103 || Bbangsaz

2. cats and winks

Minji's POV:

We had been walking for a little over an hour now; Dallas was a pretty city, and I enjoyed it a lot more than I expected to.

I'm awkwardly standing next to my mother as she laughs with some other lady who I think lives in the building next to ours. It's crazy how fast Mom makes friends; I could never.

I was distracted by a dark grey-colored cat purring near my legs while rubbing itself against me. I bent down to pet its furry head, but instead, it scratched my arm, which hurt like hell, and I was already bleeding. I playfully scolded the cat even though it most definitely did not understand a single word that came out of my mouth. It had a collar, so I assumed that it ran away from home.

"Bear! Oh my god, there you are!" a woman with slightly curly hair and a tall figure came running toward our direction. She looked as if she had been crying, so I put the pieces together and figured that it was her cat. Also, who the hell names a cat Bear?

"Where did you find him? Did you see the posters by any chance?" she asked me while picking up the cat from my lap and petting his head.

I stood up and said, "No, he just came to me." She just nodded at my reply.

"I'm Danielle, by the way, Danielle Marsh," she said, putting out her hand for me to shake. She looked as if she ate rainbows and sunshine for breakfast. Too bright.

I shook it as I said, "Minji, Minji Kim," and gave her a light smile.

I pulled away my hand from hers, and another running woman came our direction. God, why is everyone running today?

"Dani! Oh my god, there you are!" That line almost feels like déjà vu.

"Hanni! Look, I finally found Bear," Danielle said while hugging the girl and in an unusually loud voice, almost as if she were screaming.

The two girls kept talking about the cat as I, once again, awkwardly stood there. I took that moment to look at the other girl, what did Danielle call her again? Right, Hanni. She was wearing casual clothes, but the colors were way too bright, a huge contrast to my dark clothes. She had chocolate brown eyes black, long hair and a beautiful figure. She looked familiar, do I know her? I didn't even realize for how long I'd been staring at her.

"Are you checking me out?"

"Huh- I was- what, no?" I stuttered like an idiot. Kim Minji, why the fuck are you stuttering?

"Sorry she's a bit blunt, Minji. Hanni, this is Kim Minji, she found Bear, and Minji, this is Pham Hanni, my friend," Danielle introduced us to each other.

"I didn't find your cat; he just came to me."

"Nice to meet you too, Kim," Hanni said with her arms folded at her chest and an almost unreadable expression.

"Sure?" what else do I even say in this situation?

"I have never seen you around here, did you recently move in or something?" Danielle asked, clearly trying to start a conversation, which I sucked at.

"Yeah, my mom and I moved in just yesterday," I said. Hanni was still giving me the weird look. What did I do wrong?

"Yeah? I assume you're still in high school?" Danielle said, noticing the awkward tension between me and Hanni.

"You guessed right," I replied.

"It would be really cool if you were in the same school as us, which I think you are because it's nearby," Danielle said. Bear was now sleeping in Hanni's arms.

I wish I was a cat. No, wait, not like that, like cats can sleep whenever they want and do whatever they want. No school and no shitty dad.

"I think we do go to the same school," I replied, trying my best to match the curly-haired girl's enthusiasm but it just came out awkward.

"That's amazing! And if you're coming tomorrow, please let me show you around the school as a thank you for finding Bear!" she clapped her hands in excitement, her eyes almost disappearing with the huge smile she had on her face. It'd be rude if I denied her offer.

"I didn't find—okay, sure, you can show me around." It would be nice to have someone guide me around tomorrow.

"See you at school!" she said while dragging her friend away.

I let out an audible sigh and let myself relax, glad that the interaction with the extrovert was over. 

That was until she came running back. Again, what's with all the running??

"I almost forgot, give me your number so I can call or text you tomorrow; the school is way too big, and I won't be able to find you by just your name," she said while practically shoving her phone in my face.

I put my number in her phone, and Danielle gave me a call, so I got her number.

 Hanni was watching us from a distance with the same, almost disgusted look. She saw me staring at her and smirked at me before winking and walking away with Bear in her arms.

Wait, did she just wink at me?

......

"Who were those girls that you were talking to earlier?" Mom asked me when we got back home.

"I don't know anyone here, Mom. I just kind of found one of the girls' cats, and they just happened to go to the same school as me," I said with a shrug.

"That's great, sweetie. You're already getting to know people."

"Yeah, I guess."

I went back to my room and changed into more comfortable clothes. I looked at my phone for a bit until I got a message from an unknown number.

Unknown: Hey! It's Danielle :)

That message made me remember that I had given the girl my number and totally forgot to save it, so I saved it as 'Danielle.'

(Text messages)

Me: Hi, Danielle.

Danielle: Also, I forgot to ask what year you are in?

Me: Senior year. How about you?

Danielle: Oh, that is perfect; all three of us are in the same year. We could definitely become friends or something, and it'd be easier for me to guide you around.

Me: All three of us?

Danielle: Me, you, and Hanni, of course. Remember my friend from earlier?

Me: Oh, right, her.

Danielle: Okay, so I'll see you tomorrow?

Me: Yes, you'll see me tomorrow, Danielle.

I smiled to myself as she spammed some animal and plant emojis. The girl really had the same personality on text. I turned off my phone and put it on my side table, and I had to pick it back up because of a notification. It was a text message from another unknown number, which I know isn't Danielle.

Unknown: You better keep your distance from her, Kim.

Who the hell?