Chapter Text
Haerin was doing everything possible to deny the... possibility that Danielle- her mortal enemy, could be SunshineKoala- her online best friend.
She sat frozen at the table, staring straight ahead without really seeing anything. The sounds of the café faded into a distant blur of clinking dishes and muffled conversations. Her mind felt caught in a loop, replaying the last thirty seconds over and over, searching desperately for some explanation that made more sense than the one currently staring her in the face. Her grip on her phone gradually loosened until it slipped from her fingers entirely, landing against the hardwood table with a sharp clack.
For a moment, neither of them moved.
Danielle remained near the entrance, one hand still wrapped around the strap of her bag, her phone clutched in the other. Her heart was beating so hard she could practically hear it. It felt ridiculous. She had known Haerin for years. She saw her almost every day- they argued constantly, they annoyed each other constantly.
How could Danielle be Sunshine?
Her sunshine?
The same Sunshine who listened to Haerin rant about her insecurities, the person she texted first whenever something funny happened- how could the person she ranted to after arguing with Danielle at school be... well, Danielle!?
The person who somehow understood her better than almost anyone else- the person she knew enough about to know that she loved whoever Sunshine was.
Danielle’s stomach twisted, because- for her, that person was also Haerin.
Haerin, who rolled her eyes every time Danielle spoke too loudly in class- the same girl, who acted annoyed whenever Danielle dragged her into conversations- Haerin, who looked at her like she was a walking headache.
The strange feeling Danielle had gotten during their recent project together, how talking to Haerin in person had started feeling less exhausting- instead, easier.
The realization landed with enough force to make her feel dizzy.
Across the café, Haerin finally lifted her head.
Their eyes met again.
Haerin looked completely lost. It was honestly the most vulnerable Danielle had ever seen her. The usual walls were gone. The sarcasm was gone, even the irritation Haerin always seemed to carry around Danielle was missing. There was only confusion.
As if her entire understanding of reality had just been ripped apart.
Which, Danielle supposed, was fair.
Haerin’s heart was pounding so hard she could feel it in her throat. Every instinct was screaming at her to say something, to stop Danielle before the moment slipped away, before the impossible truth sitting between them had a chance to disappear. Yet no words came. Her thoughts felt tangled together, a thousand pieces refusing to fit properly no matter how desperately she tried to force them.
Across the café, Danielle stared at her, her faint adams apple bobbing up as she swallowed the lump in her throat.
For one brief second, Haerin thought she saw recognition.
But- Danielle quickly broke eye contact just as quickly as she had initiated it, her eyes hardening.
“See you on Monday.” Danielle mumbled barely audible to Haerin. The words sounded strangely formal, as if she was deliberately creating space between them. Before Haerin could respond, Danielle turned to the door again and walked away. She tightened her grip on the metal bar of the cafe door and swung it open with gusto, walking out.
The bell above the café door chimed, once- then again. The afternoon sunlight spilled into the space Danielle stood momentarily before the door swung shut behind her. And just like that, she was gone
Neither of them was stupid, the timing- it was all too perfect to be a coincidence.
Haerin sat motionless at the table, the empty chair across from her looking somehow wrong. The small shop felt much larger and louder than it was a few minutes ago, chest weirdly hollow. The café continued business as usual around her, like nothing happened.
Haerin exhaled, shoulders slumping forward in confusion. Her brain was running wild, tens of thousands of thoughts- possibilities ran rampant in her mind, and she didn’t want to acknowledge any of them. She was too scared too.
Her phone buzzed against the wood, the sound cutting through her mental haze immediately.
Danielle.
It had to be Danielle, maybe she’d finally-
Haerin snatched her phone up, unlocking it with lightning-fast fingers. The notification made her stomach drop.
(1) One unread message from: SunshineKoala
Is she deadass? Was all Haerin could think while she stared at the message.
With shaky hands, she swiped open the message,
SunshineKoala: Sorry about that…
Haerin’s pulse quickened as she read the message, then a second one appeared.
SunshineKoala: Got caught up- can’t meet today, maybe another time?
That son of a… Haerin thought- Why was Danielle acting like this? Was It not obvious enough that SHES CoolCat515? Well- If she’s going to deny it, might as well join her. Knowing how hard headed that idiot Danielle is…
Begrudgingly, Haerin’s thumbs moved across the digital keyboard effortlessly, conjuring up some random response.
CoolCat515: Your good! I was busy today too.
Haerin winced at how stupid they sounded, when they were literally sending each other live updates of how far they were from the café minutes ago.
The upcoming Monday was one of the most dreaded days ever in Haerin’s life.
As a result of the weekends shenanigans, the chat between SunshineKoala and CoolCat515 has been radio silent, or rather- Danielle and Haerin, but the girls were still coming to terms with the realization.
The familiar hallways of the school, which were usually filled with harmless background noise felt suffocating, every locker slammed seemed to be louder than usually, every burst of laughter from a stupid freshman echoed longer than it should’ve, and every turn around a corner carried the possibility of running into each other- the person they’ve dreaded seeing all weekend.
