A Wild Escape

"You were bragging all about your big plan and what? You couldn't even get her to leave with you?"

The sound of a group of guys snickering could be heard by Younghee even with the headphones blasting music right in her ears. Her hands thoughtlessly scrolled through the social media feed as she spaced out, waiting for Ari's arrival. Her eyes raised up slightly as the chatter grew, the subconsciously furrowed brows soon became purposeful as she saw the guy from the night before.

"Hey that's because that Yun Sera didn't tell me she was like.. that!"

"Haha! Didn't you think it was strange someone like her didn't have a boyfriend?"

"I bet he thought they were soulmates."

"Don't start. Technically she didn't reject me so don't make it sound so bad."

Younghee snickered.

Shameless.

As the song ended, the group seemed to have started to disperse too, leaving only the senior behind, lying against a wall out of sight as he pulled a lighter out. As he did, from his pocket seemed to have fallen a necklace.

Younghee's eyes turned to the familiar silver jewellery and realised who it belonged to. Her phone clicked shut as she approached him.

"Film a tour after you move in."

"Will do! I'll see you guys next week!"

Ari waved to her friends as she exited the building, now heading to the meet-up spot with Younghee near the centre of campus. Humming a song in her head, there may have even been slight hops in her steps from the good mood.

Approaching the busy spot filled by other students, she looked around trying to find Younghee and finally settled down on an empty bench when the girl was nowhere to be found.

After waiting for 15 minutes, she started to get worried as Younghee standing her up was unheard of so decided to call her. Soon after the call started dialing, Ari heard the faint sound of her ringtone and got up to follow it. Heading to a more discreet area, she was about to turn back until she heard mumbling, Younghee's voice. The relieve of having finally found her was short lived as she turned a corner.

Her expression changed for a second as her voice called out, weak from shock, "Younghee?"

Younghee froze for a second before turning around, her hand on the guy's shirt loosening as her face fell. A look of guilt met Ari who was staring at her silently.

Hearing sounds of other people, she quickly grabbed Younghee's arm and pulled her away from the senior who was already unconscious with blood dripping down his face. Her steps hurrying the further away they got without ever turning back to face Younghee once.

The door to the unused infirmary slid open aggressively. Scouring about one of the cabinets, she felt a hand grab onto hers when she subconsciously released Younghee's arm.

"…" Without looking, she sighed. "Let go, we need to clean you up before we leave."

Younghee did as she was told and obediently sat on a chair whilst Ari prepared the disinfectants and cotton balls. The clangs from Ari picking up a tweezer in a metal pan echoed in the quiet room, adding to the tension and unspeakable anger. Though Younghee may have misinterpreted how strong that was.

She fiddled with her fingers like a child being told off as Ari dabbed the piece of cotton on her face. Younghee would look at her for a bit then look away, unable to speak, and this repeated until Ari finally tossed the used materials in the trash and spoke up.

"I won't ask why because I'm sure you had a good reason but didn't you say you'd stop getting into fights?"

She placed a stool right opposite Younghee and sat down, her face finally softening as they looked at each other.

Younghee nodded and muttered a 'sorry' before placing her head on Ari's shoulder. "It looks like I broke another promise, huh?"

Ari's reply in a small whisper made her chuckle weakly. The calm and warm 'mm' carried more weight than she was willing to let on, but she already knew that.

The sunlight shining through the window hit the black hair at an angle it looked brown, and the brunette, almost blonde, with the light bouncing off her necklace to cast a small rainbow on the girl opposite. In the heat, the proximity of their faces felt more comfortable than anything; at least more comfortable than their feelings for one another.

5 years ago

S middle school

Class 2-1

"Someone get the teacher!"

In the midst of the commotion in the corridors, Ari looked up at the crowd of people gathered outside her home room as she squeezed through with her lunch. Having barely made it in, she quickly paused as she saw Younghee's back faced at her with her knuckles evidently red and a guy down on the floor seemingly covered in blood and tears.

"They're over here!"

Hearing a teacher approach, she reached out and quickly grabbed Younghee in a panic and raced out the other entrance, running down the hall in the opposite direction. Before she even knew it, they had made it out of the school and were running down the streets with their school slippers still on. It was only when Younghee shouted her name did she stop and turn around.

With a big smile on her face, Ari started to laugh. Her free hand partially blocked her mouth as the giggles intensified and her body began to visibly shake. After a while, even Younghee couldn't help but let a small laugh escape. Under the shadow of a tree and the sun shining on a portion of her face, Ari showed one of her brightest smiles that day.

"We're going to get into so much trouble," Ari said as they sat down on a park bench. Both finally catching their breaths after the wild escape.

"You should've just left it as it was, at least then you would be fine."

She shook her head and squeezed Younghee's hand.

"Do you want to tell me? Why you guys were fighting?"

"My… mum."

"…I see."

Suddenly, Ari stood up and screamed. After indirectly scaring away the birds nearby, she looked at Younghee and grinned at the startled expression. "Try it."

"Try what?"

"AHH!" She demonstrated again. "It helps when you have to deal with things like this but don't really feel like talking."

"Screaming?"

Ari nodded. "Come on, just try it once!"

Younghee hesitantly stood up and followed her. They both screamed at the top of their lungs back and forth in the park and only stopped after a few passer-by's gave them a weird look, then fell back into laughing again.

"Should we head back?"

"Sure."

"Oh but," Ari suddenly paused and raised her pinkie up to Younghee, "promise to stop getting into fights, I don't want you to injure yourself."

Younghee blinked at her then grinned as she locked their pinkies together, agreeing to the request from a happy Ari.

"I promise."

-

Just a few days after the viewing of their place, Younghee and Ari was already set to move in and packed up the place over the weekend. After both had taken their final exams of the season, they were set to go.

Ari raised up the phone camera and positioned it so her face was in view before the video call went through. On the other end of the line was her mum and sister, crowded to fit in the view as Ari showed them around the empty place. 

"Oh, and here's Younghee!" She flipped the camera around to Younghee who was unpacking the kitchen supplies.

Younghee looked at the phone, startled but was quick to put on a smile as she greeted Ari's mum, "hi auntie."

"Oh my! It's nice to see you, Younghee! Come over some time, I'll make some of your favourites from back in school." 

The camera quickly panned back to Ari, "mum don't pressure her, she's busy."

"Come on, she knows I meant when she's free. You too Ari, come back and see us when you can." 

"Yes I know, I know," she nodded along.

"Alright, I'll let you get going. Good night then."

"Mhm, good night," as the call dropped, she turned to Younghee with a smile. Slowly approaching her who was finishing up the rest of the box, Ari stopped about a feet away and crouched down next to her. She grabbed the last of the utensils and began putting them in a drawer. Within the sounds of the metals clashing with each other, what she said next stood boldly.

"Wanna sleep together?"