It turns out to be work hours disguised as party hours; they walk through the carpet smiling for pictures and doing interviews. Hanni carries the conversation most of the time, and often, Minji's job is to just look on and seem absolutely smitten for the cameras, a hand casual on the small of Hanni's back.
The fact is, Minji doesn't even have to try, at all - it comes to them so easily, and at one point an interviewer even has to call them out on it: "You are so into each other," says the interviewer, teasing slightly, and Minji hopes her nervous laugh merely comes off as a piece of intelligent acting.
They sit side-by-side at dinner - actors from the same shows have to share the same table, and perhaps it is Hyein's way of ensuring that, had they not arrived together, they would definitely be seen together, at one point or another. Hanni takes a ton of photos at the table with their other co-stars - she's an absolute darling, and really, how is it at all possible to not be charmed?
Not possible, Minji thinks, watching Hanni just go.
*
It is by no means an exclusive, network-only event; Hyein likes inviting her other friends, too - media and advertisers, the whole lot of them, and so this is how Minji comes across Jiwon for the first time. Hanni disappears for what feels like a moment too long, and when Minji goes around the party to come looking, she finds Hanni at the advertisers table, laughing.
"Oh, speak of the devil," says Hanni, turning to her, bottle of wine in her hand. "Look Minji - they've got better wine at the sponsors' table."
"Hanni," says Minji, throat tight. She's all-too-conscious now about all these strangers looking at her and smiling.
"So you're the one," comes a voice from the table, as woman stands and extends a hand. "Kim Minji."
Minji receives the hand graciously, if a bit confusedly. What was Hanni doing at the CEO's table, anyway? "Pleased to meet you sir," she says, surveying the table carefully before rounding back to Hanni -- now talking with Jiwon.
Minji tries not to look so surprised when Hanni turns to her to introduce him. "You know Jiwon?"
Damn right, I do. "I believe we haven't met," she says instead, smiling sweetly at him. "Hello."
When Jiwon smiles back, Minji feels herself somewhat warming to him. Is this what he does? "Finally, Ms. Kim," he says. "Hanni can't stop talking about you."
"Stop flustering the girl, Jiwon," says Hanni, smiling in kind. "She just got here."
Talk is easy and pleasant and Minji is surprised to be at ease so quickly. Jiwon is soft-spoken and attentive, and when Minji speaks he actually turns his head to listen, eye on Minji's. It is quiet and unnerving, but only because she can tell this isn't the wine, at all.
Fine, so Jiwon is a magnificent piece of a man, he's practically business royalty, and he's known Hanni since they were children, because Hanni's father and Jiwon' father were once schoolboys together.
Minji doesn't quite know what to do with this information.
Somewhere in the middle of the conversation, Minji excuses herself to answer her ringing phone. As soon as Danielle's name flashes on her screen, Minji mumbles an apology and steps away from the table, already halfway into a hello.
"Look who's hitting it with the bigwigs tonight," comes Danielle's voice, her voice teasing.
"Where are you?"
"Across the hall, behind one of the camera set-ups-"
Minji looks around, squinting in the dark. She finds Danielle leaning against a column in the middle of the ballroom, just in the shadow of bulky cameras. "Lift your hand Dani, I can't see you," she says, just to be difficult.
"Bullshit," says Danielle. "I see you looking."
Minji laughs. "Fine," she says. "You called?"
"Just to be annoying," Danielle admits, and it only makes Minji laugh harder. "I see you're enjoying yourself at the enemy's camp."
"There is no enemy."
"Isn't that Hanni's sort-of boyfriend?"
"Danielle."
"What?"
"Louder, because certainly no one is listening."
"Sorry," says Danielle, though the way she giggles at the end of it is totally not contrite. And then: "Too busy chaperoning Hanni to actually bump into me tonight?"
"What? No, who's-I'm not chaperoning Hanni."
"Then come have a drink with us?"
Minji fiddles absently with her necklace. Well, she does feel like having one. Or maybe two. When she looks back at the table, Hanni has her back turned to the rest of the ballroom, and she's laughing hard at something Jiwon may have said.
Minji tries to ignore that sharp stabby feeling again, deep in her gut. "Fine," she forces herself to say instead, and at the other end Danielle lets out a quick laugh.
"Bar in three," Danielle just says. "See you?"
*
Two drinks become four, and eventually, six. During the first two rounds, it is only the two of them shooting the breeze, but it doesn't take too long before Danielle's co-stars HHeesoon and Heesoo find them.
