Let me love you || RYEJI

7

Yeji was frustrated. That Friday morning she had fallen on her way to work. She went over a pothole she hadn't seen and fell off her bike. It was not because she was distracted thinking about the day before with Ryujin, although she was, but because she dodged a cat that was running like its life depended on it.

When she called her boss to tell him she would be late because she had fallen, he told her to go back home and rest. Her left arm and shoulder were a little sore, so the doctor had advised her to rest and take some pain medication.

The dance studio was a different story; when she called to say she wasn't going to be able to dance for a few days, they had complained that she wasn't going to be prepared enough for a performance they would have in a week and a half.

After spending part of her morning watching TV, she turned it off and decided to check her bank account and do the math. She needed to organize her life and check if she was going to be able to live without going back to that hell of studio. Even if she had to give up the idea of having her own studio because she wasn't going to be able to save enough money from now on.

In the afternoon, she heard a knock on her door. Even if it might sound terrible, she hoped it wasn't her friends, because she wasn't in the mood to have anyone around or even go out. She got up from the couch as if her body was heavy and dragged her feet as she walked to the door. When she opened it, the first thing she saw were three balloons, each of them with a word on it that together said 'Get better soon'. The balloons were tied to a small basket on the floor that had chocolates in it. Then she realized there was a little paper attached to the balloon that said 'soon'. She took it and couldn't help but smile. It was a sugar sachet.

"Believe you can and you're halfway there." She read aloud. "Ryujin?" She asked, stepping outside a little to check if the short-haired woman had been hiding somewhere this whole time.

"It took me a long time to find a sugar sachet with the right words." Ryujin had been hiding behind a nearby corner of the hallway. "Hello." She smiled.

"This wasn't necessary." Yeji didn't know how to react, especially now that Ryujin could see her face. She didn't want to show that she was happy that her visitor had turned out to be the short-haired woman.

"It was." Ryujin crouched down to pick up the basket, trying not to get tangled up in the balloons. "I went to the café this morning and your boss told me you had a little accident with your bike. Can I come in?" Yeji stepped aside and made a gesture with her arm to indicate she could. "Thanks."

"Can you put it down on the coffee table, please?"

"Of course." Once she did, she spoke again. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm taking painkillers for the shoulder, but I'm ok." She sat down and invited Ryujin to do the same. "It was just a stupid fall, you shouldn't have bothered." She pointed at the balloons.

"Shall I take the chocolates back then?" She teased.

"Actually, the chocolates were a great idea." She took one from inside the basket and offered one to Ryujin. She turned it down and smiled widely, showing her whisker dimples, when Yeji put the one she took in her mouth. Ryujin thought she looked cute.

"Would you be able to dance soon?" She asked, concerned.

"It'll take me a few days." She didn't want to elaborate on the dance matter, Ryujin noticed but didn't say anything. "It's Friday, you don't have plans?"

"My only plan was to check on you. Do you want to go out to have dinner?" Ryujin suggested.

"I'm not actually in the mood to go out." This time, it wasn't a rejection, Yeji felt she could be honest with Ryujin about her current mood. When there was someone knocking at her door, the waitress didn't feel like spending time with anyone, but Ryujin's presence was actually a nice surprise.