You hurt me (but that's okay) | Bbangsaz

Chapter 13

Minji and Hanni sat in awkward silence in Hanni's living room the following afternoon. She'd offered Minji coffee, and had run through the monologue she planned in her head the entire time she was making it. She knew she just needed to suck it up and say it; quick and painless, like ripping off a bandaid. But it wasn't going to be quick and painless, she knew. It was going to be messy.

"That's an interesting necklace," Minji said, finally. The crystal pendant had caught her eye earlier, and she was quite sure the glean wasn't coming from reflected light, but rather from inside the crystal itself.

"Oh," Hanni said, instinctively putting her hand over the pendant, as she often did. "Haerin gave it to me."

"It's enchanted?"

"Yeah. It helps with my morning sickness," Hanni explained, opting to leave out just how.

"Well, you do look healthier lately," Minji remarked. "I had just assumed that was a result of Hyein in your life."

Hanni cringed. "Minji, look… there's nothing going on between me and Hyein," Hanni said, though she wasn't sure why she felt the need to assure Minji of that. It wasn't like they were a couple, and it wasn't like Minji wasn't engaged to someone else. And Hanni knew there really was nothing Minji could say if she were in a relationship. "She's just my friend."

Minji nodded, even if she looked less than convinced. For her part, she wasn't even sure why the thought of Hanni with Hyein was getting to her, but it was. "Speaking of Hyein," Minji said, deciding perhaps it was best to change the trajectory of the conversation, "Haerin told me about Danielle Marsh. She told me that she told you, too."

"Yeah," Hanni said, nodding. Haerin had forgotten to mention that she'd told Minji, but she guessed she should be grateful, since at least now she wouldn't have to explain the concept of a magical pregnancy to her.

"Magical pregnancy," Minji said, sighing. "I had no idea such a thing existed."

"Apparently it's rare. True love and all that."

Minji snorted. "Yes, true love. Some true love - she didn't even tell her."

Hanni felt her defenses going up almost instantly. "Well, I mean, Danielle Marsh already had a family. It would have torn them apart."

"Yes, so Haerin said. But still… how could she keep that to herself? Family or not, Danielle had a right to know."

Hanni swallowed hard. "I don't think it's fair to judge if you've never been in her situation,"

Hanni pointed out.

"The situation is irrelevant," Minji said, dismissively. "I know it was impossible for you to tell Max, but this would have been like not telling Sunghoon when you had the chance."

"I don't think that's a great comparison," Hanni said, quietly.

"No, I suppose it's not. I'm sorry, Hanni, I shouldn't have brought him up."

"It's fine," Hanni said, with a shrug. "Doesn't matter. I didn't invite you over to talk about me, anyway."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, I uh… well, we haven't talked in a long time, and I just wanted to know how you are?"

"Busy," Minji offered, as an attempt to excuse the real reason she hadn't called Hanni since the morning that Hyein had answered her door for her. "Three kids and wedding plans, you know."

"Yeah. How's that going, by the way? The wedding planning?" Hanni asked, grateful that Minji had offered her the perfect segue.

"It's, um… Hyun-Ji wants to get married this summer, but I want to hold off until the fall, and it's causing some friction."