Enchanted (Bbangsaz)

51

Danielle stood at the hotel door, her knuckles red from knocking too hard. She exhaled sharply, glancing down the hallway before rapping again.

"Hanni! It's me! Open up!"

There was no response, and her heart clenched. She knew Hanni was inside—she had texted her earlier, and besides, the hotel staff confirmed it. Danielle banged on the door again, her voice firmer this time. "If you don't open this door, I'm breaking it down. Don't test me!"

No answer.

Danielle's chest tightened. She knocked again, louder this time. "Hanni, I swear if you don't open this door, I'm gonna ask the front desk for a key, and you know I'm charming enough to get one."

The faint sound of footsteps shuffled closer, followed by the click of the lock. The door cracked open just enough for Hanni's face to peek out. Danielle's stomach dropped at the sight of her. Hanni's eyes were puffy and bloodshot, her cheeks blotchy from crying, and her hair was a tangled mess like she hadn't cared enough to fix it.

Danielle immediately softened, stepping forward and pushing the door open wider. "Oh, Honey..." Her voice broke as she saw the state of her friend.

Hanni didn't say anything. She just turned and shuffled back into the room, leaving the door open for Danielle to follow.

Danielle closed it behind her and took in the scene: the unmade bed, clothes strewn across the floor, an untouched tray of room service sitting on the desk. Hanni climbed back onto the bed, curling into a ball under the blankets, her back to Danielle.

"Alright," Danielle said, pulling off her jacket and tossing it onto the chair. "I didn't fly all the way to Germany for you to ghost me now. Scoot over."

Hanni didn't move.

Danielle sighed and walked over, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Hanni," she said softly, leaning closer. "What happened?"

When Hanni didn't respond, Danielle reached out and touched her shoulder gently. "Hey. It's me. You can talk to me."

Hanni's voice was muffled under the blanket. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Well, too bad," Danielle said, trying to keep her tone light but failing to hide the worry in her voice. "Because I didn't come all this way to watch you turn into a human burrito. You're gonna tell me what's going on, and then we'll figure it out. Together. Okay?"

Hanni turned her head slightly, her red, tear-streaked face breaking Danielle's heart. "It's not something you can fix, Dani."

Danielle frowned, her brows knitting together. "Try me."

Danielle sat cross-legged on the bed next to her, Hanni had finally started talking, but every word that left her mouth felt heavier than the last.

"She just... showed up," Hanni began, staring blankly at the blanket twisted in her hands. Her voice was hoarse, each syllable dragging as if it physically hurt to say. "I was sitting there, waiting, hoping she was coming to fix things. To talk, or—I don't know, Dani, something. I thought..." She trailed off, her voice cracking.

Danielle stayed quiet, watching her friend closely. Her fists were clenched, nails digging into her palms, but she didn't interrupt.

Hanni took a shaky breath and continued. "She walked in like nothing was wrong, like we were fine. She didn't even sit down, Dani. She just stood there, and I...I was so stupid." Her laugh was bitter, tears pooling in her eyes. "I was so relieved to see her, I thought she was there to fight for us. But she wasn't."

Danielle leaned forward, her voice barely above a whisper. "What did she say?"

Hanni swallowed hard, blinking back tears. "She said she had something to tell me. She thought it was better if I heard it from her."