You've got me mesmerized

16.

16.

"You're still in a fight with your girlfriend?"

"She's not my girlfriend, Siyeon." Haerin said while cashing in a customer.

"Yeah sure, but don't you want to at least bring her free refills ? She already ordered three different drinks to be able to stay in the coffee shop this afternoon. And she's been doing that for a week now. She's going to ruin herself." Siyeon said as she was making a caramel macchiato next to Haerin.

"I never told her to come in the first place. And she's wealthy enough to pay herself three cups of coffee per day, don't worry about that. Moreover, she's been raising our sales revenue. Give me a raise."

But all that Haerin got was a slap on the back of her head.

"I took pity on her." Siyeon sighed. "Look at her, she's just been trying to get your attention since earlier."

Haerin sighed and turned her head towards Danielle. The Australian girl immediately smiled and waved at her. Haerin slapped her own face in spite and went back to work.

It's been like this ever since their last argument. Danielle started to show up wherever she went. She was seeing the mixed girl more than her own reflection. Danielle would always find a way to sit next to her during class. She's been following her to the library. Showing up at the coffee shop during Haerin's shifts. She even would walk her home when her work day was over.

"Are you really going to come all the way to the dorms again ? It's late and your apartment is on the other side of the city." Haerin asked while they were waiting for a pedestrian traffic light to turn green.

"If you just let me talk to you I wouldn't have to do all that, you know?" Danielle replied with a playful smirk.

Even if Haerin acted cold, Danielle knew that she was liking all the attention she gave to her. Or at least, that's what she liked to think to reassure herself.

"I don't want to talk." Haerin rolled her eyes.

"Fine, then we won't talk. But you're going to put up with my presence." Danielle said before acting like she was locking her mouth with an imaginary key.

"That's not the issue. Stop following me would you ?"

Danielle gave her no answer and continued to follow her like a lost puppy.

"Answer me."

Danielle shrugged and childishly gestured that her mouth was locked.

"Ugh... You're such a brat." Haerin said, doing everything she could not to chuckle.

The next day, Danielle woke up with a new idea. She had been doing everything she could to make Haerin listen to her but nothing had work yet. She needed another approach and she also needed help. A help only one person could provide.

That day, while Haerin was working at the coffee shop, Danielle went to the dorms. She knocked on Minji and Haerin's door, patiently waiting for someone to open.

"Danielle ?" Minji said, looking confused as she opened the door.

Danielle just nodded and nonchalantly entered the apartment without being invited in.

Minji frowned and closed the door. "What are you doing here ?" She asked as they were walking to the living room.

"I need your help. With Haerin. I need to explain everything to her." Danielle answered as she took a seat on the couch.

Minji looked at her completely baffled by how confidently shameless she was. "Who said I would help you ? She gave you yet another chance at Jake's party and you blew it up."

Danielle sighed and started to reply with lighting speed, too scared that Minji wouldn't hear her point otherwise. "No, that day she expected me to confess. But I refuse to confess out of my lame jealousy. She didn't give me the chance nor to apologize or explain anything. This girl... ugh.... She's too kind. She would have forgiven me with just an "I love u". But it isn't right. I need to do things in the right order. I fucked up too many times. I owe her that but she doesn't let me apologize properly. And...."

"Okay Dani... I understand." Minji cut her off by giving her a friendly tap on the shoulder.

"Really ? You're going to help me ?" Danielle exclaimed, completely surprised.

"What do you need me to do?" She gave her a knowing smile.

At the same time, at the coffee shop, Haerin kept anxiously looking at the front door every time she would hear it open. Danielle didn't come like she would always do today and it was abnormally pissing her off for someone who begged her to stop following her.

She barely could work efficiently since she kept zoning out. So, that was it ? Danielle got tired already ? She tried for a week to get her back and gave up ?

Haerin sighed, there was no point in overthinking, she had to move on.

At a later time, when Haerin almost reached the end of her shift, she saw Minji entering the shop in the corner of her eye as she was bringing someone's order.

Minji didn't immediately go to Haerin, she greeted Siyeon first. As the social butterfly that Minji was, she had become friends with the cat-like girl's manager last year in a random afternoon that she spent at the coffee shop.

When Haerin went back behind the counter, where the two girls were chit chatting, she stopped in front of Minji.

"What are you doing here ?" She asked in a mix of curiosity and skepticism.

"Relax buddy... Why are you all grumpy?" Minji said with an annoying smirk.

"She's been like this all day long. It's because her stalker didn't come today." Siyeon teased.

"Hmm ? Danielle didn't come today?" Minji said, faking surprise as she was analyzing the coffee shop. "That explains a lot..." She added while giving Siyeon a knowing stare.

Haerin rolled her eyes. "My attitude has nothing to do with her."

"Sure..." Minji chuckled. "Siyeon, can I steal you Haerin ten minutes earlier today?"

"No problem, she was chasing the customers with her negative vibrations anyway."

Haerin looked super confused as she was putting on her jacket. She followed Minji outside where a taxi was waiting for them. "Where are we going?" She asked while entering the car.

"You'll see. Put this on." Minji handed her a sleeping mask once they were comfortably installed in the car.

Haerin raised an eyebrow. "You can't be serious? What's going on ?"

"Haerin, stop asking questions. It's a surprise. You're not allowed to see where we're riding to." Minji said as she put on the sleeping mask on Haerin's face by herself.

Haerin just gave up, Minji was probably trying to cheer her up with her weird methods once again. And even if her attempt always failed until now, Haerin still felt grateful for the thought of it.

After what seemed to be an endless ride, since she could basically do nothing, Minji helped Haerin from getting out of the car and made her walk for a few minutes. Then she told her to count to sixty and that she could take off the sleeping mask afterwards.

Haerin was more and more curious to know what was happening as she was counting like Minji told her to. Once she reached the number sixty, she took off the mask and looked around her.

She was on some sort of large plain, there was nothing but grass around but the plain gave a view to the beautiful landscape of the city. Minji was nowhere to be found so she just took a deep breath of air. From the vantage point of the high plain, she admired the view. The sprawling city below seemed to come alive with a soft, golden glow. A sort of serenity invaded the cat-like girl, making her feel at peace for the first time in a few weeks.

Then she felt someone softly tapping on her shoulder. Haerin turned around, being sure that it was Minji but....

"Danielle ?"