You've got me mesmerized

9.

9.

By some means, even after her several refusals, Danielle managed to bring Haerin to the double date. That girl was so persistent, Haerin always fell into her trap and this wasn't an exception.

However, anybody could tell she didn't want to be here. She wasn't smiling at all, barely being polite with the two men sitting across from them. The only time she was actually being nice was when she interacted with the waitress because no matter how irritated she was, she felt like she had no right to be rude to them for simply existing and doing their job.

Eric, her date, was in fact a really nice boy. He had nothing to do with Sunwoo who Haerin just caught looking at Danielle's breast. He was funny and smart and they would have gotten along really well in another context. However, she couldn't focus on him at all. What was going on, on the other side of the table kept distracting her. She was committing crimes in her mind every time she heard Danielle laugh at one of Sunwoo's stupid jokes.

By the middle of the dinner, the poor guy looked totally bored. He didn't even try to hold the conversation with Haerin anymore since her responses were always summed up in one or two words.

Everything was making her sick. She already knew. In fact, she always knew Danielle was like that. But seeing her in action, acting like a fool to charm that boy really made Haerin want to puke. That wasn't the Danielle she learned to appreciate : the smart, the funny, the caring, the adorable Danielle she knew. It was someone else.

If she could, she would plant her fork into Sunwoo's greedy eyes. He didn't even pay attention to what Danielle was blabbering about. Only checking her out the whole time.

Haerin's jealousy was building up more and more. She felt like she could explode at any moment. And she did explode.

She suddenly stood up, attracting everyone's eyes on her. "I'm sorry. I'm feeling sick. I have to go." And without further explanation she hurriedly left the restaurant.

Danielle frowned in confusion. She apologized to the boys and quickly chased after her friend. She obviously noticed Haerin's strange behavior since the beginning of the date but she ignored it thinking she could ask her about it later. But what she just did, put too many questions inside Danielle's head. Haerin never acted like that before. She has always been sweet, polite and patient. There was something wrong and she needed to know what it was. It could not even be related to the date at all. Was it about Eunchae? Or maybe Eric did something to annoy her ?

"Haerin ! Haerin stop ! What are you doing?" Danielle yelled as she almost reached the cat-like girl in the parking lot.

"Going home. Obviously." Haerin said sarcastically as she opened the door of her car.

"No. You can't do that." Danielle said, shutting the door. "What was that about? You didn't smile during the whole night. Is it about Eric ? Do you know him ? Did he do something to you ? Talk to me, kitty." She said, sounding concerned.

Haerin sighed, what could she say ? She didn't have any explainable answer to give.

"Haerin please. Just tell me."

"This isn't about him !" Haerin said, getting more and more frustrated. "It's about you ! This isn't you Danielle ! You're making a fool of yourself just to impress that frat boy... It's fucking driving me insane."

Danielle looked flabbergasted, never ever did Haerin yell at her nor swore like that. Moreover, why would Haerin be mad about something like this ? So all this time, the one Haerin was mad at was her ?

"I don't understand. You know I'm not actually like that. Why do you care so much about what I say or do anyway ?"

"Why do I care so much ?" Haerin said as she cornered Danielle between herself and the car. "I care because I..." It almost slipped her mouth. "Fuck. Nevermind. Just let me go."

Danielle didn't move away, still blocking the access to Haerin's car. She really couldn't read Haerin's mind at all. What was making her so furious about ? There was nothing new on the table, everyone already knew what Danielle was like. If she despised that so much, why did she become friends with her in the first place? And that last sentence... What was Haerin going to say ? She needed an answer.

"No ! You what ? Finish your sentence. Communicate with me. You owe me that. An explanation at least." Danielle said as she held Haerin's gaze.

Haerin chuckled in frustration as Danielle continued to intensely stare at her. She took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of her nose. "You really wanna know ?" Haerin said as she approached Danielle even more and raised her brows threateningly. Danielle nodded even if her breath started to get heavier at how close Haerin was to her face. "Fine, I'll tell you. No need to hold it anymore." Haerin said while leaning even more and Danielle shut her eyes thinking Haerin was about to kiss her. But that wasn't the case, she simply leaned toward her ear so that she could whisper: "I care so much because I fucking love you. Idiot."

Danielle's mind went completely blank as Haerin stepped back a little to see the Australian girl's reaction. Danielle's heart was beating so fast she thought it could come out of her chest at any moment. She felt Haerin's stare, full of lust on her lips. Danielle couldn't dare to look at it. It was too much. She couldn't process anything.

She felt Haerin's hand, as gentle as it has always been, grabbing the side of her face. Danielle shivered at the touch. The cat-like girl leaned her forehead against Danielle's forehead as the two of them were breathing heavily and her thumbs softly brushed Danielle's lips, parting them away.

"Can I...?" She asked in a soothing and breathless voice and their eyes finally met.

Danielle nodded without giving it much thought and Haerin sealed their lips together. The kiss was as soft as it was intense. Danielle held into Haerin's clothes as the Korean girl was pinning her more down on the car. The kiss felt desperate, like they kept this feeling inside themselves for too long but also like it had to be appreciated because it would never happen again. There was something somehow tragic to it. Haerin finally backed away after softly chewing Danielle's bottom lips.

They had to take some time to gain back their breath. Then their eyes met once again and Danielle shook her head in an apology. "Haerin... I can't..."

Haerin knew it but her heart dropped anyway. "Just as I thought." She said before entering her car.

Danielle watched Haerin slowly disappear as she felt tears filling her eyes.

When she arrived at the dorm, Haerin immediately rushed to her room. She didn't want Minji to see her puffy and red eyes. But her best friend knew better, she immediately felt like something was wrong when Haerin didn't even say a word to her after complaining all week about the date situation.

She knocked on the cat-like girl's door carefully.

"Later, Minji." Haerin said.

However, Minji still entered the room. Haerin's voice felt too weak and she was too worried for her to stand there without doing anything. When she opened the door, she saw her friend sitting on her bed, looking blankly at the wall with tears falling down her cheeks.

"What happened?" Minji asked softly as she took a seat on Haerin's bed.

"Nothing. I'm okay..." Haerin said as she tried to avoid her friend's eyes.

"Honey... You're obviously not okay." Minji said as she cupped Haerin's cheeks between her hands.

When her eyes met with Minji's, Haerin reached her limit and hugged Minji while sobbing in the crook of her neck.

"But I have to be..."

-----

I wish I was as productive in my studies than I am with this fic lmao

anyway, it's the start of angst guys
🤠👍