closer | haobin ⚠️DISCONTINUED

16

It was safe for the boys to keep quiet as the crowd chanted more about Hanbin and Jiwoong negatively, but it did tick Hanbin off a bit. They sat in silence for quite a while, hoping the crowd would give up, as they too are students and have a life elsewhere from school drama; but it came to no avail. 

5 minutes passed and Hanbin started biting harder on his lips, digging his teeth into it as the skin gets scratched, staining blood. No one had noticed the blood, not even Hanbin, but his nervousness was evident. Zhanghao, who had been staring at Hanbin because there was nowhere else to look; Park Hanbin being bored out of his mind along with Gyuvin who lay motionless on the dirt, Ricky who scrolled on his phone and Matthew-- who patted Hanbin's lips softly with a napkin. The napkin tinted red Zhanghao noticed, having seen the center of the Korean's lips become redder than before. But with bikes in between, he was of no help. 

"Let's just camp somewhere else", Ricky suggested, speaking louder than a whisper. Gyuvin sat up to drag the boy by his mouth down with him as they lay on the dirt again. 

"Problem is, how."

"Just follow my lead", Ricky stood up, patting his back as dirt particles shimmered off. He lifted his legs one by one over the bushes without any noise as the others started making their way out as well as the bikes. It was swell before Gyuvin. 

Being the last, he had many helpers -- but being unaware that there was a small stone step that parted the bushes from the road, he had stepped on the edge and fell onto the road with his other leg tangled in a big chunk of leaves. He kicked and kicked, rustling it. When his foot finally got released with a pop, attention was all on him. Including the crowd. 

In an instant, the mob began to move, and the group of boys began to run. Ricky quickly dragged Gyuvin up as they moved up the hill; Matthew helped Hanbin with the bikes as Zhanghao's wrist got held by someone who was very athletic. 

Zhanghao would rather be back at the top with his bike at this point as his heart rate was beginning to feel deflated. His legs couldn't keep up and he wondered if he was delaying the other's speed and strength. 

"Hanbin, I can't run anymore."

He heard a slight mumble of "Okay, Zhanghao" before being dragged to the side of a building, off the steepness. The coolness shot through his heated lungs as Zhanghao panted against the other. He tried adjusting his breathing as it was currently loud and heavy but it was uncomfortable. 

Hanbin's hand still held Zhanghao's wrist as he had strategically pulled the boy in closer, preparing his excuse of hiding them for this intimate act. It lifted to the left side of his chest as Zhanghao's palm rested against the uniform. 

The beats suddenly fastened as Zhanghao counted the tempo and not with numbers. It was at a regular pace, a pace that Zhanghao tried matching with his own but it instantly increased. And Zhanghao matched that too. 

Just two boys, up against each other behind a building with pacing heart rates. 

"Are you alright, Zhanghao?" Hanbin coughed up the courage to ask, seeing as Zhanghao had cooled down. His palm still lay on his chest but slowly detached as Hanbin's grip loosened to disappear. 

"Yeah", the boy quivered at the sudden question of comfort. After that, he fell more into his heart which never stopped speeding up. 

A sudden ring to the tune of music chirped out of Hanbin's pocket as his hand dug inside for the vibrating phone. One swipe to the right and another voice came out robotically.

"Where are you? Is Zhanghao with you?"

"We're..", Hanbin looked at Zhanghao who stared. "Where are we", he asked as the Chinese shrugged.