Gemini (Ryeji)

Chapter 18

Yeji's feline eyes glows the moment they met with those dark brown orbs. And as much as Yeji want to just stare back at Ryujin, she finally tears her eyes away and lowers her gaze to the flickering candle.

"Blow your candle and make a wish"

Ryujin has a wistful smile playing on her lips, anticipating for Yeji to blow her candle. And Yeji looks back at Ryujin and unconsciously smile as Ryujin's eyes seem to gleam as they met.

You are everything I have ever wished for, stay with me forever...

*

And Yeji often wondered, out of all the wishes that were asked on that night, why was hers have to be the one that wasn't answered?

The once beaming feline eyes were now wounded, tears have once again made its way to them and here was Yeji crying once again.

Yeji craned her neck to the pillow, letting it suffocate her cries and soak her tears, her fingers clutching tighter until she felt something underneath. She sat up and pulls out a square box from underneath the pillow. Somehow seeing Ryujin's sad attempt of gift wrapping lightened her up a little bit. She carefully peeled the wrapper away.

Dear my Yeji,

It would be classier if I kept it on the paperbag but I want to surprise you... I was supposed to give this on your birthday but we never get the chance. I hope you love it...

Forever yours,
Ryujin

And as she opens the box, there was an exquisite silver bracelet watch. She set the watch aside and picked up the letter inside it.


Dear Yeji,

I saw this and know there is nothing more fitting for you. And now that we're million miles away, this gift couldn't been more perfect.

I want you to know that every tick of this watch will draw us closer. I'm counting the seconds until I see you, kiss you and have you in my arms again. I'll forever remain broken until you complete me again...

Your Ryujin


And the note starts to crinkle in Yeji's hold as she clutches to it tighter, holding it close to her chest. The watch was lovely, the note was lovely, but she'll give it all up, if she could just have Ryujin.

*

The moment that Ryujin along with the other members of the team stepped on stable grounds, everyone frantically pulled out their cellphones from their pockets. Soon, the airport was buzzing with different languages, all calling the ones that they love back home that they arrive safely, that they have finally arrived in America.

All of them except Ryujin. Ryujin cursed herself when she realized that she didn't have a long distance plan on her phone. She clutches tightly on her phone, she has waited for almost a day just to hear Yeji's voice and she doesn't know if she could wait any longer.

"Here..."

Ryujin turns and sees Chan handing her his Iphone.

"Call her..." He says encouragingly. "She must be worried about you already..."

Ryujin was never the type who liked to receive favors, but right now even if she has to beg a stranger to borrow a phone she will. And she smiles gratefully at Chan, thankful that she didn't have to go through that.

"Thank you..."

Ryujin runs to a corner and has been itching for Yeji to pick up the phone. Ryujin felt like the phone kept ringing forever...

"Pick up. baby, pick up... c'mon please..." Ryujin begs until she heard her voice again...

"Hello?"

Ryujin smiles as she heard Yeji's groggy voice on the other line.

"H-hi baby..."

"Ryu?" Suddenly all the sleepiness turned into excitement "Hi... baby... How are you doing?"

"Good... I'm here now, it was a long trip and I'm a bit buzzy... hehe..."

"Awww... baby..."

"No, no... I'm okay..." Ryujin reassures her when she heard Yeji's worried voice. "How about you?"

"I'm getting there..."

Yeji wasn't but what's the point of making Ryujin worry more?

"I got your gift, I love it so much, and everyone is like where did you get it?

"Hehe... What you told them?"

"Well... I said from my fan..."

"I guess you can say that..."

Then their moment was filled with silence, there were too many words left unsaid but neither have the audacity to air it out. Cause those words might sound hurtful and being miles apart will make it hard for them to fix whatever might happen.

"I'm glad you do... This is going to be the start Yeji, it's going to be easier for us now."

How could Ryujin say it was going to be easy when she couldn't even hold her?

And Yeji's silence answered it all and Ryujin wished she could hold Yeji again, begging her to forgive her.

"Ummm... I'm just borrowing this phone so I can't talk too long but I'll call you... I'll buy phone cards and we could talk longer... ok, I love you so much..."

"I love you too... Call me soon..."

Don't work too hard, ok? I don't want you to get sick..."

"I won't and you too... take care of yourself... I love you..."

I love you, I love you, how Ryujin wished that she could show Yeji right now instead of whispering to her on the phone.

"Bye Yeji..."

