Chapter Text
Every little thing she does is magic
Everything she do just turn me on
Even though my life before was tragic
Now I know my love for her goes on, - The Police
Haerin and Danielle hate each other, and it was pretty well known by just about everybody at their school.
Despite their rivalry, Danielle and Haerin sat directly together. Danielle behind Haerin, Haerin in-front of Danielle. This unfortunate seating arrangement would lead to spitballs being stuck in Haerin’s hair almost everyday, and Haerin leaning back into Danielle’s space.
They were like cat and dog, Danielle hated how Haerin never took her nose out of her notebook, or the way whenever they had a presentation Haerin would stand there awkwardly. Haerin hated how loud Danielle was, especially when something bad was going on, and how she was all smiles, without a care in the world.
This rivalry had gone on for 4 years. From Freshman year, all the way to Senior year. Danielle made Haerin’s study time hell, and in retaliation Haerin would go out of her way to find a way to fuck up Danielle’s sports practice, like over chlorinating the swimming pool- frying Danielle’s hair and making her eyes red. (Which almost got her kicked off the team since the coach thought she was high.)
But what they didn’t know, was that they loved each other. Through a screen of course.
CoolCat515, Or Haerin
And SunshineKoala, or Danielle.
CoolCat515 and SunshineKoala had met on weirdly enough, the game Genshin Impact.
It all began when CoolCat515 had requested to join SunshineKoala’s server, trying to farm items to max out her main, Kirara.
Danielle had let her in, and the two began to chat from there- eventually exchanging Discords, and it was history. They had been friends for 4 years, the same amount of time they had hated each other in real life.
Their friendship transcended Genshin, and they would play all kinds of games together. Roblox, Minecraft, Fortnite, Mario Kart, you name it- they played it. All of their video calls were used with voice changers, of course. Haerin took on the voice of a deep voiced guy, while Danielle’s was high pitched enough to make somebody’s ears ring.
Only, Danielle actually thought CoolCat515 was a guy.
It was the final semester of senior year, and Geography was the only class keeping Danielle from having a respectable GPA.
Which was unfortunate, because Geography was also the class she cared about the least.
The room buzzed with the usual after-lunch energy. Half the students were talking over one another, a few were secretly on their phones beneath their desks, and several looked seconds away from falling asleep. Danielle belonged firmly in the last category. She sat slumped in her chair, chin resting in her palm, absentmindedly spinning a pencil between her fingers while staring out the window.
Directly in front of her sat Kang Haerin.
Unfortunately.
The back of Haerin’s head had occupied most of Danielle’s Geography experience for the past four years. If Danielle had to guess, she’d spent more time looking at Haerin’s dark hair than she’d spent looking at actual maps.
Not by choice, of course.
Mostly because Haerin always sat directly in front of her. And because whenever Danielle got bored, which was often, bothering Haerin became significantly more entertaining than paying attention.
Today’s victimized notebook had somehow survived the entire period untouched.
Mostly because Danielle was tired- or she was just feeling kind today. The teacher clapped his hands loudly at the front of the room.
“Alright, everyone. Eyes up here.”
A collective groan rippled through the classroom. Danielle sat up slightly.
Haerin continued writing in her notebook without looking up.
The teacher sighed, “Since it’s our final semester, we’re going to be starting a long-term project.”
Now that got everyone’s attention. Several students immediately looked at one another. A project this late into senior year was never good news.
The teacher clicked to the next slide on the projector.
In giant bold letters were the words:
SEMESTER PROJECT - WORTH 75% OF FINAL GRADE
The entire class erupted.
“SEVENTY-FIVE PERCENT?”
Danielle’s soul left her body. Seventy-five percent.
Her current grade sat somewhere between “WHAT THE HELL!?” and “disowned.” If she bombed this project, graduation was going to become a very stressful conversation.
The teacher raised both hands.
“Relax. It’s actually a pretty simple assignment.”
Nobody believed him.
He continued anyway.
“The goal is to find places you consider beautiful. You and your partner will spend the semester documenting locations around town, taking photographs, writing reflections, and creating a final presentation about what beauty means to you.”
The complaints immediately died down.
Danielle straightened in her chair.
Maybe this was manageable. She was good at taking photos, she liked exploring.
And if she got paired with Hanni, this would basically become an excuse to hang out after school. And this might actually save her grade- since Hanni definitely had a better grade in Geography then she did.
“You will be working in pairs.”
The room exploded again.
Immediately students began turning toward their friends. Hanni twisted around in her seat from across the room and gave Danielle a hopeful thumbs-up. Danielle pointed back at her. Please let it be Hanni.
The teacher looked around at the chaos.
“No.”
The entire room froze.
“No choosing your partners.” Achorus of complaints filled the classroom.
“Because if I let you choose, half of you wouldn’t do any work.”
Darn it.. it’s almost like he read my mind.
The teacher pulled up a random wheel generator on the projector.
Instantly the room filled with nervous laughter.
“FUCKKK!!” Somebody yelled, to which the teacher.. weirdly didn’t react.
Danielle watched the colorful wheel appear on screen.
Her stomach dropped. Across the room, Hanni looked equally horrified.
The first pairing appeared.
“Haewon and Lily.”
Cheers.
The second.
“Minjeong and Jimin.”
More cheering.
The third.
“Ryujin and Yeji.”
The classroom somehow got even louder. Danielle frowned. Everyone was getting lucky. Surely that meant she would too.
The names continued disappearing from the wheel one by one.
Every successful pairing made Danielle more hopeful.
Until finally—
“Hanni and Minji.”
The room applauded.
Hanni gave Danielle an apologetic look. Danielle slowly lowered her head onto her desk.
She lifted her head and counted the names remaining.
Four, Her, Haerin, Hyein, Sullyoon.
