Saturday | October 21th, 2023 | 9:16 PM
I knocked on the door again, rubbing my arms as the cold wind of the night was starting to pick up. Jeez, how long were the Shin sisters going to take to open the door? As the cold air blew past me again, I chastised myself for not wearing anything warmer as the nighttime autumn breeze began to arrive. All I had was the clothes on my back and my backpack swung over my shoulders to keep me warm.
I knocked on the door again. "Hurry the fuck up, please. I'm freezing my ass out here." I complained to myself, feeling chills spike up my spine. I swiveled around to look around me, spotting just a single car in their driveway. Hm, guess that was a sign that someone was home. So, where were they? I turned back around and knocked again, sighing as I rubbed my hands together.
Finally, the sound of the knob turning broke through the silence, and the door opened to reveal Yuna. She was dressed in a loose white crop top and gray sweatpants. I couldn't help but notice the large amount of skin showing, her toned midriff and especially the curve of her waist, leading down to her wide hips.
"I'm so sorry Minjae!" She exclaimed, waving me inside and closing the door behind me.
"What took so long for you to answer the door?" I shivered, rubbing my arms, the warmth of the inside of their house was a huge relief.
Yuna winced, "Ryujin decided to take a shower after work and I was upstairs so I couldn't hear the door that well. I'm sorry again, did you wait long?"
"No, not at all." I reassured her, shaking my head. I gave her a smile, and the two of us started making our way towards their kitchen. "I'll keep you company until Ryujin gets out, then. Want anything to eat? Or drink?" Yuna politely offered.
"Some water, if you don't mind." I replied, watching as Yuna reached inside the fridge, grabbing two bottles of water. She tossed me one, and I caught it with one hand. "Thanks," I said, before twisting the cap off and bringing the bottle up to my lips, drinking down a big gulp.
"Of course, it's no problem," Yuna answered, giving me a cute smile. She took a small sip, and set her water bottle down on the table and brought her eyes back to mine, "So, how are you and Ryujin doing with the class project?" Having her full attention on me made me a little nervous, and my mind went blank. I wondered if she knew how pretty she was, if she knew how deadly her smile was to use.
"Uh, yeah. Good, everything's going fine," I managed to answer, hoping I didn't look awkward or dumb. Yuna lightly chuckled, and her eyes crinkled at the corners. "That's good, I'm glad." She smiled, her plump lips stretching over her straight, white teeth. She brought her fingers up and tucked her hair behind her ears, exposing the full length of her neck.
The sight of her smooth skin made my eyes widen, and my pants tighten. I felt my heart begin to pound, and my mouth dried. I licked my lips, and forced my gaze away from her body, bringing the bottle up to my mouth to finish the rest of the water. Yuna's voice broke through the silence, "Are you nervous for midterms?"
"Uh, yeah," I mumbled, setting the bottle down on the counter. Yuna tilted her head to the side, and furrowed her eyebrows, "Haha, well, same. Hopefully, we'll do okay. What classes do you have midterms for?"
"Well, this project counts as our English midterm, and I also have one for my Computer Science class as well as my Biology 2 class. Those are the big ones, but I have some other ones I'm not too worried about."
"Hm, that sounds terrible," Yuna chuckled. I hummed in agreement, "What about you?"
"Hmm, I only have two coming up, one for Psychology and the other for my Korean Literature class," Yuna replied, taking a sip from her bottle of water.
"You're a Psych major?" I asked, raising my eyebrows. Yuna laughed at me, "No, sorry. I'm actually majoring in Education."
I nodded, "Ah, okay. That makes sense. Do you plan on being a teacher?"
Yuna slapped a thumbs-up onto the table, "Yuppers! I want to be a high school teacher." I imagined Yuna teaching a bunch of teens, and I could easily picture the class full of guys who wouldn't focus on her class, but would rather focus on her. I know I wouldn't be able to focus.
Yuna played with the water bottle, twirling it around on the table. I cleared my throat, and glanced down at the table, feeling the emptiness of the quietness of the kitchen. I shifted around awkwardly, and wondered if I should try and initiate another conversation, when Yuna beat me to it.
"So, are you and Ryujin finishing the project today? Or will I be expecting you here more often?" She teased, a playful smirk growing on her face.
"Uh, I would hope we finish today. We're just recording the video today. It shouldn't take too long. I mean, depending on how it turns out, we might need to redo a part we don't like, but still." I answered, scratching the back of my head.
Yuna giggled, her laugh was light and sweet, making my stomach flutter. She gave me another bright smile, her eyes shining. "Alright, well, hopefully it goes well. I wouldn't want to get in your way."
I felt a shiver run down my spine, her tone had suddenly gotten a bit deeper, huskier, more seductive. Her voice had gotten so sultry and low, I could've melted. I stared into her eyes, a dark shade of brown, so full of mischief and playfulness, a playful grin on her lips.
"T-Thanks." I muttered. My heart was pounding. Before either of us could say anything else, the sound of footsteps approaching the kitchen interrupted the moment, and Yuna straightened her back, a wide grin on her face.
"Ryujin-ah! Your partner is here!" Yuna shouted, turning around to face her sister.
Ryujin had emerged from the hallway, dressed in a hoodie and basketball shorts, her hair nearly dry but slightly damp. She gave a slight smile, and nodded, "Hey, Minjae."
I nodded back, and gave her a smile. "Ready?"
"Yeah, let's set up in the basement like last time. We can record down there, might need to move stuff around." Ryujin replied, already moving towards the stairs that led to their basement. I followed after her, waving bye to Yuna, who was smiling down at me.
