In Hearts in the Hallway Kang Haerin Senior year at Hanlim Multi Arts High School begins like any other: filled with the usual stress of grades, friendships, and the ever-present tension with Marsh Danielle, her longtime rival. Danielle is the golde...
The next morning, Haerin woke up with the vague sense that everything had shifted, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what 'exactly' had changed. Her head was heavy with the memory of last night—the dance, the unexpected closeness with Danielle, the words she had said. She replayed their conversation over and over in her mind, like a song stuck on repeat. "Maybe it's time to stop competing," she'd said. "You're more than that to me."
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Her fingers lingered on her phone as she debated whether to text Hyein. But, honestly, Hyein would never let her hear the end of it. Besides, Haerin wasn't even sure what she was trying to figure out yet.
She shoved her phone aside and groaned, burying her face in her pillow. The room felt uncomfortably quiet. It wasn't just the dance that had her distracted—it was the fact that, in the span of one night, the girl she had spent months feuding with had turned into someone she didn't fully understand anymore. Danielle had shown her a side of her she hadn't expected, and it had left her questioning everything about their rivalry. Had it always been this way, and she'd just been too stubborn to see it? Or was something real starting to form between them?
[The knock on her door was the only thing that dragged her away from her spiraling thoughts.]
"Haerin" Hyein called from the hallway, her voice a mix of curiosity and impatience. "Are you up? I'm coming in."
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Haerin thumbs up "I'm awake. You don't have to barge in like a hurricane."
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