The Price Of Redemption

23.

"I didn't mean it that way..." Haerin whispered, her voice soft but strained as she stared across the kitchen counter at Hanni. The distance between them felt suffocating. Hanni, her back to Haerin, continued what she was doing, not acknowledging the plea in her voice.

"Minji, do you want a soda?" Hanni called out, louder now, directing her voice to the other room where Minji lounged on the couch. Her tone was forced, almost too casual, as though Haerin's presence didn't exist, her eyes refusing to meet Haerin's desperate gaze.

Haerin stood there, her heart a storm of confusion and frustration. "Why am I even doing this?" she thought bitterly, before deciding she couldn't stand the distance any longer. She moved quickly, rounding the counter and cornering Hanni between the cold surface and herself, her voice firmer this time, laced with determination. "I'm talking to you."

Hanni finally met her eyes, her expression unreadable, a flicker of something cold crossing her face. "I'm not, Haerin," she replied, her voice detached, distant, as she tried to push Haerin away.

"You said we'd talk later," Haerin insisted, refusing to back down, her brows furrowing in frustration.

"And that's the problem, Haerin." Hanni's voice cracked ever so slightly, betraying the calm mask she tried to hold. She shoved Haerin back, harder than Haerin ever expected, sending a shockwave through her. This wasn't the gentle Hanni she knew—

"You never talk," Hanni continued, her tone sharper now, every word a dagger. "You never tell me what's going on between you and... Dani. Or should I say, Jihye?" Her lips curled into a bitter smile as she spoke, her eyes burning with hurt.

Haerin's chest tightened, her words failing her as her brain scrambled for something to say, anything to fix the crack between them. "I—I... How do you even—"

"I saw you with her. At the cemetery," Hanni interrupted, her voice low, but fierce enough to scorch. "And don't you dare tell me she was just a classmate." A hollow, mocking laugh escaped her lips, but there was no joy, only pain.

From the living room, Minji could hear everything. The shouting, the tension thick in the air. She paused, her packing half-finished, unsure if she should intervene or stay out of it. She and Haerin were supposed to leave later that night for their trip, but now, with this unraveling in front of her, she wasn't sure if they would even make it.

"She was a friend. Before I left for Australia," Haerin finally managed to choke out, her voice trembling under the weight of the moment.

Hanni scoffed, crossing her arms, her posture radiating disbelief. "A friend?" she muttered, her eyes narrowing. "Weren't you the one who said you didn't have any friends?"

Haerin's heart ached as she reached out for Hanni, trying to close the emotional chasm between them, but Hanni shrugged her off with a coldness that left Haerin feeling hollow.

"She wasn't a friend that mattered," Haerin tried to explain, her voice growing smaller, as if trying to convince herself as much as Hanni.

Hanni's gaze sharpened. She stepped closer to Haerin, so close their breaths mingled, their faces just inches apart. The intensity in her eyes was overwhelming, and Haerin could feel her resolve shattering under the weight of it.

"Listen to me, Haerin," Hanni said, her voice barely above a whisper, yet more powerful than any shout. "If you expect me to do what you say, then you better do what I say too." She paused, her eyes locking onto Haerin's with an almost unbearable intensity. "Stay away from her," she warned, each word dripping with finality.

The room fell into an oppressive silence, the weight of everything left unsaid hanging between them, suffocating and heavy. Haerin stood frozen.....