Haerin arrived earlier than usual, hoping the few extra minutes would somehow settle the storm inside of her chest, well. It clearly didn’t- she stood at her locker blankly at the combination dial twisting it in random directions before noticing she wasn’t paying attention.
Her phone felt like the weight of a blue whale in her pocket, taunting her. Her notification center was drier than the Sahara Desert, no new messages- none from SunshineKoala, and none from Danielle. It’s the longest the ‘inseparable’ online friends had gone without speaking in nearly three years, and that hurt more than any argument or insults hurled at her by Danielle.
Danielle wasn’t doing much better, though she was still at home- she had spent twenty minutes standing in front of her bedroom mirror debating whether she should even show up or not.
Come on, Danielle! Just ditch for today- it’s your senior year! Live a little, wont cha? The voice in her head said, but was quickly vetoed by another one.
Ignoring Haerin on purpose is only going to make things worse between you guys, plus! You agreed to meet her again today for that Geography project!
Safe to assume, Danielle listened to the second voice.
In the end, she spent the entire walk to school thinking of every possibility- good and bad, maybe Haerin would expose her?
Danielle sighed, her fingernails digging into her palms hard enough to nearly draw blood- but her negative thoughts were cut by a familiar meow.
She looked down at her feet in front of her, stopping in her tracks- just for it to be that stupid orange tabby cat, and it's stupidly green eyes!
"Mrow," The cat purred, rubbing its flank on the fabric of Danielle's pants, its tail curling upwards and around Danielle's legs as if it were a vine.
"God, you again?" Danielle huffed, trying her best to convince herself that she was mad, but eventually she keeled over, leaning down and rubbing the soft fur affectionately.
The car purred happily at the touch, before lightly swatting at Danielle's hand as if to say, "That's enough!"
Danielle retracted her hand, dusting her hands off on her pants and continuing her way to school with the cat trailing close behind- no matter how much she tried to dislike it or push the feline away, it somehow found a way into her heart.
By the time the bell for Geography rang, Haerin was already tired of seeing Danielle. The pair had encountered each-other two times before their shared class, the first time being when Haerin was climbing out of her car that was parked coincidentally right next to the entrance Danielle walked through, their eyes locking from across the pavement before averting them, quickly finding something else to pretend to be interested in.
The second time came during passing period, Haerin had her airpods in- face down, as usual- hoping to have limited social interactions with anybody, when Danielle turned a corner with a stack of textbooks in her hands, (cliche, i know.) Students continued flowing around them like water splitting across two rocks in a river, until Danielle quietly stepped aside, letting Haerin pass. They didn't speak- didn't even look at each other, but Haerin caught a whiff of Danielle's floral perfume, the one she remembered SunshineKoala complaining about it being too expensive, but it was worth every cent.
But during AP European History, the one other class she shared with Haerin- Danielle couldn't focus at all.
Her mind was plagued with thoughts of Haerin, or… CoolCat515? Well- whoever it was, or maybe their the same person… it was frying her brain. She was confused, so- so confused on what to believe. In the past- Danielle thought that she would definitely have a crush on CoolCat515 if she knew them in person, hell- she liked CoolCat515 without even seeing them! As degenerate as it sounds, it was Danielle's harsh reality- but now that she knew who was behind the screen, she was unsure.
CoolCat515 was the most caring person Danielle knew, they volunteered- had the voice of an angel, (even if they had a voice changer on) and always managed to stay positive and cheer Danielle up.
But Haerin… it's insane how annoying she is to Danielle. Everyday she could feel that annoying head of hers making fun of Danielle whenever she got a question wrong, and don't even bring up the time she purposely over-chlorinated the pool just cause Danielle messed with her a bit! It makes Danielle mad just thinking about it.
The class settled into rhythm quite easily, the teacher calibrated the smart board and organized whatever worksheet they were going to do despite AP exams ending weeks ago, while students filtered into their seats. Danielle sat in her usual seat near the center of the room, taking her notebook out of her bag with more care than usual, trying to and failing miserably to focus on anything except the fact Haerin would walk through the door at any moment now.
Well, she didn't have to wait long- out of the corner of her eye, she caught the familiar figure entering the classroom- and watched as Haerin slowed for the briefest moment upon seeing Danielle already sitting, her face tightening almost imperceptibly before continuing to her desk.
Her desk that's sat directly in front of Danielle's.
Haerin considered sitting somewhere else, I mean- it's almost the end of the year, were graduating soon! Why should the teacher care if I sit somewhere else?
Her internal monologue was interrupted by their teacher clearing his throat, "Haerin."
Their teacher stood at the front of the room, attendance sheet in hand- looking mildly amused at his students turmoil, "You planning on sitting down for today's class?"
A few scattered laughs rippled through the classroom, and Danielle found herself thinking it wasn't all that funny,
Haerin realized she was standing still next to her desk, completely frozen in place- blood rushed to her face, flushing it red before her brain scrambled for something to say, "Right…"
She lowered herself into the chair hurriedly, bumping the desk roughly enough for her pencil to roll off the hardwood surface and clatter onto the floor. More quiet laughter followed, embarrassing Haerin further as she muttered an apology under her breath, bending down to retrieve it while keeping her eyes firmly on the tiled floor.