Danielle immediately began praying, she wasn’t particularly religious, but this felt like an emergency.
Please let it be Hyein, or Sullyoon. Literally anyone.
Anyone except-
The wheel spun.
Slower.
Danielle sat on the edge of her seat.
The pointer drifted past Sullyoon, past Hyein.
For one beautiful second, it looked like it would stop.
Then it kept moving. Straight onto Haerin’s name. The classroom went silent. A beat passed. Then-
“NO.”
Danielle shot to her feet. At the exact same moment, Haerin stood up too.
“WHAT?” Danielle yelled.
“Absolutely not, I’m not working with her! She’s gonna make me fail.” Haerin said immediately.
Several students burst into laughter. The teacher rubbed his temples, “Girls-“
“No, seriously,” Haerin interrupted. “I think the wheel glitched.”
“It did not glitch.”
Danielle pointed aggressively at the projector, “Spin it again.”
“I’m not spinning it again.”
“Please?”
Haerin clasped her hands together dramatically, “Just once.”
“No.”
“One more spin.”
“No.”
“Best two out of three?” Danielle tried, making a rock paper scissors gesture.
The class lost it. Students were practically falling out of their chairs laughing. After four years of witnessing Danielle and Haerin’s rivalry, nobody could have invented a funnier outcome.
The teacher waited for the laughter to die down,
It didn’t.
Eventually he spoke over it.
“The pairing is final.”
Danielle dropped back into her chair like she’d just received devastating medical news. Haerin looked equally horrified. Around the room, students were already whispering.
“Enemies to lovers!??”
“They are genuinely gonna kill each other.”
Danielle buried her face in her hands. Of all the people. Of all the possible partners. The universe had somehow chosen the one person she couldn’t stand. And judging from the way Haerin was staring at the wall like she was reconsidering every life choice she’d ever made, the feeling was completely mutual.
The teacher glanced at the clock, “Alright. Since we’re starting today, use the rest of the period to discuss ideas with your partners.”
The classroom instantly dissolved into conversation. Everyone turned toward their assigned partner. Everyone except Danielle and Haerin. For several long seconds, neither moved. Then, very slowly, Danielle looked up.
Haerin turned around in her seat.
The silence between them was almost impressive.
Finally, Danielle sighed dramatically, “My luck is actually terrible.”
“For once, I agree with you.” Haerin mumbled, shutting her notebook.
“Ugh.. You better not mess this project up, Kang. Im failing this class.” Danielle sighed, leaning back in her chair and groaning.
“It’s not my fault you’re failing! Maybe if you didn’t spend the whole time bothering me you would get some of the material through your thick skull.” Haerin shot back, her eyes giving Danielle a death stare.
“Excuse me? You’re the one who distracts me all day in class!” Danielle hissed, putting a hand on her chest dramatically.
“How can I distract you if I’m not even looking at you?”
“W-well, it’s .. it’s-“ Danielle stuttered her eyes darting around Haerin’s face, trying to find something bad about Haerin’s appearance to annoy her about, but every part of her seemed to be perfect.
“It’s- your eyes! Yeah, your eyes!”
“What-!? That’s like, my favorite thing about my face.”
Danielle- who imagined Haerin saying ‘Thats my least favorite part of my face,’ smiled in victory.
“Yeah, mine too. You priss.”
Haerin stood at her shocked for a moment.
“Well, what about my eyes do you hate so much?” Haerin snarked, was Danielle stupid? Actually, she probably is if she’s failing Geography.
“They.. they’re like a cat’s. So sharp, they pierce into my own.” Danielle concluded, sounding like that was a good thing rather than a bad one.
“You’re such an idiot.” Haerin sighed, leaning back.
“Well, whatever! Let’s talk about the project now.. Please take it seriously. If I fail this class i’m gonna die!” Danielle redirected.
Haerin almost laughed right in Danielle’s face, was she.. really begging right now? Haerin puffed up her chest, feeling a sense of pride- since she was one of the top students in their class.
“Hm, I guess i’ll help you, what did we have to do on this assignment anyway..?” Haerin said nonchalantly, pulling up a map on her phone.
“Find a place in the city that you and your partner think is beautiful, then take a photo of it.” Danielle said, retelling what she had heard the teacher say.
“This is so easy! I’m uh, actually.. busy today, gonna play games after school with somebody, so we’ll have to begin tomorrow.” Haerin grinned, remembering that she would get to play games with SunshineKoala tonight.
“Pshh, I wonder what games a loser like you would play, maybe something like.. ‘write in your notebook?’ you do it all day, anyway.” Danielle sneered, while internally thanking whatever God was up there that she wouldn’t have to miss out on her and CoolCat515’s game session tonight.
“Oh, shut up, I bet you haven’t even HEARD of the games i’ve played, they’re too unheard of for your little mainstream brain.” Haerin bragged, leaning forward.
“Oh yeah? Name one.”
“Persona.” Haerin whispered confidently.
“Hah, played already.” Danielle hummed, crossing her arms.
“Every Persona game?” Haerin pressed.
“Yeah, obviously. Me and my friend did a full play through of every game together.”
Weird, her and SunshineKoala did too, but everybody has done that with friends anyways. Haerin decided to press harder.
“How do you do a play through with your friend if Persona is a story game? It’s not a multiplayer.” Haerin grinned, she knew she had Danielle in her control now.
“Trick question, we would call and screenshare while one of us played. The other would look up the codes and answers for things on the wiki page.” Danielle said flawlessly, not a single stutter in her voice.
“You’re good.. I actually did the same with my friend recently too.” Haerin huffed, accepting defeat.
The bell rang, and Danielle jumped out of her seat, eager to get home and hop on the game with CoolCat515.
