The ice cream parlour

Fifteen

"Damn it," Chaeryeong cursed. She picked up her ringing phone and her mood changed instantly. It was Chaeyeon calling. With a broad grin, she answered the call.

[Unnie?]

[Chaeryeong! I'm sorry it's been so long.]

[It's okay. Let's talk now.]

[How's school for you?]

Chaeryeong was about to reply when she heard the door creak open. Casually, she ignored it and started her sentence, ready to rant all about how she hated their teacher because he was annoying and loud.

"Oh- Chaeryeong? You're- I didn't see you,"

The said girl turned to the door, frowning. She rarely had a chance to talk to her Chaeyeon Unnie but now Ryujin wants to butt in with one of her stupid-

"Ryujin! Are you okay? What happened?" Chaeryeong jumped up, rushing to Ryujin.

[U-unnie, I'll call next time!]

Chaeryeong quickly hung up and supported the bloody and bruised Ryujin to bed.

"Shin Ryujin," the younger hissed. "What happened?"

Ryujin shook her head, refusing to speak as Chaeryeong carefully cleaned her wound with a soaker cotton ball.

"Yah!" She snapped, glaring at Ryujin. "You're hurt and this is serious. Look at your bruises! You were beaten up badly, you know that don't you?" Chaeryeong sighed.

She glanced up and saw Ryujin flinching as she touched her wound with the cotton ball. Hesitantly, she placed her hand beside the older and tapped her thigh. Ryujin smiled gratefully and grabbed Chaeryeong's hand.

"It's going to hurt, okay?" Chaeryeong said gently before squeezing some ointment onto a cotton swab and applying it to Ryujin's wound.

The latter winced and gripped Chaeryeong's hand tightly.

"Hey, you're going to break my fingers," The younger said. Ryujin seemed to not hear her as she squeezed her eyes shut.

"Don't worry, I'm almost done," Chaeryeong reassured Ryujin, putting a bandage on the wounds on her knees.

However, five minutes passed but Chaeryeong didn't seem to be done yet.

"Ryeong ah, are you going to be done soon? It hurts!" Ryujin whined.

"Last bandage," Chaeryeong replied, standing up and putting a small plaster with flowers printed on it on Ryujin's nose bridge. "You can let go now," she said with a small smile.

Ryujin let go, looking up at Chaeryeong with her doe eyes.

"Ryujin ah, I'm sorry. I should've apologised long ago. I wasn't really mad," Chaeryeong said.

"R-really? I'm forgiven?" Ryujin exclaimed. The younger nodded. The shorter of the two shot up and threw her arms around Chaeryeong.

"I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have been so violent with you," Ryujin mumbled. "I love you, okay?"

She what-

Chaeryeong blushed and nodded.

"Would you tell me what happened?" The latter asked softly, sitting beside Ryujin.

"I passed your school to see if you were there but I caught some guy telling his friends that you were ugly and insulting you and all so I went up to talk them out of their nonsense. They called you a dyke and I- well, hit them," Ryujin said, scratching the back of her neck. She seemed as if she wanted to add something but remained quiet.