As we walked down the stairs and entered the basement, she asked, "So, how was your day?"
I shrugged, placing my bag on the floor next to the coffee table, taking out my laptop. "Just went to class, the usual routine for me. I spent some time today revising our script, so hopefully we can get this video done today. Feel free to look over it before we start, maybe suggest a change or something, I don't mind."
"I'm sure you did fine," Ryujin marched over to the desktop on the desk on the far side of the room and sat down to start it up. I found my place on the lounge couch, dropping my backpack to the side of me and pulling out my laptop. "So uh, how was your day, Ryujin?" I decided to ask while Ryujin was busy booting up her PC.
"Good, classes went by smoothly. Work was a little stressful today, though. I'm used to it though." Ryujin frowned.
I gave her a sympathetic look, "That sounds shitty." After finding out about Ryujin's weed usage from the last time I came over, I've been a little less on edge when it comes to her, and she's definitely opened up more to me, making things less awkward and easier. She wasn't so bad to be around one on one, and she was a pretty chill and cool girl, I had finally realized.
"Yeah, pay's whatever. The workers aren't bad, but it's the manager who's a huge prick." Ryujin groaned.
"Well, maybe the next job will be better. Do you know what you want to do after college?" I asked, genuinely curious. I had no clue what major she was even in.
She shook her head, "No, not really. I've just been taking general ed classes, I still haven't picked a major yet. My parents are both nurses, so they've always wanted me and Yuna to be doctors, but I don't know, I didn't want to follow after them."
"Well, why not?" I pressed, curious about Ryujin's thoughts on following the family business. Ryujin pursed her lips, and gave a shrug, "I mean, it's what they're pushing for. My grades are good, but not the best. And I've just never really liked science, it's boring and hard."
"I don't know, it just seems like they don't have enough time to spend with me and Yuna, always at work or tired as hell. They usually work night shifts, so most times we're home while they're working. Or we're at school and working while they're at home getting rest for their next shift. And I just think... why would I want that for myself?" Ryujin sighed.
I silently nodded as I got Ryujin to talk more about herself. So her and Yuna were often left alone, since their parents are almost always working, so she must've been used to the idea of taking care of her younger sister, being a pseudo-mother of the household. Plus working on top of that and going to school? Hmm, I'm not that surprised she took up weed as a way to relax. Sounds like a bitch.
Ryujin leaned back on the swivel chair, sighing. "So, how should we do this? Are we using a phone to record or does your laptop have a webcam?"
"Yeah, it does. I think we should use a phone to record, though. I figured I'd pull up the script on my laptop and we'd read it off from there." Ryujin nodded, "Okay, makes sense." She turned back to her computer, "Are we good with the script? Do you think we should add more?"
"Uh, it should be okay, but if you're not happy with it, we can always add more, or subtract things." I murmured while letting my fingers hover the trackpad of my laptop. Ryujin sat there unmoving, staring at her screen. The only movement she made was when she scrolled up and down the pages, her head moving side to side as she re-read our script.
"It's good. I think we hit all the spots we needed," Ryujin finally stated, nodding her head. She pushed herself away from her computer and turned back towards me, "Alright, should we just record and then edit later?"
I agreed, "Sounds good to me. Who's phone are we using?" Ryujin grimaced and reached into her pocket, pulling out her phone and holding it up. It was battered and the screen was cracked, with a bunch of colorful stickers pasted all over the back. "Wow, okay." I mumbled.
"It works but the quality is going to be ass." She laughed. I found myself suddenly chuckling at the absurd state of her phone, "It's fine, we can use my phone instead."
"Oh thank god," She sighed in relief, pocketing her phone and standing up from her desk. I watched her make her way over to me and sit down beside me on the couch, "Alright, let's get started. The sooner we get this done, the better." I took out my phone and opened up the camera app. I pushed my laptop back on the coffee table and set my phone up against the monitor.
"Okay, we can start whenever." I mumbled, looking over the script. I think we both had a rough idea of how the video would be recorded, so the only thing we needed was the script in the background so we could read off of it.
Ryujin nodded and cleared her throat, "Alright, let's do it."
I gave her a smile and pressed the record button, before leaning back against the couch. I started off the script, "In recent news, the world's first successful test-tube baby was born, a man named Ian Pettigrew has won the Nobel prize for discovering a cure for cancer, and the first successful human cloning has just happened. Scientists have discovered a new way to grow a clone faster and healthier by using stem cells, and now, scientists all over the globe are scrambling to keep up with the stampede of scientific discoveries."
Yeah, our script had a bunch of mumbo jumbo in it, but a grade's a grade, and as long as the professor was entertained by it, he'd pass us. Ryujin jumped in, "With progression like this, it's only a matter of time before people begin to question, where will humans go from here? Will this technology allow for a longer life span, will we find a cure for aging? With the advancement in cloning, what will the world be like with human cloning as a common occurrence?"
"I'm personally excited about the idea of human cloning, the possibility of having someone that lo-looks exactly like you," I stuttered, realizing how stupid that sounded, especially considering that I was reading the lines of a script. Ryujin laughed at me and I could feel myself turning red.
"My fault, I got tongue tied there," I chuckled. Ryujin shook her head and shrugged, "It's fine, do you want to start over? We're only at the start, anyways."
"We could, I don't mind," I replied, "While we're at it, it's kind of uncomfortable looking down at the script." I looked over at Ryujin, whose face was practically inches from mine. Her face was expressionless, as if she was thinking of what she wanted to say. She nodded, "Yeah, you're right. I think we clearly look like we're looking at a script. Maybe we should sit on the ground so we're head-level with the camera and your laptop."
