Chapter Text
“Let’s stop seeing each other.”
Chaewon seems impartial to the words past her lips, dropped like dimes in a tip jar. Yunjin glances up at her for no more than a breath, holding her gaze to dampen whatever blow it could have had.
Not that it ever would.
“Were we seeing each other in the first place?”
Chaewon laughs, leans further onto the table. “What, you want me to say it again?”
“Not particularly, just thought you’d want to say something more substantial. Give it more substance than it ever had.”
“Let’s break up, does that satisfy you?”
Yunjin finally takes her shot: another striped ball clatters into the top left pocket. She straightens up again and feels Chaewon’s curious gaze still on her, tracing her moves. Her step towards the table behind her, wiping condensation off her glass.
As the glass of liquor gets brought to her lips and the handful of billiards tables around them at the local dingy bar they frequent clatters with noise for the millionth time.
“What do you want to hear?” Yunjin asks, twisting the pool cue between her fingers. With Chaewon still across the table from her, green felt a battleground soon forgotten. “Look’s like you’ve made up your mind. Or should I wait until tomorrow morning when you demand me to drive you home.”
Chaewon laughs, the sound chimes above the drone of sound and music. “Let’s break up, for real this time. I’m sick of looking at your loser face, I’m sick of you losing so easily at pool.”
She bends down and takes her shot, solid colours pulling easily into a lead. “I’d say it was fun but it really wasn’t, should we fight about it just for fun? Moving smoothly into her next shot, the ball clattering in loudly, with force. “I can rile you up real good, promise you’ll think about me for the next decade?”
“Lucky I think about you in the next four minutes,” Yunjin replies. “Or do you want to put me out of my misery faster.”
“You’re miserable.”
“And you think we’re dating.”
Two balls left before the game is over and Chaewon is looking for a quick but not painless death, they’ve already been at this bar for an hour. “Buy me a drink,” Chaewon says, not looking up. She makes her way to Yunjin’s side of the table, hand brushing along her arm as she passes. “A double, not that sweet shit you sip on like a kid.”
“You love it.”
“I hate it, don’t put your words in my mouth.”
“What, you want something else in it?”
Yunjin holds back a smile when Chaewon turns before her, watches that spark in her eyes as she moves to stomp on her foot and Yunjin pulls away right before its impact. As Yunjin turns the glass in her hands and brings it to Chaewon’s lips, tilts it quickly and its gone with little protest.
A drop slips past the corner of her mouth and Yunjin’s thumb comes to wipe it dry. Chaewon turns and sinks her final shot, hit noticeably harder than the rest.
“It’s too sweet,” she says as she shoves the cue into Yunjin’s chest, downing her own drink with a frown of distaste. “I can’t believe you drink that.”
“And let’s break up about it shall we? Your taste is too bitter for mine, or something more condescending I can’t think of right now.”
And Chaewon juts her gaze bluntly into Yunjin, who lays the pool cues away, forgotten. Following her lead, natural steps taken towards the door to take them away from all of this. Chaewon grimaces as she tugs Yunjin’s jacket off, turning and pulling it on with a back turned.
“You’re making this hard.”
“I’m not doing anything.”
“You’re being difficult.”
“You’re the one breaking up with me.”
A crumpled wad of cash left on the table, two glasses left neatly on the felt. Wetting the material, bound to leave a stain. Chaewon pulls her jacket tightly over her shoulders and Yunjin lets her take the lead.
Chaewon always loves to take the lead.
The air is cold as they push out the door and out into the street. Chaewon turns and there’s a cigarette between her lips, having dug out Yunjin’s pack of menthols from her jacket’s inner pocket.
“Light.”
Yunjin abides, digging through her pant pockets before producing a lighter. It flickers to life and they settle back into their script again.
“Let’s go back to your place, its fucking cold.”
“I thought we’re broken up, or is that starting tomorrow morning.”
A jab to her side. “What, you want to break up with me just for the thrill of it, again?”
“Again?” Chaewon scoffs, blowing a puff of smoke in her direction. Yunjin plucks the cigarette from her and takes a drag. “We weren’t dating in the first place, I’d never date someone like you.”
“Like me, like what.”
“Childish.” It blurts out of her lips quickly, followed by a smile. “You’re ignorant, you lack spine. You’re a liar, to me and yourself and to everyone around you. You pretend to like the things I do just so I’ll think better of you, but it’s always been as superficial as that.”
“Everyone does that, Chaewon. And I’m not pretending.”
Chaewon starts to walk down the street and Yunjin follows in a lock-step. August, when fall starts to creep in and hints towards lectures starting in September. The sun still sets late, although it's long been gone. Their lonesome path dotted by streetlights, aggressive conversation that's dulled with time.
Chaewon scoffs. “Don’t pretend like you actually like dancing Yunjin, I see you when we go out together.” Another drag of that cigarette, trailing smoke behind her as they round the corner. “You just stand there, awkwardly doting your head. You never liked it, it's not you.”
“Who’s to say I’m not having fun?”
“You only go because you want to go with me. Don’t forget that first night we went out together after it all, after the party. Mustering up the courage to ask me for a dance .” She laughs. “You never did you coward, I practically pulled you onto the dance floor.”
Yunjin looks ahead, keeping up with Chaewon’s fast pace. She’s always been a fast walker. She’s always been this blunt. So unafraid to say harsh truths, tainted with the slightest bit of malice but small enough that Yunjin can convince herself otherwise.
“I was nervous.” Yunjin feels Chaewon’s gaze on her and doesn’t meet it. “So what if it's a crime.”
“That’s the point Yunjin, you’re changing yourself just so I’ll like you, I don’t want that. You don’t like to dance, don’t try to convince me otherwise.”
Yunjin’s eyebrows knit, still keeping her gaze steadfast forward. A swell of pressure in her chest, rising up to her throat. “I’m not changing myself, Chaewon. I’m a person, not a child. Why do you always—”
Chaewon stops and Yunjin slows her steps.
“You’re lying , Yunjin. I told you not to lie to me.”
The girl’s voice fills Yunjin with dread from behind her, a contortion of her heart, maybe she’ll lie to herself once again that it isn’t because of her.
“You know I hate liars.”
Confrontation. Yunjin starts walking again and the sound of Chaewon’s steps follow her.
“I don’t want to talk about this anymore.” Yunjin exhales quietly. She reaches behind her and Chaewon hands her the cigarette. It smells faintly of the girl’s lingering perfume. It’s better if she doesn’t see her lips right now. “I know that I’m just going to get upset. I don’t want to be angry with you.”
Chaewon doesn’t reply, Yunjin doesn’t pass the cigarette back. It’s silent the rest of the way home.