Her Bully | BBANGSAZ

T W E N T Y O N E

M I N J I
—

She won't stop texting me.

Hanni, that is.

After Ahyeon brought me to her house last night and gave me new clothes to change into, we went to the nearest pizza parlor and ate one whole roll.

It was fun. We talked about everything—why she transferred, our birthdays, the typical things you talk about when you're on a date.

I mean, we didn't have a date—but you know, the typical things you talk about when you're starting to have a date with someone.

The most annoying part of that night in the pizza parlor? I felt empty.

Like, no matter how much I told myself to get away from Hanni because she's a hopeless case, I just kept going back to her in my head.

I can't stop thinking about her and I can't stop my heart when it beats for her.

Now I'm starting to think I'm the hopeless case.

The ringing sound of my phone disrupts me from my thoughts as I shuffle in bed and rub my sore eyelids while I slide my phone open.

I sigh upon seeing her name flash again.

Hanni:
I'm sorry.

It's starting to get to me too, because is that the only thing she has to say?

Does she think that by saying sorry a million times, it's just going to be okay now? That I'm going to forgive her?

Well, if I was still the sore loser, I'd forgive her in an instant.

But now I'm not. I've gotten to experience how it is being with Hanni, and when she's not surrounded by people from our school, she's just a big baby.

Another ring.

Hanni:
I'm sorry.

In all honesty, though, I'm flattered.

Hanni Pham does not say sorry—she never says sorry to anyone, not even Ryujin.

I know because I read that in our school newspaper, an article about all things Hanni—god, I'm hopeless.

You see, Hanni hates admitting defeat. She always wants to be right even if she's wrong.

She doesn't want to feel the embarrassment, the guilt, the negativity, no—she wants to make others feel that way, but not her.

So, when I woke up and saw that she texted me a big sorry text, my heart melted, but my brain told me to stand fiercely and not give in.

Receiving a sorry from Hanni is beyond friendship—because hello, Ryujin doesn't even get a sorry from Hanni, so what does that make me? But I'm tired of always hoping for a relationship with her. Yet I really, really want to be friends with her too.

Hanni:
I'm sorry.

I bite my lower lip and slap my cheeks repeatedly, willing myself not to give in as I hide my phone under my pillow and jump out of bed, ready to change into some comfy clothes because it's the weekend and I'm going to enjoy it with no problems in the world.

That's right, no problems.

Just as I pull over my sweater, my body stiffens at the vibrating sound coming from my bed.

I eye it warily and chew on my lip hesitantly, closing my eyes then opening them to tell myself—again that she's not worth it.

A knock on my bedroom door takes me away from my troubled thoughts as I grab a towel and wrap it around my half-naked body, walking over to the door as I lean close and ask who it is.