Chapter Text
"You like—!"
Ryujin snapped her hand up quickly to cover Hyunjin's mouth, muffling the one name that didn't need to be announced for the whole world to hear. "Shut. Up," she hissed, adding more pressure when Hyunjin attempted to speak again.
They had been sitting by the benches taking their cleats and shinguards off after practice, the rest of their team already walking off the field, the two of them staying behind like they always did to wait for Heejin and Yeji. It'd become something of a tradition—if they could even call it that—to meet up with the other two so they could catch some dinner or some ice cream or even just head back home to relax. They'd all become some sort of ragtag type of team after Hyunjin finally had the guts to start dating Heejin. They practically became the Mystery Gang minus the Mystery Machine, a dog, mysteries to be solved, or any men—but it's the thought that counts.
(Besides, they all claimed each of their characters; Ryujin had proudly claimed Fred, Hyunjin was more than happy to be Shaggy, Heejin had to be convinced to be Velma, and Yeji was all for being Daphne—their Scooby was Hyunjin's cat Butternut Squash. It all fit together like a puzzle.)
Except, one slip up from Ryujin and Hyunjin pounced as quick as a fox.
And with Hyunjin yelling so loud, Ryujin was worried someone would hear, especially if Heejin and Yeji were on their way. "It's not like that, you're taking things way out of proportion." Ryujin still spoke in a hushed whisper, acting as if anything louder would attract everyone's attention. "I said I like hanging out with her, not that I like-like her. You heard wrong, idiot."
It was technically the truth. Ryujin had said something along those lines but she was just trying to mediate the situation so that Hyunjin wouldn't make a bigger deal out of it. And, besides, she did like hanging out with Yeji. The girl was fun to be around and their little gang wouldn't be complete without her—or anyone for that matter. So she did not have any sort of feelings toward Yeji other than a mutual friendship. Nothing more, nothing less.
However, when Ryujin felt something slick and wet slide across her palm, she was quick to recoil her hand away from Hyunjin's mouth—creating a noise of disgust as she wiped the saliva off on Hyunjin's practice jersey.
"Dude! What the fuck!"
"You like Yeji!" Hyunjin yelled out immediately, managing to dodge Ryujin's hand lunging for her mouth again. She laughed at Ryujin as she evaded her, continuing to taunt and tease, "You like her!"
"Shut up! I don't!" Ryujin popped both her cleats off, Hyunjin already beginning to roll her black socks down to remove the shinguards.
But Hyunjin just couldn't keep her mouth shut. "Ryujin and Yeji sittin' in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N—" Hyunjin released a terrorized scream when Ryujin lunged for her, completely barreling forward to try and trap Hyunjin beneath her, ultimately missing when she rolled away from her attack.
The two of them were standing now, facing each other with enough space between them so that it'd stake some effort for Ryujin to try and close the gap. Hyunjin had her arm extended out, keeping the distance between them despite Ryujin wanting nothing more than wipe that aggravating, shit-eating grin off Hyunjin's face.
Lifting her own hand, Ryujin pointed at Hyunjin and made herself clear, "I don't like Yeji like that."
That Cheshire grin only widened and Ryujin already knew what was coming. "First comes love!" Hyunjin shouted from the top of her lungs. But just as Ryujin broke out into a sprint, so did Hyunjin, deftly avoiding Ryujin as she continued to shout the rest of the kid's song, "Then comes marriage!" Hyunjin dashed away, laughing and continuing the song, "Then comes baby in the baby carriage!"
Despite having just ended practice, the two sprinted around the soccer field as if they'd each just injected a gallon of Monster energy drink into their veins. Hyunjin zig-zagged her way around Ryujin, laughing and enjoying this way too much for Ryujin's own good. They ran all along the length of the soccer field, Ryujin chasing her and yelling out threats while Hyunjin just laughed or continued to taunt her. There were many times Ryujin was close to grabbing onto Hyunjin's jersey, but somehow she'd find this renewed burst of energy and increase the gap between them just enough so that all Ryujin grabbed at was air. It was frustrating, but she'd be damned if she let Hyunjin get away with it.
