“Hello there, my darling.”

Ryujin looks up, thoroughly unimpressed as Chaeryeong sails into her room, does a perfect pirouette, and falls backwards onto her bed with all the grace of an amateur elephant ballerina. 

“Hi Ryeong.” She replies absently before returning her focus back to the paper in front of her. Chaeryeong is undeterred by her attitude.

“So I wanted to tell you that I was talking to Yeji today.”

“Obviously. You live and breathe together.” Ryujin snickers under her breath, casting a side glance at the indignant look on her friend’s otherwise pretty face.

“Shut up, Shin.” Chaeryeong scowls. “Anyway, she may or may not have mentioned you more than a couple times with stars in her eyes and I think you need to seriously take this into consideration.”

Ryujin hums noncommittally. “Consideration for what?” She asks lightly, although she feels a strange sense of deja vu creeping up her spine.

“Consideration for that other little conversation we had some time ago.” Chaeryeong replies airily, turning onto her stomach to look at Ryujin with a knowing grin. “You two practically are dating anyway.”

Ryujin sighs. She knew this conversation would be coming. “Don’t think I’m serious about any of this. She’s way out of my league.” 

“……”

“……….”

“Are you kidding?” Chaeryeong arches an eyebrow. Her large eyes look like they’re trying to bore new foramen into Ryujin’s forehead.

Ryujin just shrugs helplessly. “No, I’m not. I think she’s really pretty and I’m fairly sure I like her, but I don’t think she likes me the same way. And it’s not like I’m gonna ask her out or anything. I’d like to live, thank you.” She puts down her pen to look at her companion amusedly.

Chaeryeong groans, flopping face-down into Ryujin’s pillow. Her head practically disappears in the process. “Oh my goodness.”

“What?”

“You are as dense as a rock.”

Ryujin feels slightly offended. “Rude. I’m the uni student here, not you.”

Chaeryeong looks up with an absolutely desolate look on her face. "It's because you're so blind and you don't see the people throwing themselves at you and lining up to ask you out and you still think Yeji’s out of your league and you think she doesn't like you like that when all she does is stare and stare and staaaaaare at you and all she talks about is you you yoou DO YOU UNDERSTAND NOW SHIN RYUJIN, DO YOU?"

Ryujin blinks in alarm. Chaeryeong stares at her intensely, waits for her friend’s revelation in bated anticipation.

"I'm sorry. I'll never do it again."

Idiot. Chaeryeong smashes her face back into the pillow with a mighty scream. Ryujin watches in mild fascination, still wondering what the initial purpose of this conversation was supposed to be. She wonders if it would be a good time to ask, but Chaeryeong hasn’t stopped screaming so she decides to save it; unfortunately for Ryujin, Chaeryeong has professionally-trained vocal cords. The screaming will probably last longer than it would otherwise, so Ryujin reclines into her seat and taps idly through her emails as she waits.

Chaeryeong runs out of breath after five minutes. Ryujin glances at the timer on her phone. Impressive.

She looks back up at the idol squatting on her bed. Chaeryeong has already composed herself enough to move on to her next thought. She clears and sits up straight, hands in her lap like a proper lady as she addresses Ryujin again.

“Ryujin, I understand if you don't like her enough to date her but I certainly will never understand if you think you're not enough for her or something stupid like that." Chaeryeong voices this thought the same way she would if she were speaking to a five year old; patient and slow, purposely to rub Ryujin the wrong way. "Have you seen how jealous she gets when other people flirt with you? It's scary! Scarier than you during finals week!"

“Stop making up stories. First of all, I’m perfectly kind at all times of the year, including finals week. Second of all, I don’t appreciate your tone of voice with me, young lady. Third of all, no one’s ever flirting with me. Please don’t spread slander in my house.”

Chaeryeong snickers lightly. “Then what about all those idol who keep asking me to get them your number because they see you in my stories-“

“Again, stop with the slander.” Ryujin fixes her with a firm glare. Chaeryeong just breaks into peals of laughter.

“You should let me give it to them.”

“Hush, my child.”

Chaeryeong's lips are still pulled in that extremely wide smile. “Then at least let me say I’m withholding for Yeji’s sake.”

“Would that be weird? I’ve never been attracted to someone like her before.” Ryujin ignores the jab-masking-the-truth and looks pensively at the diagram laying before her. “Which one initiates blood clotting again…?"

"Why not? Yeji's tall, nice, hot, smart, talented, rich… what's not to like?"

Ryujin has to laugh at the uncharacteristic praise Chaeryeong showers on the other girl in front of Ryujin. A true friend, she thinks fondly. “Well, she has a completely different lifestyle than mine. I have to consider these things you know?"

Chaeryeong sits up to stare at her curiously. "Well so do I, but we're still sitting here talking."

"I'm not intent on dating you." Ryujin snickers at the offended look on Chaeryeong’s face before both break out in giggles.

"Seriously though." Chaeryeong looks at her as they recover. ”Do you know what it's like to see your best friend - confident, cool, on top of everything- turn into a stuttering red mess just because of a- no offense Ryu- a random girl? I'm not trying to sell her, or push you- but I really don't think you understand how much she likes you."

Ryujin looks down. "Well I guess I don't, according to your standards. I'm not very observant, in case you haven't noticed." Chaeryeong scoffs in full agreement at that. "And I'm also a little distracted these days. I have a lot to think about and I don't even know if I want a relationship right now. Much less with a celebrity who’s so popular.”

Chaeryeong pauses in a pensive moment.

"Liar."

Ryujin looks over, offended.

"Sorry sorry. In all seriousness though, I still think you should think about it."

She can only shrug. “There's not much to think about.”

“You seem confused. You don't know if she's worth it." Chaeryeong continues with surprising insight. Ryujin would never say it aloud, but she’s kind of impressed.

Ryujin shakes her head as nonchalantly as she can, despite her apparent transparency. "But we're not at that point. I haven't really thought that far ahead."

Chaeryeong hums softly. “Well, I get that. It’s understandable- I mean, I guess it wouldn’t be a small thing for anyone. As Yeji’s soul sister, I appreciate that you’re not taking this lightly- but as your friend, I wish that you wouldn’t be afraid to go for the things that make you happy.”

Ryujin stays silent. Chaeryeong gets up. “At least try to figure out how you really feel about her. I'm gonna go- I have a recording soon. But don't lose sleep over this, okay? I’ll see you later.” She smiles encouragingly at Ryujin, and pauses before disappearing out the door.

“By the way, she’s texted me asking me where you were. You should probably reply to her before she goes and figures it out herself, then comes to take my head off.”

Ryujin rolls her eyes with a small smile and just turns back to her homework. Her phone sits on her bed, untouched.