He couldn't count how many times he tried to reach her even if he knew that it was always the operator that's welcoming his calls. Anxiety and over thinking had him juddering his hands as he looked within the vicinity of their apartment and still no sign of her. He wandered around the nearby streets, asked several people if they've seen her but no one did.
And his thoughts that she was tripped along the menacing alley had him worried. Running fast as he could, jet black hair swayed with the breeze together with his sweater's laces. His heart felt wounded when he saw the peach mango cake smashed on the ground with some rainbow wrapped popper broken, deflated balloons, and other party paraphernalia.
He heard some weak yelp through the thin dim passage as he did not have second thought and immediately traversed through it. To his surprised, he saw three to four adults encircling his muse. She was scared, pleading and bawling, tears endlessly showered her cheeks.
"Yah! Don't you ever dare touch her!" His voice echoed the empty dead end street. Stray cats begun running in different direction with variety of purrs following his scream.
"Look who we have here. The Saranguel haetda boy. You want your face to be unrecognisable just for this rude girl?" The tallest man in black leather jacket loudly asked as two of them went behind him. They pushed Hanbin that his body bumped into her as he gradually held her hand. Squeezing it tight to make her feel secure and safe, she leaned closer to him.
"Let's run." He heedlessly mumbled as she rolled her eyes and quietly scolded him. "Are you imbecile we have nowhere to go!"
While the two were having hushed argument, Jisoo was snatched from his grapple as a kick from behind made him fall in four. Jisoo wildly wiggled both her arms as a failed attempt to escape. Her cries were more audible, forehead wrinkling as she felt sorry for Hanbin that she couldn't do anything to help him.
Another lash out was made, hitting the side of his rib as he wept in pain. The evil laughter of the group was silenced when they heard a shrill meters away from them. "Hanbin-ah!"
She directly recognized the voice as she yelled croaking, "Bobby oppa! Help us!"
"Woah," Jiwon's running legs stopped midway as he almost choked with the bubblegum he was chewing.
"Here's another uriga manna boy." The rest were chuckling maniacally as one of them started attacking him. Hanbin gained his strength and stood up, punched the jaw of the person coming for him. The duo stood back to back as all of them raged in unison, the one holding Jisoo pushed her as she fell on the rough cement ground, scrapping her palms.
Exchange of punches and kicks were strong, leaving marks on their bodies. Just then, they realized Hanbin has legs that can throw high kicks while Jiwon's blow punches can possibly knock out a person. However, even if they tried hard enough, they were outnumbered.
Jiwon was already lying on the ground with a person above him, hitting him left and right. On the other side, Hanbin was strangled as it was almost hard for him to breathe. They might end up unconscious if the ruthless fight continued. Siren coming from police mobile impeded these thugs as they ran off like scared kids, without looking back, leaving the three in mess.
"Oppa you're alright?" Jisoo kneeled before Jiwon as she helped him to sit up. The other guy sauntered towards the two as he wiped the blood oozing the side of his lips. The siren started to become faint as she panicked and shouted. "Help-" Jiwon covered her mouth immediately. "Shhhh... they might hear us."
His hand was still sealing her and waited until the patrolling police were gone. She pulled herself from him with quizzical eyes. "But, we need to report them and bring you two to hospital."
"We can't. The media might blow this up and make stupid rumors." The leader stretched his hand and pulled Jisoo up. Together, they helped Jiwon to stand. "Let's just head home, we have first aid there."
*
With the help of Jisoo, Jiwon was able to take off his shirt. Revealing his well toned torso with mouth-watering six pack abs as she blushed with the sight. She could only imagine absurd things but was really good at hiding with her desires to avoid any awkwardness with him.
She prepared the ice cubes wrapped in face towel and carefully thawed the side of his eyes down to his jaws. Jiwon just smiled with how gentle Jisoo's touch was. He held her small hand and guided her to his aching shoulder down to the side of his ribs with their eyes seemed like having their own conversation.
Hanbin twitched his lips with the view and pulled her off him. "Put some ice on me too." He requested with cuteness that he never did to anyone before.
