Chapter 1
Hanni was worried, and it was all Danielle's fault.
Minji was watching the movie they had picked out together, something she should have been doing as well, if it wasn't for the fact that all she could focus on were Danielle's words roaming through her brain.
It was during one of the too many coffee breaks the two usually had during their recording sessions that the younger Australian brought the subject up, asking if Minji was usually a jealous person.
"No, she usually isn't why?" Hanni had asked innocently, because Minji trusted her and she truly had nothing to be jealous about in the first place.
“Mmh, just wondering,” Danielle replied evasively, a coy smile plastered on her face, one she hadn’t seen in a while, and that fact alone should have been enough to deter the woman from further questioning. But Hanni took the bait, if it was a bait, at all. The weird question had piqued at her interest and she knew she would have wondered and wondered the reason her childhood friend had asked the question.
“What is it?” She asked, nudging at the younger’s shoulder.
“Nothing, it’s just...” Danielle lowered her voice and looked around. The cafeteria was empty. Danielle’s manager had left them alone, and everyone else in the building seemed busy doing actual work. “A few nights ago I discovered this thing about Haerin, and girl, let me tell you it was worth it.”
Hanni knew she was going to regret it. She knew by the way her friend’s cheeks were slightly tinted pink and the way her voice had dropped an octave or two.
“What thing?” She asked despite herself, maybe she was weaker than she had always thought, maybe just a few nudges here, a carelessly thrown hint there and she would follow any lead.
“I got Haerin jealous.” Danielle almost whispered.
“Haerin? Jealous?” Hanni asked, puzzled, because somehow the sentence sounded odd. Even after almost ten years of friendship, she had still only seen Haerin with two facial expression one of joy slash love when she looked at Danielle and the other of nothing when she regarded everyone else. And that was probably only a slight exaggeration of the younger’s attitude.
“It wasn’t on purpose at first, she had decided to stay behind to watch that photo shoot for the brand I’m an ambassador for, there was also Heesung oppa there, and you know Heesung, he’s a sweetheart, and a good friend, he would never do anything to make me uncomfortable, but anyway he was almost naked in that shoot. I think Haerin was fine at first, after so many years she knows that work is just work, even when I had to act with a male partner in a few of my music videos, but then we went for drinks and maybe I casually leaned one too many times on him, and I could just see her face change. Well, anyway, when we got home, she made sure to remind me who I belong to. Let me tell you.”
Hanni was speechless for a second, firstly at the amount of unnecessary details such a short story had contained, and secondly because why on earth was Danielle sharing that piece of information in the first place?
“What do you mean?” She asked despite her better judgement. Maybe the recollection had momentarily fried her brain and her mouth had acted on impulse before she could really vet what was coming out of it. The smirk Danielle made in response was enough to make her want to block her ears.
“What do you mean what do I mean?” She asked, still looking around furtively to make sure they were alone. “The se..”
“No!” Hanni stopped her before she could finish the sentence. “I don’t want to hear about what you and Haerin do or don’t do in your night private time.” She said, a violent blush taking over her features.
“Oh, girl, it wasn’t just night.” The other Australian replied, as she folded her arms over her chest, a proud and satisfied look on her face, while Hanni could only look at her in disbelief. What had happened to her young, innocent friend, who had once blushed so hard at the only mention of making out? “I’m telling you, making her a little jealous was really a twist I didn’t expect to see in her, but oof I am enjoying it.”
“I think we should get back to work.” Hanni said, stumbling to her feet, much to the younger’s amusement. “And I think I’m never having a coffee break with you ever again.”
“Wow,” Minji commented, it quickly draw Hanni’s attention back to the movie, realizing she had missed more than half of it, and had no clue what was happening at all, because the last time she properly looked at the screen the characters were in what looked like a flat, now they were in a spaceship, upside down.
“Yeah,” she said with an airy, half-assed chuckle, as her girlfriend turned to look at her with a raised eyebrow, the kind of look that told her that maybe Minji knew more than she let on.
“I mean, you were thinking so loudly I’m almost getting a headache just looking at you.” She added, the Australian threw a pillow at her face, because they’ve known each other for almost ten years, and have been together for seven, and Minji’s favorite pass time was still teasing her.
The Korean chuckled when the offending object missed her completely. She paused the movie and turned to face the smaller properly.
“What’s on your mind?” She asked. Hanni looked at her face for a moment, or maybe it could have been two. Time was always elusive when it came to the older. Her eyes roamed over features she knew by heart, every line, every dip and turn and crevice she had mapped with her gaze first, with her mouth later, during the years, traced with her fingertips during quiet moments, touched with her own skin during passionate ones. After all those years, that same face felt so familiar that she was sure she could find her in a heartbeat amongst thousands, and it would still be her favorite.
Hanni hesitated. For the first time in their relationship, she was considering not sharing fully what was on her mind, and, again, it was all Danielle’s fault.
“Just something Dani said today at work, it got me thinking.” She brushed off. She wasn’t lying, because she could never lie to Minji, first because she had never felt the need to, second because she was physically incapable of doing so.
There was no point in telling her. Minji didn’t have to suffer the same way she had during their coffee break. She probably wanted to know about their closest friend’s intimate life about as much as Hanni had wanted to, and then what could she even say? That it was stuck in her brain for what? Because she was curious, but then maybe Minji would feel pressured into doing the same thing and that would be pointless and counterproductive. So, no, it was best to withhold, which was very different from lying!
“Must have been something pretty interesting if you’ve been mulling over it the whole night.” Minji commented, still looking at her so openly and attentively.
Hanni smiled and motioned for the older to get closer. “No, it was just something silly,” She said, wrapping her arms around the Korean. “But I would much rather have you distracting me from this movie.” She added, burying her hands in the taller’s long, brown locks.
There was a tired smile on her lips, one filled with affection and love, even if there were dark bags under her eyes. Minji leaned closer and laid a gentle kiss on the corner of her mouth, just a peck, and then another on her cheek. She kept going until she reached her jaw, and then lower, at the base of her neck, nuzzling her nose on the soft skin near her pulse point. She placed more small kisses on the column of her throat, quiet and open-mouthed, unhurried and calm, exactly the opposite of the images Danielle’s words filled her mind with.
Hanni shook her head imperceptibly, hoping to get rid of those thoughts along with the motion. She felt bad, for even considering the thought of making Minji feel jealous the same way her friend suggested. Minji, who was kind and good, and showed just how much she cared for her every day. She didn’t care. She decided. Let Danielle and Haerin have all the passionate and tiring love they wanted. She was more than content with small kisses and slow loving filled with a more tamed kind of passion. Minji was enough the way she was, more than so, and had never once left her unsatisfied.
She pushed those thoughts out of her mind once again, with a last reminder to make Danielle pay for the doubts she had instilled in her and focused back on the wonderful woman laying on top of her. She smiled sweetly at her girlfriend and brought her head back down to capture her lips. The kiss was awkward since her smile was uncontainable.
“You okay?” Minji asked with a small chuckle.
“I love you.” Hanni replied easily, because it was true.
Minji smiled back and pushed their noses together in a simple touch that always made her heart melt. “I love you too.” She replied, before resting her head on her chest, as Hanni scratched the back of her neck in a soothing and relaxing massage, just the way the older liked.
That night they fell asleep on the couch, and later on, when Minji woke up with a sore neck, she carried the smaller one to bed as she had countless of times before.