Every day for a whole week without fail after, Wonyoung and Yujin met up at the library after Wonyoung's cram classes finished. Yujin was a born poet, completely pouring her heart out when she explained in detail what the words in books they read together meant to her. It fascinated Wonyoung. It also made her wonder why Yujin wasn't the number one in their school for literature.
The streak was finally broken when Yujin got hurt during while playing soccer and had to limp all the way back home with Gaeul's help.
.
"You're a klutz," Gaeul groaned, shifting Yujin's weight on her shoulder.
"Ow, owww," Yujin whined, her pained expression exaggerated to the point it was comical. "It really does hurt," she said, trying her best not to put pressure on her ankle.
"Do you need to go to the doctor?"
"I don't think so," she said, looking down at it. "I think I just have to ice it."
"Good idea," Gaeul grunted, tugging Yujin's arm further over her shoulder. "Almost there!"
Yujin's phone dinged in her pocket in short bursts as Gaeul heaved her onto the couch.
"That's probably Wonyoung. You should answer it," she said, turning to the kitchen. "I'll get ice, stay right there."
Wonyoung had texted her frantically, leaving a string of one word messages.
WY: yujin!
WY: i heard you got hurt during PE
WY: from rei
WY: are you okay?
WY: is it bad? i heard it was bad
YJ: IM OK !!!
YJ: thanks for worrying
YJ: i just have to ice it, it's not bad
read
Ice rattled around in the handkerchief Gaeul brought over, one hand under it to collect the dripping water. She pushed Yujin's ankle out and placed the homemade ice pack on it over a bucket.
"What'd she say?"
"Rei told her my ankle snapped in half and blood stained the grass," Yujin said.
Gaeul laughed heartily.
.
WY: im reading alone today :(
YJ: you're making me feel bad
WY: aw sorry
YJ: what are you reading today
WY: the one we got yesterday
WY: hold on, i'll call you
"Hi?"
"Oh my gosh, hi," Wonyoung greeted, hushed. She was still in a library, after all.
"Continue reading!" Yujin told her, grinning widely. She shifted into a comfier position, bad foot hanging off her bed. "I'll try to heal as soon as possible."
"So you can go on dates with her again?"
Yujin almost dropped her phone at the sound of Gaeul's voice.
"No! It's not a date," Yujin said firmly. Wonyoung giggled on the other side.
Gaeul put down a bowl of gamjatang. "Sorry Wonyoung, I'm gonna have to steal Yujin for a bit. She hasn't eaten all day. Scold her for me," she said, holding the phone towards Yujin's face.
"Go eat! Now!" Wonyoung hissed. After a short goodbye and eat well, Yujin sprawled herself out on the stack of pillows.
"You can cook?" Yujin said, marvelling at the plating and the thick steam billowing from the food.
Gaeul pinched her. "You've lived with me since first year."
"This is so good," Yujin sniffled between sips.
"Spicy enough?"
"Perfect."
.
Wonyoung trudged home, unable to figure out why she was feeling so tangled up.
REI: It's cuz Yujin didn't hang out with you today
WY: maybe|
WY: no its because you told me her ankle snapped and there was blood everywhere
REI: my bad
REI: it was just a little twist
WY: youre so mean
"I'm home," Wonyoung called out, taking her shoes off at the front door.
"Were you hanging out with that tomboy girl again?"
"No, umma," Wonyoung sighed, making her way upstairs to avoid her mother's lecture.
She'd disliked Yujin from the start, asking Wonyoung why she didn't go to cram school and held one of the lowest places in her cohort. It irked Wonyoung.
If only she could see how sweet Yujin was-
.
"What are you doing?" Yujin asked, free hand still sketching away.
"You're just really cool," Wonyoung muttered, examining and bending Yujin's fingers as if she were a doll.
"Am I?"
Wonyoung nodded. "You always have something to draw."
She peered over. "But why do you always draw only buildings?"
Yujin looked at her drawings.
"Because people make me sad," she said simply. "That's all. And I can draw people, I just don't want to."
Oh.
"Would you draw me then?"
"No."
"Aw, c'mon, just a little doodle?"
Yujin scribbled away for minutes without a reply as Wonyoung huffed. Then, abruptly, she tugged her hand out of Wonyoung's, and tore the page out of her sketchbook.
"Here."
With just a few lines and squiggles, Yujin had captured Wonyoung. Two firm strokes for the aegyo-sal under her eyes, lighter ones for her eyelashes and brows. A soft face frame made with the side of her pencil, shading under her heart-shaped lips and jaw, and a dot for the beauty mark on her cheek.
Though it'd never be enough for Yujin. Nothing could ever encapsule how beautiful Wonyoung was to Yujin.
.
-no.
She pressed the sheet of paper to her chest.
No.
Her parents could never, ever find out about Yujin.
Sinking into her covers, Wonyoung felt like all she wanted to do was rot.
So this is what it's like to have unrequited, forbidden love. Yujin might not like me back.
She had always been confident in liking girls, but to fantasise and to live it are two completely different worlds.