Danielle leaned forward as if to help but stopped herself halfway, awkwardly settling back into her own seat instead and acting as if she was just fixing her clothes. The tiny movement didn't go unnoticed on the other end, Haerin caught it just out of her peripheral vision before she straightened in her chair again.
The lesson eventually began, but the words coming from the bright screen in front of the classroom barely registered in Danielle's head, her notebook remained open to the first page- the days date written neatly across the top with too much highlighter with nothing written underneath it. Every few minutes her eyes would betray her, drifting to the back of Haerin's head before snapping back to the board, It was intentional- she just couldn't come to terms that the person sitting two feet in front of her was the same girl she'd spent years talking to until the sun came up.
"Danielle." The teacher suddenly spoke, jolting Danielle upright,
"Yes?"
He frowned slightly, "Would you mind answering the question?"
"Sorry… could you repeat it?"
"In Kant's Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysics of Morals, what is the Categorical Imperative?"
Danielle stared blankly, the room remaining silent for a few seconds before somebody sitting in the back snorted obnoxiously.
"I… uh," Danielle started- her mind blanking.
"Would anyone like to help her out?"
A hand shot into the air in front of her, Haerin's. Danielle felt her heart stumble.
"Take it away, Miss Kang." The teacher said smugly, clearly proud of how eager Haerin was.
"The Categorical Imperative is the principle that guides moral actions universally, Kant formulates it as, 'Act accordingly to that maxim whereby you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law.'" Haerin said smoothly, not missing a beat.
Her voice was familiar.
Danielle had fallen asleep to that voice before, voice changer or not- she recognized the similarities in how CoolCat and Haerin spoke, their prose- the deep breath they took in before speaking, she wasn't totally stupid.
Sometimes CoolCat would get tired of typing long explanations and simply hold the microphone button, rambling for five minutes straight about anything that annoyed her that day, and Danielle replayed those voice messages more times than she would ever admit, cause to her- hearing CoolCats voice made difficult days smaller.
How had she never connected it to Haerin?
"Excellent as always, Haerin. Thank you." Their teacher said, snapping Danielle back to reality.
"Of course," Haerin replied quietly, settling in her seat again.
Haerin could feel Danielle's annoyed gaze on the back of her head, and she decided to risk it- just a tiny glance wouldn't hurt, right? She turned every so slightly in her seat, just to be met with Danielle's already staring eyes.
Neither of them broke the eye contact, not this time. There was no annoyance in Haerin's expression, no challenge like usual whenever they caught each other staring. Danielle could see the same thoughts racing behind those dark eyes that had consumed her weekend.
Their teacher cleared his throat, and both girls whipped their heads to look at him so quickly you could hear the whip of wind from their hair, cheeks warming in perfect unison as the lesson resumed.
For the remainder of the class, neither Danielle or Haerin retained a single word, it all went in one ear and out the other, drowned out by the truth neither could keep pretending didn't exist.
Geography was another story, as usual.
To Haerin, Danielle was the weirdest girl that she knew.
But their teacher didn't know that, so it's pretty sucky that they were paired for that dumb geography project- how was she even supposed to face Danielle after all that's happened these past few days?
This had to be a dream, seriously- Danielle, as Sunshine?
Haerin begrudingly made her way to Geography, trying her best to walk as slowly as possible to try and stall for the few seconds she wouldn't have to be in a specific curly-haired girls presence.
But, just her luck- Danielle was sitting in her seat already, more like slouched- one leg bounced impatiently underneath the desk as absentmindedly chewed on bubblegum, despite the district-wide prohibition of it. Her notebook was open despite class not starting yet, and judging by her blank stare outside the window, she didn't seem to care.
Haerin slipped into her usual seat in front of Danielle, hoping that she didn't notice her or just not want to talk to her,
"Alright-" Their teacher began, clapping his hands together to draw the classes attention, "Since you guys already have partners and should've started the project over the weekend, I'm giving y'all a free period to plan your field photography assignment." He began- before dismissing the class.
"And also- actually talk to your partners," He said pointedly, totally not directed at the pair sitting in the back row.
Haerin turned in her seat to face Danielle, who was now looking directly at her. Haerin averted her gaze at the sudden eye contact, rubbing the back of her neck tentatively, "I guess…" She started- before closing her mouth again.
Danielle perked up at the girls words, "Guess what?"
"I guess we should… plan this." Haerin sighed, exhaling through her nose.
"I think… we could go to the overlook by the river trail." Danielle suggested, taking out her phone to pullup a map.
"You 'think'? Weren't you doing some planning on Saturday at the cafe?" Haerin said cautiously, testing the waters.
Danielle froze half way through taking out her phone at the mention of the cafe, "I- I uh, I did! Actually- I did do some planning."
Haerin's lips twitched upwards at the girl's confidence, "Oh yeah? Show me then."
Danielle tensed up- but nonetheless, she shuffled over closer to Haerin- letting the girl get a clear view of her phone's screen.
