GASLIGHTER // BBANGSAZ

7. light🚬

The cafeteria buzzed with the usual lunchtime chaos, but for Hanni, the noise was a distant echo in the vast emptiness of her world.

Sitting alone at a secluded table, she kept her gaze fixed on her untouched meal, the memories of Minji's aggression weighing heavily on her mind.

Danielle entered the cafeteria, her eyes scanning the crowded space until they landed on Hanni's lonely figure.

Despite the unease that tugged at her heart, she couldn't ignore the call of compassion, the desire to reach out to her troubled friend.

"Hey, Hanni. Mind if I join you?" Hanni looked up, surprise flickering in her eyes before being replaced by a wary tension.

She nodded silently, a mask of indifference settling over her features as she braced herself for the inevitable.

"Sure, Danielle. Have a seat."

The air between them crackled with unspoken tension, the weight of Hanni's secrets pressing down on her like a suffocating weight.

She kept her gaze fixed on her trembling hands, the echoes of Minji's aggression still ringing in her ears.

"I noticed you and Minji aren't hanging out anymore. What happened?" Hanni's breath caught in her throat, a shiver of unease coursing through her veins. She struggled to find the words to conceal the truth, to keep the darkness that lurked within her hidden from prying eyes.

"It's... complicated. We just... had a disagreement, that's all."

Danielle sensed the hesitation in Hanni's voice, the walls of defensiveness rising like barriers between them.

But she refused to give up, determined to break through the fortress of secrets that surrounded her friend.

"If you ever need to talk about it, I'm here for you, Hanni. No judgment, just support." Hanni's facade wavered, a flicker of vulnerability seeping through the cracks in her armor. She nodded silently, a silent plea for understanding in her haunted eyes.

"Thanks, Danielle. I appreciate it."Their conversation lingered in the air, a fragile thread binding them together in the silence that stretched between them. As they sat together in the dimly lit cafeteria, Hanni felt a faint glimmer of hope stirring within her, a whisper of warmth in the darkness that threatened to consume her.

But little did she know a pair of eyes watched her every move.

The moment Danielle left her side to grab a drink, Hanni felt the weight of their scornful gazes descend upon her like a suffocating blanket. Snide remarks and cruel laughter filled the air, each word a dagger aimed at her already battered heart.

"Look who's all alone now," one of the girls sneered, her voice dripping with malice. "Guess Minji finally came to her senses and ditched the dead weight."

The others joined in, their taunts growing louder and more vicious with each passing moment. Hanni felt her cheeks burn with shame as she struggled to hold back tears, the pain of their words cutting deeper than any physical blow.

_

But it wasn't just in the cafeteria that Hanni faced their cruelty. Even in the the restroom, she found no refuge from their relentless torment. Alone and vulnerable, she became an easy target for their malicious attacks.

As she stood before the mirror, her reflection distorted by tears, Hanni heard their mocking laughter echoing in her ears. The harsh fluorescent lights illuminated every flaw, every imperfection, magnifying her sense of worthlessness.

"Look at her, pretending like she belongs here," one of the girls jeered, her voice dripping with disdain. "You're nothing without Minji, you pathetic loser."