Ryujin anticipated Hyunjin's next move, having learned from years and years of not only playing alongside her in soccer but also just being insane enough to stick with the knucklehead all throughout her childhood. It was a move Hyunjin always liked to pull during games—even when they would play tag as children back then. She'd do this mini sidestep toward one direction, positioning her body facing that direction in order to trick whoever she was up against, only to pull the rug right from under them as she'd spin her body one-hundred-eighty degrees around behind them. It was like she'd run them in circles; running around and behind her opponent to confuse them only to run free with a significant lead again.
Hyunjin made up the move herself. Always worked like a charm, and if she had a ball to her feet, she'd always add a little flair to it to make it work.
But Ryujin knew Hyunjin better than she knew herself.
And she saw the move coming from a mile away.
She saw the way Hyunjin was positioning her body and waited until Hyunjin spun her body around before she stuck her leg out, successfully tripping Hyunjin and sending her sprawling onto the grass.
(In any soccer game, that would've been an automatic red card. But this wasn't any soccer game; this was war.)
Before Hyunjin could attempt to pick herself back up, Ryujin dove on top of her, laughing in triumph while Hyunjin laughed in glee and amusement. Both of them were out of breath, chests heaving, wearing sweat-soaked clothes but that didn't stop them from trying to surpass the other in a display of strength. They were competitive to no end. Not a day went by that they didn't challenge each other to something. It's what kept their friendship alive so often.
Sometimes Ryujin would win, sometimes Hyunjin would win, sometimes they'd even end up in a draw.
But not this time; Ryujin absolutely could not let Hyunjin win.
She had the upper hand; she had Hyunjin down and everything. There was no way she was gonna lose.
"You guys join the wrestling team now?"
Ryujin froze, instantly recognizing the voice behind her.
(Maybe Ryujin felt her heart speed up but she immediately dismissed it for the fact she just ran around the entire soccer field chasing Hyunjin and then tackled her to the ground.)
However, in her brief moment of weakness, Hyunjin was able to duck forward and shove Ryujin off of her, pushing her hard enough that she landed with a thud on her back and all the air rushed out of her lungs. "Ha!" Hyunjin cheered, jumping up to her feet quickly only to stand over Ryujin in victory. "I win!"
Scowling and glaring at her friend, Ryujin weakly wheezed out a, "Fuck you," before promptly flipping her off. Hyunjin only laughed but still offered her hand down for her to take, which she did, silently appreciating the help as she stood back up on her feet.
Huffing out a breath—and instantly regretting it when she felt a dull pain in her chest—Ryujin began patting herself off and getting rid of any dirt or grass that clung to her body.
"Be nice, Hyun." Hearing Heejin scold Hyunjin made Ryujin snicker but she didn't dare look up to expose her expression.
"What— I helped her up!"
"You pushed her over!"
"She tackled me!"
The couple continued to bicker, continually going back and forth as Ryujin felt content and amused to just sit by and listen as she picked at her clothes.
But then a hand gently grabbed onto her elbow, and when she looked up, she saw Yeji with an equally amused expression as she tugged Ryujin away with one hand as she held her longboard with it tucked under her arm. "C'mon, let's leave Shaggy and Velma to work themselves out."
Ryujin turned back to look at Hyunjn and Heejin, looking to see if they noticed them discreetly sneaking away, but they were so caught up in their own world they didn't even notice their sudden absence. So she nodded and let herself be dragged away from Yeji, watching the small smile on her face grow into a grin.
(And maybe Ryujin really enjoyed seeing her grin like that because it made her nose scrunch up and her eyes squint in a manner that sent Ryujin's mind into overdrive. But it wasn't that deep; she just liked Yeji's smile just as much as the next person.)
To really just sprinkle salt into the wound, Ryujin left her duffle bag with all her soccer gear by Hyunjin's bag, forcing her to take it back to their apartment so that she wouldn't have to lug it around while she hung out with Yeji. A little bit of payback for teasing her so much; Ryujin only thought it was fair. And she knew Hyunjin wouldn't just leave it behind—even if she wanted to, Heejin would be there to make sure she did.
