Enchanted (Bbangsaz)

9

The announcement was out. Hanni had posted about her upcoming single on every platform, and the response was immediate. Fans were ecstatic, flooding the comments with excitement and support. But it was the reactions from her friends that hit differently.

Danielle reposted her announcement with a proud caption: "The queen is back with a masterpiece! Couldn't be prouder of you. I love you."

Hyein posted a story: "Already know it's going to be iconic!"

Haerin tweeted: "So excited to have real music back on track."

Hanni smiled at the messages, feeling a warmth spread through her. But when she saw Minji's post, she froze for a second.

Minji had written: "Can't wait for everyone to hear this. You're incredible.🩷"

Hanni stared at the words for longer than she wanted to admit, her heart doing a little flip. She wasn't expecting Minji's message to affect her like this, but now that it had, there was no denying it. Her fingers hovered over her phone for a moment before she typed out her response.

"So, am I really that cool?" she teased, pressing send before she could overthink it.

The second the message was out, she bit her lip, feeling a mix of excitement and nerves. It was playful, but there was something underneath the surface—something she wasn't ready to fully admit yet.

Meanwhile, Minji was hanging out at Haerin's place with Hyein. It was a rare day off, and the three of them had decided to lay low, away from the public eye. Haerin's house was perfect for that—quiet, cozy, and free of any outside distractions.

They were sprawled out on the living room floor, snacks scattered around them, when Hyein suddenly glanced at Minji. She had been unusually quiet, and knowing Minji, that was never a good sign.

"Okay, spill it," Hyein said, narrowing her eyes at her. "What's going on?"

Minji looked up, a little startled. "What do you mean?"

"You've been zoning out this whole time," Haerin added, leaning back against the couch. "Something's up."

Minji hesitated. Should she tell them? After all, these were her closest friends. She took a breath. "Alright, fine. I've been hanging out with Hanni, and I think I'm crushing on her."

The room went silent for a beat before Hyein and Haerin exchanged a knowing glance. Haerin smirked, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a bill. She handed it to Hyein without saying a word, and Hyein grinned as she took the money.

"Wait, what?" Minji asked, confused.

"We knew it," Hyein said, laughing. "We made a bet on how long it'd take you to admit it."

"You bet on me?" Minji groaned, burying her face in her hands. "Are you serious?"

"Of course," Haerin said, shrugging. "We've known for a while now. You're not exactly subtle, Minji."

"Subtle?!"

"Yeah, we could see it coming from a mile away," Hyein added, her laugh ringing out. "You're totally into her. Honestly, I'm surprised it took you this long to admit it."

Minji shook her head in disbelief. "You guys are terrible."

"Maybe, but we're not the ones in deep shit," Haerin said, smirking. "That's all you, Minji."

Minji stared at her. "What do you mean?"

"I mean you like her too much," Haerin replied, sitting up straight. "Like... this isn't just a crush. You're falling hard, and the fact that it took you so long to realize it means you're in deep."

"You're fucked," Hyein chimed in, nodding seriously.

Minji let out a long sigh, leaning back against the couch. "I know. I can't stop thinking about her. It's like... I just want her around all the time, everything feels different when she's with me."

"See? Deep shit," Hyein said with a grin. "You're done for."

Minji groaned again, but deep down, she knew they were right. The problem was, what now? She had been able to ignore these feelings for so long, but now that she'd admitted it out loud, they were impossible to avoid.

"Well, what are you going to do about it?" Haerin asked, raising an eyebrow.

Minji blinked. "Do about it? I don't know, just... exist?"

Hyein laughed. "No, no, no. You can't just sit there and do nothing. You like her. You need to do something."

Minji shook her head. "It's not that simple."

"Oh, but it is," Haerin said, her smirk widening. "You just don't want to admit it because you're scared."

"Scared?" Minji scoffed, trying to sound casual, but there was a hint of truth to Haerin's words. "I'm not scared."

"Uh-huh," Hyein teased. "Then why are you all worked up just thinking about it? You can barely talk right now."

"Exactly," Haerin added. "Look, you're not fooling anyone. You're into her, and it's obvious she likes you too. You're just too chicken to make a move."

Minji frowned. "She doesn't like me like that. We're just... I don't know. We're friends."

Haerin rolled her eyes. "Yeah, because exchanging messages 24/7, having inside jokes and hanging out in the midnight totally screams 'just friends.'"

Hyein nodded in agreement. "Seriously, Minji, it's not rocket science. You like her, she likes you. Just go for it."

Minji bit her lip. "And do what, exactly? Ask her out? What if she doesn't feel the same way?"

"She does," Hyein said confidently. "Trust me. You've got this."

Haerin leaned forward, looking Minji in the eyes. "You're overthinking it. Just take it slow, don't put pressure on it, and let it happen naturally. But for that to happen, you actually need to, you know, make a move."

Minji looked between them, uncertainty still swirling inside her. She knew they were right, but it wasn't that simple. What if she ruined things? What if Hanni didn't see her that way, and all of this was just one-sided?

"Look," Hyein said, softening her tone. "You won't know unless you try. And from what I've seen, there's no way she doesn't feel something. She lights up when you're around."

Minji blushed at that. "You think so?"

"We know so," Haerin said. "Now stop being such a coward and take her out again. Do something fun. And when the moment's right..."

"Kiss her," Hyein finished, smirking.

Minji's eyes widened. "WTF?"

"Duh," Hyein said with a laugh. "She's already into you, Minji. You just need to stop overthinking everything and let it happen."

Minji let out a long breath. The thought of taking that next step made her heart race, but maybe they were right. She couldn't keep running from this forever. "Okay. I'll think about it."

"Think about it?" Haerin scoffed. "No, no, no. You're going to do it."

Hyein nodded. "Yeah, and we expect details afterward."

Minji rolled her eyes but couldn't help the small smile forming on her face. "You two are the worst."

"Yeah, but you love us," Hyein said, throwing a chip at her.

Minji laughed, shaking her head. Deep down, the idea of taking that step with Hanni scared her, but she couldn't deny how badly she wanted to try.