"That works, yeah." I stood up from the couch, grabbing my laptop and pushing it to the edge of the coffee table so we'd be able to see the script better. I sat on the floor and watched as Ryujin scooted off of the couch, landing next to me with a thump. As childish as it sounds, I felt myself flinch when I felt her knee graze my thigh. I was hyper aware of her presence beside me, her arm lightly touching mine as we both tried to position ourselves comfortably so we'd fit in frame.
I could smell her shampoo, a flowery scent that was fresh and clean. The heat radiating off her body was also comforting, and I felt my heart rate quicken. Ryujin finally settled next to me, and I was able to tear my eyes away from her and look up at the script. I quickly got myself situated, and started from the top of the script.
This time, the recording went without a hitch. We went back and forth, each taking turns reading off the script, making sure we made our tones and voices clear. And after a while, we wrapped up the script.
"That was good!" I praised, leaning forward to stop the recording. I was impressed, honestly. We didn't take too long and we weren't awkward, at least, I didn't think so. Ryujin sighed in relief, stretching her arms above her head and falling back against the couch. Her hoodie rose slightly, exposing the tiniest sliver of skin. I looked away, trying not to be a pervert. Ryujin turned her head to the side, looking at me with a lazy smile. "How do you want to edit it?"
I pursed my lips, thinking of the best option. "We can just edit together. You can use your PC, and I can use my laptop. It shouldn't take too long."
"Sounds good to me," She agreed, planting her hands onto the coffee table and pushing herself up off of the ground. Seeing the movement out of the corner of my eye, I just knew if I turned my head and lifted my eyes, I would be face to face with her ass, and I was not mentally prepared for that. I willed myself to ignore the call to look by busying myself with sending the video to Ryujin, even when she cracked her back, a soft sigh leaving her mouth.
"I sent it," I whispered, not trusting my voice. I closed my eyes, willing myself to calm down.
"Got it, thanks," She hummed, before turning back towards her PC. I finally looked up, and felt a wave of relief wash over me, glad that the moment had passed. Ryujin took her spot back at her PC, and we got to work on editing the video. I helped myself off of the ground and sat back down onto the couch, leaning forward to grab my laptop to put on my, well, lap.
Luckily enough, my laptop already came with a free video editing software, so I just opened that up and got ready to edit the video. Suddenly, the sounds of footsteps stepping down the stairs filled the basement. Ryujin and I both turned towards the stairs, and saw Yuna coming down the stairs.
"Hi guys!" She waved, a bright smile on her face. I couldn't help but smile back, giving her a small wave. Ryujin turned back around, but not before saying, "Hey Yuna, what's up?"
"Nothing much, just bored." She walked around the room, her eyes wandering around the shelves and walls. "I can see that," Ryujin murmured, her eyes still glued to her screen. Yuna walked over to the couch and plopped herself down next to me, a wide grin on her face. She scooted closer, her knees grazing mine, and her arm pressing into my own. "Did you guys finish yet?" She asked, her head turning towards me.
"Yeah, we're just editing right now. Hopefully it won't take too long," I explained, giving her a polite smile. Yuna nodded, humming. She crossed her arms and leaned back against the couch. We sat in silence for a while, the only sound coming from the two computers. I couldn't focus on editing, not with Yuna sitting right next to me.
The way her arm kept rubbing against mine, how close she was sitting to me. All this space on the couch and yet she decided to slam herself right up against me, it was a little overwhelming. Not to mention the way her scent kept wafting towards my nose, it was a floral scent, mixed with a hint of sweat. But I couldn't tell if the latter was actually her sweat, or the sweat I was sweating due to her being this close to me.
It was probably a mixture of both, considering how hot it was getting in the basement. The air was stuffy and hot, and the fact that I was sweating wasn't helping, considering the fact that I was sitting right next to an open flame. Yuna didn't seem fazed, though, since she wasn't sweating at all. Perfect girls don't sweat.
"Aw, you two look so professional in this," Yuna's voice cut through the silence, pressing her finger up against my laptop screen. My eyes glanced down at her hand, before traveling back to my laptop screen, which showed Ryujin and I sitting at the coffee table, reading the script. "Can I watch your video?" She asked, turning her head towards me.
"Hmm, I'm not done yet but sure," I replied, sliding and turning the laptop towards Yuna. She started playing the video, while Ryujin continued editing on her computer. From my laptop, my voice started coming out, reading off the lines from the script. I couldn't stand hearing my own voice, not just here but in any video taken of me so I tried tuning out but Yuna's hyper movements made it impossible.
I couldn't ignore the way her legs bounced up and down, the way she swayed side to side as her eyes were glued to the screen, watching our video intently. I furrowed my brows, looking down at my laptop. On the screen, Ryujin and I had finished up the first few lines, and I could hear the audio of where I accidentally got tongue tied.
Yuna giggled, leaning back on the couch, and turning her head to the side to look at me, a grin on her face. "You got a little tongue tied there," She teased, a smirk playing on her lips.
I rolled my eyes, scoffing, "Yeah, yeah, I know." Yuna shook her head, smiling as she continued watching. I couldn't help but feel like I looked bad in the shot. My head looked awkwardly huge, and the way my cheeks look puffy was unattractive. I didn't have that great of a haircut, and my facial structure wasn't the best. I just looked... weird.
Having Yuna pay such close attention to my past self made me feel embarrassed and a little uncomfortable. It felt like I was under a magnifying glass, being studied. I took a deep breath and got up from the couch, announcing loudly, "I'm going to get another water."
