Chapter Text
Yeji was executing all the steps perfectly... until her gaze met Ryujin's, through the mirror.
Yeji, who was about to plant her foot on the chair where seconds before she had been sitting, got distracted and her foot went astray, so she ended up stomping on the floor and almost falling flat on her face. For a couple of heartbeats she gave frantic jerks, eyes wide. She recovered, blinking like an owl blinded by lanterns.
“God!” she heard Ryujin say in the middle of it. “What the hell did I just witness?” she added as Yeji straightened up, approaching her. She sounded worried.
Yeji muttered an “I'm fine” to reassure her. Moments later, she pointed an accusing finger at Ryujin.
“It's your fault!” she exclaimed.
Ryujin's expression went from surprise to questioning to utter confusion in just a second. Yeji couldn't help but laugh at the look on her final face.
“What do you mean mine!?” Ryujin asked, putting hands on hips. “I was over there, calmly, watching you!”
“That's why,” Yeji said, crossing her arms. “Your look made me nervous…”
“But that's the way I always look at you.” Ryujin's confusion was almost palpable.
How to explain to her that since they were, well, together there was a warmth and admiration in her gaze that made Yeji feel like the center of the world, no, of the universe and that the leader didn't know how to handle that feeling? It was embarrassing to put it that way. “But if your first kiss was practically a make-out,” her jocular inner voice pointed out to Yeji, who felt her ears heat up slightly at such a remark.
She shook her head and looked at Ryujin.
“You know it's not that," Yeji told her, now calmer.
Ryujin held her gaze and tilted her head to the side, looking thoughtful. Her eyebrows rose and her cheeks took on a slight reddish hue.
“Oh,” she said quietly. “Well, the only way I'm not going to look at you like that is if I poke my eyes out or close them.” She sounded dead serious.
Yeji still marveled that Ryujin could read what was going on in her mind so easily. Yes, they had been seeing each other's faces so often for years—more often than Yeji saw her mother—but still. No one else picked up on what Yeji was feeling and not saying the way Ryujin was.
One of the many peculiarities that had called Yeji's heart to her, like the gaze falling on that colorful spot on a blank canvas.
“That you would put it in the same magnitude to poke your eyes out or close them is disturbing,” Yeji joked with a smile, knowing Ryujin's sense of humor. “I guess I'll avoid looking at you—”
Ryujin interrupted her with a pout.
“While I practice, while I practice,” Yeji soothed her, her smile growing wider. “Because I love looking at you.”
“Uhm…” Ryujin's blush deepened and she fiddled with her short blond hair.
Yeji let out a chuckle and lifted her hands to gently squeeze Ryujin’s cheeks, warm to the touch.
“Keep looking at me,” Yeji told her. “I won't be distracted anymore, you'll see.” She left a kiss on Ryujin's forehead, something she loved to do.
“Good,” Ryujin murmured when Yeji looked into her eyes again, “because I love to look at you.” The same gaze that made Yeji feel like the Sun, around which orbited the planet that was Ryujin.
It was Yeji's turn to babble incoherently. Ryujin gave her a comforting smile as she squeezed her hands. She returned to her spot, on one of the benches in the practice room, as Yeji rewound the River song.
Said and done, she made no mistake anymore.
~~~
It was hard to avoid the melancholy when she came out of work. Whether it was from the practice room, the recording room, or returning to the building after she finished an episode of Gap of Itzy or something else, Yeji felt the melancholy hovering over her when she got to the dorm. She missed her parents, hearing them welcome her with warm and genuine smiles, and how could she forget the sound of Hongsam and Insam's nails against the marble floor as they ran up to her to lick her legs! Yeji always longed for that moment, as she knew that setting foot in her home meant feeling a rush of energy, of joy.
In ITZY's bedroom, on the other hand, it was quiet, especially when the five of them arrived there. Generally exhausted, each girl looked for ways to relax. While two occupied the two available bathrooms, the remaining three would fall into the living room armchairs or the shared rooms (except for Ryujin, who had her own) and close their eyes. No one spoke; no one had the energy.
It was what almost happened that day. It had been the full package; vocal practice (hours) and dance sessions (even more hours). Jisu, Yuna and Chaeryeong quietly discussed who would use the bathroom down the room’s hallway. Ryujin and Yeji stayed out of it, the former because she had a bathroom in her room, and the latter because she didn't care if she took a bath a couple of minutes before or after.
