you're it for me

Chapter 17

Yeji comes back into her apartment, tired from a long day of back to back lectures.

She flops onto the couch and lets out a long sigh.

Letting her eyes drift, she allows her thoughts to roam freely. Not surprised when a certain whisker-dimpled idol pops up into her mind.

It's been a few weeks since shes last seen Ryujin. Last Yeji heard, Ryujin's wrapping up her tour soon which also means that the news of their breakup will finally be revealed.

Though she's not particularly worried about that. Moreso thinking about the idol herself.

She misses her. More than she thought she would. Going back to her old routine made her realise how much she misses Ryujin's presence.

For now, she doesn't even bother changing when she falls asleep against the couch.

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Yeji wakes up that morning to masses of texts from her friends. Jisu, Yuna, Jimin, Aeri, Minjeong, Yizhuo and she even got some messages from Chaeryeong. Barely even able to register the pain in her neck when the brightness of her phone flashes her eyes.

All of them are about the same topic.

Ryujin?

It's been a month since she's last talked to Ryujin. Yeji remembers her fan accounts saying that Ryujin is currently in Japan- her last stop in her tour, finishing with a 2 day concert.

She opens her messages to see all of them telling her "watch this clip", "watch this video", "look at this".

All the videos they sent to her were of the same thing.

Ryujin.

Yeji looks at it with a shaky breath, before nervously pressing play and hearing the loud screams of fans and the visual of Ryujin sitting on stage with a guitar in hand.

What's this?

Ryujin's voice cuts through the noise coming from her fans.

"This next song is actually very dear to me. I wrote it when I was still in high school and it's probably of my favorite song that I've ever written." Ryujin starts playing her guitar lightly, with a melody that Yeji knows off by heart.

"I haven't shared it because I guess wanted to keep it to myself. It's very personal to not only me but also someone else that I hold very close to my heart."

"Now... I think I'm ready to share it, so I took this opportunity to perform it today. I know this isn't the usual set list but bare with me here." Ryujin lightly chuckles, her fans screaming reassurances in response.

"I hope you're listening."

Yeji feels just as breathless as she did the first time she heard the song.

On my pillow
Can't get me tired
Sharing my fragile truth
That I still hope the door is open

'Cause the window
Opened one time with you and me
Now my forever's falling down
Wondering if you'd want me now

It's different but it's still the same. Her voice is deeper, that melody on the guitar has been refined and now includes more notes than it did before, her voice knows how to hit those different notes without as much struggle.

Ryujin's grown, Ryujin's older but Yeji still sees traces of her from when they were in high school. Yeji still sees traces of her from when they were in high school. All those old memories rushing back to her in powerful waves.

How could I know
One day I'd wake up feeling more
But I had already reached the shore
Guess we were ships in the night
Night, night

We were ships in the night, night, night
I'm wondering
Are you my best friend
Feel's like a river's rushing through my mind
I wanna ask you
If this is all just in my head
My heart is pounding tonight
I wonder

Maybe she's never fallen out of love with Ryujin. Perhaps she was in love with her this whole time she realizes as she stares at the love of her life through her phone screen.

Her hair is still a mess, rays of sun are beaming in through her window, her blanket pooled around her waist as tears stream down her face while watching her, while watching Ryujin.

Maybe she would always love Ryujin.

If you
Are too good to be true
And would it be alright if I
Pulled you closer
How could I know
One day I'd wake up feeling more
But I had already reached the shore

We were ships in the night
Night, night

When Ryujin finishes, Yeji sees her turn her back from the audience and quickly wipe her eyes. The emotions and feelings that come with the song overwhelming Ryujin to tears.

The video finally finishes and the room is silent. The only sounds present are of the wind hitting Yeji's window, the whirring of her fan, the hustle and bustle of the city below her.

Despite all this, Ryujin's song rings loudly in her ears.

She's brought out of her daze when her phone pings, it's a text from Aeri.

aeri-san <3 - you've watched it, right?

aeri-san <3 - she sent me two tickets for her last concert. the second day of the japan stop.

aeri-san <3 - im guessing she thought id bring ning but... do you want to come with me instead?

Yeji hesitates for a moment before swiping back to the video of Ryujin.

She has to do this.

yeji-san <3 - yes. ill go with you

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A/N: oh?