"Hmm, yeah, they're in the fridge," Ryujin replied, her voice quiet.
I left my laptop in Yuna's possession, and I could feel her eyes on me, following me as I made my way upstairs and into the kitchen. The cool air hit me, and a chill ran down my spine. I was finally out of that suffocating room, and now I could take a breather.
I walked over to the fridge, opening it up and pulling out a cold bottle of water. The coolness against my palm was a welcome feeling. I let the fridge door swing shut, and looked at the blurry reflectiveness of the fridge door, staring at myself. I sighed, running a hand through my hair.
Fuck me, I thought, shaking my head. How could a girl have such a strong effect on me? Just sitting next to me was enough to make my head spin, and when she was actually touching me? I was surprised that I was able to form words and hold myself back. Have you ever seen that one pretty girl, it could've been anywhere, at a restaurant, a bookstore, maybe even at church? It's like when you look at her, you feel like you have to check if your breath stinks or if your hair is a mess, even though there's no way she'd notice you.
Yeah, that's how I felt around Yuna. Like I needed to double check myself. I held the water bottle up to my head to cool down the burning blush on my face. My eyes drifted over to the side of the fridge, locking sights on the key rack that sat on the wall. All at once, a realization came over me, and everything came flooding back. The lightness in my body was replaced with heaviness, the ease in my muscles was replaced with tension.
My mouth tightened into a line, as I felt a pit of disgust build up inside of me. How could I forget, the ulterior reason why I was in their house, the reason why I wasn't as annoyed about doing this project with Ryujin in the first place, the panties... I began to fish my keys out of my pocket, and held them up. Sitting in between my car key and car fob were two identical house keys, one of which had a decorative metal tag in the shape of a house and the other a duplicate I had made.
Cautiously, I peered around me, focusing on my ears and seeing if I could hear any signs of the sisters coming up from the basement. With nothing but silence, I made a quick move. I found Yuna's set of keys and took them off the rack. I spent a bit moving Yuna's house key off of my ring of keys before starting to place it back to where it belonged
All the while, I was holding my breath and trying to be as slow and efficient as possible to prevent the key ring from jingling. It took some time but eventually I got Yuna's house key back onto her set of keys. I dropped her keys back onto the rack, and slid mine back into my pocket, letting out a quiet sigh of relief.
I had almost forgotten, I thought, my stomach churning. I was surprised no one noticed a missing key for two days. I let out another sigh, shaking my head. One less thing to worry about now, but I needed to get back to them before they start suspecting my disappearance.
I grabbed my water bottle off the counter and headed back downstairs, where the two sisters were waiting. Yuna was still sitting on the couch, her attention still fixed on the video, while Ryujin was still typing away at her computer. I plopped myself back onto the couch and opened my water, taking a few sips.
"That was a long bathroom break," Ryujin mused, her eyes glancing at me from her computer screen.
I shrugged, "Yeah, I had a lot to do. Sorry about that." Ryujin hummed, nodding, before turning back to her computer. I awkwardly hobbled over to Yuna, trying to quickly decide if I wanted to take my original spot right next to her or give us a little bit more space to work with. I sat down, albeit a few inches away from her, and grabbed my laptop off her lap.
"I think you guys did good," Yuna chirped, grinning. I let out a light laugh, "Thanks." She stood up from the couch and stretched her arms, cracking her neck. "Anyways, I'm gonna go shower, don't have too much fun without me," She called over her shoulder as she ascended the stairs.
I let out a sigh of relief, slouching and letting my body rest against the couch. The heat from the air was starting to cool, and I felt the tension in my body start to slip away. Finally, some peace and quiet, I thought. Now that Yuna wasn't sitting right next to me, the pressure of acting normal was gone.
I turned my laptop back towards me and looked over my editing, adding some finishing touches and fixing the audio. Ryujin had been silent this whole time, working on her own section, and I was content with the silence. It was a nice change, after having to talk all day and deal with the anxiety that was Yuna's presence.
"Geez, she's so annoying sometimes," Ryujin spoke up, her voice sounding a bit rough. I turned to her, surprised by her sudden noise.
"Who, Yuna?"
She nodded, closing her eyes, "Yeah. I love her, and she's not usually this bad, but sometimes she can be a real pain." She cracked her back, sighing in relief. I pursed my lips, looking down at my laptop, and nodding, "Ah."
"I can't imagine dealing with a sibling," I muttered, my fingers typing away at the keys.
"Only child?" Ryujin asked.
"Yup, only child," I answered, peeking up and seeing Ryujin still turned around from me. I looked back down and got back to editing. "Lucky you. I lied, having a sister isn't too bad," Ryujin admitted, a small laugh leaving her lips.
I nodded, chuckling, "I believe you." Ryujin let out a yawn, leaning back and stretching her arms up. She spun her chair around and faced me, resting her cheek on her palm, "Almost done with yours?"
"Just about," I replied, leaning back and running my fingers through my hair. Ryujin hummed, nodding, "I'm pretty much done, what about you." I looked up, a bit in shock. Being delayed by Yuna, I was somewhat behind.
"Um, I can just finish this at home then, it's not too much. Other than combining our parts together, we're pretty much done." Ryujin perked up, "Oh, really?"
"Mhm," I answered, saving the file and shutting down the laptop. I slid the device into my backpack, zipping it up.
Ryujin let out a soft chuckle, "Wow, well, it was nice working with you Hwang Minjae. Thanks for your hard work." She grinned, sticking her hand out for me to shake. I reached out, grabbing her hand and giving it a firm shake. Her hand was cold against my warm palm, the contrast of temperature was refreshing.