"Bye Ryu"

Ryujin presses the red button and she didn't realize how long she was just staring blankly at the buzzing world around her. Nothing else was registering, nothing else was working, Ryujin was stuck in a world full of memories of Yeji. The only thing that brought her back to reality was when she felt someone tapping on her shoulder.

"You ready?"

"Yes... thank you..." She hands back the phone "I'll pay you back..."

"Pfft... don't worry about it. C'mon it's time to show the world, what Shin Ryujin got..."

*

Karina grimaces in disgust at the scantily clad woman walking towards her desk, no doubt, this is the kind of woman that Yeonjun would like.

"You ask for me?" The girl asks while chewing her gum like an improper goat that she is.

"Yes. I want to ask you if you have any knowledge on who might have vandalize Kim Winter locker."

"Pfft. The bitch was asking for it." The girl answered haughtily making a bubble out of her gum. Karina grabs her pen and pops the bubble on the girl's face.

"We're not elementary kids so you better have a conversation like an adult."

The girl irritatingly tries to peel off the bubble gum sticking to her face. "Don't you go to this school? You know Kim Winter, she's out to destroy lives, she had this coming..."

"And who are you to say that?"

"Just someone who thinks she could put a stop to it, cause obviously you're not doing anything Ms. VP...." The girl continues taunting Karina, but Karina knows better than to stoop down to this shameful being.

"I called you right now because I'm putting a stop to it... and by the way, Shin Ryujin no longer goes to this school..."

Karina leans closer to the girl making sure that the girl knows who owns this school now.

"I'm the president now."

*

"Strike 3 You're out!"

Ryujin clenches her fist tightly on her bat.

"Didn't you hear me? I said you're out..."

Ryujin glares back at the umpire. The old Ryujin would have walk over and smacks the guys face. But this was the new Ryujin now, she kept it in and walks away before her old self return and she ends up smashing her fist on the guy's face.

*

It was simply a terrible day. Ryujin could hardly keep up with the others, they outrun her, swing harder, pitch faster and just seems to be more fitting to be here rather than her.

Ryujin wished she could come home to Yeji. Yeji would kiss her and give her a hug and make every worry that Ryujin have just poof away. But Yeji wasn't there, Ryujin was on her own now.

After dinner, Ryujin scaled the unknown city for phone cards until she found it in a Korean store. 5 bucks per card just to talk for Yeji for 30 minutes... But right now, money doesn't matter for Ryujin, even if she has to pay her whole allowance to hear Yeji's voice she will.

"Hello?" A groggy voice pick up from the other line.

"Yeji?! Yeji!!! I'm sorry for calling you this late... what time is it there?"

"Ryu?" Yeji quickly lifted her head up from the table. She fell asleep again while studying. "It... it doesn't matter what time... I miss you so much baby... How you been?"

Ryujin grips tighter on the phone, anything to make her feel like she's holding Yeji closer.

"I'm doing good..." Ryujin lied even if what she really wanted to say was...

I'm dying without you...

"How about you?"

"Just a little busy with homework and I have exams coming up. But I'm doing good too..." Yeji lies back even though the words that she would wanted Ryujin to know was...

I'm dying without you...

"Well, ummm... training camp started today..."

Ryujin stares up at the sky slowly fading into twinkling lights, Ryujin could just assume that it was still dawn back home.

"So, how did my MVP do?" Yeji says teasingly...

Ryujin chuckles bitterly, not knowing if she even deserved that title.

"Ummm... I don't know... It's like everyone out there is so much more better than I am... I don't think I could keep up."

"Well... I think you're amazing..."

Ryujin knew that she wasn't... she might be an all star caliber player back home but in here she's just a decent player chasing for a hopeless dream.

"Thanks..."

"I think for now, it feels like they're all better than you but you just have to show them what you got. They might be better baseball players than you, but they could never work as hard as you do."

"You always seem to know the right words to say."

Yeji smiles wishing she could comfort Ryujin in ways other than with words..

"I just have that much faith in you... I love you..."

Ryujin smiles wishing it was Yeji who she was holding instead of a phone.

"I love you so much..."

"Are you making friends there?"

"No... it's ummm hard... everyone is in competition with each other."

"Well, I wish you meet someone... A friend!" Yeji quickly corrects herself. "Not someone special just a friend."

"Are you worried that I might find someone here?"

"Uh huh"

Ryujin could only smile with how cute Yeji sounds when she's jealous.

"Well, I'm worried too... I have such a pretty girlfriend and everyone just falls for her in three seconds." Ryujin plays around with Yeji...

" Well, my girl took my heart away in just a second."