Also, while the three girls were talking, shoulder to shoulder, Yeji and Ryujin stayed a couple of steps behind, at which point Yeji would reach for Ryujin's hand to hold it. Ryujin traced circles with her thumb on the back of Yeji's hand, a gesture that left a warm trail that Yeji would think about long after their hands unfortunately parted.
Seeing the dark and cold bedroom made Yeji melancholy. She really wanted to go see her family—
“Well!” Ryujin said cheerfully, turning on the lights. “Does anyone feel like cooking today? Cuz I don't," she continued, shaking out the sofa cushions and rearranging them. “How about two of you go down to the supermarket and get some of those frozen pizzas while the rest of us make, I don't know, tea or something else for this f—for this cold?” She swallowed the bad word rather well, something that made Yeji smile.
Yeji started to protest—they were all tired, and Yeji just wanted to see them get comfortable and enjoy the evening—but the others spoke up, louder than the leader, at the same time.
“I'm in the mood for pizza!” Yuna said, and a twinkle appeared in her big, tired eyes.
“I'll make some chamomile tea,” Jisu reported, heading for the kitchen.
“We left the table a mess, so I'll clean it up,” Chaeryeong said, scowling at the table, which Yeji couldn't see from her position in the short hallway leading to the main room. “Yuna, go wash up.”
“Yes, ma'am.”
Yeji just watched them go about their business. They were doing it for her. They knew Yeji wasn't feeling cheerful that particular day, so they had taken the wire Ryujin had thrown them to lighten Yeji’s mood.
“I'll go down for the pizzas,” Ryujin said, picking up her jacket again, “since I suggested it.”
“Ryujin,” Yeji said as Ryujin passed by her side, “it's okay—”
“They all agreed,” Ryujin interrupted her, putting her hand on her shoulder.
Yeji cursed her inability to hide the melancholy. She cursed it a thousand times. “Though if I were able to hide it like the best actress, Ryujin would see through the veil,” she thought, looking into Ryujin's dark eyes, the rest of her face hidden behind the face mask. Yeji didn't know what to make of that fact. On one hand, Ryujin was getting cranky—not with the girls, of course—at the thought of Yeji not being able to go visit her family, and she was indignant, something that didn't happen to Yeji, and it was her that the thing was happening to! On the other hand, Yeji found it touching that Ryujin saw right through her. It reminded her that there was at least one person ready to come to her aid, even if Yeji herself didn't feel it was needed.
Her heart imprinted warmth with each pump, warming Yeji's body. She knew well that almost liquid feeling that coursed through her veins when Ryujin did or said something: love.
“I'll go with you,” Yeji told her firmly, turning back toward the main door.
“What? No,” came Ryujin's voice from behind. She quickly moved to Yeji's side. “You just relax and—”
“I want to go with you, Ryu,” Yeji interrupted her gently, stepping out into the hallway. “Besides, I'll buy some of my favorite snacks.”
“You're so stubborn,” Ryujin muttered, closing the door.
Yeji grabbed her hand.
“No more than you for proposing this venture in the first place. C’mon, let's go.”
Ryujin let out a snort and nodded. Yeji knew that Ryujin wanted her company alone as much as she did.
~~~
“I feel better,” Yeji said as they walked out of the supermarket, carrying bags with pizzas and other things inside. “Seriously.”
The walk alone with Ryujin had lifted her spirit. They had chatted about light things, and Ryujin's way of talking had gotten a chuckle out of Yeji. She loved it when Ryujin blurted out a bad word without realizing it, or how she apologized when she did.
“Wait till you try the pizzas, then,” Ryujin said enthusiastically. “They're the only pizzas of this kind that don't taste like ass, to my knowledge.”
“Ryujin…”
“There's no better way to put it, Yeji.”
“Hum.”
Back at JYP, they took the elevator to the dorm floor. As soon as the elevator door closed, Yeji spoke.
“Thank you, love.” She put her bags in one hand and scratched her head with the other. “I appreciate everything you do.”
“I feel I must,” Ryujin replied.
Doubts came over Yeji. Was she just as attentive to Ryujin? She wouldn't be having a bad time for whatever reason in secret, would she? Oh! What if she was and Yeji hadn't noticed? How terrible it was—
“Your smile is all the reward I need.”
Yeji stopped thinking frenetically and slowly turned to look at the girl. Ryujin stared straight ahead. She always avoided one's gaze when she said something deep or sentimental. It was because it made her feel awkward, something Yeji deduced long ago.