"Nice working with you too, thanks," I returned her grin.
"Right." She nodded, but her face still didn't ease up. We stood there for a second, both of us holding each other's hands and staring awkwardly at each other. Ryujin's grin began to fall, her eyes darting down and back up to meet mine.
"Fuck it, wanna smoke? You did say you'd do it next time we meet up," Ryujin asked, hushing her voice while darting her eyes towards the empty staircase.
"I mean, yeah, but what about Yuna?" I asked, a hint of panic in my voice.
"She's in the shower, and she'll just go to her room. Plus, she's the last person that should care," Ryujin replied, waving a dismissive hand.
"Oh, yeah, okay then," I stammered. Ryujin's hand was still wrapped around mine, but it wasn't like she was aware of it, since her eyes were still staring up at the stairs. A faint smile began to grow on her face, and she pulled away from my hand, "Let's go then," she whispered.
I followed after Ryujin as she made her way to the basement steps. We made our way upstairs, and she was quiet as we reached the first floor. She walked to the kitchen and to that one drawer I remembered seeing her hide her weed last time I was here. Ryujin bent over, opening the drawer and pulling out a plastic baggy with two blunts already rolled inside.
She held the bag between her lips as she closed the drawer, making her way towards the front door. She politely opened the door for me and together we stepped outside into the cold night. She closed the door shut behind her and turned towards me. Ryujin took the bag from her mouth and dangled her fingers into the baggie, picking out a blunt. She gently placed it between her lips before fishing out a lighter and professionally lighting the blunt.
I could hear her softly breathing in the smoke before turning her head to the side and blowing the smoke out. She closed her eyes and took another long drag. Fuck, the tension and stress in her body visibly eased up as she continued to inhale and exhale the smoke. Her expression was relaxed and she looked content. It was like her own special moment of peace.
I felt like I was invading her personal space, watching her as she indulged in her habit. The way the smoke escaped her slightly parted lips was so seductive, I could feel myself getting hot under the collar. The lonely inhales and exhales she let out as the smoke trailed out her lips, the way she would close her eyes and hold the blunt close to her, almost protectively.
Her eyes finally opened, and she stared down at the ground. Her hand was outstretched towards me, offering the blunt, which was now lit and burning. I held the blunt between my fingers and brought it up to my lips. I'm not one to smoke, never feeling like joining in when my friends would partake. It didn't mean I didn't try at one point, though.
I brought the blunt up to my lips and sucked in. Almost instantly, I could feel the smoke hitting the back of my throat. My body reacted, and I choked on the smoke, coughing and gagging. The burn in the back of my throat and the taste of ash lingering in my mouth made me cringe.
"You good?" Ryujin let out a hearty chuckle, a teasing grin on her face. She gently took the blunt out of my fingers and rubbed my back.
"I'm fine," I wheezed, continuing to cough. I felt her hand hook under my arm and pull me over towards a porch bench that I never noticed was in front of her house. She helped me sit down and took the remaining space next to me, the bench creaking and bending under the weight of the two of us.
"Here," she offered me the blunt again. "Don't rush it, suck in slowly and hold it," she instructed. Once again, I lifted the blunt up and took a slow inhale, this time being sure to keep it short and not overwhelm myself. She was right, and I was able to manage a short hit.
"Good, just like that," Ryujin murmured, watching me intently. Fuck, the smoke was harsh and dry, and my throat immediately started burning as the smoke filled my lungs. I let the smoke linger in my mouth, before turning to the side and blowing it out. Ryujin let out a small laugh and a lazy grin as she watched the smoke leave my mouth.
"You did it," she cheered, clapping. I grinned and handed it back to her. She took the blunt from me and took another long drag, a relaxed look washing over her face. She let out a soft groan, the smoke escaping her mouth. After she took a hit, she offered it back to me, and we continued to pass it back and forth in silence until she finally broke the ice.
"I'm sorry," she spoke up, her voice hushed and low. Her gaze was fixed on the floor, but she glanced up at me for a split second. "You should probably know that Yuna's just messing around with you," she mumbled. My breath caught in my throat and my body stiffened.
"Uh, what do you mean?"
She shrugged, "I mean, she's flirting with you, she's not serious about it though. She thinks I don't notice, but she has this thing where whenever she's around boys, she tries to get them flustered and gets touchy with them. She just wants a reaction, she doesn't mean anything by it."
"So, um," I stammered, looking away. "Does that mean, uh," I stuttered, unable to get my thoughts out. I found it a bit harder to collect my thoughts and speak. My tongue felt dry and heavy.
"It's just something she does," Ryujin sighed. "I just wanted to tell you before you fall too deep and get hurt," she finished, taking another hit of the blunt.
"No, it's alright, I'm fine. I wasn't interested anyways," I groaned, pressing deeper into the backrest. I ran my hands over my face and let out a shaky sigh, "Fuck, I think I'm getting there."
"Where?" Ryujin asked, glancing over at me. I let out a low whine, my face getting hotter, "Getting high."
Ryujin burst into laughter, "What? You can't be serious." She took another hit, her eyes still focused on me.
"Yeah, I think I'm high," I whimpered, slumping against the bench. My body was light and heavy, the world around me spinning. The feeling was nice, and I found myself closing my eyes and sinking into the feeling.
"Lightweight," Ryujin murmured, her voice coming closer. I hummed in response, fixating my eyes straight ahead. Even though we were over it by now, I couldn't help but think about Yuna. She wasn't actually interested in me, and she was just playing with my feelings. It's not like I was super into her, I wasn't even into her, but the idea of her messing with my emotions made my skin crawl.
