Off-Screen (무대아래에서) | Haobin

Paris

Author Note: I was going to post this sooner... but then we started to get all this Paris stuff in interviews, so I waited in order to get the details as correct as possible :).

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"No weird things in Paris," Hanbin tells Hao Hyung as they pack their bags in preparation for the trip.

"What weird things?" Hao Hyung grins at him, pausing as he arranges his toiletries in a small bag. "I'm always weird."

"I'm talking about Gangnam kind of weird."

Hao Hyung's grin widens.

"You don't want to do what we did in Gangnam when we get to Paris?" Hao Hyung gives Hanbin a sultry look that always makes Hanbin weak in the knees. But Hanbin stays strong.

"It's a foreign country. We don't speak the language. We could get in trouble easily."

"Mon amor." Hao Hyung leans closer and smiles. "I've been studying with Matthew. I can get us around."

"Calling me cute names will not help us if we're lost in a dark alley some friend of a friend recommended to you," Hanbin reminds him. Hao Hyung pouts. "No mystery hook-up locations in Paris."

"Paris sounds like the perfect place for a mystery hook-up location," Hao Hyung grumbles, shoving the rest of his clothes in his bag. "But I agree. We don't want to get in trouble in a foreign country."

"I don't speak any French... I need to bother Matthew on the plane to teach me some phrases to say to our French fans."

"He sent language tutorials in the group text, didn't you see?" Hao Hyung opens the text and shows it to him. "You've been so busy you haven't even been in the group text! Our leader has abandoned us." Hao Hyung dramatically throws himself on their bed and continues to pout at him. "When does your schedule go down again?"

"I have a lull before the comeback." Hanbin sighs and pulls up his schedule on his phone. "Look, I have three early nights in the next month, and a half-day of rest two weeks before the comeback."

"I think someone's going to get sick again." Hao's expression changes from a flirtatious pout to serious concern. "And I'm worried it's going to be you. Just because you didn't have an ulcer before doesn't mean you can't get one if you don't slow down, Jagiya. This month is going to be brutal as we push to get ready for the comeback."

Hanbin's stomach pain let up a bit, then came back, then let up again. It's been a rollercoaster. He's thrown up in the middle of the night several times since his doctor's visit, although he didn't tell Hao Hyung about it. It's a relief that the doctor told him it's just stress and nerves causing his physical symptoms... but the worry Hao Hyung has for him still makes a lot of sense.

"I know. But... I can't turn down the opportunities I'm getting right now. I can't."

"I get it as your colleague. But as your lover, I want you to slow down. Anything that you can turn down, you should. You're not looking well, Hanbin-ah. I want you around for a very long time, not just the next two years." Hao Hyung stands up from the bed and draws Hanbin into a tight hug. "Think about your long-term health, too, not just our short-term success. You're very popular. You can afford to say no sometimes. Your popularity is only going to grow."

"We don't know that. There's nothing certain in this business," Hanbin reminds him. "Things change quickly. Popularity comes and goes. And sometimes it disappears altogether."

"I believe in you," Hao Hyung tells him softly. "I believe in both of us. You can say no sometimes."

Hanbin doesn't understand why Hao Hyung hasn't had more individual opportunities. Hao Hyung blames sinophobia and the general chilliness of Koreans towards Chinese, but... Hao Hyung won Boys Planet over Hanbin. That's a fact. Hanbin is well-liked in Korea, but so is Hao Hyung. It seems... strange that he doesn't get more opportunities. His merchandise sells as well or better than Hanbin's. His Korean is excellent. He may not be native-level of speaking yet, but he's able to go on variety shows and keep up with the quick humor and puns, which is truly impressive. Hanbin's very proud of him. And... mystified as to why the stream of individual opportunities keep coming only his way, almost to the exclusion of the other Zerobaseone members. Is it their management? Or something else? Ji-Ung Hyung has his own show, that's true. But Yujin and Ricky are incredibly popular, too, and they don't get many individual opportunities. Hanbin doesn't understand it.