Pretend (Ryeji)

Chapter 18: Pretend

"Have you heard the rumors?"

"I have."

"What do you think of them?"

"What do I think of them?" Yeji's brows crinkle in the center. She isn't sure what Ryujin might be fishing for, but she stays one hundred percent honest about her response. They're standing beside each other, all prepped for whatever will be filmed during today's schedule. "I think they're ridiculous."

At this moment, the blonde was glad Yeji wasn't looking at her because, for some unusual reason, she felt herself flinch at the bluntness of that comment. They've been waiting for the director to commence their scenes for a while now, and the silence was troubling her, hence why she introduced this discussion now rather than later. "How so?"

"What they're saying would never happen." She catches Yeji peek at her through the corner of those cat-eyes, apparently curious yet obviously trying to suppress it. She tries not to take this harshly since the way Yeji behaved with her the other day sort of suggested something... different. "Why are you asking?"

"Because you seem odd today." She pauses, casually glances around the area. "You're distant."

"Your point?"

"Do the rumors bother you? You haven't acted like this in a while."

"I'm just getting into character."

"Your attitude says otherwise." Ryujin faces her co-star, steps to the side in an attempt to get Yeji to look at her too because she's serious about her next question. "What's the real reason?"

"Leave me alone."

"No, or at least not until you tell me something different."

"I won't."

"Are you going to treat me like this every time you have your little mood swings? As if things haven't been good between us?"

"Learn to mind your damn business, Ryujin."

"Fine. But in case you haven't realized, I care about you." She bites her lip, scoffs. This attitude was enough to aggravate her because, at this point, she's getting frustrated. Ryujin's been struggling for months now to learn the full story yet the other woman's guard has stood its ground, a barrier that's nearly impossible to get past. "Apparently you don't want me to."

The redhead unconsciously lets those words sink in, aware this frustration expresses itself every time Ryujin questions her about the 'whys.' She understands, though, knows she deserves it for snapping at someone who didn't deserve to be the victim of her anger. Yeji wishes she knew how to channel that and aim it toward her stepfather because, more than anyone, he deserves it.

"Sorry." She bows her head, disappointed in herself, her apologetic tone clearly real. "Please don't take my attitude to heart."

"Sometimes you make it really hard not to."

Ryujin moves her foot, a behavior that catches Yeji's attention through her peripherals, and the latter steps off. Yeji doesn't like that. She can't stand it when Ryujin gets angry, even more when Ryujin sounds upset. Both rank at the top of her list of things she hates most.