The worst thing that could happen to Y/N?
Getting paired up with Hanni.
And yet, here she was, sitting in Hanni's house, trying not to lose her mind.
When the teacher announced their group project on global warming, Y/N thought she had lucked out. After all, Danielle was in the same group.
But the universe had a twisted sense of humor-because Hanni was there too.
And Hyein, the youngest yet somehow the smartest one, who would probably have to act as the group's babysitter.
Danielle and Hyein sat comfortably on the couch, while Y/N and Hanni...
Well, they were about five seconds away from a full-on argument.
"Are you seriously this dumb? You think factories are the biggest cause of global warming? Have you never heard of deforestation, genius?" Y/N huffed, crossing her arms.
"Oh wow, thank you, Professor Y/N," Hanni shot back, voice dripping with sarcasm. "I guess the rest of us are just idiots compared to you."
"Glad you know," Y/N smirked.
Danielle giggled at their antics, while Hyein just sighed, looking like she was already regretting her existence in this group.
"Can we actually focus?" Hyein pleaded. "I don't wanna fail just because you two act like a married couple going through a divorce."
Both Y/N and Hanni turned to her, offended.
"We do NOT-"
"You just did!" Hyein groaned.
Danielle just laughed, shaking her head. "Honestly, it's kind of funny. I think deep down, they'd be lost without each other."
Y/N and Hanni gagged in unison.
"As if," Y/N muttered.
"Gross," Hanni added.
Danielle just smiled knowingly.
......
At some point, the group took a break, wandering around Hanni's house while waiting for snacks.
That's when Danielle's eyes landed on a single red rose sitting on Hanni's desk.
It wasn't in a fancy vase, nor was it placed in a decorative setting. But there was something special about it-something that made Danielle stop and admire it.
"You know," Danielle said, picking it up gently, "if someone gave me a flower they grew themselves on Valentine's Day, I'd be really impressed."
Hanni froze.
Y/N and Hyein were too busy bickering in the corner to hear anything.
Danielle continued, "It takes patience and effort. More than just buying an expensive bouquet, you know?" She smiled at the rose. "You're lucky, Hanni. Whoever gave this to you must really like you."
Hanni swallowed hard.
She could tell Danielle was serious.
And she could have told the truth.
Could have said, "Actually, this was Y/N's, but she didn't get the chance to give it."
But instead-
"It's nothing big," Hanni lied, pretending to brush it off. "Someone gave it to me, yeah, but it's not a big deal."
Danielle just nodded. "Still... it's sweet."
Hanni watched as Danielle admired the flower.
And for the first time, she hated that she had taken it.
Because it should have been Y/N's moment.
And yet, here she was, keeping something that was never meant for her.
......
After they got back to the project, Y/N wasn't exactly paying attention.
She was... distracted.
Specifically, by Danielle.
It wasn't her fault! Danielle was sitting right across from her, talking so passionately about climate change, and Y/N couldn't help but get lost in her voice.
It was just so pretty.
Soft, yet confident. Bubbly, yet full of warmth.
And then there was her accent.
Y/N didn't even realize she was staring until Hyein leaned in and whispered, smirking.
"You're so obvious, Y/N."
Y/N blinked. "What?"
"You're staring at Danielle like she just descended from heaven."
Y/N flushed. "Shut up."
Hyein just grinned. "Just admit it. You love her Aussie accent, don't you?"
Y/N sighed dreamily, whispering back, "I do. It's so... perfect."
Unfortunately, Hanni heard every word.
And suddenly-
"Naur, but like, global wahtuh is getting' really serious, mate."
Everyone froze.
Y/N blinked.
Hanni was now speaking in a thicker Australian accent than Danielle herself.
Danielle laughed. "What was that?"
Hanni shrugged casually. "Just talkin' about the project. Naur, but we really gotta be careful about them fossil fuels, y'know?"
Y/N stared, horrified.
Hyein snorted. "That was actually good."
Danielle nodded in approval. "Hanni's accent is really strong, huh? It's kinda cool."
Hyein turned to Y/N, whispering, "See? Hers is good too."
But Y/N just shook her head.
"Accent isn't everything," she muttered. "It's also about the voice."
Hanni stopped mid-sentence.
"...What?"
Y/N shrugged. "Accent is nice, sure. But the voice matters more. And Danielle's voice is just-so nice to listen to."
Hanni felt her eye twitch.
Oh. Oh, so that's how it was?
She felt jealous.
And she hated it.
Which meant-
It was time to fight.
....
"You really have no taste, huh, Y/N?" Hanni crossed her arms, mocking her. "First, your global warming facts suck, and now your taste in accents is trash too."
Y/N scoffed. "I literally don't care about your opinion."
"Well, you should, because it's the correct one."
"Oh, please. You just like annoying me."
"Maybe because it's so easy."
"You wanna go, Pham?"
"Gladly, Y/N."
And just like that-
The teasing and bickering began again.
It was constant. Non-stop.
Danielle tried to keep talking about climate change, but Y/N and Hanni kept interrupting with their arguments.
Hyein? She just sat there, shaking her head, watching the chaos unfold.
After about five minutes, she sighed dramatically and leaned back in her chair.
"You two are like a married couple, gosh."
Silence.
Both Y/N and Hanni immediately stopped, their faces turning red.
"W-What?" Y/N stuttered.
Hanni scoffed, crossing her arms. "As if I'd ever marry her. I'd rather die."
"Good, because the feeling is mutual!"
Hyein just grinned. "Uh-huh. Keep telling yourselves that."
Danielle laughed softly, watching as Hanni and Y/N continued their ridiculous back-and-forth.
And for a moment-just a small moment-Hanni forgot why she even hated Y/N in the first place.