Spikes and Sparks [DAERIN]

Chapter 10

Danielle despises rain. Every time it comes, especially with lightning and thunder, she feels suffocated and scared.

But today, she's grateful for the rain. It started pouring just as they left the coffee shop.

Haerin, visibly disappointed, had to reschedule their planned talk about Hanni.

Now, Danielle is in her room, wrapped in a blanket, with her laptop open and headset on, FaceTiming her friends Ice and Matt, recounting the day's events.

"Girl, I know you're smart, but sometimes you make really silly decisions," Matt commented after Danielle shared the deal she made with Haerin.

Ice chimed in, "I agree, but that's not my concern right now, because what do you mean Wonyoung--the Jang Wonyoung!--asked for your number personally, then intentionally went to the coffee shop to find you, and then asked you to hang out? I thought you didn't want to get to know her?" She said.

"I never said that. I mentioned it depends on what the universe decides," Danielle clarified.

"So now you've decided she can be your friend?" Ice inquired.

Danielle nodded, eliciting a delighted scream from Ice. "Go for it, girl! Forget about Haerin and enjoy your love life," she exclaimed.

Danielle chuckled and rolled her eyes. "Come on, Ice. I'm just planning to be her friend. Nothing more," she clarified. "I'm still in love with Haerin."

Ice groaned, and Matt shook his head. "I can't believe it, Dani! Jang Wonyoung has a crush on you, and you're still choosing Haerin, who's consistently turned you down?" Ice asked incredulously.

Matt nodded in agreement. "And let's not forget, she's in love with someone else and doesn't even consider your feelings. You deserve someone who would love you wholeheartedly, Dani babes," he added.

Danielle felt grateful for her friends. She knew they only wanted the best for her. But love isn't always straightforward; it's more complicated than it seems. "I wish I could make my heart love someone else, guys, but it's not that simple," she said. "Besides, we shouldn't assume Wonyoung's feelings toward me. I think she genuinely just wants to be friends," she explained.

"Sometimes I just want to slap you in your perfect face so you'll wake up and realize there are other people head over heels for you," Ice quipped.

Danielle could only laugh in response.

"Enough about love life," Matt interjected, rolling his eyes. "How are your preparations for the swimming and the quiz bee?" he asked.

Danielle sighed, thinking about the upcoming competitions.

Ice noticed her expression. "Uh oh, that couldn't be good," she remarked after seeing Danielle's downcast spirit and frustrated sigh.

"I'll be honest, guys. By my standards, the preparation for both isn't going well," Danielle admitted sadly.

"Tell us about it," Matt said encouragingly.

"Well, it's disappointing. For one, swimming and quiz bees have always been my forte. I've had experiences where the quiz bees and swimming competitions overlapped. But for some reason, this is the first time it's been too hard for me to do both," she admitted. They encourage her to continue.

"Both of them are weighing me down completely. I still can't believe I kept getting scolded and called out by my swimming coaches. Our head coach even doubted that I could win in my category," she said sadly.

"And then there's the quiz bee. I don't have any problems remembering what I've reviewed. In fact, I'm quite confident I can answer most of the questions correctly. But the problem is, it's supposed to be a collective effort between me and Haerin. But we just can't work well together," Danielle admitted once again.