A Ritual In the House?

8

Two days.

She waited two days as promised.

And Hyunjin does go home, but it's different.

She's avoiding and Heejin knows it. It's not hard to miss.

The moment she walked in the front door, before Heejin could even greet her for her return, she was already running off, throwing an implausible excuse before shutting herself inside her room —In the months of Heejin living together, she's knows that it's definitely out of Hyunjin's character. So she looks to the other demons for help, only for them to offer a pity smile and a pat on the back.

Heejin tried knocking on her door at an ungodly hour that same day. Chaewon, who was walking pass her the same time, gently held on her wrist and stopped her from her desperation.

("Oh, hey Wonnie. Why are you still awake?"

"Me and Oli are playing outside. You should go to sleep, Heejin. She wasn't feeling well earlier and is probably dead asleep.")

Heejin retreated in disappointment back to the comfort of her room, hoping that tomorrow the situation will fix itself.

Unfortunately, it doesn't, no progress between them for a week straight —Hyunjin is in her room by the time Heejin is dressed up and ready for her classes. Hyunjin is gone by the time she gets home. Only catching a practically nonexistent glimpse of the demon before she's running off again.

It sucks.

It sucked even more when one particularly sucky day she slept through all her alarms and woke up by the time her lecture was already five minutes to finished. She's spent the whole night writing an essay with much procrastinations and delays.

Heejin pops her limps as she stands from the bed, savouring the satisfaction and relaxing her joints. And as every Gen Z born individuals, she checks her social media as she slips on the comfy slippers and burrito herself further into the blanket she refuses to remove.

Walking to the outside, she hears the normal fuss in the living room, but this one is somewhat different, it was more tamed and there's british people speaking. It spikes Heejin's interest enough for her to investigate.

And for that, she regrets.

You know that feeling when you're too brain was too preoccupied worrying that you forget that other things you're worrying about and than everything suddenly registers back. And It feels life just hits you with a truck with chickens mocking you with their obnoxious clucking.

She not wearing neither of her contacts or glasses. But it isn't hard to spot the purple haired girl on her sofa, beside her a seemingly relaxed and carefree Hyunjin, downing microwaved popcorn and laughing at the screen Heejin can make out to be Harry Potter.

Heejin's chest pains, because Yerim once said
that the popcorn she bought is exclusively for the Netflix movie nights they planned to continue, and Hyunjin who has been avoiding her like the plague is with Yerim, laughing and being all happy and crap.

She inhales a breath a little too loudly and it makes the two on the sofa look to her direction.

They freeze upon seeing who it was.

All three staring at each other until one would speak up, the atmosphere only filled awkward nervous energy while the wizards on the screen are still yelling spells. Heejin wishes they have a spell that can take her away from this moment.

Yerim speaks up first, "Unnie, you're home. I thought you would be in school at this time."

Heejin didn't know how to respond, her lips opening, then shutting with words that just weren't escaping. Very much like a fish.