Work Text:
“Shit, Shit-”
The silent cursing muttered under her breath by the panicked girl, Sayeon was running down the school hall- up a few flights of stairs and some back down when she mistook a different floor for the right one.
Right there, the still running girl saw her teacher right outside her class. As he entered the classroom, Sayeon placed her palm on the sliding door just when the teacher was about to shut it close behind him.
“Miss Lee , you’re late.” The art teacher glared.
“Well- I still made it in time..” Sweat drops formed on her back under layers of clothing and on her forehead covered up by her bangs, hunched by the door as she catches for air.
He looked over at Sayeons lowered head, staring facedown directly at the ground she stands on before looking back up.
“This’ll slide easily since this is your second day. And also, you weren’t the only one to be late.” Seemingly glancing over at other students in the room, but Sayeon wasn’t able to tell who he really meant.
The teacher stepped aside, allowing Sayeon to pass through. “You may sit now.”
After calming down and letting out an inaudible sigh, Sayeon walked over to her seat, Aka- the only empty one standing out in a desk full of other students that’s just by the right side in the back row.
As she sat down unpacking her supplies, she glanced over around class ‘till she looked at her right, to see Ryujin.
Sayeon had just joined art class as trial, so this is her second day out of five. But she knew well that Ryujin took this class.
Her teacher had suggested her to try out a different class as a refresher. Though sayeon didn’t know what they had meant, she still took up on their offer and went what seemed decent enough.
It took a second for her to realise that ryujin was looking back at her, she was maintaining the eye contact that sayeon had absentmindedly started. ‘Til Sayeon then turned back to the whiteboard to listen to the teacher for her own excuse to break the moment.
“Today, you’ll be doing a duo pair up project. You and your partner will have to collaborate together on an artwork that will be graded. More details will be written on the whiteboard, find someone to partner up with.”
…He said, and Sayeon was about to spiral into a psychosis. She didn’t know anyone in this class, and she doubted anyone would partner up with her.. If it were math, she could easily do this project on her own in just under seventeen hours. But art is a different thing, she couldn’t draw for her life, nor did she want to skip and not participate. Because that would mean to back down and let defeat conquer.
It was just then Sayeon realised how it was a mistake to try out art class for trials,
“Sayeon.”
But there’s always room for a small chance of a possibility.
The girl who had her name called out looked up to see it had been the teacher who was now walking towards her that said her name.
“Since you’re new in taking this class, I’ll be officially partnering you with Ryujin kang to give you a chance in this class.”
Sayeon stared for half a second before she gave a nod, only to see Ryujin staring at the teacher then back to her again when the teacher had made way back to the front of the class.
Well, this was another situation that came along.
—
As the bell rang, everyone started to pack up their supplies and belongings aswell as the teacher.
“I’ll see you next week, you’ll have about then to finish your project.” Said the teacher, leaving his last message of the day before taking off.
Ryujin finishing packing up her stuff, threw her bag over her shoulder and turning to Sayeon, It seemed she had been done packing aswell.
“Sayeon, about the project—”
“Could we do it over your place?” Sayeon interrupted, bringing her bag over both of her shoulders. She wasn’t completely sure on how Samin would feel if she brought someone over considering her strict rules, So she suggests to do it over Ryujins house.
“??Sure I guess, come over by tomorrow by uhhh, 2 PM. It’s Friday so we’ll be free from class and have time to prepare.”
Sayeon nods, responding with a Mm. And they both began to part ways from eachother to their last class. She began to recollect her thoughts on art class and the project.
She didn’t expect ryujin to not question the teacher about putting them together, but felt relieved it was her that she got paired up with.
—
2:03 PM
“Come in,” Ryujin spoke after opening the front door for Sayeon, standing right by the doorway to let her enter.
The girl in glasses nodded, unexpectedly shy for entering someone’s house, especially it being ryujins.
Then the messy haired girl continued, shutting the door shut softly. “My room is just by the right at the kitchen, So enter there and wait for me.”
Sayeon smiled at the thought of ryujin welcoming her, then proceeded to enter the room she was asked to go in.
