soy sauce [ryuna] ✩

six

Ryujin ate her stir-fry in silence at first, using the food as an excuse to think properly. Yuna was sitting at the edge of the bed, looking down at her nails, and Ryujin would glance at her every so often. She was acting way too calm for somebody whose family kidnapped somebody. And not just anybody, a person she knew. They may not have been that close, but holding somebody they talk to in captive must've been freaky and nerve-wracking, right?

Unless...she's done it before...

"Can you at least tell me why I'm down here?" Ryujin asked.

Yuna looked up and just stared at Ryujin for a few seconds before finally saying, "No."

Seriously? Ryujin's mouth went into a straight line as Yuna went back to her nails. She thought Yuna was nice, that she actually liked Ryujin and that maybe she could help her escape.

"When you get arrested, they tell you why you're arrested," Ryujin tried again, stirring her food with her chopsticks—Yuna refused to give her a fork.

"Ryujin unnie, you should know the difference between a jail cell and a basement!" Yuna said with a condescending tone that was starting to make Ryujin dislike her.

"Can you at least give me a hint as to why I'm here?" Ryujin tried not to let the annoyance show in her voice.

But there was no need to because Yuna was being incredibly stubborn.

"No can do! My father said not to."

"Why? It's not like I can tell anybody."

Ryujin leaned forward eagerly, giving Yuna the most charming smile she could muster in the current state she was in. At least it was Yuna who checked up on her and fed her instead of some random, creepy buff guy. She'd probably sweat buckets and not even attempt to ask him anything.

Yuna's own smile began to falter. "Really, I can't tell you anything, Ryujin. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't. It's my dad's business."

Even if she wanted to? Wow, she really was against Ryujin, wasn't she?

"Well, can I speak to him then?" Ryujin asked. "I don't deserve to be in here. My family and I haven't done anything wrong."

"True. You haven't done anything wrong, per se. But your family? That's a different story..."

Ryujin couldn't believe it. She didn't believe it. They must've had the wrong girl or something, because her parents—her mom wouldn't be affiliated in any type of gang or mafia. She was too busy yelling about how Ryujin might get an aneurysm one day and trying to send her to counseling. That plus work was already enough on her plate.

"Let me speak to your dad, Yuna."

"He's not here."

Ryujin narrowed her eyes. "Then where is he?"

"He's out for business."

He was out doing other things instead of focusing on the prisoner he has in his basement? Rude. She should at least be his first priority.

"But," Yuna continued, "until he gets back, I can entertain you."

Ryujin honestly didn't even want to look at Yuna right then. She felt a little betrayed, even though the two were never close. "No, it's alright."

That clearly wasn't to answer Yuna was expecting, if the surprised look on her face was anything to go by.

"Are you sure?"

"Totally. I'm actually kind of tired." For good measure, Ryujin faked a yawn, covering her mouth and everything.

"Oh. Well, okay."

After Ryujin picked at her food a bit longer, Yuna took the remains and left, leaving Ryujin alone once again.

The shorter groaned, drawing her legs up and hiding her face in her knees. It was too much for her to take in. They had to have the wrong person, they must have. She wanted to believe they did, at least. But something was telling her that that wasn't the case. That they had been planning on taking her for a while. And that her nonexistent father had something to do with it.

Ryujin struggled to keep her food down the rest of the...whatever time it was for her.

Yeji couldn't dial the number fast enough as she saw a couple of guys in suits and dark sunglasses drag the pliant body into the back of a black car. They were wrong, they had miscalculated by a lot and they screwed up.

"Yo."

"Chaeryeong, we fucked up," Yeji hissed into the phone.

"Huh? About what? About—"

"About what else! They've got her now!"

There was a beat of silence as Chaeryeong cursed loudly. Yeji could just see the younger frustratingly running a hand through her hair.

"Where's Yuna?"

"She went to somewhere else in the store. I should've known something was up. Ryujin said it was empty outside..."

Yeji bit her knuckles as she watched the doors to the car slam shut and the driver speed away, with the person she was supposed to be protecting in the back of it. Mr. Shin was going to be so pissed at them—

"Yoo-hoo!"

Yeji turned around, only to be met with a smiling Yuna. Before she could tell Chaeryeong she'd call her back, the younger girl stuck something metal to her abdomen, and then felt electrical shocks going through her body. The last thing she remembered was the smell of burning flesh before everything turned black.

wow, it's really been that long since i've last updated, huh?? my sad excuse is that i've been busy with school🤠

on the bright side, i may publish a new itzy fic soon because idk what priorities are!😃