Their shoulders brushed together as Danielle angled the screen towards Haerin, the already small gap between them disappearing entirely, It was until then that Haerin how close they were- she was close enough to notice the warmth radiating from Danielle close enough that a few loose curls grazed the skin of Haerin's neck.
It was the smell that drew Haerin in, however- she considered her scent of smell pretty good, having a knack for identifying what somebody ate based off how their breath smelled, but Danielle smelled like clean laundry softened by flowers, subtle enough that Haerin doubted anyone sitting farther than an arms-length would be able to smell it. It wasn't overpowering, it was perfect- like sunshine clinging to freshly washed clothes after they'd been left outside to dry on a clothes line.
As Danielle pulled up the maps app on her phone, Haerin tore her eyes away from the screen for only a moment, but that turned out to be an even bigger mistake than just getting this close to Danielle in the first place. Her face was much closer than she'd expected, illuminated by the afternoon light spilling through the window to their left.
Haerin had always known that Danielle was pretty, she wasn't blind- no mater she pretended otherwise, but over the past 4 years- she'd only ever noticed it from a distance, usually when Danielle was hurling insults at her from across the classroom, or when Danielle would kick Haerin's chair to force the girl to turn around and face her. Up close was different, she could see the purse of Danielle's lips as she concentrated on finding whatever nonexistent planning she did, the way her long eyelashes casted faint shadows across her cheeks, and the small crease that appeared between her brows.
Haerin forgot they were supposed to be planning a Geography project at all, she simply watched Danielle exist beside her, so effortlessly stunning it annoyed her.
Danielle turned her head unexpectedly, their eyes meeting from only inches apart, "See! I told you I did planning-!" She huffed,
Haerin could barely register the words in her head, instead nodding shallowly as she heart stumbled so hard against her ribs that she jerked backwards as if she'd been stung.
"Hey, Kang- did you even listen to me that whole time?" Danielle pressured, eyes narrowing suspiciously.
Haerin snapped out of her stupor, realizing just how close she was to her rival, she shuffled her chair back, "Uh- yeah… I was listening."
"Yeah, right. Then what was I saying?" Danielle coerced, the tension from the past few hours seemingly gone now.
Haerin pursed her lips, she could come up with a lie- this should be easy! "Erm, something about the river trail, by that overlook."
Danielle wasn't completely sold, but decided to back off on her anyway.
"Okay, then it's settled, today- after school, you'll walk home with me so we can get my car, then we'll drive to the river trail." Danielle declared confidently.
"Hey, when the hell did I agree to all that?" Haerin argued, face scrunching up.
"Shut up, loser."
Across the classroom, Hanni watched them with the precision of an Iphone 14 Pro Max, her eyes zooming in on every interaction.
She leaned over to Minji without taking her eyes off the pair, "Don't they seem… different to you?" she whispered.
Minji's eyes followed Hanni's gaze, watching as Haerin leaned closer to look at Danielle's phone again, this time neither of them bothering to move away when their bodies touched.
"I give it a month, tops." Minji whispered.
"They aren't arguing today, didn't you see them last week? Haerin looked like she was gonna rip off Danielle's hair strand by strand, but look at her now!" Hanni huffed, puffing her cheeks.
"Good lord, what happened to them? I've never seen Haerin look so… at ease." Minji whispered back, covering her mouth with her hand- as if sharing top-secret information.
"Whatever, at least their happy… I just wish somebody looked at me how Haerin looks at Danielle!" Hanni whined, pulling her eyes off the two and looking at Minji.
"Hey, I'm right here!" Minji nearly yelled, earning a few looks from disgruntled classmates.
Lunch of course, Danielle's once favorite time of the day- was now the most dreaded one, because she knew all of her friends- Hanni, Minji, and Hyein… were going to absolutely fry her shit after canceling on them to meet, well. CoolCat515.
The moment she stepped through the cafeteria doors, she could feel Hanni's mischievous glare, watching as she got in line for food- then slowly approached their usual lunch table.
"There she is, how was your date with your little online friend?" Hanni smirked, resting her hand on the palm of her hand.
"Oh shut up, Hanni. You're just mad I canceled on you guys… which i'm sorry about, by the way." Danielle snarked- atleast the easy banter of her friends was as usual.
"Didn't answer her question." Hyein chimed in.
Danielle sucked in a breath, Damn it- can't get away from this one. "We uh… it was… fun, yeah. It was fun."
"Just fun?" Hyein teased, raising her eyebrow in suspicion, "Come on, Danielle. Tell us the details. Was he hot?"
"Well, it's… actually not a he." Danielle said sheepishly, shifting her weight under herself nervously.
"Oh… well- in that case, was she pretty?" Hyein continued, munching on whatever food the school gave out for that day.
"Okay- look, i'm gonna be completely honest with you guys, and you can't judge me for this- kay?" Danielle finally said, tired of dancing around the topic.
The other three nodded in unison, which only heightened Danielle's anxiety.
"I'm pretty sure… that CoolCat is actually… Haerin, like Kang Haerin."
Danielle's confession landed on the table with the grace of a brick flying through a window.
