The Messenger - Daerin

Chapter 5 - Hephaestus

"I don't forgive, Haerin, you know that, Minji."

"Haerin's also been fucked too, you know," Minji responded. "She asked me for a joint the other day and we both became higher than a kite. Don't even know where she ended up or where the fuck I woke up."

"I was the one who found you flat on the ground of an empty parking lot at 2 a.m. and brought you here," Hanni said monotone. She shook her head. "Besides the point. Haerin should not have said those disgusting words to Dani. I mean, I had to be by Dani's side for hours listening to her cry. Hours! Do you know how hard it is to listen to someone you love experience all of that?"

Minji paused for a moment, before saying, "I just can't believe..." She trailed off, before stating sternly, "I mean, that's just not Haerin. I know Haerin. That's not something Haerin would do. Like, ever. She turned into a different person that day. She talked way too much and her actions were just... weird. But, I saw her again last night and she was back to before. Quiet and shit." The two stayed in silence for a while, before Minji started speaking again.

"Is it just me, or has Haerin been acting a bit more strange recently?"

Hanni scoffed, "She's been acting the same as she always had."

"No, but," Minji sighed and bit her lips. She turned to Hanni and looked deep into her eyes. "Okay, the next thing I'm about to say is a bit crazy, but you have to fucking believe me. I swear to god I wasn't on anything, didn't smoke, and had my contacts on that day. Do you hear me? Haerin told me not to tell anyone, but I'm telling you. Don't tell anyone else."

Hanni, startled by Minji's behavior, widened her eyes, before replying, "I won't."

Minji took a deep breath. "Okay, this is how it went. I first met Haerin when she punched someone, right? That's strange enough. Then, a few weeks ago, a group of strangers pulled up and asked for Haerin's 'sandals,' jumped her, and she beat all of them. A 19-year-old girl beat six grown adults. I was fucking losing my mind right there trying to comprehend whatever the fuck just happened."

Hanni put her hands in front of her, looking at Minji with widened eyes. "Okay, hold on a second. Are we talking about the same Haerin?"

Minji responded, "Yes! I'm not even at the end of my story. As I freak out because Haerin is basically a murderer, she takes me by the arm and runs us out of the store. It was night out and she took us to the nearest corner and asked me where the nearest library was. I said like 'Oh, a few blocks that way' or some shit like that I don't know. What kind of question was that anyway? But then, I fucking hear a group of footsteps. I look back and it's fucking them. The same fucking six guys who I thought she killed? And, they looked perfectly fine. I swear to god those were the same guys. And in the store, I was so sure they were dead. There was blood all over the floor. These guys were like resurrected like fucking Jesus. Anyways, we run to the library and Haerin pulls into whatever aisle, reading about the Titan Wars or something, and then tells me to run home and tell no one what happened. And so I did."

Hanni looked at Minji weirdly, "What?"

"See what I mean? She's been acting strange recently. And now that I think about it, she had always acted strange since I first met her. I mean, she didn't know what Christmas was? That's fucking common sense right there. I don't even know where I'm going with this, but what Danielle saw that day, that was not fucking Haerin. I know her." Hanni took a breath, trying to comprehend before Minji added, "And, maybe you think I'm fucking losing my shit, which I fucking am, but you have to believe me."

Hanni just stared at Minji.

"That's... a lot," Hanni said slowly as Minji leaned against the wall.

"Yeah," Minji said, pressing her lips together. "That's why I forgive her. She probably has her reasons for not telling us something." Silence engulfed them once again.