The Lie She Never Told

‎‧₊˚✧[12]✧˚₊‧

ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ

Haerin slowly made her way back to her room, her mind still thinking about Danielle shaking in her arms.

The silence in the hallway was broken only by her soft footsteps, her thoughts echoing louder in her head.

Reaching her room, she opened the door quietly and slipped inside, shutting it behind her with a click.

"What's up?"

Haerin almost fell at the sudden sound of Minji's voice.

She turned to see her friend sitting on her bed, looking at her with a mix of curiosity and concern.

"Oh, Minji, you scared me," Haerin admitted, a hand on her chest. "I'm okay, I guess just thinking."

"About what?"

"About Danielle," she began, her voice low. "She reacted strangely to the present I gave her."

"What do you mean?" Minji asked.

Haerin sank onto her bed next to Minji, sighing softly.

"After she opened the present, she pulled me inside the room and hugged me. She was shaking, almost trembling," she explained, a frown on her face. "And when I asked her if she okay, she just said 'thank you' in a weird voice."

Minji stayed silent. The moment she saw Danielle, she knew they were in the same boat.

Haerin looked at Minji waiting for the reply.

"Why do you think she reacted like that?" Haerin asked again. "It was a simple gift, I don't understand why she acted so strangely."

"She loved it I'm sure..." Minji answered. "I didn't know you were going to give her a gift. It's not your thing."

Haerin fidgeted with a loose thread on her blouse, a shy smile on her lips.

"Yeah, well I wanted to give her something special. I don't even know why," she confessed, her cheeks slightly pink. "It's not much tho, but I thought she'd like it."

Minji felt her head hurt a little.

"What did you give her?" she asked.

"It was a handmade bracelet," Haerin began, her voice becoming softer. "Nothing extra, but I put some effort into making it nice. I used blue color which Mom choose of course, and patterns. I spent a lot of time on it."

Minji nodded, trying to smile.

"I like bracelets too," she whispered.

Haerin noticed the subtle shift in Minji's expression.

She reached out and placed a hand on Minji's arm, her voice gentle.

"You know, if you want, I can make you a bracelet too," she offered, a sincere smile on her face.

Minji felt her heart skip as Haerin placed her hand on hers. She looked at Haerin. Her eyes studied her eyes, her nose and then-

"Minji the doctor said the visiting time is over," said Haerin's mother suddenly from the door.

Haerin looked up, surprised at the sound of her Mom's voice from the doorway.

"Already?" she asked, a pang of disappointment in her heart.

***

The next day dawned, the sun peeking through the window of Haerin's room.

She groaned as the light hit her eyes, stirring from her sleep.