Enchanted (Bbangsaz)

6

Hanni sat in her studio, the soft glow of her laptop screen illuminating the scattered pages of lyrics in front of her. The melody she had been playing echoed through the room, soft but uncertain, like the notes weren't fully connecting. She leaned back in her chair, letting out a quiet sigh as her fingers absentmindedly tapped against the keyboard.

It had been a few weeks since Paris, and she had thrown herself back into her work, determined to break through her creative block. The memory of the rooftop conversation with Minji flashed in her mind—the warmth in Minji's voice, the way her words had made Hanni feel a little lighter, like maybe the pressure didn't have to weigh her down so much.

Hanni shook her head slightly, trying to focus on the track. This song needed to be finished. She played the same section over again, frowning at the way it still felt incomplete.

Before she could dive deeper into tweaking the melody, her phone buzzed beside her. Glancing at the screen, she saw Danielle's name pop up, accompanied by a yellow heart emoji.

Hanni smiled and picked up the call. "Hey Dani, what's up?"

"Hey darling! What are you up to? Writing another masterpiece?" Danielle's teasing tone instantly lifted Hanni's mood.

"Trying to," Hanni said, leaning back in her chair. "But, honestly, it feels like I'm chasing after something that keeps slipping away. You know how it is."

Danielle hummed knowingly. "Yeah, I get it. Sometimes you just need to take a step back. Speaking of something that could make you take a breath, Haerin and I were thinking about having dinner tonight. Just something chill, nothing fancy. You should come."

"Oh, that sounds nice," Hanni replied, already feeling the pressure in her chest ease at the thought of spending time with her friends. "Who's all going?"

"Just us, Haerin, and her friends—you know, Hyein and Minji, the ones you met in Paris."

At the mention of Minji, Hanni felt her heart skip an unexpected beat. She hadn't seen Minji since the night of the party, though they had exchanged a few messages since then. Minji had been polite, even sweet, but Hanni couldn't quite shake the feeling that there was something she couldn't identify.

"Oh," Hanni said, trying to sound nonchalant. "That sounds fun. I could use a break, so count me in."

"Great! It'll be good to see you again. We're meeting at that Italian place you like, around 8pm. Does that work?"

"Perfect," Hanni replied, already feeling the excitement building. "I'll see you tonight."

After hanging up, she set her phone down and stared at the notebook in front of her, the lyrics blurring slightly as her thoughts drifted. The idea of seeing Minji again tugged at her, and she wondered if the same warmth from that night in Paris would still be there.

Later that evening, Hanni stood in front of the mirror, adjusting her jacket before grabbing her phone and heading out. She arrived at the Italian restaurant just a few minutes before seven, the familiar scent of garlic and tomatoes filling the air as she walked through the door.

Spotting Danielle and Haerin at a table near the back, Hanni made her way over, smiling as Danielle waved her down enthusiastically.

"Hey, you!" Danielle greeted, pulling Hanni into a quick hug. "You look great!"

Hanni returned the hug, her eyes briefly meeting Haerin's before the other girl gave her a small, shy smile. "Thanks. You guys look good, too."

They sat down, exchanging light conversation until Hanni noticed movement near the entrance. Minji and Hyein had arrived, both of them laughing at something as they walked toward the table. Minji's eyes found Hanni's for a brief moment, and a small smile tugged at her lips.