◣a gentle impulse◥
advhyuna:
Her toes still haven’t started to wrinkle even after sitting in the bathtub so long. Hyuna’s almost used up the salts Yongsun had delivered for her; she knows it probably isn’t best that she’s been soaking her wounds in the stuff, but the prickling of the burns across her skin where fire had seared it only days before settles when the water rises up to her neck – she doesn’t want to think about how she got them nor her second trip to the medical wards in the last few weeks; she’s had a pretty successful time avoiding leaving her bathroom, much less her dorm room either.
Even less does she want to think about her absent roommate or the duller ache of the wound on her shoulder; she just runs water until it goes cold and the salts melt to nothing, just letting it take the warmth and ache from her limbs and chest bit by bit.
Having already fallen asleep in the water only to awake with a start, the only things that really drag Hyuna from the bathroom are the thought of food, felines asking to be attended to, and a nagging itch to move around. She doesn’t bother to redo her bandages when she walks to the kitchen in a ridiculously oversized shirt and boxer shorts that have seen better days. There’s not a whole lot left in the fridge but she knows by now something will appear in it eventually. She’s toweling her hair off, not doing anything more than to munch on the last of a piece of celery when she hears the knocking.
She doesn’t know why she’s both relieved and disappointed when it’s Bingbing outside the peephole. (Was she somehow expecting her roommate? Who would knock when they have a key, anyway? …She’s still somehow conflicted.)
One of the cats wiggles past her legs – Diddi, tail tip flicking – and she wonders if he had the same thought. She has him in her arms when she cracks the door open, her expression wary despite knowing the other, her chest strangely tight.
“Ah, Bingbing-unnie?” she mumbles, a weak attempt at greeting. Subconsciously she angles her good shoulder forward as she blinks at the elder woman. “Did… did you need something? …To… talk?”
An apologetic smile forms on Bingbing’s lips as the door is pulled open and she catches sight of Hyuna - it doesn’t take much for her to figure out that she came by at a not-so-favorable time, judging from the other’s attire and the still wet hair that fell down the shoulders of the other. Bingbing’s eyes momentarily fall on the cat which resided in Hyuna’s arms, eyeing her up with curiosity - she fights the impulse to reach out towards it and stroke its head, knowing that her focus should be elsewhere.
“Hyuna-yah, good day to you,” her greeting feels more enthusiastic in comparison, although it’s the usual manner and tone in which she addresses others. “I’m sorry for coming by so abruptly, especially without announcing it too,” the impulse is no longer fought, as the elder allows her arm to outstretch and her hand to rest atop the feline’s head to give it a small stroke, followed by a pat.
“I’ve... been worried about you,” Bingbing admits, allowing her eyes to move from the feline to its owner - Hyuna was the owner, right? It was as good of an assumption as any, seeing that she and Gyuri had a relatively large number of cats residing in their dorm. Not that she took any issue with it, but she didn’t like making any misplaced assumptions.
For a few seconds, silence falls in between the two women, ending only as Bingbing draws back her hand, “Would it be alright if I come in for a few? I’d love to talk to you for a little while, if you’re fine with it too.” The other option is not voiced out, though the elder hopes that Hyuna knows it’s alright to refuse too - she would understand if she did, anyway.
