Infamous | Bbangsaz

4 | Hospital

Minji POV

I lean my head back against the wall and close my eyes with a sigh. It's only been half an hour since I started waiting for the doctor, but it feels like an eternity. These white walls, the antiseptic smells, people walking by—it all makes me feel suffocated.

My chest feels tight. I can't remember the last time I felt this way about someone. I want to protect her, shield her from any harm, yet I still failed to do the least I could.

What has Hanni been going through? I know she's been bullied, but what exactly did they do to her? Is it just one person or more? How long has this been happening?

Did Danielle know about this? Did anyone do anything about it? Are they working on it, at least?

And Hanni. Did she just pass out from exhaustion, or is she suffering from some condition? What if... oh fuck, I don't want to think about that. I can't bear the thought of Hanni suffering from any disease.

The sound of footsteps echoes towards me. I open my eyes to see Danielle and Haerin approaching. Danielle's face is tear-streaked, her expression frantic as she rushes towards me, gripping Haerin's hand tightly.

"Thank goodness you're finally here. Hanni... she collapsed, and I couldn't..."

"Where is she?" Danielle bursts out, tears streaming down her face as she looks at me accusingly. "Minji, tell me where she is!" Her voice trembles, almost collapsing to her knees.

Haerin pulls Danielle close, wrapping her arms around her and holding her tight. "Shh, Dani. She'll be alright. The doctor will come out soon. It's not Minji's fault."

"It's all my fault..." Danielle whispers, her tears soaking into Haerin's chest as she clings to her girlfriend's coat. Her body trembles. "This is all my fault."

"It's not your fault, sunshine. It's none of anyone's fault. We'll do something when she's awake, okay?" Haerin murmurs, gently stroking Danielle's head.

Danielle sniffles, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. "I just want her to be okay."

"Sunshine," Haerin murmurs softly, tightening her embrace, "you've been telling Hanni to either fight back or stop working, haven't you?"

Danielle nods, her shoulders trembling as she cries. "I just... I can't bear to see her suffer like this anymore. She's so stubborn. She never tells me if anything happened, and if I do figure it out, she refuses to listen every single time."

Haerin guides Danielle to sit down, still holding her close. Gently, she wipes away the tears staining Danielle's cheeks before pressing a kiss to her head, continuing to stroke her hair as Danielle rests her head on Haerin's shoulder.

"Minji, is it true that you're dating Hanni? Is she the one you've been talking about all this time?"

My body tenses as I'm finally brought into the conversation. I meet Haerin's serious gaze, feeling a knot form in my stomach.

"We're not dating," I state so simply. "And yes, she's the one I've been talking about."

Danielle's eyes widen in disbelief. She straightens up from leaning into Haerin. "Both of you have been lying?" She looks at me incredulously before scoffing.

"It was just an excuse Hanni made so I could bring her home."

"Have you figured out your true feelings for her? After all, Hanni really needs someone to take care of her. And from what we've seen, you've taken care of her really well," Haerin speaks seriously.

"I don't know, Haerin. We've only just met for under two weeks," I reply, releasing a sigh. "Let me just take care of her now, even just as friends. Right now, what matters is her. I'll figure out these feelings later."