They began walking off the field, repeatedly turning around to see if either of them would at least notice them leaving but they were still stuck in their own little world, Ryujin wouldn't even be surprised if they could make it all the way back to the apartment complex without either of them knowing they had left.
"They really don't know we're leaving, huh?" Yeji asked, shifting her hold on her longboard so that she was practically hugging it to her chest.
Ryujin shook her head, leading Yeji through the soccer field toward the bleachers. "Yeah, they'll be like that for a while if we're lucky." If she was being honest with herself, Ryujin was looking forward to hanging out only with Yeji. She liked the other two just as much, mind you, but some one-on-one time with Yeji could be fun.
Yeji laughed, causing an involuntary smile to form on Ryujin's face. But just as they were about to pass the bleachers and walk past the athletic building, their peace was disturbed with a loud, "Hey!" from the behind them.
They were so close.
Sighing, Ryujin turned around to see Hyunjin struggling to lug both duffle bags as she ran toward them, Heejin behind her walking at a leisurely pace with her longboard dragging behind her. "Man," Ryujin huffed under her breath. "I really thought they'd be out here all night."
Yeji laughed again and Ryujin watched as she leaned against one of the beams supporting the bleachers. "Me too."
Ryujin had a brief moment where all she could do was admire Yeji. She wasn't even doing anything special, but Ryujin couldn't take her eyes off her. Ryujin wasn't that much of an idiot; Yeji was gorgeous. Anyone could see that. So it only felt natural that her mind reacted accordingly when she saw someone attractive, the same went for Yeji. It was nothing more than a chemical reaction in her brain, all those neurons sending red, blaring signals whenever she saw a pretty girl.
Yeah, that's all it was.
"You assholes were about to leave us!" Ryujin snapped her head over to Hyunjin, her eyes widening when she saw her duffle bag being thrown right toward her head. She hastily ducked, feeling the air whisk by her harshly as her duffle flew over her head and landed with a dull thud behind her.
"What the fuck!" Ryujin whipped her head back around, glaring at Hyunjin who only returned the glare right back at her. "What is wrong with you!"
Strolling nonchalantly up to them, Heejin simply brought her hand up to flick Hyunjin's forehead, mumbling a quiet, "We just talked about this," as Hyunjin flinched and rubbed the sore spot.
Glancing toward Yeji who hadn't moved from her spot next to the bleachers, Ryujin caught her muffling her laughter with a hand covering her mouth, her eyes disappearing behind her cheeks.
(Whether she was laughing at Ryujin's dismay or Hyunjin's psychopathic tendencies, Ryujin couldn't help but think she'd love to be the reason why Yeji smiled. Even if it meant almost getting killed in the process.)
"C'mon," Hyunjin called out, and as Ryujin briefly turned toward her, she saw her extending her arms upward in a stretch and releasing a loud yawn. "Let's go home, I'm beat."
Ryujin just couldn't pass up the opportunity to be snarky toward her friend, "Yeah, beating people up really tires you out." She walked toward her duffle, bending over to pick it up and slinging the strap over her shoulder with a huff.
"Man, you're just pressed because I won earlier," she heard Hyunjin comment from behind her. And while it dug slightly under her skin, Yeji came up beside her and bumped her shoulder with her own, looking over at Ryujin with a soft smile while mouthing 'Ignore her'.
And maybe Ryujin felt compelled enough to not get into it with Hyunjin because she was just as tired too. Yeah, that was it.
Adjusting the strap on her shoulder, Ryujin mumbled, "Whatever, let's just get out of here."
No one else seemed to object as they all followed Ryujin away from the soccer field and toward the town. The sun had already set, the waning moon not quite at its peak but slowly creeping its way up to the top. With it still being early in the spring and with the sun gone, it left brisk breezes that still chilled her to the bone and made her wish she had remembered to bring her jacket. But it wasn't too bad and she wouldn't be cold for long, the walk to their apartment complex was a rather short one.
