What Happened to us?

---

Silent. The whole ride is. Hanni's thoughts were flying miles away, far from the present and far from the fact that they're almost at their so called house.

What's with that ring?  

If it's not hers, then why does she have it?  

If it's someone else's, why would they give it to her?  

And she said the only people who've been here are me, Dani, Haerin, and Hyein.  

It can't be Dani's or Haerin's—they're already engaged.  

And definitely not Hyein's, she told me she's not in a relationship yet.  

So whose is it...?  

The car remained silent after the past few minutes of released tension, but Hanni's thoughts were far from quiet. During the entire time the unspoken awkwardness filled the space between them, Hanni's eyes were fixed on her right—outside the tinted window, her thoughts fogging.  

She watched as people, buildings, and houses passed by, a reminder that she was approaching her new life. A life she had once known but had now forgotten.  

The car carefully stopped at the red light just as Hanni's eyes focused on a large blue structure—an aquarium. The one she had always wished to visit. She wondered if she had been there before or if Minji even knew it was one of her dream places to visit. Instinctively wanting to ask, her head snapped to her left but stopped midway—she hesitated, for the first time, to ask Minji about their past.  

Especially now, seeing how Minji didn’t bother to give her any attention, completely opposite of how attentive she had seemed before. So instead, Hanni turned her attention back to the aquarium. For the first time since meeting Minji, she preferred the awkward silence over talking.  

Afraid of receiving the same cold treatment.  

Instinctively, her right hand rose to graze the window, as if yearning to touch the dream. It didn’t go unnoticed by Minji, who flicked her eyes toward Hanni but chose to maintain the silence.  

Hanni's gaze then landed on her own ring, glowing under the sunlight streaming through the glass. It sparkled authentically as the natural light hit the polished diamond. Her mind began to wander again, returning to the lingering questions.  

If it's not hers... is it mine?

But why would she have it?

And why did she react that way?

No, it must be hers.

Or maybe one of her friends’.

Yeah, probably that...

But then again, why would she have it?

Also, from the look of it, it seems old.

Could that be the ring she wanted to give me back then?

Not that I'm assuming she already had one before.

But if she had already asked for permission for the marriage a year ago, there must have been a ring.

But then...

What about this ring I'm wearing?

Her attention was taken away as the sound of a huge gate opening echoed. A man in his 30s smiled at their car before he bowed, wearing a charcoal gray uniform. The suit appeared to be a dark, muted gray tone with a sleek and professional look. Hanni's brow furrowed, and she looked at Minji, but before she could even speak, Minji beat her to it.

"This is the suburban estate I mentioned to you before. The one Mom owns. And where we live," she said without looking, pushing the pedal to drive forward, entering the gate. Her voice sounded like her usual tone now—not cold or distant.

"Oh." That was all Hanni could say.

Hanni's eyes returned to the front, and she could see different houses lined with their own respective land. Some were fenced, some were open, some were big, while others were much bigger, and Hanni thought they somehow looked the same—plain and modernized. The road was deserted, with one or two people walking around—and one thing she noticed: the environment itself screamed exclusivity and expense.

She recalled Minji sharing her family background, which was quite too scary for her liking, to be honest. Her mother was a real estate agent, and according to Minji, her father gave the suburban estate to her as a birthday gift. Years after they divorced, her father didn't ask for it back, but he asked her to give Minji a place there to live.

But Minji had to prove herself—from what she shared—to her father by achieving valedictorian in college, which, in exchange, meant she'd receive the house and become the president of the company. Hanni thought it was crazy because you can't just hire a fresh graduate to handle a whole ass company, but Minji was far from scared. Instead, she was actually looking forward to it, and her father trained her well. In the end, it was all worth it.

"We're here." Minji's voice hung in the air. Hanni's mind swirled from all the thinking but immediately went blank when her eyes finally landed on their destination.

Stunned. Hanni was.

"This is... the house?" she whispered, unsure whether she should believe it or not. Her eyelids rapidly fluttered at the thought that she might be dreaming; what was in front of her was far from what she envisioned.

"Our house."

She was surprised—starstruck, even. It was not what she expected—not that she didn't like how it looked—because really, it was exactly how she wanted it to be. In her thoughts, she assumed it would be a huge, expensive, modern house—or maybe even a mansion. But this...

This was HER dream house.

