Managing you || Ryeji

Chapter 25

Lia was in a bad mood. Ryujin could tell because she looked like she had possibly cried , judging by her puffy eyes, and she wasn't smiling. At all. Something that was rare. Even now, after years, she was smiling like 90% of the time.

Only thing is, today, it was maybe a steady 10 to 20% at best and it was worrying her.

Ryujin was staring, she knew that she was. Because at some point Lia turned to face her and gave her a look. One that told her to stop without having to use any words.

She didn't ask, not there. She'd ask later in the safety of their bedroom once the cameras were off. For now, all Ryujin did was scoot over on the couch and hold Lia.

The other girl didn't push her away nor did she move, so Ryujin didn't move either. They were all watching some show on tv, despite having a theatre at the house, they had decided to do that in the living room. In the large couch.

Ryujin spent the rest of the time they spent watching tv, holding Lia. Who seemed to be feeling better because at some point, she felt Lia relaxing against her arms and rest her body against Ryujin's.

She didn't miss the way Yeji looked at them though. It wasn't jealousy, no. It wasn't hatred either. She had looked away as fast as possible once Ryujin had noticed her staring, but she kept the image on her mind. Trying to identify the expression she had.

'Guilt?'

Ryujin scrunched her nose. Was that it?

Wait.

'GUILT?'

'That's what it is.'

Did she cause this?

Did Hwang Yeji hurt Lia because the latter had told her about Yeji's parents knowing about them?

Maybe it was time for her to actually physically fight her ex girlfriend. Because this was crossing a big line.

'She wants to hurt me? Fine. Break my heart. Move half a world away. Fuck my childhood best friend. But if Hwang Yeji thinks she can go around hurting my friends... oh, she's about to learn a lesson.'

Ryujin doesn't know when Hwang Yeji went from the nicest girl she knew to the biggest bitch. But she wasn't going to give her a free pass to continue acting that way.

They finished watching the show about half an hour later. Just past 10pm. To be honest, she wouldn't be able to tell people what had happened in the last forty five minutes of it. Because she had anything but that on her mind.

Lia was nearly asleep, resting against her still. The others were much more awake. Moving immediately after the episode finishing. Including Yeji, who seemed to be in a rush to leave to her room.

As the others dismissed themselves after saying goodbye to them, Lia and her were left alone in the living room.

"Was it because of me?"

She asked Lia, who had eventually moved enough that she wasn't completely against her.

Lia bit her lip and Ryujin knew the answer.

"I'm not going to lie to you. I really want to burst through that bedroom door of hers and slap the shit out of her."

The other girl placed a hand on hers, causing Ryujin to notice how her hands were bawled up into fists.

"We both know you'd never hit her."

"I really want to."

"You're just angry."

She sighed. It was true. She'd never lay a hand on Yeji.

"It wasn't as bad as you're thinking." Lia sat turned to her, holding her legs against her chest. "She asked if I told you. Yes."

"Then she got mad?" Ryujin asked, despite already knowing the answer.

Lia pouted before disguising it as a smile. "Yes."

"She told me I shouldn't have told you. That it wasn't my place to tell and that I should mind my own business."

She rolled her eyes. Typical.

"I confronted her about the cheating."

"Oh."

Lia was playing with her fingers, something she did when she was nervous. "She didn't deny it."

"I told you."

"I told her how disappointed I was in her and how bad I felt for thinking you were exaggerating by still being hurt about the break up after so long."

"It's okay, Lia."

She only nodded.

"She started cursing me out. Then she got really quiet. It was actually kind of scary." She chuckled between sniffing. "Yeji just looked at me and said that if I can't support her decisions then she doesn't need me in her life. She had tears in her eyes but she still looked so... empty but angry at the same time."

Ouch.

They have been friends since they were six years old. She can't even begin to imagine how badly it hurt.

Oh, wait, maybe she could because her childhood friend was the other asshole in Yeji's team of two.

"I'm so sorry, Lia."

"It's okay." She cleaned her tears with her sweater, sniffing a few times before speaking again. "It's Yeji. I want to stay mad at her but I know I'll still be there for her tomorrow. Maybe it sounds ridiculous to you but-"

Ryujin stared at her, waiting for the continuation of what she was saying.

"The Yeji I know isn't like that. I don't know. It surprised me, and of course, I am hurt. But it's Yeji."

"You can't stay mad." Ryujin offered, nodding.

She understood.

Ryujin once loved Yeji more than she had ever loved anyone. Even when she was mad, even after the cheating, she knew that she would have allowed Yeji to come back into her life. Had she genuinely apologized and tried to come back. But she never did. She left. With him. Without so much as a goodbye.

She understood where Lia was coming from because she'd never been so mad and angry at someone. But so willing to forgive if the other showed regret.

Now, it wouldn't be so easy. But back then? She would have let Yeji walk all over her if she wanted to.

For someone who thinks of Yeji as pathetic for going along with everything her parents ordered, she sure was pathetic herself.

"How did your conversation go with her?"

Ryujin chuckled. "Not much better than that." She shrugged, not really knowing what to say. "She sort of... bragged about cheating."

"She what?"

Lia looked at her with wide eyes, no doubt surprised by her words.

"Told me she should have just cheated right away, instead of telling her parents about us." Ryujin laughed nervously, running a hand through her hair. "I'm pretty sure she was only trying to piss me off."

Lia hummed, "Probably."

"She did say it was worth it though. Cheating." She smiled sadly. "I can't argue with that."

After four years, they were still dating.

Her and Ryujin didn't even last two full years.

"They were once the people I loved the most." She admitted, playing with her fingers. "I've never really admitted this to myself but a small part of me is happy for them."

"Really?"

"They lasted this long. That must mean something. Whatever we had, must be nothing compared to what they have. I'm glad they found each other."

"You surprise me."

"How?"

"I don't think most would think that way."

"Don't get me wrong. I still hate them."

"Understandable."