me to that park."
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Arriving at the park, they found it bathed in the soft hues of the setting sun. The air was filled with the gentle rusting of leaves and the distant laughter of children playing. Ryujin watched Yeji from the corner of her eye, appreciating the way the sunlight played with the strands of her brown hair, creating a halo of light around her.
The photographer led her girlfriend to a secluded spot near the park, beside a bush of blooming flowers. They sat there, hand in hand, sharing stories of their childhoods as they watched the stars emerge in the darkening sky. Soon, the children left their parents, leaving the park vacant for the couple.
They swung on the swings, taking turns to see who reached the highest. The wind rustled through their hair and their laughter filled the air, Yeji felt like she was transported back to her youth as Ryujin experienced the childhood she wished to have.
With a playful grin, Ryujin gently coaxed Yeji to join her on the merry-go-round. The photographer's laughter echoed through the park as they spun faster and faster, the world around her became a blur of colours and motion. But as the dizziness overcame her, she lost her grip and fell to the soft grass with a playful yelp.
The hitman immediately leapt off and rushed to Yeji's side with concern etched across her face. She knelt beside her, gently brushing a strand of hair from her forehead. "Are you okay there? How many fingers am I holding?"
Yeji blinked a few times, her head still spinning and managed a wide smile. "How many fingers AM I HOLDING?" She asked, sticking her middle finger up.
Ryujin chuckled before attempting to bite Yeji's finger, "You're fine." She held her hand out to bring Yeji back to her feet. "How about we go on the slides?"
They settled at the top of the tall slide, its metal surface cool against their skin. With their fingers entwined, they leaned on each other and gazed at the stars overhead. Yeji pointed out constellations, spinning tales of heroes and mythical creatures that resided in the starry tapestry.
The whispers of the night breeze and the distant chirping of crickets created a soothing symphony, a lullaby that seemed to serenade them.
"Can I ask you a question?"
Yeji nodded with the side of her head on her shoulder, her fingertips dancing along with Ryujin's.
"That night... the night we first met."
"The night we were waiting for Chaeryeong and Lia?"
Ryujin shook her head, "The other one."
The cat-eyed woman gulped before speaking, "What about it?"
"Why did you want me to kill you?"
Yeji hesitated for a moment, her gaze still fixed on the stars as she contemplated how to answer. Finally, she spoke in a quiet, reflective tone. "That night, I was in a very dark place. It had been a week since... Well, I felt like I had nothing left to live for."
"So you wanted to die." Ryujin mumbled out, tightening the grip on her hand.
"It wasn't that I wanted to die, necessarily, but I didn't see a reason to keep living." She answered while turning her head to meet Ryujin's gaze.
"But that night I asked for your lighter, I knew then that I wanted to stick around longer to discover the kind of person you are. You were this cold, enigmatic yet incredibly intriguing person who showed me that life could be different. You became the reason to keep going."
Ryujin's eyes softened as she listened attentively, "I was the reason you wanted to die."
"And the same reason I didn't die."
Before she could respond, Yeji lifted her head up and held Ryujin's hands on her lap.
"Let me ask you a question, why didn't you kill me?"
Her breath hitched for a moment, she reached into her pocket for her pack of cigarettes and offered one to her girlfriend to which she declined. After she lit it between her lips, Ryujin took a moment to gather her thoughts. She looked deep into Yeji's eyes as she answered.
"Before all that, I saw you standing beside a tree, taking photos of the sunset. I thought you were the most beautiful person to ever have graced the planet. And you still are."
Yeji giggled a little, before continuing to listen to her.
"But when I sat beside you in the car with the gun, something inside me shifted. I couldn't explain it then, but now I know it was a feeling I'd never experienced before."
She continued, "It was like a whisper, a flicker of doubt about a path I'd been on for so long. And I couldn't bring myself to snuff out your light, Yeji, not when I saw the pain and vulnerability in your eyes."
The hitman's voice grew softer as she spoke. "Over time, that doubt grew into something more. I didn't know back then, however, as the new and improved Shin Ryujin. I finally found the reason for my actions that night. It was because I didn't want to be the person who took away someone's chance to find the easy way out for happiness, even when you seemed so determined to find it."
"As our paths crossed, you became my reason to question the darkness in my own life. You became the lighthouse guiding me back to shore. With you, I found love that I never thought I'd experience in this lifetime."
Yeji leaned in and placed a deep and tender kiss against Ryujin's.
"Thank you for sparing me that night, and for being the reason I found my way back to the light."