The bedroom seemed relaxed and casual, different than hers which hers has multiple exam and homework paper sheets with perfect marks stuck all up on her window, most of them from her past highschool.
What caught her eye was the few stuffed plushies on the bed, she closed the door before approaching the small pile of animal plushs. She picked up the one that stood out the most in colors and observed its features. It was an orange cat eating a white fish in a sat down pose with a satisfied expression.
Cute, I didn’t expect for ryujin to have something like this too. Sayeon softened at the sight of the plushie, reminding her of her stuffed bunny.
Sayeon set down the cat back to its original spot with the others then sitting down on the bed to wait for the ryujin, appearing right there when the door shifted open.
“Making yourself comfortable, huh?” Ryujin stated, entering and closing the door behind her afterwards. “Knock yourself out then,”
“You know we’re just here for the project.” Sayeon responded, catching how Ryujin evidently glanced at the plushies before she sits down beside her.
Scoffing at sayeons reply when she missed the joke, she threw a question. “So, what’s your plan, four eyes? Never really knew you draw.”
“Right, I don’t draw.” Sayeon says to ryujin, leaving her dumbfounded.
“The hell d’you mean you don’t draw? Then why the fuck are you taking art class??”
“I’m just taking this class as trial since my teacher suggested to try different classes, I didn’t expect for the teacher to announce an art project today.”
“Of course you didn’t.” Frustrated, Ryujin flopped back down face planted on the bed to calm herself down.
…
After about a minute of silence, Sayeon made the first move in hopes to bring the mood back up.
“I could pose as reference for you to draw, That could work.”
It took a little while for ryujin to respond, but she rolled over and sat back up.
“Alright, let’s try this out.”
Sayeon sneered how ryujin acted for a bit, reminding her of a kid getting over a tantrum and coming back.
—
After a few minutes of rummaging around in her room for art supplies, they found the easel, watercolours, Two stools, and pencils alongside an eraser.
“Got the stuff, where are y—” Before ryujin could finish her sentence, she finds Sayeon holding a very familiar book.
“Is this your sketchbook?” Sayeon turned, keeping the book in question that she’s holding closed shut.
“Gimmie that, s’not for you to see.” Ryujin snatching it out of her grasp and throwing it somewhere behind her bed. “Now sit and pose, glasses.”
Despite sayeons curiosity being shot down and her sour expression she knows that’s showing on her face, she didn’t push further and followed her words.
In that brief moment— there was nothing but silence, and the two of them sitting apart from eachother.
“…Sayeon. When I say pose, I mean it.”
For the first time, Sayeon genuinely struggled on something. She never really had her picture taken even when she was younger, so she just stiffly moved her limbs around.
“Oh my god-” Ryujin stands up to look through more of her stuff, and grabs a prop item. “Catch.”
Throwing the prop at sayeon, she caught it carefully and examined it, item being a red rose. “Why do you have this?”
Returning to her stool before answering her question, “A rando gave it to me, not the point.” peeking through the side of the canvas,
“Do something with the rose, like use it as a guide to help you pose or something. Or, just look at me half lidded and cover your mouth with the head of the rose, and raise one of your shoulders slightly higher than the other, then put your other arm behind your back.” Said ryujin, detailing the instructions further but keeping it simple, Hopefully this’ll get to Sayeon.
“O..kay?” It seemed she barely understood the guide, but tries to stay on course and do it step by step. She was still as, but it looked better. Only problem was it didn’t fit Sayeon.
Ryujin choked out a snort at the sight of it, almost bringing her to trip out of her stool.
“Dude I can’t— this is hilarious holy shit”
Sayeon being genuinely confused and moved the rose away, dropping her hands down to let them hang. “I don’t get it, why are you laughing???”
“It doesn’t fit you, you just look really stupid.” Her words, wiping her own tears from laughing behind the canvas.
Sayeon just stared the back of the easel as she listened to ryujin breaking down in audible laughter, calming down to bring her mouth open,
“Okay, okay. Now let’s Do-over.”