Only five minutes into the walk and suddenly an arm was thrown over her shoulders, nearly making her tumble over with her duffle and almost tipping her over. So when she turned to Hyunjin to give her a piece of her mind, she was shut up when she saw the suspicious grin on her face.
Scowling and leading them over to the sidewalk, Ryujin tried shrugging her arm off but to no avail. "What?" she grumbled, irritated at the fact that Hyunjin acted like a parasite clinging to her body.
But then Hyunjin stopped her in her tracks and dropped her arm from her shoulders, turning around to the other two who had been chatting behind them quietly. "Ladies," she announced theatrically, making Ryujin roll her eyes as she watched Hyunjin dramatically bow in front of them while also motioning toward their longboards. "If you could oh so kindly lend us your valiant steeds so that you could make this trip a little easier for your dashing knights in shining armor."
Yeji giggled while Heejin failed to hide her amused grin with an eye roll, but nonetheless they gave Hyunjin their longboards. Already knowing the drill, Ryujin waited until Hyunjin set Yeji's board under her duffle bag while she set her own bag on Heejin's. With their duffles on top of the longboards, they no longer had to strain their shoulders from the weight and could now easily use it like a makeshift suitcase.
(Yeji had actually come up with the idea awhile back and Ryujin and Hyunjin's shoulders have never felt greater relief.)
Just as Ryujin was about to start walking again, Hyunjin butted in by moving herself slightly to the side and bowing again. "After you, ladies," she used the same dumb, suave voice they usually do in movies and let the other two walk ahead of them, not before hearing Heejin's 'Dumbass' and Yeji's 'Dork' comments being made toward her. Ryujin snickered, enjoying the way Hyunjin's efforts failed at making herself look charming. But then Hyunjin slung her arm right back around Ryujin's shoulders and it took everything within her being to not launch her fist into Hyunjin's stomach.
"Let's cut to the chase, Ryu," Hyunjin began, her voice significantly lowered enough that Ryujin doubted the other two ahead of them could hear. "You like Yeji." Ryujin was about to exclaim, her mouth open and ready to spit her denials left and right, but Hyunjin's hand clamped down on her mouth so quickly she wasn't even able to get a single syllable out. "Listen! Listen!" Hyunjin sounded hushed—for the first time—trying to calm Ryujin down. "It's as clear as day, dude. You don't make it subtle."
Ryujin faltered, her mind running rampant trying to think of what exactly she was not being subtle about. She didn't think she had been doing anything at all.
She pulled down Hyunjin's hand but didn't say anything. She didn't even know what to say. What was there to say?
Picking her gaze up, she looked at Yeji ahead, watched the way she walked close enough to Heejin so that they bumped shoulders, she noticed the wide grin she had on her when she'd look to Heejin, she'd even hear her quiet laughter whenever Heejin said something funny. Something about Yeji just being there filled her with ease in a way that was different than how it was whenever she was with Hyunjin or Heejin.
Did she like Yeji?
As if sensing her inner troubles—and Ryujin wouldn't put it past Hyunjin to know exactly what she was going through—Hyunjin tugged Ryujin closer, almost like a huddle, to tell her, "I can help you."
"Help?" Ryujin finally spoke up, although, her voice was a little weaker than she would have liked it to have been.
"Yeah!" Hyunjin exclaimed a little too loud, making Ryujin flinch and look toward Heejin and Yeji, but they paid them no mind; too wrapped up in their own conversation.
"Help how? Help with what?" She needed clarification because the last time she let Hyunjin help her, she had to explain to everyone why and how her hair got dyed pink —all she ever told anyone was that it was Hyunjin's fault.
A grin formed on Hyunjin's face that sent tremors down Ryujin's spine; she didn't trust that look. "Help you get the girl!" At least she wasn't as loud as before, but the idea was so absurd to her that it made her scrunch her face up and shake her head.
"What? No. No, I—you're not helping me get anything with anyone."