She dashed home, greeting her mom on her way up the stairs, and rushing to turn on her pc. Danielle opened Discord, seeing that CoolCat515 was still offline, she started a discord call, listening to the familiar beat of it as she waited for her to join.
“Sunshine!” CoolCat515 greeted, her voice changer on.
“Cat! You ready to play?” Danielle said excitedly, if she had a tail it would be wagging like crazy.
“Yeah, just give me a sec.. gotta research something for this school project i’m doing.. so stupid.” CoolCat515 sighed, the click of her keyboard audible through her mic.
“No way! Im doing a project in school too.. It’s worth like.. a-lot of my grade, and I can’t mess it up since I’m failing.” Danielle mumbled, suddenly thinking about things she could do to get her grade up. Maybe stay after school to clean the room?
“Gosh, I hate projects. And my partners a total douche! I hate her.” CoolCat515 mumbled, her voice low.
“Oh my gosh! What a coincidence! I hate my partner too, shes such a prick. Im gonna give her a codename, actually.. Prick is perfect. It’s too bad our project is all semester long.” Danielle grinned, her smile audible through the mic.
“Well, Sunshine.. in your case I guess all you can do is work with her as much as possible. You might not be able to graduate.” CoolCat advised.
“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” Danielle agreed.
CoolCat was so cool! He seemed like such a smart and likable person, the total opposite of Haerin. Danielle really looked up to CoolCat.. He was smart, gives advice, talks Danielle through games she’s never played before, and his voice.. it made Danielle shiver. If Danielle didn’t know better, she would think she was deep in love with CoolCat515.
Danielle and Haerin ended up playing Fortnite together until 3am, the cause being Danielle saying “We can’t end the night on a loss!”
Then somehow the clock said 2:47 AM.
Haerin had laughed so hard at one point that she’d nearly fallen out of her chair after Danielle accidentally launched herself off a cliff while trying to throw a healing item.
Danielle had spent the next five minutes insisting it was lag.
It wasn’t.
By the time they finally said goodnight, both of them were half-asleep.
“Goodnight, Cat.”
“Goodnight, Sunshine.”
The call ended.
Neither of them noticed they were both smiling.
Danielle dragged herself out of bed after her alarm had gone off six separate times.
She stared at her reflection in the mirror, yawning and stretching.
“…Oh my god.” She whispered, touching her face.
Dark circles, messy hair. A wrinkle running across her cheek from her pillow.
She looked like she’d survived a natural disaster.
Danielle got changed quickly rushing out of the house with a piece of toast in her mouth. She was feeling like an anime protagonist on their way to school when she dropped it in the middle of a sidewalk, a orange tabby cat with green eyes coming in and swooping it up in it’s mouth.
It sat in the middle of the sidewalk like it owned the place, munching happily on Danielle’s breakfast like a mob boss. A small orange tabby cat with strikingly green eyes, its ear torn.
Danielle stopped walking, staring at the cat and blinking at it for a few moments. She eventually walked around it, continuing on her way to school. That should’ve been the end of the whole interaction.
A few moments later, Danielle heard soft pawsteps behind her. Glancing over her shoulder, she noticed the same orange cat following her.
“What do you want?” She questioned, like the cat would answer.
The cat blinked, “mrow”
“I’m not feeding you. Or petting you. You probably have fleas.” Danielle huffed, setting up boundaries to a cat she just met.
The cat blinked at her, Danielle sighed and walked faster- only so did the cat, the tiny pawsteps becoming faster. Danielle turned a corner, so did the cat. Danielle crossed the street, the cat was a step behind her. As they walked, the cat constantly rubbed its head on Danielle’s leg, begging and purring loudly for pets- which it never got.
By the time she reached the school, she was out of breath and doubled over, but the cat was still trailing behind her. The cat yawned, then wandered away like it didn’t just follow Danielle for a mile.
“Weirdo..” she mumbled, then headed into school and promptly forgot about it.
Danielle stumbled into class looking like a ghost. Her usually perfect hair was barely brushed.The bright energy she carried around every day had vanished. Instead, she looked like she was operating entirely on instinct.
She collapsed into her seat.
Face first, directly onto the desk- her backpack falling off the shoulder it was slung on.
The impact made a loud thunk.
Haerin arrived moments later.
She dropped into the seat in front of Danielle and immediately rested her forehead against her hand.
The dark circles beneath her eyes were impossible to miss.
Haerin turned to look at Danielle, eye-bags around her sharp feline eyes. “Well, what’s got your panties in a twist today, prissy?”
Danielle shifted her head, still on the table but looking at Haerin, she opened one eye- “Shut up, you prick…” Danielle groaned, sitting up properly and looking at Haerin.
Haerin froze, a prick? That was weird, like really weird. Sunshine called her that whenever she got angry, whenever she stole her loot or kill, whenever they argued during games. That’s what Sunshine called her- oh whatever, what’re the chances? There’s 8 billion people in the world, it’s not like she’s the only prick.
“If i’m a prick, you’re a cactus.” Haerin shot, taking her index finger and pressing it into the middle of Danielle’s chest forcefully.
“Ow.. you son of a-“ Danielle began to sit up, about to leap over her table and rip off Haerin’s hair, but the teacher walked in, and she sat down as fast as she had stood up.
A collective groan spread across the classroom, eager to see the action. But the Geography teacher looked just as tired as everybody else.
“Morning, guys.”
Crickets.
“Uhm, okay.. Tough crowd! Anyways, how’re the projects going?”
The room began crawling with life, students discussing locations, people bragging about all the pretty spots they had found. Hiking trails, beaches, parks, places they visited with their partners. While the only location Danielle found last night was a POI in Fortnite.
Danielle slumped in her seat, Right. The project, With Haerin. She glanced over Haerin’s shoulder, watching as she was writing something in her notebook, as usual.
