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

Chapter 11

By the time Minji had Jun settled again, fed and asleep in her bassinette, and had gone off to look at the art creation Jae had made in the craft room, it had been nearly an hour since Hanni had left. She felt guilty that she'd invited her over to talk only to have the conversation completely break down, but at least she'd opened up the lines of communication.

She hoped that was a start, at least.

She sighed as she looked at the wedding magazines open on her coffee table, wondering if perhaps she should have put those away. She knew she should have, especially considering Sunghoon had just left Hanni alone and pregnant, but it had completely slipped her mind to do so.

A lot of things were slipping her mind these days, she realized, as she started to pick up the magazines, stacking them neatly on top of each other. Going from a home with just herself and her son, to a house full of people - including two little ones who constantly needed her attention - was a difficult transition.

But this was what she wanted, wasn't it?

This was what she should have had all along, if she'd just worked up the nerve to enter that tavern in the first place, all those years ago. It was hectic now, but there was lost time to make up for, and she was sure everything would settle into place eventually, and she would start to feel like she belonged in this life.

Maybe she'd even stop wondering if she was making a huge mistake.

Minji was too lost in her thoughts to hear Rex enter the house, until he was standing in front of her in the living room.

"Rex! Oh, you surprised me," Minji said, the look of shock on her face quickly dissolving into a warm smile for her son.

"You knew I was coming home today," Rex reminded her.

"Yes, I know, I just lost track of time, I suppose. How's your mother?"

"What do you mean?" Rex asked, furrowing his brow in confusion at the question.

"Oh, I had just assumed that you'd gone back to Hanni's house before coming here," Minji said, with a shrug, as she dropped the stack of magazines onto the coffee table again. She'd find a permanent home for them later, she supposed.

"I did," Rex said, the confused look not leaving his face.

"Hanni went home because she was tired," Minji explained.

"Uh, no," Rex said, shaking his head. "She's at Haerin's."

"Oh," Minji bristled. At Haerin's. She should have guessed. "I had just assumed she went home."

Rex shrugged. "She texted and said she was hanging out there for a bit, unless I wanted her to come home. I said I was headed here anyway, so she didn't need to."

"I see," Minji said, with a brisk nod. "Well, I'm going to go start on supper, so it's ready when Hyun-Ji gets home."

Rex headed up to his room as Minji made her way into the kitchen, and uneasy feeling rising in her gut. Had Hanni really left her house to run back over to Haerin's? Leaving because she was tired made sense, but now Minji had to wonder if she'd made her uncomfortable.

Or if Hanni was just done with her all together.

She guessed she couldn't blame her if she was. She hadn't exactly been the kindest person to her in the past two months, since Thanksgiving. And, of course, Hanni saw right through her intentions today. She should have known Hanni wouldn't want her sympathy for her current situation. She hated being pitied, too.

Minji tried to push thoughts of Hanni from her mind as she got started on dinner, just as she did every night. It had been easy when she only cooked for herself and Rex, but cooking for four was a challenge, since Hyun-Ji was an extremely picky eater, which meant she had to prepare a separate meal for him, and tend to the baby at the same time.