Love Next Door

9

After the storm

Ryujin leaned against a nearby tree, her eyes fixed on Yeji, who sat on the swing, her long dark hair draped over her face, the chains of the swing creaking as she swayed gently. Even from a distance, Ryujin could tell something was wrong. She knew Yeji better than anyone, and there was no fooling her—not tonight, not after everything that had happened and everything she heard. But Ryujin stayed quiet, giving her space, watching from the shadows like she always did when Yeji needed time to gather herself.

Yeji, sensing Ryujin's gaze on her, sighed heavily and then, with forced cheerfulness, pushed her hair back from her face, her lips curling into a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Wow, look at this place," she said, her voice unnaturally bright. "They really spruced it up, didn't they ?"

Ryujin raised an eyebrow but didn't respond right away. She knew Yeji was trying to act like everything was fine, and part of her wanted to call her out on it immediately. But she also understood Yeji needed this—needed to pretend, at least for a little while. So, instead of challenging her, Ryujin played along.

"Yeah," Ryujin said dryly, pushing her hands into her jacket pockets. "They even fixed the broken slide. No more bruised knees for the kids."

Yeji let out a forced laugh and nodded, her eyes scanning the small park. "Remember when we used to sneak out here at night ?" she said, her voice still overly enthusiastic. "We thought we were so rebellious, but we never did anything more than sit on the swings and tell ghost stories."

Ryujin smirked, leaning in closer. "Ghost stories ? More like you trying to scare me with that ridiculous 'girl in the well' story."

Yeji's laugh was louder this time, but it was too loud, too forced, and Ryujin could see through it all. As Yeji swung lightly, her long hair falling back into her face, Ryujin couldn't help but tease her.

"You know," Ryujin said, her lips twitching into a playful grin, "with your hair hanging in your face like that, you kinda look like a horror movie ghost right now. Like that creepy girl from The Ring."

Yeji froze mid-swing, her eyes widening in mock horror. "Excuse me ?" she gasped, her fake excitement momentarily breaking. "I do not look like her !"

Ryujin stifled a laugh. "You totally do. All you need is a well to crawl out of, and you're set."

Yeji glared at her, but there was a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "I'm not that scary, Ryujin. Jeez."

"Oh, you are," Ryujin replied, crossing her arms and stepping closer. "Especially when you try to act like everything's fine when it clearly isn't."

The playful atmosphere cracked for a moment. Yeji's smile faltered, and she glanced away, biting her lip. But she quickly recovered, standing up from the swing and brushing off her hands. "Well, at least I can still scare you," she said, forcing a laugh as she walked over to a nearby bench. She sat down, patting the space beside her, inviting Ryujin to sit.

Ryujin hesitated for a moment, watching Yeji carefully. Even though Yeji was still putting on her brave face, Ryujin could see the cracks in the mask she was wearing. But she sat down beside her anyway, knowing Yeji would open up when she was ready.

"So," Yeji continued, her voice still carrying that false lightness, "remember that time we tried to build a treehouse over there ?" She pointed to a large oak tree in the corner of the park. "We got like, what, three planks up before you fell and scraped your knee ?"