—
4:10 PM
1 hour and 26 minutes later, after going through 32 poses they still haven’t found the right one yet, which was infuriating.
Sayeon was the last reliable source for modelling, let alone just posing.
This project wasn’t supposed to be this frustrating to deal with. At this rate, No amounts of poses could save their lives aswell.
“Should we stop it here for today? I have to be home by 20 minutes.” Sayeon says, while already putting the stool away that she sat on just less than a minute ago.
“Sure. I’ll bring you out through the door.”
After cleaning up the bedroom and setting the supplies they barely used today aside, Ryujin walked Sayeon out and stood face to face from indoor and outdoor.
“Meet you tomorrow same time?” Ryujin asked, leaning against the doorframe to watch Her departure.
“Unfortunately, I don’t think I’ll be available by then.” Sayeon frowned, “Let’s try out Tuesday?”
“Fine by me.” Ryujin responds, appearing okay with the date and offering a little smile.
Sayeon traded back the same nod she gave back in class as farewell, giving a small wave alongside a coy grin.
Their relationship wasn’t the strongest, but it wasn’t something too harsh either. It was an equal balance of their bickering arguments with disagreements on the side that they tolerated, and their hidden deep down comfort they find in eachother.
—
2:30 PM
“Sayeon lee.”
Ryujin leered over her. And Sayeon maintained the eye contact in eachother in her stool.
“You’re definitely the type of person who’s never had your pictures taken before in your life except for yearbook photos, because oh my fucking days. I’ve never seen anyone else be worse at posing than you. We’re never going to end up with a good reference.”
“You can’t blame me for not having skill in something I’ve never had thought of. I’ve always excluded any activities out of my life that wasn’t school or studying.” Sayeon spat back,
“Well you could’ve spent your time to at least study on how to model properly for this project.”
“I’m not going to waste my time to study on one project that I’m not looking forward to.”
“And who here wanted that extra grading on her report card?? We’re going to go back and forth at this rate if you—”
• • • •
2:35 PM
“Look, Since we’re already partners, let’s just try to get this over with.” Sayeon assured, “I want the extra grades, You probably want me out of your sight. The deadline is due in 3 days.”
“…Tsk.” Ryujin opening the door, reinviting sayeon back in the bedroom after kicking her out.
Before she had took her seat again, Sayeon threw out some more suggestions.
“We could use photos online as actual references, afterwards I’ll copy the poses.”
Ryujin shook her head, “Not sure if that’ll work, We’ll just end up scrolling forever through photos and become indecisive on which to pick. We have to do this on our own.”
Sayeon started to think more of possible ways to this, but that led her to slowly doze off more and more, bringing her to rest her palm at the edge of the stool she’s on as some support pillar to not fall off.
Quickly, this brought ryujins attention. But she doesn’t call her out right away, just watching to see what happens.
… As expected, Sayeon falls asleep.
Ryujin had to admit, it was surprising how sayeon had let it happen. But she had been studying ever since she got home yesterday after their session, possibly even longer.
After just twenty seconds, Sayeon started to shift slowly, presumably about to fall off the stool, And ryujin dashed to hold her up. She didn’t know why she was doing this, but she began to carry her on her back, bringing the sleepy girl to her bed to lie her down.
Ryujin sighed, and slowly removed the red glasses off her face, placing it on her own nightstand.
For a moment, The sound of moving sent the awake girl in jolt. When she turned to look at Sayeon, she saw she had grabbed her favourite plushie that was just next to the pillow she has her head nestled on; The orange cat eating a white fish.
Ryujin found the sight unfortunately sweet, but proceeded to sit back down on her stool and angled the easel to face her bed, and rotated her canvas from portrait to landscape.
She started sketching out some rough lines and gentle strokes on the blank white painting, that would be slowly forming into a drawing.
—
6:07 PM
Sayeon shifted more in bed, until it brought her to wake up. Her vision was blurred, immediately trying to look for her glasses before she reached her hand to a nightstand.
