Falling for you ; DAERIN

Flashback

3 years ago, on a rainy spring afternoon. Danielle couldn't continue to walk home and so she stopped at a bus stop. Danielle now is currently 15 and Haerin is 18

"Fuck.. I forgot my umbrella."

She cursed at herself, can today be any worse?? She found out her parents had just stolen all her money this morning to go gamble and she woke up 30 minutes late therefore she got in trouble with her teacher

Suddenly she saw a girl running towards the same bus stop that she's in right now, slowly the girl come into view. She has beautiful brown hair with hazel eyes.. her eyes are sharp and shaped a lot like a cat. Danielle could see her little fangs through the gap between her lips as she's panting heavily from running. They seem to be lost into each other's gaze

Danielle was the first to break the silence between them

"You're soaked"

"Ah..."

Danielle reached into her backpack and took out a rolled up towel. She handed the towel over to the other girl with a warm smile

"Here"

The other girl happily took the towel and sat down next to Danielle while wrapping the towel around herself

"What's your name?" Danielle asked in curiosity. She has never seen a person with such feline characteristics before. The other girl looked back at Danielle and gave her a small, soft smile

"Haerin"

Danielle smiled brightly at Haerin, revealing her beautiful pearl white teeth. Haerin felt like her heart is going crazy. She has never seen anyone so bright and... adorable. The world seem like it stopped and everyone disappeared in a blink of an eye with just them left in the rain, together

"How do you like your eggs?"

Danielle furrowed her eyebrows at the sudden question, she chuckled before responding

"I like them poached with some salt and pepper on toast"

"You got taste"

They both burst out in laughter, don't know why but they just do. Even though they've just met a moment ago they seem to click together so well. Enjoying each other's company as if they have been lovers in their past lives and just found each other again in this life. Perhaps, that ridiculous theory is true? Who knows?

Danielle smiled before turning her head to look forward, into the never ending atmosphere and depth of water droplets heavily coming down. Both of the girls just sits there, looking out in the rain as their hands brush against each other

"You know, I never really enjoy the rain. It makes me feel scared and alone" Haerin confessed to broke the silence

"Why?" Danielle asked with a curious, soft tone

"My mom passed away when I was eight years old, it was on a rainy day like this. Me and her were on a stroll together when a truck crashed into us. She used her body to shield me and yeah.. today is her death anniversary but I was too overwhelmed by the amount of people and their fake sobs so I sneaked out and just ran."

Even Haerin herself is not sure why she just told a stranger about this, she never actually tell anyone about how she feels. She hated their fake empathy and how it's always the same phrase over and over again. "Im so sorry". She hated those 3 words, it seems fake, everyone just says that because they don't know what else to say, they try their best to sympathize but they can't, how could they?

After the incident, Haerin's dad didn't take it very well. Her dad went from a warm supportive father figure who's always there for his family into someone who always lock himself up with work, not even looking at his own daughter in the eye

Over time, their warm mansion that was always filled with laughter, supportive and encouragement phrases turn into a cold chamber. No more laughter, no more I love yous, no more family dinner. She rarely even see her dad, he would either go on business trips or lock himself up in the study hall

The butlers and maids still try their best to be there for Haerin but despite their efforts, what Haerin really needed deep down is for her parents to come back. Every steps she takes inside their mansion, it would haunt her with memories

"It must've been hard. But you know, I believe everything happened for a reason. Every hurdle that life give us, it makes us stronger. What matter is how we overcome it. Those hurdles shaped us to who we are"

Danielle's words snapped Haerin back to reality. Her eyes started to feel heavy with tears, she looked down to the ground to hide her face from Danielle. How embarrassing is it to cry? But also how embarrassing is it to hide in the shadow? She never actually overcome her mom's death, she just grow numb and brush it off, never wanting to even have a thought of it because she was scared. She was scared that it's actually true, that her mom is no longer with her

Danielle put her arm around Haerin's shoulders and they stay in silent as Haerin sob. In the past 10 years, she never cried. She didn't allow herself to, she didn't allow herself to actually admit that her mom is gone

After 2 hours, the rain has finally stopped. They hugged each other one last time before Danielle bid her farewell. Haerin watches as Danielle walks away, slowly her figure is no longer in view. Ever since that day, Haerin have been thinking about the sunshine girl non stop. Her mind is filled with flashbacks from their interactions but she never had the chance to see her again

After their farewell, her driver contacted her and picked her up. They drove back to their home which is far away from that bus stop. She never had the chance to go back but her mind will always remember that moment

For 3 years straight, Haerin slowly but surely overcome and admit to herself that her mom is in fact gone, it feels light. Being able to overcome it and live up to her best self. After inheriting the family's company, she has been searching for that girl non stop, never once has her mind faded the thought of finding Danielle again

It was her first love, perhaps it's her first and only love she'll ever have

Maybe they were lovers in their past lives, everything happened for a reason, everyone meet for a reason but the thing that is most important is wether or not you will fight and put in effort to make it go the way you want