i won't share you / purinz

faceplant

As soon as school is over the next day, Chaewon drives to Yunjin's house, praying she won't get her first speeding ticket as she tears down quiet neighborhood streets. She's not surprised to see that she isn't the only visitor. Jia, the girl from the library, is standing on the front steps of the house, talking to a woman who Chaewon assumes is Yunjin's mom. After a moment, Jia turns back with a sour expression on her face and climbs back onto her bicycle. Chaewon slides down in the driver's seat to avoid being seen, waiting until Jia is gone to reveal herself. She's impressed, and a little embarrassed, that Jia managed to bike over faster than Chaewon could drive. That's what love does to you, Chaewon thinks to herself. It makes a five mile bike ride go by in an instant.

Chaewon approaches Yunjin's door hesitantly, nervous to hear whatever news made Jia so upset.

Yunjin's mom answers the door with a sigh, "You must be the seventh little girl that's come by already. I mean, really, don't you girls have school?"

Chaewon blinks, unsure if she's supposed to explain to this exhausted woman that her daughter is a womanizer.

"I'm sorry, honey, but Yunjin doesn't want any visitors right now," the woman continues, "How about you come back once she's had a chance to rest?"

Chaewon fidgets with her hands, "Can I please see her? Just for a moment, I won't be too long."

"I don't think Yunjin-"
"Can you tell her Chaewon's here?" Chaewon interrupts, "Please?"

"Alright, I'll tell her," The woman agrees, muttering as she disappears into the house, "You girls sure are persistent, I'll give you that." Chaewon knows she's being a terrible pest, but she doesn't want to leave without seeing with her own eyes that Yunjin is okay. More than that, she just wants to be around Yunjin. Wants it desperately. As annoying and frustrating and sometimes infuriating as Yunjin is, it's worse to be apart from her, and that's what annoys Chaewon most of all.

Yunjin's mom returns to the door, "Alright, come on in. But be warned, she's on enough pain meds to put a horse to sleep, so she won't be much fun."

Chaewon thanks her and rushes up to Yunjin's room, hesitating before gathering her courage and opening the door. Yunjin is lying on her bed, the comforter pulled up to her shoulders. The skin on the left side of her face has been scraped off, leaving an angry red scab, and the old cut that had been healing has fresh stitches in it. Her eyelids are drooping, her expression dazed, but her eyes light up when Chaewon comes in.

"ChaeChae," Yunjin manages a smile.

"Oh my god, Yunjin," Chaewon crosses over to her, sitting on the edge of the bed so she can lean forward to examine Yunjin's torn up face, "What happened?"

"I fell on my face," Yunjin mumbles. She doesn't give any further details, instead gesturing towards her dresser, "Can you bring me that ice pack?"

Chaewon obeys.

""I'm supposed to put ice on my ribcage," Yunjin explains, "Apparently you can't put a cast on a broken rib so you just put ice on it until it heals. Bullshit if you ask me."

She reaches to take the ice pack from Chaewon but Chaewon shakes her head, "Let me do it."

Yunjin frowns, "I'm going to have to take my shirt off. Is that okay?"

"It's fine," Chaewon reassures her. Yunjin sits up in bed, letting her comforter fall to her waist and pulling off her shirt. Any nervousness Chaewon might have had about seeing Yunjin in a bra is overshadowed by the galaxy of black, purple, and blue bruises across Yunjin's stomach. As gently as she can, she presses the ice pack on Yunjin's skin and Yunjin gasps at the cold.