𝗫𝗢 𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗔 | xᴏ ᴋɪᴛᴛʏ ᴍɪɴʜᴏ

𝟏𝟖

It was the strong smell of spices and fresh ingredients that got Hana out of bed the following morning. She had woken up to a spacious bed whilst cuddling a pillow. She guessed Kitty had put it there after getting up. Rubbing her eyes tiredly she left the room in search of what was making her stomach rumble.

What she found was a kitchen piled with food and two people occupied with chopping. Minho was the first to notice her and he almost awed at how adorable she looked all groggy. She resembled a lost puppy.

"Morning." She yawned, "what time is it?" She asked going to sit by the counter in front of them.

"It's 8." Kitty replied.

She still had a couple hours

"Hm. Right. I said I'd help. Let me brush my teeth I'll be right back." Hana said, going to grab her tooth brush to do just that.

When she got back to the kitchen Minho seemed to be tasting something Kitty had whipped up.

"So what can I do?" Hana asked.

"Uhm.. you could chop these veggies for me." Kitty replied, distracted by her phone.

Hana grabbed the vegetable and chopping board and began her task. Chopping vegetables was probably the best task for her — she wasn't a very good cook to begin with. Taking on the responsibility to season something a whole group would be eating could most definitely end badly.

I she somewhat took her time to get perfect slices. But in between a chop and a blink the knife slipped and sliced a deep cut into her finger. She hissed in pain and dropped the knife clutching her hand. Minho and Kitty eyes snapped towards her and her hand and Minho's first instinct was to cradle her hand. Blood was literally pooling out — it almost made her dizzy.

"Do you have to be so clumsy." He muttered in annoyance when in reality, he was quite concerned.

Hana tried to pull her hand away but he proceeded to drag her towards the bathroom.

"I can handle this." She said.

"I can treat it for you. Come on." He insisted.

"Minho. I said I can do it myself. I'll just put a plaster on it, it'll be fine."

"Can you not be stubborn for one second." He scoffed.

"With how rude your being I think I at least deserve to be a little stubborn." Hana retorted.

"Well I don't think you deserve anything to begin with."

"W-what?"

Hana's eyes widened in shock as Minho's harsh words stung her like a slap in the face. The anger that had simmered just below the surface all this time suddenly boiled over, and she jerked her hand away from him.

Minho eyes widen when his words sunk in. That was way to harsh of him. He just blurted it out without even thinking

The blood continued to pour from the wound, but Hana was too shaken to care. She glared at him, her eyes dark with a mix of surprise and hurt.

"I don't need your help," She snapped, her voice shaking.

She could feel Minho's eyes on her as she turned and stumbled towards the bathroom sink, clutching her bleeding finger. She felt her face growing hot with embarrassment and anger. Just one moment of distraction had led to this. She didn't need him telling her she was clumsy and didn't deserve anything. Him telling her she's helpless is more than enough.

Back in the kitchen Kitty scolded Minho and demanded he go apologise. He did feel guilty, but his pride was getting in the way to apologise so he ignored her continuing with his task. Although his eyes kept drifting over to the bathroom door.

Hana's hands trembled as she grabbed a cloth and pressed it against the cut, wincing as the fabric stuck to the blood. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, trying to steady herself. How'd she manage to cut so deep? Her mother was bound to complain once she saw the gash.When she opened her eyes again, Kitty was standing by the door, a look of concern on her face.

"Hana, are you okay?"

She hesitated for a moment, the softness in her voice breaking through her anger. She shook her head, and the floodgates opened, tears streaming down her face.

"I'm so sorry," she sobbed. "I didn't mean to make a mess, and I didn't mean to be careless. I just wanted to help, but I guess I'm not good enough." It was like all the pent-up emotions and frustrations from the past few months were bubbling to the surface. She felt her chest hitching as she tried to catch her breath.

Kitty wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. "It's okay, Hana. Accidents happen. You don't need to be perfect all the time. I don't get why he's so hard on you."

She leaned into her embrace, feeling a sense of comfort wash over her. She took a deep breath and wiped away her tears, feeling a sense of clarity wash over her.

When she stopped hiccuping Kitty helped her with her wound before they went back out to the kitchen.

The following hour was spent mostly in silence, despite Minho and Kitty constantly competing with each other. Eventually the time came for Hana to get ready to leave. She wore something causal as she would have to change there anyways —and she left her face bare, sporting only a mask.

Before leaving she she let Kitty know she'd be back for her stuff later.

"Tell me about the shoot later!" Kitty said before hana shut the door.

————

Mr Hwang had driven her to the location. The moment she stepped out of the car is when she felt a pang of nerves in her stomach. She had prepared extensively for this photoshoot, and she wanted everything to go perfectly. Especially if here mother showed up.

She was escorted inside, and as she walked through the bustling hall, she noticed a group of people gathered to the left. They seemed to be discussing the day's events, and she assumed they would be part of the crew for the shoot. Among the group, she recognized two people: Manager Yoon and Jennie Kim.

Manager Yoon was the first to notice Hana and approached her with a friendly smile. "Hana, it's so good to see you," she said, giving Hana a warm hug. "How have you been doing since you got back to Korea?"

Hana smiled back, feeling a burst of comfort at Manager Yoon's kind words. "I'm doing well, thank you," she replied. "It's good to be back in my home country. But I have to admit, it's been a bit hectic. I'm also a little nervous about this shoot."

Manager Yoon chuckled gently at her admission. "I understand. We can definitely talk more later," she said. "And don't worry, you're in great hands. The crew is very talented and dedicated, and we're all here to make sure you look your best."

Shortly after, Jennie Kim approached Hana with a dazzling smile. "Hana, it's so nice to see you again," she said, giving her a quick bow. "I'm sorry about having to push back the shoot, but I'm excited that we're finally here."

Hana bowed with a smile at her enthusiasm. "It's okay," she said. "I'm just happy to finally get this shoot done."

Jennie gave Hana a chance to look around and take in the different sets that were set up for the shoot. "It's it pretty?" she said. "I can't wait to see how everything comes together."

Hana nodded.

As they settled into their designated outfits and prepared to start the shoot, Hana felt her nerves slowly fade away. She was in her element, surrounded by a friendly team, and she was excited to see the results of their hard work.

It also seemed like neither her parents would be showing up, so that was a bit of a relief.

Until the door opened and her mother walked in.