She had to fight to keep from shedding tears. Gee, she really was a bundle of boiling feelings when it came to Ryujin. Did she really deserve her? This kind girl, who was caring to unsuspected levels but whose personality hid under a layer of subtleties, of small gestures?
“I don't know if I'm doing well with you,” Yeji confessed, feeling the need to say it.
“Mmm?” Ryujin turned to face her. “You convey calmness, security. I know everything is okay if you're around. I sleep peacefully knowing that my leader has an iron will.” Ryujin averted her eyes for a moment before finishing. “You make me happy. You're doin’ perfect.”
Yeji swallowed the lump in her throat and reached over to hold Ryujin tightly in her arms. She remembered then how it all worked—Ryujin watched over her, on the lookout for some slip in Yeji's mood and feelings and, when it occurred, she would jump in to keep Yeji on her feet. And Yeji, at full capacity, would pass on to Ryujin the strength needed to move forward.
It was a symbiotic relationship that had been born that day Ryujin hugged her from behind, when they first met. But it didn't hurt for Yeji to be reminded of it from time to time.
“I love you, Ryujin.” Yeji vocalized muffled words under the face mask, feeling that the knot was too strong to produce sounds. “Agh, I l-love you.”
Ryujin returned the hug with the same intensity and traced circles on her back. She inhaled, and Yeji noticed that shakily.
“I love you, honey,” Ryujin replied. “Stop crying; you know I can't…” her voice trailed off. I can't help crying too, Yeji was sure that was what she was going to say.
Yeji laughed hoarsely and broke away. She wiped away the few tears that had escaped—she was too sentimental that day, dammit!
The elevator door opened, dropping them off on the appropriate floor. The girls straightened up and stepped out into the white hallway.
“I'm hungry,” Ryujin said, sniffling.
Yeji mimicked the action before replying.
“Wasn't this all just a ploy you pulled just because you wanted to eat pizza?” Yeji joked.
Ryujin snorted derisively.
“My name is not Yuna.”
Yeji laughed, satisfied as she remembered something else: she could make jokes like that and Ryujin wouldn't be offended, since Ryujin fully knew that Yeji appreciated her actions with all her heart.
~~~
Yeji wished she could swing her legs on the stool, but the stool wasn't tall enough for her legs to dangle (or she was too tall; Ryujin could swing her legs perfectly, and she looked endearing!). She had bathed and changed into pajamas. It was amazing how invigorating a shower could be. You felt like an invisible cloak was coming off the spirit. She had stockings and slippers on, but even so her feet were freezing cold.
She took a sip of chamomile tea, watching Ryujin and Jisu prepare the food. Which meant that Ryujin put the pizza in the microwave, waited for it to be ready, took it out and passed it to Jisu, who cut it into pieces and put them on a plate that already had a sizable mountain of pizza on it.
Yeji just watched, as they all wanted her to do. She liked to watch Ryujin and Jisu bantering and chatting quietly. She turned to look into the living room, where Yuna and Chaeryeong were passing one movie after another. They would stop at one, read the synopsis, whisper something, and keep going. They were choosing which one the five of them would watch that night.
It would only be one, or else they risked staying up late, and the next day they had to work. Another day where she would be back in a darkened dorm room—
“No,” Yeji thought firmly, pushing the thought away. “It doesn't matter, because the five of us will get there and bring it to life. Even if we're tired, between the five of us we'll gather energy and liven up the atmosphere.”
Yeji turned again when the microwave beeped. It was the last pizza, out of the four they had bought. It smelled good; Yeji's stomach purred.
“Ready, dammit!” Ryujin shouted, grabbing a plate and carrying it into the living room.
“Ryujin!” Yeji scolded her in a louder tone than usual.
“Sorry.” She sounded genuinely sorry.
Jisu walked by with another plate full of pizza, shaking her head. In her opinion, Ryujin was a lost cause, and she didn't understand why Yeji kept trying. It wasn't hard to understand! If Ryujin let slip one of those eye—widening curses to anyone who heard it, people would label her as vulgar, rude, and who knows how many more silly adjectives.
And Yeji didn't want anyone to say anything bad to her Ryujin.
“—nie!”
Yeji blinked, noticing that all four of them were looking at her from the living room.
“I'm coming,” she said, finishing her tea. She left the empty cup on the counter and went to join her team.
Jisu and Yuna sat on a couch that was supposed to be single, while Chaeryeong took the other one. The big one, for three people, was occupied only by Ryujin.
