peach eyes (and blue skies)

“Oh, Ryujin’s streaming.”

Yeji doesn’t remember which one of them had said it — whether it was her or Jisu — but she remembers the moment it turned from a simple check-in on Ryujin’s LIVE to something more.

They were less than a minute into it. The video had just started and Ryujin had barely greeted her viewers when she — and Yeji’s world — came tumbling down. One second, she was sitting up, and the next, Ryujin was on the bed and the frame was nothing but linen white sheets, tussled black hair, and peach brown eyes.

Yeji stood no chance after that — falling for Ryujin again like every other day of her life. Sometimes it’s the simple scrunch of her nose and flash of her whiskers that does Yeji in. Last week, it was when they were all following Ryujin’s solo performance from backstage. And today, it just so happened to be this stream.

So now she’s sitting. She’s watching — obsessed — as Ryujin goes through the end of her night with all of her lucky fans (because no one is luckier nor bigger a fan of Ryujin than Yeji herself). When Ryujin realizes she’s missing an earring, Yeji laughs. When she fails to find it despite her best attempts at searching, she laughs louder. And whenever Ryujin goes quiet and stares at the camera to read whatever messages the fans are writing, Yeji simply stares back.

“Jesus Christ…”

The words fall loose out of Jisu’s hanging jaw. It’s a sudden reminder that Yeji isn’t alone in the room, that she’s been so locked in with Ryujin’s stream that she forgot Jisu was there next to her. She starts to feel bad, but then she remembers the last couple hours between them — how it was literally nothing but them making googly eyes and kissy faces at each other.

In fact, if it hadn’t been for Ryujin’s LIVE notification popping up, Yeji’s sure they would be on their way to doing a lot more right now. Instead, they’ve settled down next to each other — sitting shoulder-to-shoulder on the same chair — while huddled around Jisu’s phone because Yeji’s was low on battery after their own stream. It was a smart move in hindsight because Yeji doesn’t think she’d survive the heartbreak if the phone died right now.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” Jisu sighs.

Yeji’s eyes dart back to the phone just in time for another life-changing event. They’re 25 minutes in now and Ryujin’s moving around again, but this time she’s locking her eyes with the camera and tumbling back against the bed in a way that makes Yeji’s heart ache with the remorse that she’s unable to follow her to that mattress.

“So…can we tip her on this, or—“

“Jisu!” It’s the first thing all night capable of ripping her concentration away from the video. As Yeji turns to Jisu with shock on her face, she throws on an air of authority that can only come with experience. “It’s not that kind of stream! We can’t send her money like that!”

“Uh-huh…” Jisu studies the outrage on Yeji’s face as it evolves into an unsteady indignation. Her eyes narrow ever so slightly, not so much judging but perceiving her. “You’ve tried before, haven’t you?”

Yeji’s mouth scrunches up in an attempt to find the right words. It’s already too late to lie — not that Jisu would believe her anyway — but she still doesn’t want to reveal when she first tried to tip Ryujin and especially not how many times she’s tried since.

“I just…” Yeji clears her throat and puffs out her chest, thinking that maybe she can turn this embarrassing insight into a lesson. “I just think it’s very important that we try and support each other any way we can.”

Jisu’s eyes soften in empathy as she wraps an arm around Yeji’s shoulder. “I feel that.” She sighs and leans her head against Yeji’s before going back to the video. “It’s a shame we can’t throw her a few bucks though — she’s looking really hot right now.”

As Yeji returns her own attention to the stream, Jisu’s words ring loud in her head over the tinny phone audio. Ryujin does, in fact, look really hot right now, and as one really hot woman with another beside her, Yeji thinks that if they can’t send her money, maybe there’s something else they can do instead.

It wouldn’t be the first time they drop in on one another while streaming, though there is the faux pas of showing up after she and Jisu had already said goodnight on their own terms. Still, what Yeji’s more nervous about is what would happen if they do go over now. It’s not that she can’t control herself, but she doesn’t know if she’ll be able to control Jisu with all of them in the same room.

Fortunately, it seems the thought of calling it has also crossed Ryujin’s mind as she starts to get ready for bed. With the same unwavering stare that’s been on her face the whole stream, Yeji looks on as Ryujin ties up her hair and goes through her nightly skincare routine — smiling whenever she recognizes some of the items as products she’s recommended to Ryujin and vice-versa.

At some point, Jisu passes the phone off to Yeji who wordlessly takes it and continues to watch until the video ends and Ryujin’s peach eyes turn black in front of her. The jump-scare of seeing herself suddenly in an empty screen is something she’s used to — late nights playing video games will do that — but what surprises her is the bar that pops up at the bottom when the stream finishes.

34 minutes. She’s been sitting in a chair — glued to Jisu’s phone — for more than half an hour. She doesn’t know exactly where all that time went, but she does know that she gave it to Ryujin and that it’s not the only thing she’d like to give her.

“Hey, you coming or what?”

As if able to read her thoughts, Jisu chimes in from the door of the hotel room. Although Ryujin is literally across the hall from them, Jisu’s still zipping up a hoodie around herself — Yeji’s hoodie actually. The thing is huge on her and it makes her look so positively small and squeezable, especially when Jisu’s hands fall to her sides and there’s no trace of her fingers peeking out from the sleeves. If the two of them weren’t already on a mission, then Yeji would be pulling her towards the bed right now.