"Excuse me?" Hanni blinked.
Danielle rubbed her face, "See- this is why I didn't want to tell you guys…"
Minji was the first to notice Danielle was being completely serious, her smile slowly disappearing, "You're serious, arent you- is that why you guys were so close in class today?"
Danielle nodded weakly, "I think." she mumbled, ignoring the last part completely, were they really that close?
"You think?" Hanni repeated, her voice climbing an octave or two, "Danielle- that's not something you think! It's a yes or no thing, is it Haerin or not?" She exploded, before Hyein swiftly shushed her.
"I know, I know…" Danielle retaliated.
"Then why are you so unsure?" Hanni continued, despite Hyein's best efforts to calm the older.
Danielle let out an exhausted groan, dropping her forehead into her hands. "Because it's complicated, Hanni."
"Maybe," Hyein offered carefully, "Start from the beginning."
Danielle peeked up at the three of them through her hands before sighing, "So- as you guys already know… I've been talking to Cat for like 4 years now."
Three nods.
"And y'know, one night we realized we lived really close and finally decided to meet over the weekend."
"This seems pretty norma-" Minji began- but Hanni's hand slapped over her mouth before she could finish her sentence.
"So, I got to this cafe first, texted them that I was there, and texted them- I got a text back saying they were almost there, and lo and behold-"
Danielle's stomach twisted all over again just remembering it.
"I look up and Haerin walked into the cafe, see- I thought it was weird, but I figured she was just there for coffee or something!" Danielle huffed, throwing both hands into the air for seemingly no reason before letting them fall back onto the table with a defeated sigh.
The table remained quiet, though Danielle knew they were all silently thinking of all the outcomes.
"And… it was around lunchtime so it was pretty packed, and the booth I was sitting in was the only available seat, so naturally- she sat down in front of me."
"Your luck is just… horrible." Minji whispered, her eyebrows furrowing.
"I know, but Haerin looked just as confused as I was. We just kinda sat there and made small talk- before eventually we just ended up on our phones, and Haerin seemed to be typing."
Nobody dared interrupt her now,
"Then- a few moments later my phone buzzed, and I had a text from CoolCat, saying that they were running late, so I thought nothing of it."
The three girls collectively froze, Hanni's mouth slowly falling open.
"I thought it was some insane coincidence, and i'm guessing she did too, cause after that we both wanted to leave- and I was halfway out the door when Cat texted me and asked me what I was doing, and obviously- I said I was leaving a cafe. Then I looked up at Haerin and she was looking at me like a madwoman."
"You just…" Hyein gestured helplessly between them, "left her?"
"I left." Danielle affirmed with a nod.
"You left?!" Hanni nearly shouted.
"...But- I texted her, after I left." Danielle continued,
"What'd you say?"
"'Sorry... got caught up. Can't meet today, maybe another time?'"
Hyein stared at her in disbelief, "...You lied, you son of a- you seriously lied."
"I know i lied."
"...To the person who literally just watched you walk out."
"I know!"
Hanni buried her face in her hands, "Oh my god."
"I panicked!"
"You panicked so hard you tried gaslighting the poor girl?" Minji groaned- pinching her temple in exasperation.
"I was gaslighting myself too!" Danielle huffed, silencing the others.
Hyein burst into laughter first, quickly followed by Hanni, who had to grip the edge of the table to stop herself from falling off the bench. Even Minji couldn't keep a straight face anymore, quietly covering her mouth as she laughed.
"It's just…" Hanni wiped a tear from the corner of her eye, "Danielle- this is the stupidest thing you've ever done."
"...Do you think she knows who you are?" Minji asked after composing herself.
Danielle was quiet for several seconds, "I..."
She remembered Haerin's expression in the café.
The brief widening of her eyes, the almost imperceptible stiffness in her shoulders, the way she'd left immediately afterward.
"...I think she might."
Another silence settled over the group.
Hyein was the first to break it, "So..."she looked toward the opposite side of the cafeteria, "...Where is she?"
Danielle instinctively followed her gaze.
Across the crowded lunchroom, Haerin sat at her usual table with Yoonchae and Minjeong, from this distance, she looked exactly as she always did- calm, composed, almost detached from the noise around her. She picked absentmindedly at her lunch while one of her friends talked animatedly beside her, occasionally nodding along, but there was a subtle stiffness to her posture that Danielle had never noticed before.
As if sensing eyes on her, Haerin glanced up.
Across the cafeteria, their gazes locked.
Neither of them looked away immediately, but it lasted only a heartbeat.
Then Haerin quietly reached for her drink, lowered her eyes back to her tray, and continued eating as though nothing had happened.
Danielle's chest tightened, "...Yeah," she whispered, almost to herself.
"She definitely knows something- that stupid cat." She hissed under her breath, fist tightening in annoyance.
"Well," Minji began, swallowing whatever she had been eating- "You and Haerin seemed pretty cozy during class today, y'know- thats bold Danielle! She was practically eye-fucking yo-"
She was cut off by Danielle's palm hitting her cheek, putting an end to the conversation, poor Minji. Everyone seems to be hitting her today.