Well. If this isn't turning out to be an interesting night.
Minji's never been in a show with them before, but it's not like she's blind - these two together are molten, and she makes a somewhat drunken mental note to review where Danielle's show is at, because the way Heesoo is pressed up against Danielle at times is confusing.
"So-" Minji slurs, leaning against the bar and gesturing at Danielle and Heesoo with her glass-holding hand. "The two of you are like-in competition for this girl's affection?" Haerin laughs at the way Minji emphasizes this girl, like she were completely incredulous.
Heesoo laughs. "And I'm completely aware you're there, babe," she coos. "I'm just saying-I'm asking the writers to write my character with Danielle's, is all."
"Like they would do that," says Danielle, her loud laugh coming out more like a bark. "I'm perfectly content with my character being with Haerin." Danielle runs her hand down Haerin's bare arm before nudging Minji's. "Right, Minji?"
Oh. Minji blinks, for a moment there simply entranced with the scene unfolding in front of her. "What?"
"Oh, tell me about it," says Heesoo, sighing melodramatically. "The things I would do to kiss Hanni Pham."
"Heesoo," Danielle chastises, but the grin on her face is wide and lazy. "Don't-Minji is right there."
"Oh. Sorry." Heesoo covers her lips with her hand. "Oops. Do we have a jealous type right here?" Minji sees the drunk blush on Heesoo's face as the lights swerve past her.
"I mean - it's Hanni," Danielle chimes in, and fuck, everyone on the bar is so drunk right now.
"Danielle," says Minji, warning in her tone. She is suddenly sober, her eyesight righting itself. She scans the bar one more time - there's Haerin with her dress askew, grinning over the rim of her glass, at the far end; and there's Danielle and Heesoo, looking every bit like some sort of mayhem twins, shoulders pushed against each other's, laughing and whispering in their dresses.
Fucking hell, how did I even get here?
"Dani-unnie," Haerin speaks up, draining her glass and walking closer as she takes out her phone from her purse. "We should take a picture."
"A picture?" Danielle drawls.
"A picture!" Heesoo repeats, her enthusiasm laced with alcohol, and fuck, here Danielle is now, hooking an arm around Minji's neck in kind and pulling her closer, as Haerin slides in beside Heesoo before taking the damn thing.
@kittykang: Bar with the girls @danielle @banheesoo @minjibear pic.twitter.com/tS8NwjK5yS Happy birthday @hyein_hyeout!
@banheesoo: @kittykang @danielle @minjibear kisses x
*
When it is time for Hyein's customary final toast, everyone goes back to their tables, and that's when Minji sees Hanni again that night. She's smiling until she meets Minji's eyes, after which she schools the expression on her face to a more muted one, like she doesn't want Minji to see that particular smile.
It nags at Minji briefly, but then Hyein starts speaking, so Minji turns her mind to that instead.
Later, when Hyein has already thanked everyone and the ballroom has already erupted into applause, Minji turns to Hanni and thinks of something to say. "Hanni?"
"Hmm?"
"Good party?"
Hanni nods. She still has her eyes to the stage, her face illuminated by the lights. Minji tries not to let her breath get caught in her throat.
"Any after parties?" Minji asks again, when Hanni says nothing.
Hanni shrugs. "Maybe. I think there's going to be an afterparty at one at their rooftops. I think."
"So you're going with Jiwon then." It comes out clipped and harsh and Minji does not mean it that way, not at all. Shit.
"How about your after-party?" Hanni asks back instead, still not looking at her. "With Danielle and her show crew?"
"Hanni--"
There's a louder round of applause - when Minji turns her head back to the stage, Jooeun is climbing up to the podium, half-filled wine glass still in hand, and there is hooting among the crowd sitting in front as they goad Hyein's best friend into doing a speech.
Great, Minji thinks. Even more speeches from semi-drunk producers. Minji tries to focus on Jooeun, only to be interrupted by the sound of Hanni getting up and gathering her things.
"Where are you going?"
"Home."
"What?" Minji rises from her seat and shuffles after Hanni, tripping upon the hem of her dress slightly in her rush. "What about the the after-party?"
"I'll just call Jiwon when I get home," Hanni says, and Minji's mind fills with, What is going on? She tries to keep up with Hanni as they step out into the hall, their heels echoing. "What are you doing?" Hanni asks, casting Minji a brief look over her shoulder as she hears another set of heels clacking against the floor behind her.