"Why did Yuna flirt with me?" I asked, my eyes still focused forward. I could hear Ryujin shuffle next to me, but she didn't respond. I looked over and saw her sitting a few inches away from me. The blunt was back between her lips and she took another drag.
"I don't know," Ryujin sighed, "If I had to guess, probably because of our dad." She shrugged, leaning her head back and staring at the dark sky above us. My heavy head slowly rolled to the side, and I stared at her, holding her in my sight.
"I remember when we were younger, before my parents took their night jobs and spent time with us, Yuna was a massive daddy's girl. He used to love spoiling her and giving her everything she wanted. I couldn't argue it, my dad was a sucker for Yuna," she let out a hollow laugh. I continued to listen to her, the buzzing in my brain fading to a hum as she continued to speak.
"It's weird," she muttered, her head mulling over and her eyes meeting mine. "Back in high school, our parents took their job offer at the hospital and suddenly, they were busy all the time, barely around to take care of us. Yuna was still young, she didn't fully understand what was happening. All she knew was that Dad wasn't there anymore, and she just changed."
"I can't tell you if she's even aware of it, but I've been watching her play this game for the past couple years," Ryujin let out a shaky sigh, her shoulders sagging. Her eyes looked heavy, like the world was weighing down on her. "A lot changed for us. Mom and Dad got busier and stopped giving a shit about us, I became the older sister and had to take care of Yuna," Ryujin sighed.
"Sorry," Ryujin chuckled, wiping her eyes. She let out a soft laugh, shaking her head, "I don't know why I'm telling you this." I was still watching her intently. There was something about her, a certain energy, a type of presence, that made me want to stay.
"It's fine," I assured her, my words a bit slurred. She chuckled, rolling her head over and facing me. "Keep going, I'm listening," I murmured. Ryujin gave me a weak grin and nodded.
"Okay." Ryujin took another puff of the blunt and handed it back to me. "Once our parents started becoming more distant, we were lost. I was forced to step up and fill the roles our parents couldn't. So, I was there for Yuna," she muttered, her words trailing off.
"I think I sound dramatic if I said I missed out on life because of them, but in a way, it's true. All I know is work, taking care of the house, and taking care of Yuna," she murmured. Her eyes were casted down, staring at the ground. "I'm not mad or anything, just," she stopped, trying to find the words to finish.
"I'm happy they're successful. That they're providing for us, but sometimes I wish we had more time with them. I just wanted more time to just be a kid before having to grow up," Ryujin sighed, leaning back and letting her head rest against the wall. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
I was staring at the burning blunt in between my fingers. It was slowly burning out as I held it at my lap, the orange-red embers glowing in the dark night. Slowly, I went to take another hit, this one longer and deeper than the last. I kept the smoke in for a few seconds before letting it escape through my lips. I closed my eyes, letting the sensation wash over me.
"Do you hate your parents?" I asked, lifting my head and looking over at her. Ryujin shrugged, keeping her eyes closed.
"No," she murmured.
"But you wish things were different."
"Yes."
We were silent for a few moments, nothing but the sound of our soft breathing and the occasional cricket chirp filling the cold night air. The sounds of the neighborhood were quiet and distant. Ryujin reached over and grabbed the small remainder of the blunt out of my hand, the paper and tobacco burning to ashes in the small flame.
"I'm not trying to pity myself," Ryujin whispered, breaking the silence. "I just," she stopped. "It just feels like the universe is working against me. I've barely seen my parents since the semester started. I mean, I've barely seen them for a good part of my life. Somehow, they still get on my ass to do good but school's been kicking my ass, I hate working but I can't live a comfortable life without money, I'm just a stressed fuck.
"I'm sorry, Ryujin." I said. She didn't look at me, keeping her eyes on the street. She sighed, her expression falling, her lips curling down into a frown.
"Nah, don't be. It just felt like lately, it's all been catching up to me." Ryujin let out a long breath, leaning her head back against the wall. "Like, I just feel so tired, all the time. Like, physically, mentally, spiritually. Tired. But no matter how much sleep I get, it's still there, this constant weariness."
"That sounds exhausting."
"Yeah, it is. I just wish I had someone who actually gave a fuck." She let out a small laugh. "All I have is Yuna, but I just... I don't want to burden her with my problems, she has her own future she's pursuing and I can't just hold her down."
"I'm just so alone. Sometimes, it just feels like I have no one. I have no best friends, no one that cares. And, yeah, I can be distant sometimes so that's on me, but, it just sucks." Ryujin let out a sigh, her shoulders falling.
Ryujin finished off the rest of the blunt, smothering the flame between her fingers. She took out the second and last one in the baggie, quickly lighting it and bringing it up to her lips. I simmered in my spot, letting her words sink in. I could only imagine the stress that's been piled onto her, and yet she's still here. Still standing.
"Hey," Ryujin spoke up. I glanced over at her and her eyes met mine. She grinned, her eyes crinkling and her smile warm. "Thanks, though."
"For what?" I asked.
"For listening, for not thinking I'm a whiny bitch," Ryujin laughed, waving a hand. "It's nice having someone to talk to. It's been so long since I had anyone to open up to," Ryujin mumbled, her voice sounding raspy and hoarse.
"Of course," I said. She looked back over at me and gave me a small smile, her eyes sparkling in the dark night. She leaned her head back against the wall, blowing out a slow exhale. Her hand stretched out to pass the blunt over to me.
