Home; I Found With You // Ryeji FF

i need you.

[in public? don't read yet]

Blood still dripped off the metal prongs, captivating her gaze. Yeji couldn't help but notice the faint twitching of some fingers among the crushed bodies. She often wondered if the minds of those Revs were still aware, trapped within their bodies like prisoners of some malevolent force.

It had been one of Yeji's greatest fears since the early days of the outbreak. The thought of loved ones being reduced to mere shells haunted her, and she couldn't bear the idea of it happening to anyone close to her. Did her father experience such a fate back at the homestead?

"Yeji..."

In contrast, Ryujin seemed immune to such possibilities, her condition a blessing and curse. Yeji saw it more as a gift that would safeguard Ryujin until Yeji's dying day.

"My love?"

Yeji wasn't immune, and she knew it. There was always that lingering possibility, that slim chance she could be, but she wasn't willing to risk finding out.

A soft touch of lips on her neck pulled her from her thoughts. Yeji closed her eyes, savoring the sensation of Ryujin's gentle caress. With a smile, she pulled back gently and looked at Ryujin.

"What was that for?"

"You didn't hear me, but I knew this would," Ryujin wiggled her eyebrows, earning a playful smack on the arm from Yeji. "Ow?!"

Yeonjun walked past them, "So, we should probably stick together now."

Upon hearing his voice, she immediately felt her mood shatter, looking at the man, "We would cover more ground if we split up."

Ryujin gripped the machete that she retrieved earlier and handed it over to her girlfriend, "I think Yeonjun is right, better to stay as a group."

Yeji pursed her lips tightly, trying to contain the anger mounting within her. "Fine," she said with pure frustration in her tone before walking away, heading towards the car Chaeryeong and Yuna had been working on opening.

"Wait, Yeji!" Ryujin called out, jogging after her.

She couldn't quite understand why she was feeling this way toward Yeonjun. He had just helped save the group, yet something about him irked her. There was no reason for it, but the feeling persisted.

"Is there something wrong?" Ryujin asked, concern etched across her face.

Yeji sighed, looking down at the car's hood and shaking her head. "Don't worry about it."

"Talk to me, Yeji," Ryujin implored, almost desperately. "There's clearly something bothering you—"

"I fucking said don't worry about it," Yeji interrupted bluntly, catching Ryujin off guard.

The younger took a step back, pressing her lips together in a thin line. "Okay..." she muttered, nodding silently with tears filling in her eyes before starting to walk away.

Regret pierced through Yeji like an arrow to the heart. She knew she had fucked up. "Ryujinnie..."

Ryujin shook her head and waved her hand dismissively. "I'll give you space."

As she walked past, the other three made their way over. Chaeryeong glanced at Ryujin. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to look for sheet metal to use," Ryujin mumbled, avoiding eye contact. "You guys go ahead."

Yeji watched Ryujin walk away, her heart sinking. She knew she had messed up, but her anger was still simmering beneath the surface. Taking a deep breath, she turned back to the car in front of her, hoping to channel her frustration into something productive.