What stood in front of her was a two-story house with a blend of architectural styles, incorporating elements of Craftsman and traditional designs. The exterior was primarily brick—a warm reddish-brown hue—accented with lighter gray or off-white siding. A steeply pitched, dark gray roof dominated the silhouette. The yard was surrounded by fences without a gate. On the right side was a carport with a covered vehicle beside the garage, and on the left side was a small garden with a shed for storage beside it.

"It looks so pretty..." Hanni mumbled to herself, to which Minji heard and agreed.

"Yeah, it is."

Without taking her eyes off the house, Hanni stated, "Honestly... I was expecting it to be extravagant or plain modern, like most of the houses we passed by."

Minji chuckled softly. "That would have been it if it weren't for you."

Hanni's brow furrowed. "Huh?" She now looked at Minji.

Even from Minji's side profile, Hanni noticed the small smile growing on her face. Minji's eyes remained on the house when she spoke. "Would you be surprised if I told you I don't have any dream house? As long as there's a roof, a bed, and anything that provides my survival needs, then it's enough."

There was a pause before Hanni looked at her incredulously. You couldn't blame her—it was her first time meeting someone who had no dream house. Wasn't it weird?

"Oh. How boring," she concluded.

Minji smirked in agreement before she laid her eyes on Hanni. "Maybe. Or maybe I was used to living in expensive-looking houses like what you thought it would be. I've been to five-star hotels, my parents' different houses, their vacation places, and so on. To the point that no house impressed me anymore. So really, it's just as long as I can sleep."

"So..." Hanni blinked, remembering that this girl was actually the daughter of a rich man. She continued, "You're saying..."

"I'm saying that this house is your dream house." Minji returned her gaze to the house and paused for a moment. She smiled sadly, her voice somber. "That became my dream house too..."

Her heart skipped a beat, and Hanni wasn't sure how to respond. So she chose to stare at Minji's side profile—one that didn't look guarded or stiff but... vulnerable. For the nth time, Hanni's chest felt heavy when reality hit her, especially when Minji's gaze returned to her.

"It's our dream house, Hanni..." Minji whispered—soft but enough to surround them both, enough for Hanni's heart to tighten even more.

No one moved. Their eyes remained locked on each other, tension building with the weight of the past and their uncertain future. Minji's eyes mirrored countless unspoken emotions—longing, hurt, and something else... There was something else behind those irises that Hanni couldn't distinguish, something that had always been there and something she had always noticed but couldn't put into words.

"You should head inside." Minji broke the stillness, averting her eyes back to the house. "The passcode is our anniversary, if you remember. Plus your birth month."

Hanni's mouth parted to speak, but Minji interrupted her. "12, 03, 17, 10. Can you memorize it?" she asked calmly, pressing the button to unlock the door for Hanni, who nodded.

Hanni swiftly left the car, watching as Minji drove to the garage, which automatically opened.

There was slight curiosity about how that happened, but her eagerness to enter the house moved her feet forward. She glanced to her left, briefly staring at the white wooden bench, then scanned the surroundings one last time before reaching for the smart door lock.

Pressing the numbers with slight amusement at how the world had become more high-tech and modern since she last remembered, a sudden sound indicated the door was unlocked, making her slightly flinch. She awkwardly laughed at herself.

Slowly, she opened the door and stepped inside the house.

---

Minji had fallen asleep after their whole tour. Hanni took a minute—or maybe more—before she could finally process everything. Minji told her to wake her up before lunch so she could cook for her, to which Hanni replied with a yes—too enthusiastic for her own liking, actually. Not that she was excited about the fact that Minji would cook for her—definitely not because of that—but because the house was so pretty that it made her giddy.

It was really the kind of dream house she wanted, maybe even better than she expected. When she entered the house, she was greeted by a warm entryway with a coat closet, custom-built shelves and hanging rods, and a built-in bench with storage drawers underneath, where you could sit and take off your shoes. Above the bench was a mirror and a row of hooks for hanging coats and hats.  

And she could go on about how efficient and perfect the house was. In front of the entryway was the living room, on the right side was the kitchen plus the dining room, beside it was a guest room, and on the left side was the workout area, where a full-length mirror was mounted on the wall, surrounded by various workout equipment. 

