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The van door slid open with a soft mechanical click, and warm air immediately rushed in.
The humid. Thick with the smell of saltwater and plants and something sweet Hanni couldn’t quite name.
Danielle was the first one to lean out.
“Oh my god,” she said, blinking against the sunlight. “Wait. This place is insane.”
Hanni followed her out, sneakers hitting the smooth stone driveway. The resort stretched out in front of them, quiet and green and far nicer than she’d expected. Palm trees swayed lazily above narrow stone paths, and tucked between the trees were a row of wooden villas, buildings with wide glass doors and private decks.
From where she stood, Hanni could already see a flash of blue water behind one of them.
“Those are pools,” Hyein said, pointing immediately.
Haerin squinted. “Private ones?”
“Private ones,” Danielle confirmed dramatically with a gasp admiring the place with awe while Haerin grabbed her suitcase for her and the others with Minji's help. “I’m never leaving.”
Staff members were unloading equipment nearby while their manager spoke quietly with someone at the front desk area. The girls had already started drifting down the path, peeking at everything like curious tourists.
Hanni adjusted the strap of her bag on her shoulder and stepped aside to let Minji pass.
Minji had two suitcases. One of them wasn’t hers.
“Why do you have Dani’s bag?” Hanni asked.
Minji glanced over her shoulder, like she’d just realized.
“Oh.” She shifted it a little higher in her grip. “She said it was too heavy.”
From somewhere behind them, Danielle yelled, “Because it is!”
Hanni laughed quietly. Minji didn’t complain about it. She just kept walking, like carrying everyone else’s stuff was normal. Hanni's lips tug into a frown, she usually carries her bags only.
Okay this was stupid.
They gathered near the entrance of the path while the manager finished talking with the staff member.
“Alright,” he said finally, clapping his hands once to get their attention. “There are Two villas reserved for you. one are right here—” he gestured to the first pair nestled close to the main walkway, “—and the last one is a little farther down.”
“How far?” Danielle asked immediately.
“Quite far,” he assured. “you might need a golf cart kind of far. But it is more private.”
That word didn’t seem to comfort anyone.
Hyein leaned closer to Haerin. “Private means scary.”
“It does not,” Minji said, amused.
The manager continued, unfazed. “Each villa has two beds and its own pool.”
Danielle gasped again like this was brand new information.
“Okay wait wait,” she said quickly. “But if it’s farther away then it’s darker, right?”
Haerin nodded very seriously.
“Yes. Exactly.”
“It’s literally ten extra steps,” Hanni said.
“Ten steps is a lot at night.”
“No it isn’t.”
“Yes it is!”
Minji watched the argument grow with a small smile tugging at her mouth, it was loud but it was comforting.
Eventually it turned into the predictable problem. No one wanted the last villa.
“Three of us can share,” Danielle offered quickly. “That’s fine.”
“Hey that's unfair, during the road trip you literally said you wanted more privacy.” Hanni pointed out, Minji standing with her arms crossed besides her.
“That’s unrelated.”
The manager looked mildly concerned. Minji sighed. “We’ll take it,” she said, nodding toward the path leading farther into the trees.
Everyone turned.
Hanni blinked.
“We?” Danielle repeated.
Minji shrugged, by we she meant Hanni
.
“I don’t care. I'll get goodnights sleep without you three bickering in my ear anyways”
"Alright grandma don't forget to take your meds" Hyein joked, Minji rolled her eyes as they all laughed at her.
Her gaze slid briefly toward Hanni.
Hanni hesitated for half a second before lifting her suitcase handle.
“Yeah,” she said lightly. “We’ll take it.”
“Brave,” Danielle said.
“Foolish,” Haerin added.
Minji scoffed at her members before making her way down the path.
“Cowards!” Hanni yelled out following her from behind. "The golf cart is right next to your villa if you need it" The manager yelled after them.
"got it!" Minji answered.
The others began giggling and goofing over sharing the same room, but Hanni barely heard them anymore. She was already following Minji down the stone path.
The farther they walked, the quieter it got.
The chatter from the others faded behind them, replaced by the rustling of leaves and the distant sound of water. Small lanterns lined the path, unlit for now in the afternoon sun.
Their villa appeared around the curve of the walkway.