And Ryujin knew that feeling all too well... The moment Yeji came into her life, she immediately lost herself in Yeji.

"Don't stop, Yeji... please let me be the only one you'd fall for." Ryujin softly pleads.

"You don't need to ask."

You have 3 minutes left in your account.

The automated voice spoke up, interrupting Ryujin's and Yeji's shattering hearts.

"They say we have three minutes left for this phone card."

"Ok, are you going to call me back?"

"I'll try to call... hopefully next time I get you on a better time."

"No..." Yeji was shaking her head, forgetting that Ryujin couldn't see her. "I don't care what time you call... Except when I'm in class but other than that... I'll be okay... Well don't work yourself too hard, babe... I don't want you to get sick, and no one taking care of you."

"Don't worry I'll take my vitamins and eat my vegetables for you...

"Good..."

A bit of silence again before Ryujin spoke up...

"I lo-"

But before Ryujin could finish what she was about to say, the sound of the dial tone stops her.

"I love you..."

Ryujin whispered hoping that somehow her promise would make its way back to her lover.

*

And somewhere back in a small, cramp apartment in Korea was a girl who is staring back at the blinking phone screen and the beeping of the dial tone. She closes her eyes wishing that it could somehow make her tears stop even for just a second.

"I love you too..."

*

Ryujin just spends the wee hours of the night just staring at Yeji's photo when someone spoke up behind her.

"She's gorgeous..."

Ryujin quickly hides Yeji's picture behind her. The bespectacled girl laughs and plops comfortably right beside Ryujin. Ryujin knew Heejin even back when they were in Korea, they played against each other during high school and college and were teammates for the national team. But they were never closed, last thing Ryujin heard was Heejin went to the states to pursue baseball.

"Oh..." Heejin sneers "Don't worry about that, we aren't in Korea anymore. This is America baby, land of the free... and besides, most of the girls out there... They're pretty much into girls too..." Heejin sighs heavily to the sky "And I don't blame them... Mr. right has been overrun by the douches and assholes in the world... so, what's her name?"

Ryujin smiles sweetly as she takes out Yeji's picture. "Yeji..."

"Can I?"

Ryujin was a bit hesitant first, like a child hesitant to share their favorite toy. Ryujin unconsciously puffs her chest proudly at Heejin's reaction.

"Damn... you got great taste, she's beautiful."

"She's much more beautiful in person."

"I bet. She's back home?"

Ryujin nods sadly then stares back at Yeji's photo.

"So, what's your plan?"

"I... I don't know... I just want to give her the best life so that's why I'm here."

"Best life? Why what's your definition of that?"

"You know giving Yeji everything, pick her up on a luxury car, take her home to our mansion, you know just spoil her to bits..."

"Hmmm.." Heejin answers thoughtfully and Ryujin waited for Heejin to continue. "I guess everyone has their own idea of a best life."

"I guess..."

"So, you told me yours but what's Yeji's?"

And Ryujin could feel her heart tightened up in her chest, she knew what Yeji might have wanted and yet she chose to break it.

*

Kim Winter needs to be on top of everyone's priority list, even the school council president and when she burst into the room to hound Karina, everyone in Karina's officers just back away, knowing no one could say no to Winter.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Do what?"

"So, I have some Ho messing up my locker and you think I needed someone to sympathize for me?"

"I'm not here to sympathize with you, Winter. I'm doing it as the school council president, I cannot allow vandals to run free around my school."

Winter sneers. "And you're using me as your scapegoat? Proving that I can protect Kim Winter now."

Karina knows better than to argue.

"A thank you would have been nice, but I guess that is too much to ask from Kim Winter."

Winter sneers once again at the audacity of the girl.

"I have nothing to thank you for."

"Why are you like this, Winter?"

Winter stop at her tracks and turned back at Karina with a glare.

"Why do you think that everyone in this world is just like Hyunjin and Yeonjun?"

"Because they are! People just want something from me! My money, my reputation, everything that I have they want to take from me and I'm sick of it, Karina, I'm sick of not being good enough for people to stay."

Karina stands back, giving Winter a room to breathe.

"I wanted to see Ryujin's relationship to fail, I wanted to prove to her that Yeji is just like Hyunjin, the moment the money disappears, she'll disappear to..." Winter could only chuckle bitterly at her failed attempt. "But Yeji is still right here. She's much more stronger than I thought she is."

"What really happened between you and Hyunjin?" Karina finally mustered the courage to ask.

"I... I was vacationing at Ryujin's one summer and I met him. He knew the right things to say to get to anyone and unfortunately he got me. He wanted to keep the baby but I was sixteen and I was scared. But I thought that he would fight for me..."

