Always Been You (Ryeji Converted)

Chapter 10

For a good five minutes, Yeji just stared at her phone and tried to hold the tears back once she figured that the blonde would no longer reply. "Okay," she said, letting out a sigh. "Just figure out a way to move on. Learn from the Jeongyeon debacle. It's not real. Just move on..."

Then, as if on cue, the phone in Yeji's hand vibrated once more.

{Ryujin} Meet me at my place in Boston tomorrow night? We need to talk. Just you and me.

{Yeji} So talk.

{Ryujin} Too much to tell. Not over text. Dinner tomorrow? 7pm?

Yeji bit her lip and typed back:

{Yeji} Can't. Taking earlier train back to NYC.

***

Ryujin frowned.

"No dice?" Jonnie asked.

She nodded, "She's going back to New York early."

"Call her now and tell her what's going on, Ryujin."

The blonde pursed her lips, "I want to tell her in person. This doesn't seem like something to do over the phone."

"Go talk to her now!"

"Not enough time. I have to meet Julia in an hour."

"So when are you going to tell her?"

Ryujin thought about it for a moment, "Tonight. After Julia officially dumps me."

"That's a hell of a one-two punch."

"I'm a glutton for punishment." She growled.

Jonnie smiled sympathetically, "Deep breaths. It'll be okay."

***

Remembering her brother's words later that afternoon, Ryujin sucked in a lung full of air before walking into the lobby of Julia's apartment building, greeting the doorman and stepping into the elevator.

When she got to Julia's apartment, she inserted her key and attempted to turn it. It wouldn't move. What the fuck!? She tried again. The key wouldn't work. After one more attempt, she finally gave up and just rang the doorbell and waited.

Ryujin didn't hear anything at first, but then heard footsteps from inside the apartment. After a moment, the door was unlatched and opened.

"You changed the lock?" Ryujin asked, utterly bewildered.

Julia shrugged, "Didn't want you coming in here and going nuts while I was gone."

"Wow." The blonde was speechless, "Wow."

"Oh, don't act all wounded."

Spotting a cardboard box by the front door, Ryujin gently nudged it with her foot. "Mine?"

"It's everything. Believe me, I was meticulous."

Kneeling down, Ryujin dug through the box, "Where's my pink baseball hat?"

"You mean your hat with a letter 'RJ' on the front? It was so threadbare it was totally falling apart. I threw it out." Julia tossed her hair and checked her watch.

"Wow," the blonde said again, "Is this how you're going to play this?"

"What do you mean? I'm not playing anything."

Ryujin let out a long breath, "You threw out my favorite hat. You packed everything else. What's up with that?"

"What's so special about a putrid pink hat with the letter 'RJ' on the front?" Julia stared at the blonde, her voice dripping with sarcasm.