Take Our Time | Bbangsaz

Chapter 5

The whir of the very loud air-conditioning unit was annoying Hanni beyond relief. She was annoyed by having to come to the library this late into the night, but studying waits for no poor college student's soul. She would've studied in her own room, but her dorm neighbours decided that today, of all days, would be a perfect time to throw a massive rager in the hallway right outside her door. She'd been stretching herself thin between practising, going to classes, and worrying herself to death due to Minji; she hadn't had time to catch up on assignments that were assigned to her.

Quite frankly, she hadn't had much sleep either. Which is what leads to the current predicament. Hanni was trying to catch up on the material given to her by reading on her laptop. Only, she found herself nodding off. The soft glow of her computer did nothing to aid in her attempt to keep conscious. It wasn't her fault that she was studying for her shared class with Minji. Truly such boring material. Hanni didn't realise her head had fallen forward until it hit the table with a loud thunk. Okay, it's time for her to walk around the science section to stay awake.
She sighed for what seemed to be the umpteenth time and pushed herself up. She took a few steps and looked at the analog clock on the wall. 23:45 PM.

Apparently, it's prime time for partying. She was muttering under her breath and looked down at her feet when she rounded a corner. She even looked at the notifications on her phone while returning to her seat after the brief walk. She would've seen a distinct and familiar backpack if she were at the table. Oblivious, Hanni sat back in her chair and opened her laptop to open the same dull material.

Somebody clearing her throat broke her attention, and she noticed a mop of blonde hair standing above her. She practically jumped out of her chair like a scared cat and shouted meekly.

Minji also appeared to be scared of her skin because Hanni fell backward. "Oh, geez. I'm sorry." She scrambled to help her back up. "I didn't want to startle you, but I don't think that helped either."
In return, Hanni cleared her throat and tried to recover from the embarrassment. "You're fine. I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings."

There was an awkward pause between the two. It only made sense, considering what happened between the two during their last encounter three weeks ago. Hanni noticed that Minji was carrying something behind her back, and she was visibly fidgeting from where she was standing.

"So Listen. I...uh...sorry. I wanted to apologise for what happened. I don't know what came over me, and I sincerely regret my actions. It's not an excuse, but I wanted to apologise either way. Here." Minji brandished what she was holding behind her back. Oh. A bouquet of flowers and...a dinosaur plushie? "I went to the museum four days ago. I figured you would like it. If not, I could get a refund and get you something else!" Hanni chuckled. She wasn't used to seeing flustered Minji anymore. "I know you like cute things, and I thought it was cute, and there surprisingly wasn't a huge selection to even begin with, and-"

"Minji! It's okay." She smiled. "I love this. Thank you. Although, I have to ask. How'd you know I'd be here?"
"I didn't know, actually. I swear. I had to come down here to grab a book for an assignment, and I saw you here. I figured now would be the perfect time to apologise."

"So let me get this straight. Did you return to your dorm to get these things because I was here? It's late." Minji stayed silent for a moment. "Or was it something else?"

"More like...I may or may not have carried these things with me for the past three days, hoping to catch you in the wild." Minji rubbed the back of her neck in embarrassment.

Hanni burst out laughing. "That's actually so sweet of you! I love it! Thank you. And for the record, I accept your apology. And the Dinosaur Plushie. I'll name him Spot." Hanni looked at Minji and noticed the small smile that decorated her pretty face. "How's your ankle?"