The final bell echoed through the halls, unleashing the familiar flood of students and letting them pour out of the classrooms and into the afternoon sunlight.
Haerin lingered outside of Danielle's last class, Music Theory, adjusting the strap of her camera bag while pretending she wasn't waiting for anybody- scrolling through the weather app and typing in her notes app to look busy enough for nobody to approach her. A few seconds later, Danielle stepped through the doorway with her notebook tucked beneath her arm, spotting Haerin standing by the lockers.
Danielle couldn't help the small smile from tugging at her lips, "You know," she called out as she approached Haerin, "if someone saw you standing there, they'd think you were waiting for me."
Haerin looked up from her phone without missing a beat, "I was waiting for you."
Danielle nearly walked straight into her locker, "Oh."
"We're supposed to work on the project," Haerin tilted her head- "Did you forget?"
"No!" Danielle answered, a little too quickly- "I just… wasn't expecting you to admit it."
Haerin shrugged, slipping her phone into the pocket of her jeans, "Well, we better get going… you took forever to pack up."
Danielle rolled her eyes dramatically before bumping Haerin's shoulder with her own, beginning to walk toward the front entrance.
The warm afternoon air greeted them as they stepped outside, the sun hanging low enough to cast long shadows across the courtyard, most of the students had scrammed- but some remained, piling into waiting cars while others walked into nearby suburbs. Danielle and Haerin naturally fell into step beside one another, neither questioning it.
"Where is he?" Danielle mumbled to herself, looking around to find something.
"Who're you looking for?" Haerin questioned, also turning and looking for whatever it was that Danielle was missing.
"Nothing… it's just- theres this stray cat that walks home with me, and usually it follow's me everyday…" Danielle admitted- her voice quieter than usual
"I'm sure their fine, Danielle. Probably chasing a squirrel or something." Haerin remarked, hoping to cheer up Danielle.
God, the line between CoolCat and Haerin was starting to get blurry for Danielle
They soon crossed the intersection just outside the school before turning into a quiet residential neighborhood lined with flowering trees, the noise of campus gradually fadidng behind them- replaced by the occasional bark of a dog somewhere in a backytard, and the rhythmic chirping of birds.
After several blocks, Haerin glanced sideways- "You… uh, you live far?"
Danielle laughed under her breath before continuing down the sidewalk, "My house is only another few minutes away."
True to her words, a few minutes later they turned onto another quiet street where the houses sat farther apart- each coming with front gardens and wide driveways, Danielle slowed in front of a cozy two-story house with white accents, flower boxes beneath each window, and a porch swing gently rocking in the breeze.
A bright orange tabby lay stretched across the sun-warmed concrete walkway leading to the front door, lazily opening one green eye as Danielle approached.
"There you are!" Danielle cheered, crouching immediately- scratching the soft fur beneath the cat's chin.
The cat answered with an impossibly loud purr before rubbing against her knee, noticing the presence behind Danielle.
Haerin's eyes narrowed at the sight of the cat, as if communicating telepathically with it. "What's their name?" she asked- not breaking the eye-contact between them.
The cats fur on it's spine raised, it's once soft demeanor turning angry as it hissed at Haerin, "Mroww.." 'Who are you? This is my human!
"It's a stray- I haven't named him… or her, yet." Danielle replied- watching as Haerin and the cat began glaring at eachother.
Haerin's eyebrows furrowed- now, she couldn't exactly understand the feline, but she got the gist of what it was trying to say. She squatted down, looking down at the angry cat with her just as angry cat-eyes, "Hey, what's your problem, huh?"
"Rrow.." Back off!
"Haerin, how rude are you? Seriously, are you about to duke it out with this cat?" Danielle fussed, nudging Haerin's shoulder in attempt to back her off.
Haerin only leaned in closer- eye to eye with the cat now, whispering something she made sure only her and the cat would hear, "There can be only one… only one cat in Danielle's life, and it's me." She hissed.
Haerin stood up abruptly after saying that, dusting off her pants. "I think they like me, and let's get those car keys now." She hummed nonchalantly.
The cat seized the moment, scurrying away with it's tail in between its legs.
Danielle shuffled closer to Haerin as the cat ran by, and it was only when the front door suddenly opened behind them that they both jumped apart.
"Danielle?" Her mom called from the doorway, "Ah, there you are- I thought I heard your voice!"
Danielle stood so quickly, she nearly dropped her backpack. "Oh- uh, yeah! Just grabbing my car keys!"
Her mom looked between Danielle and Haerin, then back again- a knowing smily slowly spreading across her face, "I'll leave the keys on the counter,"
She disappeared back inside before Danielle could respond, while the daughter in question buried her face in her hands, "She definitely got the wrong idea."
"Did she?"
"Don't even start…" Danielle sighed.
They climbed the porch steps together, Danielle fishing her house key from the front pocket of her backpack. The moment the front door swung open, the comforting smell of dinner drifted out into the afternoon air, something with garlic and herbs. It made Danielle realize she hadn't eaten since lunch.