Yeji didn't miss the detail, and she was sure Ryujin didn't either. They had both told the others about their new relationship status, which had caused Yuna to lose her head next to Jisu, while Chaeryeong just sat on the first thing she could find—the sofa armrest—and didn't say a peep for half an hour. When the three of them came out of their astonishment, they agreed on one thing: it wasn't unexpected either.
Agh, they'd been acting both lovebirds since long before that February fourteenth arrived, but Ryujin hadn't noticed. Yeji had, but she was too panicked to hint to Ryujin what she wanted.
Thank goodness she plucked up the courage.
Despite the fact that they knew, Yeji and Ryujin weren't acting any different than they had before. Or not that much; there was more rubbing here and there, more silly looks and smiles, more hugs, but in essence they looked like their old selves.
That happened because none of them were born to show their devotion in public (that is, the other three girls, because no one else knew). Yeji wasn't embarrassed or anything like that; she simply preferred the solitude to treat Ryujin the way she wanted to, with all the comfort in the world.
With the lights off, Yeji sat down next to Ryujin and covered them with the sheet. Ryujin held a plate of pizza from which they both ate. When it was finished, a long time later, Ryujin snuggled against her, which Yeji gladly accepted.
Wrapping her arms around Ryujin's body, bringing the warmth she gave off against her, was one of the things Yeji enjoyed the most. Maybe the one that delighted her the most.
Snuggled against her, Ryujin, who was only slightly smaller than Yeji, gave the impression of being more so. Like a little bird that would fit in your hand… Yeji felt Ryujin was the perfect person for her to snuggle and share warmth with.
Calling her a girlfriend felt strange to Yeji. Yes, she was, but Yeji felt like something was missing from that adjective, like a soup missing salt, meat or noodles; it was Ryujin and Yeji, plain and simple. The two of them together, like the intertwined roots of two trees that would have grown side by side.
“That's the perfect way to describe it,” Yeji thought, pleased at the prospect.
As they chatted, ate and watched the movie—which was “coincidentally” Maze Runner, an old favorite of Yeji's—Yeji felt déjà vu. At first, she paid no attention to the sensation; this situation—finding the five of them gathered together for the night—was a frequent one, but then she frowned. That was not it. She searched for similar situations in her memories and—
She felt like she did when she was a child, at home, surrounded by her family. Her parents, her siblings, that's what this situation reminded her of.
It made perfect sense: ITZY was her family too. Did she feel down? There was Yuna, facing everything with that big smile of hers. Did she want to talk one-on-one with someone her own age, ignoring the protocols of formality? Jisu was perfect for it.
Did she feel like dancing her head off? Chaeryeong could keep up with her without breaking a sweat.
Did she need light, something to lighten her mood when the monotony and pressure were too much? The bosom of Ryujin's arms was always warm and welcoming.
Of all, it was Ryujin who offered her the same feeling of protection and comfort as her mother did when Yeji was little.
Yeji allowed herself to dream. She imagined a distant future, in a small, quiet house, where only Ryujin and she would live. Waking up every day by her side, hugging her whenever she felt like it, watching her cook (which was a must unless Yeji learned not to set the kitchen on fire).
It was just a silly fantasy—who knows what could happen in between—so she settled for this. They were on the same boat, ITZY, so their destination would be the same, whichever one it was.
Yeji would do her best to make it so.
~~~
Yeji woke up to a message from her manager. It said that ITZY's schedule for the day had been postponed for reasons she didn't mention, but which she claimed were not bad or alarming. Oh, so she could sleep more… No, she had to find out if it was really nothing to worry about.
Fighting laziness, she got out of bed. She went out just like that into the hallway, where the lights were on night mode. There was no one in the kitchen, no one in the living room either. Where—?
“Yeji-ah.”
Yeji turned around, startled. Ryujin was at the door of her room, still in her pajamas.
“Ryujin, did you read the message from our manager?”
“Yes, I called him and something came up. Something about some expired cards or so.”
“Oh.” That's strange; their manager was very careful about everything. “Okay. And the girls?”
“They went out. To visit their family. I'll stay here.”
“You don't have to—”
“Oh, hell yeah I do: you. Come,” she added, stepping back and opening her bedroom door wider. “Let's sleep together.”
Yeji fiddled with her fingers, enjoying the rumbling beat of her heart. Her laziness was still there, and it begged her to go back to bed. She had gone to bed late the night before, busy. She nodded quickly, and moved on to Ryujin's room.
Yeji was one of those people who couldn't sleep once she got out of bed, so she prepared to simply lie there for a couple of hours, enjoying the closeness of the sleeping Ryujin. However, when she wrapped her arms around Ryujin and listened to her slow breathing, she promptly fell asleep.
