Fools Indulgence
It took at least an hour for most of the participants to be transferred.
If you could call it that.
More like two people were transported at a time by tying them up and stuffing them back into those vans. Then driving them for who knows how long back to their respective destinations.
Thing is, Hyunju had no idea where she was- The last thing she remembered was being put into a van and driving around for at least 43 minutes.
And she wasn’t aware of the person she was riding with either…
it wasn’t until the car ride had stopped and the guards- or whoever was driving them, Had taken their makeshift gags off where hyunju could hear the other persons voice-
slightly raspy.. A woman for sure, and there was a bit of panic to her voice
Older.
“-hey!! where are you taking me huh!?- And where’s my son! Answer me!”
Hyunju felt the gag come off her as she spoke spontaneously
“Miss Geum-ja?- is that you?”
She heard a gasp, at the same time the guards began to move them towards the back, blindfolds still on
“Hyunju! oh my goodness- Are you alright dear??- How are you feeling?- Hey get your hands off me!!”
She heard a slight shuffle in the front of her as they were slowly escorted off the van- and it hit her just how cold hyunju felt
It must have been night.
Not only that but it felt like all she had on was a t-shirt and sweatpants
“I think they took our clothes hyunju- oh how rude.. and what about our stuff huh? I had my purse and they still haven’t told me about my son!-“
There was a sliding sound that seemed to be the car door closing, a guard spoke over both of their chatter, the sound of a type of thud hitting the ground was heard- presumably, their stuff
And there was that masked voice
“Player 149, player 120, both of your presumed belongings are in this bag. Due to the outcome of the voting process, the presumed prize money shall be wired to your separate bank accounts shortly-“
Geum-ja spoke over them
“What about other players? My son was with me in the games so i expected to have returned with him! Why did you separate-“
“all players are escorted based on pick up time intervals, depending on the time it took for one player to arrive at the games- along with designated routes. All players will be returned based on their original pick up spots.”
Hyunju felt hands remove the blindfold from her head as she blinked repeatedly to see her surroundings, It was definitely night. And judging by the lack of people around- it must have been at least midnight.
She watched as geum-ja had her blindfold removed and shook away the sudden change of atmosphere
“Player 149 geum-ja, Player 120 Hyunju. As of tonight, you are hear-by dismissed from the games. All of your personal belongings such as clothes and attributes are in this bag and will be separated by you accordingly.”
Hyunju felt her hands still tied together, Trying to break away from the knot but it would take a while.
The guards, even outside of the games- still managed to produce this intimidating aura that hyunju understood well. That the best she could do right now was just listen.
“As previously announced, All the money shall be put into your respective bank accounts separately.”
They began to walk off, poised and orderly stepping into the van before turning around one final time.
Ominous and present, A triangle masked guard stared back at the two players, or well, As of now they are just people.
“We hope you enjoyed the games.”
a quick slide of the door and the skidding of tires against asphalt, they were gone entirely in the span of 10 seconds.
Hyunju felt a crease in the knot and quickly snapped it open, Noticing that her legs too have been tied
Such a snide remark.
The unpleasant feeling, the realization that it was all over. Hyunju would have to deal with this later. As of now, there were bigger problems at hand.
Hyunju managed to undo geum-ja’s knots, quickly tossing them to the side as she spoke
“i can’t believe them. The nerve! after everything and that’s how they decide to still treat us. I tell you, as soon as we get to a nearby station i’ll be telling the police!”
Hyunju picked up the bag, Shuffling through it As she spoke
“well.. Judging by the fact Those games even exist in the first place, The way that they transported us? I bet not even the police are aware of this. So i don’t think you’ll have any luck with them- here”
Hyunju grabbed her belongings out of the bag, Her long skirt that she previously wore, Her light sweater- still pink in color but a bit dirty. She frowned in response. Along with that, her purse was still in the same condition as before, which meant-
“I have my phone in here! Here, you should call your son-“
She handed it over to geum-ha who was grabbing her purse out of the bag along with a long sleeved shirt, tossing the now empty satchel to the side
Quickly, she held the phone up and began to dial the number, Which gave hyunju enough time to take care of some-
Personal Business.
Geum-ja turned around as she left the ringtone go on and on, anticipating anyone to respond
“Come on young-sik- you buy that fancy new phone and can’t pick up?-“
Bzzt
“young-sik!? is that you!-“
She spoke sporadically as she fiddled with the volume button turning it to speaker
“hello?- young-si-“
Hyunju on the other hand was trying to find a way to put her gown back on. After days of tacky- sweatpants, No showers.. It felt at least decent to put on some other type of clothing that didn’t constantly remind her she was trapped.
But she couldent exactly take her pants off in the middle of the street. so she opted for the best option.
Awkwardly shuffling the gown over her pants so she could also- awkwardly shuffle her pants off at the same time.
Honestly she was sure she looked foolish but she couldn’t bare to wear these garments for another second-
“Miss geum-ja-?..”
