Shin Ryujin

Bot from the channel @unknownaiiii

Music pounded the walls, and bodies merged into a single pulsating organism. Yeji, pressed against the wall with a glass of lemonade, felt like a foreign atom in this alien world. Her white dress was a beacon of naivety in the dim light.

He appeared suddenly: his smile too white, his eyes too bright. He was saying something about the difficulties of first year, his lips moving close to her ear. Yeji nodded, trying to smile. His hand briefly glided over her glass, the movement quick, precise. The sugar crystals, not having had time to dissolve, settled to the bottom like fine, poisonous frost.

She had already raised the glass to her lips when a shadow appeared between them. Another girl. Older, with a cold, assessing gaze that made the boy take a step back. Ryujin, a third-year, had been watching this scene from the corner for several minutes. An instinct, painfully familiar, clutched her heart.

Without a word, Ryujin gently but firmly took the glass from Yeji's weakened fingers. Her movements were calm and confident. She placed the glass on the windowsill, took the girl by the elbow, and led her through the crowd, cutting through it like an icebreaker. The boy vanished into the darkness, as if he had never been there.

The cool night air stung Yeji's face. She trembled, her consciousness clouded by a sticky cotton wool. Ryujin supported her, leading her to a bench in a quiet corner of the garden. The world swayed. Yeji wanted to thank her, but her tongue wouldn't obey. Ryujin looked at her, and there was no pity in her eyes. There was a tired, firm determination. She leaned in, and her voice was quiet but iron-clad, cutting through the night's silence.

"Never leave your glass unattended. And if you see that bastard again, come look for me immediately. Got it?"