Enchanted (Bbangsaz)

56

"What do you want, Minji?" Danielle asked, her voice cold and clipped.

"I need to talk to you," Minji said, her voice shaky but resolute. "Please. Just hear me out."

Danielle crossed her arms, leaning against the doorframe. "I don't think I owe you that. But the only reason I'm not slamming this door in your face is because Haerin would kill me. She's the only reason I'm even talking to you right now."

Minji swallowed hard. "I know I don't deserve your time, but I need to explain. Not for me—for Hanni. You're the person she trusts the most, and you deserve to know the truth."

Danielle scoffed, her expression incredulous. "The truth? Like you even know what that means. You cheated on her, Minji. You broke her. And now you're here to do what? Clear your conscience?"

"I didn't cheat," Minji blurted, her voice trembling. "I never cheated on her. I lied, Danielle. I made her think I did because I thought it was the only way to give her the space she needed."

Danielle's expression didn't soften. If anything, her glare intensified. "That's your excuse? You didn't think she deserved the truth? Do you even realize what you've put her through?"

Minji nodded, tears threatening to spill. "I do. And I hate myself for it. But you don't know the whole story. Please, let me explain."

Danielle hesitated, her jaw clenched, before stepping aside and gesturing for Minji to come in. "Five minutes. That's all you get."

Minji entered, the air inside feeling no less tense than outside. She stood awkwardly in the living room as Danielle perched on the armrest of the couch, her arms still crossed.

"Start talking," Danielle demanded.

Minji took a deep breath. "I knew Hanni was conflicted about her feelings weeks before the kiss with Jake. I could feel it. She was distant, distracted. I didn't know why at first, but then I started piecing it together. I knew something was bothering her, something she couldn't bring herself to tell me."

Danielle's brow furrowed, but she stayed silent, letting Minji continue.

"I tried to brush it off, to pretend it wasn't happening," Minji said, her voice cracking. "But the more time passed, the more obvious it became. She'd smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. She'd hold my hand, but it felt... hesitant. I could see she was torn, and I didn't know how to fix it."

Minji paused, "And then, weeks later, I overheard you talking to her. I was at Haerin's place, sleeping on the couch, and you didn't know I was there. You were on the phone with Hanni, and you said Jake kissed her."

Danielle's eyes widened, the shock evident on her face. "You heard that?"

"Yeah," Minji said quietly. "I heard everything. You asked her if she'd told me, if she was okay. And I could hear it in her voice—how confused she was, how much she was struggling. She didn't kiss him back, I know that. But it was like everything clicked for me in that moment. She was conflicted, Dani. About me. About him. About us."

Danielle stared at her, her jaw tightening. "So you decided to just... lie? To make her think you cheated? How does that solve anything, Minji?"

"I thought it would make things easier for her," Minji admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "I thought if she hated me, it would help her figure out what she really wanted. I didn't want to be another source of confusion for her."

Danielle let out a bitter laugh, shaking her head. "You're unbelievable. You didn't think about what that would do to her? She thought she wasn't enough for you, Minji. She thought she wasn't good enough."