"He didn't?"

Winter scoffs. "He was scared of what my uncle could do, thought that maybe it was a better idea to lose the baby. He quickly changed his mind, not because he wanted what's good for us but he's scared of what would happen to him."

Karina stares back at Winter, while Winter was just staring right straight at the wall.

"And when you lose a child, Karina, you lose your humanity."

Winter finally stared back at Karina. Karina has a hard time deciphering what Winter was trying to say because right now, in Winter's eyes, Karina finally sees the human side of Kim Winter.

*

Ryujin tried to stay away from trouble, she was there to show that she could play, nothing more. Unfortunately, it seems like trouble just seems to have a fascination for her.

Enter Eunbi, she was who team managers and scouts came to see. Until Shin Ryujin came into the picture, Ryujin was quiet but lethal and she pretty much just let her game speak for herself and let's just say that everyone who watches her heard her.

Trouble is, Eunbi doesn't like to share the spotlight. And she thought that Ryujin wouldn't fight back, the girl pretty much kept to herself, always scurrying off to the park after practice just to talk on the phone. Eunbi had found out that Ryujin left a girlfriend back home and Eunbi sees this as nothing more but an opportunity to crush her main competition.

*

This was the most vulnerable that Winter have ever felt but in a way, it felt relieving. She and Karina walk in silence to their cars, not one word was uttered between them. Yet after all the plotting and all the scheming, this silence was the best conversation that they ever had...

Winter's hand was on her car door when she finally spoke up.

"Thank you."

Karina turns back around at what Winter just told her.

"For what?"

"For being right here even if you know how screwed up I am..."

Karina lips curve a fraction...

"Aren't we all?"

*

Heejin couldn't help but step back at the chaotic mess that Ryujin created in her room, the girl is frantically throwing things around, as if she's looking for something.

"Ryu? What's wrong?"

"Yeji... Yeji's picture is missing." Ryujin answered back without stopping her rummage around the room.

"So, what are you looking for Shin?"

Ryujin turns to the door at the haughty remark. And there standing was Eunbi and surrounded by her group of mindless zombies.

"None of your business..."

"Are you sure? Because I think you're looking for this."

The girl was mockingly shaking Yeji's photo on Ryujin's face.

"Give me that!" Ryujin lunges at her but Eunbi was able to side step...

"Ok... here..."

The girl had a confident smirk on her face, tearing Yeji's photo before throwing it at Ryujin's face.

"Hey... I did everybody a favor... can't keep something that ugly in here..."

Posse was about to snicker but stop, the moment Ryujin's fist smashes in Eunbi's mouth. They should have stop Ryujin but all of them remained stunned as Ryujin picks the girl up by the crane of her shirt and pummels her to the wall.

"I'm gonna give you a choice, you want a nose job?" Ryujin nudges her clench fist on the girl's nose "Or do you want a brand new set of teeth?" Ryujin lightly punches Eunbi's already bloody teeth.

"Ryu!" Heejin pulls Ryujin away before Ryujin's rage took over her. "That's enough!!!"

Ryujin shoves the terrified bleeding girl to the ground. Ryujin drops to the ground and starts picking up the pieces of Yeji's picture.

"Shin in my office now!!!"

Ryujin froze at the sound of Chan's voice, she continues picking up Yeji's picture before pushing herself up. She ignores the snickers behind her and walks to the office, her head still up because she knew she did nothing wrong. Eunbi should have felt smug finally getting Ryujin in trouble, but how come she was shaking the moment she sees Ryujin walking?

*

"What the hell, Ryujin?"

Chan tried to put the intimidation on Ryujin, but she kept her stand, she will never let anyone talk about Yeji like that.

"I don't need to explain myself. I'm not going to let anyone talk about Yeji like that and if I have to punch her again, I would. This time maybe harder."

"Didn't I tell you? You keep your emotions in check. "

Ryujin just turns away and sneers...

"I'm doing this for Yeji... I'm doing this so I could give her the world, what kind of person am I if I would just let someone talk crap like that?"

"You think you're going to get scouted if they hear about this? You didn't even started yet and you're already causing trouble..."

Chan tried to sound as harsh as he can but falter when he saw the worried look on Ryujin's face. In a way, the girl had become like a younger sister to him.

"I'll see what I can do, but you owe me for this one."

