Chapter 4
When Hanni got home, she was tired, but not to the point of retiring immediately. The foyer was dark, but the songwriter was too lazy to turn on the light as she toed off her shoes and hang her jacket neatly at the entrance.
“Minji-ah,” she called, because she was sure the older had come home hours earlier. The house smelled nice; there was a faint scent of cooked food lingering in the air that she couldn’t quite decipher. “Baby?” She called again, when she couldn’t hear a response. Actually, she couldn’t hear anything at all.
“In here,” came the belated answer, making her sigh in relief, and follow the sound dutifully.
She found her girlfriend in the bathroom, emerging from a cloud of vapor, a testament of just how hot of a shower she had taken.
“Hi,” Hanni beamed at the sight of the Korean wrapped in just a towel, the uncovered skin of her shoulders damp with many tiny droplets of water, and goosebumps arising at the difference of temperatures. The producer didn’t waste a second before getting closer, not asking for permission, neither minding that she would inevitably get wet. She wrapped her arms around the taller woman’s shoulders to plant a gentle kiss on her lips.
“Hi,” Minji replied, a hint of a smitten smile on her lips, while her own hands came to rest on the younger’s hips. “Everything ok?” She asked, inspecting her features, hesitating only briefly on her lips, before locking their eyes together, as if she was trying to read her mind by just looking in her orbs. Hanni was almost inclined to believe she could do just that, with how well the older knew her.
“Yes,” she said simply, because there truly was nothing she could complain about. She had a job she loved, she got to work day in and day out with her best friend and other amazing artists, and she had a wonderful, caring, loving girlfriend. What more could she want?
If there was a thing she knew, though, was that human nature called for greed, and although she had always thought of herself as better than that and untainted by such lowly needs, she was proven wrong more times than she could count only just recently, and it was all, undoubtedly, Danielle’s fault.
Her thoughts were interrupted when Minji nosed gently at her cheek. The contact made her shiver, because her cheek was cold, while Minji’s nose was warm and soft. It made her heart leap and twist, in a way she had thought she would grow accustomed to over the years, but never truly did.
“Your mind seems busy tonight.” The Korean offered, placing a gentle kiss on her temple, as if the sweet gesture could take away her worries. To be fair, it usually could. Whenever Hanni had a problem in the past, talking over with the older and getting cuddled by her was always the safest and quickest way to make her feel better, but that particular time, it only made her feel worst.
There was a mixture of longing seeping and settling deep in her bones, the want and lust to be marked and kissed until she couldn’t breathe, until her lungs ached with the need for oxygen. She wished Minji would kiss her until her lips were red and pulsing, making sure she remembered until the end of the week, every time she washed her face or ate something just how it felt to be wanted with so much passion. Hanni also felt bad and guilty for having such thoughts when the person in front of her always treated her with kindness, respect and love, and yet she wanted more. She wasn’t satisfied. Though she was.
It was all very confusing, even for her.
Hanni sighed, deeply, wishing to expel every impure thought along with the air leaving her lungs. She rested her forehead against Minji’s collarbone, feeling how soft her skin was. She smelled nice, like the body lotion she had gifted her for her birthday, like Minji usually smelled.
“Lots of work today,” she lied, feeling all the more guilty for doing so. “Have you eaten?” She asked to change the subject, while leaving small kisses against the ample patch of skin available. It made Minji chuckle and hold her tighter against her.
“Yes,” she replied, voice hoarse. “There are left-overs in the fridge. If you wait for me to get changed, I’ll come to the kitchen to keep you company.”
“Can’t I just watch you get dressed?” Hanni asked, cutely pouting.
Minji scoffed. “Sure you can, you creep.” She teased, but didn’t complain when the younger remained by her side through her whole routine.
When Minji was changed into her pajamas, they moved to the kitchen. They talked about their days as Hanni ate some of the leftovers from Minji’s dinner, mind still busy with thoughts she wished she could get rid of. She knew Minji noticed, but she was grateful the older didn’t press the matter further.
As soon as she was finished, they settled on the couch to watch an episode of a show they had started months before, Hanni really tried her best to pay attention to the plot, but the woman sitting next to her was just so distracting, with the way she kept grazing at her. First, it was her arm, draped over her shoulders, then it was her hand, playing with the ends of her hair mindlessly, while her eyes were still focused on the television.
Hanni had been convinced that after seven years, small gestures like those weren’t going to affect her as much anymore, that her body would eventually build some kind of tolerance to the way every touch the older imprinted on her immediately took her attention.
She tried to focus back on the dialogue, because it sounded important, like something that shouldn’t be missed, when her phone lit up with a notification. She went to check it immediately, without giving much thought. It was probably Danielle sending her a funny meme, anyway.
The Australian couldn’t help the small gasp that left her mouth when she opened the message.
“What’s wrong?” Minji asked, turning to look at her.
It took Hanni a moment to be able to form coherent words.
“Colin sent me a DM.” She said flatly, not knowing exactly what to think about the sudden message.
“Colin?” Minji asked, as a frown took over her features. “Like Colin from high school? The dude you had a crush on and was dating that bitch Debbie?” Minji asked. Hanni didn’t know any other Colin’s, but it was just to make sure.
“Precisely him.” The Australian replied as she screenshotted the conversation and quickly sent a message to Danielle to share the news.
“What does he want?” Minji asked. “Like, did he just said hi?”
Hanni was about to turn to properly look at her girlfriend when a few messages in quick succession appeared on her screen. They were all from her best friend, accompanied by a lot of punctuation marks and emojis. Danielle certainly took the news in stride.
22.12 This is your occasion, bro.
22.13 Use it to make Minji unnie jealous!!!!
Were the last two of the ten messages she had received, and Hanni stilled for a moment to ponder, going back to the conversation with Colin.
She turned to look at Minji, her eyebrows were deeply furrowed in the middle of her forehead, but she didn’t look mad, she just looked honestly confused.
“He says he’s coming to Seoul next week. He wants to meet.” She replied with a shrug.