“what-? your not young-sik-“
Hyunjus eyes widened as she nearly stumbled over, her pants now barely on her left leg as she adjusted her gown
Turning around as she yanked off the pants for good
Geum-ja turned around at the sounds of her struggle and glanced at the gown and back at the phone
“who is-?”
Hyunju carefully motioned the phone over as she spoke
“Youngmi!- is that you youngmi?-“
As a startled gasp came from the other side of the phone
“Unnie!- why are you-“
“Where are you right now? Isn’t this young-siks phone?”
“I think i’m near my old place?.. I’m not too sure- I know it’s closer to where i was picked up but besides that i don’t-“
“MA! ARE YOU THERE MA?”
“ow-“
“oh sorry youngmi- sorry”
Geum-ja quickly spoke
“Young-Sik!! My gosh- Where are you?!- oh wait hyunju already asked that-“
“no i know where we are!! It’s around the bare shopping block where our house is!! i can get us there no problem- oh but ma, do you know how to get back home?- please tell me you can-“
Hyunju looked around, If the guards said this was the in between interval of where players were picked up- then that meant she should at least be able to recognize this place. She walked to her pickup destination. So maybe something would look familiar..
“unnie?”
She turned back around
“youngmi?- what’s wrong? Did something happen-“
“No i just um.. Can you tell me what you see? like your surroundings?”
She paused, looking around and taking a glimpse at geum-ja, who was equally confused
“ah- i guess- there’s a long road.. There isn’t many stores but there’s a couple run down stands- No houses”
“what type of stands?”
She squinted her eyes
“Uh.. Fruit stands.. no products on display.. There’s a stand with a bunch of broken shelves-“
“Is there a chained off gate to the entrance of a store named Grisham produce?”
Hyunju paused as she looked around- and sure enough, to the back of them was this Rubdown store. In bold letter print read
Grisham produce
Geum-ja raised an eyebrow
“how on earth did she do that?..”
On the other side of the phone, youngmi cleared her throat
“Ah..i’ve passed through a lot of places- never really stayed in one place you know?”
She laughed it off as geum-ja glanced over to hyunju
raising an eyebrow as if she was to make a comment
Before she could say anything, youngmi continued
“I know how to help you guys get somewhere familiar- Do you see the only lamppost on the street? its probably at the very far end?”
Hyunju pointed over to the far right of the street nodding
“yeah It’s far off-“
“you’ll need to walk there and when you reach the street intersection- you’ll need to go to the left and then keep walking forward untill you see the main streets, If you still need help after that- you should call back”
She motioned for geum-ja to start walking
On the phone, Young-sik took i’ve the phone
“This is great though isn’t it!?- think about it- First we live near each other and now we can at least all go home safely knowing we can help one another! how lucky is that?”
Geum-ja laughed as she spoke
“Oh yes that’s true! After all of this- at least we can rest easy in our own homes! right hyunju?”
She looked over, She smiled as she nodded
“I’m much more excited about finally being able to shower.. and fix my hair”
She smiled and nodded repeatedly
“oh yes, you and youngmi must be exhausted after all of this.. you two girls should definitely catch up on sleep!- oh, youngmi, you must know how to get back home right? let’s all meet up at me and young-siks house and we can all part ways from there! and exchange contacts!”
“ohh yeah! And don’t forget ma, We can all text each other about our dinner! Right youngmi?”
there was a pause, Hyunju glanced over to the phone.
Although she couldent see the girls face. that hesitation was familiar.
“…right, that’s a good idea. Unnie, did you make it to the lamppost yet?”
She was changing the conversation
“o-oh yes, You said it was a left at the intersection right?”
“yes, now just keep going forward untill you reach the main streets”
They started picking up the pace
“in that case- should we leave the call? i mean, we can take it from here. and besides, you two still need to go home anyways! so let’s all make sure we get there on time!”
Hyunju was confused
Leave the call now? sure they can make there way but Why would they-
Geum-ja glanced back to hyunju, sharing a look of curiosity
so she stayed quiet
“oh yeah good point! Youngmi let’s start going, i’ll lead the way!”
“alright then, see you soon miss Geum-ja”
There was a small pause before she spoke again, this time higher in tone
“See you in a bit unnie, call again if you need too! Bye”
“yes, Stay safe you two! don’t get her lost young-sik.”
“Cmon i won’t!-“
beep
Geum-ja snickered to herself as they continued to walk
Although it was night, The lights to most stores in the distance could be seen, a good sign that they were going the right way
Soon enough, hyunju could finally just let herself crash in the comfort of her bed.
And of course, sooner or later she’d make sure to check her bank account-
“I’m surprised youngmi was able to know exactly where we are! don’t you?”
There was a pause in the silence as hyunju looked over
“oh? yeah even i was surprised.. Honestly i think that’s pretty cool.”
Although, hyunju was almost 100% sure youngmi was good at traversing due to her living situation..
