Off-Screen (무대아래에서) | Haobin

Isolation (격리 기간)

A few days after they return from LA, during routine testing for COVID-19 Hao Hyung tests positive for the virus.

The company requires Hao Hyung to go into isolation immediately, and Hanbin isn't allowed to stay with him -- it's too much of a risk that he'll get sick and have to take off work, too. The agency first tries to get Hao Hyung a hotel room, but Hanbin insists that Hao Hyung stay in their apartment where he will be most comfortable. Then WakeOne tries to put Hanbin in a hotel room, too, but both Gyubin and Matthew offer to share a bed with him at their apartment, and Hanbin can't say no to that. He hasn't been away from Hao Hyung since the break in Boys Planet, and the sudden, forced separation hits him hard. He'll take all the support his teammates offer him.

When he was in high school, he caught mono from sharing drinks with a friend. He couldn't dance for three months. It was the most excruciating period of his life because he was cut off from doing what he loves the most. After that, Hanbin became meticulous about his health. Whatever was in his control he did. He ate more nutritious meals. He got as much sleep as possible to keep his immune system in good function. He started taking vitamins. For him, getting sick was a risk to his career that he couldn't afford to take. Now that he's found so much success in his career, illness feels even more threatening. Days away from work mean getting behind on choreography, dance practice, or missing expensive events or important opportunities. Illness presents a deep and ever-present fear for him.

And now Hao Hyung, the other half of his soul, is sick with COVID -- a frightening virus that killed thousands of people in Korea, and one that they've all been trying hard to avoid. Hyung's just stuck in a room by himself, and Hanbin can do almost nothing to improve his situation. He can't even hug him. At least when Matthew and Taerae had COVID, they could isolate together, but Hao Hyung is alone. And Hanbin... he has his team, but he also feels alone without Hao Hyung. In such a short period of time he's become deeply attached to this other person.

He calls Hao Hyung several times a day, whenever there's a lull in their schedule, and they video chat whenever Hanbin can. The other members also inundate Hao Hyung with calls so he won't feel alone. Hao Hyung insists that he's fine, he just has a little sore throat and some congestion, but Hanbin can hear the worry in his voice about recovering his vocals in time for their scheduled appearances. The only good thing is that Hao Hyung is forced to rest because of the isolation requirement, so Hanbin hopes his body will fight off the virus better. Hanbin knows as soon as Hyung's cleared to leave isolation, the agency will push him to work the same amount as everyone else without giving him more rest, just as they did with Taerae and Matthew after they caught COVID.

"It could be much worse," Taerae reminds Hanbin one day when he's clearly zoning out before a fan meeting. He tried to get WakeOne to move their fan meetings so that Hao Hyung could still attend them, but they refused, citing travel costs to fans and last-minute venue scheduling conflicts. But when Matthew and Taerae got sick, WakeOne moved some fan meetings around, so this explanation annoys Hanbin. Hanbin didn't actually expect them to say they would postpone them just because he asked, but he had to try. Hao Hyung loves fan meetings. He was clearly depressed he had to miss them. He told Hanbin to bring one of the red panda stuffed animals gifted to him by fans so he could be there in spirit. Hanbin tries his best to be cheerful about it, but he secretly hates the reminder that Hao Hyung isn't there next to him.

"I know. He doesn't have many symptoms. I'm glad you and Matthew also didn't get that sick." Hanbin sighs and puts his head on the table, letting himself feel depressed for just a moment before their fans come and he has to try to be happy for them.

"When my grandpa got sick with COVID, he had to go to the hospital. He was there for a whole month because he couldn't breathe well. I was scared because of my grandpa's experience, but Matthew got me through it. And we both feel fine now."