“Whaddya doing?” Danielle slurred,
“Planning. For the project.” Haerin said, her pencil flowing, not even looking up
“Ugh.. of course you are. Honestly- Haerin, don’t you think you’re taking this project too seriously?” Danielle sighed.
“Danielle.” Haerin stopped, shuffling her chair to face Danielle directly.
“This project is worth 75% of our grade.”
“Uh, okay.”
“You’re failing.”
“You think I didn’t know that?”
“If you mess this up, you might not graduate.”
Danielle sat up straighter in her chair.
“Yup, exactly.” Haerin nodded- turning back around
Haerin grinned, it wasn’t everyday she gets to see her mortal enemy suffering. Danielle looked like a mess, her hair was ruffled, she had dark circles under her eyes, and her clothes were wrinkly. But Haerin couldn’t help but feel a wicked kind of endearment. It felt refreshing to see Danielle, who was always picture perfect and energetic, be messy and tired.
For the rest of class, Danielle found herself watching Haerin more than she wanted to admit.
It was annoying, just like how everything about her is annoying.
The way she constantly tapped her pencil. The way she pushed her hair behind her ear while reading. The way she squinted whenever she concentrated.
The way-
Wait.
Why was she noticing all that?
Danielle frowned.
Maybe she was just bored.
That had to be it.
At lunch, her friends, Hanni, Minji, and Hyein- instantly knew that Danielle was deeply disturbed by something. Judging by the way Danielle was quiet as a mouse. Which is unusual, since she’s like.. the bubbliest person known to man. Sunlight poured through the tall windows lining one side of the room, reflecting off rows of tables packed with students enjoying their lunch break. Conversations blended together into a constant hum, occasionally interrupted by bursts of laughter or the screech of chair legs against the floor. The smell of pizza, fries, and whatever mystery entrée the cafeteria was serving today hung heavily in the air.
Danielle sat down on the cafeteria bench dramatically, practically slamming down her tray with a huff, the chunky school milk jumping a bit. Across from her sat Hanni, while Hyein and Minji occupied the seats beside them. The four of them had been eating lunch together for years, long enough that they barely had assigned spots anymore. Somehow they always ended up in the same arrangement regardless.
“Uh, Dani? You okay..?” Minji inquired, leaning forward from where she was sitting to talk to her.
“No! No! Im perfectly fine.” Danielle snorted, crossing her arms so aggressively her plastic fork rattled against her tray.
Across the table, Hyein and Hanni exchanged a look. It was the kind of look people developed after years of friendship- the silent kind that carried entire conversations.
Is this about Haerin again? Hyein mouthed.
Hanni gave a firm nod.
Definitely.
Neither of them were surprised.
Hanni cleared her throat, “Dani- I’m sure it won’t be that bad! Haeri- I mean, she who shall not be named is one of the smartest in our grade! Knowing shes an overachiever, she will probably hard carry you.” she tried to convince, but Danielle was stubborn.
“Oh, yeah, cause she’s gonna try to make our project good out of the kindness in her heart? She literally messes with me any chance she can get!?” Danielle droned, scrunching her nose.
Minji sighed, “She can’t be that bad.. She literally sits alone during lunch.” she grumbled.
Her gaze drifted toward the opposite corner of the cafeteria.
The others followed it automatically.
There sat Haerin, alone, as usual. A book rested open in front of her while she absentmindedly turned a page. The noise of the cafeteria seemed completely incapable of reaching her. Students walked by constantly, conversations erupted around her, chairs scraped against the floor nearby, yet Haerin remained perfectly calm in the middle of it all.
A shaft of sunlight spilled across her table from a nearby window, illuminating the pages of her book and catching against the dark strands of her hair. Every once in a while she'd tuck a loose piece behind her ear before continuing to read.
Danielle hated how composed she always looked.
“Yeah, cause everybody knows shes evil and avoids her..” Danielle explained, like that was the truth for everybody.
“Or maybe because she’s like the prettiest person i’ve ever seen..?” Minji quipped under her breath.
Danielle clocked it instantly, “I heard that, Minji.”
”Oh shut up, Dani. I’ve seen the way you look at her!
”The only way I look at her is with pure hatred.”
“God, stupid gay people.. doing gay things.” Hanni grumbled under her breath.
“Hey, it’s almost pride month. You can’t say that.” Hyein corrected her.
“I’m literally gay, it doesn’t matter..”
“It actually matters more.”
The argument quickly spiraled into a completely unrelated debate, but Danielle found herself only half-listening. Because her eyes had wandered back across the cafeteria. Haerin had stopped reading, instead looking out the window beside her table like a princess from a whimsical fairy tale. The sunlight hit her face, painting it in a soft gold color, she looked strangely.. peaceful. Then as if sensing she was being watched , Haerin turned her head- their eyes meeting.
Danielle looked away too fast.
The following afternoon, Danielle found herself standing outside the school gates with her arms crossed and an expression that suggested she'd rather be anywhere else.
Haerin arrived three minutes late. Not that Danielle was counting, though.
"You're late." Danielle huffed.
"It was three minutes." Haerin groaned, already sick of Danielle’s ministrations.
"You were still late." Danielle insisted, her eyes narrowing.
Haerin rolled her eyes and adjusted the strap of her bag, “Well excuse me, your majesty."
Danielle clicked her tongue, “Let's just find somewhere pretty and get this over with."
Haerin hummed thoughtfully as they started walking down the sidewalk. The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the pavement, and the cool spring breeze carried the scent of freshly cut grass.
For the first twenty minutes, they mostly argued.
Every location one suggested was immediately rejected by the other.
“Okay, what about the park?” Danielle suggested, trying her best to have a kind voice.
“Too generic, everybody’s gonna do that. Do you wanna pass this or not?” Haerin huffed, shooting the idea down quickly.