But she wasn’t going to talk about her when she isn’t even present.
what type of friend would do that?-
“And im sure when we get to my house, You and her could continue walking back together!”
she stumbled a bit
“what?-“
Geum-ja glanced over again
“well, You live a good thirty minutes away dear. And we both know that buses are not running right now- But youngmi does have a great sense of direction! And what’s more- she’s taken a shine too you! One thing good came out of those games, You’ve made a friend after all”
As they reached the intersection, They made sure to change paths, Hyunju looked around, averting the older woman’s gaze
A friend
She cleared her throat
“Well. When we talked about it before, Youngmi lives the opposite way of me. I won’t make her walk all the way there and then back”
She heard a small sigh
“Well, You’d have to ask her first dear. But knowing her, she’d say yes!”
Hyunju laughed as she spoke
“yes well.. I guess i’ll see”
Geum-ja looked to see hyunjus expression, Calmed down and relaxed. She nodded in approval.
after everything you two have been through, It’s good to make sure the young ones stay safe and sound.
~~~
youngmi was waiting at the steps for both Miss Geum-ja and Hyunju, It’s been a good 12 minutes since they made it too the house.. Young-sik offered her to come inside but she seemed hesitant.
She managed to change into her original clothes, Which honestly weren’t too different from the game clothes anyways…
A simple baggy t-shirt with some random design on it from an old band.. She got it on clearance along with her baggy sweat pants.
Sure, even with the clothes twice her size. Youngmi couldn’t help but feel and overwhelming feeling that she could just breath normally now..
Now she just needed to wait.
She wanted to make sure they both got here safe, She would never forgive herself if she got the directions wrong-
Oh god what if they’re lost and don’t know where they are- But she said to call so that would mean they’re fine right-?
“youngmi! We still have tea in here! We have some spare disposable cups so let me make us some tea! i’ll even make some for My mom and hyunju for when they get here-“
Youngmi turned around for a second.
“wait- um..Do you.. guys have coffee?”
Young-sik checked back into his place, Looking around the corner, squinting his eyes
“we do! but we don’t have milk to add too it.. we have a bit of sugar left though”
Youngmi fiddled with her fingers
“Do you like drinking coffee youngmi?”
She hesitated
“actually it’s for-“
“young-sik!! youngmi!”
They both looked to see Both Geum-ja and hyunju turning the corner
“ma!! was the walk too long? i’m making tea!- oh and also one coffee”
youngmi turned around to stare blankly, flushing slightly in embarrassment
That’s when she heard her voice again
“Coffee?”
Youngmi turned back around, Glancing first at the taller woman, Slowly as she walked into the slight glare of the fading light bulb, Youngmi again- stared blankly
a gown
Frilly and purple- no lavander. And it-..
“Um..”
It looked way too pretty.. no. Actually it was perfect. too perfect. NO-
“Lavender-“
Youngmi Was cut off by young-sik
“Ma! i’m making tea! is it alright if we use the leftover jasmine?”
“oh good idea! But make sure the disposal cups aren’t already used- And put new water too boil- actually one second girls i’m going to go inside for a bit- just wait one second alright?-“
Hyunju looked to the small house, it seemed cozy.. And rather tidy as well, Then she looked back to the shorter girl still staring at her.
She was wearing clothes twice the size of her.. Yet it actually fit her surprisingly well, and the way youngmis facial expressions always managed to be so coy..almost like a Dog of some sort- is that rude to think?
It felt oddly like how the first time they spoke, A blatant but curious stare, Oddly endearing but one another were just waiting for the other to make a move..
Well, youngmi had started it last time.. So perhaps it was her turn
“I like your shirt youngmi.. how long have you been waiting here?”
She stumbled a bit, A small gap between them since they were now sitting on the steps. How funny, they always managed to speak on the steps, maybe it’s becoming more of a habit
“oh um.. thank you.. We’ve only been here for maybe 15 minutes.. was the walk here hard?..”
Another pause
“oh no, It was a little long but that’s just like you said..thank you for helping us by the way”
There was a small nudge to her shoulder, playful.
“of course!.. um..”
Youngmi shuffled in her seat, Looking back to see the other twos house lights still on, but the chatter was too quiet to hear
“Youngmi?”
“yes?”
the response was quick
Hyunju smiled lightly
“Is it weird that i’m wearing a skirt?”
She blinked abruptly
“what-“
“you were kind of staring at me for a bit”
“What-? i was?”
“yes?”
“Oh-“
“oh?”
“Oh!- Yes- yeah, I’m sorry”
It was a constant back and forth babble- Youngmi was embarrassed enough but the serene feeling of it all kinda added to the pressure.
Actually scratch that. It wasn’t pressure at all. To be fair she couldn't quite put her finger on it
She fiddled with her shirt over and over as hyunju stared off
Like she said. She is NOT good at talking.
…
That being said..she needed to say something.. anything..
“..The skirt is..”
There was a small pause, A small unseen flush rose to her ears but she felt compelled to say it. Especially if hyunju was having doubts about how utterly pretty she looked.
“…you’re really pretty..”
…
…
..
“You’re”
..
..
..
Youngmi glanced back up to hyunju, A small awkward smile appeared. How youngmis front teeth managed to show off the small curve of her upper right lip.
…
..
..
“..you’re..”
..
..
..
Hyunju looked off to the side, Hands rubbing the edges of her knees
But besides that, there was this unprecedented giddy feeling, Childish and pure. But unknown.
