Only when we're high (Ryeji)

Chapter 4

[A/N] This yeji pic🥵she's so hot

[Ryujin's POV]

"You'll be going on stage in thirty minutes, ladies!" a staff yelled into the changing room.

I was finishing my makeup on my own in front of the mirror, and as I applied the last touches of mascara I glanced around the place through the reflection.

Lia was struggling with some technical issues with her costume and had about four people around her trying to fix it for her. Chaeryeong was doing some vocal exercises and Yuna was talking to someone on the phone. The atmosphere in here was agitated and electric, just like before any other performance.

Every time it seems like everything is going to collapse. Every effort we put into our work is tested to the limit before going on stage. There's always something that would be fixed last minute or the show is not going to be perfect. And the girls and especially I are striking toward that perfection. 

Why do I get the feeling though that these months something is missing? Something that kept us during those anxious moments right before we got on stage.

Now, staring into my reflection in the mirror, I could feel the adrenaline running through my veins. I needed to distract myself so I wouldn't get anxious, and engaging in conversation usually helped.

My eyes landed on the older blond girl sitting on the sofa, her calm demeanor standing out in that unquiet environment. She was mindlessly scrolling on her phone.

She actually looked too calm to be true, I thought as I approached her.

"Where's Joyoung Unnie?" I asked, noticing the woman's absence, as I sat next to her.

Yeji looked up from her phone, raising her eyebrows.

"She's with the others of course... Why?" She seemed a little surprised that I was there talking to her, after all, that didn't happen very often.

About two weeks had passed since we had fucked each other's brains out in that airplane, and although we hadn't talked about what happened things didn't seem as tense between us as I thought they would be. I was being friendlier to her now behind the cameras, but nothing that people around us would notice – we both still didn't hang out outside work or anything like that. And publicly I still treated her the same as before, which meant barely any glances or touches or interactions whatsoever.

But now we were backstage, surrounded by only a few reliable members of our team and our members, so we could allow ourselves a little conversation.

"Oh, it's just that she's always around you, you know," I explained, shrugging. Yeji nodded.

"Why are you suddenly being so nice?" she asked with a cheeky smile.

"I'm always nice," I argued, making her scoff. "I am!"

"Sure, Ryujin." She gave me a skeptical look. "Cause you're always talking to me. Queen of interaction."

"I'm improving."

"True, though."

"And it's not like you're ever around, I've barely seen you lately," I added, and I had a point. I almost didn't see her in our free time.

"I've been busy."

"Yeah... You've been hanging out a lot with Park Joyoung, you guys hit it off really quick."

I didn't want to sound bitter or jealous, but the more I saw her with the backup dancer the more I wished it was actually with us she was spending her time with – like in the old days. I had absolutely nothing against the woman, believe me, but the truth was that I missed Yeji's friendship. I know I was one to blame when it came to us drifting apart but that didn't make those moments we used to have any less nostalgic.