Saved Me; Ryeji FF

thirty four.

"Come on, Chaer. Hang on." Ryujin repeated in her mind like a mantra. A silent prayer for her friend.

She rushed through the hallway of dead bodies, carefully carrying Chaeryeong's limp body in her arms. Each step she took seemed to stretch the corridor infinitely as if she was trapped in a never-ending nightmare. Yeji followed closely behind, Lia slumped on her back as her steps echoed behind the hitman.

Ryujin's heart raced, and her chest began to sting with each sharp breath she took. She glanced down at Chaeryeong; the harsh, fluorescent lights overhead bounced off the blood dripping off her mutilated face.

"I can't lose you."

As Ryujin stopped at the elevator, a vivid memory from their childhood flashed before her eyes.

"Hey, Ryujin and Yuna." Chaeryeong's mother greeted the small girls as she opened her door. "Did your parents leave you at home again?"

The little dark-haired girl nodded, holding her younger sister's hand tightly.

"Chaeryeong is in her room, why don't you play with her while I make Yuna some food." She said with a heartfelt smile, stepping aside to let the children in.

Ryujin cautiously walked into the apartment while Chaeryeong's mother took care of the youngest. Her steps were quiet as she made her way to Chaeryeong's bedroom. A backpack with her usual sleepover essentials slung over her small shoulder, and her eyes held a hint of solemn.

As she pushed the door open, she found her friend sitting on the floor, drawing small cartoon animals in her notepad. The room was cozy, filled with soft toys and posters of her favourite girl group on her walls.

"Ryu!" Chaeryeong placed her crayons on the floor and gestured for her friend to sit beside her. Ryujin placed her bag in the corner of the room and sat on the floor next to her friend, staring at the space in front of her blankly. "I didn't know you were coming over today."

The young dark dark-haired girl nodded slightly with her lips pursed together. Her friend shuffled closer to her, closely observing her face. "Did your dad hurt you again?"

Ryujin didn't answer and wiped the stray tear from her cheek before burying her face into her arms. Chaeryeong knew that her dad was abusive but no matter how many times she had notified her mother of Ryujin's mistreatment, she turned the other cheek.

Chaeryeong placed her hand on her friend's back, which caused Ryujin to wince in pain. "Does your back hurt?"

She nodded, her bruised arms covering her eyes from her friend. Chaeryeong sighed and got off the floor and walked to her desk drawer, retrieving a pack of monkey-themed bandaids before sitting back down.

"Lift your shirt, Ryu."

"No." Ryujin croaked out, shaking her head.

"I need to put bandaids on it." She said firmly, rattling the box of bandaids in front of her. "I'll be gentle."

After a moment of hesitation, she lifted up her shirt revealing lacerations scattered along her skin. Chaeryeong carefully unwrapped her bandaids and placed them carefully onto the wounds. The band-aids were too small to fit over the large cuts on her back, but it was the best that she could do.

"Ryujin?"

She hummed, her face clenching as Chaeryeong applied the bandage on her skin.

"I am going to study really hard in school so I can study in the medical field." The young girl said softly, carefully pulling her shirt down and moving to face her friend. "One day, I will become a doctor and take care of you."