Haeun hesitated, her mind racing frantically.
Think, you dumbass. Think, think!
She hasn't expected him to ask her that, but now that he had, she needed a name. And quick. Something believable. Something that wouldn't raise suspicion but also wouldn't—
"Actually, you don't have to answer if it's too uncomfortable. I—" Minho started.
"Hana!" she blurted out at the exact same moment.
They both stopped walking, staring at each other in the glow of the streetlight.
"What did you say?" they said in unison.
An awkward pause stretched between them, and Haeun felt her cheeks burning under her mask. "No, I'm sorry, you should speak first," she said quickly.
"No, no, you speak," Minho insisted, gesturing for her to continue.
"Oh okay then. I'm Hana," she repeated, her voice barely above a whisper. "My name is Hana."
Minho tilted his head, studying her face in the dim light. "Hmm. That sounds similar to Haeun, Yuna's friend. That's nice, maybe you're her doppelganger or something."
Haeun swallowed hard. Stupid, stupid girl. Of course it sounds similar! Why didn't you pick something completely different like... like Somin or something?
"Is this… Haeun, your friend too?" Haeun knew they weren't friends, but she was too curious to know what he actually thought of her. Minho paused, thinking to himself before letting out a chuckle.
"We're not friends." He said briefly. Simple. Curt.
"Oh. My bad. Well then, what... what did you want to say?" she managed to ask, desperate to change the subject.
"Oh." Minho's expression softened. "I was just going to say that you don't have to talk if you're uncomfortable. About your name I mean. I know this whole situation is probably awkward for you." Haeun blinked in surprise. Wow. Seo Minho. Cold, arrogant and bratty Seo Minho.
"That's really nice and polite of you. I appreciate that." She said quietly and he nodded.
They resumed walking in silence for a few moments, their footsteps echoing softly on the empty street. Then Minho looked up at the sky.
"The stars are nice tonight," he said, seemingly lost in their beauty.
Haeun followed his gaze and simply nodded. The stars were indeed beautiful, scattered across the dark canvas like tiny diamonds. But she didn't trust herself to speak without her voice betraying her nerves.
"I'm sorry," Minho said suddenly, his voice uncertain. "I'm not really sure what I'm supposed to say. How to engage, conversation wise. You know, with you being a waitress and all... you could be older than me too, for all I know. I just don't want to be disrespectful."
Haeun stifled a laugh.
If only he knew she was probably younger than him and definitely a student at the same university.
"It's alright, actually. Feel free," she said, leaving it at that.
They walked in comfortable silence after that, the tension from earlier beginning to ease slightly.
But as they approached what Haeun knew was their neighborhood, panic started to creep back into her chest.
She couldn't let him see exactly where she lived. What if somehow somehow, he also saw her going there? What if he put the pieces together?
She would have to stop.
When they reached the corner where the main street branched off into smaller residential roads, Haeun stopped abruptly, and cleared her throat.
"I can get home from here," she said, bowing slightly. "Thank you so much for walking me this far. You didn't have to, and I appreciate the kind gesture."
Minho frowned, looking around at the still-busy intersection. "Are you sure? I just realised I actually live nearby too, so I don't mind walking you all the way to your door. It's fine with me."
"No, no!" Haeun said quickly, perhaps too quickly. "Really, I'm fine from here. Thank you."
She bowed again, more deeply this time, hoping to convey her gratitude while also signaling that this was where their interaction needed to end.
"If that's what you want, sure. Wait," Minho said as she started to turn away. "Does the restaurant open every day?"
Haeun hesitated, unsure where this question was leading. "Yes... why?"
Minho was quiet for a moment, seeming to consider his words. Then he shook his head. "Nothing. Just... goodnight, Hana. Or wait, can I call you that? Am I meant to call you Unni?"
Haeun let out a snort, shaking her head. "Yes you can call me Hana. Goodnight," she replied softly.
Haeun kept walking, her heart still racing from their entire interaction. She could feel his eyes on her back, burning into her with an intensity that made her skin tingle.
Damn, damn, damn. Damn.
She forced herself to walk at a normal pace, resisting the urge to break into a sprint. Every few steps, she glanced back over her shoulder to see if he was still watching her or, worse, following her.
But when she looked back for the third time, he had disappeared into the night.
Only then did she allow herself to breathe properly.
Five minutes later, she finally reached the front of her small house. Her hands shook slightly as she fumbled with her keys, the events of the evening replaying in her mind like a broken record.
She pushed open the door and stepped inside, immediately beginning her usual routine.
"Hyunbin, I'm back!" she called out as she kicked off her shoes and pulled off her nose mask and hat. "Did you cook something for me? And it better be sweet! Or wait, are you asleep? You old fart."
She yawned, exhaustion finally hitting her after the adrenaline rush of the evening. All she wanted was to eat something warm, take a long shower, and maybe, just maybe, forget that Seo Minho existed.
But as she walked toward the living room, still running her fingers through her hair to fix the hat-induced mess, she came to a complete halt.
Sitting on their old but comfortable sofa, sipping what looked like tea and looking perfectly at home, was her Aunt Nayoung.