But what stood out to her most was how every space and wall was decorated with frames, pictures, and paintings. Frames of them, her family, her pets—whom she had forgotten and who had unfortunately passed away—their achievements, memories, and even photos with the whole gang (her circle of friends). The paintings, all done by the same artists—Danielle and Haerin—made her emotional, especially since every painting portrayed them all together. One that she truly adored was the huge painting hanging in the living room. It colored all of them wearing white clothes, facing the beach. On the bottom right corner of it was the reference picture and the artist's signature above their name.

Warmth spread through Hanni’s chest as she once again found herself in front of it, staring with sentimental and wistful feelings. She had been walking around, taking in every detail she could, hoping to reminisce about the past. It was no use, though—nothing was coming back. But that wasn’t what clouded her mind. It was how beautiful everything was—how homey it felt, how lively the house looked, and how welcoming it seemed, as if Hanni’s presence filled every side and corner of the walls. She had never felt so comfortable and welcomed like this before. It all felt so alien yet familiar at the same time.

No, her memories weren’t coming back, nor did she recognize anything, but she felt as if she truly belonged.

As if she is found.

Even with the contrast of how she felt when she first stepped inside the house—their house—she had felt lost. She thought she'd be standing in the middle of multiple huge white canvases for a long time. But Minji had decided to reach for her, bringing paints and brushes, coloring the blank canvas with memories of their past.

Minji had shared every detail she could, from the mugs to the paintings, the couch to the trophies, the pictures to the chairs, and the rugs to the plates.

No wonder Minji got tired and took a nap for a bit.

With a poignant smile, Hanni walked over to the couch and sat down with a relieved sigh. Tiredness filled her body after processing all the memories and energy she had spent earlier. Then, she recalled something. She took the phone out of her pocket—Minji's phone, which she had asked to borrow because she wanted to see pictures of them.

"Yeah. Just wake me up, okay?" She sleepily stated as she walked toward the stairs. When I called for her, she looked back.  

"Can I... borrow your phone?" I asked, feeling strangely nervous. It took her a few seconds of blinking nonchalantly before she walked back to me and swiftly handed me her phone. "The passcode is your birthday," she mumbled before turning away and heavily climbing the stairs.  

My birthday...

She unlocked the phone and was greeted by the dim screen, but it was bright enough to clearly see who was on the wallpaper. It was them—Minji was smiling widely as she lifted Hanni in a bridal carry. One of her own hands was on Minji's neck to support her weight, and the other was raised in the air as if showing off a ring on her hand. Which she actually was.  

Hanni squinted, staring at the photo intently before realizing that she was indeed wearing a ring on her ring finger. Although not very visible, the ring this time was gold.  

What's with this ring too?

Instinctively, she raised her right hand in front of her and stared closely at her ring finger. She noticed a faint indent—not very noticeable, but enough to suggest she had been wearing a ring for quite some time.  

Now, she had even more questions to ask.  

It's 11:16. I should wake her up at 11:30. 

She set aside her questions for now and opened the phone. Various apps filled the screen, but the background wallpaper caught her attention again. It was still them, still wearing the same clothes as in the lock screen. However, this time they were embracing each other, as if swaying in a slow dance. Her hands were resting on Minji's nape, while the latter's hands were on her waist. Her head was leaned against Minji's chest, as if listening to her heartbeat, while the taller gazed down at her with adoration.  

It was intimate, Hanni thought—intimate and sweet, romantic and genuine. She swallowed hard. She didn’t think she was capable of being this in love or being this physically and emotionally close to someone. Let alone being in a romantic relationship with a girl. She truly believed she would never be in a relationship, given her fears and the situation with her parents back then.

But if there was something she felt, it was anything but disgust.  

There was slight hesitation—a part of her still couldn’t believe she had been this intimate with a woman—but at the same time, she felt comfort. She could see it: the old Hanni felt so at home and content.

The old Hanni seemed so... happy.  

She snapped her eyes away from the screen and blinked rapidly, hoping to push away the growing chaos of emotions inside her. She felt confused, conflicted, and once again, lost.  

There was something inside her, fighting to surface—something she couldn’t understand.  

So, she put the phone down and stared at the ceiling instead, trying to make sense of it all. She might have accepted everything, but deep down, she still wanted to scream and break down, get angry and throw things. She still wanted to curse at the universe and the world. She might have been resilient and adapted well to this new life, but small voices in her head still asked why this had to happen to her.  

