INEVITABLE

Chapter 14

"Okay, let me get this straight." Chaeyoung gives her friend a skeptical look. "You and your soulmate went to the mall earlier to buy this drawing tablet."

"Yup." Ryujin nods, folding her arms firmly on her chest.

"A drawing tablet you can order online and have it delivered here?"

"I need to inspect the item to make sure I get it in the best condition."

"Mmm-mmm. And you need to bring your soulmate over for shopping?"

"Well, I was supposed to go alone. But she said she could tag along, so I said yes. Yuri left yesterday for another international flight and won't be back until the day after tomorrow."

"Ahh. I can see how these layovers are helping you and your soulmate, huh?" Chaeyoung smirks and Ryujin raises an eyebrow at her. "And aren't you too considerate to pick your soulmate up from the office?"

"Jisu doesn't have a car. She's not into driving at all," Ryujin explains. "She plans on cabbing her way to the mall, so I offered to pick her up since her office is along the way."

"Okay. And What did you do after you bought this item?"

"We..." Ryujin's eyes were searching the room. "We went for ice cream before going home."

"Oh. An ice cream date!" Chaeyoung claps. "Very Ryujin-style, huh?"

"It's not a date." Ryujin narrows her eyes. "It was just a friendly catch-up."

Chaeyoung inspects the tablet box, humming. "Do you think she looked pretty earlier?"

"Of course."

"And I assume you drove her home after, out of kindness?"

"I dropped her outside her apartment building."

"Ahh. So no inviting you inside yet, huh?"

Ryujin glares at her friend. "I know what you're trying to point out, Chaeyoung-ah. Stop it. It's not going to happen."

Chaeyoung chuckles. "You know what, it's much more believable if you'd say you like her than you saying it's not going to happen. That's crazy, man. If you'd only seen how happy you looked when you entered that door after that 'friendly catch up with your soulmate, you'd know what I mean."

"What the hell are you saying? Nothing is going on between her and me."

"I know. I never said you two are having an affair. I’m just saying something inevitable is about to happen if you keep seeing each other like this."

Ryujin turns away and plonks herself down on the nearest couch. "Then what are we supposed to do? If we stay far too long from each other, we'll experience that hell again. But then if we get too close, we might... ugh."

Chaeyoung takes a deep breath in, staring at her defeated-looking friend. "For what it's worth, I think you shouldn't contradict the spirits this time around as you did before."

"And I thought you were mocking me earlier for going out with Jisu."

"I was only teasing you." Chaeyoung chuckles. "I’ve seen what happened to you these past three years, Ryu; of how that longing for your soulmate has taken its toll on you. I bet it was much harder for you to experience it. If you and your soulmate don't meet each other soon, I’m sure it will eventually affect your relationship with your wife."

Ryujin leans her head back and stares up at the white ceiling, a blank look on her face. "Yeah. Like what happened to Jisu and her ex. A year after we met, they broke up."

Chaeyoung shakes her head. "Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. Just as I thought. It's not a good idea for you two to ignore each other."

But Ryujin's eyes widen when she remembers something. "Chaeyoung-ah..." She sits up to look at her friend. "What does it mean when someone says they are having a casual relationship with their ex?"

"It means they've accepted the fact that there's no point for them to get back together again, but they still hang out, as friends or sweet friends."

"Hang out like just chilling and simple dates?"

"Could be." Chaeyoung shrugs. "It may also involve occasional hookups too. I mean, what's fun with having a non-exclusive relationship without some sex, right?"

"What! Does it always involve sex?"

"Not for some people. But if it's with an ex, it is more likely to happen because you're already comfortable with the person to start with."

"So that means they are still having sex?"

"Who's having sex with whom?"

Ryujin grunts, leaning back again and massaging her head. "Jisu and her ex; that- ugh."

Laughing, Chaeyoung approaches her friend. "Hey, shithead. Are you jealous right now?"

Instead of answering, Ryujin covers her face with a pillow and stomps her feet on the floor, making Chaeyoung laugh harder.

"Hey. Stop acting like you aren't fucking your wife regularly. Come on." Chaeyoung taps her friend. "She's a single adult with needs. She can do whatever she likes, fuck, or get fucked by anyone she wants. She ain't married like you."

Ryujin grunts even more.

"You're still her soulmate, bear no matter whom she fucks. Stop moping like that. I seriously think that should be your least concern right now."

"Yeah. Because I have bigger problems, Chaeyoung," Ryujin says into the pillow, her voice muffled. "Bigger and more serious problems."

"And that is?"

"I think... I think you're right. I like Jisu now."