WHAT. [zb1]

the art of betrayal

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school. the one thing hao hates more than talking to people.

but his current situation easily trumps both of those.

it's like... a game. a mean, excruciating game where hao has to try his best to not think about his new "friends", all while they're sitting around him in classes, walking by him in the hallway, and making it almost impossible to not think about them.

and now, with matthew knowing about him, and hanbin knowing that hao and him are acquainted, to say the least, he isn't sure how much longer he can keep it up. the likelihood is, probably not for long. he was never good at keeping secrets.

it's the day after the... incident, hao would call it, with hanbin, and the incident with matthew. he can't just simply erase it from his mind, so it lingers there all day.

basically, it's begun to take over his life. so much so that, just as his mind is occupied with these thoughts, he realizes that the bell for class to end has rung, and his classmates around him have all packed their belongings and slung their bags over their shoulders - hao's desk is still strewn with his books and papers, which he'd not used once during that class, and he quickly begins to gather them up.

he feels blush rise in his cheeks as the other students pile out of the class all while he's still struggling to pack his own bag, and a paper slides off of his desk, gliding across the floor.

"damn it," hao whispers to himself, pushing his chair back and laying his bag on top of his desk, reaching for the paper.

but it's gone. and as he glance upwards, eyes tracing the body of somebody, the same somebody who'd just grabbed his paper, he really begins to believe that the universe is cursing him for something he did in his past life.

the boy hums, flipping the paper in his hand to glance at the back, his eyes scanning over it, as if he's actually interested in the blank worksheet that he's just picked up. well, almost blank.

"so you are hao"

and that's when hao realizes what's happening.

gaining a sliver of courage, he finds it in himself to grab the paper out of the boy's hand, feeling as it crumples and folds under his tight grip. he looks down at it, but it's no use, because he'd already seen his face, and he already knew - hao had no doubt about that.

he feels eyes burning into him, and he squeezes his own shut, not wanting to look back up.

"hello?" the boy waves his hand in front of hao's face, "it's nice to finally meet you. well, officially meet you, i guess"

hao, surprisingly, finds it in himself to look up. "how did you..."

"matthew told me-" he says, and when he sees hao's expression change ever so slightly, he holds his hands up, "-but don't be mad at him. it's just your luck that matthew was the one to find out, that dude is horrible at keeping secrets"

hao sighs at his words, biting the inside of his cheek.

jiwoong laughs lightly. he pats hao on the shoulder for a brief moment before letting his arm fall back by his side, but it still takes hao by surprise. "he made me promise not to tell anybody else, just so you know. and now that matthew isn't the only one that knows i can make sure to keep him quiet"

hao is silent. he isn't exactly sure what to say, because the interaction had started so quickly and left him nearly speechless. surprisingly, he wasn't angry. or even hurt. maybe, this was a good thing.

jiwoong, noticing hao's eyes darting back and forth at the wall behind him, clearly lost in thought, clicks his tongue. "well, i wanted to ask if you would maybe wanna come... hang out with matthew and i after school?" he asks, clear expectancy in his tone. "i mean you don't have to, we just thought it'd be fun, and maybe we could... get to know each other?"

hao finally makes eye contact with jiwoong, noticing that he actually seems... genuine. months before and hao would've thought this was just some popular-kid coy to try and embarrass him, but now it's different. so much different.

but still, he wonders if he should do it.

jiwoong notices his hesitation. "how intent are you on not letting anybody figure out who you are?" he finally asks, hesitation lining his voice. "it it because of... hanbin?"

hao lets out an airy laugh, shaking his head lightly. "it's not... just that, i just- i don't know why any of this is happening"

when jiwoong doesn't respond, hao sighs. "first matthew finds out who i am, and then- and then hanbin somehow figure out that matthew and i know each other, even though we really don't, and now you-"

"but why is it such a bad thing?"

hao pauses.

why is it such a bad thing?

"i guess..." he starts, wracking his brain for a reason. "wont... they be mad?"

but jiwoong almost immediately lets out a snort, covering his mouth moments later, trying to contain his amusement, though hao can still see the smile through his eyes. "mad? why would anybody be mad?"

"because i kept it from you all for so long"

jiwoong shakes his head, lowering his hand. "hao, have you met us?"

hao shakes his head no, and jiwoong lets out a small oh. "well i mean, not actually met met us, but i'm sure you've figured out what kind of people we are through the group chat. and i'm not mad," he says, hao listening to his every word. "i mean, gyuvin would probably lose his shit, but that just a bonus"

hao sighs yet again. "and what about hanbin?"

that's when hao sees the change in jiwoong's face, his expression going from confidently amused to... almost unreadable. "what will hanbin think?" he repeats.

jiwoong is staring at hao, and hao is staring right back at him, waiting for a response. "jiwoong?"

and finally, he asks a question that leaves hao speechless, yet again.

"what do you want him to think?"

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HMM I WONDER WHAT HAO WANTS HANBIN TO THINK

also why is jiwoong lowkey being a menace in this chapter

better chapters to come, i haven't been too happy with the last two but i swear it's alllllll leading up to something. have faith in me!!!

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