"You're my date," says Minji, and it doesn't even occur to her that this isn't something she's supposed to say so off-handedly - not here, not to Hanni, and especially, not with as much alcohol already in her system.
Fuck it, Minji tells herself. This is the perfect time for everything.
"Your date," Hanni repeats, though Minji notes the slight amusement in her tone. And then, seeing that Minji isn't going anywhere: "So. You taking me home then?"
Minji's throat goes dry. Fuck. Now whose brilliant idea was this again? Minji shifts from one leg to the next, eyes on the floor."If no one's offered-I mean, you were getting cozy with Jiwon"
Shit. Minji bites down on her tongue the moment it's out. Way to go, Minji. That was truly the most innovative thing to say. Couldn't we have ended with--
"Are you jealous of Jiwon?" Hanni asks, her head tilted like she's just come across something mind-blowing. Fuck. "Because as you know -- Jiwon is a friend."
"A friend you're dating," says Minji. There, I said it.
"A friend I'm no longer dating."
Wait, what? Minji blinks. Did Hanni just say-"Wait, what?"
Hanni sighs, sitting unglamorously upon a carpeted stair step, her dress in disarray beneath her. "We're better off as friends. It's the schedule."
Of course. All of this is just the schedule, isn't it? Minji stares at the hem of Hanni's dress and tries to resist the urge to rearrange it."I see," she says instead.
"No, you don't."
Yes, I do, Minji wants to say, looking for a safer space to rest her eyes - somewhere that isn't on Hanni's dress, or her hands, or her bare shoulders, or-- "What do you want me to say, Hanni?"
"What about Danielle?"
Minji blinks. Truly, this night. "What about Danielle? Danielle is a friend."
"A friend you're dating?"
"Excuse me?" For a moment Minji is stunned by the question. "Where did that come from? We are not-I mean. Danielle?" Minji furrows her brow, now thoroughly confused. Why even would Hanni think that? "Danielle and I are friends."
"Friends. Who on occasion cook for each other?"
Oh. Of fucking course that would be a big deal. Minji shrugs. "She cooks, I just eat. She's an old friend. Why does this even matter?"
"Because I thought we could be two people who told each other things," Hanni says quietly. "I told you about Jiwon, like, three weeks in."
But Danielle is not Jiwon, Minji almost says. "I'm sorry," she offers instead. "I didn't think-there's nothing of the sort to say about Danielle."
"Really?"
"Really," Minji says firmly. "It's not-it's not a big deal, okay?"
Hanni sighs, gathering her dress and wrapping them around her legs tighter, like she's making room for Minji on the steps. Minji takes a moment before sitting carefully, leaving a few inches between them. Hanni keeps her eyes on Minji's knee.
"Sorry," says Hanni finally. "I wasn't-I didn't mean to push."
Minji balls her hands into fists, nails digging into palms. She notes the sharp ache present there, almost tearing at the skin; she bites down on the tip of her tongue as well, hard enough like she wants to draw blood. She's shaking; this much she knows. Her chest is even pounding, but then again that isn't the worst of it.
The worst part is that there's that tingling sensation on her lips again, and she knows what exactly that is about.
(Maybe I should toss a coin, Minji thinks. Heads, I kiss her. Tails, I kiss her. And then, catching that thought: God damn it.)
"You're shaking," Hanni notes, after a while.
"That's what happens when I'm full of bad ideas," Minji just says, and Hanni grins at her like she wants to be in on the mischief.
"Such as?" asks Hanni. Minji tries to ignore the playful lilt Hanni uses on her and tries a smile instead - a small one, a shaky one. Hanni moves in closer to put a hand on Minji's knee, and Minji could only do so much to keep herself from freezing at the touch. "You're not telling? Unfair."
"What if they're absolutely horrible ideas?"
"Tell me anyway."
What if it sounds like, I'm actually so drunk right now I could almost kiss you? Minji holds her breath, counting down from ten; her hands are clammy, her lips feel like they're burning with want and fuck. Everything about Hanni is in slow motion, and Minji feels her chest get heavy.
And then, after what seems to be forever, Hanni says again: "Tell me anyway."
Make up something. Anything. Minji's chest thrums with a sort of panic, because when she looks at Hanni, Hanni's face is so open and hopeful and it really doesn't help, not at all, because now more than anything Minji really wants to kiss her.
Instead Minji finds herself saying: "You want to get out of here?" and god, she is so horrible at this.