Haerin's POV
Minji is coming back tomorrow. I haven't seen her in person in probably about a year, however I do have the photo we took at her graduation on my dresser so I at least see her there everyday. Funny enough that is the only photo we have of just the two of us after all this time and I look absolutely terrible because I had just finished crying and my face was puffy, but Minji she looks absolutely beautiful in it. It is nothing new she always looks beautiful.
"Hey beautiful girl, did you get your gown and cap?" Leeseo wrapped her arm around my shoulder sitting down on the grass with Niki, Hyein, and I. Leeseo transferred to Ador at the beginning of the year and she really reminded me of my old self so I befriended her. She eventually joined the yearbook staff which I am now funnily enough over and she also joined the cheer squad which Hyein is now captain of.
"Yeah the cap is a little big and makes my ears look weird so I need to figure out that situation before graduation." Leeseo just pokes my cheek which was protruding from me pouting about my annoying ears.
"I love your ears, they are so cute!" I giggled a little bit. Leeseo is really affectionate and sweet so it took me a while to get used to it, but I pretty much am now. I look over towards Hyein who is raising a curious eyebrow at us with a slight frown on her face. Hyein has always been weary about Leeseo for some reason. She always somehow brings Minji up whenever Leeseo is around, I'm honestly surprised she hasn't yet.
"So Minji is coming back tomorrow." There it is. Niki just scoffed planting a kiss on my cheek getting up walking away. Niki has gotten less annoying and started acting more friendly over the past two years unless Minji is mentioned. No matter what it is about, her name alone will put him in a foul mood. I feel bad for him honestly. I'm playing him in a sense. I love Minji, I have for a long time and I've tried. I really have tried but I can't love him.
"Yeah I talked to her a couple days ago. I bought her a ticket for my graduation. Can you give it to her?" I reached in my bag grabbing the ticket trying to hand it to the younger girl, but she just shook her head.
"Give it to her yourself." I just rolled my eyes, smiling at her putting it back in my bag.
"What if I don't see her before graduation?" Hyein frowns, ticking her tongue.
"You don't plan on seeing her as soon as she gets back?" seriously? "I thought you loved her." Hyein was clearly playing with me from the small smirk that was forming on her face. I felt Leeseo remove her arm from my shoulder. Honestly I forgot she had it around me until now.
"I thought you and Minji were friends?" Leeseo asked, tilting her head.
"We are friends."
"Friends my ass. You guys are in love!" Hyein crossed her arms with a smirk still on her face leaning against the tree.
"Hyein language! I do love her, but we are friends." I turn to Leeseo trying to explain this to her.
"So you love in a friend type of way." Before I could respond Hyein opened her big mouth.
"No love as in she dreams of her every night and wants to have her babies."
"HYEIN SHUT UP!" oh my god. I immediately stood up brushing off my skirt and started gathering my belongings. Leeseo got up looking really confused and hurt? I don't know.
"I thought you were with Niki?" I sigh heavily, throwing my backpack around my shoulder glaring down at Hyein who was looking at me smugly.
"I am with him."
"It's more of an obligation we'll get rid of him eventually."
"Hyein one more word and I'll sew your mouth shut myself and I mean it." I glared at the girl who now looked scared. Good she better be.
"Let me get this straight. You are in love with Minji who you haven't seen in a year, but you're dating Niki who you don't love." It was silent for a moment between us three then Hyein and I responded at the same time.
"It's more complicated than that."
"Yes." of course, Hyein.
-
"Harein get down here!" I heard my father yell from his study causing me to jump from my desk basically sprinting down to him. Once I get there I stand in the middle with my hands behind my back giving him direct eye contact.
"Yes father?" He sighs, putting down whatever papers he's working on standing up from his seat.
"Niki has been telling me you're still adamant on going to Yale for college and I can't help but to think it's because of a certain Minji that you want to do that." I took a deep breath and collected my thoughts so I wouldn't stutter in front of him. We have been civil for so long there is no point in ruining it now.
"Father Yale has a good English department more so than here so since it's what I want to do it would be better for me to attend college there." He just hums picking up his scotch taking a big swig of it.
"Niki is attending SNU wouldn't it be better for you to spend your college years with your fiance? I already told you that I wouldn't pay for you to go to college anywhere else." He stood up walking towards me causing me to flinch a little.
"To be honest I have the grades and extracurriculars to get a hefty scholarship so I wouldn't need that much money from you anyway." That was a mistake I can tell by the way his left lip twitched and by the way his knuckles that were holding his glass turned white.
"Are you sassing me?"
"No sir. Me going to college shouldnt be dictated by where Niki is going." My father slammed his cup on the table next to me and grabbed the collar of my shirt.
"Kang Haerin if you don't go to SNU I'm cutting you off!" I wanted to yell back saying that I didn't need him and that I hated him, but I didn't. I just nodded and then I was dismissed.
After a few minutes of me sulking in my room there was a knock and then Kazuha entered. She sat down on my bed next to me handing me some tea.
"I heard your conversation with your father." I just hum and the older girl nudges me a little bit. "Are you okay?"
"Zuha what should I do?" she just sighs taking her own tea while sipping it.
"Honestly selfishly I'd ask you to stay so I'd at least have one nice person to talk to, but I know that's not what you want to do." Kazuha has honestly become family to me over the past two years. Many nights she held me while I cried for various reasons, my father, school, Minji. She was always nice to me and she eventually even became a little playful with me. She is the closest thing to family I have honestly.
"I don't want to leave you behind either, however I can't stay here much longer without losing my mind."
"I understand I thought about leaving many times, but I stayed because I didn't want to leave you alone here with your father." I look over, giving her a sad smile leaning against her.
"You should leave Zuha, you are worth way more than how my father treats you."
