Enchanted (Bbangsaz)

55

Minji was sprawled out on her bed, cocooned in the warmth of her blankets, her phone screen glowing softly in the dim room. It had been hours since she'd allowed herself to just... be. She wasn't sleeping, but she wasn't exactly thinking either. The silence was almost comfortable, just the hum of the world outside her door. But the peace didn't last long.

Knock knock knock.

Minji's body tensed at the sound. She didn't need to look up to know who it was. She had been avoiding Hyein's calls for days, but Hyein wasn't the kind of friend who would just let things go.

Another knock, louder this time.

"Ugh, what now..." Minji groaned under her breath, rolling over in her bed, pulling the covers over her head like a shield. She hoped it would work—if she pretended she was still asleep, maybe Hyein would leave her alone.

But no. The door creaked open, and the sound of boots clicking on the hardwood floor sent a sharp jolt through Minji's spine. She didn't even need to look to know that it was Hyein. Hyein had the kind of presence that made her footsteps feel like they had weight.

"Minji," Hyein's voice sliced through the quiet air like a knife, sharp and impatient. "Get up. Now."

Minji mumbled something incoherent, still keeping her face buried in the pillow, too exhausted to care. "Nah, I'm good... Just five more minutes..."

Hyein wasn't buying it. "I said get up."

Before Minji could protest again, Hyein ripped the blanket off her, exposing Minji's body to the cold air. Minji whined, curling up, but it was no use. Hyein wasn't one to be ignored. She crossed her arms, a scowl etched onto her face. "Stop being a child and get out of bed. You've been holed up in here for days, throwing yourself into work like it's the only thing that matters. Like everything else is just supposed to go away because you're busy."

Minji, trying to keep some sense of composure, just rolled over and pretended to ignore Hyein. "It's fine. I'm working. I'm fine, okay?"

"Yeah, no, you're not fine," Hyein snapped back, leaning down, her face coming closer to Minji's. "Stop pretending. You've been dodging *everyone*. Your work? Yeah, maybe it's keeping you distracted for now, but you think I didn't notice? You think I haven't seen you falling apart in slow motion?"

Minji's stomach twisted. She sat up quickly, trying to brush off Hyein's words. "I'm just tired. I'm fine, Hyein. I just need some space."

"Space? Don't give me that bullshit. I'm not letting you off the hook that easy, Kim Minji," Hyein's voice had dropped lower, more serious now. "You're not fine. You're sitting here in your little cocoon, playing the victim, but we both know you're avoiding something, someone." Her eyes narrowed, no longer just annoyed but filled with a kind of frustration Minji wasn't used to seeing. "And you think you can just keep hiding forever?"

Minji's heart rate spiked. She tried to play it off like she didn't care, but Hyein's words were cutting through her, hitting places she didn't want to acknowledge. "I don't know what you're talking about," she muttered, her voice quieter than before, as if hoping to avoid the confrontation entirely.

Hyein wasn't fooled. "Don't play stupid with me. You think I haven't noticed? You think I didn't find out?" She stepped back and started pacing in front of Minji's bed, her eyes never leaving Minji's face. "You thought I wouldn't figure it out, huh? That I wouldn't put the pieces together?"

Minji froze. A cold shiver ran down her spine, her body stiffening as the blood drained from her face. She tried to stay calm, to keep her cool, but the realization was sinking in. "What do you mean?" Her voice was weak, trembling slightly.