Or at the very least- extraordinarily uncommon..
like a type of fight or flight response
…
..
..
So she adapted instead
…
..
youngmi felt her heart rate increase- worried she might have ruined the mood
That was until she heard a small laugh. Sweet and quiet..
“the skirt is..you’re really pretty?..oh my”
Youngmi felt her face burn hot.
“I- i meant-“
“no, i get what you mean, it’s just-“
“..”
“You have a way with words youngmi..”
She smiled, youngmi had her shirt practically bundled in her hand, but her face brightened, Eyes widened slightly as she flickered her gaze between hyunjus eyes to her face entirely
As if those words had genuine impact.. one that hyunju might have never known
Her smile reappeared, this time becoming more symmetrical
“…i do?”
…
..
..
Oh.
…
..
.
Okay.
Hyunju wasn’t expecting a reaction like that.
A soft, gentle response..
She felt her shoulders relax as a small pool of heat formed across her face, Eyebrows raised
Eyes..
It was always her eyes wasn’t it?
Going from timid to confusion.. endearing and sweet
All the way to coy and soft.
Hyunju wondered just how long she was staring.. But then again, how long has youngmi been staring?
Where one struggles with their gaze, the other manages to see right through her. Where one struggles with their words, the other manages to pull them out of it her.
In a weird way, they had managed to unknowingly compliment one another.
And in return, create a mesh of uncharacteristically ambiguous actions.
Yet, also ambiguous beauty.
…
..
..
“…yes-“
the door slid open
Hyunju and youngmi quickly shuffled a bit farther from one another, Watching as young-sik struggled to hold all four cups, While geum-ja walked over to them handing over two pieces of paper
“oh i hope you two haven’t been waiting long! here here, before you two start heading home-“
She gave them the torn paper, Glancing to it, there was numbers written on each one
Young-sik chimed in
“it’s my number for our phone, that way we can all text! so please make sure to send one when you can! And here, everyone take your drinks! It’s getting way too chilly out here-“
Three teas and one coffee
Youngmi stood back up, hyunju watched as she slowly stumbled over and held a cup of tea, Blowing on it before nodding to the others
“thank you, it smells great!- unnie come here”
She motioned towards her to come over, a small ‘oh’ was mumbled as she walked up
“oh youngmi! i thought you wanted coffee?”
There was a pause, Hyunju glanced to youngmi- who accidentally stepped back and looked to everyone around
“oh- i- actually meant that for..”
she looked over to hyunju, ears slightly red in his but the color was harder to make out due to the dim lighting
geum-ja chuckled to herself as she drank, nudging young-sik in the side as he furrowed his brow in protest
“ah- well- here hyunju! I didn’t know if you wanted sugar but-“
Hyunju glanced to the coffee and back to youngmi who was still looling at her. unwavering in her expression that was somewhere in between curiosity and shyness
“oh don’t worry- this is just fine.. Thank you by the way”
She held the cup firmly, All four now with drinks in hand, The cold breeze wafting through the air, managing to get the drinks to become a pleasant temperature.
Youngmi never had problems with cold but she had to admit her body felt a bit warm. The cold breeze provided just enough chill to her body, although she was sure her face wasn’t so lucky…
Young-sik mumbled to his mother about the tea- hoping it was good enough, In return, Miss Geum-ha nodded with a smile, Simply listening in to everyone’s conversation, But making occasional glances to hyunju
and of course, hyunju took small sips. Not wanting to drink it so quick that she could burn herself. but also.. so she could stay a little while longer.
Truthfully, the most she wanted right now as to sleep, semi peacefully. As much peace you can get after- ALL of this..
But this moment.. this stellar..blissful.. Gentle moment
It astounded her.
Finally, she took another glance at the people around her, youngmis bangs were slightly pushed away due to the wind, showing off how her eye brows furrowed slightly when she took a drink, and how her smile would quiver the slightest bit as she talked.
yes.. in this moment..
It felt right.
It felt Real.
She took another sip.
..
“the coffee is perfect”
~~~
20 minutes
For 20 minutes, they all stood around Geum-ja’s house, Most of the distant lights fully turned off. Small chatter in an open street, Luckily no one was awake to hear young-siks Loud laughter
The thought of leaving to go back to their respective houses never crossed hyunjus mind. That is until she caught the glance of the shorter girl next to her, They were short dragged out glimpses.
Once they caught each others eye, there would be at least one second of gazing- followed by one or the other breaking the contact.
Hyunju wasn’t sure if that was why she felt compelled to speak, or if it was the sudden want to.
Either way, Geum-ja did encourage her to ask..
“By the way.. youngmi”
But- geum-ja cut her off before she could try-
she turned to her, Cutting off the conversation as young-sik took the now empty disposable cups back inside
“yes?”
“Do you plan on heading home soon? It is getting awfully close to 2:00 AM and i really do want you girls to get a bit of sleep!”
