The next few months, Wonyoung tried to make the best of her situation.
"I thought you didn't draw people?" she teased, admiring the mini croquis portraits Yujin did of her, loving the detail she put into her eyes and hair.
"Just for you," Yujin said, sticking her pen in her pencil case, other hand intertwined with Wonyoung's.
"Yujin," Wonyoung said sadly, gently holding the paper. "My parents will be here soon... I-"
"Okay."
Yujin dropped her hand and got up from the bench. Students on college campus who didn't recognise her murmured at her.
Wonyoung grabbed her wrist as she started walking away, bringing her backwards slightly. "I'm sorry, Yujin, are you angry?"
"I'm not. Don't worry," Yujin said, pressing a kiss to Wonyoung's forehead. "Your safety comes first."
"Call me if you're able to later," she called behind her as she started walking again.
It seemed like every meeting ended in sadness, and they didn't know how they could fix it, though they knew how to.
.
One, Yujin's been so happy, her art reflects it all.
Two, she's been sleeping better. Sometimes, when she's lucky, Wonyoung will cuddle her to sleep. Gaeul calls Wonyoung Yujin's happy pill.
Three- and the record scratches.
Is Wonyoung happy?
"I don't know," she says, feeling her heart crack in her chest. "I've just been so numb lately."
Rei grabs both her hands and jolts her. "C'mon, Wonyoung, you have to tell her how you feel."
"Should I...?"
.
It's six months in when Wonyoung breaks up with Yujin, messily.
"Okay."
"I'm sorry, Yujin, I can't do this. I'm not sure if I'm happy."
"Is it because of your family?"
"Yes- No- God, it's everything."
Yujin doesn't look at her. She feels blood rising to her face.
"Are you angry at me?" Wonyoung pleads, reaching out.
"No. Never," Yujin murmurs sincerely. "Take care."
.
"So... you guys got back together," Rei says, blowing the dust off her nails, setting down the file.
"Yeah, I think it'll be okay this time," Wonyoung says confidently. "We'll be okay."
"You're really cruel to her, y'know," Liz chimes in. They'd met her in cram school, and clicked instantly.
Rei chucks a popcorn kernel at her. "Not helping, Jiwon!"
"I just," Wonyoung says, "I don't know anything that's going on in my life right now. And Yujin does. She always f-fuckin' knows everything and I don't know how she does it."
Rei senses rising frustration and scoots closer; puts a hand on Wonyoung's shoulder. "Let it all out, buddy."
"She never gets upset with me but I know she wants to," Wonyoung laments, not crying, but choking up. "If I were her, I'd ditch me."
"You think so lowly of yourself," Liz says, closing in to hug her.
.
Yujin's back to her old self, not sleeping, not eating. Gaeul wants to smack her, rat her out to her parents that she's rotting in bed.
"Yujin, enough," she scolds, tugging the covers off her, exposing her to the cold winter air. "It's 1PM."
Yujin groans in response and simply pulls them back over her.
"Get your shit together, Ahn Yujin, you're 17 now," Gaeul nags, shaking Yujin.
Eventually, she does get up.
"I'm never living anywhere without you," Yujin sighs after she sips the spicy malatang broth Gaeul made in their ramen pot.
"Of course not. Who else would take care of you if not me?" Gaeul laughs, taking a dumpling out of the pot with a pair of chopsticks.
"Not Wonyoung," Yujin mumbles bitterly.
Gaeul puts down her chopsticks with a clink. "Didn't you guys get back together?"
"Yeah, but she's still so off. She promised she'd try with me to make us work, but it's just... she'd choose her family over me any day, and they don't even like her for who she is, and I'm rambling again, aren't I? I hate her. She makes me this way," Yujin groans. She stabs a crab stick with her chopstick and wolfs it down.
"I know you like her so much, Jinjin," Gaeul says, "but love isn't all it takes to keep a relationship together."
Yujin grumbles. "I know, I know. I'm a poet. You don't have to tell me that twice."
.
"You apologise for stuff you don't have to too much, Wonnie," Yujin whispers, leaning in to peck her lips.
They're doing well, ten months in.
"Sorry," Wonyoung apologises again. "For being sorry so much."
"This goes deep, y'know? The way you keep apologising for things that aren't your fault. I'm scared too. I'm so scared I might go crazy."
Wonyoung nuzzles deeper into the crook of Yujin's neck. She smells like the colour blue.
"I like you," she says softly, as if saying the bigger word will crush both of them. The weight of the words "I love you" grow with every single moment they spend together.
And maybe Yujin could handle it, but not Wonyoung.
"Will you stay, then?" Yujin breathes gingerly, testing the waters.
"Yeah," Wonyoung whispers, palm fisting deeper into Yujin's shirt.