"So, um," Ryujin's voice broke the silence. I took the blunt and placed it between my lips, sucking in a small hit. The taste was harsher this time, the tobacco burning my throat and causing me to cough. "What about you? Anything on your mind?"
I shrugged, "Not really." Besides my recent venture into the world of sexual fantasies, nothing was on my mind, well parents too, but that was something else.
"Oh, okay." We sat in silence for a few minutes, both of us passing the blunt back and forth. I felt more relaxed, my head feeling fuzzy. Ryujin seemed less tense, her eyes droopy and a small smile on her lips. She took a long drag and then leaned her head against the wall, her eyes fluttering shut.
"Ryujin?" I murmured. Her head pulled over, and she hummed, cracking her eyes open and staring at me. In the quiet, I felt compelled to talk, to break the silence. Hmm, it might be the weed but I didn't feel as reserved or anxious. I felt like I was floating, a calmness settling over me. It didn't seem right to let Ryujin share her story while staying silent.
"Parents are a pain, huh?" I said, taking a hit and letting the smoke fill my lungs. Ryujin chuckled, rolling her head back over to the side and meeting my gaze.
"Yeah," Ryujin mumbled. "Why, do you have problems with yours?"
"Not as bad as yours, I think," I inhaled, blowing the smoke out in front of me. I could feel the smoke entering my brain and causing the gears to spin, to slow. The air around us was hot, the smell of the weed thick in the air. Only Nakyung knew about what I was going to say next, and it felt weird to be able to let go and trust Ryujin with something so personal.
"I don't have a good relationship with either of my parents," I started off. Ryujin's body was still, but her eyes were wide and trained on me, her full attention on me. "I don't have an idea of when it started but when I was in middle school, my dad would secretly bring home women that weren't my mom."
"Random women, different women, they came and went. My dad confided in me. He pulled me aside one day and said he didn't have the heart to tell my mom, and asked if I would keep it a secret," I said, letting out a breath. My chest felt tight, and the familiar weight settled on my chest. Ryujin was listening intently, her eyes still focused on me.
"I was so stupid. I told him that I wouldn't tell." I swallowed hard, feeling the bile rising in the back of my throat. My mouth felt dry and sour, the bitter taste lingering in my mouth. "I kept his secret, for months, I watched as my dad snuck in women while my mom was off at work and never had a clue."
"What happened?" Ryujin murmured. I looked over at her, and she was still staring at me, her face soft and inviting. "It's okay if you don't want to say."
"It's fine," I mumbled. I could feel the pressure building, the words bubbling up in the back of my throat, waiting to escape. I haven't talked about this since I told Nakyung, and it's been weighing on me for the past couple years. "My mom, one day, eventually found out."
"She had found some underwear that didn't belong to her, hiding in her own drawer," I mumbled, "So she confronted my dad and demanded to know what was going on. They argued for days and days, it was unbearable. Even though it wasn't my fault, somehow my dad roped me into it, confessing that I knew all along and hid the secret."
"It was awful, my view of my parents changed, their view of me changed, everything changed. Things just," I sighed, the words caught in the back of my throat, struggling to leave. "I guess, from there, our relationship has been rocky. My dad still treats me differently, like he's constantly walking on eggshells around me. And my mom just blames me for everything, for the marriage falling apart, for not telling her immediately. Things just haven't been the same."
"Damn, Hwang," Ryujin's voice was quiet, low. I nodded, taking another puff of the blunt and passing it back to her. I leaned back against the wall, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath. "I'm sorry," she murmured.
"It's not your fault," I said, shaking my head. Ryujin let out a breath, "I mean, I'm sorry you had to go through that."
"I miss them, the old them, the ones who used to actually be my parents, you know?" My chest felt tight, my breathing was growing more shallow, and the words were getting harder to say. I swallowed hard, the back of my throat feeling like sandpaper. We fell into silence once again while I delved deeper into my thoughts.
Mom shunned me and saw me as something else, Dad distanced himself. At the time, all I had was Nakyung. I remember crying to her during lunch time in the middle of school, her holding me and whispering kind words had really made the two of us bond together.
She was all I had, my parents were too focused on bickering with each other and making sure they got their points across. It got so bad, they'd try to make me side with one or the other, which I never did, I refused to. It was shitty for what my dad did, cheating and everything but he always argued it was because she never loved him even when they first married. He just wanted someone to love him, and to some degree I understood that.
Then there was the other side, where my mom constantly called me a "good for nothing brat" and said how I should've been more "supportive and loving" as her child. She blamed me for how her relationship ended, and I hated how she always put the blame on me, but I could never say anything, the words wouldn't leave my lips because she was right. I should've said something earlier, but I was a dumb kid who only delayed the evitable.
"Hwang?" Ryujin's soft voice broke me out of my thoughts, "Are you cold? You're shivering a lot." I didn't even realize it, but my teeth were chattering, and my arms and legs were covered in goosebumps. It was probably from the sudden drop in temperature, the summer night's wind causing the breeze to blow cold and hard. Smoking must've distracted me from the cold, and the weed had probably numbed me. "A little."
"Come closer," she said, patting the empty space next to her. I scooted over to her, and she threw an arm over my shoulder, pulling me in tight. The warmth from her body made me shiver a little, but I was grateful for the warm touch. We sat there, side by side, bodies pressed against each other as the night grew darker and the cold grew colder. Passing the dying blunt between us as we quietly savored the moment and stared off into the street.
The only source of light was the light from the windows in the house across the street, a couple silhouettes sitting in front of the television. We just sat there and enjoyed the night air. Having these moments really helped me feel human, like I was just a person and not a monster with a dirty mind.