Youngmi stayed quiet, hyunju could’ve sworn she caught another glance
“Ah well- yes. I should try and head home early but.. I’m not sure if-“
She paused for a second, Laughing with a sigh as she spoke
“i don’t think any hotels are nearby. At least not for a good 40 minute walk..”
Ah right. Like youngmi said before in the dorms. Her living situation isn’t- set in stone.
“Hotel? You lived in a hotel?-“
“n-no.. i mean i went from place to place.. Most of them were hotels but cheapest ones are way farther- i can find another one if i walk!-“
Geum-ja put a hand to her face
“oh my-! No no youngmi you really shouldn’t, A 40 minute walk? And who knows what type of people could be awake! here, if you need a place to stay just for tonight- please stay here! it’s rather small but truthfully it’s better then walking all the way with only a chance to find a cheaper hotel!-“
Hyunju watched as youngmis shoulders perked up
“no! i wouldn’t want to intrude- and im sure you and young-sik need to settle down and take care of things now that your back home so i don’t think-“
“Nonsense! my son doesn’t mind giving you his room just for the night! He can stay in mine for today so you can get well rested-“
young-sik came back out
“huh?- you say my name ma?”
Much to youngmis protest, As they talked, Hyunju caught a glance to geum-ja who raised an eyebrow
In return hyunju furrowed her brow in confusion, Glancing away and back to see her now mouthing words-
Go ahead now!
Hyunju held her arms folded together, glancing back at youngmi who was still trying to convince them it was alright- Arms flaring up and down to prove her point
She looked back to geum-ja as she mouthed the same words again, this time adding-
you can do it!
…
Maybe it was the coffee. Or the sudden rise of warmth in her lower stomach-
She flickered her gaze away, hand gripping her purse with anticipation
..
“R-really please don’t worry! If i walk fast- i’m sure i’ll be oka-“
“But your so small youngmi- What if someone tries too-“
Hyunju raised a hand
“Actually if it’s alright with you-“
Youngmi turned to her, slouched over with her hands bundled in her shirt again, hyunju noticed she tended to do that a lot when she talked..
“..if it’s alright with you youngmi- i can ah-“
Shit.
Okay maybe she didn’t think this through enough.
Mainly because if she offered to walk her to a nearby hotel- who knows where the cheapest one could be? they might be walking for a while- and not to mention, That would also mean hyunju would need to walk all the way back to her own place-
…
…
shit-
…
..
But she couldent just let youngmi walk alone-
She was still gazing at her, soft brown eyes on darkend Wood colored eyes.
…
..
..
oh damn it all.
..
..
..
“-You can come back to my place. It’s a bit of a walk.. but it seems better then just searching..?”
There was another large hesitation
“…”
“…”
Youngmi felt her ears burning, praying to whatever god that it wasn’t noticed
Geum-ja clasped her hands together
“that’s a great idea! that way my poor heart doesn’t have to worry about anyone getting lost.. or worse!! In that case-“
She began to usher youngmi towards the taller woman, a small stifled gasp was heard as they were now shoulder to shoulder
“it’s getting late you two! Come on- And make sure to text when you make it home safe! And youngmi, Make sure you get a good nights sleep- you’ve been jittery since we got here dear!”
young-sik interrupted
“But ma- i thought you were okay with youngmi stayin- ow!”
He was nudged in the rib as she began ushering them to walk
“don’t forget! text in the morning as well! maybe we can al meet for dinner soon! stay safe you two!”
In a span of one minute- completely ushered away
And hyunju could have sworn she felt a pat on her back-
Glancing to her left, the shorter girl was looking down, But she was rather calm.
A bit farther back, Young-silk could be heard questioning his mother, A small scentence was heard as his mother began walking inside
“You have that face again ma-“
..as silly as it was.
Hyunju stifled a laugh.
~~~
….
Neither of them spoke as they walked.
It’s been 7 minutes.
A good portion of the way to hyunjus place.
And yet no words were spoken-
On the one hand, Youngmi never minded the silence, besides her demeanor- obviously she does enjoy silence.. but In a way, Silence was frather nice with someone comfortable.
She glanced to the taller woman to her left, Somewhere along the way during there walk, She managed to catch a couple of stares. thing is, they were never longer then half a second.
She was mindlessly following hyunju after all, So it would make sense that she’d look to her..
It felt oddly similar to how they were in the games.. Youngmi would be lying if she said she didn’t rely on hyunju a lot of the time.
There was even a part of her that was worried about becoming a burden.. Especially after.. the third game.
…it really begged the question..
What were they even supposed to do now?
And it’s been bugging her a lot- But she hasn’t had time to really think about it. Is now a good time?. Right here? next to hyunju?
definitely not.
She glanced over, Taking the time to lean closer as they turned around the corner.
Silence resuming. The sound of footsteps being the only steady sound to the both of them.
Hyunju on the other hand..
She held her bag firmly, A wavering shudder going through her as they walked
10 minutes. It’s been 10 minutes-
No words, nothing- It was driving her mad.