But they are on a mission and it’s that thought that slides Yeji’s feet into the slippers below her and what propels the both of them out into the hall. The trek is short — a few steps really — but that doesn’t stop them from hurrying.

“Wasn’t she getting ready for bed?” The realization hits Yeji out of the blue. She blames it on all the blood pumping through her veins from standing up and walking. “Maybe we should—”

“Ryujin!” Jisu pounds her fist against the wood of the door. It’s enough to shake the walls — the thunderous booms of her hits reverberating down the hall. “Open up!”

“What do you think you’re doing?” Yeji grabs Jisu’s hand to stop her, the last knock still echoing around them. “There’s other people in the hotel, you know!”

“Then tell them they can get in line; we got here first.”

Jisu starts to wind up another knock with her other hand, but the door opens before she can build up enough momentum. Ryujin steps out — definitely confused, possibly annoyed, and looking undeniably as captivating as she did on the phone screen a minute ago.

“What are you guys—“

Yeji’s primary concern comes to pass as Jisu strikes before she can answer. She moves forward quickly — expanding to fill the open space between the doorway like an obnoxious gas. It’s the fastest Yeji’s ever seen her move as Jisu’s arms shoot out and spear Ryujin in the midsection to send her stumbling back.

“Jisu!” Ryujin yells as the two of them disappear into the room behind her.

“Ryujin!”

Yeji closes the door before going after them. Ryujin’s landed on her back, legs falling over the edge of the bed and her arms splayed out to either side. Jisu’s landed on top, her own arms encircling Ryujin’s abdomen while her head’s buried in her chest. There’s nothing more Yeji could want from the scene — her heart fluttering at the sight — but the cherry on top of it all has to be the utterly hapless look on Ryujin’s face.

Walking deeper into the room, Yeji stops when her legs knock against the edge of the bed frame. One of Ryujin’s floundering feet catches itself between her knees and it prompts her to look up. There’s a silent plea for aid showing in Ryujin’s eyes that eventually manifests out of her mouth.

“Yeddeong,” she chokes out. “Help.”

As the corners of Yeji’s mouth mischievously curl upwards, the expression on Ryujin’s face only grows more doomed by the second. Yeji doesn’t answer; she doesn’t need to. After all, there’s really one thing to do in this situation.

Chaos reigns. Yeji raises her arms and falls forward. Jisu and Ryujin scream before a mad scuffle ensues on the bed as limbs begin to entangle with one another. It’s a mess of tickles and groping and iffy attempts to make sure no one’s hair gets pulled. At no point does Yeji ever know who she’s looking at or touching, but it doesn’t stop her laughs from joining Jisu’s enthused giggles, Ryujin’s half-hearted whines, or the mattress’s strained groans beneath them.

Eventually, the mass of cackles and expletives turns into a singular, heaving pile of tired pants. Based on the landmarks she can see — Jisu’s hand and Ryujin’s waist — Yeji believes her head has settled somewhere atop Ryujin’s stomach. That theory is further supported by the fact that everything below her thighs is currently touching air instead of mattress and the subtle rise and fall of the body below her.

The sudden hush and calming rhythm of Ryujin’s breathing causes Yeji’s eyes to close as she sinks deeper into this newfound peace. Ryujin’s drawing tiny circles on her back. Jisu’s hand finds her head and instinctively begins to scratch. Her leg starts to bounce like a dog’s, but Yeji can’t help it. It might be a far cry from her and Jisu’s initial intentions, but the single thing on Yeji’s mind is how lucky she is right now to be huddled up with two of her favorite people in the world.

Then the body below her tenses. The circles on her back stop and the hand in her hair tightens up. Yeji’s not sure what’s going on at first, but then she hears it — a groan. Not breathing, but the low, husky shudder that she’s heard from Jisu more times than she can count. Lifting her head from Ryujin’s stomach, Yeji opens her eyes and sees a betrayal that cuts her to the core. Unless she’s mistaken, Jisu and Ryujin are currently locking lips and making out right above her.

At first, she forgets to be offended. How could she be when — less than a foot away — Ryujin and Jisu have their tongues in each other’s mouths and their hands on each other’s bodies? It’s yet another sight Yeji could spend all night losing herself in, but then she remembers that she’s not trapped behind a phone screen anymore; she is literally right on top of them.

“What the hell?” Yeji pushes herself up onto her hands. “Did you guys forget I was here or something?”

Nothing. No reaction. It’s not until Ryujin raises a finger up to Yeji that she even acknowledges her.

“Oh, you want me to wait?” Yeji asks wide-eyed.

The finger turns into a thumbs-up that eventually returns to grope at Jisu while Yeji crosses her arms with an indignant huff. The offense that had first missed her comes roaring back, but she waits regardless. Yeji knows the second she counters this sass with her own, Ryujin will have won.

“Sorry about that,” Jisu giggles as the two finally pull apart from each other. “I wanted to say something, but my mouth was busy.” She shamelessly knocks her head against Ryujin’s, her eyes going elsewhere to avoid Yeji’s critical stare.

“Uh-huh,” Yeji shakes her head before looking at Ryujin. “And what about you?”

“It’s nothing to sulk about,” Ryujin tells her. “I was gonna do you next anyway.”

“Really? You were gonna—” But then Ryujin shuts her up the only way she knows how; she does her next. Snatching Yeji by the scruff of her collar, Ryujin pulls her down until their lips crash against each other’s. The sound that comes out of Yeji — part surprise and part pleasure — gets swallowed up instantly by Ryujin’s hungry maw.