I found myself unable to leave Haerin alone after dropping her off at her place. She was inebriated and clearly nursing a broken heart, even though she refused to acknowledge it, even to herself. It was evident that she hadn't been able to move on from Danielle.
I was in the kitchen preparing breakfast when Haerin came from her room. "Min? You stayed here for the night?" she asked, holding her head, probably feeling the hangover.
"Yes, you passed out last night, dude, and I can't leave you in that state. Here, take these meds for your hangover and don't go back to your room. We will eat breakfast now. I'm just finishing this fried rice," I said to her as I handed her a glass of water and some ibuprofen.
As she playfully teased me with her words, I couldn't help but smile. "You're so sweet, buddy. How can I live without you?" she said, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Oh, you can pay me back with the nicest things I've done for you," I replied, meeting her playful banter with a wiggling of my eyebrows. "Oh, so now you're asking for something in exchange for your kindness," she said with a small laugh and a smirk dancing on her lips. "But anything for my buddy, I'll do it. So, what is it?"
"I have an appointment for my regular check-up with my psychiatrist today. Can you come with me?" I asked her.
"Of course, buddy! I mean, why do you need to ask me to accompany you? You know that I am always with you whenever you have to visit your doctor," she replied, taking a slow sip of her coffee and avoiding eye contact with me.
"I'm just wondering, are you okay with accompanying me to see Dani? She is my psychiatrist," I said to her because I know I need to address what I witnessed last night and the heartbreak she felt from Danielle.
"Dude, that happened a while back, and I don't have any lingering feelings for Danielle. She doesn't play a significant role in my life, except for being my best friend's personal doctor. We just have casual conversations when necessary, you know that, buddy," she responded, still avoiding eye contact with me.
I responded with a quiet hum and lifted my coffee cup to my lips. Even though she may not acknowledge it, I sensed that Danielle still occupied a considerable space in her heart.
“Haerin, I almost forgot. You have to help me plan my proposal to Karina. I’m planning to propose to her this Wednesday, our seventh anniversary.”
Haerin almost choked on her coffee when I mentioned the proposal. "Are you serious about that?" she exclaimed. "Minji, you have to think a million times. If you propose to her, you're obliged to marry her, to tie the knot with her. You will live with her until you guys are married. Dude, there are a lot of girls who want to be with you. Are you really serious about that bit…..?" Before she could continue, I gave her a stern look to stop her from saying the last word.
The atmosphere was charged with emotion as I spoke gently to Haerin, my best friend of many years. "Haerin, we've been in a relationship for nearly seven years now. Surely, that's enough time to show that we truly love each other and belong together. I understand that you both may not have hit it off, but I'm asking you, please, for my sake. Please accept Karina into our lives. She is the one I love, and she brings me so much joy," I uttered, my hands holding onto hers tightly, hoping to convey the depth of my feelings.
"I will give you my support on that if it brings you happiness. However, this is solely for your benefit, Minji," she replied with a defeated tone.
=========
"Minji, I'm relieved to inform you that all your test results have come back clear. Just keep taking your medication and try to minimize stress and excessive emotional strain," Dani said reassuringly during our discussion about the medical test results.
"Thank you, Dani," I said, turning to Danielle. Through the glass door, I could see Haerin standing outside Danielle's office. "You know, Haerin never fails to remind me to take my medications and take care of me. She is the best friend that everyone wants to have." Danielle looked at Haerin and smiled, acknowledging the truth in my words.
Danielle's lips curled into a sweet smile as she spoke, "I can see how much she cares for you, and I envy the depth of your friendship."
As I comforted her, I gently reminded her, "You can still have that closeness again. You two used to be the best of friends." Her response was filled with sadness. "Yeah, that was before I ruined it," she said. There was pain in her eyes as she added, "I know she still hates me." Trying to offer support, I reassured her, "You can still repair your friendship, and Haerin doesn't hate you." At that moment, she gave me a small, but appreciative, smile in response.
"I have a brilliant idea. Why don’t you join us and help me with my engagement proposal?" I suggested, a spark of inspiration igniting in my mind. "I’m open to it, Minji, but I'm not sure if she'll be comfortable with me being there," she replied. "Trust me, she won't be able to say no to me," I assured her, giving a confident wiggle of my eyebrows.
YOU ARE READING
another world
Fanfiction"Will you marry me?" I asked my girlfriend, feeling so much love for her. "Minji, I love you, but I'm sorry, I can't marry you. I can't compromise my future with you. I want to have a normal family, and that wouldn't happen with you."