~~~
Hours later, Yeji was washing her face in Ryujin's bath, groaning at the sight of her eyes swollen from sleeping so much. Morning and noon had already disappeared. “God, I don't normally sleep this much,” she thought, wiping her face. Maybe Ryujin had something to do with it.
Most likely.
She came upon a dreamy scene in the kitchen. Ryujin in her navy-blue pajamas with white stripes and red hems, and blond hair pulled back in a neat bun, cooking. Her face, goddess-like, was adorned with a slight frown born of concentration. She was standing on one leg, with the sole of her other foot resting on it. The fumes from the food were being swallowed by the hood.
“What are you cooking?” Yeji asked, taking a seat on a stool on the other side of the counter.
“Kimchi-jjigae, gimbaps.” She pointed to two bowls. “I already made the bibimbaps.”
“Freakin’ quick,” Yeji muttered, craning her neck to catch sight of the bowls, on the side of the counter where Ryujin was standing.
Ryujin didn't hear her comment, so she continued cooking. Yeji took to watching her, finding it amusing. The situation gave off homely vibes, accentuated by the fact that they two were alone in the dorm.
Ryujin appeared so beautiful… Her movements, her pacing back and forth across the kitchen, the way she wrapped the gimbaps—it was all mesmerizing. Yeji felt like screaming it out. How beautiful you are! Everything you do is perfect! I love you! I love you!
But surely—very surely—she would scare Ryujin if she started screaming out of nowhere, like a maniac, all that, so she settled for getting up, going around the counter and hugging her from behind. Ryujin stopped rolling a gimbap and stroked her arms. Yeji hid her face in the hollow of Ryujin’s neck, where she murmured, “Even for cooking you are dazzling.”
She could feel Ryujin's suddenly racing heartbeat, even with her back to Yeji.
“Seriously,” Yeji continued, inhaling Ryujin's faint fragrance. “Every move you make is so graceful… It looks like you're creating art.” She left a kiss on Ryujin's neck, who gasped.
Yeji saw the hair on her arms stand on end.
“You're so over the top,” Ryujin mumbled.
Yeji left another kiss on her neck before breaking away. “I want to squeeze you until you swoon in my arms so badly,” she thought.
“It's the simple truth.”
“Ahm, w-whatever. Thanks?” Ryujin gestured toward the living room. “Go set the table, please.” There was a hint of a smile in her tone.
“Aye, aye, captain,” Yeji said before leaving the kitchen.
She knew the exact effect her words and kisses had on Ryujin. Ryujin devoured them, and radiated pure bliss afterwards. Yeji was pleased to see her being all coy smiles and blushes, so she had no reason to hold back.
~~~
The meal passed between placid silences and small talk. In the silences, Ryujin would put a hand on her thigh and caress it, eliciting hums from Yeji, who found her touch soothing.
When they finished, they decided to play cards.
“If I win,” Ryujin then said, “you'll have to carry me on your back the next time we go out to the park.”
Yeji stared at her. Was she serious? That neutral expression, as if they were debating momentous matters… Of course she was serious.
“We'll look ridiculous,” Yeji thought about saying, but that wouldn't faze Ryujin. She shrugged her shoulders.
“Well.”
“I was kidding, unnie.”
Ah, really!
“I never know with you!”
~~~
The pleasant evening led to a comfortable night, in which they both prepared dinner. They ate in advance, and saved for the next morning. Yuna, Jisu and Chaeryeong would not be coming that night.
Yeji didn't feel sad at the thought of her parents and their pets. Ryujin was a perfect counterbalance to that sadness.
As was routine, they decided to close the night with movies. Romantic ones, Ryujin suggested, which elicited a stare from Yeji. “She's rarely in the mood for that kind of thing," Yeji thought strangely, but without thinking about it. Why would she think about watching love movies with her love?
“Come,” Ryujin beckoned, holding out her arm.
Yeji cuddled against her immediately, smiling. This was different from her cuddling Ryujin, but just as welcome. Ryujin's presence was gigantic, and only provoked to surrender to her. Besides, her breathing was calm, her voice, deep and calm when she commented on something…
Yeji began to nod off. It happened to her whenever she cuddled against Ryujin; it was impossible for her presence not to cradle Yeji like a little girl—
“Don't fall asleep.”
Yeji sighed, disgusted at being torn from the clutches of the almost-sleep.
“Why?” she asked, pouting.
