Restless
It has been a long Friday for Yongsun. Early morning trying to finish her thesis that she’s been writing for weeks on nanobiotic, classes from 8am till 4pm and then the evening shift at the convenience store.
It’s 9pm now and Yongsun can finally catch a breath. She realizes she hasn’t slept much during these recent 72 hours and upon the realization, all the muscles in her body suddenly feels like melting.
There’s just nothing worse than being a working student in their final weeks.
Tonight, she’s gonna celebrate, with a bag of chips, and some cheap beers perhaps because, well, she is in the mood for something naughty and because she can finally relax now.
Though she can’t get too drunk since there’s still work to be done tomorrow.
Yongsun stuffs the two cans of beer into her backpack and prays no one will suspect anything when she gets back to her dome. She is Kim Yongsun after all, who woulda thought the model student would ever do something like this?
She says goodbye to the girl that came for the next shift and walks out the door. It’s a good thing the bus stop is just across the street, Yongsun doesn’t think she can afford walking too far right now, not after standing for five hours straight.
The bus comes eventually.
Yongsun was hoping for an empty bus, but God is not on her side today, now she just hopes there’s a seat left for her.
As the bus is about to close its door, a voice from outside can be heard, “Please wait!”
Yongsun, being the good person that she is, asks the bus driver to wait for a second for the person that’s running towards the bus.
A girl, in disheveled clothes, steps inside not long after, heavy breathing and all, trying to stabilize herself, “Thank you so much for waiting, sir.”
“Thanks this girl,” the bus driver nods his head towards Yongsun, “she heard you and stopped me from going.” Leaving it at that, he gets back to his job, starts driving away without hesitation.
The girl looks at Yongsun, hand grabbing a handlebar for steadiness and approaches her slowly. “H-Hi,” the girl scratches her head with her other hand, “thanks for telling him to wait for me. You saved me from so much trouble there.”
“No problem.” Yongsun offers a small smile. Helping those in need is its own reward, she always thinks, no matter how small the deed is. “I’m glad I was able to help. You must have had a long day.”
“A long day indeed.” The girl laughs. Yongsun has never heard such easy-to-hear laughs before, ones that lighten her heart immediately. Not to mention, the girl is criminally good looking now that Yongsun starts to pay attention.
“Moon Byulyi,” the girl says. “Do I have the pleasure to know the name of my savior?”
Yongsun’s cheeks heat up at the realization of her staring. She can only hope that Byulyi didn’t notice it (or maybe, she hopes that she did.) “I’m Yongsun. Kim Yongsun.”
“My pleasure to meet you then, Yongsun.”
Her name sounds sweet coming from Byulyi’s mouth.
“Well, I hope we’ll meet in the near future, Yongsun.”
It takes a while for Yongsun to snap out of her trance to realize Byulyi has gone.
And god dammit, the girl is in the last seat available on this bus. Yongsun’s gaze hyper focuses on a now stretching, sitting and relaxing Byulyi.
Curse her gayness and her loneliness!
Her gayness is one thing, but who on Earth would take the last seat on the bus from their savior? Yongsun bites her lower lip and argues with herself. It’s a long way until her dorm and there’s no way she’s gonna stand all the way there. Maybe, maybe she should ask Byulyi for her right to sit in this seat!
No, no, her tiredness is getting to her. There will be seats available after the next stop, there’s no need to fight over something so stupid, and with a stranger also. Silly her.
That’s probably the last of Yongsun’s positivity for the day when none of the passengers leave over the next few stops.
She turns her head towards Byulyi for the n times, getting angrier the more relaxed the girl becomes. No good deed goes unpunished, she keeps muttering to herself. But why? Why is she the one suffering though?
Maybe, maybe she should ask Byulyi nicely for the seat. Or like, subtly suggest it.
“Are you getting off soon?” Yongsun approaches Byulyi softly, trying to hide her look of disdain, looking down at the girl.
Surprised, Byulyi takes a moment to answer, “Nah, my stop is still pretty far.”
Dammit, Yongsun curses. There goes her first reasoning.
“Are you back from your part-time job?” Yongsun asks before adding, “If you don’t mind me asking cause you look my age so I just assumed that you’re a student like me.”
“Full time job is more accurate, but yeah, I’m just finished from work,” Byulyi says. “And I guess you’re back from your part-time job.”
Yongsun nods. “Correct.”
“Must be tiring working and studying at the same time,” Byulyi covers her yawn with the back of her hand.
Yes, that’s why you should let me sit instead. Yongsun doesn’t voice her thoughts. “It is. And it’s the final week too so I could barely catch a breath.”
Byulyi nods and hums slowly, but stays still in her seat.
“I haven’t slept for three days, I think.”
Byulyi remains unmoved.
“I feel like dying just having to stand honestly.”
Still, Byulyi doesn’t get the hint.
Just as Yongsun is about to lose it, Byulyi grabs her hand and says, “You know what, come here.” And then, Byulyi pulls her down onto her laps and wraps an arm around her stomach as if to prevent her from standing up. “Don’t mind me, I’m not bothered at all.”
Yongsun doesn’t mind one bit. She has already let herself rest against the girl actually.
This is better than the seat, Yongsun decides.