dreamscape [ryuna] ✩

five

"Is she okay?" Chaeryeong asked, turning back to her other friends.

"She'll be fine," Yeji assured, with a wave of her hand. "She's been acting a bit weird lately."

"Weird? How?"

"Ryujin's been acting...not like herself. I'm surprised you haven't noticed, since you're in her class and all."

Chaeryeong frowned before casting a small smile towards Yuna. "My mind's been somewhere else lately."

Meanwhile, Ryujin was gripping the edge of the sink, staring at herself in the mirror. She could hardly focus on herself, thinking back to the beauty in Chaeryeong's living room. The beauty that showed up in her dreams, the beauty she thought she wouldn't find so soon, the beauty Ryujin's supposed to spend her life with.

"Okay, Ryujin," she mumbled to herself, "calm down. Breathe. She's just your soulmate. No big deal."

'No big deal.' Yeah, right. But it's okay. Everything's fine. Yuna probably doesn't even know who Ryujin is to her. She probably hasn't seen Ryujin in her dreams. So Ryujin just has to not make it so obvious that she's Yuma's soulmate. She has to ignore the growing feelings for the girl, in order to not freak her out. Yeah, Ryujin can do that.

It kind of made Ryujin sad, that she had to treat Yuna as a complete stranger. But at least she was alive and well.

"You can do it," Ryujin ended the pep talk. She stood straight and fixed her hair and clothes, making sure she looked presentable for her soulmate. She still can't even believe she's met her soulmate so soon!

Ryujin cleared her throat before leaving the bathroom, putting a smile on her face. When she reappeared in the living room, she avoided making eye contact with Yuna as Yeji approached her.

"Are you okay? Are you sick?" Yeji questioned, pressing the back of her hand against Ryujin's forehead.

"I'm fine, unnie," Ryujin chuckled pushing her friend's hand away. "I just needed some air."

"In the toilet?"

"I think better in the tub. Anyways, what are we doing today?"

Chaeryeong perked up in her seat, patting the empty space beside her. "I was thinking we could learn about Yuna and eat the carrot sticks and grapes you requested."

"You wanted that?" Jisu asked, eyes on Ryujin as she took the offered seat beside Chaeryeong—who was the barrier between her and Yuna. "What, are you three?"

"No!" Ryujin exclaimed, feeling her cheeks get hot. "I thought her neighbor was a toddler!"

"You thought Yuna was a child?" Chaeryeong giggled. "That would be kind of weird."

"You didn't exactly specify an age," Ryujin mumbled. She fumbled with the end of her shirt as Chaeryeong turned to face Yuna more.

"So, Yuna, tell my dear friends about yourself."

Ryujin didn't know if she should look at Yuna or not, and settled for staring at the bowl of grapes on the coffee table. She let out a small smile as she saw both Chaeyeon and Yuna grab a couple of grapes.

"Well, I'm finishing my last year of middle school—"

Middle school?! Ryujin lifted her gaze to look at Yuna and how tall she was, because she was a good few centimeters taller than Ryujin. There was no way she was younger than them.

"Middle school?" Yeji asked, as if she was reading Ryujin's mind.

"Yeah, that surprises a lot of people," Yuna smiled. Ryujin ignored the way her heart skipped a beat. "I was born in 2003. My family moved here because we needed a bigger house—"

"A bigger house? Are you guys getting a dog or something?" Yeji asked, earning a slap on the arm from Jisu.

But Yuna didn't seem bothered in the least. "No, I'm getting a little brother soon!"

"Aw, that's so cute!" Jisu exclaimed.

"I'm sure you'll be the best big sister ever," Chaeryeong said happily, and Ryujin silently agreed. Yuna would be the best everything ever.

"I hope so," Yuna smiled. "Just a few months left. I can't wait! But, yeah. I also do sports."

"Which sports?" Yeji asked, leaning forward in her seat.

"Any one of them, I'm not picky. But I love volleyball."

"Hey, Ryujin's pretty good at volleyball," Jisu pointed out, Yeji quickly agreeing.

Ryujin felt her heart in her throat when Yuna made eye-contact with her, wearing her bright smile. "Really? We should play sometime."

"Uh, yeah sure," Ryujin managed to get out, though her words sounded forced to her and she hoped nobody else could tell, especially Yuna. Even though she didn't want Yuna to find out about her attraction, she didn't want the younger to think she didn't like her.

"We should have a match sometime," Chaeyeon suggested. Ryujin honestly forgot she was still there with them.

"That'd be so fun!" Jisu exclaimed.

"I'm sure Yuna would destroy us all, though," Chaeryeong chuckled lightly. Ryujin would happily get destroyed by Yuna.

"I'm not that good. I just really love to play."

"Nonsense, I'm sure you're an expert!"

Ryujin shifted uncomfortably, trying her hardest not to frown at the way Chaeryeong was complimenting Yuna. It was okay the first couple of times, but now it was kind of odd. Chaeryeong didn't even compliment her own friends that often. And it didn't help that Yeji and Jisu were whispering something to each other while looking at Chaeryeong.

"Ryujin?"

She lifted her gaze to find Chaeyeon smiling softly at her, a baby carrot between her fingers. "Carrot?"

She wasn't in the mood for anything, but ate the carrot anyway, and a few more afterwards. Anything to keep her mind busy from jumping to conclusions way too soon.

yeehaw i updated🤠
i have two more ideas for itzy stories, and one of them also have stray kids in it i'm excited ejdbdndn