It was smaller than the others but somehow nicer. Dark wood, wide windows, and a small deck stretching out from the sliding glass doors. Just beyond it, half hidden by greenery, was the pool Hanni had spotted earlier.
Up close, the water looked almost perfectly still.
Minji set the suitcases down near the door and stretched her shoulders.
“Not scary at all,” she said.
Hanni stepped onto the deck, peeking around the corner toward the pool.
“Okay,” she admitted. “This one might actually be better.”
Minji followed her gaze.
“Told you.”
For a moment neither of them moved. The air was warm, quiet. Somewhere nearby, something chirped softly in the trees.
Hanni pushed a strand of hair out of her face. Immediately, Minji reached out and fixed it properly.
Her fingers brushed lightly against Hanni’s temple as she tucked the strand neatly behind her ear.
“It's windy here huh,” Minji said adjusting her hat.
It was such a small thing.
She did it all the time. Fixed Dani’s bangs, brushed sand off Hyein’s jacket, adjusted Haerin’s collar without thinking.
Hanni knew that. Still, something in her chest shifted slightly as Minji pulled her hand back.
A strange, familiar feeling. She’d realized it a while ago. Slowly, piece by piece. Small things stacking up until the pattern became impossible to ignore.
The way Minji always reached for her first in crowded spaces, she noticed when Hanni was cold before Hanni said anything, her hand lingered just a second longer sometimes.
Hanni had figured it out eventually.
And then she’d decided, very firmly, not to do anything about it.
Some things were easier left alone.
Minji pushed the sliding door open.
“Come on,” she said, glancing back. “Let’s claim the good bed before the others change their minds.”
Hanni followed her inside but the quiet feeling in her chest didn’t leave.
It hadn’t for a while.
And she had a strange feeling this trip wasn’t going to help.
"Mhh we have a photoshoot tomorrow, let's settle in" Hanni threw herself onto the bed not too far from Minji's with a loud groan.
"Vacation sheets smells amazing" She said, her voice muffled into the bed.
"You're an idiot" Minji lets out a laugh from how carefree Hanni was being.
...
Today was weird..
Somehow Hanni catches Minji staring at her more often during their shoot.
you know those awkward moments where you're staring and someone is already staring at you so you lowkey just make eye contact for a minute.
The main pool was bigger than Hanni expected.
It curved around the center of the resort like a small lake, the water reflecting the soft golden lights strung between the palm trees.
Music drifted quietly from somewhere near the restaurant, and the air smelled like grilled food and the ocean.
They’d finished most of their filming for the day already and now they were finally allowed to sit down and eat.
Danielle had claimed a chair the second they arrived “I’m starving,” she announced, dragging a plate closer to herself. “This shoot was exhausting.”
“You took three naps,” Haerin said flatly.
“That was method acting.” Dani huffed out already reaching for the basket of fries.
“For what?”
Danielle paused, chewing thoughtfully.
“…Vacation vibes.”
Hyein snorted at the answer.
Hanni sat cross-legged in her chair, absently stirring the ice in her drink with her straw
"Isn’t the view was insane though" She joins the conversation.
Across the table, Minji nodded and was leaning back slightly, one arm hooked over the back of her chair, listening to Danielle complain with a small amused smile.
Hanni put her drink down and groaned.
"Alright lets eat, I'm starving...!" She complained picking up her fork and staring at the food filled table enthusiastically.
"Let's eat!" Hyein said, follows Hanni’s actions.
The warm lights made everything feel softer somehow.
The water behind them rippled quietly whenever someone jumped into the pool nearby.
It was calm, Hanni let the wind blow in her hair as she took a deep breath, chewing on her food.
Until Danielle suddenly pointed her fork across the table.
“Speaking of the shoot,” she said.
Minji narrowed her eyes immediately. “No.”
Danielle grinned wider. “Yes.”
Hanni glanced up. “What?”
Danielle nudged Haerin and leaned forward like she was about to share a secret. “Minji made a friend today.”
“Oh my god.” Minji groaned.
“A friend?” Hyein perked up instantly, her mouth half filled with the steak she ordered.
“What kind of friend?” Haerin lifted her head from where she’d been quietly eating.
Danielle wiggled her eyebrows dramatically. “The boy kind.”
