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 few days passed with a strange, tentative ease. Haerin and Danielle didn't pick up right where they left off, but they didn't stay frozen either. There was an unspoken understanding now—a mutual effort to rebuild trust, one conversation at a time. Though they both felt the weight of the past week's tension, there was something else there too: a quiet hope that they could make it work.
Haerin found herself looking forward to the small things. The way Danielle always knew when she needed a break from her homework and would show up with snacks and a cheesy movie. The way she kept her distance, giving her space when she seemed lost in thought, but never truly backing off. She was trying. And, to her surprise, so was she.
It wasn't perfect. There were moments when old habits crept in—Haerin would catch herself overthinking or second-guessing every word she said, and Danielle still sometimes seemed distant when she was lost in her own thoughts. But they were talking, and that was more than they had done before. They were slowly finding a new rhythm together. —
On Thursday, during lunch, Haerin is with her usual group, nibbling on a chips and trying to focus on the conversation around her.
But her eyes kept drifting to Danielle, sitting across the cafeteria at her usual table with Minji and a few other guys from the Music Club. Danielle was laughing at something Winter had said, her hands animated as she talked. Haerin couldn't help but smile to herself. The sight of her, so effortlessly herself, made her feel a strange kind of peace. She liked seeing her like this—happy, surrounded by friends, but also... still there, when she needed her.
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"Haerin, you're staring," whispered hyein from across the table, her grin teasing.
Haerin face flushed, and she quickly looked down at her chips, trying to act casual. "I wasn't staring."
"Uh-huh. Sure, keep telling yourself that," Hyein teased, nudging her. "You two are getting all cute, aren't you?"
Haerin laughed awkwardly, but inside, her heart fluttered. She still wasn't sure what exactly was happening between her and Danielle. It was all still so new—fragile, almost. But there was something that made her want to keep trying, to keep pushing forward.
