-
After Yeji finished tending to my bruise, we sat in silence for a moment, the tension between us palpable.
I could see the turmoil in her eyes, and I knew I couldn't leave without understanding what was bothering her."Yeji, please," I said softly.
"Talk to me. I can't help if I don't know what's wrong."She hesitated, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.
"It's just... everything feels so overwhelming. My dad being away, the pressure of school, and... us."I nodded, giving her space to continue.
"I know things have been complicated between us," I said. "But I'm here for you, no matter what." Yeji took a deep breath.
"I've been feeling so alone, even when I'm surrounded by people. And tonight, seeing how much your mom cares about me, it just hit me hard. I miss having that kind of support at home." I reached out and gently took her hand.
"You're never alone, Yeji. You have me, and you have my mom. We're your family too." She squeezed my hand, her grip tight with desperation.
"I don't want to burden you, Ryujin. I know you've been trying to move on."
"You're not a burden," I reassured her.
"And moving on doesn't mean I stop caring about you. You're important to me, and I want to help you through this." Tears finally spilled over her cheeks, and she buried her face in her hands.
"I'm so scared, Ryujin. Scared of losing you, scared of being alone." I pulled her into a hug, holding her close as she cried.
"You're not going to lose me," I whispered.
"We'll get through this together." After a while, her sobs subsided, and she pulled back slightly, looking up at me with a mixture of gratitude and vulnerability.
"Thank you," she murmured. "For everything." I smiled gently.
"Anytime, Yeji. Now, let's get some rest. We'll face everything together, one step at a time." She nodded, and we headed back to her room.
I helped her settle into bed, then grabbed a spare blanket and pillow for myself.
As I lay down on the floor beside her bed, I felt a sense of peace washing over me.
"Goodnight, Yeji," I said softly.
"Goodnight, Ryujin," she replied, her voice calm and steady.
I don't know what to feel right now, but I want to remind myself that I'm doing this just because we're friends, nothing more and nothing less.
-
Ryujin woke up with her body aching from sleeping on a hard floor, she search for her phone and look at the messages she received
Her bestfriend Winter has been messaging her nonstop since yesterday, she opened her phone to finally reply to her.
Minshit
Yo how's your date?
I mean the project yeah.
Project of getting back together😏
Ryu??
Ryujinnnnnn
Yo dummy
Hey motherfucker
Are you really ignoring me??
YOU'RE IN THE MALL WITH YEJI??? AS IN HWANG YEJI?
YOU ARE READING
Settling boundaries
RomanceA short story. Ryujin found herself paired with none other than her ex, Hwang Yeji, for her science project. Initially, the thought of working with Yeji again brought back a flood of mixed emotions, as their breakup had left many unresolved issues b...