“There was no boy.” Minji dropped her head back against the chair.
“There was,” Danielle insisted.
“He was literally following you around between takes.”
“He was not following me.”
“He asked you questions!”
“That’s because we were standing next to each other!”
Hyein leaned forward across the table.
“Wait wait wait,” she said excitedly. “Did you exchange numbers?”
Minji sat up immediately, her hands thrown up in protest “No!”
Danielle burst out laughing.
“She’s so defensive!”
Hanni found herself smiling despite herself. “What boy?” she asked.
It came out casual enough. Danielle turned to her eagerly.
“He was one of the crew guys helping with lighting,” she explained. “Tall, black shirt, hair like—” she gestured vaguely at the air above her head.
“That describes half the crew,” Minji said.
“No, the one who kept talking to you.”
“He talked to everyone.” She shook her head whilst taking a sip of her drink.
“He told you that you looked cool.”
“That’s not flirting.” Minji stared at her.
“That’s absolutely flirting.”
“He said you looked cool?” Hyein gasped quietly like this was the most interesting thing she’d heard all day.
“It was a normal compliment!”
Hanni sipped her drink, watching the conversation bounce around the table.
“Did he ask for your number?” Haerin asked calmly. Minji pointed at her accusingly.
“You’re supposed to be on my side, Haerin.”
“I’m gathering information.” She shrugged.
Danielle laughed again. “See? Suspicious.”
“There is nothing suspicious.” Minji dragged a hand down her face.
Hanni tilted her head slightly. “What was his name?”
Minji looked at her, The table went quiet and Hanni malfunctioned. She hadn’t meant to sound that interested.
Minji shrugged. “I don’t remember.”
Liar
“That’s a lie!” Danielle almost choked on her drink trying to answer.
“It’s not!”
“You literally called him by name when he handed you water!”
“I forgot.” Minji rubbed the back of her neck.
“You did not forget.”
Hyein leaned toward Hanni conspiratorially.
“I think she liked him.”
“I did not.”
Haerin nodded thoughtfully.
“Suspicious denial.”
Minji looked like she was about to flip the table.
“I spoke to him for five minutes.”
“Five romantic minutes,” Danielle corrected.
"Alright don't make me mad I'm about to crash out on every single one of you"
Hanni laughed with them but something strange tugged lightly in her chest.
“What did he look like?” she asked. Danielle immediately turned back to her.
“Oh! Tall.”
“That’s not helpful.” Hanni laughed out.
“Nice smile.”
“Still not helpful.” hanni was starting to wonder why she was so interested to find out. This wasn't any of her business. This was friends teasing eachother right?
“He had dimples,” Hyein added.
Minji stared at her.
“You talked to him too?”
“I observe.”
Hanni felt herself nod slowly, processing this information like it mattered more than it should.
Dimples, Tall, Nice smile.
Minji noticed.
“You’re asking a lot of questions,” she said. Hanni blinked.
“Oh.”
The others were still watching her. She shrugged, trying to sound normal.
“I’m just curious.”
Danielle leaned back in her chair, grinning. “See? Even Hanni wants to know.”
Minji didn’t laugh. She just looked at Hanni for a second longer than usual before glancing back down at her food.
“stop pissing me off,” she said jokingly.
The conversation moved on quickly after that.
Hyein started talking about dessert. Danielle argued about ordering three different things. Haerin was already scrolling through photos from earlier occasionally showing it to the group.
The noise returned to normal.
But Hanni’s mind stayed stuck somewhere else. Back at the beach earlier that day. The shoot had been chaotic.
staff moving equipment, cameras everywhere, wind blowing sand across the set.
She remembered glancing up between takes and seeing Minji standing near one of the lighting stands.
Talking and laughing while the guy had leaned down slightly when he spoke to her.
Minji gave a smile that only lasted a few seconds before the staff called everyone back.
Hanni had forgotten about it. Or at least she thought she had.
Now the image replayed in her head in quiet, uncomfortable detail.
She stirred the melting ice in her drink again. Across the table, Minji glanced up briefly.
Their eyes met. Hanni didn't realize how intensely she was staring at this poor girl.
Then Minji looked away.
And Hanni suddenly wasn’t as hungry anymore.
...