Rekindling the Lost Affection- Haerin/Wonyoung x Reader

Chapter 9- Danielle's Request

Haerin POV:

     Although I had fallen asleep thinking about the possibilities of reconnecting with my friends and Y/n after returning to my old school for the start of my 11th grade school year, my hopes were soon dashed.

     On the Wednesday the week before school normally started, I woke up feeling like I would have a bad day, and for some reason, I was right. Everything went wrong. When I tried to brush my teeth after waking up, I accidentally brushed too hard, and my gums started bleeding. While walking up the stairs, I slipped and fell. When I went to the store at noon, I couldn't find any of the snacks I wanted and somehow lost the twenty dollars I had brought with me. However, after an uneventful afternoon, I assumed my streak of bad luck was over.

      By the evening, I decided to return to NewJeans' shared dorm. Looking around, I noticed only Danielle was there today, and I plopped down on the sofa next to her. Little did I know, that as I opened up my Gmail app on my phone, things were about to get a lot worse. I saw an email from ADOR, so I decided to read that first. It read:

"Hello Haerin,

     We would like to inform you that after careful deliberation, we deem it necessary for you to change schools in order to further both your education and your career as an idol in an environment free from distractions. You will be transferred to Seoul's School of Performing Arts along with the other members of NewJeans. We apologize for the late notice and any inconvenience we may have caused you.

Sincerely,

The ADOR Team"

      After reading the email for the first time, I felt numb, and I had to read it again before I understood its contents. Then, the numbness was quickly replaced by feelings of anger and rage.

      Dani, who was sitting close to me, seemed to notice a shift in my mood. Looking at me with concern, she asked lightly, "Haerin, what's wrong?"

      "Our company is making me transfer schools...," I started quietly, trying to contain the anger from seeping into my voice. I wasn't really sure how to continue.

     Danielle stayed quiet and gestured for me to explain.

      "How can they be so unfair?" I let out in a sudden outburst. "I really liked my old school; I don't want to transfer...," my voice trailed off before I continued more loudly, "I have friends, people I care about... I don't want to just have to leave them!"

     Although I stopped myself from telling her the details, especially about y/n, I couldn't help my feelings from bursting through. Min Hee-jin had told me to break up with y/n, and now ADOR was robbing me of my only opportunity to meet up with and talk to my long-time friends from my old school. I felt wronged, cheated, and lied to by the people who had promised to do what's best for me. Tears began to form in my eyes as I glanced at Dani, trying to see her reaction while simultaneously trying to hide my face.

     Dani shuffled a bit, as if she was unsure of how to respond. Her typical radiant smile was nowhere to be seen, and she seemed a bit tired. Finally, she uncertainly said, "Haerin, I know how you feel, but... it's for the best... I understand you; I understand how you're feeling, maybe more than you even realize. I think... the two of us, we're both going through the same thing-."

      Without thinking, I let the feelings get the better of me again.

     "How would YOU know how I'm feeling? I haven't even told you what's really been bothering me!" I shouted at Dani, interrupting her. Realizing what I had done, the atmosphere turned awkward as I began to apologize, "Dani, I'm sorry... I didn't mean that, but I don't know if you can fully understand what I'm going through."

     Danielle looked at me in the eye and said more sharply this time, "Haerin, listen to me. I've been paying attention to you, and you haven't been the same since we went out to eat Korean barbeque. I'm saying this because I care about you as your fri-"

     Interrupting her again, I sighed sadly and told her, "You're right something happened that night, but it's more complicated than what you're-"

     This time, Dani interrupted me, seemingly a little exasperated. "While you were a trainee, you had a person you liked, right?" she inquired seriously.

     I at a loss for words. I never told Danielle or any of the other members I was in a relationship during our time as trainees. How did she know?

     Looking at my surprised expression, Dani deadpanned, "I didn't want to say it outright, but you seriously thought that I couldn't tell every time I saw you smile at your phone screen?" She paused for second to roll her eyes. "You weren't discreet about it; anyone who paid attention to you would be able to tell. I guess that's why MHJ had her suspicions and asked me about it."

     "Huh? She asked you about it? What did you tell her?" I asked her, trying to take in all this information in at once.

     Danielle looked around nervously like she had been caught off guard by my questions. Changing the subject, she told me nervously, "Anyway, that's not important. What I mean to say is that I do understand your struggles, and I know what you're going through because I had to do something similar even before I became a trainee." She studied my expression for a second. "I'm assuming MHJ did make you two stop dating right?" she asked me.

     "Yeah," I replied weakly, still a bit shell-shocked from this turn of events. I didn't realize that Danielle knew so much. I decided not to press her for more details about her meeting with MHJ; it wasn't super important at that moment.

     "Well, she did the same thing to me and this boy I liked," Danielle explained calmly. "So I've gone through the exact same thing as you, and it was for the better. Crushes come and go, but it's not every day you get the opportunity to become an idol."

      I searched Danielle's face for any tinge of regret, and I couldn't find any. Nodding slowly at the Australian girl, I wanted to agree with her. She had to be right that the opportunity of becoming an idol had to be more important than feelings that may or may not exist in a few years; it just had to be. After deciding that, it became clear that I owed Dani an apology for my outburst from earlier.

     Pushing aside my complicated feelings for a moment, I said softly, "Dani, I'm really sorry for doubting you... you're right. I just need time to think."

     After hearing my words, Dani was quick to pull me into a hug, and I returned it. She was so soft, and I felt safe in her arms. She whispered in my ear, "It's okay, Haerin, but please understand that this is probably for the best. Don't think about your past crush and old friends; think about me and the other girls. We'll have a great time at our school, and I want you to look forward to it."

     In my head, I thought that Dani would be right. Everything she had told me made sense, and it was supported by her own experiences as someone who had been in the entertainment industry since she was a child. But unbeknownst to me, deep in my heart, in a domain where logic has no influence, I felt that she was completely wrong.

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A/N:

Thoughts on Danielle?

At the moment, I have two options for Dani's character...

I can make Danielle Haerin's best friend and close confidante, or I can make her a love rival for y/n. I still haven't really decided yet tbh.

Anyways i might change this later