---

A strong smell filled Hanni’s nostrils, snapping her eyes open abruptly. She immediately sat up as realization hit her. She had fallen asleep!!! 

Shit! What time is it!? 

Panicking, she bolted up from the couch and hurried toward the source of the smell, expecting Minji to already be in the kitchen, cooking.  

Is she going to be mad at me?

She thought, and sure enough, Minji was in the kitchen, cooking.  

Oh well.

“H-hey, Minji. I’m sorry I fell asleep. I forgot to—”  

“It’s alright,” Minji said, turning to her with a small smile. She wasn’t wearing her denim shirt this time but a gray hoodie and an apron, her hair tied in a messy bun. She looked so different—probably because Hanni was used to seeing her in trendy outfits or professional uniform—the suit.  

By different, she meant Minji looked so…  

Soft. Huggable. Warm. And... cute?  

If it had been the old Hanni, she would have gone straight to Minji and hugged her from behind. Right?  

Hanni wondered.  

Minji turned her attention back to the stove before calmly saying, “Sit down and wait. It’s almost done.”  

Hanni followed, now slightly more awake, and brushed her disheveled hair. After few minutes of zoning out, Hanni heard a clicked from the kitchen, Minji had turned off the stove.

"You done looking at the pictures on my phone?" Minji asked, holding the served meal toward her.  

She placed it on the table before walking back to get plates and utensils.  

"Actually... no. I fell asleep when I was about to..." Hanni trailed off, distracted by Minji returning to the table and preparing their lunch.  

"I figured," Minji nodded as she sat down. "You can borrow it again if you want." She offered while scooping rice onto Hanni's plate. Hanni could only watch her move, somehow hypnotized by this kind of treatment.  

She was usually the one taking care of her sister and grandma. Sure, her grandma enjoyed doing things like this for them, but that was her grandma. This was Minji—a completely different story.  

"Eat well," Minji said with a smile before digging into her food.  

And maybe it was the sleepiness still lingering in her body, or maybe it was the sweet treatment from Minji, but Hanni's mouth moved before her mind could even protest.  

"I have a ring in your wallpaper."  

That made Minji pause. Her hand froze mid-motion, her gaze fixed on her plate.  

Silence hung between them before Minji finally responded in an indifferent tone, "It was a promise ring."  

Hanni kept staring, hoping she'd say more. But Minji didn’t. She simply continued eating, leaving it at that—as if Hanni wouldn’t ask more questions like she always did.  

Why won’t she just explain things properly instead of giving vague answers?

Hanni would be lying if she said she wasn’t annoyed by this.  

"Okay. When did you give that to me? And where is it now? Why don’t I have it?"  

Minji chewed her food slowly before finally meeting Hanni’s eyes. This time, her gaze was empty. It didn’t tell a thousand stories like it usually did. It was just… nothing.  

Her eyes weren’t mirroring her soul.  

"I gave it to you a year after we started living here together. And you lost it."  

And maybe that explained everything. Or did it?  

"I lost it!? No way! Why would I do that?!" Hanni exclaimed in disbelief, her food untouched, the conversation now holding her full attention.  

With a low chuckle and a shake of her head, Minji shrugged, her tone playful. "I don’t know, Pham. Someone told me she forgot where she left it."  

Hanni’s brows furrowed in disbelief. "No way I’d forget something like that! Did I really lose it?"  

Minji simply nodded, munching her food with a playful smirk—as if she was enjoying watching Hanni struggle to believe her own mistake.  

"And how did you react? Did we fight?"  

Minji swallowed her food and calmly shook her head. "No. I was angry, but I didn’t get mad at you. We talked about it. I was disappointed, you apologized, and that was it."  

She casually returned to eating, and Hanni just stared for a moment before sighing in acceptance. Eventually, she picked up her utensils and began to eat. She had ignored the food long enough that her stomach was starting to rumble. Yes, she was hungry, but her curiosity almost won over her appetite.  

As they ate, the only sounds in the room were the soft clinking of plates and spoons. It wasn’t awkward—it was comfortable.  

But Hanni couldn’t stop herself from asking the question lingering in her mind.  

"One more thing… when did I lose it?"  

Minji calmly drank her water and placed the glass back on the table. She looked straight into Hanni’s eyes—still empty—and spoke casually.  

"You lost it the day before your accident."  

----

End of chapter 7.