Rekindling the Lost Affection- Haerin x Reader

Chapter 2- Flashback

     

Context: After Haerin breaks up with Y/n, Y/n takes some time to reflect on how their relationship started.

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Y/n POV

     After the breakup, I was left to think about the memories of our relationship. Trying to relive the times when our relationship was still alive and flourishing, I started at the very beginning.

     Haerin and I were placed in the same class in the same prestigious middle school. However, throughout the first semester, although we knew of each others' existence, we didn't really interact with each other much. Both of us were introverts by nature, and although Haerin was considered pretty by the whole school, I wasn't the type to become interested in someone just because of their appearance alone- or so I thought.

     Okay, that's a bit of a lie actually. I noticed Haerin's unique appearance from the very first time I saw her, even though I don't really want to admit it. I was captivated by her feline features, her tall, ethereal figure, and especially her eyes. I don't think I was romantically interested in her at this point, but it's hard not to be curious about a classmate who looks like a model.

     After school on the first day, I walked up to her and confronted her directly. Confused by why she looked like a human cat, I asked her, "Are you a cat or an alien?"

     "Neither, you dumbass," she had replied coldly as she walked off to get picked up by her parents.

     Needless to say, I don't think she had the greatest first impression of me. After that, we didn't really talk much, although I'd sometimes steal a few glances at Haerin during class, much to my own chagrin. This continued until the second semester when our homeroom teacher, Ms. Jiang, paired us up to present something for the cultural festival at our school.

     Although it was called a "cultural festival", it was more of a performance. Students in groups of two would present something to an auditorium full of their peers, parents, and teachers. It was a pretty big deal, and no one wanted to mess up in front of such a big crowd.

     After a bit of debating, we decided to choose to sing and dance to a song. I would be in charge of singing, and Haerin would do the dancing, since she took dance lessons outside of school. Honestly though, Haerin could both sing and dance just fine all by herself, but I had to participate in the performance somehow.

     I had never sung publicly before, so it was difficult for me to hit some of the high notes in "Spring Day" by BTS, the song that Haerin had chosen. Seeing me struggle, she reluctantly offered to try to teach me how to sing. I ended up spending a lot of time at her house getting ready for the performance, and I got closer to her. During breaks, Haerin would open up to me about her dream of becoming a K-Pop idol, a dream supported by her late mother but opposed by her father. It turned out that she had chosen singing and dancing for our performance in order to prove to her parents she had what it took to be an idol.

     However, one day, when I came to Haerin's house at the designated time, I heard her dad loudly lecturing Haerin. Slamming his fist on their dining room table, he questioned Haerin: "Do you know how hard it is to become an idol? Why can't you just focus on school and go to college? Then, in an outburst of rage, he shouted, "You're fourteen now; it's time for you to stop deluding yourself with your childish dreams!"

     I glanced over at Haerin, who couldn't find the strength in her to say anything back. Her long legs trembled at her father's harsh words. In her eyes, I saw bitterness, sadness, and worst of all, acceptance. I could tell that she had accepted her father's words as the truth and was ready to give up on becoming an idol.

     Her father finally noticed me. "Ah, y/n, you're here. Then, he turned to Haerin and said sternly, "Haerin, you and y/n go upstairs and prepare for the cultural festival. We'll continue this some other time."

     Haerin grabbed- or rather, clasped- my hand tightly as we walked away from her father. As she dragged me up the stairs to her bedroom where we normally practiced, I could see the shiny reflections of tears in her eyes, threatening to spill out with each step we took, but she wouldn't let herself cry as she closed the door and made sure her father was out of earshot.

     "I-I'm sorry you had to hear that...I...," Haerin apologized to me, her voice shivering. Her voice trailed off before she could complete her thought.

     "Don't apologize," I told her. "I don't really mind-."

     "I guess this is it...," Haerin continued, "From now on, I'll just have to study hard, make it into a good college-"

       As Haerin said these words, I could hear how much her heart was breaking underneath the strong front she was attempting to put on. In the past, Haerin would always talk to me about her future career as an idol with a passion unlike any other I had seen in my life. But that fire was gone today. Haerin was not herself. Although she was sometimes a bit quiet and introverted, she was never indifferent.

     To Haerin, becoming an idol was so much more than a silly childhood phase; it was her dream. The death of a dream deserves to be mourned before its burial, and the dreamer deserves a chance to grieve for what she has lost. However, Haerin seemed intent on treating her dream as if it had never existed by burying it somewhere deep inside her heart. I wasn't sure if Haerin was even aware of her tears that had been threatening to spill over, but I couldn't stand seeing her as she tried to push her feelings away.

     At that moment, Haerin needed someone to turn to, and I was the only person in her room at that moment. Somehow, I knew I had to support her when no one else would. I looked her directly in the eye while she attempted to avert my gaze. "Haerin," I started, "It's okay to cry, you know?"

     Haerin tried to resist, her internal turmoil evident in the trembling of her lip and the uncertainty clouding her eyes. However, the weight of her true, unsuppressed feelings overwhelmed her. Within a few seconds, like a dam bursting, Haerin could no longer hold back her tears.

     Seeing this, I smiled, knowing that Haerin's dream had been restored and that she would once again be able to strive to become an idol. Internally, I vowed to be there for her every step of the way to support her in achieving her dreams.

     Although neither of us realized it, because of this moment, our feelings toward each other had grown to the point that they would soon be undeniable, and by helping Haerin through her darkest hour, our futures had become intertwined.

     As my mind snapped back to the present, I let out a long and tired sigh. Thinking about my current situation, I wished I had never encouraged her to be an idol. "The world is full of irony," I mused to myself. Our shared belief in Haerin's dream had brought us together, but now, it was the reason our relationship had been torn apart.

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A/N: Good news! I finally figured out how I want this story to be structured. For past readers, the breakup is chapter 1, this is chapter 2, and Haerin's POV will be chapter 3 (even tho it takes place before the events of chapter 1).

Also I made y/n less of a raging romantic lol (I think)?

Please vote if you enjoyed and comment suggestions.

I've prolly said this quite a few times, but this is my first time writing a story.