𝐓𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇 𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄 || 𝐒𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐏𝐒 || 🍀

56

Hani

I went straight to the restroom to repair my face. Choi Seungcheol sure did a number on a woman’s makeup. After I cleaned up the sad clown face and reapplied my lipstick, I gave my reflection a long, hard look.

The tiny shards of my broken heart were now ground into a fine dust thanks to Seungcheol's confession.

“No wonder,” I whispered to my reflection.

There were things a person never got over. We both just wanted someone to love us enough to make up for all the times we hadn’t been enough. It felt like such a waste that we could feel the way we did, but neither of us could be that person for the other.

I couldn’t make him love me enough, and the sooner I got over that, the better. Maybe someday we could be friends. If I won the custody hearing, and if Mimi and I decided to make Riperia our permanent home.

Thinking of Mimi, I dug my phone out of my apron to check my messages. Earlier this week, I’d approved a messaging app for her laptop so she could text me if she needed to. In return, she’d downloaded a GIF keyboard on my phone so we could exchange GIFs throughout the day.

“Oh, great,” I groaned when I saw the dozen new texts.

Kazuha: Nice skirt.

Yunjin: This better mean you guys are making up!!!!

Mom: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

Kwan: PLSSS IJBOL AT THE WAY HE TOOK U OUT

Seoyeon: Mina just texted (along with nine other people at the bar). Did that son of a bitch really carry you off like he was a caveman? I hope you rearranged his face.

Mimi: Aunt Hani, I’m in trouble.

The breath in my lungs froze when I read the last text. She’d sent it fifteen minutes ago. With shaking hands, I fired off a response as I rushed out of the restroom.

Me: Are you okay? What’s wrong?

There were a lot of reasons an eleven-year-old could think they were in trouble, I rationalized. It didn’t mean there was an actual emergency. Maybe she forgot her math homework. Maybe she accidentally broke Jennie's favorite garden cherub. Maybe she’d gotten her period.

I also had three missed calls in the last five minutes from an Unknown number. Something was wrong.

I headed for the kitchen and scrolled through my contacts for Jennie's number.

“Everything okay, Hani?” Soobin asked as I hustled for the parking lot.

“Yeah. I think so. Just have to make a quick call,” I said before pushing through the exterior door into the cold night air.

I was getting ready to hit Call when headlights from a car blinded me. I held up my hand to block the light and stepped back.

“Hani.”

My arms dropped limply to my side. I knew that voice.

“Chae?”

My twin sister leaned out the driver’s side window. I felt like I was looking in the mirror again. A fun house mirror. Her formerly bleached hair was now a dark brown and cut short in a style similar to mine. Our eyes were the same hazel. The differences were subtle. She was wearing a cheap fake leather jacket. She had multiple earrings in both ears. Her eyeliner was thick and blue.

But she looked as worried as I felt.

“He’s got Mimi! He took her,” she said.

My stomach dropped, and a wave of nausea crested as every muscle in my body tightened. “What? Who took her? Where is she?”