She

Chapter 36

"Aren't you gonna go after them?" Yeji questioned, wondering why the girl next to her didn't run ahead with the others.

"... ... Feels like we're a little too old for the playground," Jisu joked, causing Yeji to chuckle.

"I guess that's kinda true," Yeji replied, as the two continued to take slow steps towards the playground, where the three younger kids were already frolicking around, going up and down the slides, riding on the seesaw, and swinging on the swings, completely forgetting they were college students.

"Hey ...  you alright?" Yeji asked. She had noticed that while the 4 were busy reminiscing about their past memories of the park, Jisu had been staying largely silent the whole time, as if she was deep in her own thoughts. "You've been awfully quiet tonight."

Jisu let out an awkward laugh, as if Yeji had just called her out on something she shouldn't be doing.

"I'm sorry ... I didn't mean to ..."

"Oh it's okay! I didn't mean it that way!" Yeji exclaimed. "It's just ... ... i-if there's anything that's bothering you, uhm ... y-you can talk to me anytime," the silver haired girl continued, though her voice noticeably grew softer towards the end of her sentence.

Jisu let out a soft chuckle, finding the older girl's shyness to be amusing yet adorable at the same time.

"I know that, Yeji-ya. Thank you ... ... But the truth is... I-I don't think anything is really bothering me at the moment. I'm ... I'm actually quite happy right now."

And Jisu wasn't lying when she said this.

Right now, in this moment, Jisu truly felt unbothered and carefree, and dare she say, happy.

Underneath the warm yellow streetlights, walking in the park that held invaluable memories to her, with the girl she loved by her side once more while her three best friends were gleefully playing around up ahead as little glimmering snowflakes gently rained down upon them.

There was really nothing more Jisu could ask for. 

Because she had everything that mattered to her right there with her.

She couldn't quite remember the last time her life felt complete, as it had been ages since she's tasted the concept of being content, but in this moment, she felt as if she needed nothing more to live than what surrounded her right now.

And that made her happy, beyond words could ever describe.

Yeji turned to look at Jisu with a blank stare, before the corner of her mouth slowly curled up into a wide smile, her teeth subtly beaming white, while her usually intimidating feline eyes formed into tiny half-moons that made her appear more like a kitten in the moment than a cat.

"W-Why are you looking at me like that?" Jisu asked, wondering why the silver haired girl seemed to be even more excited than she was herself.

"Oh it's nothing..." Yeji turned to look forward once more, though her smile didn't fade one bit. "I... I guess hearing that makes me happy too."

Yeji's words caused Jisu to blush, her cheeks turning a shade of pinkish red that stood out even more in the winter white snow.

"A-are you really?" the younger girl asked, not because she doubted the silver haired girl, but because she secretly wanted to hear Yeji say it again.

She wanted to hear Yeji say she's happy one more time.

"Am I really what?"

"Happy. A-Are you really happy?" Jisu repeated.