Between the lines

Kiss my pain away

Su-ryeon sighed in frustration. She had been trying for the past five minutes to put some lotion over her wounds, however, she couldn't reach the ones on her back. She pursed her lips. She was about to give it one more try, when she heard the door opening. She looked up and was about to cover her bare shoulder and back when she saw Oh Yoon-hee. She swallowed hard. It was the very first time they were alone and held a real conversation. Things had been complicated between them and she didn't know what to expect from this real first encounter.

"Hey," Oh Yoon-hee greeted her, closing the door behind her. She left her purse in the furniture next to the stretcher. From the corner of her eye, she noticed the amount of pale skin being exposed. She clenched her jaw as she tried to avoid stealing glances at it. "What are you doing?" she asked her, fixing her eyes on her face as she spoke.

"I'm trying to put Vaseline in my wounds so they heal faster. The pain is unbearable at times," Su-ryeon replied, giving her a sad smile. Oh Yoon-hee really looked at her this time and noticed how vulnerable she actually looked. Now that lies and revenge were over and happiness didn't seem like an illusion anymore, Su-ryeon could finally be herself. She didn't need to look over her shoulder at all times. She could finally live.

"You look tired," Yoon-hee replied, sadly. She didn't like to see her this weak. She wanted to see her full of life and love. She was such a wonderful person. She deserved to be happy more than anyone else. Her heart ached. "Here, let me help you," Oh Yoon-hee said, snapping out of her trance. Su-ryeon nodded and she took the Vaseline from her hands. Yoon-hee walked around the stretcher and sat behind her in a heel sitting position.

"Can you lower your robe a little bit?" Yoon-hee asked her, nervously. Su-ryeon nodded again and did as she was asked. Yoon-hee licked her lips when she saw more of her skin. It seemed so soft and inviting. However, what made her heart skip a beat were her wounds jeopardizing its beauty. "How did you get them?" she asked her, concerned.

"It had to look real, so I paid someone to do this," Su-ryeon whispered, playing with her hands in her lap. Feeling Oh Yoon-hee's breath against the back of her neck, the warmth irradiating from her body, and hearing the concern in her voice were becoming too much for her to handle. Oh Yoon-hee bit her lip as she spread some Vaselina over her index and middle finger. She started to put it in her wounds as carefully as possible. Su-ryeon flinched and Yoon-hee removed her hand at once, afraid she might have had hurt her. "Your hands are cold."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Oh Yoon-hee apologized, clumsily. She couldn't understand why she was so nervous. Her hand holding the Vaseline was sweating and she could feel her cheeks turning red. All she was doing was helping a friend out. She needed to pull herself together, she thought. Su-ryeon put her left hand in Yoon-hee's left knee and gave it a reassuring squeeze, inviting her to carry on. It wasn't any easier for her than it was for Oh Yoon-hee to be this close. The tension was palpable.

"Don't be. It's refreshing," Su-ryeon assured her once she was sure her voice wouldn't fail her. Oh Yoon-hee nodded and bit her lip. Did Su-ryeon know what she was doing to her? She shook her head and decided to focus on the task at hand. She needed to stop being weird. Yoon-hee touched her back again as she put the Vaseline with light touches, so Su-ryeon's warm skin got used to her cold hands. Oh Yoon-hee caressed her scratches and then she moved to the bigger wound across her left shoulder. Her fingers were like brushstrokes painting one of the most delicate canvas ever. Her touch was like feathers stroking Su-ryeon's skin.

"That's better," Su-ryeon whispered, exposing more of her back to her. Oh Yoon-hee's stomach twirled at the sight of her skin. Her mouth went dry. However, she collected herself and kept on putting the lotion in each and every injure in Su-ryeon's back. Her hand went from her left shoulder, to the center of her back, and finished on her lower back. Su-ryeon noticed that the lower her wounds were, she shakier Yoon-hee's hand became. This brought a smile to her face. Once Oh Yoon-hee finished, she ran her hand through her unharmed skin, as if drawing something. Su-ryeon shuddered and closed her eyes in pleasure. She hadn't been touched like this in such a long time. She hadn't felt safe in years, she realized.