“God, there’s that annoying Ryujin,” said Hwang Yeji’s friends (which I won’t bother to distinguish), giggling amongst themselves as they looked, from afar, at Ryujin and her skater friends.

A beautiful Saturday afternoon by the extensive park. Out of all the places in town, Yeji and her friends came to sit at this particular table, closeby to where Shin Ryujin and her friends (Yuna and the unnamed bunch) were hanging out. The sun would set in a bit, and the blondies wanted to see it with a clear view and no nuisances. They came to stop by the park after grabbing coffee, so that ought to show you that they really do not think all that much.

Of course, out of all the blondies giggling, the only one not laughing was the fake-blonde one. Hwang Yeji herself, nervously stirring the iced coffee that was sweating in her lightly trembling hands. Those dashing eyes could not bear to look up at Shin Ryujin, who was skating so freely with her friends. The way Ryujin was so comfortable on the deck was mesmerizing, the way she rolled by so smoothly in front of people could even be considered attractive -- but her eyes focused on the next trick made her look so ferocious. For the past ten minutes, her and her friends had rolled up one by one to the only concrete bench in the park and attempted all kinds of tricks there. The scraping sound of the deck against the concrete was strangely satisfying for Yeji, despite having to feign disinterest. Likewise, she carefully watched Ryujin as she waited her turn, watching her do flat-ground tricks (that’s what they’re called, right?), and when Ryujin was about to go, the all-blonde squad paid close attention. All of them wanted her to fall and break something, for some reason, but Yeji watched with quiet admiration. Their cruelty was Yeji’s perfect scapegoat for her secret adulation.

She always found Ryujin to be so dedicated with everything she did, so persistent and stubborn to get it right. Even after she failed a specific trick a few times -- be it for lack of air, because her feet didn’t flick the deck the right way, or just lack of commitment -- she tried it again and again to get it. She had the confidence she could make it, she almost had it.

“God, when will she fall and break something?”

Yeji’s ‘friends’ said and Yeji had to wonder why they despised the girl so much. It was a mystery to her when Ryujin had only been sweet to the freshman Yeji. All with a dashing smile and a polite, but relaxed attitude. And to think that they all shared the same passion and career in arts, but the blonde-squad was as petty as the highschoolers in dramas. They swore Shin Ryujin was a mortal enemy, a hoodlum, for some reason. There was no changing that attitude for them.

Yeji could just voice her disdain for this attitude, but something within her just forbid from speaking. Was it the way Ryujin had kissed her neck so tenderly, as if sealing her words away with a soft smooch? Perhaps, it was the bewitching tongue of Shin Ryujin the sensitive spots of her neck before her skin, as if that lump in and all the words clogged in there. All of them gone, no more protests to be found.  Ah, the poor Yeji was blushing at the memories now and the way she still felt that satisfying tickle in her skin, legs crossed and desperately gulping down the suddenly tasteless coffee. Ah yes, this happened often. Whenever she thought of Ryujin, remembered that subtle and sweet taste. Nothing in the world would ever taste the same way Ryujin’s lips tasted. Nothing in the world would feel the same way as Ryujin’s soft lips did when scraping against Yeji’s teeth.

Ryujin was also thinking about this as she rode around the park, preparing for the next trick. Hwang Yeji was a marvel to look at, but even more fascinating to hear up close. Usually quiet, soft but friendly, she was a firecracker when no one was looking. A pity that Yeji got into the group of blondies being as sweet as she is. But that didn’t matter, not when she could have her in her arms for an hour. Not when she could feel the short nails digging into her skin, feeling her curiously trace circles on her body. When she saw Yeji, whose dyed-blonde mane was so soft to the touch and so enticing to pull, she couldn’t help but to look at her like the secret lover she was. A quick glance, yearning, feeling her fingertips itching to touch that sweet tender skin again. Instead, she puffed her chest out and felt like flaunting her feathers in front of everyone. Ah, yes, a sudden rush of inspiration running madly all across her body. 

The inspiration of love, as cheeky as that was.

Ryujin’s friends, a vast array of different guys and girls, noticed the difference and knew not to mess with Ryujin and her flow. She was in the zone, feeling the determination slowly overtake her body.

Without realizing, that dreaded concrete bench was coming right up! So lost in her thought, she had cruised through all the way around the park and back to the bench! Snapping right out of it just in time, she lowered herself down, ready to ollie up to her target. It all seemed to slow down in her eyes, seconds extending to minutes and minutes as infinite as the galaxy. Her feet automatically placed in the right position, eye on the target, heart in the right place.

Her mind? On Hwang Yeji.

The same Yeji that watched that beautiful trick come out perfectly, just like the rest of the spectators. For her eyes, it looked complicated, it felt complicated, but it was executed so effortlessly on Ryujin’s body and feet. The board, from what Yeji could see, was flipped upside down, sliding across the bench gracefully and just in a quick blink the board was flipped back on its wheel and Ryujin perfectly landed it. Her friends cheered for her with whistles and brief claps, especially Shin Yuna who was the closest to Ryujin.

