The Price Of Redemption

12.

"Dani..." Hyein's voice was barely a whisper as she gently placed a hand on her best friend's trembling back. She rubbed slow, soothing circles, hoping the touch would ground her, but Dani remained frozen, staring into the empty space ahead. The brightness that usually lit up her face, her sunshine smile, was gone. In its place was a painful stillness, her expression weighed down by memories that had long since hardened into bitterness.

The two of them sat quietly on the bed, cocooned in Hyein's room. Dani had barely said a word since she arrived, and it had been five long minutes of silence. Hyein's heart tightened with each passing second, anxiety creeping into her chest. She knew Dani too well—knew all too well the wreckage that Haerin had left behind years ago. Dani had fallen hard for her, only for Haerin to disappear without a trace, breaking her heart in ways that Hyein still couldn't fully fathom. No calls, no texts, no explanation. Haerin had vanished, leaving Dani to piece together the shambles of her heart.

Hyein had been there through it all. She'd watched her best friend shatter and painstakingly rebuild herself, forcing a smile back onto her face after more than a year. The two girls met right after haerin left and that's when their bond build. And now, seeing her like this—broken and quiet all over again—was unbearable.

Hyein was about to reach out, to offer more comfort, when Dani suddenly moved. She laid her head in Hyein's lap, and for a moment, everything felt fragile. Then, the tears came. Slow at first, but then they poured out in torrents, years of pain spilling onto Hyein's lap. Dani trembled violently, trying to stifle her sobs, but her body shook with the force of her anguish. She was breaking all over again, the pain that had lodged itself deep inside her chest for years finally finding its release.

Hyein said nothing at first, her own heart aching for her friend. She just ran her fingers through Dani's hair, soft and comforting, letting her cry as long as she needed.

"It's okay, Dani... let it out," she whispered, her voice gentle, though she felt her own throat tighten with emotion.

Dani's sobs grew louder, rawer, her words coming out broken and jagged.

"She said..." Dani's voice cracked, each syllable strained from the effort of holding back the flood. "No, she lied..."

Hyein froze, feeling her heart drop at the bitterness laced in Dani's words.

"She lied that she'd never love someone who wasn't me," Dani choked, her body shaking harder. "It was all a lie, Hyein. She lied. But why? Why did she lie?"

Her sobs turned desperate, ragged with heartbreak. "Why does it hurt so much? Seeing her with someone else... after all these years?"

She looked up, her eyes red and swollen, pleading. "Hyein, tell me. Please. Why does it still hurt?"

Dani let out a final, breathless sob. "God, I hate her... I hate her so much."

Her voice was empty now, exhausted. There were no more tears left; she had spent them all on the girl with the cat-like eyes who had stolen her heart and never given it back.

Hyein leaned down, her own tears silently slipping down her cheeks as she held her friend tighter. She wished she had the answers, wished she could take away the pain. But all she could offer was her presence, her love.

"It will be fine, Dani. I promise, it will all be fine," she whispered, praying her words could be enough, even though she knew the healing would take far longer than either of them could imagine.

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