response of souls | ᴷᴴᴮ × ᴷᴶᵂ

XII

"Really now, this is getting out of hand." Jinhwan stated, already getting up from his spot. Hanbin blinked at his hyung, watching him getting up.
"I'm waiting for your answer almost ten minutes now. Look!.." he pointed at the grass not far from them. "..even the lovey dovey couple is gone!" Jinhwan continued, packing his stuff. Hanbin blinked again, grabbing his hyung's wrist.
"I..I'm sorry! Don't go. Uhh.. you..I.. yes. I'm gonna come with you guys." Hanbin hurried to say. Jinhwan looked down at him and sighed, sitting down beside him again. Jinhwan pressed Hanbin's hand slightly.
"Good, I'm happy you gonna come, but Hanbin, this needs to stop. You're only hurting yourself." Jinhwan said, slightly smiling at his dongsaeng. Hanbin smiled a little himself.
"I know. I just can't. I tried, but it's not working." Hanbin answered, looking at his hyung's hand.
"Just try harder, Hanbin-ah. Jiwon is never gonna respond to you the way you would like him to." Jinhwan continued. Hanbin just kept on looking at his hyung's hand for some more time.

The sun was already setting when he suddenly felt somebody gripping his shoulder. Hanbin blinked once again and turned to face the newcomer. Jiwon smiled a happy smile at him, which caused Hanbin to smile at him in return. Jinhwan smiled as well, looking at Jiwon.
"What are you doing here?" Jinhwan and Hanbin asked almost in unison. Jiwon started laughing.
"What? Should I leave again? Am I interruption you at something?" Jiwon asked while wearing a happy smile. Hanbin didn't even hear the words, he was frozen by that smiled. He loved the way Jiwon was smiling, nobody smiled as bright as Jiwon. Hanbin loved the way his eyes would turn into thin lines each time his mouth-corners dared to touch his ears. Hanbin was happy seeing Jiwon being all happy. Nothing could top that, nothing could stop him from feeling that way, nothing. Hanbin would never get himself in Jiwon and Raiko's way, not as long as Jiwon was happy.
"You're not interruption, Jiwonnie. Don't worry!" Jinhwan said, laughing as well.
"Well, it seemed like you were discussing something very.. important?" Jiwon said, however, it sounded more like a question.
"No, don't worry. Hanbin just told me that he's gonna join us on Friday." Jinhwan explained, nudging Hanbin's side. Hanbin then found his way back to reality and looked at first at Jinhwan and then at Jiwon.
"Uh, yeah. I'm with you." Hanbin said, not really sure what they had been talking about. However, it seemed like he had guessed right since Jiwon's smile seemed to grow even bigger, brighter.
"Great! I really thought you wouldn't come!" Jiwon said. Hanbin looked at him all confused.
"Why that?" he asked. Jiwon sat down at the grass right in front of them.
"Well, to be honest, I kinda feel like you're avoiding me." Jiwon said, playing with the grass beneath him. Hanbin blinked again, maybe about the hundredth time that day.
"I'm not! We know each other since years, dumbass. Have I ever been avoiding you?"
"No."
"Then, why should I've started that now?"
"Maybe, because you're angry?"
"Why should I be angry?"
"Because I forgot a lot of our meetings?"
"Where are we? In kindergarten? I'm not angry because of such things."
"Ah~ look who is all grown up~."
"Shut up."
"Aigo~ Binnie~."
"Shut up, idiot."
"You know I love you~."
"I..I love you, too." Hanbin answered, knowing Jiwon had meant it in a whole different way than Hanbin himself. Jinhwan kept watching them. He saw how Hanbin got sadder with every word, which left Jiwon's mouth. And he saw how Jiwon had no clue about it, but then he saw Jiwon knew it very well, ignoring it, keeping Hanbin as his best friend instead of becoming uncomfortable with each other and one day strangers. Jinhwan did the same, or maybe he didn't.

They separated about two hours later, all of them walking home alone since there was always their little competition of who would get home first. However, Jiwon was the only one who wasn't going home. On his way to an already very familiar building he got a call from his boss.
"Bobby, we need to talk." Jiyong, his boss, said. Jiwon tensed up right at the moment he heard the first of Jiyong's worried words.
"What's up, hyung?" Jiwon asked.
"It's about that Japanese gang.. and your girlfriend, Raiko." Jiyong answered.
"W..what about Raiko?" Jiwon asked, feeling how his heart was already breaking down into tiny little pieces, even though Jiyong hadn't said anything yet.
"She's the daughter of their boss. She's here on a mission, Bobby. She's playing with you, she's playing with your feelings, she's trying to get something and I don't know what. But she's clearly using you." Jiyong said, trying to sound all bossy, however, he failed since Jiwon was like a little brother to him. Jiyong was worried.
"No, she isn't." Jiwon said.
"She is. I've got proof. You need to get your ass here as fast as possible. Chanwoo is already here." Jiyong said. Jiwon stared into the distance, not moving an inch. He couldn't believe what Jiyong just told him, but then, why should Jiyong lie to him? Jiyong was the most honest person Jiwon had ever met. Jiyong would never lie to anyone, especially not him.
"I'm there in 15 minutes." Jiwon answered after an eternity of silence.
"You betta be here in 10." Jiyong said. Jiwon ended the call right after Jiyong said that, not even bothering to answer. Jiwon kept staring into the distance, thinking about Raiko, thinking about the 'love of his life'. Was it true? Was she playing him? It couldn't be true. She was the nicest person Jiwon knew, even nicer than Yunhyeong and he was really nice to everyone. Jiwon averted his gaze to the floor. Raiko was innocent like nobody he had ever me before, she couldn't be the Raiko Jiyong had been talking about, it just couldn't be. Jiwon slowly grew angry. There was no way Jiyong was right, but somewhere deep down Jiwon knew Jiyong indeed was right. Jiyong would never say something like that, before wouldn't have checked all information available. Raiko was playing him, was playing everyone, was playing with his best friends, was playing with Hanbin. Hanbin. Jiwon suddenly felt the need to visit his best friend, needed to see him, talk to him, and maybe even cry a little. Hanbin was the only one to see him cry, ever. Jiwon already turned to leave into Hanbin's direction as he got another call.
"Hello?" Jiwon asked since he hadn't looked at the caller's ID.
"Hyung, we're under fire." Chanwoo said, too calm, but Jiwon heard the gunfire in the background and the fright in Chanwoo's voice.
"I'm there in 5." Jiwon said before he turned once again to hurry and help Chanwoo and all his fellow members.