"Here, do it yourself." She cringed and coldly handed him bucket of ice then continued taking care of Jiwon. "The audacity of this girl." He followed with strings of curses but made sure that it was not that loud for them to hear.
"By the way, what did those guys do to you? I mean, how did you end up there?" Jiwon asked.
"They followed me and were trying to get my bag." She put down the ice pack and dampened the cloth, wiped some blood off his face. She then poured povidone-iodine on a cotton ball and glided against the cuts in his face.
Hanbin sat beside Jisoo and had taken care of himself, putting whatever was available to his bruises. He thought he was a strong, independent man who can do all things on his own. While doing so, he stated nonchalantly, "You should have given it to them instead and run off. You can always buy new bag, phone and money is replaceable. But not your life."
"Well, I also called them monkeys because they are ugly." She answered, still facing Jiwon.
"Aish!" He held his fist in the air as if he's going to hit her, lips pouting. Both Jisoo and Jiwon didn't see what he was trying to do. Hanbin was somehow disappointed because he thought the word ugly was just for him. He thought he was someone special when she called him 'ugly' as pet name. But his life was a lie.
"That's why they got mad." Jiwon trailed after she blew soft air at the side of his chopped lips. She placed the band aid precisely and gusted air again with her protruding lips. Jiwon froze, she was invading his personal space and felt his thighs shaking involuntarily. He realized how beautiful she was up close, her lovely eyes that seemed authentic, lips were shining whenever the yellow light from their chandelier hit those. He could literally caress her face for a lifetime because of how soft and smooth her skin. Jiwon suppressed his breath as he had a hiccup and looked at the other direction to distract himself to even his breathing. I can't fall.
Jisoo took the opportunity to rest and stretched her limbs before resting her back at the sofa. Both men turned their heads at a snail's pace and watched her sighed long. "Also, one of them tried to kiss me and I never had my first kiss so I punched his mouth and it bled. But thanks to you guys. If you did not show up, something might... you know."
Hanbin imagined the horror that Jisoo might have felt. A sting pierce through his heart with the thought of anyone taking advantage to her as he felt her pain and hugged her. He squeezed her rigidly as she gasped with the suddenness. Her eyes got rounded because she was fully aware that the person she liked the most was just beside them, watching and wondering.
She hurriedly pushed him away and faced Jiwon while waving her hands endlessly. "Were not that even close. Don't think of anything. He's just..." she snapped at him and her instinct told her to step on his foot with glaring eyes when she ran out of sane reason.
"Ouchhh!!!" His dying agony was soon forgotten when she changed the topic and asked one more time even if she knew the answer already, "You sure you guys don't want to go to hospital?"
"People might misunderstand with what really happened. They might think we're thugs." Jiwon beamed, scratched the side of his head while Hanbin was still mourning for his dying toes.
The front door opened with the loud chatters becoming clearer. They've been laughing over Jinhwan's pants that were overly huge for him. They rapidly stopped when they were welcomed by Jiwon and Hanbin beaten up with band aids all over their faces, bandages on their arms and patches on their bodies.
"Oh my God! Did you two fight over her?" Donghyuk was shocked as he covered his mouth with his hands.
"Yah! Are you two out of your mind?" Jinhwan pointed angrily, screeching with all his might.
"Jinja? You punch each other? Who won?" The second youngest, Junhoe, grinned as if he was watching an entertainment show.
"Yah! Yah! You're misunderstanding guys." Hanbin stood and tried to calm Jinhwan. "Some gangsters did this to us along the alley." Jiwon added while Jisoo felt awkward just by sitting in the middle quietly.
"We should tell the police." Junhoe brainlessly suggested as he gained a hit on his nape and another scolding from the oldest. "You want some new iKON scandal? We had enough and this won't help. I'll just call the company doctor."
The already opened door summoned thy last two members. "Guys, is Hanbin hyung there? He's not in our apartme-" one of his housemates, the youngest, Chanwoo stopped while Yunhyeong continued walking that he almost lost his balance when he bumped him.
Yunhyeong widened his eyes in disbelief. "Omo! What happened?" He rushed to cuddle Hanbin and cupped his cheeks. "Why did you fight guys? We're all brothers here. We're family." Tears started partying beneath his lower lashes and eventually fell, damping his blue long sleeves.