“Finally! Yah, that darkslide took you a while!” Yuna playfully said, watching Ryujin circle around smoothly and ride towards her. She held her hand up, palm on clear view, and high fived the accomplished and proud Ryujin as she rode past her. However, she was confused as to why Ryujin kept rolling away. The answer was simple. With one look at the flabbergasted Yeji who could not school her face, she knew everything. That subtle smile, painted by the most graceful of goddesses, could not go away from her face, while the blondes minded their business.

Yuna looked at Ryujin who was heading their way. Well, now she had to watch.

Yeji, too, noticed from the corner of her eyes while her friends were too busy gossiping away the bad taste of a trick well done. She did her best to ignore it when suddenly the drink on her hand was gone. A quick, clean swoop! Ryujin had dashed right past her, like a dark blur right before her eyes. She couldn’t even process it all. 

“H-Hey!” Yeji said instinctively, standing up to see the cheeky Ryujin with the drink in her hand, strolling away, while Yuna laughed from afar. “H-Hey, give that back!”

The blonde-squad had no idea what was going on, they just saw Ryujin skate past them, way too close, and then heard Yeji complaining. Suddenly, all the other girls stood up to complain as well, which further amused Ryujin’s friends. Yeji, however, suddenly felt embarrassed at this little ruckus she created. Especially when she remembered that sweet day she can’t stop thinking of. 

Cheeky, cheeky Ryujin likes to play, it’s the way she showed her affection. Ryujin showed not only her heart but her love for playfulness; it was the very reason they ended up in each other’s arms. It all began with Ryujin playfully taking Yeji’s book away from her hands, rolling through campus with the skateboard just like right now. It all culminated with Yeji following her into the bathroom and pinning her against the wall. The blur of what happened in between was not very clear in neither of their minds, but Ryujin was always giggling, laughing, and Yeji remembers laughing in between as well. A laughter that died down into quiet whimpers when both of their desires took over. Lips melted on top of each other, tasting every ounce, hands hungrily clung onto each other and the book left to sit alone by the edge of the sink. Body against body, with shared warmth, they both let their bodies confess to each other. That was the first confession of many, all of them still hidden in secret for the rest of the campus.

Well, save for Yuna, who could sense their tension every time they were anywhere near each other.

Ryujin was riding off the high of accomplishment, showing her affection -- secretly -- to the girl she liked. Yuna had to smile a little bit about that.

“Yah, that hoodlum,” said the other blondies, dignified on Yeji’s behalf, especially when they saw Ryujin just goofing around for a little bit, doing kickflips and whatever other tricks she could do with the coffee safely in her hand. 

Yeji just watched her smiling, glowing brighter than the setting sun, saw her goofing around with her friends with a harmless little… uh, joke? She supposed. This wasn’t even a prank, it was just a little thing. 

“Here she is, she’s coming over again.”

Huh? Yeji hadn’t realized until it was mentioned. So she was, Yeji had no idea why.

Until she saw Ryujin coming full speed ahead directly towards her.

Yeji had no idea what to do, so she just stood there and waited for whatever was to come.

Suddenly, Ryujin skidded to a complete stop. A powerslide that stopped directly in front of Yeji before any harm could be done. Gasps were heard, the screeching of the wheels grated some’s ear, but there Ryujin was, standing face to face with Hwang Yeji. Both of them safe and sound, Ryujin still on her board, leveled perfectly to meet eyes with the woman of her dreams.

Eyes locked, way closer than expected, and tension heavy between them. It was hard to ignore, even to the most oblivious spectator. Yeji’s tigress-like eyes were ferocious two nights before this, looking at Ryujin hungrily as she came on top. But now, they were confused, soft, so endearing. Ryujin’s lips twisted into a complicit smile. It was a secret between the two of them and it fascinated how she knew about this from Yeji while no one else knew.

“Sorry,” Ryujin said softly, handing over her drink without much fuzz.

Yeji looked at it, hand slowly taking the coffee back from Ryujin. She was hypnotized by that strange aura of Ryujin’s, really. When she looked back up at Ryujin, she had that smile again. This time, it felt like a different smile.

“Ryujin…” Yeji said softly, a gasp lost in the air, like it never existed.

Ryujin cocked her head to the side just a tad and then winked.

Yeji felt her heart flutter at this; she knew exactly what this was. An invitation for another night in secret, this time she was less subtle than before and Yeji hadn’t even realized it. 

The short-haired skater turned around and rode away like nothing had happened, leaving a flabbergasted Yeji behind. The shock was short lived, of course, but she sat back down with her heart and mind in a turmoil, spiralling out of control over her love for Ryujin, while the world around her kept on going. She didn’t even know the girl’s number, or anything about her! But she felt such an undeniable chemistry that made them both draw each other in, like magic.

But just when everyone was looking away, so distracted by the show, Ryujin cheekily slipped a note on Yeji’s baggy coat. A phone number, a clear invitation.

That’s why, without any regrets, Ryujin rode away, the smile shining on her face as the sun began to set.