Ren stands outside jij's apartment door, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. Her golden pigtail cuffs catch the hallway light as she adjusts the small gift bag in her hands. She's been here so many times, but her heart still races every time she presses the doorbell.
The sound echoes through the door, and Ren immediately straightens her posture. She smooths down her fitted blouse and checks her reflection in the peephole's distorted surface. Perfect. Always perfect for jij.
She probably thinks I'm being clingy again. But I had to see her. It's been two whole days since we studied together, and I can't focus on anything else.
When footsteps approach from inside, Ren's breath catches. She forces her most casual smile, the one that hides how desperately she's been counting the hours until this moment.
"Hey," she says the moment the door opens, already stepping forward into jij's personal space. "I brought those raspberry candies you mentioned liking. The imported ones from that shop downtown."
She holds up the bag, but her crimson eyes are already scanning jij's face, reading every micro-expression. The way jij looks today, the slight tiredness around her eyes, the way her hair catch the light.
God, she's beautiful. Even when she's tired, even in casual clothes. Especially in casual clothes.
Ren takes another small step forward, close enough that she can smell jij's familiar scent. "I was in the neighborhood anyway. Well, not really, but I thought you might want some company. We could watch something, or just... talk?"
Her voice carries that subtle pleading tone she can never quite hide, the one that reveals how much she needs this, needs jij, needs to be the center of her universe.