“God, you overachiever. Okay.. how about the botanical gardens by the Home Depot?” Danielle tried again, hoping Haerin would agree to this one.
“Nope.”
“Gosh, okay. How about you suggest something?” Danielle sighed, her social battery already drained despite being extroverted.
“How about that hill overlooking the city? Imagine the view we would get at sunset.” Haerin hummed, rearranging her grip on the heavy camera.
“Nah, I twisted my ankle there once.”
“You’re impossible.”
Those two words sparked another argument, and they eventually reached the edge of town. Haerin abruptly stopped walking, Danielle nearly running into her at full force.
“The hell? Why’d you stop!?” Danielle fumed.
“There!” Haerin pointed, “That’s the spot.”
Danielle followed her gaze.
Beyond a small dirt path sat an overgrown field surrounded by old oak trees. Golden wildflowers swayed in the breeze like waves across the grass.
“It literally just looks like a field- what is so-“ Danielle stopped herself, watching as Haerin ran over there.
Danielle blinked, What the hell!? I thought this was supposed to be a place me AND my partner liked? She thundered internally, before following Haerin.
She walked through the tall, overgrown grass, approaching Haerin who was sat by a patch of flowers near a tree. Almost immediately, three cats approached her. Yes you read that right, CATS.
“What the fu-“ Danielle shrieked, before Haerin shushed her by pressing her index finger on Danielle’s lips.
Danielle’s cheeks flushed at the touch, but watched intently as one orange cat rubbed against Haerin's leg, another climbed directly into her lap. A third bumped its head against her shoulder.
Danielle had spent the last ten minutes insisting she wasn't interested in the cats. She was absolutely interested in the cats. Danielle just refused to admit it.
Instead, she stood with her hands shoved into her pockets while Haerin wandered farther into the field, disappearing into a sea of wildflowers and feline chaos.
A fluffy black cat emerged from beneath a bush and immediately flopped onto its side in front of her.
Danielle watched Haerin crouch down, before sitting completely on the ground surrounded by a flurry of fur.
Danielle sat down beside Haerin, letting more and more cats approach them. This reminds me of CoolCat515
Haerin grinned widely, the first real genuine smile Danielle has ever seen from her, and her heart almost stopped. Not the annoying smug smile she always wore after winning an argument. A genuine smile, the kind that starts in her eyes, the kind that was effortless and lighthearted, the kind Danielle has never seen before.
Her heart forgot how to properly function, skipping a few beats- maybe she genuinely needed medical attention.
The combination of Haerin, the human embodiment of a cat- and dozens of cute cats around her was almost too much for Danielle to handle. Danielle listened as Haerin laughed softly, the sound breathtaking and airy. A brown cat with wavy fur flopped beside her hand.
“Oh hello, you’re so cute!” Haerin grinned, watching as the cat head butted her palm.
Danielle’s stomach flipped. Why did her voice sound like that!? Her face flushed redder then she even knew it could, she sounded so- Lets not finish that thought.
Haerin reached down gingerly scratching the cat’s chin, and it melted in her hands, purring loudly.
Haerin’s smile only grew wider, and somehow that made things worse for Danielle. She looked absolutely delighted, like somebody had handed her a winning lottery ticket, so warm, so unlike the girl Danielle has been arguing with for her whole High School experience. What happened to the sharp tongued menace who sat in front of her? This couldn’t be her, the girl in front of her looked soft.
Danielle hated how much she liked that.
Sunlight filtered through the trees overhead, catching strands of Haerin's dark hair and painting gold along the edges. Without warning, Haerin glanced up- their eyes meeting. The universe seemed to like Danielle today, because Haerin’s smile didn’t disappear, if anything- it brightened.
“Danielle,” Haerin began, her name sounding different somehow. Not in a bad way, just.. gentler.
Danielle swallowed, the lump in her throat weirdly noticeable. “Wh-what?”
“You’re staring.” Haerin smiled, looking down at the brown cat lying in her lap.
“Am not.” Was all Danielle managed to get out.
“Yes you are, you haven’t blinked in 30 seconds.” Haerin continued.
“I- i just.. I just forgot to.” Danielle stammered
Haerin laughed again, the same warm, light laugh. Haerin looked ridiculously pretty, the same girl who put glue in her chair Sophomore year, the same girl she had spent 4 years hating. So why was Danielle staring so hard? Why was her chest feeling weird?
Danielle suddenly realized, in that moment- why people write love songs.
And she hated that realization.
Across the field, the wind carried flower petals through the grass. Cats wandered lazily between patches of sunlight. Everything looked peaceful. Beautiful, even.
But Danielle barely noticed any of it anymore.
Because somehow, impossibly, unfairly- the prettiest thing to Danielle in the entire field wasn't the flowers. It wasn't the sunset. It wasn't even the dozens of cats.
It was Haerin.
Danielle swallowed the lump in her throat, her adam’s apple bobbing up and down nervously- “I- we- we should probably.. take the photo now.” Danielle murmured, grabbing the camera.
“Oh!” Haerin perked up, “Yeah, can you do that for me?” She smiled, petting another cat that was crawling into her lap.
Danielle stood up, her knees wobbly as she found a good angle to capture the whole field. The sun was beginning to sink behind the trees, painting the field gold and amber. Cats wandered through patches of flowers.The breeze shifted through the tall grass. It really was beautiful. Perfect for the project.
Which was exactly why Danielle lifted the camera again.
And pointed it directly at Haerin.
Click.
The shutter sounded.
Then it clicked dozens of more times, majority of the photos being of Haerin.
Well, Danielle technically had taken a photo of the field, it was in the background anyway- but in the corner was Haerin, Haerin sitting cross-legged in the grass with a kitten sleeping in her lap. The sunlight was catching in her hair. Her smile was soft, unaware.
