Secretly, But Unable to Hide It

Bike Ride

Hanni doesn't dare to stay near that area. She quickens her pace until she reaches a nearby store she knows. Nervous, she pulls her phone from her backpack and sees that it's already 6:00 p.m.

Minji has called her several times.

Panic sets in as Hanni worries that Minji will scold her. Just as she begins to dwell on that thought, Minji calls again. "Hanni?"

Hanni replies with a hesitant, "Unnie?"

Minji sounding relieved, asks, "What are you running from? Didn't I tell you to wait for me at school?"

Hanni replies, "I'm at 7-Eleven. My unnie told me to."

There's a brief silence, Minji says, "Wait for me there."

After a few minutes, Minji appears at 7-Eleven. It looks like she has been running. Her forehead is covered in sweat, and her face is red. She isn't smiling like before.

Hanni takes the initiative and calls, "Unnie."

Minji says indifferently, "Where did you go?"

Hanni hesitates for a moment and honestly points toward the alley.

"That side?" Minji glances over before looking back at Hanni, her laughter tinged with anger. "An internet cafe? Who let you go there?"

Hanni remains silent.

Minji touches her chest as if to calm herself. "If you are unhappy about me picking you up, you can tell your unnie." She smiles and becomes gentle, but her tone remains a bit sharp. "You know I'm poor, and don't have much time."

"I don't..." Hanni nervously holds her backpack strap and hesitates on how to explain what happened.

Seeing Hanni look a bit guilty, Minji's anger dissipates. "Do you know that you were wrong?"

Hanni nods.

Minji looks at Hanni collar. "What happened?" She notices a cigarette mark and tries to wipe it, but it won't come off.

"Hanni," Minji asks quietly, "Is someone bullying you?"

Hanni hesitates and nods.

Minji's expression changes. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want to trouble you. My unnie asked me to behave well and not cause trouble." Hanni says, "I also don't plan to hide it, I'll tell my dad and mon about it."

Minji asks patiently, "Did you get hit?"

Hanni thinks about it and shakes her head. "She just patted my face, took my twenty thousand won, and asked me to give her more money tomorrow."

"Why did you go there?"

"My friend called me." Hanni thinks of Wonhee and her expression changes. She says quietly, "She was scared, so she asked me to go with her."

Minji finds this absurd. "How could she not tell her parents?"

"Because those people said that if we told our parents, they would find us every day at school," Hanni explains honestly.

Minji looks Hanni in the eyes, she suddenly says, "Give me your hand."

Hanni, confused and frozen in place, hesitates for a moment before extending her hand. Minji responds with a light slap on her palm, almost like a gentle clap.

Hanni immediately retracts her hand. "What are you doing?"

Minji says lazily, "Hitting you." She strokes Hanni's head. "Listen to me. In the future, if someone deceives you into going to that kind of place, no matter how good a friend they are, you should not go."