although // shin ryujin

I think we were destined to meet

(jangmi's POV)

I waved over at ryujin, signaling her to come to me, as I noticed she was staring at me. maybe she thinks i'm weird. what kind of weirdo accepts a jacket from someone I just met?

I saw her get up and slowly make her way to me, but before she arrived, yeji tapped my shoulder and I had to divert my attention to her.

"the girls and I were wondering if you'd want to lead the choreo for practice today. we hear you're the best of the best in dancing, and we'd like to put you up to it." yeji said as she grabbed my hand.

instinctively, I intertwined my fingers with hers.

i looked over at her, "sure, I'd love to. but, i'm rusty." I said while pouting.

she giggled, "we've seen you dance before. you're too good, don't humble yourself." she reassured, as she used her free hand to rub my arm.

I gave her a small smile and squeezed her hand.

I remembered I signaled a ruyjin to come here, but she's nowhere to be seen. where could she have gone? yeji and I only talked for a minute—-

my thoughts were interrupted by the sudden loud creaking of the entrance door.

they have to get that fixed.

I was about to look away until I saw a glimpse of brown and blonde highlighted hair before the door closed shut. it was ryujin, but where could she be going? practice starts soon. also, she was supposed to come to me.

I wanted to talk to her again.

I excused myself from the rest of the girls, and went to catch up with ryujin. luckily, I caught her before she got in to her car.

"ryujin!" I yelled

she looked back. she looked like she was about to cry.

I ran up to her.

"are you okay?" I said, concerned

" yea, im fine." she replied nonchalantly.

"are you crying? what's wrong?" i asked.

"hm? oh, uh, no, just allergies. I get them a lot in the summer." she said while looking away.

she seems a little off. "ryujin, why'd you leave? I wanted to see you before practice started." i asked, changing the subject.

she looked down at our connected hands. why are we holding hands? wait— when did we start holding hands?

she immediately let go.

"n-nothing, im just tired, that's it." she said, not looking at me.

is she mad at me?

"ryujin, did I upset you? did I do something wrong?" I asked, noticing in her tone and the way she won't look at me that she isn't very happy with me right now.

she sighed. "no, jangmi, I- its nothing. I just need to go home." she said, letting me know it's definitely not nothing.

I didn't even get to respond, because she opened her car door, mumbled something about needing to leave, got into her car, and left. just like that.

I watched her drive away. i was about to go back in until my body disobeyed my brain and decided to sit in the same spot we were just at for a while. it seemed like forever. how could she leave like that? and why is she mad at me?

...

I looked at the time.. it was 8:50. I've been sitting in the same spot for 30 minutes.

I promised yeji id lead the class today, but she hasn't even came looking for me.

oh well, I'll make it up next time.

I was about to head back, until a car pulled into the same parking space ruyjin's car was before she left. I didn't dare turn to whoever just pulled up, in case they'd see me crying. alone. in the middle of a parking lot.

I heard a window roll down and someone sigh.

"jangmi... why are you still here?" a familiar voice asked.

it was ryujin.

I didn't respond.

she said, "look, um, the way I left you was unfair and rude. I came back to apologize." she confessed.

I looked up. she was hanging her head out of her car window. she could've hit me from how close she was parked. "you didn't do anything wrong. why are you apologizing?" i asked, not really expecting her to apologize. after all, she didn't do anything wrong.

she ignored my question. "you know— I left because of you. well, not because of something you did or said, its just that—" she took a deep breath. "I dreamt about the same dream again, but this time I got to see more. in the end, a hand with a tattoo and a ring reached out to me."

she got out of her car and sat next to me, then she grabbed my hand and looked at it while tracing the tiny tattoo on top of my knuckle and playing with the ring on my middle finger.

"a hand with a tattoo and ring exactly like yours."

i looked at her, my eyes widening. my hand? why is she dreaming about my hand?

she continued, "now, the funny thing is though, I've never looked at your hands, or noticed the tattoo or ring you have. so, I walked out because I saw you holding hands with yeji, specifically, I saw your hand and it hit me right then and there that the hand in my dream.. was yours."

she kept going, "I'm not surprised, though. whatever you may think, this can't just be a coincidence. the way we've been meeting over and over again can't just all be some crazy coincidence."

I faced my whole body towards her. "so you think this is fate? sorry to say ryujin, but I already told you, i don't believe I fate." i disagreed, although the possibility of fate slightly crossing my mind. could it be? i mean, how else could we explain all of this?

she softly smiled and shook her head, "it could be anything. but whatever it is, I think we were destined to meet."