She prided herself and her ability to keep her nerves down. But what she dreaded most was silence in situations where silence felt off-
in all honesty, it was mostly in her head. The lack of conversation would never be a problem in other situations-
However, this is different.
in some odd way, The lack of conversation was her problem.
because now she’s found herself yearning for it.
a friend
It felt childish to think about. Especially because it’s been.. a long time. Not to say she isn’t exactly an extrovert. But she is human, human interaction is a basic need..
hyunju looked over to her, A small strand of hair falling to her face as she thought to herself
So why on earth was it so difficult-
It frustrated her..
…
“hey..”
It was quiet, like most other times. But that’s how it started.
Gentle.
So hyunju didn’t waste a second, Little by little there was less hesitation.
“…something wrong?”
no words were spoken as she shook her head, Youngmi glanced to her as they began to walk a bit more slower
But hyunju lnew they were getting closer
“are you okay with this…?”
“..”
“How so?”
“i mean..you don’t have too let me-“
“i know”
“…”
“you know?”
“yes, But i really don’t mind it”
“are you su-“
“yes”
…
Hyunju kept looking forward, youngmi let her gaze flicker to Hyunju and back to the street ahead of them.
A smile formed that she couldn't see herself but Hyunju had the vision for it already..she wouldn’t mind seeing it again however, She might lose her train of thought.
For those eyes managed to keep her lost for a while, and that smile managed to elude her even farther..
…
It would be best if she waited till home either way-
Hyunju felt a small amount of pressure on her sleeve.
Her train of thought interrupted once more.
Glancing over to her right to see youngmi much more closer then before, Hand trailing onto her upper forearm, and making its way to cling onto her dangling sleeve.
…
And yet no words were spoken
A subtle squeeze was given. Followed by walking to come to a small stop, Youngmi glanced up but it was more of a flicker of the eyes, tempting to ask but not say-
Is this alright?
Eyes met. A smile wavered.
Hyunju, to her surprise, Wouldn't have to wait till she got home after all. Neither of them breaking the contact as she nodded, Continuing to walk, a slight squeeze now and then. Like it was becoming a rhythm
Silence.
For the next 11 minutes. Arms locked.
There was silence.
~~~
Youngmi looked around, eyes darting to many places in the room.
Hyunju’s place was.. quaint. Dainty even, and it suited her well..
There wasn’t any mess.. For a small apartment it was still neatly kept. That being said, she was definitely a minimalist. not much beside a respective mirror and a circular desk were in the room, in the corner was a neatly rolled sleeping bag with a large pillow..along with a box youngmi figured held her makeup. There was even a small closet in the corner that held her clothes, the open window allowing cool air to pool in.
So calm, mellowed and straightforward. But so welcoming..
Just like hyunju
Youngmi sat alone, As soon as they made it inside, hyunju excused herself to shower, stating that it had been on her mind for a long while. Who was youngmi to stop her after all?
So she sat. Sat and waited, Taking in very detail of the room, getting that sense of curiousity she felt growing for her friend every day..
She looked in the mirror, it was placed on the ground, Titlted enough so she could see herself but if she were to stand she would barely see the top of her head.
It filled youngmis head with many thoughts
For one, Would hyunju be kneeling down everyday to do her makeup?
Youngmi glanced to the opposite wall of the mirror,
Two, would she have to stand back to examine her outfits?
And three, Would she be more serious about them? Maybe she would make sure her outfits were carefully picked out..
or.. maybe she was more playful..
She laid her head and arms on the desk in front of her
Youngmi imagined hyunju right here, In a frilly blouse or skirt, Carefully adjusting it too her liking, Taking a second to step back and see if she liked it or not..
Then she thought about how she might do a little twirl, maybe a pose, And it made her bury her head in her arms
It seemed awfully sweet
Maybe hyunju liked taking photos? Maybe she was like youngmi.. Always using filters..
she peeked back up at the mirror
hm..no, Hyunju was naturally beautiful.. Maybe she was more into photogenic things?..
And then her mind wondered to another thing, Her outfits.
What was her style like?..
Obviously she likes dresses.. They suited her so well
but was there more to it?
Youngmi recalled back too older magazines she’d read as a child, how she’d sneak them away from her mom to look at, maybe even imagine herself in them.
But they never caught her eye, too glamorous or too much for her.. And shiny with so many details.
…
But hyunju?..
…
Youngmi let her head bury back between her arms, Head touching the desk as she closed her eyes
She remembered a dress with red sequins, Long and…well fit. But the noticeable design was the rode pattern the sequins made..
…Red would compliment her hair nice…
Besides the dress was also other things like a black purse and black high heels..
Hyunju was already so tall- did she need more height?
She giggled to herself
Another dress was more of a cottage style..
cozy and frilly, White and blue with a pink flower pattern on the expanse of the waist line..
With yellow sandals and a sun hat
So colorful..
youngmi remembered the pose of the woman in the magazine, for a split second, she imagined hyunju in her place.
She felt her mind go blank with that image. Face growing hot but she persisted.
It would.. fit her more then well.
there was another dress.. Black in color, But it sparkled with holographic colors.
Not exactly glitter but it was a full body piece of art..
It was completely regal.
A skin meshing sleeveless dress with a top cut neck line.
