BENEATH THE FLAMES | YEJISU

• Six •

Lia reclines on the couch, her mind cluttered with thoughts about everything except the show she's attempting to watch. After several more minutes of trying to focus, she turns off the TV and lies on her back, emitting a frustrated groan. She allows her mind to wander, seeking respite from her mental chaos.

Suddenly, she becomes aware of her hunger, but her laziness overpowers the need for sustenance. She brushes it off and considers the various assignments she must complete this week, including some dreaded textbook readings for her economics class.

Her thoughts drift to Yeji, a girl with a ranch chips obsession and a tendency to doze off in class. Lia is happy that she's grown closer to Yeji, but realizes she still knows little about her. Curious to learn more, Lia wonders if Yeji has any social media. She retrieves her phone and starts searching.

After a few minutes of scrolling through various profiles, Lia locates what appears to be Yeji's Instagram account. She hesitates, feeling a bit guilty about delving into someone's profile whom she barely knows, but her curiosity wins out. Upon opening the account, Lia is surprised by the plethora of photos and Yeji's significant following. However, considering Yeji's striking appearance, it's not that surprising.

Yeji's profile picture is a silhouette of her, illuminated by the moon atop a building at night. As Lia scrolls, she's taken aback by the photos she discovers, revealing aspects of Yeji's life she never would have expected. There are images of Yeji traveling, hanging out with friends, and participating in extreme sports. The diverse collection of photos presents a more complex portrait of Yeji than Lia had previously imagined.

While scrolling, Lia takes extra caution not to accidentally like any of the photos, for fear of coming off as creepy. As she continues, she suddenly stumbles upon a picture of Yeji at the gym, clad in only a sports bra and joggers, her toned muscles on full display.

The mirror selfie has Yeji's phone covering most of her face, leaving only her sharp eyes in view. Lia can't help but stare at the photo, admiring Yeji's impressive physique. She stares longer than intended, her cheeks growing warm as she feels a fluttering sensation in her stomach.

Suddenly, Yuna speaks from behind her, peering over Lia's shoulder with a mischievous grin. "Whatcha lookin' at?" she teases, causing Lia to jump up and sit straight, her face flushing a deep shade of red.

"Nothing!" Lia stammers, quickly locking her phone and attempting to hide her embarrassment. Yuna, however, is relentless, her eyes sparkling with amusement as she continues to taunt Lia.

"Ooh, someone's got a little crush, huh?" Yuna teases, poking Lia in the side playfully. Lia groans in frustration, her face burning with a mix of embarrassment and annoyance.

"It's not like that, Yuna! Just drop it," Lia groans, her voice strained as she tries to maintain her composure. Yuna smirks, clearly enjoying Lia's discomfort.

"Do you just like girls who can pick you up, or what?" Yuna snickers, provoking Lia to hurl a pillow at her with great force. Yuna shrieks and ducks behind a table for cover, but Lia manages to hit her with a second pillow. Yuna falls to the ground from the impact, and Lia advances to attack her further.

Just then, Ryujin enters the dorm room, carrying a bag of snacks. "Hey guys, I-" she stops, observing Yuna on the ground and Lia straddling her, gripping the collar of Yuna's shirt menacingly.

"Did...did I miss something?" Ryujin asks, her expression a mix of confusion and concern. Yuna points at Lia accusingly.

"She was gonna hit me!" she exclaims, prompting Lia to gasp.

"Was not!" Lia retorts, releasing Yuna. She gets up from the floor and dusts herself off, facing Ryujin.

"Okay, wait, what happened?" Ryujin inquires, and Yuna speaks up before Lia can.