Enchanted (Bbangsaz)

59

Hanni pushed the door open, her cap pulled low and hoodie zipped up to her chin. The bar was dimly lit, the quiet hum of conversation blending with soft background music. Her eyes scanned the room until they landed on Danielle, who was casually lounging in a corner booth, a bright smile breaking across her face as she spotted Hanni.

"Look who finally decided to show up," Danielle teased, gesturing at the seat across from her.

Hanni slid into the booth, her expression neutral. "Traffic," she muttered, tugging her cap off and setting it on the table.

Danielle smirked. "Right. Because Seoul traffic suddenly got worse than usual."

Hanni rolled her eyes but didn't argue. Instead, her gaze fell on the two glasses of something fizzy sitting on the table. "What's this?"

"Courage juice," Danielle said with a grin, pushing one of the glasses toward her.

Hanni arched an eyebrow. "I'm gonna need a lot more than this if you're planning to give me another therapy session."

Danielle laughed, but her tone softened as she said, "No therapy. Just fries and vibes. How've you been, Hann?"

Hanni let out a long sigh, leaning back in her seat. "I'm... hanging in there." She grabbed a fry, twirling it between her fingers. "Two weeks left before I head back on tour."

Danielle studied her carefully. "And?"

Hanni hesitated, her fingers tightening around the fry before she popped it into her mouth. "And... I'm trying not to think about everything too much."

Danielle leaned forward, propping her chin on her hand. "But you're totally overthinking everything."

Hanni gave her a flat look. "Obviously."

There was a moment of silence before Hanni finally said, "Minji came to see me."

Danielle didn't react the way Hanni expected. No surprise, no shock. Instead, she simply nodded. "I know."

Hanni blinked, sitting up straighter. "You know?"

"She came to me too," Danielle admitted, shrugging like it was no big deal. "Told me everything. Said she needed me to know the truth too."

Hanni shook her head, letting out a bitter laugh. "That's so Minji. Always trying to fix things for everyone else."

Danielle didn't say anything, just waited for Hanni to continue.

After a beat, Hanni sighed again, running a hand through her hair. "She told me she didn't cheat. That it wasn't what I thought." Her voice was quiet, almost fragile.

Danielle nodded, encouraging her to keep going.

"She lied," Hanni said, her jaw tightening. "She lied because she thought it was better than the truth. And yeah, I'm furious about that. But..." Her voice faltered, and she stared down at the table. "But I'm relieved. Because at least it wasn't—at least it wasn't the worst thing I thought it was."

Danielle's expression softened, her voice gentle. "That's understandable, Hann. But what do you feel now?"

Hanni looked up, meeting Danielle's gaze. "I don't know. I guess... I'm still trying to figure it out."

Danielle tilted her head slightly. "Do you still love her?"

Hanni froze, caught off guard.

"I mean, are you still in love with her?" Danielle clarified, her tone soft but direct.

Hanni leaned back, exhaling sharply as she stared at the ceiling. "I don't think there's been a single moment since I met Minji where I wasn't in love with her." Her voice cracked slightly, the weight of her words hanging in the air.