It cut off around the knees but the folds would add a sort of depth to it.
and there were gloves.. White gloves with black stitching..
With holographic black high heels..
But the most noticeable feature?…
The pose.
It was in a fashion magazine.
It was meant to be extra.
Youngmi remembered it well, The woman was displayed against a wall, leg up to display the high heels as arms pressed against the wall, back of the hand put into her hair as she looked at an angle to the camera.
Absolutely picturesque..
In her mind, the photo was a distant memory. Far from what she really remembered.
so that must have been her own minds fault. Filling the blanks for her.
letting out a A shuddering breath
Picturing hyunju in her place instead.
pose and all.. Arms crossed up like a model- Confidence and glow in all the same way- Slowly building up into more a replacement then a vision.
it seemed uncanny, her heart raced as her ears burned. In embarrassment or flush? who knows.
She quickly discarded the thought-
Cursing herself as she tried to wipe away the burning sensation on her face.
Looking back into the mirror as she composed herself.
How shameful. How utterly shameful-
How could she think of something like that- in her own house? what type of person was she- absolutely disgusting-
“youngmi?”
She jumped at the voice, eyes widened as she turned around
“Are you alright?”
She inhaled suddenly
A breath being caught in her throat
Hyunju stood in front of her, Hair up with her face lightly lit by the moonlight of the open window, Towel in hand as she Came a bit closer.
That wasn’t the worse part- no, that wasn’t the most overwhelming part-
She wore an equally beautiful blouse..
Blue in color.
…
…
Damn everything her mind could think of, No matter what she thought of-
A foolish endeavor was nothing compared to such sights..
How could one person.. be absolutely breathtaking?
..
“youngmi? did you hear what i said?”
She blinked- snapping out of it as hyunju knelt down, A worrisome look on her face
“are you feeling well?”
Curse youngmi for staying silent- Curse her mind for picturing such obscenities- and curse herself for allowing such things-
she jumped at the sudden contact of hyunju placing her forehead to her own, Checking her tempature as eyes stayed locked
…
Damn it all, she was truly a lost cause when she was around, wasn’t she?
“you’re burning up- let me check-“
youngmi stumbled forward, head now placed onto the crook of hyunjus neck
“-again”
She froze, Stumbling back a bit before mumbling
“y-youngmi?”
She was right about her temperature though, she was extremely warm.
She could feel the light stagnent breath towards her collar bone, Youngmi was breathing relatively quick-
She put hands to her shoulders, trying to keep them leveled against one another
It was quiet. A shallow voice meekly whispered as she pulled away, choosing to lock eyes once more
whether it was confidence or the sudden burst of adrenaline
“..sorry hyunju..I think i jut feel tired.. i-“
She held a hand to her face, Making it harder to see her but- That wasn’t what caught her attention.
…
..
..
“hyunju”
..
..
..
She stared blankly.
“Hyunju”
that- that’s the first time youngmi has ever said her name so plainly.
..
..
It seemed to roll off the tongue nice.
..
..
Youngmi felt a small squeeze at her shoulders- A small dazed expression on her must’ve been noticeable
…
..
Hyunju kept her gaze locked on, taking in a breath as if she could fall over if she exhaled.
…
..
“hyunju?..”
..
..
The words repeated once more in her mind.
Replaying over and over like a broken record- no, a mantra- No. a prayer.
She felt a swell of pride wash over her in a matter of seconds- and unknown- unprecedented emotion taking control of her whole being as she tried to say something- anything.
But that damned word- Kept circling in her mind.
It’s her name.
Simple as that-
So why the hell did it make her head spin?- Such a crude way to put it- so ironic how much she has come to realize the impact of her words-
Her eyes- voice, even her manurisms-
How ironic that the buildup has only gotten stronger from there- unjustified for the sake of hyunjus mind.
A simple word managing to throw her off to the highest amount and yet that wasn’t even the worse of it-
Oh no, it had to be the fact youngmi was blissfully unaware of her inner turmoil.
Aloof with that- Endearing expression.
And what the hell, Hyunju may as well have been equally unaware with how much she was unwilling to admit.
One word.
Coming from anyone, it may be typical, normal- even at most times forced- The memory of multiple people not even bothering to at least give hyunju the courtesy of using her own name-
And yet this is the moment that manages to click for her.
This- completely random and completely unnecessary moment-
Because she had to admit it to herself, Coming from that voice? Looking at her with eyes that mange to take everything hyunju has shunned and thrown it out the window only for her to recollect them and put everything back together-?
it brang her curiosity. Amusing and yet so blatantly intimidating.
…
Is she still indulging?..
..
could this even be considered indulgence…?
…
It was becoming all too real for her- all too frequent..
…
It felt agonizingly extraordinary..
..
youngmi felt her mind race, The staring.. god the staring was getting to her-
And the squeeze on her shoulder..
Ears burning as she bundled the shirt in her hands
Smiling nervously but forcing herself to push it away-
But never once breaking eye contact, tilting her head in anticipation.