“Beautiful.” Danielle murmured to nobody particular, going through the photos on the camera
“Did you just take a photo of me?” Haerin yelled from where she was sitting.
“Shut up.”
The walk back from the field should have been normal.
It was anything but.
Danielle walked a few steps ahead of Haerin, hands stuffed deep into the pockets of her jacket and phone clutched tightly in one hand. The evening air had cooled considerably since they'd arrived, and the golden sunlight that had painted the field in warm colors was beginning to fade into soft shades of orange and purple. Behind them, the cats were slowly disappearing among the flowers and tall grass, settling down for the night. Danielle found herself glancing over her shoulder one last time before the field vanished behind a line of trees.
For some reason, Danielle was disgruntled. The problem wasn't the project, the problem wasn't even Haerin.
The problem was that Danielle couldn't stop thinking about that stupid smile.
Every time she closed her eyes, she saw it again. Haerin sitting in the grass with cats climbing all over her. Haerin laughing when the orange kitten nearly fell off her shoulder. Haerin smiling so genuinely that Danielle had nearly forgotten how to breathe.
“Just because I didn’t argue with you earlier doesn’t mean I think you’re still not a weirdo.” Haerin said, making Danielle nearly jump out of her skin
“I’m not!” Danielle defended herself, turning to find Haerin walking beside her, hands tucked into the sleeves of her sweater.
“You took like.. 36 photos of me.”
“Well, maybe you should’ve stopped me, genius!” Danielle huffed, leaning over and flicking her middle finger against Haerin’s temple.
“Ow, what was that for!?” Haerin huffed, rubbing her temple, her face scrunching up angrily.
Danielle rolled her eyes, but for once the argument didn't have any real bite behind it. The familiar back-and-forth felt strangely comfortable. Usually whenever they fought at school, it was loud and dramatic and ended with one of them storming off. Now it felt different somehow. Easier. Neither of them seemed particularly interested in winning.
As they continued down the sidewalk, Haerin unexpectedly pulled out her phone and began scrolling through something. Danielle caught a glimpse of colorful icons.
“What’re those apps?” Danielle snooped, leaning over to look at Haerin’s phone.
“You wouldn’t know them, but it’s Honkai Star Rail and Path To Nowhere.” Haerin mumbled, not looking up.
“No way,” Danielle mumbled- stopping in her tracks.
“What? Don’t tell me you’ve actually played both of those.” Haerin accused, stopping staring at Danielle intently.
“I played those both! Im a Kafka main!” Danielle smiled.
“Of course you’re a Kafka main.” Haerin mumbled, before continuing to walk.
Eventually they reached the point where they would have to split off and head toward their separate neighborhoods. Both girls slowed unconsciously. Danielle noticed it first and immediately pretended she hadn't.
“Danielle,” Haerin began, “Can you.. send me those photos from earlier?”
Danielle’s eyes widened, “The one’s of you or-?”
“The photos. For the project.” Haerin cut her off,
“Uh, Ookay.. See you tomorrow?” Danielle nodded.
Haerin nodded wordlessly, adjusting the strap on her bag and walking away Danielle watched her go. Just for a second, only because she wanted to make sure Haerin didn't trip or something. Definitely not because she liked looking at her. When Haerin finally disappeared around the corner, Danielle let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.
Danielle was two blocks away from her house, taking a totally different route than she usually took, but a familiar furry creature appeared behind her.
“Mrow.” The orange tabby cat purred, following Danielle.
Danielle stopped and turned around, the cat looked different to her somehow, cuter even. She crouched down,
“Huh, you again..?” Danielle mumbled.
She knew she shouldn’t pet it, it could have rabies- or potentially attack her and rip off her limbs! But Danielle couldn’t help herself- those sharp green eyes and orange fur reminding her of Haerin.
What?
Never mind that, Danielle shook her head, getting that evil cat looking girl out of her thoughts- before reaching down hesitantly and rubbing the orange cat’s head. It was soft, surprisingly soft for a cat who looked like it ate mouse brains for breakfast.
Danielle smiled, “Your not too bad.”
By the time Danielle got home, showered, and launched herself into her gaming chair, there was a familiar notification waiting for her.
CoolCat515 is Online.
Danielle grinned, clicking call so fast she almost broke her mouse.
“Sunshine!” CoolCat’s familiar voice came through her headphones, letting Danielle instantly relax.
“Cat, hey! How’s your project going?” Danielle greeted, already thinking of what game they were gonna play for the night.
“Oh yeah, about the project.. I’m gonna be working on it later- so we can’t play any games. But we can.. y’know, talk!” Cat said shyly, sounding mildly disappointed.
“Ah, that’s okay. I’ve been meaning to ask you something too.” Danielle recalled, her eyes darting around her PC nervously.
“Ask away!” Cat raved, the scritch scritch of a pencil audible from her mic.
“Do you.. would you.. would you mind.. telling me more about yourself. It’s fine if you don’t want to, I mean- i’m obviously gonna tell you stuff about me too!” Danielle rambled.
“Sunshine! It’s fine. I’ve known you for 4 years. It is pretty weird how we know so little about each other anyways.” Cat assured.
“Uh, for starters.. I’m a girl. You probably already know that. Is it weird to say I imagine you as a dude?” Danielle laughed nervously, scratching the back of her neck.
“O-oh.. thats unexpected. I’m actually a girl. Sorry if that.. like totally ruined how you view me. It’s the voice changer, isn’t it?” Cat revealed.
“Yeah, it’s definitely the voice changer.” Danielle smiled, feeling the day’s stress and worries washing away when she talked to cat.
They were quiet for a few more moments, until Cat broke it, “Sunshine”
“Huh?”
“Can I ask you something else?”
“Go ahead, ask away!”
