Reluctant Hero ✔️

Twenty-Four

TIMESKIP 3 DAYS...

"Good morning, Haerin."

Danielle gave Haerin a light smile as the older girl plopped down into the seat next to her.

"Good morning."

"Were you tired in the morning? You didn't say hi to me in calc. And you left right away too."

"Kind of."

Danielle slowly nodded, staring at the younger girl who refused to look at her.

"So you figured it out?"

"M-maybe?"

She glanced down, seeing that Haerin's foot was bouncing and she was picking at her fingers.

Haerin couldn't sit still.

Danielle softly smiled, gently patting Haerin's shoulder before turning to the front of the class.

"Take your time."

Haerin looked down at that, pursing her lips as she squeezed her hands together.

'You've waited too long for me to take my time.'

Their physics class went on dreadfully slow, Haerin keeping her eyes on either the board or her notes while Danielle either stared at her side profile, back to the board, or the pencil Haerin kept twirling around her fingers.

RINGGGG!

"I'll see you at lunch?"

"Can we uh- talk before lunch? Like- before we meet up with the rest of our friends."

Danielle nodded, "yeah of course we can, my next class is with Minji but I can meet you at your third period?"

The cat nodded, walking away after mumbling a quick "okay."

Danielle watched as she walked away, waiting a few moments before heading out the classroom herself, thanking the physics teacher as she left.

Haerin hadn't texted her at all after that night.

No texts, no calls, the entire weekend.

If it was anyone else, Danielle would've been annoyed, maybe even a bit pissed.

But she knew Haerin.

And she knew that Haerin had trouble voicing her emotions and feelings.

So anger wasn't in her system.

Worry was though.

Danielle gnawed at the inside of her cheek, 'was that kiss on the cheek too much? Am I pushing her too much?'

"Dani?"

The Australian girl snapped out of her thoughts, she hadn't even realized that she was already in her next class, walking towards Minji robotically with a far-off stare.

"Hey Minji."

The older girl stared at Danielle, "what's wrong?"

Danielle sighed as she sat in the seat next to Minji, "nothing..."

Minji raised an eyebrow, "I'm going to guess that Haerin ignored you in person too."

"Not really? She's just..."

Danielle ruffled her hair back, "troubled? She doesn't seem uncomfortable, just... I don't know..."

"Awkward?"

"Yeah."

She glanced at the older girl, "but she wanted to talk before lunch, so I'm gonna walk back to her class before we meet up with you guys."