Jinhwan could only palmed his face.
*
"Come out. Jisoo came. I told her you're here." His mom announced, entering his younger sister's room. She then tucked Hanbyul with thick fluffy pink blanket, she was already lost in her dream land.
"Huh? Wae?" Hanbin stopped playing with his phone and straightened his sit on the bean bag. His face became pale as he panicked, checking himself in the mirror across the bed, heart started pounding fast. It took him five minutes contemplating before coming out to their living room, only to see his mom and her talking comfortably.
"Eomma, here's cookies for Hanbyul." She had her eyes smiling as she proudly opened the box of baked goods. "Oh, thanks. She'll love these."
"Eomma?" I surprisingly asked.
"I used to call her eomma number 2 when I was a kid. Duh?" She lifted her brow irritatingly as his mom just smiled while shaking her head. She then left and continued doing the dishes.
He incalculably nodded when he remembered her hideous ugly brother calling his mom that way. He even remembered it made him envious a little bit. It was blurred memory but somehow made sense. Hanbin soon realized he wasn't wearing underwear as he looked down and saw he's just in his boxer shorts. He rushed to his room, next to Hanbyul's.
Before he could close the door, she already followed him inside. "Are your bruises all healed?" She asked with soft voice. "You didn't tell your mom?"
He seized his chest and jumped as if he saw ghost, surprised by her presence. His brain panicked a hundred times more with the horror that she might stumble upon some embarrassing things in his room. Hanbin wasn't able to answer her as he murmured, "You! Why do you always show up during night? Are you dracula or something?"
The joke wasn't taken easy by Jisoo as she slapped his arm too strong with an annoyed facade. "Awww! My shoulder still hurts!" He yelped but she just scoffed. "By the way, did Bobby oppa say something?" She sat on the edge of his bed and studied his room, eyes roaming around.
He was disappointed but not surprised. "Uh- did you come all the way here to ask me that? I thought you're genuinely concern if I'm well." Straight visage drew in, thinking he was fooled again into believing she's finally into him.
"I'm worried. He's not picking up my calls. It has been a week already when he told me that we can meet some other time." Jisoo caressed the sheets before she mimicked Jiwon's deep raspy voice. "Just the two of us."
Hanbin just rolled his eyes with the unsuccessful imitation and sat at the other corner of the bed. He got a small pillow to cover his fly that's too embossed. While he was busy hiding it, he didn't realized she already scooted beside him. Her face only inch from him. "Can I ask you a favor? Can you set a date for us? Or encourage him to ask me out please."
He was startled and moved his head away, only to hit it against the hanging shelf above his bed. He asked while still whining in pain. "And why would I do that?"
"You're my best friend."
What's up with this girl?
"Best friend? When did that happen? You told Bobby that we're not even THAT close." He emphasized the platonic feelings she had for him as he felt being murdered over and over again. The audacity is real. He thought, if she's only a guy, he'll definitely ask her for a one on one fight and he'll kick her ass then send her to Satan.
"Yah!" She punched him lightly on the shoulder once more. Irritated and impatient. "Awww. My dying arms. You're too aggressive..." He could only wimp.
"Listen, ugly. If you set us up. I'll give you three wishes. Like genie in a bottle." Her brows were loose, dancing and waving. Anyone would know that she's planning something not good.
"Don't you have any other friends to bother?" He was still blowing air on his biceps while fondling it.
"I have of course, they're all in Gunpo. But you're my only way to Bobby oppa." The proximity of their bodies was the definition of asymptote, extremely close but never quite touching and time seemed infinity to Hanbin. "Please?" She prolonged, aegyo was too strong. He couldn't help but stare at her drenched lips as he gazed straight to her deep unfathomable eyes which were already glued to him. His lamp flickered but both were unbothered. He could see her nonexistent pores with the closeness, breathing the air she exhales, living their lives in the same lifetime.
His world turned to dust of gold and silver when she finally held his hand to draw him in, his soul sailing freely in the cloud nine. His heart decided to fall, saying goodbye to safe and sound. This moment was more than enough for him to live another century. "I..."