Something in Between

Chapter One

"I just want to disappear."

"I just want to disappear."

"I just want to disappear."

"I just want to disappear."

"I just want to disappear."

"I just want to disappear."

She kept on repeating the same exact words because she knew that one thing loses its meaning when you kept on repeating it. She badly wanted to disappear just like how every person in her life does.

"What if I told you that you can be invisible and the only person you love the most will be the only one that can see you?" A man came out of nowhere and told her those very words. He was well-dressed, carrying a lot of things that probably he sells since everything has a price tag on it.

"Then I'll choose her. I'll choose her to see me. Only her. I loved her since I saw her in the park. I'll never regret choosing her."

She didn't know why she answered the question coming from the strange man. The words kept on coming out from her mouth and she was confused about it.

A smile from the merchant's lips was formed but the girl didn't see it because her mind was full of flashbacks when she was ten and the other girl she was pertaining to was nine.

"But she doesn't even know you. She doesn't even know your name, silly. That girl is so self-centered and puts her ego and pride over anyone else. Are you really sure about the choice you're making?"

"Wait, you know her? How?"

"You just don't know who are you talking to. Now, choose and afterwards I'll be revealing myself to you."

Without any hesitation, she nodded as she heard a 'yes' came from her mouth.

And just like that, she disappeared from the eyes of the known. She disappeared without any proper goodbye. Who will she ever say goodbye too, by the way? There was no one.

She vanished, waiting to be found only by her first love—Shin Ryujin.

--

"Unnie, what are you doing?" Yuna asked Ryujin as she saw her looking at a distance with her forehead creased.

"What do you mean? Can't you see that girl climbing up a tree? She might fall, I'm worried." Ryujin said as she let out a deep sigh.

Yuna looked on the tree Ryujin was talking about and searched for the girl but she didn't see anyone.

"Huh? There is no one there, unnie. Are you imagining things again?"

"What do you mean? There she is! And what do you mean by again?" Ryujin pointed.

Exasperated as she is most times, she let out a deep sigh and calmed herself.

"Whatever, I'll head there and talk to her instead." Ryujin said again and walked towards the tree.

As she approached the tree, she heard the girl screaming because she fell down. Ryujin hurriedly ran towards the girl to help her.

"Are you okay?" she asked her.

"Yeah, kinda hurt though." the girl replied without looking at Ryujin.

"Here, let me help you." Ryujin offered her hand and helped the girl to stand.

"I'm Hwang Yeji by the way. How about you?"

"Call me Ryujin." she smiled.

Yeji's eyes went wide open when she heard the girl's name. Was it really Ryujin? Was it her who rescued her after falling from the tree? She couldn't believe it. She must have been dreaming all along.

'No, this isn't happening. Am I really not dreaming?' were the words running inside her head as she looked at Ryujin with all her anticipation and excitement. Her heart was about to explode when she saw her smile while saying her name. She felt beads of sweat flowing from her neck, making it harder to breathe. Is she hyperventilating, right now?

"Hello? Ryujin to Hwang? Hwang to Ryujin?" Ryujin said while looking earnestly at Yeji. She waved her hand in front of Yeji's face, expecting for some kind of response.

"Oh, sorry. I just—" Yeji broke off. Her cheeks turned red and she immediately turned around, hiding her face. No, she can't show her feelings right now. She can't tell her what's inside her head. She should run and disappear until the redness of her cheeks will be gone.

Disappear. Disappear.

The word itself kept on running around her head like a merry-go-round. Why does she always want to disappear when in reality, all she wanted was to be found?

Why does she keep on running away from everything while expecting someone to hold her hand and tell her it's going to be alright? To top it all off, what was she thinking when she thought of Ryujin's name when the merchant asked her for the person she wanted to be seen by?

"Are you really okay? Do you want me to take you to the clinic?" Ryujin touched her shoulder while trying to look at her.

Ryujin felt a weird feeling when she tried to avoid her gaze. It was like something is written on her eyes and she didn't want Ryujin to see it. The unfamiliar feeling kept on crawling into her veins that she tried to hold Yeji's shoulders and make their eyes cross each other.

But she couldn't.

As soon as Ryujin tried reaching out for her, her mind kept saying no. She doesn't want to be touchy or clingy with anyone considering it was her first time to meet Yeji. She couldn't even bare to grasp Yeji's sweater just to avoid any physical content.

What's intriguing for her is that she badly wanted to. She desperately wanted to hold her and ask her what's bugging her at the moment. She wanted Yeji to look her in the eyes and tell her everything. She could.

She could but she won't...

"No. No. I am fine, there is no need to—"

"RYUJIN UNNIE!! What are you doing there? Why are you talking to a tree?" They both heard Yuna shouting at a distance towards them, breaking all the silence that formed between them.

"What? I am talking to a tree? But Hwang's here with me." Ryujin said to herself and immediately looked at Yeji.

Their eyes crossed each other.

It was too sudden yet so intense.

Yeji's heart skipped a beat or two. She didn't know. She was so immersed with Ryujin's eyes looking deep in hers. She just didn't know that looking at Ryujin's eyes would make her fall even more. She didn't know what to say. She just stood there frozen, while her heart kept on leaping from her chest, making her cheeks feel hot.

And right from that moment, she knew exactly she had fallen for the charms of someone named Ryujin.