The stars in the night sky shone brightly, twinkling as they provided warmth to the otherwise dark and depressing sky. Beomgyu releases a small sigh, pulling his knees closer to his chest as he stargazed on Ryujin's small balcony.
He looks over to Ryujin who sits on the balcony floor next to him, her eyes looking up to the stars as well. Beomgyu smiles lightly, his tears long dried.
"We should go in soon, it's really cold out." Ryujin hums, a slight shiver running down her spine. Beomgyu nods in response, scooching closer over to Ryujin to provide more warmth. Ryujin lets out a small laugh, pulling Beomgyu closer before she laces her fingers with his.
Beomgyu is silent as she pulls their hands into her lap, her thumb grazing the back of his palm comfortingly. He lets out a short chuckle, fixing his position before looking back up at the stars.
"How are you planning on spending Christmas?" Beomgyu asks to break the silence, starting to count the stars in his head as he waited for Ryujin's response.
"They're giving us a small break, but I don't have any plans yet."
"Oh...if you're up for it, you could come with me to go to Eunbi's and Mark's place. They invited me over for Christmas, and said they'd like you to come too,"
"That's nice of them. Alright, I'll make sure to go then."
"Great,"
The duo fell into a comfortable silence, taking the opportunity to watch the stars and sink into their own thoughts.
"Thank you, for today. I guess Eunbi and Mark told you that my mom's death anniversary is today," Beomgyu mumbled. Ryujin hummed in response, assuring him it was no big deal.
"And I didn't cry because your kimchi jjigae looked abysmal,"
"Wow, that sounds a little personal,"
Ryujin nudged Beomgyu, making him break into a small laugh which lead to her chuckling along with him. Beomgyu shook his head, releasing a sigh as a smile grazed his lips.
"I guess it's been a long time since someone cooked for me. It felt nice for once to feel taken care of. And it meant a lot coming from you too, especially since you're an athlete and everything,"
Ryujin offers the boy an assuring smile, their eyes meeting. She shakes her head before looking back up into the sky. Beomgyu does the same so he doesn't get caught staring at Ryujin.
"I mean, it's nice to know that you're comfortable being vulnerable around me. You've always had this cheerful facade, and I know it's hard keeping up the personality when you're already burning out. You don't have to force yourself to be the one to brighten my mood when you're with me. Just you here with me, it makes me happy."
A coat of deep red tints Beomgyu's cheeks as he turns to Ryujin in surprise. She offers him a dreamy smile, leaning in to rest her head on his shoulder. He turns back to the front, still processing Ryujin's words.
A smile creeps up on his lips as he rests his head on top of hers, his heart warming at Ryujin's words.
"You make me happy too," Beomgyu whispers, and he feels Ryujin's chuckle bounce off his shoulder. He turns to her in surprise, a grin grazing his lips when she quickly pulls away.
"Alright, it's too cold. Let's continue this conversation inside, where it's nice and warm." Ryujin shivers, standing up as she rubs the sides of her arms, rushing into her apartment.
Beomgyu laughs seeing the girl waddle inside, standing up too. He walked towards the door, turning around once more to glance at the stars. The brightest one catches his eyes, and a soft smile plays on his lips.
"Close the door! It's so cold!" Beomgyu looks over to Ryujin who is standing far away from the door, whining as she glared at Beomgyu who still had the door wide open.
He chuckles, stepping into the house before closing the door behind him.
"I'll make us some hot chocolate. Your nose is so red right now," Ryujin laughs at the boy. Beomgyu frowns, looking around to find a mirror as Ryujin walks over to the kitchen to grab what she needs.
She pays no attention to Beomgyu as she starts heating up some water. She pours equal amounts of cocoa powder in both cups, going to get whipped cream and marshmallows which were in her fridge (she had stocked up for Christmas season).
She turns around once she grabbed both things, closing the fridge door with her hip as her hands were full. Her eyes fleet toward Beomgyu who was standing in front of her, scrolling through his phone.
She freezes, involuntarily sucking in a breath as she stares wide-eyed at Beomgyu. He looks up from his phone immediately when he hears the strangled noise from Ryujin, his eyebrows furrowing in concern.
"You're growing really red, is the cold getting to you? Should I go get a jacket or bring the heater closer?" Beomgyu asks, putting down his phone to approach Ryujin. He pauses, much more confused when Ryujin lets out a squeak as he comes closer.
"Woah," Ryujin manages, still slack jawed as she stares at Beomgyu. He tilts his head in confusion, before his eyes light up in realisation. He shyly runs a hand through his hair, which he gathered up into a small half-up, his hair having grown a lot longer.
"You like it?" Beomgyu asks, his smile widening when Ryujin nods, swallowing as her eyes are trained on Beomgyu's face. No one could blame the girl, Beomgyu looked ethereal. His hair pulled back meant that more of his visuals were shown off, and there was a lot to show off.
Light pink still dusted his nose and cheeks from the cold, his ears peeking out of his hair a tinge of red. He had recently dyed his hair a dark blue, which complemented his face perfectly. Honestly, everything suited him.