Danielle smiled at her monitor, but Cat sounded nervous. The two of them had talked almost every day for four years. They'd celebrated birthdays together, stayed up until sunrise playing games, listened to each other complain about school, family, and life. At some point, CoolCat had become Danielle's favorite person.
“Do you.. do you ever wonder what I look like?”
“What?” Danielle whispered, almost dropping her mouse.
“I mean- we’ve known each other for 4 years, it’d be kinda weird if you didn’t..”
“Uh.. I guess I do, I have some theories about what you look like.”
“Let me hear them!”
“First off.. I think you’re tall.”
“I think i’m pretty average for a girl.”
“Hmm.. I feel like you have a cool sense in fashion, like all your outfits look laid back but are still effortlessly beautiful.”
“I guess you could say that.”
“Wait! I wanna hear what you think I look like.”
“You.. you’re probably the human embodiment of sunshine.”
Danielle grinned, that was her username for a reason.
“My friends usually say that I am.. but not when I get upset.”
“I feel like you’re the type of person who doesn’t get mad easily, though.”
“Well- I usually don’t but theres this one girl at my school who really pushes my buttons.”
Danielle was silent again, why did every conversation she had go back to Haerin?
“Anyways, where are you from?” Cat inquired, sensing that it was a sensitive topic.
“I’m from Southern California, believe it or not. Coastal town girl.” Danielle answered
“Oh, no way! I’m from San Diego!” Cat announced, yelling in excitement.
“YOUR LYING.”
“I swear!”
“I’m from San Diego too!”
Cat was silent for a few moments, before taking in a deep breath, “Do you wanna.. meet up someday?”
Danielle’s breath hitched, she had never.. really thought about meeting Cat. Maybe she was tall.. or short, probably one of the most beautiful women she could see, or maybe she secretly a grown man.
“Yeah, I would like that.” Danielle finally responded after a moment of thinking.
“You free this Saturday? Meet me at Good Omen Coffee, I frequent it and it’s a pretty nice spot.” Cat hummed, already imagining meeting Sunshine and eating the delicious bagels that they had there.
“The cafe on Park Boulevard?”
“Yup!”
“I’m in.”
The call ended after a few more minutes of chatting, and Danielle was buzzing with excitement- she was practically bouncing off the walls! She gets to meet Cat! Her gaming buddy since she was 13!
Danielle arrived at the café nearly twenty minutes early, which was ridiculous because she never arrived anywhere early. She blamed it on traffic, even though she had walked there. She blamed it on habit, even though she had spent thirty minutes picking out an outfit. The truth was much more embarrassing: she was nervous.
For four years, CoolCat515 had been one of the most important people in her life. They talked almost every day. They knew each other’s favorite games, favorite foods, biggest fears, and dumbest stories. They had spent entire nights laughing until sunrise and entire weeks helping each other through rough patches. Today she was finally going to meet him. The thought made her stomach twist every few seconds.
The café itself was cozy, tucked between a bookstore and a flower shop. Warm sunlight spilled through the large front windows, illuminating shelves crowded with plants and books. Danielle had chosen a table near the entrance so she could immediately spot CoolCat when she arrived. She checked her phone for what felt like the hundredth time.
11:54 AM.
Six minutes. Danielle took a sip of her drink and grimaced. She was too anxious to actually taste it.
The bell above the door jingled. Her heart immediately jumped into her throat.
Then it dropped.
Kang Haerin walked inside.
Danielle froze.
Of all the places in the city. Of all the cafés. Of all the days.
Why here?
Haerin looked equally surprised to see her. The brief shock that flashed across her face was impossible to miss before it was quickly hidden behind her usual calm expression. Still, Danielle caught it. For a second they simply stared at each other from opposite sides of the room.
Neither looked happy.
Haerin approached the counter and ordered something, but Danielle noticed she kept glancing toward the entrance every few seconds. Like she was waiting for somebody. That struck Danielle as odd. Haerin wasn’t exactly the social type. She couldn’t imagine her voluntarily meeting someone at a crowded café on a Saturday.
When Haerin finally turned around with her drink, she seemed to realize the same thing Danielle had: every table was occupied except for one.
The empty seat directly across from Danielle. For a moment, Haerin looked like she’d rather stand. Then she sighed and walked over.
“Can I sit here?”
Danielle considered saying no. Unfortunately, she wasn’t actually insane, “I guess.” She shrugged.
Haerin sat down. Immediately, the atmosphere became uncomfortable.
The kind of weird that happened when two people spent years arguing with each other but had recently started spending time together outside of school and weren’t entirely sure what they were anymore.
Danielle looked at her phone. Haerin looked at hers.
Both immediately locked their screens.
“So,” Danielle said eventually.
“So.” Haerin hummed, her eyes narrowing
Another silence. The sound of coffee grinders and quiet conversations filled the room around them. Danielle drummed her fingers against the table. Haerin stared out the window. Neither seemed eager to continue the conversation.
Finally, Danielle gave in, “What are you doing here?”
The question made Haerin visibly tense. Just for a second. It was enough to make Danielle suspicious.
“What do you mean?” Haerin questioned, laughing- the way she does whenever she gets nervous
“I mean, why are you here?” Danielle pressed
Haerin took a sip of her drink, trying to come up with a believable lie, “I’m studying.” She finally said, clenching her hands into fists.
Danielle stared, “In a café?”
“Intellectual people usually do that, not that you would know though.” Haerin scoffed.
“On a Saturday?”
“People do that too.”
Haerin opened her mouth.
Closed it, “…That’s not the point.”
Danielle smirked, caught red handed. But the victory didn’t last long.
Because Haerin pointed at her accusingly.
“What about you?”
Danielle’s brain immediately short-circuited. The truth wasn’t exactly an option. I’m here to meet my online best friend who I’ve known for four years and may or may not have developed feelings for.
