The city was bathed in the soft glow of streetlights as Hanni walked briskly down the quiet sidewalk. Her mind was still buzzing from the day spent at Kim Enterprises, navigating the complexities of Minji's world and the unexpected intimacy they had shared during their tour.
Despite the late hour, Hanni found solace in the rhythmic sound of her footsteps against the pavement, a welcome distraction from the whirlwind of emotions swirling within her.
As she turned the corner, the faint hum of an engine caught her attention. Hanni glanced up to see a sleek BMW pulling up beside her, the tinted windows obscuring the driver's identity.
Her heart skipped a beat when the window rolled down, revealing Minji behind the wheel, her expression unreadable in the dim light.
"Hanni," Minji called out, her voice
cutting through the night air.
Surprised yet relieved to see her, Hanni approached the car cautiously. "Minji? What are you doing here?" she asked, a mixture of curiosity and apprehension in her tone.
Minji leaned over slightly, her gaze
intense as she regarded Hanni. "Get in," she instructed softly, her voice betraying none of the usual reserve.
Hanni hesitated for a moment,
uncertainty flickering in her eyes. She
had expected Minji to maintain her usual distance, especially after their intimate moment earlier.
Yet here she was, offering Hanni a ride home in the dead of night. After a brief internal struggle, Hanni opened the passenger door and slid into
the luxurious interior of the car.
The scent of leather and Minji's subtle
perfume enveloped her, sending a shiver down her spine. She buckled her
seatbelt as Minji smoothly merged back
into the flow of traffic.
"Thank you for this," Hanni said quietly,
breaking the silence that had settled between them.
Minji glanced at her briefly before returning her focus to the road ahead.
"You shouldn't be walking alone at this hour," she replied evenly, her tone hinting at concern beneath the controlled exterior.
Hanni nodded, grateful for the concern
despite the complexities of their relationship. "I didn't realize it was so
late," she admitted, a faint blush
creeping up her cheeks.
They continued on in silence, the
distance between them filled with
unspoken questions and a newfound sense of closeness.
Hanni stole glances at Minji from the corner of her eye, noticing the tense set of her jaw and the way her fingers gripped the steering wheel with a hint of restraint.
"Minji," Hanni began tentatively, breaking the quiet tension that hung heavy in the air. "About earlier today..."
Minji cut her off with a raised hand, her expression unreadable. "We don't need to discuss that," she said firmly, her voice leaving no room for argument.
Hanni swallowed her words, sensing
Minji's need for distance. Despite the warmth of their shared moment, Minji had retreated into her familiar walls of reserve and professionalism. It left Hanni wondering if she had misinterpreted their connection, if she
had imagined the fleeting sense of camaraderie they had shared during their time together.
The rest of the journey passed in silence, punctuated only by the soft hum of the car's engine and the occasional flicker of streetlights passing by.
Hanni glanced out the window, watching the familiar landmarks blur into a blur of lights and shadows as they approached her neighborhood.
When Minji pulled up in front of Hanni's
apartment building, she brought the car to a smooth stop. Hanni hesitated before unbuckling her seatbelt, unsure
of how to navigate the newfound distance between them.
"Thank you for the ride," Hanni said
softly, turning to face Minji with a small
smile.
Minji nodded curtly, her gaze fixed
straight ahead. "Take care, Hanni," she
replied coolly, her tone distant yet tinged with an underlying warmth that caught Hanni off guard.
With that, Hanni stepped out of the car
and watched as Minji drove off into the night, leaving her standing alone on the quiet street. She couldn't shake the lingering sense of confusion and longing that had settled in her chest, wondering what had changed between them in the span of a day.
As Hanni made her way up to her
apartment, she couldn't help but replay their brief encounter in her mind-the
fleeting sense of camaraderie, the unspoken tension, and the undeniable
pull she felt towards Minji.
She knew then that their journey together was far from over, that the complexities of their relationship would continue to unravel in ways she had never imagined.
*******
THE NEXT DAY
The next day, Hanni woke up with a
heavy heart. She had barely slept, her mind replaying her interactions with Minji over and over again.
Despite the confusing mix of emotions, Hanni had to focus. She had promised to visit her mother, who had been ill for some time now.
Her mother lived in a small, cozy
apartment on the outskirts of the city.
As Hanni made her way there, she couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. Her demanding schedule had kept her away more than she liked, and now with the prospect of her marriage to Minji looming, she wondered how things would change.
The apartment building was quiet when Hanni arrived. She took the stairs to the second floor, her footsteps echoing in the dimly lit corridor. When she reached her mother's door, she took a deep breath before knocking gently.
The door opened slowly, revealing a frail woman with tired eyes-Hanni's mother, Eun-joo. Her face lit up with a weak smile at the sight of her daughter.
"Hanni," she greeted softly, her voice
hoarse from illness. "It's good to see you."
Tears welled up in Hanni's eyes as she
embraced her mother gently. "I'm sorry I haven't been here more often, Mom," she whispered, her voice filled with regret.
Eun-joo pulled back slightly, cupping Hanni's face in her hands. "Don't be sorry, my dear," she said tenderly. "I know how busy you are. I just cherish the moments we have together."
They spent the afternoon together,
reminiscing about happier times and discussing Hanni's future.
Eun-joo listened intently as Hanni shared details about Minji and the upcoming marriage -an arranged alliance that held both promise and uncertainty.
"You seem troubled, my dear," Eun-joo
observed gently, her eyes searching Hanni's face.
Hanni sighed, unsure of how much to reveal. "It's complicated, Mom," she admitted finally.
"Minji is... different. Strong, determined, but also distant."
Eun-joo nodded sagely. "Marriage is a partnership, Hanni," she said softly. "It requires effort from both sides to
understand and support each other."
Hanni nodded, taking in her mother's words. Despite their differences,
Eun-joo's wisdom always brought clarity to her thoughts.
As the sun began to set outside the
window, casting a warm glow over the room, Hanni knew it was time to leave. She hugged her mother tightly, feeling the weight of their conversation and the comfort of Eun-joo's unconditional love.
"Take care of yourself, Mom," Hanni said softly, lingering by the door.
Eun-joo smiled weakly, her eyes filled
with maternal pride. "And you, my dear," she replied. "Remember, no matter what happens, I'm always here for you."
With a final wave, Hanni left her mother's apartment, the words echoing in her mind.
She knew she had a lot to
think about her future with Minji, her responsibilities at Kim Enterprises, and above all, the bond she shared with her
mother, a bond that anchored her in times of uncertainty.
YOU ARE READING
The Heir (BBANGSAZ)
RomansaIn the heart of Seoul's glittering skyline, Kim Minji, the formidable heiress of a tech dynasty, confronts a scandal poised to unravel her family's empire. When her father orchestrates an arranged marriage with Hanni Pham, a spirited woman from humb...
