Let me love you || RYEJI

8

Yeji wasn't sure why she had accepted another date with Ryujin, but there was something about the way her dark brown eyes shone when she was suggesting plans that made it impossible for Yeji to refuse.

The restaurant was lit with a soft golden light, creating an intimate and warm atmosphere. Yeji sat across from Ryujin, a faint smile on her lips. However, as the evening progressed, Yeji felt an internal contradiction, wanting to appear friendly but inside, she was confused and nervous.

"So, how's the dance going?" asked Ryujin, her voice soft and full of genuine interest.

Yeji looked down at her plate, moving her fork around. "I've given it up for the time being. I've left the dance studio for good." She replied, her calm tone hiding the tide of emotions the statement brought with it. Ryujin frowned slightly, but before she could ask more, Yeji looked up and forced a smile. "Where did you meet your friend? Chaeryeong, wasn't it?" She changed the subject.

Ryujin nodded. "We studied journalism together. I won't admit it out loud in her presence, but I don't know what I would have done without her in college." She smiled. "What about you, where did you meet Lia?"

"We went to school together," Yeji replied, her lips curving into a genuine smile as she remembered her childhood friend. "We became inseparable ever since."

The conversation flowed naturally, but Ryujin couldn't help but notice the moments when Yeji seemed to tune out, her gaze becoming distant. Dinner ended with laughter and a sense of comfort between the two, despite the invisible barriers.

As they left the restaurant, the night air enveloped them with a cool breeze. They strolled towards Ryujin's car, their steps in sync as they chatted.

"Would you like some ice cream?" Ryujin pointed to a nearby ice cream shop that was still open.

Yeji paused for a moment. "No." She answered hesitantly, avoiding Ryujin's gaze.

"Why?" Ryujin asked, puzzled.

"I said no, don't insist." Yeji replied dryly.

"It's okay." Ryujin nodded, she didn't want to push any further. "Another time then." She replied softly, almost whispering.

They walked to the car in silence, Yeji's attitude latent in the air between them. The cat-eyed woman didn't say anything during the car ride and Ryujin decided not to push, it was the first time in a while that the silence between them was kind of awkward. When it was time for Yeji to leave the car, the short-haired woman just said a soft 'bye', which she answered in the same way. Ryujin sighed loudly once she drove away, she didn't understand anything about Yeji's attitude. She knew she was having issues with the dance, but there had to be something else she didn't know about.

*****

It had been a few days after that strange date with Yeji. It had gone well in general, but Ryujin had noticed when the cat-eyed woman was somehow distracted but she honestly hadn't expected the sudden change in her attitude when she had suggested ice cream.

It was a gray afternoon, it was like the weather had chosen to match Ryujin's mood. What affected her the most was not knowing if she had done something wrong to cause that situation, but at the same time, she thought it was pretentious of her to think that Yeji's attitude had anything to do with her. She didn't consider herself important enough in the cat-eyed woman's life to be what had triggered it, even if she thought they were becoming friends. She also thought that the cause might have been that Yeji had to give up dancing, but she wasn't entirely sure if that could affect her enough to turn down ice cream with such determination.

Ryujin was trying to stop thinking about it and decided to burn some stress in a cross trainer she had bought to avoid going to the gym. When she had been exercising for about half an hour, her doorbell rang. She took a small tower to dry her sweat and walked to the door. She opened it and couldn't help the surprised expression on her face as she saw Yeji on her threshold.