Love and War

18. A Whole New World

As the first light of dawn filtered through the curtains, Haerin stirred from her slumber, her eyes fluttering open to meet Danielle's gaze. A soft smile graced her lips as she looked at the peaceful expression on Danielle's face, the warmth of their shared embrace lingering in the air.

But as the sun rose higher in the sky, casting a golden glow across the room, reality began to seep back in. Haerin glanced at the clock on the bedside table, realizing the hour was growing late.

"I should probably head home," Haerin said reluctantly, the reminder of their responsibilities tugging at her conscience. "We still have school today," she murmured, her voice soft yet filled with warmth as she brushed a stray strand of hair away from Danielle's face.

Danielle nodded in understanding, her smile faltering slightly at the mention of parting ways, her fingers trailing lazily across Haerin's arm as they reluctantly untangled themselves from each other's embrace. With a shared sigh, they sat up, stretching their limbs as they prepared to face the day ahead.

However, before Haerin could make a move to leave, Danielle reached for a file of papers on the nightstand beside her. "Wait," she said, her voice gentle yet firm. "Take this."

Curious, Haerin accepted the file, her fingers brushing against Danielle's in the process. As she moved to open it, Danielle shook her head with a playful grin. "Not now," she said, her tone teasing yet tinged with warmth. "Open it at home."

Haerin looked up, meeting Danielle's gaze with a puzzled expression. But seeing the earnestness in Danielle's eyes, she nodded in agreement, tucking the file under her arm for safekeeping.

As Haerin prepared to leave, Danielle couldn't help but feel a pang of reluctance at the thought of parting ways. With a soft sigh, she reached out to grasp Haerin's hand, her fingers intertwining with hers in a silent plea for her to stay just a little longer.

"So, when are we going to have a date?" Danielle asked, her tone playful yet tinged with anticipation.

Haerin couldn't resist teasing Danielle, a mischievous glint dancing in her eyes as she leaned in closer, her lips quirking into a smirk. "A date?" she repeated, feigning innocence. "Sorry, but I have to go home and laugh at that idea."

Danielle rolled her eyes in mock exasperation, "You're an asshole, Kang Haerin," she retorted, her tone laced with playful annoyance.

Haerin's smirk widened into a mischievous grin. "I'm just kidding," she said with a playful wink. "But seriously, think about where you wanna go or what you wanna do, and tell me later, okay?"

With that, Haerin leaned in to press a quick kiss to Danielle's cheek and made her way towards the door. "See you later, Dani," Haerin called over her shoulder, as she stepped out into the morning sunlight, leaving Danielle with a fluttering heart and a smile on her lips.

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Upon arriving home, Haerin settled into her room, the anticipation building as she carefully opened the file. Inside, she found a collection of papers, each one containing handwritten lyrics of songs that held special meaning to her and Danielle.

Danielle probably wrote it when they stopped keeping in touch since things were awkward between them after their first kiss.

Haerin couldn't help but smile as she looked at them. It was a thoughtful gesture, one that spoke volumes about Danielle's feelings and the effort she had put in.

But as Haerin thought about the circumstances under which Danielle must have written these lyrics, her smile faded, replaced by a pang of guilt and regret. She couldn't help but feel a surge of empathy for Danielle, knowing that she must have been hurting just as much as she was.