GIRLS ON TRACK || Ryeji

Chapter 5: Best FriENDs Pt.1

Ryujin's P.O.V

"Ryujin-ah," Yuna commented, holding a cup of bubble tea near her lips, "you're not touching your food."

We're currently at the upper floor of The Choissant, sitting at a table beside the indoor balcony overlooking the whole view of the bakery's ground floor that occupies countertop display cases with delicious and freshly baked bread, donuts and pastries, people queuing at the counter to make their order, and waiters serving a few tables arranged near by the entrance. We chose the upper floor because there are only a few people up here and it's much more tranquil compared to the floor below.

"I don't feel like eating anymore," I replied, staring blankly at a piece of dark chocolate mousse cake I ordered.

"Is it because of that girl?" Somi voiced out, her brows knitted together.

"You can always tell us what's bothering you," Yuna encouraged, "We're all ears."

"We-" I paused, looking at them hesitantly, and they beckoned me to continue with a reassuring look in their eyes. "We used to be very close to each other since kindergarten until middle school. She... was my best friend, or so I thought."

Flashback

"Row, row, row your boat

Gently down the stream

Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily

Life is but a dream," I sang together with a group of new friends I made on the first day of kindergarten as our class teacher pushed the makeshift boat forward.

"Row, row, row your boat

Gently up the creek. If you see a crocodile

Don't forget to shriek!" The boat came to a halt when our assistant teacher suddenly appeared wearing a crocodile costume and tried to lift some of my friends up. I screamed and hugged a girl in front me like a koala when the crocodile teacher grabbed my arms. Then, the boat continued to move forward with me back hugging the girl, legs wrapped around her waist throughout the whole ride.

"Alright, Ryujin, let Yeji go," Ms. Myoui Mina, our class teacher, said with a chuckle after the game ended.

"B-but the crocodile will eat me," I whined, hugging Yeji tighter, causing both Ms. Myoui and the crocodile teacher, Ms. Son Chaeyoung, to laugh as they looked at us adoringly.

"Ryujin." Yeji turned around slightly to look me in the eyes. "I won't let that happen to you."

"Really?" I beamed at what she said and finally let go of her.

After school

"Honey," my mom called out, and lifted me up into her embrace, "how's your first day at school?"

"It was fun!" I exclaimed, watching Yeji as she followed an older boy, who looks like her, into a van, which didn't go unnoticed by mom.

"Is that your new friend?" She asked with a heartwarming smile.

"Yes! She's my new girlfriend," I replied, grinning from ear to ear.

"Honey, a girlfriend has a different meaning from what you're referring to," she chuckled and pinched my chubby cheeks.

"Huh?" I uttered with my mouth wide open.

"You'll know when you get older." She carried me to our car.

Months later

"Children, do you know what a best friend means?" Ms. Son questioned us while we sat around her, forming a circle. Yeji's between me and a girl named Natty.

"A friend you're closest to?" Heejin said.

"Yes, you're right," Ms. Son replied and she looked around, "Any more answers?"

"A friend who knows everything about you," Hyunjin voiced out, turning her head to Heejin with a loving smile, to which the latter returned.

"Do you know what best friends do for each other?" The teacher asked again.

"They share snacks!" Yeji exclaimed excitedly.

"So, Yeji's my best friend!" Natty linked arms with Yeji, pulling her toward her with a grin. "She shared gummy bears with me yesterday!" I felt a strange feeling in me when Natty did that.

"Yeji shares gummy bears with me everyday!" I shouted and pulled Yeji back to my side.

"Yeji gave me a lollipop this morning!" She pulled Yeji again, but I didn't let go of her.

"Yeji gave me a packet of my favorite lollipops this morning!" I pulled Yeji's arm.

Soon, we were in a tug of war with Yeji as a human rope, but Ms. Son stopped us before we hurt each other. "Ryujin-ah, Natty-yah, stop pulling Yeji. You're hurting her."

I glanced at Yeji apologetically, but she looked away with a pout, moving away from me and Natty to sit across us.

****

Yeji didn't talk to neither me nor Natty during Ms. Son's class. Now, we're in the arts class, waiting for Mr. Jeon Jungkook to hand out the drawing papers. I tried to hold Yeji's hands that were resting on the table opposite me, but she pulled away, so I bit down on my lips to stifle my cry.

"Alright, class," Mr. Jeon told us after he finished handing us the papers, "We'll be drawing a picture of a friend we love the most."

I started by drawing two pointed ears on the paper and paused for a while because my vision got blurry. I sniffed as I wiped my tears before they could fall. I think Yeji will draw Natty's picture because she loves her more than me. She even shares gummy bears and lollipops with her. A tear dropped onto the paper, staining one of the cat eyes I drew. I was already sobbing by the time I finished drawing the whiskers.

"Why are you crying, Ryujin-ah?" My loud sobs caught the attention of Mr. Jeon, who came and patted my back. "Is that your cat? It's really pretty."

His compliment couldn't stop me from crying because I started crying even louder.

"Hey look! Yeji's also drawing a cat." My ears perked up when he said that, and I looked over to Yeji's paper to see if it was true.

"You both love cats," Mr. Jeon stated as he switched his attention back and forth from my drawing to Yeji's. "Is it your cat too, Yeji?"

"No," Yeji replied, putting her pencil down and facing me, "it's the picture of the friend I love the most."

"Huh?" Mr. Jeon uttered, clearly confused.

"My best friend has whiskers like a cat whenever she smiles or laughs." She stared straight into my eyes.

Natty doesn't have whiskers like a cat whenever she smiles or laughs...

I immediately stopped sobbing and smiled at the thought, feeling my heart beating fast.

"And my best friend has the prettiest cat eyes in the whole wide world," I responded, and we were both staring at each other, grinning from ear to ear and forgetting the presence of the teacher and our friends.