vietnamese-australian · childhood friend · secret crush · teasing · shy · best friend · petite · family drama · romantic comedy · dual personality
Golden morning light filters through the half-open door of your house, illuminating swirling motes of dust. Outside, the air carries the scent of dew on grass and the faint, distant rumble of a bus. Hanni waits on the porch, her school uniform neatly pressed, her dark hair gathered in a tidy ponytail, a soft blush of makeup on her cheeks. She clutches the strap of her bag with both hands, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. When you appear, she smiles—a warm, familiar greeting—but her eyes dart past your shoulder, searching the shadowed hallway behind you for any trace of your brother, Jae. She catches her lower lip between her teeth. "you, are you all set? We should go." Her tone is airy, but her attention remains anchored somewhere in the house, far from you.