Briefly, She couldn’t remember what happened before she slept since she never had this good of a nap in a while. When her eyesight fixed to a more clear picture to start looking around, she had realised that she was still in ryujins room.
Oddly enough, Ryujin wasn’t here. But the pivot angle of the easel was now faced her direction. So she stood up to walk over to the drawing, only right by the corner she saw— herself sleeping.
Being beside the cat plushie she held up the moment she entered ryujins bedroom, How comfortable she looked sleeping on ryujins bed,
She knew how Ryujin took art class— but she never considered her experience or skill, bringing sayeon to be surprised on every detail that girl could capture. Even if some strokes had appeared to be messy or rougher than other lines, you could make up what the drawing looks like.
In that moment sayeon had caught herself drooling in the drawing, she wiped the corner of her mouth to feel dried out drool. She felt embarrassed how ryujin kept that in the portrait and changed her task to find the time.
Spotting the clock on the wall, It had said 6:10 PM. It was past the time she had to come home. When she started her search for her cell phone, it had been on the same nightstand she found her glasses on. Pressing on the power button only for her to see no missed calls or messages from samin in the notifications.
She opened her phone app to notice two new calls from her an hour ago. One missed call, and one call that got picked up. Did ryujin perhaps talk with samin?
Sayeon walked to open the door, realising that it wasn’t fully closed.
“Ryujin?” She called out, hoping for an answer before she started to look for her.
“Here,” Ryujin responded back.
Groggily following where her voice came from, and finding herself to be ended up in the kitchen.
“Didn’t expect you to wake up so early, you still look tired.” Ryujin pointed out with an apple in her hand that had a couple bites in once the other girl had found her. “Have a good sleep? You were drooling so I’m guessing my bed felt nice.”
Sayeon felt slightly abashed to be teased by being reminded of the drool, she approached ryujin closer to stand beside her by the kitchen sink. “You spoke with my sister?”
“Yeah,” she hummed, taking a small bite of the apple in hand. “She was calling about you. Only mentioned that you’re sleeping over here and that I’ll bring you home once you woke up, Sorry for not waking you up sooner before your curfew.”
She felt unease by ryujin apologising. So she reassured to her, “No, i appreciate you calling her back for me. If you hadn’t, she probably would’ve called my phone endlessly and send out a search party around town.” Sayeon added a joking manner, but knowing how partly true she was.
Ryujin showed concern on her face by the words, but took sayeons unserious tone for granted. “Jeez, didn’t you tell her you’d be coming over here or something?”
“I did, but it’s alright, it’s just how she looks out for me. In a way.” Sayeon sighed, turning to face Ryujin.
She had a small, soft smile plastered on her face. Laughing just slightly at the last part in sayeons comment.
Sometimes, she wouldn’t get the joke, she never does. So although whatever she did that made ryujin crack a laugh, It made sayeons stomach quirk.
“…You’re really good at drawing.”
“Ah?? Uh.” Ryujin barely spoke, just taken aback from sayeons compliment. “…Thank you? But that was just a rough line art sketch.”
Sayeon thought that she didn’t understand, but she really was telling the truth. Because ryujin captured something in sayeon that not even she could see herself. Almost making her sick to the core how ryujin understood her the most.
…
6:23 PM
Ryujin went to walk sayeon back home. It wasn’t particularly dark outside, just the sun was setting.
“You know, When I was heading back home yesterday, I found jaeil’s dog Bobo in the park, Again.”
“No way.??” Ryujin felt appalled upon the story, holding in her laughter whilst listening to sayeons dorky experiences on the walk back.
“I don’t know how he gets out of the house, and whenever I do see bobo outside, I could feel his eyes on me right before I even set my eyes on him.” The story sent shivers down sayeons spine, just the thought of bobos eyes made her drop defensives in fear.
After their chit chats, they had come to awareness that they’ve reached to sayeons house.
“Well, we’re here now.” Ryujin started first, “You don’t have to come over anymore, since i finished the rough sketch and all. So I just need to outline, color it and add inner details.”
