PAPER HEARTS - Ryeji (English ver)

Chapter 8

Ryujin was nowhere to be found in the large and prestigious law firm.

Ryujin wasn't the kind of person to leave work early or shirk her responsibilities, but the encounter with her ex-husband alongside the scene with Yeji had been too much for her, and the older woman realized that. Resigned in her search, she decided to go to the parking lot to see if Ryujin's car was still there; it wasn't.

—Ryujin left, didn't she?— Yeji asked the doorman.

—She left a few minutes ago. If you'd just arrived a little earlier, you would have seen her— the man replied, shrugging. Yeji sighed. Ryujin was probably heading home, so that's where she decided to go; she wouldn't be late again.

She hailed a taxi, giving the driver the address her father had given her earlier, Ryujin's address. Yeji was worried about her new friend; she seemed to have unresolved chapters in her life, unlike Yeji, who had taken care to close hers completely. Perhaps Ryujin would be a new chapter in her life, or maybe Yeji would be a new open chapter in hers.

When she arrived at the house, the first thing she noticed was Ryujin's poorly parked car in front of the garage, and as she walked toward the door, she wasn't surprised to find it slightly ajar. She sighed, walked through it, and realized that the house was almost completely silent, a sad and tense silence. Yeji was truly worried about Ryujin; her actions and words didn't seem normal to her. She paid close attention when listening to her, as Ryujin would often unconsciously say something out loud to herself, something Yeji had noticed.

After searching the entire house and not finding her, there was only one place left—the room she assumed was the guest room. She tried to make as little noise as possible until she reached the door, and as she pressed her ear as close to it as she could, she heard Ryujin's sobs.

—Ryujin?— she asked, concerned. As soon as those words left her mouth, the sobs stopped. —I know you're in there. What's wrong?— But Yeji received no response. —I'm not leaving— she said firmly, leaning her body against the door. —Someday, you'll have to come out, either to go to work or to drink the coffee I made for you.— Ryujin just hugged the pillow a little tighter. —I don't know what's going on, but I want to know. I'm worried about you.—

Ryujin shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut in that dark room, even though Yeji couldn't see her.

—I'm not moving from here— Yeji whispered, letting her body slide down the door to sit on the floor. —I won't leave you alone— she murmured, wondering what could be happening to Ryujin. She understood that everyone faces their problems differently, and she didn't want to judge her in any way since she didn't know what was going on. However, Yeji could say that she, too, had faced difficult situations in her past, perhaps similar or different from Ryujin's.

As the hours passed, Ryujin thought it might be enough and that maybe Yeji had given up and decided to leave. She was wrong. When she opened the door slightly, she saw that not only was Yeji still there, but she had also fallen asleep. Ryujin felt a little guilty for having ignored her for hours, so she decided to leave the room carefully, trying not to wake Yeji. Once she succeeded, she went to her room and pulled out a small white blanket, hugging it to herself before returning to Yeji and sitting beside her.

—And I won't leave you alone either— she whispered, covering both of them with the blanket that fit perfectly. —Thank you, Yeji— she murmured, a little flushed and with a smile as she closed her eyes and rested her head on Yeji's shoulder. —You make the best coffee in the world— she whispered again before trying to fall asleep. Yeji smiled, still with her eyes closed, feeling Ryujin's warmth, not wanting to open her eyes and admit that she wasn't asleep.