GIRLS ON TRACK || Ryeji

Chapter 48: Childish Feud

Yeji's P.O.V

"Something weird is going on," Somi spoke under her breath, jerking her chin at Yuna and Chaeryeong's direction. "Why aren't they bickering?" Realization dawned on me when I glanced at the two girls, giggling with each other and being in their own world.

"Yeah, seems like they finally made up," I murmured halfheartedly before shifting my attention back to a particular table in the library, occupied by four studious teenagers— one of whom is my most beloved best friend. Since her back is turned on me, I groaned because I can't see her expression. My groan even intensified when the said-girl playfully nudged the boy beside her with an unconcealed chuckle escaping from her lips.

"You've never seen Ryujin acting friendly to a boy, who isn't Yeonjun oppa, right?" Somi voiced out as if reading what's on my mind, so I responded her with a hum, feeling disheartened to find my voice. I caught a flicker of different emotions across Somi's features when I looked at her eyeing the duo sitting a few feet away. She seems to be perturbed about Ryujin and Beomgyu's unusual closeness as much as I do. 

"And what's wrong with it?" Yuna cut in, cocking a brow.

"Yuna, think about it. Ryujin has never acted that way to any of the boys before," Somi tried to reason with her, "What if... what if she..."

"Likes him more than friends?" I filled up Somi's sentence.

"It's time for a change then," Chaeryeong uttered, receiving looks of disapproval from Somi and me, so she shrugged. "Guys, shouldn't you be happy for her if she finally finds someone she likes?"

"No!" Somi and I exclaimed in unison, eliciting a shush from Ms. Yoo Jeongyeon, our strict librarian. Nevertheless, not even our sudden exclamation could have broken Ryujin and Beomgyu's inaudible chatters as they are undeniably engrossed in themselves. Thus, the sullen girl next to me heaved a sigh simultaneously as I did.

"You guys are weird," Yuna discerned, squinting her eyes at us. "Just let her be friends with anyone she wants. It's not like she'll be taken away from you."

"Yuna, you don't understand," Somi grumbled, rummaging her hair.

"Yeah," I approved, shooting daggers at Beomgyu's back.

The two girls opposite our seats just stared at us like we were some sort of aliens being exposed to a foreign planet.

"Lia's gonna give you guys a long lecture if she's not at the baking club right now," Chaeryeong stated.

I stood up from my seat, disregarding her statement. "I'll be back."

Then, I strode discreetly toward a shelf behind the debate contestants' table to spy on a certain duo and confirm my worries. My heart dropped when I got a closer look of them. I loath the fact that Beomgyu is at the receiving end of my favorite whisker-dimpled smile instead of me. I despise the admiration gleaming in his orbs when he watches Ryujin. I detest how my best friend doesn't even seem to pay attention to her surroundings but to him. Unconsciously, one of my palms pushed a number of books from the shelf and they fell right onto Beomgyu's head, inducing a painful yelp from him. Thus, I left the place stealthily, trying not to get caught.

Whatever happened at the library, it wasn't me. It was my vengeful hand that punished him.

****

A month have passed since that day in the library. I feel more and more distressed with each passing day because it seems to me that Ryujin and I are drifting apart— emotionally. Physically, we would be together: riding on her bicycle back and forth from school, spending the class periods, eating side by side at lunchbreak and focusing on nothing but rehearsals in Glee Club. However, she spends the majority of her spare time with the debate team, or precisely with Choi Beomgyu. There was even one time when that obnoxious guy came to sit at our lunch table, accompanied by Taehyun and Kai, and he never diverted his attention from Ryujin— not even once. It took all the conscience and humanity in me not to make a scene right at that moment.