Home Is You [Ryeji]

CH. 1

Shin Ryujin's Apartment Complex: February 2019

"I'm not saying it's weird or anything, but I mean...Don't you want to stop relying on Mommy and Daddy Shin to pay your swanky apartment's bills?" Lee Chaeryeong was never one to mince words.

Today was certainly no different.

Ryujin eyed her best friend with little enthusiasm. She envied the way the fox like girl always looked so damn good with whatever hair styles she put on. Now, it's in a simple ponytail even so, she looks effortlessly cool, and relaxed, all the time.

Then again, Ryujin would be too, if she had her boss wrapped around her finger the way Chaeryeong had with Jin.

But of course, Ryujin's bosses were curators, and patrons. They were a little harder to sleep with.

"No, Ryeong." Ryujin rolled her eyes, hoping it added to the already dramatic effect she was trying for. "I adore being twenty-five and relying on my parents because my career in art is failing miserably."

Chaeryeong shot her an amused smile, straighChaning out her leather jacket. "Okay, Ryu, I get it. There's nothing wrong with relying on your parents, you know, but....I don't get it. Your art is so good."

Ryujin smiled as they approached her apartment door, turning her key into the hole with a chuckle. "Thanks, Ryeong. Maybe if you and Jin get married and get loaded, you can buy all my pieces."

Chaeryeong blushed at that, her cheeks matching her the crimson color of her jacket. "Okay, Ryujin. Shall we?" Chaeryeong first headed to the fridge, swinging it open and grabbing herself a frosty bottle of beer. Then she tossed all the mail she'd been holding onto the barren coffee table, grabbing a seat beside Ryujin.

"It's a good thing you're good with numbers, or else I wouldn't let you mooch off my fridge so much." Ryujin grumbled.

"Yup." Chaeryeong popped the 'p', tearing into the first set of envelopes.

"Trash, trash....trash." Ryujin mumbled, going through the white envelopes one by one. Each time she found something worthwhile, she'd slide it over to Chaeryeong.

"Oh....my....shit...." Ryujin suddenly breathed, dropping the envelope she'd torn into.

"What?" Chaeryeong glanced up, brows furrowed in questioning. "Who died?"

"Me..." Ryujin shook her head frantically. "Please, kill me. No....no....no..no..."

"Shin Ryujin!" Chaeryeong stood up, grabbing her shoulders dramatically. "What the hell?"

"Here." Ryujin reached into the envelope, throwing a glossy looking card at Chaeryeong's unsuspecting hands. The card flitted down to the table, landing face up, like a butterfly bearing the mark of death.

Or, at least, that's how it looked to Ryujin.

"Holy shit..." Chaeryeong breathed out with an amused smile. "Has it been five years already?"

Ryujin's eyes widened as she actually counted aloud, backwards, on her fingers. "I'm twenty-five, so....twenty-four, twenty-three....Twenty. Oh, god....yes."

Chaeryeong barked out a laugh. "Nice! Where's the venue this time?"

Ryujin took the card up in her hand, holding it under the sharp ceiling light. It was a picture of basically everyone that once meant the world to her: Her parents, Karina, Felix, Chaeryeong, Chan, Ri-ki, Changbin and Sunoo...Every little friend, all dressed up from their last "family" reunion, a camping trip to the famous Mount Haven.

Or, in other words, Ryujin's personal living hell.

Ryujin turned the card over, reading the words out slowly: