The Silent Canvas (Catnipz)

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Hanni didn't wait for Minji to respond, her tone becoming more contemplative as she continued, "Do you remember the night I moved away, Minji? The night everything changed?"

Minji's breath hitched slightly at the memory. It had been a night that was etched into her mind, one that still held a mixture of sadness and regret. Her heart clenched as the weight of that evening resurfaced, when Hanni had left and the distance between them had grown, leaving Minji to deal with everything on her own.

"I remember," Minji whispered, her voice barely audible as she stared at the floor, avoiding Hanni's gaze.

The memory surfaced as if it had been waiting, tucked away in the corner of Minji's mind, and now it flooded back with an intensity she had never quite managed to shake off.

Flashback

The air was thick with the tension of the upcoming farewell. Minji had been expecting this moment for days, but now that it was here, it felt surreal. The house was quiet, too quiet. Their parents had retreated into their own worlds, leaving the girls alone with the weight of the last few hours they had together.

Minji stood at the door, her hand resting on the handle, her eyes darting nervously toward the hallway, waiting. A knock echoed through the house, light but steady. Minji opened the door to find Hanni standing there, her face soft with uncertainty, her eyes swollen as though she had been holding back tears for too long.

"Hanni," Minji whispered, her voice cracking despite herself. She hadn't expected the sight of her friend to affect her so strongly, but here it was, the reality of the moment sinking in.

"I had to see you," Hanni said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. "Before I left."

Minji nodded slowly, stepping aside to let Hanni in. The silence between them felt heavier than anything Minji had ever known. Hanni crossed the threshold, her footsteps tentative as she glanced around the familiar living room. The place had always felt like home, but tonight, it felt like a stranger's house.

The two of them stood in the middle of the room, neither one knowing what to say first.

"I didn't think it would be this hard," Hanni finally spoke, her voice shaky, her hands wringing together. "Leaving. I thought I could just go, you know? But now that I'm here, it doesn't feel real. It's like I'm walking away from something I didn't want to leave behind."

Minji's heart clenched as she stepped closer to Hanni, her own emotions rising up in a tangled mess. She had known this was coming, had known that Hanni was leaving, but the reality of it, of losing her, had never quite hit until now.

"Do you... Do you really have to go?" Minji asked, her voice soft, almost pleading. She wanted to hold onto the comfort of their friendship, but the thought of losing it was too much to bear.

Hanni looked at her then, and for a moment, the world seemed to pause. The weight of everything that had gone unsaid between them hung in the air, unspoken but felt in every glance, every breath.

"I have to," Hanni whispered, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "But before I go... I need to tell you something. Something I've been keeping inside for a long time."

Minji's breath hitched, her pulse quickening. She knew what was coming, but she wasn't ready for it. Not now, not when everything was already falling apart.

"I... Minji, I think I've liked you for a long time," Hanni confessed, her voice trembling but steady. "More than just a friend. And I don't want to leave without telling you. I need you to know."

Minji felt the blood drain from her face, her world tilting as the words landed, heavy and unexpected. She opened her mouth to speak but found no words coming. The silence stretched between them, thick and suffocating.

"Hanni... I... I don't feel the same way," Minji finally whispered, the words tasting bitter on her tongue. Her heart shattered as she said them, knowing how much they would hurt Hanni, but it was the truth.

Hanni's face fell, the hurt flickering in her eyes before she quickly masked it with a weak smile. "I understand," she said softly, her voice cracking under the weight of her own emotions. "But I had to say it. I couldn't leave without telling you."

Minji stood there, helpless, her mind reeling. She wanted to say something more, something that would make everything better, but there was nothing left to say. Hanni had already made up her mind, and Minji's heart felt like it was being ripped out.

For a long moment, they stood in silence, neither one able to break the tension. Then, Hanni took a deep breath, her expression softening just slightly. "I guess this is it, then," she said, her voice trembling but steady. "I'll never forget you, Minji. Never."

The present moment snapped back into focus, and Minji's chest tightened as Hanni's question echoed in her mind.

"Why didn't you feel the same way?" Hanni asked softly, her eyes filled with a quiet sadness, the vulnerability she had shown years ago resurfacing. "I need to know, Minji. I never understood why."

Minji's throat went dry, her words failing her for a moment. The weight of the past and the pain of what had been left unsaid settled over her. She shifted uneasily, her gaze dropping to the floor, not wanting to look at Hanni's face, the question she had never dared to answer now hanging in the air like a heavy, unspoken truth.

"I..." Minji swallowed hard, her heart hammering in her chest. She had never fully answered that question, had never given Hanni a real explanation. And now, standing in front of her, she realized how much that silence had weighed on them both. "I don't know," Minji finally muttered, her voice quiet and thick with emotion.

She felt a lump form in her throat as the memories from that night, from the years since, all rushed back to her. The confusion, the fear, the reason she hadn't been able to return Hanni's feelings, it wasn't something she had fully understood herself at the time, and even now, she struggled to put it into words.

Minji's heart sank as Hanni's words hit her. She looked up at her, confused and yet somehow understanding the sting of truth in her words. Her voice came out in a soft, strained whisper.

"Why bring this up now, Hanni? It's been so long. Things are different now..."

Hanni's eyes glistened with emotion, but her voice remained steady, though heavy with the weight of unspoken feelings. "Because I still like you, Minji. I always have."

Minji's breath caught in her throat. She couldn't respond right away, her mind spinning in a haze of conflicting emotions. Hanni's confession, after so many years, felt surreal. She had never considered the possibility that Hanni still felt the same way.

"You were always too blind to see it, though," Hanni continued, her voice soft but carrying an edge of quiet bitterness. "You were always busy chasing someone who wasn't even looking back at you. Someone who was indifferent to you. And I stood by, silently, while you focused on someone who never cared the way I did."

Minji stood frozen, her heart pounding in her chest, as Hanni's words echoed in her mind. She watched as Hanni turned and walked down the hallway, her footsteps fading into the distance. The pain in Minji's chest felt suffocating, as if everything she had kept buried for so long was finally crashing to the surface.

She barely registered the fact that Haerin had left her locker. When she looked over, Haerin was nowhere to be found. The space where Haerin had stood just moments ago now felt empty, a stark contrast to the warmth Minji had once felt when they were together. The moment between them had been broken, and Minji was left to grapple with everything that had just unfolded.