TRACK HEARTS // DAERIN

"Can you even run in a straight line?"
"That's the only straight thing I can do!"

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Danielle marsh, the school's reigning queen of quirky and nerd extraordinaire, had never set foot on a track in her life. But after her physics grade plummeted to dangerous lows, her teacher made her an offer she couldn't refuse: join the track team for extra credit or risk summer school. Simple enough, right? Wrong.

To Danielle's horror-and secret delight-the captain of the track team was none other than Kim Minji, her long-time crush and arguably the most gorgeous, self-assured human to ever wear a pair of running shoes. But there was one small problem: Minji was a total jerk. Snarky, arrogant, and quick to point out Danielle's complete lack of coordination, Minji seemed determined to make her life a living hell.

But where Minji had fire and flair, the team's co-captain, Kang Haerin, was her polar opposite. Quiet, brooding, and perpetually looking like a cat stuck in an existential crisis, Haerin was a mystery Danielle couldn't help but want to solve. Despite her aloof demeanor, Haerin had a soft spot for stray cats-and apparently, for Danielle's endless mishaps.

Between tripping over hurdles, falling for Minji's smirks, and catching glimpses of Haerin's rare smiles, Danielle found herself caught in a confusing love triangle. Was her heart racing from all the laps around the track or because of Minji's infuriating winks? And why did Haerin's quiet kindness make her feel like she was standing still in a world that never stopped moving?

As Danielle navigates the chaotic world of teenage love, snarky banter, and school spirit, she learns that sometimes, the race for love isn't about finishing first-it's about finding someone who runs beside you, at your pace.

Danielle slowly realizes that running in a straight line was the least of her problems.