The house was quiet besides the faint sound of music playing somewhere deeper inside- family photos lined the hallway walls, documenting birthdays, vacations, school portraits, and countless moments Danielle had completely forgotten about. Haerin's eyes wandered over them instinctively as she slipped off her backpack near the entrance.
"Nice haircut." Haerin whispered, looking at Danielle's middle school picture.
"Can I be embarrassed any further?" Danielle groaned.
A laugh echoed from the kitchen, "So, this is Haerin?"
Danielle froze, "Mom-!"
Her mom leaned casually against the kitchen doorway, drying her hands on a dish towel- she looked exactly like Danielle, but aged like fine wine, and Haerin almost considered saying, "I didn't know Danielle had a sister." but realized she was just gonna sound more like a douchebag in front of Danielle.
She smiled warmly at Haerin before looking back at her daughter, a look of amusement already spreading across her face.
"Ah, you know… it's nice to finally meet the girl I've heard so much about!"
Danielle's soul left her body.
Haerin looked over at Danielle, giving her a look that said, "What is she talking about?"
Danielle whipped around to face her mom, "I have never… ever talked about her!"
Her mom raised an eyebrow, "You mean I imagined all those stories? I'm not old enough to have dementia."
Danielle's soul drained from her body, but she pushed further- "What stories are you talking about?"
"Oh, the one you told me last week! The field full of cats…"
"Mom!" Danielle tried to interject, clearly not expecting her mom to remember that.
"The photos you accidentally took, hey- I actually printed them out for yo-"
"Okay!" Danielle practically shouted, rushing toward the kitchen island, "I'm done here! I'm gonna go get my keys!"
She disappeared around the corner before another word could leave the woman who gave birth to hers mouth.
Haerin stood awkwardly near the front door, shifting under her two feet uncomfortably, unsure whether to laugh or pretend she didn't hear any of that.
"Sorry about that, I just got excited to finally put a face to the name, " Danielle's mother smiled apologetically at Haerin, "I've been hearing about you since Freshman Orientation."
"Not good things, I imagine." Haerin hummed, she couldn't help but smile.
"Well, yeah… but now, she smiles while complaining." Her mom continued, lowering her voice.
Fortunately, Danielle came hurrying back down the hallway at the exact moment- car keys jingling loudly in one hand, "Found them!" she announced, a little too enthusiastically.
Danielle took Haerin's arm in her own, swinging open the front door in an attempt to finally get them out.
The inside of Danielle's car smelled faintly of the fresh laundry and flowery scent Haerin had smelt earlier that day, with the lingering sweetness of an air freshener she'd clipped on months ago. Haerin quietly buckled her seatbelt while Danielle adjusted the mirrors, both of them suddenly becoming interested in anything but looking at each other to avoid any more embarrasment.
Danielle slipped the key into the ignition, and the engine roared to life, "You can have the aux," she offered, gesturing toward the scene in the center of the dashboard, "I have spotify downloaded on there- so just search up your account and play one of your playlists or something."
Haerin connected her phone, scrolling through her music library before settling on "Dontcha" By The Internet, the first few beats filling the car- clearly shocking Danielle by how upbeat it was. She tapped her fingers absentmindedly against the steering wheel as she pulled away from the curb, stealing one quick glance toward Haerin.
"I thought you would pick something depressing,"
I can be your fantasy, while you're dancing alone tonight (yeah)
Or you can be my majesty, got me running for you
Haerin looked over, "What makes you think I listen to depressing music?"
Said we ain't got to take it slow
Here's what you do to me (yeah)
"Well I- I just didn't take you for a… love song typa person." Danielle chirped, her face suddenly warm.
I think it's time to take control
Girl I just want to love you
"I'm not, usually… just a big fan of The Internet, and I felt this song was fitting." Haerin replied, resting her elbow on the windowsill.
Bad you want to give it I want to give it to you
I know you won't admit it but at least I know the truth
Danielle nearly choked on her own spit, "Hey- what do you mean by that? I still hate you!"
The way you move around me there's something seductive to it
Got a place we can go if you're down
"Yeah, sure- Sunshine."
They were both quiet after that, their silence filling the car save for the occasional Alexa giving directions and the heavenly vocals by Syd. The neighborhood gradually began to disappear behind them as Danielle merged onto the main road leading out of town. The late afternoon sunlight filtered through rows of trees lining the streets, flickering across the windshield in warm golden flashes whenever they passed beneath branches, stores eventually gave way to scattered houses, then open fields with cows grazing them, until eventually the road narrowed into a winding uphill stretch.
Cause basically I, I just wanna ride with you
I gotta get you, 'cause I just wanna vibe with you
Let's find some place to go
'Cause I just gotta to know if you want me too
Dontcha want me?
The river trail parking lot was nearly empty when they arrived, with only three other cars scattered across the gravel- the surrounding woods muffling nearly every sound except for the occasional birdsong drifting through the trees. Danielle parked beneath the shade of a towering oak tree, before switching off the engine- leaving them in silence as the music faded away.
Danielle unbuckled her seatbelt, "Okay, come on- before we start living in my car."
