Ludus is the idea of playful love between young lovers

WENRI [i] Ludus, or playful love

When Seulgi had left Wendy immersed herself in her schoolwork. She worked hard, trying to get herself into High Honors, or instead simply settling for Honors. Everything was a distraction, and most of all she had missed her parents. But senior year was upon her, and she was happy to finally be out of high school.

Everyone said in songs and movies that high school would be the best years of your life, but for Wendy they seemed like a stepping stone that was comparable to a mountain. Suffering under schoolwork and stress was all that it had done for her.

She wasn’t the most sociable of students, but everyone knew who she was. The Korean-American transfer student that had high grades and played a sport every season. But she felt so alone at times, after class and on open periods she found herself in the library. Staring out the window eating strawberries and reminiscing. But halfway through the semester, at her favorite table, someone decided to sit across from her.

Wendy wasn’t mad, don’t get her wrong, but she quickly glanced around and saw that other tables were open, and turned back to see the other staring at her. Wendy didn’t recognize them, but could assume they were an underclassmen based on the uniform that they were wearing and their textbooks. She opened to speak but was swiftly interrupted.

“What’s up.” They said, smiling and leaning down casually. Flipping open their textbook and scanning through it.

“Do you need something…” Wendy asked, raising an eyebrow at her, slipping a bookmark into her copy of ‘Bram r’s Dracula.’ She set it atop her neat pile of textbooks, and glanced towards this playful stranger.

“Hm… Well I’ll introduce myself since you asked.”

“Sor-”

“My name’s Ye~ri!” She cut Wendy off and waved playfully with both her hands, her voice thick with a Korean accent that made Wendy’s heartache. But she brushed it off, and looked towards them. Their face was young and their skin was flawless, they had dyed their hair a blonde color and had it lay down her shoulders beautifully. “And you-” She pointed to Wendy. “Seemed lonely… plus I needed help.” Yeri grinned at them, raising her chin in a confident act of defiance.

Wendy smiled and leaned on her elbows. “What makes you think I’ll help you.”

Yeri shrugged. “Because you have nothing better to do.” And Wendy rolled her eyes, hating admitting that they were right.  “I’m a sophomore by the way, so this should be pretty easy for you anyways.”

Their conversation descended into a conversation about chemistry and density, and an argument sparking if you could make gravity reverse. Their hour in the library went fast, ending when the librarian hushed them and Yeri exclaimed that she was late to her next class.

“Same time tomorrow!”

“Don’t you thinK I HAVE THINGS TO DO!” Wendy yelled back, her voice ascending with each word.

“I KNOW YOU DON’T” Yeri called back. Wendy turned to the librarian who was smiling warmly at her, who upon Wendy made eye contact with, shifted her glasses and acted like she hadn’t been observing the two. Wendy looked down, and began the cycle of the sophomore and senior’s playful banters in the library.

The next noteworthy conversation they had took place a few weeks later.

“So, you aren’t from Canada right?” Wendy asked Yeri, who was munching on Goldfish as she typed fervently on her computer.

“Mm. No.” Yeri responded, clicking a button with a loud click. And looked up triumphantly at Wendy. “Korea.”

Wendy’s eyes brightened and widened. “Me too! I was wondering because you have the same accent that I used to have.” Yeri threw a handful of Goldfish at her, and stuck her tongue out playfully, their eyes rolled sarcastically before glancing back down to their essay that was due in two hours.

“Don’t mock me.” She mumbled.

“I would never, honestly.” Wendy said earnestly, watching as Yeri nervously glanced up. And smiled, their eyes forming crescents happily with a shine in them. Her heart constricted upon seeing them give her such an honest look, and she swallowed. Looking back down to her textbook to try and ignore her heart beating at triple the rate it usually did. All because the stupid sophomore had smiled at her.

The end of the semester is rapidly approaching and Yeri had only missed their meetings once, but she came today and it was different. Wendy had a sad puppy-dog look in her eyes as she stared out the window. Her hand squishing up her cheek in a pathetic manner.

Yeri slid into the seat next to Wendy, instead of adjacent to her like she usually opted for. Yeri looked to her and quietly asked, “What’s wrong?”

Wendy closes her eyes, slumping down further and putting her chin on the table. “You know the Winter Formal coming up?”

“What? Who rejected you! I’ll flay off his foreskin and-.” Wendy giggled, and Yeri looked down to see that their eyes were puffy and red with a shiny sheen over them.

“No… I can’t go.”

“Why. There’s no way you can’t go.”

Wendy breathed heavily, and closed her eyes. “Promise you won’t be weirded out?” Yeri nodded sagely and made a noise of affirmation, reaching over to grab onto Wendy’s hand and tug it out from under Wendy’s chin. “I’m gay.” She whispered out, her voice becoming small and unlike anything that Yeri had ever heard from her.

Yeri smiled and pet Wendy’s hair, untangling it. “Wendy?”

Said person looked up, rubbing her eyes and squinting at them. Trying to see if the smile that Yeri was showing was fake. Yeri grins and throws herself onto Wendy, almost tackling her off of the chair. “Can I be your date to Winter Formal?” Those words started the wtaerworks and Wendy clinged back onto her, sniffing.

“Of course I’ll let you be my date.”

The two went to formal together, their arms linked together and using an excuse as them being just friends for those who were homophobic. Though that was definitely the opposite in their eyes, as they were being lovey dovey the entire time.

Yeri, the beautiful sophomore, was wearing a stunning red dress down to her ankles with black heels. Wendy on the other hand had a simple white dress that ended just past her knees. The two took turns scaring off men who offered dances to them. Finally after the third man to ask Yeri to dance, Wendy had dragged her out the backdoor of the gym.

Wendy led them over to the football field. That was dimly lit by the stars and moon in a serene silver light. “Where are we going?” Yeri murmured, giggling and leaning onto Wendy’s arm as the two half-walked half-ran their way. Wendy stopped them under the bleachers, and tugged them into her. Bringing them into a warm kiss, and they held each other. Under the stars and cool wind they collapsed into each other into messy kisses.

Finally Wendy pulled apart from her and smiled, her eyes shining.

After formal the two were more upon and careless about their relationships. Stealing kisses underneath stairwells and in the hallway. They held hands in the library and their previously academic conversation evolved into flirtation sessions and teasing. The relationship was steady, peaceful. Until graduation day.

The day that Yeri knew she would have to let go of Wendy. Because Wendy was so much better that this school, and could make it anywhere she wanted. After walking Wendy was looking around, her parents in Korea she had no one. A force barrelled into her knocking the breath out of her.

Yeri immediately sobbed into their chest. Wendy hushed them and pulled him closer, petting their hair as softly as she could. Putting her chin atop Yeri’s head and quietly shushed them, rubbing her hand along their arm. “You came.” Wendy whispered into their hair, giving little kisses onto their head.

Yeri pulled away, and wiped their eyes that had turned bloodshot from crying. “How could I miss goodbye?” She sniffed, wiping her nose with the back of her hand.

Wendy frowned and kissed them, and pulled away her lip quivering as well and a lone tear found its way to escape and run down her face. “I wish I could take you with me.” Yeri shook her head and shushed Wendy.

“Can you just make me one promise, Wendy?”

“Anything.”

“Please, don’t forget about me.”

Yeri was Wendy’s ludus.