Stargazing - Ryeji

For The Night

"Hwang Yeji, can you move a little faster?" Yeji's boss demanded.

"I'm sorry." Yeji said while stretching her limbs.

Yeji felt like her back was going to break due to all the carrying. In the morning, she works as bodyguard. After that, she works as a waitress and now, she is working as a delivery person.

Even with all the pain and box she is carrying, Yeji still tried her best and let out a smile as she remembers the feeling of Ryujin's warm hand. Just by thinking of the short-haired girl and her smile, Yeji already regained energy.

"Boss, where should I deliver this?" Yeji said while carrying two boxes of bottled water in her hands.

"To a...call center." The man said and pointed at a certain direction.

"Alright." Yeji said and let out a smile as she felt excited on meeting the short-haired girl.

--

"Shin Ryujin, focus!" The guy shouted at the short-haired girl who is starting to fall asleep at work.

Ryujin has been overworked by the other employees and also getting punished by her boss who is still mad at the cat-eyed girl.

But what can she do? she doesn't want to lose her job so she just simply work, not complain and do her best to endure the pain and burden.

Ryujin, once again, lost focus when she felt her boss walking towards her. When she was still new in the agency, she felt comfortable around her boss because he is a nice and caring man. Now, she feels scared everytime the man in his 40s speaks to her.

"Shin Ryujin, are you doing fine today?" The man said and leaned closer to the short-haired girl's face.

Ryujin felt the man's breath hit her face. The smell of a beast will always remain in her mind. "Y-yep. J-just a little busy." Ryujin said and forced a smile.

"Do you need a massage?" The man said and placed his warm and filthy hands on Ryujin's shoulder. "Do you like it?" The man whispered while massaging Ryujin.

Ryujin started shivering. She felt so uncomfortable. The short-haired girl lost focus on her work as the movement of the man's hands made her petrified. She wanted to scream her lungs out, she wanted to slap him and she wanted to leave but she knows to herself that she cannot.

The man, on the other hand, noticed that the poor and helpless girl's hand was trembling. "You're shaking, Shin Ryujin." The man whispered and placed his hand on top of Ryujin's hand.

"P-please, I-Im trying to work." Ryujin weakly whispered as her jaw started trembling but the man didn't hear it.

"What did you say, Shin Ryujin?" The man said and brought his face closer to Ryujin's.

"I-I." Ryujin couldn't speak a word.

Suddenly, a woman appeared and grabbed the man's collar and threw him to the ground that caught everyone's attention.

"It's lunchbreak already. Why don't we eat and drink our thirst away?" The cat-eyed girl said and approached the short-haired girl.

"Y-Yeji, i-is that you? what happened?" Ryujin said while trying to feel her surroundings with her hands.

"Ryujin, have lunch with me." Yeji said and held Ryujin's trembling hands.

--

"Ryujin, can you please already quit your job?" Yeji said with a frustrated look on her face.

"I-I'm sorry, Hwang Yeji. I-I have to earn money for myself. I can't just rely on my friends." Ryujin said and let out a sad face at the cat-eyed girl.

"R-right, you have a point but that man is harassing you."

"I-I literally c-cannot do anything about it." Ryujin said and let out a sad face.

--

"How was work today, Shin Ryujin?" Yeji asked the short-haired girl while holding her arm to guide her.

"I-it was fine. M-my boss didn't bother me." Ryujin said and let out a smile at the cat-eyed girl.

"That's good to hear." Yeji said and faced the midnight sky above and inhaled as she let the cold air hit her face.

"Ryujin, can I stay at your apartment tonight?" Yeji asked making the short-haired girl flustered.

"W-why?" Ryujin said and hid the bottom half of her face under her scarf to hide her blushing face.

"Well, what if your boss grabs a chainsaw and goes to your house? c'mon, I just want to stay with you." Yeji said trying to persuade the short-haired girl.

"S-sure...a-anyways, where do you live, Hwang Yeji?" Ryujin asked out of curiosity.

"Oh, I stay at my friend's house. Just some girl I met in prison." Yeji said.

After a few seconds, Yeji's eyes widened as she realised what she just blurted out. 'Shit.' Yeji thought to herself.

"Y-you w-went to prison?" The short-haired girl asked.

"Y-yeah...I was sent to prison for 4 years." Yeji said while caressing the back of her head. "D-do you feel uncomfortable with me?"

"No, Hwang Yeji. In fact, I'm even more interested in you."

"T-tell me more about you, Yeji." Ryujin added and let out a small smile.

"Well, I like going to Han River whenever I feel lonely."

"Really? that's cute."

--

"You sleep on my bed and I'll just sleep outside." Ryujin said and walked away.

"You're too nice, Shin Ryujin." Yeji said pulled Ryujin and hugged her from behind. "Sleep on the bed with me." Yeji said while pouting.

"A-alright." Ryujin nervously said.

--

"My mother passed away due to cancer, I dropped out of school to work so I can feed my dad. After my girlfriend passed away, I ran away and my dad killed himself. I joined some kind of a gang and I got arrested."

After a few seconds of silence, Yeji heard the short-haired girl whimpering. "Why are you crying?" Yeji asked.

"I-I'm sorry. Y-you were probably all alone. I'm sorry that you endured so much pain alone." Ryujin said and rested her head on Yeji's chest.

"H-hey, don't feel bad about me." Yeji said while stroking Ryujin's hair and looking around.

"But you went through so much. You don't deserve going through that much pain." Ryujin said and cupped Yeji's face.

"H-hey, what're you doing?" Yeji said while looking at the short-haired girl.

"Giving you something you deserve." Ryujin said and connected her lips with Yeji's.