"It's nice, this," Ryujin muttered. "Just, being here, smoking with a friend." She said, her voice trailing off. I hummed, the weed causing my head to grow heavier. "I mean, thanks. For everything. Listening, smoking, letting me open up." Her arm was wrapped around my shoulder, and I could feel the rise and fall of her chest as her breath became heavier.
"Yeah," I sighed. "Thanks, too."
"It's nice not being alone," she whispered, her voice trailing off as she began to nod off. She let her head fall, and she rested her chin on top of my shoulder. Her grip tightened on me and I could hear her breath quicken. Her body was hot and heavy, and the weight of her head felt comforting. The smell of the smoke, her shampoo, and her body wash all blended together into this unique, soothing aroma.
I felt my body grow heavier as I felt the tiredness settle in, and my eyelids slowly fell. Ryujin shifted her body and she wrapped both her arms around me, burying her head in the crook of my neck. She let out a low hum and her breath grew slower. "Fuck, I'm so tired."
I tilted my head towards her, resting my head against hers. Her hair was soft and fluffy, and it smelled sweet. "Me too."
"Can you just... can we just sit here a bit longer? Can you just hold me?" She mumbled, her words coming out in a slur. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her closer. Her skin was smooth and warm.
"Yeah," I whispered. "Of course."
"Mhm," Ryujin sighed, her breathing growing shallow. Her body was limp and heavy, and her breath grew heavier. We just sat there in a comfortable silence, embracing each other's presence.
I could feel my heart racing as her breath grew shallower and the weight of her body on mine grew. The sound of her breathing was calming and her skin was warm and soft. Her body was soft and comforting, and I felt at peace with the world for once. Ryujin slowly moved her head away, and I felt a sudden emptiness as her head left the crook of my neck. She lifted her head and looked at me, her eyes half-lidded.
"Thanks, Minjae," She murmured, her voice husky. I stared at her, unable to break away from her gaze. She was beautiful, even with her hair tousled and bare faced. A lazy, sleepy smile crept onto her lips and her eyes crinkled as she looked at me. Her eyes were glassy, and the corners of her lips curled up into a grin. She blinked slowly and let out a yawn, rubbing her eyes. "Shit, I'm so tired."
"Yeah, it's late." I whispered.
"Yeah." She yawned, letting her eyes flutter close. "We should probably head inside."
"Probably." I chuckled. She barely opened her eyes and leaned forward, bringing her face closer to mine. Her lips were inches away from mine and I felt her breath tickle my lips. She leaned forward, her lips meeting mine. It was a soft, tender kiss, and the contact sent a warm feeling down my spine.
I closed my eyes and kissed her back, the kiss growing deeper and deeper. My lips moved against hers and our mouths fit perfectly together, the kiss sending chills down my spine. The weed had numbed me, I didn't understand why she was kissing me, or why I was kissing her back, but I wasn't complaining. It was intoxicating and felt amazing, her lips were soft and smooth, and her breath was hot.
She pulled back, letting her eyes flutter open. "Fuck, I'm tired." She yawned.
"Yeah, it's late."
"Yeah," She breathed out. She blinked a couple times, her eyelids drooping as her body relaxed. She looked at me and gave me a tired, lazy smile, her eyes half lidded. Her expression was soft and sleepy, and I could feel myself melt a little.
"Can you drive?"
"I think I can drive." I nodded.
"Good," She breathed. Ryujin moved her arm away from my shoulder and stood up, hugging herself from the cold. She turned to look at me, a smile on her face. "I don't want you to crash on the road."
"Well, I think I'll be fine."
"Mm." She hummed, nodding. "Okay, cool. Um, yeah. I'm gonna head in."
"Yeah."
"Yeah," She nodded. Ryujin stood there, not moving. Her eyes were locked onto my lips but she didn't make a move. I watched her, waiting for her to do something, say something, but she stayed quiet, her eyes lingering on my lips. She had a confused look on her face and it seemed like she was lost in her thoughts. I wanted to pull her into another kiss, but something told me she wouldn't react well, and it'd probably freak her out.
It was a spur of the moment. It didn't mean anything. Yeah, she didn't know why she did that either.
"That was weird. I'm sorry. Just a little high and tired, yeah." Ryujin chuckled awkwardly.
"It's fine." I forced a smile, trying to forget about the spontaneous kiss.
"Good night, Minjae. Thanks for being here, and keeping me company." She gave me a small wave before turning around and walking towards her front door. I watched her as she disappeared behind the door, the sound of the door closing making me snap out of my thoughts.
"Shit," I mumbled. My mind was fuzzy, and my lips were still tingling. "Fuck." I took a deep breath, trying to collect myself. It was just a spur of the moment, a little weed, a little cold. It meant nothing, and neither of us would act on it. I turned on my feet and stumbled towards my car, feeling heavy and tired.
I got into my car, not bothering to turn the radio on. The streets were empty, and I drove slowly. It was late, and my eyes were heavy, and my vision was blurred. The streetlights were bright and they illuminated the street in an eerie way. I let my mind wander and tried not to think about the kiss. Was it the weed or Ryujin that made me feel less like shit? My mind finally felt somewhat organized and less jarring. My thoughts were finally quiet.
As I drove, the silence was deafening.
Another one! Hmm, as my timeline for this story goes, it seems that we're going to have a cold streak for a bit, I wonder if that'll lower my view count at this point. Hopefully, I've engaged you guys for more than smut and you guys are willing to sift through my plot until another underwear escapade happens! Hope you enjoy this one, really was focused on characterization with this one!