(Author's note: surprise double update?)
Ryujin pulled Yuna by the sleeve of her pajama top as the younger girl protested. Yeji had retired to her floor for the time being and she took the opportunity to question her sister about whatever those two had going on.
"What the hell was that, Yuna?"
The younger girl made a funny face before crossing her arms and pouting. "That was you being a jerk and dragging me here forcefully."
"I'm not in the mood for jokes, Shin Yuna." Her voice naturally got deeper as she felt angry and raised her voice slightly. Apparently catching her sister by surprise.
"What's wrong with you?" She asked, still pouting as she spoke. "Why are you yelling at me?"
Ryujin sighed, pressing the bridge of her nose before taking a deep breath to calm herself down.
"What's going on between you and Yeji?"
"You're being a little too paranoid, Ryu." She dismissed, shaking her head as if she were judging her and trying to walk away.
"Am I, Yuna?" She asked, keeping her from escaping by holding her sleeve.
"Yes. Let go off me." Yuna sounded annoyed, and looked like it too. Pulling the sleeve from off her grip with too much strength and walking away from her.
Ryujin couldn't help but furrow her eyebrows as she watched her sister leave.
Was she being paranoid?
She didn't think so.
Instead of continuing to insist, she let it go. For now. She would give her a couple of hours and then, she would ask again. And so on because Shin Ryujin didn't know how to give up.
Yuna might be annoyingly stubborn but Ryujin was the original stubborn Shin child.
"And then Ryujin fell on her head." Yuna finished the story she was telling, apparently amusing Yeji. Which, again, made no sense. Considering whenever Ryujin tried to joke around, the older girl wouldn't show any emotions at all. If anything, she looked annoyed or bothered.
After lunch, Yuna excused herself to do her homework. So they could go out afterwards. Which left Yeji and her to do the dishes. Something she didn't mind too much but the presence of the other girl was bothering her ever since that morning.
"I swear, if looks could kill, I'd be dead." Yeji stared nonchalantly. Washing the plate before handing it to her so she could dry it.
"When I told you to get someone to have an affair with, I didn't mean my sister." She blurted out.
Yeji only shook her head. "Why can't it be her?"
What the fuck?
"She's my sister." She argued, nearly dropping the plate on her hand. "Besides, she's sixteen."
Yeji hummed, "I know."
Ryujin blinked about ten times before she managed to speak again. "How do you know so much about her?"
The older girl shrugged. "Does it bother you?"
"Obviously it does."
"Okay."
"Okay?"
Yeji nodded. "Yes. Okay."
Ryujin scoffed, she was so irritating. "This is why everyone hates you, Yeji."
The girl seemed to freeze for a second, but she was good at looking unbothered because a moment later she was looking like nothing had come out of her mouth.
"What do you want from me, Ryujin?" She asked, taking a deep breath. "I already told you that I'm not interested in girls nor am I interested in your sister. Yet you keep projecting whatever insecurities you have onto me. Should I deny it again so you can seemingly forget next time Yuna and I are in the same place? So you can accuse me of dating your underaged sister yet again?"
Ryujin hadn't actually expected so many words to come out from the girl's mouth. Yet, there they were. And every single one of them were a hit to her already bruised ego. Reminding her of how stupid and dumb she could be. And just how insecure she actually was when it came to Yeji.
"I'm not the only one here that people hate. And perhaps there's as many reasons to hate you as there are to hate me."
And with that, Ryujin was left alone on the kitchen. Staring at Yeji as she walked away.
After a while, she made her way to the guest room where Yuna had been staying. Finding her sister doing her school work with all the attention in the world.
She moved quietly, sitting on the bed and allowing her back to hit the mattress. Sighing loudly as she did so, causing her sister to look back at her.
"Why are you being dramatic now?"
"Yeji and I fought." She admitted, her hands on her stomach as she stared at the ceiling.
"And that's new?"
