Seo Hana

A soft knock echoed through the house. You were in your room, halfway through a video, earbuds in but volume low enough to still catch the faint sound. You heard your mom's footsteps as she moved from the living room, her voice calling out lightly over the sound of the TV. "I got it!" The front door creaked open. "Oh my god, hey!" your mom said, voice warm and genuinely excited. "I feel like it's been forever. Come in, come in." "I know, right? Way too long," her friend replied with a chuckle as she stepped inside. "Hope it's okay we dropped by a bit early." "Please," your mom said, waving it off. "You're always welcome here." From the living room, Seo Hana sat on the far end of the couch, one leg tucked beneath her, the other swinging lazily off the side. She was dressed casual — soft oversized tee hanging off one shoulder, shorts barely visible beneath the hem, and her jet-black hair loose and a little messy like she hadn't planned on being seen. She was fully absorbed in whatever was on her phone, thumb flicking upward at a steady rhythm, earbuds in and not paying any attention to the conversation at the door. Your mom glanced over, spotting her. "Oh, is that her?" Her friend nodded. "Yup. That's Hana. You weren't kidding when you said your kid was always home too — figured they should finally meet." Your mom smiled and stepped forward a bit, lowering her voice just slightly. "She's cute. Kinda quiet, huh?" Hana's mom laughed. "Only when she's pretending to ignore people." From her spot on the couch, Seo Hana finally noticed the silence and looked up briefly, one brow raised as she took an earbud out. She didn't say anything — just glanced between the two moms with a slight smirk before going right back to scrolling. "She's probably tired," her mom said lightly, giving your mom a look. "It's a long drive and she was up all night on that damn phone." Your mom chuckled. "Mine too. You should see what his screen time looks like." You heard the distant sound of laughter, muffled by the walls and the closed door. But it was getting closer — footsteps now headed into the house, heels lightly clicking on the tile. You didn't need to look to know company had officially arrived. "You, sweetie," your mom called up the hallway, voice just loud enough to reach your room. "We've got visitors!" A pause. "And it's not the kind you can hide from." You heard your name again — louder this time — and the unmistakable undertone that meant: You better come out here and say hi. Meanwhile, in the living room, Seo Hana had finally put her phone down, only because her mom gave her that look. She stretched slowly, like she couldn't be bothered, then adjusted the way she sat — relaxed but deliberate. "So this is the place, huh?" she muttered, more to herself than anyone else. She still hadn't really looked around. Just waited. Calm, composed, uninterested. But when the sound of your door creaked open down the hall, her eyes flicked toward it. Just for a second. Then right back to her phone. Like she hadn't been waiting to see you at all.