“Project stuff.” She said confidently, stuffing her hands in her jean pockets.
Haerin raised an eyebrow.
“Project stuff?”
“Yep.”
“The Geography project?”
Danielle nodded confidently, Haerin leaned back in her chair.
“The project we’re supposed to be doing together?”
“Well…”
Haerin smirked. Danielle hated that smirk. Mostly because lately she’d started noticing how pretty it was. Which was deeply inconvenient.
The conversation died again after that. Every few minutes one of them would glance toward the entrance. Every few minutes the other would notice.
Eventually Danielle’s phone buzzed, her heart jumped. A message from CoolCat.
CoolCat515: Sorry. Running a little late.
Danielle immediately relaxed. Good, CoolCat wasn’t here yet. Which meant Haerin definitely wasn’t-
Haerin’s phone buzzed.
A tiny smile appeared on her face.
The kind Danielle usually only saw around cats. Something in Danielle’s chest tightened unexpectedly.
Haerin typed out a response, before immediately locking her screen when she noticed Danielle watching.
“Who are you texting?” The question slipped out before Danielle could stop it.
Haerin looked up, “No one.” She grumbled,
“That’s so obviously not true!” Danielle pressed harder.
“Well- even if it was, it’s none of your business.”
Danielle narrowed her eyes.
Suspicious.
For some reason, Danielle suddenly found herself wondering what kind of person could make Haerin smile like that. Across the table, Haerin was having a similar crisis. Because Danielle’s phone had buzzed only seconds before hers. And Danielle had smiled too. A softer one.
There was no universe in which Danielle was Sunshine.
And yet, Danielle was here, at the exact café, at the exact time. Looking like she was waiting for somebody, the same somebody Haerin was waiting for. The thought lingered in the back of her mind as the minutes crawled by.
Neither girl voiced their suspicions. Because asking the question meant risking the answer. And for now, pretending felt safer.
So they sat together in awkward silence, stealing glances at each other’s phones, occasionally bickering out of habit, both waiting for someone who never seemed to arrive.
Neither willing to admit that the person they were waiting for might already be sitting directly across from them.
Danielle had checked the time so many times that she no longer needed to look at her phone to know what it was. Every few minutes she found herself glancing toward the entrance whenever the bell above the door jingled, only to be met with another stranger ordering coffee or meeting a friend. CoolCat was never this late. Not after making plans. Not after spending nearly a week talking about it. Across the table, Haerin seemed equally distracted. She wasn't as obvious about it, but Danielle noticed the way her eyes flicked toward the door every time someone entered, or how she kept checking her phone whenever she thought Danielle wasn't looking. Another notification buzzed against Danielle's palm. Her stomach immediately jumped. She unlocked her phone beneath the table.
CoolCat: Sorry. Something came up.
Danielle frowned. That was it? Just "something came up?" No explanation. No details. No promise to arrive soon. CoolCat wasn't usually vague. If anything, she tended to overexplain things. Danielle stared at the message for several seconds before locking her phone again. When she looked up, she noticed Haerin staring at her.
“I think I shou-“ Haerin began, at the same time as Danielle
“Im leavi-“ Danielle sighed- beginning to pack up but stopping when she heard Haerin talk.
“Uh, you can go ahead.” Haerin mumbled, immediately looking away.
“I think i’m gonna go.” Danielle said, louder this time- standing up and slinging her bag over her shoulder.
“Wait-“ Haerin blurted, holding out her phone. The words came out so quick, even Haerin seemed surprised by them.
“Give me your number.”
Huh? Was Danielle dreaming right now? The brown haired girl pinched herself to make sure it was reality, before shaking her head and taking the phone in her hands. “Hold on, what do you need my number for?”
“Uh, you still haven’t sent me the photos you took of the project.” Haerin reasoned, crossing her arms and watching as Danielle typed in her phone number.
For a moment, Danielle nearly thought Haerin wanted the photos she had taken of her- and honestly, she could see why. Danielle had looked at them over and over for the past couple of days, (no homo, of course!) and Haerin looked absolutely beautiful in them. She was in her element, grinning widely, sitting in the grass carefree while cats surrounded her.
Eventually, Danielle handed back Haerin her phone. Haerin glanced at it, the contact name making her breath catch in her throat.
Danielle☀️🐨
All of the breath was knocked out of Haerin’s lungs. A sun emoji next to a koala? Surely that- Haerin looked up, her brows pinching together. But Danielle looked differently, if anything- she was whistling as if nothing was happening.
“Anyways..” Danielle began, rocking back on her heels. “I’ll send those photo’s later.”
“Yeah.” Haerin mumbled, so quiet she could barely hear herself.
Danielle started toward the exit, and Haerin stared down at the contact again. The same sun emoji that appeared in every message Sunshine sent- just in word form. The same stupid obsession with koalas that she’d heard about atleast a thousand times online.
Haerin’s stomach dropped.
With trembling hands, Haerin opened discord- typing on the conversation that sat at the top of her inbox. SunshineKoala. She hesitated, but before she could overthink it, Haerin began to type.
Haerin looked up just as she sent the message, watching as Danielle reached the front doors, before reaching out of her pocket and pulling out her phone.
CoolCat515: hey what r u doing rn?
A few moments passed, then Danielle stopped walking, her hands shaking just enough for Haerin to notice. She watched as Danielle glance around the cafe, then their eyes met.
Haerin looked down again, feeling her phone buzz in her grasp- everything in her chest stopped for a second.
SunshineKoala: leaving a cafe.
SunshineKoala: why?
Danielle didn’t move, her eyes locked on Haerin- her cheeks flushing red. And for the first time since they'd met online, both of them finally began to understand exactly why talking to each other had always felt strangely familiar.