Enchanted (Bbangsaz)

49

You asked for it... 

-

Minji had been avoiding everyone for the past few days. After finding out that Hanni had shared a kiss with her ex, it felt like a weight was slowly crushing her chest. She was broken, yes, but she refused to let anyone see it. Not her friends. Not her family. Not even Hanni.

The weight of it all settled on her like a storm cloud, but Minji wasn't the type to show her emotions to anyone, especially not when she was still trying to understand it herself. She had spent the last couple of days holed up in her apartment, burying herself in work. Today, however, she had to face the reality of her life—her career, her relationships. She had no choice but to meet with her manager at the company.

As she sat at the desk, organizing her schedule for the upcoming weeks, Minji felt a deep sense of exhaustion. No matter how much she tried to bury the thought, it kept resurfacing: Hanni's kiss with her ex. She clenched her jaw, refusing to let the tears well up. She had to be strong.

The door to the office opened, and Haerin and Hyein walked in, both looking at Minji with raised eyebrows. It didn't take a genius to know something was off with her. Minji didn't bother to look up, pretending to focus on the calendar in front of her.

"What the hell is going on, Minji?" Haerin's voice was sharp, but it carried a tone of concern. She leaned against the doorframe, watching Minji closely.

Minji stayed silent, hoping the conversation would pass by, but Haerin wasn't having it.

"Hey," Haerin continued, her tone softening slightly, "when I woke up that morning, you were gone. You didn't even say goodbye. What happened?"

Minji glanced up briefly, eyes heavy. "I just... missed my bed," she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper, hoping Haerin would drop it.

Hyein's expression softened, though there was still a hint of confusion in her eyes. "Minji, what's really going on?" she asked, her voice warm and full of concern. She took a step closer to Minji, sensing that something deeper was bothering her.

Minji tried to ignore the growing tension in the room as Haerin's gaze bore into her. She felt the pressure mounting as Haerin crossed her arms, leaning against the doorframe, her expression a mix of frustration and concern.

"Minji," Haerin began, her voice sharper than before, "stop pretending like everything is fine. What the hell happened? You just disappeared that morning. You can't hide from this."

Minji's jaw tightened. She had dealt with enough already and didn't need Haerin pushing her buttons. She tried to keep her tone cool, avoiding eye contact. "I told you already. I just missed my bed. That's all."

Haerin wasn't having it. She stepped forward, her eyes narrowing. "Cut the crap, Minji. Something's clearly bothering you, and it's not just missing your bed. You're acting like everything is normal, but we both know it's not." She took another step closer, her voice rising with each word. "Why are you shutting us out? Why are you lying to our faces?"

Minji felt the anger simmering under her skin. She could feel her heart racing, her nerves fraying. She shot up from her seat, her eyes flashing as she finally met Haerin's gaze. "I'm not lying to anyone!" she snapped, her voice laced with frustration. "And I don't need you to tell me how to deal with my shit."

Haerin's lips curled into a frustrated sneer. "So, you're just going to ignore it all? You're just going to pretend like nothing's wrong, even though everyone can see it? You don't get to keep shutting people out, Minji!"

Minji's fists clenched at her sides, her body stiff with anger. "I'm not in the mood for this, Haerin. So maybe you should just stay out of it."

Hyein, who had been standing quietly off to the side, stepped forward, her eyes wide with concern. "Okay, okay, hold on," she interjected, her voice calm but firm. She placed a gentle hand on Haerin's arm, pulling her back just a little. "Let's not do this right now. Minji's clearly upset, and pushing her isn't going to help."