Love In Convenience

9. TOTAL CHAOS

Haerin POV

Beep Beep Beep.

The sound of my alarm pulled me from the haze of sleep. I groaned softly, extending a sluggish arm to silence it. Even after shutting it off, I felt the heaviness of exhaustion. Last night's chaos in the kitchen was still fresh in my mind, a whirlwind of spilled ingredients and stubborn stains. It had taken us hours to clean it all up.

Eunchae, bless her, had stayed behind to help me scrub the mess while Hyein apologized profusely before making her escape. Hanni, being... well, Hanni, stomped her foot in frustration, declared that she wasn't cleaning anything, and stormed off to her room with a dramatic slam of the door.

Once the disaster zone was finally cleared, I'd apologized to ajumma, feeling guilty for the havoc we'd caused. She simply smiled and patted my back, brushing it off with an easy grace that reminded me why I appreciated her so much. She truly was the sweetest.

That night, I'd decided—somewhat impulsively—to sleep in Hanni's room. Eunchae had been both surprised and confused by my decision but chose not to question me, probably too tired herself to press further. When I entered Hanni's room, she was already sound asleep, her face peaceful and her breathing steady. I slipped quietly onto the other side of her bed, letting sleep claim me almost instantly.

Now, stretching out my arms and blinking myself awake, I was ready to start my day—or so I thought. As I shifted to get up, I froze. Something heavy pinned me down. My heart skipped a beat. Sleep paralysis? No, this felt... different. I tilted my head upward, only to see Hanni sprawled over me, snuggling close with her arm draped across my chest.

To make matters worse, she was drooling.

Disgusted, I wrinkled my nose and muttered, "Seriously?" Without much hesitation, I pushed her off, sending her tumbling unceremoniously to the floor. She hit the ground with a soft thud, yet to my utter amazement, she didn't even stir.

"She's so weird," I mumbled to myself, staring at the girl on the floor in disbelief. Then again, who was I to judge? I wasn't exactly the epitome of normalcy myself.

Leaving her to her peaceful slumber on the floor, I got ready for school and headed downstairs. Eunchae was already seated at the kitchen table, munching on toast. I joined her, whipping up a quick jam sandwich for myself. We chatted briefly about nothing in particular before heading out to school together.

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The classroom was already buzzing with energy by the time I arrived. As I stepped inside, Dani came sprinting toward me like a missile. Before I could react, she threw her arms around me and planted a kiss on my cheek.

I froze, my brain lagging behind reality. Slowly, I stepped back and touched my cheek where she'd kissed me, my expression as blank as ever.

"What was that for?" I asked, deadpan.

Dani blushed, her gaze dropping to the floor as she twiddled her fingers nervously. "I just missed you," she said with a small smile, looking up and winking.

I shrugged. "Okay then," I replied, walking to my seat.

Dani could be... a lot to deal with sometimes. She was clingy, unpredictable, and often too much for my introverted tendencies. But despite her over-the-top behavior, I couldn't bring myself to be rude to her. I could already imagine her tearing up if I snapped at her, and the thought made me decide to hold my tongue—for now.