"How do you look better than me?" Ryujin mutters, shaking her head. Beomgyu scoffs, finding it untrue as he walks over to Ryujin who had walked over to the stove hearing the kettle start to whistle.
"Don't pretend like you don't look gorgeous yourself," Beomgyu smirks at Ryujin, who blushes at the statement. She nudges him, carefully pouring the hot water into the mugs. Beomgyu helped with the toppings, he was the cafe owner after all, before they walked to the living room together.
"I'll put on some Christmas music," Ryujin hummed, grabbing her phone before scrolling through her Christmas playlist. She clicked on a song, the jazzy instrumental soon filling the room since she had connected her phone to a speaker prior. Ryujin sets her phone down, walking over to the sofa as she grabs her own hot chocolate and sits down next to Beomgyu.
"What are your goals for 2024?" Beomgyu asked after they both took their first sips of the warm drink that managed to ease the cold they were feeling. Ryujin smacks her lips, averting her eyes as she thinks about the question.
"I want to get closer to my family. I've been neglecting it for long enough, and I think it's time I play a part in the family." Ryujin answers, and Beomgyu smiles, feeling a sense of pride hearing Ryujin's confession.
"How about you?" Ryujin hums as she brings the mug to her lips, taking a timid sip in fear of burning her tongue. Beomgyu drags out a hum, propping his head with his hand, elbow resting on the sofa as he scrunches up his face, thinking.
"I want to achieve the perfect work-life balance. It's come to my attention that work has taken over my life, and life outside of work is practically nonexistent. I mean, my only friends are from work. It's kinda sad." Beomgyu pouts, and Ryujin laughs in agreement. She, too, had barely any friends outside the fencing team due to her joining at such a young age.
"Well, here's to a more balanced lifestyle in 2024," Ryujin concludes, the duo clinking their mugs before continuing to take more sips as the night grew darker and the weather got colder.
"Today started off bad, but I'm glad it's ending with us two hanging out." Beomgyu smiles, staring at Ryujin who was busy finishing up her drink. She puts down her cup to reply to the heartfelt comment, but accidentally burst out into laughter.
"Sorry, I can't take you seriously. You have whipped cream on your nose," Ryujin wheezes, covering her mouth with her hand as she watches Beomgyu hastily wipe it away in embarrassment.
"I love spending time with you too," Ryujin assures Beomgyu who had grown embarrassed from his cluelessness. Beomgyu looks over at Ryujin when she puts her hand on his, giving her a pretty smile.
Beomgyu couldn't resist, leaning in to press a short kiss on Ryujin's smile. He pulled away to see Ryujin's eyes widened in surprise as a blush spread across her cheeks.
"Tonight has been a series of surprises," Ryujin mutters, putting down her mug as she tries to process the very short skinship they shared in that moment. Beomgyu chuckles at her comment, putting down his mug on the coffee table too.
"I hope it's your favourite kind," Beomgyu hums, leaning to rest his back on the sofa as he watches Ryujin stare at her fingers shyly. A smile plays on her lips, looking up to lock eyes with Beomgyu.
"It is,"
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"I don't understand! The second lead was obviously the better choice, like he was the ideal man. I mean, the first lead is cute and all too, but I was rooting for the second lead. What was the female lead thinking when she chose the male lead?" Sang-yoon rants as she lies down on the floor, catching her breath after the strenuous practice.
Ryujin and Namra, a member of the fencing team, who sat next to Sang-yoon, chuckle at the younger's antics.
"I guess she got a feeling in her gut. I feel like once you know a person is right for you, you get this gut feeling. It's not just butterflies or you getting swayed. It just feels...like the right decision," Namra hums softly, as part of her soft-spoken nature. The other two are quiet, pondering over Namra's words.
"Since when were you the love expert? You dated a lot of guys, haven't you?" Sang-yoon gets up, teasing Namra who is quick to go red at the idea. She quickly denies it, and Sang-yoon finds joy in continuing to tease the elder.
Ryujin watches over the two with a motherly smile, letting Sang-yoon have a little more fun before she stops her. Her smile soon fades, pondering over Namra's words once again.
It just feels...like the right decision.
Ryujin gasps, sitting up straighter as her eyes grow wide. Namra and Sang-yoon look over at her in surprise, quick to ask if anything was wrong in concern at Ryujin's sudden outburst.
Ryujin assures them she's fine, and Namra and Sang-yoon fall into conversation after making sure Ryujin really was okay. Ryujin doesn't join in the conversation, biting on her fingernails.
Last night, when Beomgyu kissed her. The feeling that she got, it wasn't like the occasional butterflies she got whenever he flustered her. It was different, but it felt...better. Was that what Namra was talking about?
Ryujin thinks more about last night, about how Beomgyu had opened up and showed a vulnerable side of him to her. It helped her to trust him more, and possibly broke down the last barrier that had kept her away from accepting her own and Beomgyu's feelings.
But if the last barrier had been broken down, did that mean she was ready to establish the relationship, and get out of the courting phase.
"Holy shit," Ryujin whispers to herself, and the two girls who still sat near to her looked over in concern and feeling slightly weirded out.
GUYS ITS HAPPENING
SHES FALLING IN LOVE