"But it's not just anyone!" Hyunjin removed her arm off of Ryujin's shoulders—much to her relief—and gestured toward Yeji a couple of yards away from them, still out of hearing range. "I'll help you get together with Yeji!"
This was crazy. Ryujin couldn't believe Hyunjin was delusional enough to believe that they could be together.
Ryujin shook her head, unable to help the frown that tugged her lips down. "No. No way, you're not doing shit." She didn't want it to happen. It was just Hyunjin manifesting her insane ideals into her mind and she was not going to go down the rabbit hole. Ryujin wasn't about to dive into another one of Hyunjin's plans blindly.
"What— oh, come on, Ryu." Ryujin watched as Hyunjin slouched her shoulders childishly, tilting her head at Ryujin as if she were some guilty puppy. But she wasn't budging. "How do you think I managed to snatch Heejin?"
And Ryujin just had to laugh because she was there when it happened. "You accidentally stepped on her skateboard and it rolled right from under you. You fell flat on your fuckin' face, dude." It was a wonder why Heejin had ever said yes to Hyunjin while she was lying on the ground in pain with scratches on her elbows and face.
(Ryujin was convinced Heejin felt bad for Hyunjin and accepted out of pity, but deep down she always knew Heejin had a soft spot for the dork.)
"And guess who still got the girl?" Ryujin rolled her eyes because there was no way she could deny that.
"You got lucky," she replied bitterly, unable to get herself to admit defeat to Hyunjin.
"And you could get lucky too!"
Ryujin wasn't sure why Hyunjin was pushing at it so much. She'd always been brash and reckless but this was a whole other level. It made Ryujin feel weird about it. She couldn't even get a good sense of it herself which was enough of a red flag for her to not pursue whatever it was she felt toward Yeji—which might not be anything at all and it could just be Hyunjin planting things in her head.
When Ryujin didn't respond, Hyunjin tried pushing her luck again, "What do you have to lose?"
And it was that question that finally rang the bells clear in her mind.
There was so much to lose.
When she looked at Yeji, she saw someone she never wanted to lose. She couldn't afford to let her slip through her fingers, especially not if it could be her own fault. She wouldn't know what to do with herself. She didn't even know when these sort of feelings developed but one thing was for sure: she didn't want to ruin something she had with someone just for the sake of her own selfish feelings.
So, rather than just telling that to Hyunjin, Ryujin decided to put up her walls of defenses and disregard the idea altogether—just like she had been doing from the start. "I'm not doing it, Hyun. I don't like Yeji like that." The words felt dull to her now that she actually acknowledged her feelings. "I already told you."
But god forbid she befriended someone as stubborn and hardheaded as her. "Man, I'm not fallin' for that shit, Ryujin, I'm not as dense as you think. You like her."
Ryujin flinched not only from how true the words were but also from how Hyunjin's voice had hardened. She only ever got serious if it was something worth getting serious over—but Ryujin didn't think this situation called for that much attention. She still wasn't sure why Hyunjin was pushing for it so much.
"Hyunjin—"
"No, listen to me, Ryujin." Ryujin looked at Hyunjin surprised, but all she saw was her furrowed brow and her mouth set in a thin line. "This'll be good for you. I know it will be. You can't dance around this shit like a pussy." She was baffled; completely speechless. Wherever this monologue was coming from was stunning Ryujin into silence. "If you try and push those feelings away," she jabbed a finger at Ryujin's chest, "you're only going to make things worse for yourself and Yeji."
That shone some new light onto Ryujin. But it still didn't reassure her. All she saw was no good end no matter how she tried to look at the situation.
"Hey!" Both of them snapped their attention back in front of them, watching Heejin and Yeji turned toward them with a lot of ground between the pairs. "Catch up, slowpokes!" Heejin called out, already spinning back around with Yeji in tow, probably returning back to whatever conversation they were having before.
"Coming!" Hyunjin yelled back, momentarily losing the seriousness she had displayed moments before. But it returned just as quick when she spoke to Ryujin again, "Don't fuck things up, Ryu. It's not as complicated as you make it out to be. But I can seriously help you, okay?"