Haerin climbed out after her, immediately greeted by the cool breeze rolling off the river beyond the trees, the air smelled completely different than back in town, cleaner- carrying the smell of damp earth, pine, and fresh water.
Danielle popped open the trunk, retrieving Haerin's camera bag to hand it to her, watching as she slung it over one shoulder. Haerin checked that an extra battery and memory card were tucked inside, than clipped the camera around her neck with practiced familiarity.
"Actually-" Haerin paused, unclipping the camera from her neck and taking off the camera bag, holding it out to Danielle.
"I'll let you use it today."
Danielle's face lit up in a way Haerin has never seen before, and she watched absentmindedly- noticing how Danielle seemed to change the moment the camera was in her hands, her posture straightening ever so slightly.
The trail began as a gentle dirt path winding beneath a canopy of towering oaks and evergreens, the branches overhead weaving together until they filtered the afternoon sunlight into scattered patches of gold across the ground. Every step was accompanied by the quiet crunch of gravel beneath their shoes, while somewhere off to their right, hidden behind rows of trees and thick undergrowth, the river flowed steadily over smooth rocks.
Danielle instinctively slowed her pace after only a few minutes, because she kept finding things worth photographing. She crouched beside clusters of tiny purple wildflowers growing through cracks in the rocks, paused to capture sunlight shining through the leaves overhead, and even stopped to photograph a weathered wooden bridge stretching across a narrow stream that fed into the river below. Every time she lifted her camera, the world around her seemed to disappear.
Haerin stood several feet away, watching her quietly- "I don't think our teacher mentioned anything about flowers."
"You just don't see the vision." Danielle retorted- pretending to think very hard.
Haerin shook her head, smiling to herself as Danielle happily continued documenting what she insisted were "the little things people usually missed." She found it strangely endearing, watching Danielle become so absorbed in something she loved, the same girl who couldn't sit still through a twenty-minute lecture could spend five minutes trying to capture sunlight reflecting off a puddle.
They continued farther along the trail, the sound of the river gradually growing louder as the path curved closer to the water. Through breaks in the trees, flashes of sunlight danced across its surface, turning the moving current into ribbons of silver. Fallen leaves drifted lazily downstream while dragonflies skimmed just above the water, disappearing almost as quickly as they appeared. Every so often a squirrel darted across the trail ahead of them, disappearing into the underbrush before Danielle could even think about grabbing her camera.
"I swear every animal waits until I'm not ready," Danielle complained, her eyebrows furrowing in disappointment as yet another attempted photo of an animal ended up becoming a blur.
"They're just camera shy." Haerin doted, shoving her hands into her pockets.
The trail gradually became steeper as it climbed away from the water, twisting through thicker woodland where towering ferns covered the forest floor- exposed roots crossed the path like uneven steps, forcing them to slow their pace as they carefully made their way upward. Danielle huffed dramatically every few minutes, insisting the incline was getting worse with every turn, while Haerin walked beside her with infuriating ease.
The path leveled out a few minutes later before opening into a small clearing where a weathered wooden sign pointed toward the overlook. Beyond it, the trees began to thin, allowing warm afternoon sunlight to spill freely across the trail. A gentle breeze rolled through the opening ahead, carrying with it the unmistakable scent of fresh water and wildflowers.
"We're almost there," Haerin said- watching carefully as the girl next to her slowed down for another photo.
The overlook revealed itself gradually rather than all at once. First came the railing, stretching between the trees ahead. Then the sky opened up beyond it, an endless wash of soft blue interrupted only by distant hills. Finally, as they stepped fully onto the wooden platform, the entire valley unfolded beneath them.
Danielle stopped walking.
The town stretched across the landscape below like something lifted from a painting. Rows of rooftops caught the afternoon sun, reflecting warm shades of gold and amber while tree-lined streets wound gently between neighborhoods. The river they had been following curved gracefully through the valley, sparkling wherever sunlight touched its surface before disappearing beyond the horizon.
The breeze swept across the overlook, carrying the distant sounds of rushing water and rustling leaves up from the valley below. Danielle stepped closer to the railing, resting both hands against the smooth wood as she simply... looked.
But Haerin watched her instead of the view.
The sunlight caught in Danielle's curls, turning the edges almost golden as the wind gently pushed loose strands across her face. There was something peaceful about her expression, something Haerin had never seen inside the walls of their school.
They stayed on the overlook long after the excitement of arriving had faded.
The afternoon had begun slipping quietly toward evening, the sunlight softening into a warm amber that washed over the valley below. A cool breeze rolled steadily through the trees, Danielle sat on the edge of the wooden bench with her legs dangling over the edge- while Haerin sat beside her- the camera on the far edge of the bench, forgotten. They had come for the project, but not a single photo had been taken in almost twenty minutes.
Haerin tucked her legs up to her chest, resting her chin on her knees- watching the birds drift lazily over the town below, "Can I ask you something?"
Danielle nodded once, "Ask away,"
Haerin sucked in a deep breath before asking, looking out across the valley, where the river reflected streaks of gold from the lowering sun, "You're SunshineKoala- aren't you?"