"Kind of." She clicked her tongue, trying to find the words to explain her dynamic with Yeji. "We have our differences but normally she doesn't snap at me. Well, she sort of has before but not like this. I suppose she's quick to forgive or forget so I might have to just wait this out."
"As opposed to being mature and apologizing to her?" Her sister offered, with a teasing look. She immediately regretted having looked at her, rolling her eyes.
"I don't think she would care about my apology."
Yuna made a noise of exasperation and closed her notebook, moving to the bed and laying besides her.
"Apologize."
"Why?"
"Because you messed up."
"How do you know it was my fault?"
Yuna shrugged. "You look too guilty for it not to be your fault. Besides, you snapped at me earlier so you're clearly not in the best of moods."
"Sorry for that."
"See? Now go say the same to her."
"It's not that easy."
Yuna chuckled, "But it is. You're just too scared of it."
Ryujin furrowed her eyebrows, confused as to what her sister meant. "Why would I be scared of Yeji forgiving me?"
Her sister smiled at her, shaking her head. "I think you're scared you'll like her."
"I want to like her. And I want her to like me too." She let out, sighing.
"If you did, then you wouldn't be here complaining about Yeji being mad at you. People don't think you're the embodiment of charisma for no reason. Am I suppose to believe you've actually been trying your best with her?"
Ryujin thought about it for a second, had she? She had been trying really hard. But she supposed that every time she was met with an obstacle or a challenge, she found herself retreating and backing out. Perhaps, despite how many times she tried, she had been giving out far too easily. Maybe Yuna had a point.
She was better than this.
But was it because she was scared? Or was there another reason why?
"So you're not dating Yeji?"
"Wait." Yuna sat down, staring at her with widened eyes. "What?"
"You're not... dating?"
"I'm sixteen, you freak." She yelled out, grabbing one of the pillows and hitting her several times.
"It's not my fault you seem to know each other."
Yuna started laughing, falling over unto the mattress. "You're so dumb."
Ryujin crossed her arms, stealing the pillow a moment later and hitting Yuna with it.
"Then how does Yeji know so much about you?"
"Her parents literally own my dance academy, Ryujin. I told you about it already."
"But how-"
"Do you two not talk at all?" Yuna took a deep breath, looking extremely annoyed by it all. "She goes over like all the time. Especially when Chaeryeong is there."
"Oh."
"Yeah, oh. Dumbass."
"So you're not-"
"Obviously not." Yuna punched her arm, hard. Causing her to yelp in pain.
"What was that for?"
"For being the dumber Shin. You're supposed to be a good example for me."
"It's not my fault you two were so weird about it all."
"We weren't weird. We were simply talking as acquaintances do. You're the one who overthought everything."
"Yeah."
"Now, are you going to wait it out?"
Ryujin pursed her lips, thinking about her options. Somehow, waiting it out had worked but maybe Yuna was right. Maybe, she needed to actually go all out and give it her 100%.
"Yuna, is she a good person?"
Yuna shrugged. "How the hell would I know? She's your fiancée, not mine."
"Well, she even smiles at you."
"Like twice since I've met her but does that mean she doesn't smile at you?"
Ryujin shook her head.
"She's not that serious when she's in the academy but, she's not... like you or me either."
She hummed, taking in that information. Perhaps Yeji felt more comfortable in some spaces. Like the coffee shop she seemed to go to or her family's dance academy.
Maybe her presence had made her feel less comfortable in her own house. Ryujin thought that if it had been the other way around, and a stranger was invading her house, she might feel weird about it too.
"I should probably apologize for making it seem like she's into kids."
"You probably should. Although, I'd argue I'm not a kid."
"Yuna, even when you're fifty, you'll still be a kid in my eyes."
"I hate you. Hope Yeji never forgives you." Yuna sent her a kiss, as Ryujin made her way to the door. She only winked, leaving the guest bedroom and considering invading Yeji's third floor in order to apologize.