Commitment & Responsibility- In English (Yeji X Fem! Reader)

Chapter 11.

"Y/n?"

My eyes widened as I was pulled out of my thoughts. I quickly looked around, realizing I was at my workplace. In my hand was the scanner, but I had been scanning aimlessly.

I turned my gaze towards the person standing in front of me. I gasped, my eyes growing even wider. I dropped the scanner as my hands instinctively covered my mouth.

"Yeji?"

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Shocked, I looked at the taller woman. She had a black cap pulled down low over her face, and she had pulled her black mask down to expose her face.

I swallowed as I glanced at the scanner hanging from its cord. I immediately tried to pick it up, but my forehead slammed against the counter. Painfully, I gasped and held my forehead.

I sighed at my own clumsiness. This kind of thing only happened to me when I got nervous. Clearing my throat, I placed the scanner back in its place and looked back at Yeji.

The taller woman had grown... She had dark circles under her eyes, and her skin was slightly dry. But... she looked even more beautiful than before... Much more mature.

I watched as Yeji walked to the refrigerator and grabbed some soju bottles. She also placed some cup noodles in the basket. She then placed the entire basket on the counter in front of me.

None of us said a word. We... didn't even look at each other.

My hands reached into the basket as I scanned each item individually. I cleared my throat again. "D-Do you need a bag?" I asked, putting on a small smile.

Yeji stared at me for a while. Her lips pressed together, and yet... she didn't seem to show any particular expression. "Yes," she answered shortly and succinctly.

I bit my lip as I packed everything into a bag. "That will be 38,600 KRW," I said, and Yeji immediately showed me her card. I took it gratefully and inserted the card into the card reader. After a while, it prompted for the PIN.

I pushed the card reader toward Yeji. "You know the code," she said. My eyes widened as my breath caught. I simply nodded as I watched Yeji enter her PIN.

Nervously, I removed the card from the card reader and handed it back to her. The now 30-year-old woman stared at me for a while. Her jaw was tense. "When... did you come back?" she asked, and I hesitated.

I didn't know what to say... How did she know that I wanted to go to Busan back then? Had she... waited for me all these years?

I swallowed as I looked at Yeji. "I... I was never really gone," I replied, and the older woman raised her eyebrows. My hand rested on the counter as I looked only at Yeji.

"How... are you?" I asked softly as my eyes scanned her entire face. My heartbeat raced. Yeji... looked so tired...

Yeji had the bag in her hand as she looked at me. Her card was already in her wallet, which she promptly placed in the back pocket of her pants.

The taller woman looked at me. She stared at me for a while before finally opening her mouth to say something. "I'm managing," she replied, looking me straight in the eyes.

Nervously, I bit my lip and took a deep breath. God... it felt like a stab to the heart...

She was managing... In the past, she used to say she was happy...

"Can we talk, y/n?" she asked, and immediately I looked up at her with wide eyes. The whole atmosphere was suffocating and quite uncomfortable. But still... it felt good to see Yeji. To hear her voice again...