HERSHE || BBANGSAZ ||

13. Back

December 31st - Daegu

"Hanni, lunch is ready."

"In a while, Mom."

Hanni is lying on her cousin's bed, staring at the ceiling. It's weird. She never hated holidays before. But now it feels like a great sacrifice to do nothing and wait for two more days before she'd be busy again.

"Hanni?"

Hanni turned her attention to the voice and saw her cousin standing beside the door. "Hey, Rei."

"What's up?" Rei climbed on the bed and lay prone beside her.

"Nothing. I'm just bored."

"We do this every year, why are you so bored today?"

"I don't know." Hanni played her fingers on her tummy. "I just wish that there's no holiday."

Rei laughed. "Hey, doppelganger, tell me where my real cousin is."

Hanni laughed. "Seriously. I wish I had work today."

"What?" Rei looked at her cousin. "Do you hear what you're saying?"

"I just feel bored. That's all."

"Is there something different in your office this year that wasn't there last year?"

"What do you mean?"

"Did you get a new crush or something?"

Hanni had to laugh it out. She can't understand why the first person that came to her mind with what Rei asked is Minji.

"No, it's not a crush..."

"Not a crush. But there is someone, right?" asked Rei.

"It's not like what you're thinking."

Rei playfully hit her. "Hey! Are you keeping secrets from me now? Are you in love, Hanni?"

The question made Hanni cringe even more. "I'm not, you silly."

"Fine! But I don't believe you."

Hanni rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

"Well... speaking of crush." Rei leaned in closer. "I heard someone just got back here."

Hanni's mind was still lingering on the word crush and why Minji was on her mind when she heard that. She didn't understand what Rei said.

"Do you remember your all-time-biggest-crush when you used to live here?" asked Rei.

Hanni had to recollect thoughts first from her childhood memories. "What do you mean?"

"Gosh. Don't tell me you've forgotten Jake?"

"Jake?" Hanni looked away as flashes of memories of her childhood flooded her brain, recalling how she did really develop a crush on one of her playmates.

"Yeah. Jake and his brother Jay. You remember them?" asked Rei.

"Yeah. When did they get back here?"

"Just last week. I heard their dad wants to retire and is planning on putting up a business. Both their sons are now working so they've got nothing much to worry about finances."

Hanni is not sure about what she's feeling. A while ago she was thinking about Minji and now hearing Jake's name gave her the same feeling of what she's having before.

"Wait." Hanni remembered something. "Don't tell me they're joining us for lunch like how they do before?"

Rei smirked. "Yes. They are waiting for us downstairs. I came here because your mom asked me to drag you down."