the way these songs make me cry when I listen to them as I write the chapters lol my heart hurts
The cat-eyed girl and her friends had left Jiu's place about half an hour ago, stopping at a random cafe nearby. Jiu and Yuna were going to drop the roommates off at home since Yeji needed to leave for school because she had class today. It was something she wished she could skip with all the fun she was having with her friends, but she had missed too many days and was lucky enough to be maintaining a passing grade. Besides, Chaeryeong wouldn't let it happen. She was already being scolded for having a low grade, even if it was passing.
She and the others had chosen a table towards the back corner once they finished buying and receiving the drinks they wanted, Jiu having ordered a muffin. Though after Yuna nibbled on her girlfriend's food, she grew thirsty and asked Yeji if she could go get her a drink.
"Just a water? Are you sure?" The young boy, likely a bit younger than her in age, stared at her as if he hadn't heard correctly.
"My friend says she's dieting." Yeji shrugged.
"Alright." He nodded and stared at the register for a few minutes, scratching at the side of his head. Soon enough, he looked back up at her and pointed to the back with his thumb. "I'll be back in a second. I'm pretty new, so I don't know how to work the register well enough."
"Not well enough for a water?"
"Yeah... It's my first week, and I gotta admit I'm pretty forgetful." He nervously laughed while rubbing the back of his neck. "I'll be right back. Just need to get my manager."
"Sure." Yeji glanced over at her friends before turning back around. She pursed her lips as she scanned the menu. If she were going to wait for a few minutes, she figured maybe she'd get herself something to snack on before class later this afternoon.
Not long into her search for the best thing to eat here, the trainee returned with the manager, and surely if she didn't have her eyes glued to the menu up above, she would've recognized this person in an instant. Although, even if she wasn't looking, her ears perked up at the sound of a voice she knew all too well.
"You're really going to charge someone for a water?"
"Hey, hey. I'm new. I'm not just going to not charge someone for what they order." He frowned, hoping he wouldn't get in trouble for speaking honestly. He could never seem to keep a job, and he really needed this one. "I don't want to get in trouble. I just started here."
"It's fine. Just go get the— "
Ryujin's words stopped, and her eyes widened once she got a look at the person standing in front of her. Her heart sunk in her chest as the latter gazed right back at her, their eyes not leaving one another's for a whole minute. The young boy was hesitant to get his manager's attention, but he tapped her shoulder a few times, causing her to jump a little.
"We only have bottled water." She spoke as calmly as she could, her voice soft and steady despite her racing heart, making her feel the need to take extra breaths. It's been over a week since she spoke to Mama Hwang and some of the woman's words stuck with her. Still, she didn't believe she should say anything. She deemed that now it'd be pointless. "Do you need a cup with it?"
Yeji just kept staring. There was something about the way Ryujin looked at her that bothered her a bit, though not in a bad way. She just couldn't help but wonder why she was receiving such attention. She didn't recall their interaction when she was drunk, nor at the park when she saw her ex from a distance, and at the store, she never noticed her there. So, this is the closest they've been in a while that she would remember.
