Unexpected Love - Daerin

Chapter 8 I'm late!

As I drove to my dad's company, I couldn't help but feel a sense of dread in the pit of my stomach. I knew that my father expected great things from me as CEO of the company, and I didn't want to let him down. I needed to be focused and clear-headed today, but the events of the previous night were still haunting me. I knew that I had some tough decisions to make, and I was terrified of making the wrong call.

Regardless, I took a deep breath and tried to push my fears aside as I pulled into the parking lot of the company. I stepped out of my car and made my way inside, determined to face whatever challenges lay ahead.

Danielle's POV

I went inside the building and rushed towards my classroom, hoping to make it there before the class started. I slowed down as I approached the door and cautiously opened it, only to be greeted by a chorus of chuckles and whispers. Hanni and Minji were sitting in the back row, looking at me with wide grins on their faces.

I looked at the teacher, Ms. Adeline, who was standing at the front of the room, and apologized profusely for my tardiness. She responded with a smile and a soothing voice, indicating that there was no need to worry. I let out a sigh of relief and made my way to my seat next to Hanni and Minji, who were still whispering and laughing to each other.

I gave Minji a gentle punch on the shoulder and flashed her a small grin, hoping to defuse the situation. Hanni and Minji settled down and the class began properly.

As the teacher went through the day's lesson, I tried my best to focus on what was being taught and follow the class discussions. However, my mind kept drifting back to the previous night's events, and I found it difficult to fully concentrate on the lessons.

Despite the distractions, I tried to remain optimistic and told myself that I could always catch up on what I missed during the break or after class if needed. For now, I was determined to focus and make the most of my time in the classroom.

After Ms. Adeline's lesson ended, we had some free time before our next class. As I leaned back in my desk, feeling drained from the morning's events, Hanni and Minji turned towards me.

"What's wrong, Danielle?" Hanni asked, her tone curious but concerned.

I sighed and leaned my head on Hanni's shoulder, feeling a sense of comfort from her presence. "I'm just really tired. I didn't get enough sleep last night."

Hanni patted my head in response, but before she could finish her sentence, Minji interrupted with a shocked gasp. "Wait, hang on. Did you two do something?"

I quickly snapped back at Minji, wanting to shut down the conversation before it could get out of hand. "No, we didn't! It's not what you think. I was just up late because of her," I said, motioning towards Minji. "I hate her. She's the reason why I was late today."

As I said that, I realized how harsh my words sounded. I didn't mean to blame Minji for my own missteps. I quickly added, "I'm sorry, Minji. I didn't mean to get mad at you. I was just feeling a bit overwhelmed, that's all."

Hanni comforted me, saying that everything would be okay, and that mistakes happen. I appreciated her kind words and felt a bit better knowing that I had her support.

"Fine, fine, I'll tell you what happened," I said, taking a deep breath. "Last night, I was bored and watched multiple movies until 11pm. Suddenly, someone knocked on my door. It was Haerin, and she was drunk. She acted different than usual when she was drunk, but she showed a clingy side that I had never seen before. And everything went downhill from there."

Hanni and Minji both sighed, clearly interested in hearing the whole story.

"Come on, girl, just tell us what she did to you," Hanni said, looking at me with a teasing smile.

I blushed, feeling a bit embarrassed to share such a personal story with my friends. "She hugged me every chance she got," I finally said. "It's just..."

Hanni giggled at my answer, clearly enjoying teasing me. "Ooh, someone's in love!" she said, looking at Minji.

Minji gasped, clearly shocked by what I had just said. "Damn, girl, you really are in love!" she said, looking at me with a hint of embarrassment.

As I said those words, I felt my anxiety slowly increase. I took a deep breath and shook my head, trying to calm myself down. "Wait, I'm not! I'm not in love with her," I said, my voice laced with fear and unease.

Hanni and Minji's faces changed as they heard my words. They traded glances before turning back to look at me. "Are you sure?" Hanni asked softly, her voice carrying a hint of concern.

I nodded nervously, feeling my heart start to race. "Yes, I'm sure. I'm just being... weird," I said, my voice trailing off as I looked away, feeling ashamed and exposed.

"Okay, okay," Hanni and Minji said in unison. "We won't tease you anymore," Hanni said, a hint of a smile on her face.

"Yeah, we only tease you because we care about you," Minji added.

I nodded, feeling a bit embarrassed but also relieved that they were still my friends. "Thanks, guys. I appreciate it," I said, smiling at them both.

As I saw Hanni and Minji start to giggling, I felt myself smile as well. It was nice to know that they were just teasing me and not trying to make me feel uncomfortable.

Minji spoke up, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Chill, Danielle, you guys just got married. I know you won't fall in love with her too early."

I rolled my eyes at her but smiled nonetheless. "Of course, I would never fall in love with her," I said.

Hanni smirked at me and shook her head, teasingly. "Are you sure, bro?" she asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm as well.

I sighed and pouted, pretending to be annoyed. "Hanniiii... I'm serious!" I said, feigning annoyance.

Hanni laughed and hugged me, trying to comfort me. "Fine, fine, just kidding," she said, breaking the tension.

I smiled and hugged her back, feeling grateful to have such great friends.

~To be continued~