She didn't wait for Ryujin to respond because she broke out into a light jog, her duffle bag jostling dangerously on top of the longboard, and caught up to Heejin and Yeji, fitting herself between them and casually edging herself closer to Heejin.
Ryujin was going to simply let the three of them walk ahead of her, completely content with having some alone time to gather her thoughts and try and figure this whole thing out. But then she saw Yeji look over her shoulder, a curious expression on her face. Ryujin, in hopes of letting Yeji know she was fine, sent her a thumbs up and a smile she hoped was convincing.
But maybe it wasn't convincing enough because Yeji slowed her pace down until Ryujin inevitably caught up with her. Warmth bloomed in Ryujin's chest at the gesture, but the nerves were quickly overpowering the sensation when she realized she hadn't even had five minutes to fully understand what she was feeling.
"Hey," Yeji greeted, walking alongside Ryujin now, "you okay?"
She didn't feel okay. Hyunjin's words stuck to her like an annoying splinter wedged into her skin she couldn't get out. Her head was swimming and all she wanted to do was sit under the showerhead and let the hot water wash off any guilt she felt, but why did she even feel guilty? She hadn't done anything to deserve feeling the weight of guilt on her shoulders.
"Yeah," Ryujin rolled her shoulders back, trying to prove to Yeji that there wasn't anything up with her. "I'm all good, why?"
When she glanced at Yeji, she saw the way she was staring at the ground, her hands in her hoodie pockets as she shrugged. "I guess..." she trailed off for a moment before she released a small sigh. "I guess you seem a little off today."
And there was the source of her guilt. Just like Hyunjin said.
Still, she didn't want to give the impression that anything was up with her, so she tried flashing a small grin as she bumped Yeji's shoulder with her own. "There's nothin' up with me, you don't have to worry."
"I know, I know." Yeji reciprocated the grin, although it didn't hold its usual shine the way Ryujin was used to seeing. Ryujin watched as Yeji lowered her gaze back to the ground as they walked, her head hanging kind of low and her feet dragging a little. "But you'll tell me if something's wrong, right? It's not good to keep things bottled up, y' know?"
The guilt barreled into her like some sort of battering ram being launched full force at her. It was like Yeji was saying all the right things in order to break all the defenses she fought so hard to keep up. Not even Hyunjin had been able to do something so easily.
She was convinced Yeji was some sort of mind reader.
Swallowing the lump in her throat and nodding shakily, Ryujin cast her gaze down at the ground too. "Yeah, no, I get it." It shouldn't have been that difficult to get the words out. When did it become so hard to speak?
Ryujin wasn't sure if Yeji was going to say anything else, because right then, Hyunjin could be heard whooping loudly and Heejin laughing from up ahead. And when Ryujin looked up to see what all the commotion was about, all she saw was Heejin sitting on top of Hyunjin's duffle bag as if it was some kind of pony while Hyunjin pulled the straps of her bag forward, effectively rolling Heejin forward.
While Ryujin was still sort of out of it and only felt puzzled at the sight, Yeji had laughed and clapped her hands in amusement.
She turned back to the other two goofing around, having moved to the middle of the street since there was an absence of cars. Hyunjin ran Heejin around in circles, with the latter clutching onto the duffle bag tightly; it was a wonder how the bag hadn't flown off the board and Heejin along with it.
But if those two knuckleheads could do it, why couldn't they?
"C'mon." Ryujin beckoned to Yeji, leading her to the middle of the street.
"Wait, really?" her voice pitched higher when she asked, sounding too eager for her own good and only encouraging Ryujin to follow through with the plan so she could escape all the confusing thoughts and feelings.
"Yeah! We gotta catch up to them, c'mon!" Yeji rushed to get on, continuously giggling like a little kid excited to ride a rollercoaster. Ryujin couldn't help smiling at the sight, feeling warmth bloom in her chest at the prospect of making Yeji feel that enthusiasm because of her. "Ready?" she asked when she saw Yeji situated on her duffle bag.
Yeji, in return, threw her a thumbs up with the toothiest grin she had ever seen grace her face. "Ready!" she called out excitedly.