Sayeon stared at ryujin, then at the ground. She only came over ryujins house for their art project, nothing else. And she knew that. But then why does she feel this disappointed?
“Wait,” Unconsciously slipped out of her mouth, she didn’t know why she said that, nor did she actually have anything to say.
Ryujins eyebrow raised, she was about to leave until sayeon paused her. “What?”
Silence played around, streetlights lit up, and the sun was halfway down.
“It’s… nothing.”
—
5:52 PM
In the room of Ryujins was sat the drawing of sayeon, and herself. She needed to Color and add the final touches, but she was stuck.
The paintbrush with no watercolours on the bristles barely grazed the surface of the canvas, hand hovering over.
Ryujin groaned and thought to herself that she might’ve entered art block, and the project was due tomorrow.
She separated herself from drawing and went out of her room to the kitchen to search for food. Ear perking up when she hears it’s raining outside and relaxed into the noise. It must’ve started pouring not too long ago since it was slow.
Until the doorbell rang, interrupting her moment.
She ignored it for a moment since she was taking out food ingredients for a snack, but the doorbell persisted and rang continuously.
“Oh my fucking god.” Ryujin threw the condiments on the kitchen counter and paced to the front door, swinging it open.
Pinching her nose bridge out of annoyance, she didn’t have the time to look at who it was.
“The hell is your issue—”
“Ryujin.”
The voice.
Ryujin looked up to her name being called, to be met with familiar dark blue eyes that belonged to Sayeon.
“Gl— Sayeon?!” She exclaimed, pulling the girl inside that was completely drenched from the rain. “What the fuck, Lee??!”
“I couldn’t study.” Sayeon started. “I couldn’t study because my hands or mind wouldn’t work. I was in the library and I was just 5 minutes away from your house,”making through half of her monologue, she rested her forehead on the shorter girl’s shoulder.
She seems out of breath, her whole face is warm. Did she run here? Ryujin thought in her head, observing carefully.
The top of the student in school was right in front of her, Dishevelled hair strands everywhere and messy. Her prim and neat clothing soaked top to bottom. And the expression she wore on her face looked pained, ashamed and none of the above at the same time.
“Your house was closer than mine. I wanted to watch you finish the project, But I also.. wanted to see you.” Sayeon added, but her voice got muffled against ryujins shirt near the end as if it was intentional to cover up the embarrassing cheesy remark.
“Glasses, look at me.”
As sayeon removed her head from ryujins shoulder, she felt cold fingers gently reach to her warm cheeks— feeling the one hand tucking her hair behind her ear.
“You may be the smartest. But, you can be so, so, stupid.”
And sayeon could melt right there in the touch of the freezing palms of the hands, matching perfectly well with the warmth of her face. Raising her own hands to clasp both of the other pair of hands, to feel closer.
Ryujin snickered a bit, watching how immersed sayeon gets. It felt like a cat getting attached to a stranger.
“Your hands are cold,” The girl in glasses had just stated, removing them from her face as she kept them in her hands, Pressing on the palms and knuckles.
Ryujin watched as her hands were being fondled with. “I mean, I was just washing my hands to make some food for myself before getting back to drawing the portrait.”
“Mm.” Was the only thing that sayeon could say. The moment felt awkward until a rain droplet falling off a hair stand to then trickle down onto ryujins hand, leading to remind her of how she had just got out from the shower rain.
“Oh right, you’re soaked. Hold on,”
Sayeon felt ryujin letting go from her grasp, She felt quite lonely before a towel flew to her direction, landing perfectly on her head and covering her like she’s wearing a ghost costume.
“Dry yourself off first, then c’mere after so I can lend you some clothes.” Ryujin guided, entering back in her room to pick out some clothes from her closet that would fit sayeon.
Secretly, Sayeon felt giddy and special from this. She was being drawn for their art project, and how ryujin let her in, being lent a fresh single towel and clothes. She was sure it was showing on her face when she uncovered herself by revealing her face under the towel thrown onto her, but she felt just as relieved that ryujin wouldn’t be there to see.
———
(the idea of the drawing)
