꧁ Third Pov ꧂
This chapter is focused mainly around Haerin and Danielle!
Haerin knocks on the door, her bag hanging heavily over her shoulders.
It's been some time since she and Danielle last saw each other, and Danielle had gone AWOL—nothing out of the ordinary.
She had attempted to message her and had stopped by a few times, yet there was never a response from Danielle.
So here she was again, standing at Danielle's door, hoping nothing serious had happened.
Knocking a second time, this time louder, Haerin detects faint sounds from within. "Dani-unnie?" she calls out. The noise of moving feet halts at the door, causing her anxiety to spike.
"It's me, Haerin," she states, aiming to avoid startling her. "One second," comes Danielle's muffled reply from inside.
The clear sound of the door unlocking brings Haerin a wave of relief.
She's met with Danielle's unkempt appearance and a lethargic smile. "Welcome to my humble abode," Danielle says, stepping aside to let her in.
Haerin's gaze shifts to the living room, cluttered with blankets, tissues, and water bottles—a sign her concern may have prevented Danielle from succumbing to overwhelming sadness.
"How have you been?" Haerin redirects her focus to Danielle's languid form. "So-so, not much to do on weekends," Danielle replies with a yawn, retreating to her blanket fortress.
Haerin follows, sitting on the floor, neck arched to look up at Danielle's inscrutable face. Her attention is wholly on the movie playing on the TV.
"Do you often have friends over?"
"No, not unless you or Hanni drop by unexpectedly," Danielle said, her gaze drifting away. "So, you never invite anyone over to hang out?" She sulks and shakes her head.
The truth was, she felt lonely. It didn't matter how many friends she had or how often she was told she was loved.
She would still sit alone at midnight, in the quiet of the world, or at noon, amidst the hustle and unable to count the faces.
And feel just as lonely.
"A pinky promise for your thoughts?" Haerin's voice softened. Danielle smiled at the sweet offer, but she didn't need a bribe to speak her mind. "How about for free?"
"A pinky promise," Haerin insisted. "Why a pinky promise, Haerin?" Danielle inquired. "Because your secret can be my secret too," Haerin replied, her tone earnest.
"My thoughts aren't worth a dime, Haerin-ah. It's fine."
Danielle realized that Haerin might genuinely want to know her thoughts, but were they really worth sharing? Lately, all she had were somber reflections.
"I don't wanna get into that stuff right now," she declined. Haerin nodded in understanding, not pressing further, and snuggled deeper into the blankets with a contented sigh.
"Do you have any plans for the rest of the weekend?" Haerin inquires. "I was hoping to spend it with you, unnie," Haerin says, placing her hands on Danielle's covered leg.
A gentle smile sprawls across her face, "You know I won't say no." She grabs Haerin's resting hand, pulling her up to sit beside her.
"And, you don't have to sit on the floor, you're my guest." She jokes as she threw some more blankets over her.
Danielle instinctively fussed with a handful of blankets, rubbing her hands together through the fabric.