"I think I might, but we have to get you out of here first." I just sigh, setting my tea on my bedside table flopping back onto my bed.
"And how do you plan to do that?"
"I can give you some of my salary to get you out of here." I just roll my eyes nudging the older girl.
"I'm not taking your money." After a few seconds of silence she spoke up again.
"Why don't you get a summer job and save all of it to help you pay for school." Wait, that is a good idea, but he would never allow me to get a normal person's job. He would think it below me. But I could disguise it as me doing something else.
"You are a genius Zuha, I owe you my life!" I tackle the girl on my bed into a hug while she just giggles telling me to get off of her.
"Yeah whatever, just don't forget about me when you get out of here."
"Never."
-
It's the next day and Minji called saying that she wasn't going to be able to come back today and that her flight got rescheduled to tomorrow. Did that hurt my feelings a little bit...yes, but it's okay because she'll be here tomorrow and then my graduation.
"Why is Leeseo here?" My eyes widened as I dragged Hyein out of her living room and into the kitchen.
"You can't just ask that right in front of her! What is up with you lately?" Hyein just rolls her eyes, popping a piece of popcorn into her mouth.
"Leeseo likes you dummy." I furrow my eyebrows trying to go through every interaction we've had. Leeseo is just really nice and affectionate. She is like that with everyone right?
"No she doesn't. Why would you even say that?" I whisper yelled at the younger girl yanking the popcorn from her hands.
"She is obsessed with you. For example it was just supposed to be us tonight and she forced her way in. She also flirts with you like literally all the time. How do you not notice this?" No...that can't be right.
"She is like that with everyone."
"Last time I checked you are the only person she talks to outside of school. She hangs all over you like a sloth and she is constantly calling you pet names." I just rolled my eyes again, taking the popcorn and walking out to the living room where Leeseo was patiently waiting for us.
"Sorry Hyein is just feeling a little under the weather." I awkwardly giggle sitting on the other side of the couch as Leeseo. Once I'm sitting, the girl immediately scoots over to where our sides were touching. I cough a little trying to scoot away, but I'm at the edge there is no room. Don't read into it too much Haerin, Hyein is clearly delusional. Speaking of Hyein, why hasn't she come in yet? The movie has already started. After a few more minutes I thought I heard the front door open, but I probably made it up.
"Sweetie, what are you thinking about?" I turned and Leeseo's face was extremely close to mine. Suddenly I am all too aware of how close the younger girl is.
"Um nothing, just wondering where Hyein is. Maybe I should go find her." as I try to get up the younger girl grabs my arm pulling me back down and even closer to her. As we were in this extremely weird staring contest I heard her voice.
"SURPRISE!" Leeseo and I both whipped our heads towards the noise and I was greeted with Kim Minjis beautiful smile that quickly turned into a scowl. Aware of how close Leeseo and I were I jumped up distancing myself from her. Oh no.
-
"Why won't she come out of her room?" I'm back in the kitchen with Hyein who apparently invited me over here to surprise me with Minji's arrival and that's why she didnt want Leeseo here.
"Well maybe because you looked like you were macking on Leeseo!" My eyes widened as I shook my head.
"We were not kissing! She just pulled me down and we ended up close to each other!" Hyein scoffs and rolls her eyes.
"Well you better get in there and explain yourself before Minji starts going through a hundred million scenarios you know how she is." I sigh nodding as I make my way towards Minji's door knocking on it.
"Who is it?" It's muffled but I can hear her on the other side of the door.
"Haerin."
"Come in." I immediately walk in shutting the door behind me and suddenly I'm overwhelmed with way too many emotions. So many emotions that all I can do is walk towards the older girl crushing her in my tight embrace. I don't care if she can't breathe right now, I haven't seen her in forever.
"Minji I've missed you so much you don't even know." I pulled the older girl even closer if that was possible running my hand through her silky hair.
"I've missed you too." Minji whispered into neck, but she sounded upset so I pulled away.
"What's wrong?"
"Is that Leeseo?" I just nod, grabbing her hands and rubbing circles on them.
"Before you say anything else, she and I are just friends. We are nothing more." Minji just nods, still looking upset.
"We are just friends." I just furrow my eyebrows shaking my head.
"No, it's different. You know that."
"I don't know that. I haven't seen you in a year. We barely talked. So much could have changed." I drag Minji towards her bed making her sit on it with me standing between her legs with my hands on her face.
"MJ I could be away from you for twenty years and you would still be the only one I love." I squeeze the sulking girl's cheeks making a little pout on her face.
"Ditto." I huff at some air in annoyance releasing her face. Minji immediately starts laughing, grabbing my hands and putting them back on her face with a cute little smile. "I'm sorry I'm sorry."
"Don't play with me."
"Kang Haerin, you are the love of my life and if you would let me I would marry you right now." I giggle sitting on Minji's lap wrapping my arm around her neck. "Well if you don't marry Niki or even that Leeseo girl first." I furrow my eyebrows confused about the Leeseo comment. "I saw your instagram post." oh my god.
"Minji that was a joke!"
"Yeah yeah whatever as long as I am the one that ends up with you." I laugh nudging her a little bit.
"We'll see." I smirk at her pinching her cheek causing her to wince.
"God we're just like Hanni and Danielle."
"Didn't Hanni come back with you? Where is she?" Minji just scoffs, wrapping her arms around my waist pulling me even closer to her.
"Do you care about Hanni more than me?"
"No, I'm just curious. I thought you were supposed to come in together."
"We did. She is just at her house. You'll see her tomorrow." I just smile leaning into her touch trying to take in this moment.
"So what are we going to do now?"
-
Adorians....
Hello, remember me? It's been a while, but the dog is back in town and wow is there lots of moving parts in this game now.
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