Ryujin's hoarse laughter reverberated against Yeji's whole body. What heavenly music, dang it.
“There's dessert.”
“Oh, yeah?!” Yeji jumped up straight. “What is it?”
Ryujin pushed the sheets aside and stood up.
“You'll see.” And she disappeared down the hallway to the rooms.
Yeji took the opportunity to get a drink of water. Back on the couch, she shivered after covering herself with the sheets. How cold it was, she needed Ryujin back by her side already.
Whatever the dessert was, it had to be something tasty, because Ryujin came hiding it behind her. Was it a snack? Or—
Ryujin held out a box of heart-shaped chocolates. It said I love you in gold letters on the cover.
“Oh?” Yeji stammered, taking it. She reflexively stood up. “It's very pretty and—”
“You don't know what day it is today?” A smile flirted with Ryujin's lips.
“Is it special?”
“It's March fourteenth. The white day.”
Dang it! A hand on her chin made Yeji raise her head, meeting Ryujin's eyes, brimming with love.
“It's clear what this means,” Ryujin continued, “but I want to tell you anyway: I want to be with you. A year, a decade, a century, a cosmic year—it all seems too little to me! With how fast time goes by when you're with me, I'm sure a cosmic year goes by in a heartbeat. You are what I didn't know I wanted and needed; you transmit so much to me, you help me so much… This is my confirmation: I love you, Yeji. My precious and strong leader, my heart is yours.
“O-oh, Ryujin,” Yeji whimpered, her voice trembling. “I will be, I will be with you as long as you want, even if it includes ten cosmic years.” She put down the box of chocolates on the couch, overcome by a force that urged her to hug her Ryujin. “I love you, Ryujin, sweetie, I fucking love you, dammit!”
“You cursing is all it takes for me to believe you, baby,” Ryujin laughed into the hollow of her neck.
Yeji lifted her into the air, eliciting a surprised yelp from Ryujin. The girl wrapped her arms around her neck and her legs around her hips. Yeji, hands full, was about to ask Ryujin to kiss her, but Ryujin beat her to it by curving down and connecting their lips.
There was that euphoria, that wild fire starting in the chambers of her heart and spreading to the capillaries of Yeji's toes. If only she could subsist on Ryujin's heavenly kisses. That way she could visit paradise often, drown in the sensation of Ryujin's soft lips on hers.
Yeji released her with as much dignity as she could when her legs threatened to fail her. Not because they couldn't handle Ryujin’s weight, but because they couldn't handle the various emotions that swirled in Yeji's brain when she kissed Ryujin.
Ryujin rested her head against her, and Yeji stretched her neck so that hers rested on top of the other. Even the feel of Ryujin's soft, cinnamon-scented hair was ecstasy.
There was so much going on inside her as far as Ryujin was concerned, she didn't see the point in describing it. Let people come and put themselves in her shoes if they wanted to know.
The best way Yeji could find to define it was that she was fucking in love.
“They have orange,” Ryujin reported when Yeji opened the box, once they were back on the couch.
“Then they're your favorite.”
“I have good taste, so…”
Yeji rolled her eyes. Sometimes she can be arrogant…
“You chose me, so yeah.”
...But I can be too.
Ryujin snorted derisively and shook her head.
Yeji picked up a chocolate, which a second later was in Ryujin's hand. She unwrapped it with nimble fingers and smiled, an action Yeji mimicked. She let Ryujin give her the candy, and hummed happily as the taste flooded her palate.
Yeah, Ryujin had good taste.
It was Yeji’s turn, and she made sure to run her fingers across Ryujin's lip, aware that it would disturb her calm. It did, and Ryujin's answering look was accusing.
“I haven't paid attention to the movie for a while,” Yeji confessed when the pause was removed.
“Very unexpected. Well,” Ryujin pulled Yeji to herself, “sleep if you want to. I won't interrupt you this time.”
“Something tells me,” Yeji murmured, “that you had something to do with this being a day off.”
“Maybe. Our manager needed to fix a problem, and I begged him to choose this day. She agreed, and then all it took was persuading the girls to go home.”
“Hmm… I don't know if it's right to postpone the schedule like this…”
“Agh, it's not the end of the world. Go on, shut up and watch the movie or go to sleep, which is what you're about to do.”
Yeji wanted to tell her that it didn't work like that and that she wasn't going to fall asleep already, but the mood played against her and she quickly drifted away from wakefulness, with Ryujin tracing circles on her back.
Well, Ryujin had her in the palm of her hand, and Yeji was glad she did.