Parallel Lives | BBANGSAZ

S I X T E E N

M I N J I
—

I'm well aware that my whole body is shaking, and I can't breathe normally as my finger presses the doorbell. I checked fifteen times for the right house—House. This is not a house. This is a freaking mansion. Yes, because rich people live here.

My heart speeds up when I hear someone yelling, "Hanni, there's someone at the door!" meaning her moms are here. Her Grammy-winning mom and her hockey player mom. Holy shit, I should not be here right now. What was I thinking? Why did I say yes?

I'm at Karina Pham's house. How is this even real? How much will it hurt to see Hanni interacting with her moms? Fuck, I'm going to meet them. The family that made me cry every time I glanced at the TV, every time I opened a social media app. I know it's not their fault I grew up with a shitty parent, but it's pretty obvious I don't belong here.

Soft steps come from inside the house, and I feel her presence before I see her. My heart goes crazy in my chest, and I suck in a breath when the door opens. It's like slow motion when I see her—so pretty and tiny and delicate, there she is.

She looks tired and sad, but she gives me a genuine smile that lights up her eyes. Hanni is wearing a Taylor Swift oversized shirt and purple sweatpants. Jesus fuck. Why is she always this pretty? And why does she look so broken? Her sadness is so obvious to me, making my own chest hurt. Maybe it's because I know what sadness feels and looks like. Something burns inside my chest—I hate seeing her like this.

"Minji, hi." Her sweet voice fills the air, bringing a smile to my lips. "Come in, I was waiting for you."

She takes a step back, the door opening as she does, making room for me to step inside. "Sorry I'm late. I was just..." deciding if I should come or not. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine, don't worry." She smiles. "Follow me. My moms are watching a movie; they won't bother us."

I follow Hanni inside the house with shaky hands and a heart that's racing a mile a minute. The smell of strawberries fills my lungs as soon as we step in.

The white walls are filled with picture frames everywhere—family photos, a lot of trophies and medals, drawings. Some kid toys are lying on the white marble floor. I notice three pairs of skates in one corner of the house, some hockey sticks; everything in here screams home, so I force myself to stop looking around. This is what a home looks like. I was lucky if I had food in the fridge once a week, or month.

Stop comparing your lives, Minji!

"Sunshine! Who was it?" a voice makes my heart stop for a moment.

Hanni stops walking, and I accidentally trip over her. She winces when our bodies collide, and her eyes close, probably expecting the fall, but I don't let her. My arms wrap tightly around her tiny waist without even thinking about it. Her chest presses against mine, and our faces are so close that I can feel her warm breath near my lips. Fuck, no.

"Hanni?" A different voice calls.

"Fuck." Hanni presses her lips together in... pain?

"Are you okay?" My voice comes out as a whisper. I let her go, placing her softly on the ground. "Did I hurt you?"

She shakes her head, biting her bottom lip. "I'm fine, sorry," she breathes. "You didn't hurt me."

"Are you hurt?"

She hesitates for a second, her soft brown eyes landing on mine. "I... It's normal. Life of a full-time ballerina," she tries to joke, chuckling as she does, but the sound is off. Fake.