Ryujin started off slow, struggling to pick up momentum at first, but after a few short seconds, she was off and on a steady pace toward Hyunjin and Heejin who were still going around in circles.
Soon enough, it was easy pulling Yeji along. And behind Ryujin, Yeji was having the time of her life; laughing and cheering loudly.
(And, god, if it just didn't spur Ryujin on even more, chasing to feel that sensation of giving Yeji the entire world.)
Laughing along with her, Ryujin quickly passed Hyunjin and Heejin, whisking right by them and leaving them in the dust. "Race you home!" Ryujin yelled over her shoulder, snickering as she continued running, knowing Hyunjin wouldn't ever miss the opportunity for a challenge.
"No fair!" she heard Hyunjin complain from behind her, but it only made Ryujin laugh even more. "I'm dizzy and you got a headstart!"
There was a dull strain in both her legs as she continued to pull Yeji, but with her mind in the clouds and the adrenaline coursing through her veins, she couldn't find herself worrying about the soreness she'll have to face tomorrow. All she wanted to do was run even faster to make sure she beat Hyunjin.
"Faster! Faster!" Yeji cheered. And who would Ryujin be if she didn't abide by her request?
Ignoring all the pain surging up her legs, Ryujing powered forward as much as she could knowing Hyunjin couldn't be that that far behind.
There was a turn coming up and all Ryujin could do was pray that it wouldn't send Yeji sprawling on concrete (she would never forgive herself if she let anything happen to Yeji). Her grip tightened just as she was rounding the bend, feeling the strap of her bag pull her arm back painfully, but Ryujin, with all the strength she could muster, pulled the strap back straight behind her.
There was no change in weight nor did she hear anything other than loud cheering from behind her, only making Ryujin realize she successfully made it around the corner with Yeji intact. Joining in with Yeji, Ryujin laughed loudly before finding renewed energy.
Their apartment was only two more blocks away and, despite knowing Hyunjin was able to keep Heejin on the duffle bag, Ryujin knew there was no way she was losing. Not when she had Yeji encouraging her with every step closer and the dopamine shooting straight to her brain.
Two blocks turned to one, and when they got near, Ryujin told Yeji to use her feet to help slow them down so that they wouldn't barrel into the curb up ahead. When they managed to stop, Ryujin stood there on shaky and unstable legs, completely out of breath and feeling all the pain her brain chose to ignore when she began running rampant.
But then she's nearly knocked into the ground when two arms circle around her neck in a strong embrace, pulling her close and laughing right in her ear.
And it couldn't possibly be Hyunjin because she'd actually be on the ground struggling to win another demonstration of brute strength.
Simply feeling Yeji's warmth engulf her was enough to set her mind at ease better than any other remedy known to man. The weight of Yeji's arms over her shoulders and the way she squeezed Ryujin close was enough for her to melt into the embrace (or maybe it was the way her legs were seconds away from giving out). The sound of her laugh being the result of Ryujin's tireless efforts.
"That was so much fun!" Yeji yelled, her words broken up by giggles in between. "We gotta do it again!"
And then Ryujin thought about how good it felt. How she could feel herself get addicted to the sweet feeling of Yeji hugging her, enjoying the way her heart swelled in that cliche way she never thought she could experience. It felt good being that close to Yeji without any fear or doubt in the world. It felt so good to feel happiness like that, she needed to pursue and chase that feeling forever.
She needed more of it. And Ryujin—no matter how much it pained her to admit it—knew Hyunjin was right. She had to do something about it, but she needed her help to do it.
"Damn it!" Ryujin and Yeji both turned when Hyunjin and Heejin finally arrived, the former looking more distraught than the one laughing so hard that she ended up slumped over the duffle bag. Hyunjin then pointed an accusatory finger toward Ryujin, "You cheated!"
Before Ryujin could even think of a rebuttal toward her friend, Yeji maneuvered them so that she was blocking Hyunjin's finger from being pointed at her. "You shoulda just ran faster!" Yeji taunted, even going so far as to stick her tongue out playfully at Hyunjin.