"Thank you..." was the only word that Ryujin could say, the word sorry was trailing in her mouth but she stops, knowing that she have nothing to be sorry about. She wouldn't let anyone talk about Yeji that way, and if time would go back to that exact moment, she'll do the same thing, but this time she'll make sure she knocks out every teeth of Eunbi's mouth.

*

Flashback...

"What you got there?"

Ryujin peeks her head out to see what Yeji was doing. Ryujin would usually pretend to sleep or go have a shower when Yeji was in her cleaning sprees, but this time her curiosity got the best of her when she sees Yeji's stuff all over the place.

"Mmm... mostly old stuff, like old test papers, research, mostly school stuff but I found this."

Ryujin jump off the bed and sits beside Yeji by the foot of the bed. Yeji hands Ryujin the photo album and Ryujin didn't waste any second in looking at it.

Ryujin had a hard time trying to pick her favorite, Yeji was gorgeous in all of them, until her eyes lock on a picture of Yeji in a dress.

"You look so beautiful." Ryujin says breathlessly.

"Well, that was on my 18th birthday..."

Ryujin pouts at Yeji. "You didn't invite me..."

"We weren't really friends then..." Yeji jokes...

"But I would have wanted to go..."

"I'm sorry... well, you could start coming to my birthday now."

Ryujin starts prying the picture of the album.

"What are you doing?"

"I don't have a picture of you in my wallet , so I'm keeping this."

"I don't know why you need that for, when you have the real thing"

"It's for those seconds apart that I miss you..."

End of flashback.

*

And Ryujin misses Yeji so much it hurts, Ryujin never believed in that saying until she was with Yeji. While people get better over time being away from each other, for both Ryujin and Yeji it was different. Never did a second go by that it got easier.

Every corner of their apartment reminds her of Ryujin, but it wasn't just the big things, it was the littlest things that was tearing Yeji to pieces. Their little fights when Ryujin wouldn't clean up for herself, when she would take forever in the shower, when Ryujin wouldn't even put up her clothes in the closet. Yeji doesn't have that anymore, she doesn't have Ryujin anymore.

*

Ryujin could only stare back at the sky, she never had a fascination for constellations but Yeji have always seem to be fascinated by it. Ryujin remembers the story that Yeji used to tell her of these twins, how one died and the other chose to give up his immortality just so he could be with his brother.

And Ryujin clenches her hand on her phone, they have given up so much only to be apart, is it even worth it? Did the happiness of what her fame could do, worth leaving Yeji?

The phone rings for a couple of times until Yeji finally picks up.

"Hi Ryujin..."

Ryujin closes her eyes, she doesn't think she wants to do it anymore.

"Can you just talk baby?"

Yeji quickly notice the sound of pain in Ryujin's voice.

"Why Ryu? Is everything ok?"

"I think so... Yeji... I'm sorry..."

"For what?"

"For leaving, I should... I should be there for you."

Yeji could felt her tears making their way back again. She was so tired of crying but the thought of Ryujin hurting was enough to break her down to tears.

"No Ryujin please, don't worry about it, baby... I know why you're doing this and I understand, it's very hard but we'll make it through."

"Do you forgive me?"

"You never did anything wrong..."

"Can you please just talk?

"About what?"

"About anything? I just... I just want to hear your voice..."

"Hmmm... Well... do you know Lia and Yuna invited me to dinner today? And you were right about Lia's appetite...."

Though what Yeji was saying was more of comedic than dramatic, Ryujin couldn't help but shed tears every second of that conversation. She pulls the phone closer to her ear, anything to make her feel that Yeji was right beside her rather than somewhere a million miles away.

She didn't knew it was this hard, she didn't knew that each day without Yeji wasn't going to get better, that it will only get worse.

"Well, enough about me, how about you?"

Ryujin clutches the phone tighter and took a deep breath to hold back her tears...

"I'm doing good..."

Was what Ryujin had lies to Yeji when all she really wanted to say was.

I'm dying of loneliness...

*

Yeji have pulled herself up, even if all she wanted to do was lay down in bed. Every phone call that they have just does that, just draining every bit of energy off her.

But the knocking became more furious and Yeji finally got the strength to open up the door.

And Yeji wondered if it would have been better if she didn't answer the door. Right there in her doorstep, was a woman, graceful and sophisticated, the perfect epitome of beauty.

Yeji bows down as low as she can.

"You don't have to be so formal, Yeji."

Yeji didn't knew if inviting the woman in would be good, it would be such a shame to show them their home.

And Ryujin might have her father's eyes but everything else about Ryujin is a replica of this lady.

"Would you like to come in, Mrs. Shin?"


TBC