Dangers of a Saint || Ryeji

4

To say the least, Ryujin's birthday could've gone worse. It was a good thing that for five years, she had been expecting nothing but disappointment whenever her birthday came. This year was nothing out of the ordinary. However, she had to go home with her younger sister and the ride on the way back to the penthouse was by far the most awkward moment they ever had together. Unable to think of what else to say, Jinni apologized when they reached the penthouse and headed straight to the guest room.

Ryujin stood in front of the fridge in the kitchen and felt a tiny pinch in her chest at the sight of the Black Forest cake staring back at her, cold and untouched. Jinni knew it was her favorite. The dishes that her family brought were now secluded in containers below the cake. Some of the balloons still stuck on the ceiling, some gently hit Ryujin's toes as she walked towards the enormous window walls of the penthouse that provided a generous view of the nightlife in Downtown Vancouver. From a distance, she spotted the waiting yachts in Coal Harbour, causing her to take a deep breath.

"You don't have to hold yourself accountable for something that you didn't do."

Ryujin shut her eyes firmly and pressed her fingers against the bridge of her nose. She had suffered enough from the emotional rollercoaster for the day. She didn't need to spend the remaining time of her birthday overthinking. After getting herself a bottle of whiskey and a glass, Ryujin sat on her desk and worked on preparing the presentations that she would use for the entire week. Work had always been the perfect distraction for her.

⋆｡˚ ☁︎ ˚｡⋆｡˚☽˚｡⋆

Ryujin groaned as she felt the heat of the rising sun against her face. It took her a few moments to realize that she fell asleep while working and it was already six in the morning. Panic made her sit up straight, hastily checking her phone for her schedule for the day only to find out that she didn't have a meeting until later in the evening. Her back ached from being propped up for hours in an uncomfortable position but it was the least of her worries. Upon smelling something burning, Ryujin rushed to the kitchen and was faced with the havoc that her younger sister caused. The sound of the alarm bounced off the entire penthouse, there was an entire cloud of smoke coming from the oven, and Jinni looked as if she was about to die coughing her lungs out.

Without thinking twice, Ryujin steered Jinni away from the kitchen before turning the alarm off. She grabbed the oven gloves and took whatever Jinni attempted to cook, throwing it in the sink and letting the water run over it.

"I don't mind if you're into rituals but if you're trying to summon a demon, at least try not to use my oven as a portal to hell," Ryujin said once she finally recovered.

"I wanted to make you breakfast, asshole," Jinni said, holding her chest as she tried to stop coughing. "I forgot to turn on the timer."

Ryujin was about to say something sarcastic but decided against it as soon as she took in Jinni's appearance. She couldn't stop herself from coughing and her nightwear was a mess from the smoke. She must've been trying to get it out for a while before Ryujin beat her to it. Instead of throwing another snarky remark, Ryujin sighed and padded towards the fridge to get her a glass of water.

"Call for a priest to get that oven checked. See if Satan made it through. Also, take a shower," Ryujin said, passing her sister. "We'll get breakfast someplace far from hell."

Minutes later, Jinni found herself following Ryujin in a quiet restaurant. The staff greeted them as soon as they came in and it didn't take long for Jinni to realize that her sister was a regular at the place when a hostess led them to Ryujin's usual spot by the window. There was a morning glow that surfaced the restaurant, making it look more warm and inviting. People came and left with coffee cups in their hand, some staying for breakfast before work.