Love You Goodbye (ryeji)

7

'...1, 2, 3, go...'

Ryujin placed the medicine bag on the office table, when suddenly,

The door of her office swung open with a force that made it rattle against the walls. The sound was enough to send her heart racing.

Lia, her officemate/her best friend/Yeji's close friend, stormed in, her expression as fiery as the color of her hair. Her eyes were a storm of anger, and Ryujin instinctively took a step back as Lia's heels clicked sharply on the floor.

"Ryujin!" Lia's voice was thick with fury.

Ryujin's stomach dropped. She hadn't seen Lia this angry in a long time. The sight of her standing there, all but radiating anger, felt like a punch to the gut.

"Lia?" Ryujin's voice wavered, trying to mask the anxiety creeping into her chest.

The older girl didn't even acknowledge the hesitation in Ryujin's voice. Lia marched straight toward the glass table in front of Ryujin's desk and slammed both hands down on it, making the papers scatter.

"How could you?" Lia's voice was low but intense, like a ticking bomb ready to explode.

Ryujin blinked, thrown off balance by the sudden confrontation.

"Lia... What are you—"

"You really think I wouldn't find out?" Lia cut her off, her words sharp and cutting. "How long did you think you could hide it from me? from Yeji? from us?"

Ryujin froze.

"What are you talking about?" Ryujin stammered, her mind racing to catch up with the whirlwind of Lia's anger.

Lia's lips curled into a sneer as she took a step closer, her gaze never leaving Ryujin's.

"You really have some nerve," Lia muttered under her breath, before raising her voice. "You think I didn't see you, huh? I saw everything. I saw you with that bitch."

Ryujin was about to defend herself but Lia cut her off, "That bitch is my boss, too. You are with that bitch these past two days!"

A knot tightened in Ryujin's chest. "With who?" Her voice barely came out above a whisper, her throat dry, the words stuck.

"With your fucking boss!" Lia spat the name like it was venom.

Ryujin glanced at the office door and said, "Hey, lower your voice. They might hear us!" She walked over to the door and locked it.

But Lia continues her rage, "I don't fucking care! How could you betray Yeji like that? Do you even understand the damage you've caused?"

Ryujin felt a cold chill run down her spine as she tried to process what Lia was saying. Her mind was spinning.

"I... I don't know what to say," she whispered, her voice breaking slightly. "I never meant for this to happen."

"Do you love that fucking bitch?" Lia demanded, her tone cutting through the silence that had descended between them.

Ryujin's heart skipped a beat, her breath catching in her throat.

"Lia, please..." She looked at the older girl with pleading eyes, but Lia was no longer the person who would fall for her soft words.

"You don't get to pull the 'please' card now, Ryujin. This is real. This isn't a movie. This isn't some stupid mistake you can sweep under the rug." Lia's words were laced with pain, a deep hurt that was bubbling over.

"I never wanted to hurt Yeji, you know that!" Ryujin's voice cracked. "I'm... I'm just confused, alright? I never thought this would happen. I don't even know what I feel anymore."

Lia shook her head, a bitter laugh escaping her lips. "You don't know what you feel? You don't know? You're cheating on her, and you don't know?!"

Lia's face flushed with frustration as she took another step toward Ryujin. "I thought you were better than this. I thought you actually cared about her!"

Ryujin didn't have an answer. The words stuck in her throat, her own guilt weighing heavily on her chest.

Lia took a deep breath, trying to control her anger. She looked at Ryujin with a mix of disbelief and sorrow.

"I've always had your back, Ryujin. I've always been here for you. But this... this isn't something I can just forget. You're breaking her heart. You're breaking my heart."

The words landed like a physical blow, and Ryujin couldn't hold back the tears anymore. They slipped down her face, hot and unrelenting.

"I never meant to hurt anyone. I never meant to hurt Yeji," Ryujin whispered, her voice barely audible.

Lia's expression softened for a brief moment, but it quickly hardened again.

"You've already done that, Ryujin," Lia said quietly. "Now it's up to you to fix it. But don't think for one second that you can just keep pretending this isn't happening. You need to face what you've done."

Ryujin stepped forward to Lia, but Lia stepped backwards. "Please don't tell Yeji. I will be the one who will tell her. Please, Lia."

Lia turned away, walking toward the door. Before leaving, she paused, her back still facing Ryujin.

"Just remember this, Ryujin: Yeji isn't the only one who's hurt by this. You've hurt all of us."

With that, Lia left, the door slamming shut behind her, leaving Ryujin alone with the mess she had created.