Roses and Thorns (Jinlia)

𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗶𝘅 | sticky notes

Book 1, Chapter 6
𝖲𝗍𝗂𝖼𝗄𝗒 𝖭𝗈𝗍𝖾𝗌

Tonight marked the beginning of Jisu’s venture into evening classes, and in true scholarly fashion, she had already arrived at the university, eager to embrace this new chapter.

The anticipation stirred a mix of excitement and nerves within her. It could have been the novelty of the nighttime academic environment or the prospect of encountering fresh faces among the faculty that unsettled her.

Tonight, however, her mother’s comforting presence was absent. Work commitments at Shin’s Deversorium, the business under Yuna’s family’s helm, had pulled her away. Normally, Mrs. Choi would ensure Jisu had a hearty dinner before heading off to her studies, but today’s rush left them both scrambling. So, Jisu found herself seeking solace in the university cafeteria instead.

She stood in line, her patience steady, until it was finally her turn. She greeted the elderly woman behind the counter with a warm smile and a slight bow. “Good evening. Could I please get a bowl of ramen and a can of soda?” she asked, her voice polite.

The woman nodded with a smile of her own, turning to the kitchen to prepare the meal. It didn’t take long before the comforting aroma of freshly made ramen filled the air, tantalizing Jisu’s senses. As she breathed in the scent, her hand moved to her skirt pocket, pulling out her wallet to retrieve the necessary cash.

──⇌••⇋──

Jisu decided to wander the campus, savoring the quiet moments before her evening class began.

A crisp breeze swept through, momentarily enveloping her in a cool embrace before drifting away. She wrapped her arms around herself, not to ward off the chill, but for comfort. The soft rustle of leaves stirred around her, lending a sense of peace. So absorbed was she in this serenity that she didn’t realize she had wandered to the very spot where she had first encountered Ryujin. And there she was again, crouched down, her focus fixed entirely on capturing the world through her lens.

Jisu approached quietly, her gaze tracing Ryujin’s formㅡthe subtle shifts of her posture as she sought the perfect angle, the flex of her biceps under the weight of her camera, the graceful curve of her fingers as they gripped the device, the pronounced veins in her hands betraying the tension of her hold.

“Hey,” Jisu called out softly.

Ryujin, deeply engrossed in her task, was startled by the sudden interruption, nearly dropping her camera in the process. Taken aback, she instinctively stepped back, her expression shifting rapidly from blank to overwhelmed. Concerned, Jisu reached out to her, but Ryujin reacted sharply, her voice cutting through the air.

“What’s wrong, Ryujin? I don’t understand,” Jisu said, her hand extended in a gesture of peace. “Just calm down, okay? I’m not trying to cause any trouble.”

Ryujin knew, deep down, that Jisu meant no harm, but the weight of her own stress clouded her ability to trust the words. She closed her eyes, taking deep breaths, attempting to steady her racing heart and quell the tumult in her mind.

Jisu watched her with a mix of curiosity and concern, wondering what was running through Ryujin’s head. But when Ryujin's eyes finally met hers again, Jisu felt a sharp jolt of tension.