Fate || PART 2 of 'Good Luck, Babe!' (Bbangsaz)

9. Still Like Roses?

H A N N I

It’s been an entire week since I’ve been stuck in bed. No one’s come over, no one’s asked how I’ve been. Danielle didn’t come—she lives too far away.

My parents never bothered to check on me, not even once. And Guwon? He lives in the same house, yet he hasn’t so much as glanced my way.

Not even Minji.

She’s texted me a few times, just to check in, but I understand. She has her own life—one that's quite busy.

Today was different though. As soon as I was allowed to move around, to get off bed rest, Guwon had to take advantage of it by dragging me to yet another social event. One where our company had no real reason to be.

It was a fundraiser, an event to raise breast cancer awareness in Busan, bringing together hospitals and clinics.

But why were we there? Only because our competitors were. To them, it was a contest—seeing who could donate the most. Nothing more than a public display.

I didn’t want to be here. But I’d heard that Minji would be attending, along with Dr. Lee. Who had just returned from her hometown.

Guwon’s hand slid around my waist, pulling me closer to him as he chatted and laughed with some other CEO I couldn’t bother to know. I shifted uncomfortably. I’ve never liked it when he touched me. It felt forced, but I had to endure it—for appearances, for the sake of publicity.

I faked a smile, pretended to laugh along with them, all the while scanning the room for Minji and Dr. Lee.

Then, as if on cue, Guwon leaned in, asking someone to take a photo of us. Ridiculous. He was treating this event like a gala when it was supposed to be about raising awareness for a cause.

"Excuse me," I said, forcing a smile as I slipped out of his grip. His hold was always too tight, too rough. I walked away, finally free, searching for Minji.

It didn’t take long to find her.

She stood at a booth, handing out flyers and posters with that familiar, kind smile on her face. Professional, composed—everything I remembered about her and more. My heart ached just watching her.

I hesitated. Should I go up and talk to her? Or would I be interrupting her work?

Before I could decide, I noticed her laughing with one of her colleagues. They seemed so at ease with each other, sharing a joke that left Minji’s face glowing with genuine happiness—something I hadn’t seen from her in a while. Not with me, at least.

Jealousy hit me like a wave. Who was this girl? She was beautiful, everything that made me feel insecure in an instant.

I stepped back, my mind swirling with questions. What if Minji had moved on? What if she’d already found someone new, someone who made her happier than I ever could?

I shook my head, trying to snap out of it. We’re nothing but acquaintances now, I reminded myself. I had left her life a long time ago. Why should I be jealous?

But I couldn’t help it.

The girl leaned in closer, whispering something to Minji that made her laugh again. The sight of them hurt. I had no right to feel this way, but the pang of jealousy wouldn't go away.

Then, suddenly, Minji’s eyes met mine. I froze, caught staring. She excused herself from the other girl and made her way over to me. My heart raced, and I quickly pretended to focus on the poster in front of me.

"Hey, Hanni," she greeted, her voice soft as she stood beside me. Her familiar scent, minty and fresh, enveloped me, and I fought to stay composed.

"Hi," I replied, but my voice sounded flat, much duller than I intended.

"Are you feeling better?" she asked, her eyes still on the same poster I was pretending to read.

"I am," I said, though my tone betrayed me. There was no energy behind my words.

"Hanni?" she asked again, her voice now full of concern. "Is everything okay?"

No, everything was not okay. But I couldn't bring myself to say that. Instead, I forced a nod. "Yeah."

Minji didn’t seem convinced. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah," I lied, sniffling slightly as I turned to walk away, not wanting to prolong the awkward moment. I couldn’t let this ruin her day.

But she stopped me by gently grabbing my arm. I turned back around, meeting her eyes this time.

"Why didn’t you come to say hi earlier?" she asked, releasing my arm.

I shrugged. "You seemed busy with someone. I didn’t want to disturb you."

"I'm never too busy for you," she said, her words sending a ripple through me. Did she mean that?

"I'm happy for you," I mumbled, though the words caught in my throat.

Minji frowned. "Why?"

I nodded toward the booth. "The girl, she’s really pretty. I’m happy for you." My smile was forced, and Minji could probably tell.

"Her?" Minji glanced over at the girl and then back at me, her brow furrowing. "You think she’s my girlfriend?"

I didn't reply, only gave a small nod.

Minji pursed her lips, almost as if she was holding back a laugh. "No, Hanni, she's not—she’s Minjeong, a colleague. We’re not together."

I exhaled, not realizing I had been holding my breath. Minji noticed.

"Are you jealous?" she teased, smiling slightly.

My eyes widened in denial. "What? No! I’m not—I mean, why would I be?" I stumbled over my words. "You have your own life now, Minji. You can do whatever you want."

Minji’s jaw clenched for a moment before she looked down at the floor. "I know. We both have our own lives now."

I nodded, though her words stung more than I expected. "I have no right to be jealous of you anymore."

"Hanni," she sighed, her voice lowering. "Stop lying to me. And to yourself. There's so much I wish I could say but our circumstances don’t allow it."

"What things?" I asked, a bit breathless, wanting desperately to hear what was unsaid.

Minji gave me a sad smile, her eyes reflecting the same unspoken feelings I had.

"Do you still like roses?"

I smiled, the memories flooding back—of all the times she’d given me roses, the last bouquet still preserved in a resin keychain.

"I love roses." I whispered, looking up at her eyes. Hoping she would realize the bigger meaning behind it.

But I love her more.

"I love roses too," she said, her voice soft, eyes glistening with a feeling so intense I could drown in it.