Unwanted Roommate | An Ryeji Romance

The Victory and After-Party

The announcement of their victory echoed through the auditorium like a bolt of lightning, sending shockwaves of excitement and disbelief through the crowd. Ryujin's heart pounded wildly as the words registered, a slow smile spreading across her face.

"We won," she whispered, the reality of it sinking in.

"We won!" Lia shrieked, throwing her arms around Yuna, who was already jumping up and down, squealing with joy.

Chaeryeong let out a whoop of triumph, and even Yeji, usually so calm and composed, was laughing and cheering, her face glowing with happiness.

"We actually did it!" Yuna shouted, her voice rising above the din of applause and cheers. "I knew we could, but—oh my gosh, this is amazing!"

Ryujin felt a surge of pride and joy so powerful it nearly took her breath away. The hours of practice, the tension and the struggle, every single moment they'd spent pouring themselves into this performance had led to this—the sweet, dizzying taste of victory.

"Group hug!" Lia yelled, and they all crashed into each other, a messy tangle of arms and laughter and tears. The sound of their friends and classmates cheering from the audience filled the auditorium, but in that moment, it was just them—five girls who had fought and worked and believed in each other.

"Yeji, you were incredible," Ryujin whispered fiercely, squeezing Yeji's hand as they pulled back slightly to catch their breath. "I can't even—"

"You too, Ryujin," Yeji interrupted, her voice trembling with emotion. "All of you. I couldn't have done any of this without you."

The others nodded, their eyes shining with shared understanding. This wasn't just Yeji's victory or Ryujin's—it was all of theirs. Every single one of them had played a part, had given everything they had to make this performance a reality.

"Come on, girls," Chaeryeong said breathlessly, wiping at her eyes with the back of her hand. "Let's go accept our trophy!"

They made their way to the front of the stage, where the principal stood holding a shining gold trophy adorned with musical notes. The applause was deafening as they accepted it, the weight of the trophy a solid, tangible symbol of everything they'd accomplished together.

"Congratulations, girls," the principal said warmly, handing the trophy to Lia, who beamed with pride. "You've truly outdone yourselves tonight. This performance will be remembered for a long time."

"Thank you!" they chorused, bowing deeply.

As they turned to face the audience, Ryujin's gaze swept over the sea of faces, searching for the ones that mattered most. She spotted her parents sitting near the middle, their faces glowing with pride. Her father gave her a thumbs-up, and her mother clapped enthusiastically, tears of joy glistening in her eyes.

But then Ryujin's gaze drifted, drawn inexorably to another pair of eyes—Yeji's parents, who sat a few rows behind her own family. They were clapping politely, their expressions carefully neutral, but there was a tightness around their mouths that made Ryujin's stomach twist.

Did they not approve? Or were they just surprised to see their daughter up there, holding her own and shining so brightly?

"Hey." Yeji's soft voice pulled her attention back, and Ryujin turned to see Yeji watching her, a small, nervous smile on her lips.

"What's wrong?" Ryujin asked quietly, concern flickering in her chest. "You look... worried."

Yeji hesitated, glancing out at the audience. "It's my parents. I... I didn't tell them everything about joining the group. I'm not sure how they feel about it."