(And maybe it was right at that moment that Ryujin's mind was finally, officially made up. There was just something about Yeji making fun of Hyunjin for losing that made her swoon like some lovestruck fool.)
"What— Heejin, you hear that?" Hyunjin turned her body toward her girlfriend with a thumb pointed at Yeji, but Heejin was still trying to recover from the high she was riding, leaving Hyunjin alone to fight her battles outnumbered.
"Face it, Hyun," Ryujin called out, feeling emboldened with Yeji still around her. "You lost and I won." It felt good rubbing it Hyunjin's face, it was just so comical seeing how annoyed Hyunjin could get when she lost at something.
"Man, whatever." Hyunjin waved them off dismissively, moving over to Heejin and helping her get up.
So when Heejin was finally up on her feet, she shot her arms straight up and yelled, "That was so much fuckin' fun!" Hyunjin had flinched away when it was practically shouted in her ear making Ryujin laugh in her dismay with Yeji joining her, but Ryujin didn't know if she was laughing at Hyunjin or Heejin—probably both of them.
"Okay, okay." Ryujin's laughs quieted down and she was able to successfully garner everyone's attention. "Let's go, I'm literally so fucking exhausted it's insane." Even just admitting it out loud made her want to collapse on the floor and never get up again.
But she got murmurs of agreement all around, so Yeji untangled herself from Ryujin, letting her collect her bag while Yeji grabbed her longboard from the ground. They all began their small, perilous trek toward their building and up the two flights of stairs to the second floor, chatting quietly amongst themselves about their little impromptu race and agreeing unanimously on having a rematch soon.
And then they made it to their floor, visibly exhausted and dying to get to their beds as soon as they walked through their doors. Except, as Ryujin was about to wish Heejin and Yeji goodnight (Ryujin and Hyunjin lived together while Heejin and Yeji were together; they were lucky enough to snag rooms right across from each other), she turned to see Hyunjin pulling Heejin close and giving her a short and sweet kiss before she murmured something quietly to her. Heejin only smiled up at Hyunjin with the most love-sick expression on her face, looking like a puppy in that very moment. Hyunjin looked just as much as a sap as she did.
It was nothing out of the ordinary, but then she had accidentally glanced at Yeji to finding her admiring the couple for a few moments before she, too, turned toward Ryujin. Rather than feeling awkward about it, Ryujin felt herself become rejuvenated when she saw the warm smile on Yeji's face, the faint red blossoming on her cheeks, the joy she saw in her eyes.
She had to do it.
Hyunjin and Heejin finally separated, Ryujin finally being able eliciting a goodnight to everyone, which was then reciprocated by the rest with their own quiet replies. She followed Hyunjin into their home, absentmindedly shutting the door and locking it shut as Hyunjin turned on the lights to their living room, being immediately greeted by Butternut who jumped into Hyunjin's arms the moment she turned around.
"Hyun," Ryujin called out numbly, her mind feeling blissfully blank. Hyunjin responded with a hum, too caught up with the way her cat was butting his head against Hyunjin's jaw but still letting Ryujin know she was listening. "How do I do it?"
"Do what?" she asked distractedly, still too busy giving Butternut all the attention in the world.
She wished Hyunjin could have just figured out what she was asking because, in her current state of mind, she wasn't able to come up with a better way to ask what she needed help with. "How do I get the girl?" It had been so hard to say it out loud and she knew it would just inflate Hyunjin's ego hearing the words come out of her mouth.
It was freaky how Hyunjin and Butternut both turned slowly to look at Ryujin. It was like they shared a mind; a soul; it was like they were tethered together. They both even wore the same blank expression as they stared at her.
"You need help?" Hyunjin asked, sounding much too relaxed for Ryujin's liking.
"Yes," she sighed out, knowing that there was no way out of it. "I need your help."
"Really?"
"Really."
Ryujin's seen Hyunjin's mischievous too many times to count, but this one took the cake.
"Operation make Yeji fall for Ryujin is officially a go."