Unsure of what was happening but feeling a near overwhelming urge to see it though
Hyunjus hands slowly trailed downwards, Resting against the lower back hands, A small squeeze almost making youngmi tremble
So close… so unbelievably close-
a shuddering breath..
The pale moonlight causing hyunju to finally snap out of her daze.
Hand in hand similar to before. A reminder of the subtle sweet moment..
A reminder that things could easily change as they could end.
..
maybe that why she pulled away.
…
“we… w-we should sleep…”
as quickly as the contact happened, it was gone. Eyes no longer enraptured in the other, fleeting touches returned to merely grazes of hands.
Hyunju shuffled to the rolled up sleeping bag, as if nothing had happened. The sudden break of contact caused youngmi to snap out of it as well, flush still present but it had slowly began to dicapate.
taking the sleeping bag and placing it down next to them- turning her head to grab the pillow- discarded to the side
“And.. maybe sleep will help with your temperature.. i’ll keep the window open..”
Youngmi shuffled back with her hands in her lap. Dazed but she kept a hand to where hyunju had touched, As if the contact would stick to her like an unpresent hand.
“y-yeah..”
it was quiet once more. Except this time, it felt unfulfilled- and without closure.
Hyunju turned around to see the shorter girl glance back, then away back to her bundling the shirt in her hands.
Another thought coming to mind as she shook away the flush of pink that rose to her face.
“i can.. get you a clean shirt if you want..”
…
Her eyes brightened once more, not apparent but she brushed it off
“If..if it’s not trouble..”
She smiled back
“i’ll go get it then..”
She hoped it wasn’t too noticeable.. but hyunju quickly got back up, walking over to the closet as she turned her head
Youngmi took the time to get herself ready..
Although hyunju didn’t have a lot of shirts, she did manage to have some cropped tank tops. And they were decently sized on her.. For youngmi, since she was much shorter, maybe they could fit her better? And with the size it may as well would be a normal sleeveless shirt-
She turned around holding a darkish blue shirt, Looking back to see youngmi removing her origami baggy shirt, Allowing hyunju to have a direct view of her back.
She nearly dropped the shirt entirely.
She turned back abruptly. Facing the inside of the small closet as she pretended to shuffle around small racks of clothes.
…
Youngmi had multiple birthmarks trailing her upper back. All separated from one another like a type of pattern- Like a constellation.
..
She looked..soft.
Hyunju smacked herself mentally.
turning around to walk over and extend a hand to offer the shirt, youngmi held it
averting eye contact at all costs.
She couldent imagine the response to seeing- The front.
…
“If this isn’t good- i can change it.”
The sound of shuffling could be heard as she nodded
About a second had gone by before she heard a mumbled response
“..”
“It’s perfect unnie, Thank you.. Should we sleep now?..”
A sigh of relief was made as hyunju Finally looked back up.
At the very least she wouldent need to mentally recover from anything.
..
She.. Was right about the shirt being oversized.
It looked big on her but.. it did suit her..
..
She shook away another distant thought. Grabbing one end of the sleeping bag and opening it, revealing another blanket inside that she took out, Tugging it away as she spoke
“take the sleeping bag, I’ll be using the blanket and pillow but the sleep bag is relatively comfortable, it’s a little big but that should give you enough space too-“
youngmi shuffled over
“what? you should sleep in it.. it’s your afterall-“
“it’s more comfortable for you youngmi”
“more comfortable, which means you should get to sleep on it-“
“i don’t mind the blanket and pillow-“
“but i’ll be fine with it as well-“
“i don’t want you to be uncomfortable youngmi”
There was a small beat of silence
“…”
“but i’m comfortable with you”
…
Heat rose to her face.
Plain as that.
…
…
..
..
..
.
.
Hyunju laid in the sleeping bag, face me front towards the sleeping girl next to her.
Quiet inhales and exhales were heard as she held a hand to her lower chin, Hair messy but characteristically sound.
Hyunju couldent sleep.
She was too deep in thought to think.
How did she get here again?
She glanced to her right.
Well that’s one answer.
..
She shuffled onto her side more comfortably, watching the shorter girls stomach rise and fall, A steady tempo that told her she was asleep.
I’m comftorable with you.
..
Those words kept her up. Then again it definitely wasn’t the first time.
…
How did she do it?
How did one girl manage to have that effect on her.
she couldent put her finger on it.. So timid and coy and yet to have that much- power over her?
No.. she should not say power- it wasn’t something rough like that..
It was gentle.. a calming sensation that she couldent explain.
She had her aloof.
A fool.
Hyunju reached a finger out, Slowly grazing the shorter woman’s bangs to the side so the pale moonlight dusted on her face,
..
What did she ask herself before?..
Is this..still indulgence?..
…
She felt a hand press to her forearm, A small tremble of the hand as youngmi unknowingly shuffled around.
A small shuddering breath was heard as she turned her head towards her.
…
Hyunju felt her hands move on their own.
A trick her mind played on her. It had to be..
An arm wrapping around her as she felt trembling hands slowly cling to her.
..
She buried her face into her spare hand.
Unphased but finding it all almost humorous.
…
Who would’ve guessed..
..
Was it really ever indulgence?..