Enchanted (Bbangsaz)

33

As Minji and Hyein entered the party, the voices, music, and laughter surrounded them. Minji could feel the weight of the past few days hanging on her, but Hyein, ever the supportive friend, nudged her shoulder with a playful grin.

"Come on, let's just have fun. We don't have to dive into anything deep right away," Hyein said, her tone light and encouraging.

Minji gave a small nod, grateful for the distraction. "Yeah, let's just... see how it goes."

They weaved through the crowd, heading toward a corner where they spotted Yuna waving enthusiastically. She was easy to spot with her radiant energy, bouncing over to greet them.

"Hey!" Yuna greeted, pulling them both into quick hugs. "I'm so glad you guys came. I've got some people I wanna introduce you to."

Minji couldn't help but smile at the warmth in Yuna's voice. It was comforting to see a familiar face in the crowd. She followed Yuna through the party, Hyein at her side, until they joined a group of girls chatting near the bar. As soon as Minji stepped into the circle, Ryujin flashed a mischievous grin.

"So, you're Minji? Yuna's been hyping you up like you're some kind of god," Ryujin teased, her eyes sparkling with humor.

Minji laughed softly, feeling a bit shy. "She has a tendency to exaggerate. Nice to meet you."

Lia, who had been listening to the conversation, joined in with a warm smile. "It's great to finally meet you too! Yuna's been telling us a lot about you."

Minji smiled back. "I didn't realize I was such a topic of conversation."

Yeji raised an eyebrow, amused. "Well, you've got a bit of mystery around you now, don't you?"

Minji chuckled, relieved at how easygoing everyone was. "I guess I do."

Chaeryeong, who had been quiet up until then, piped up with a teasing grin. "We were dying to know. How was the drama? Got any spoilers?"

Yuna immediately groaned, rolling her eyes. "Oh, here we go. You're not getting anything from us."

Minji raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Yeah, no spoilers. I'm keeping my lips sealed."

Lia chuckled. "Aww, you're no fun. We just want to know if there's some scene we should be prepared to!"

Minji laughed, shaking her head. "Nice try, but you'll have to watch the drama to find out."

Hyein, who had been standing quietly beside Minji, nudged her playfully. "Maybe you should be a good friend give us something, you know?"

Minji rolled her eyes, but couldn't help but laugh. "We're not giving anything away."

The conversation shifted to lighter topics, and soon they were all deep in a discussion about their favorite types of music and upcoming projects. Ryujin mentioned how excited they were for their next comeback, and Yuna jumped in to talk about how JYP wanted to give them a solo in the album. The group easily fell into a rhythm, bouncing from one subject to the next. They had chemistry, like Minji and Hyein were their friends since forever. They even started joking about how after Minji's drama debut, she should be in a ITZY's MV one day, Hyein started to teasing her about being "the new secret member" of the group.

"I mean, you've got the vibe," Yeji said with a wink. "Just say the word and you're in."

"Don't tempt me," Minji replied, chuckling. "I'm trying to keep a low profile here."

The easy conversation continued, and Minji could feel herself relaxing more and more. Despite the weight of everything going on in her personal life, being around people who weren't pushing her to talk about it was a relief. It felt good to just hang out, to not have to explain herself or put on any kind of act. Hyein, noticing Minji's shift in mood, leaned in and whispered, "See? You're doing great."