Not Her || HAOBIN

Ch# 7 - Take My Hand

As the group finally convinced Ricky to stay and made their way back to the entrance of the ZEROBASE amusement park, Jiwoong walked up beside Ricky.

"Hey, man, I'm sorry about earlier," Jiwoong said, his voice genuinely apologetic. "Didn't mean to stir up any shit."

Ricky sighed, glancing at Jiwoong. "Yeah, it's whatever. Let's just have a good time today."

Gyuvin watched their exchange closely, a slight twinge of jealousy prickling at him. Jiwoong had always been a charmer, and the way he interacted with Ricky made Gyuvin feel uneasy.

Hanbin, noticing the tension was diffusing, clapped his hands together. "Alright, are we all here?"

Zhang Hao scanned the group, counting heads. "I think we're missing one. Where's the ninth one?"

Gyuvin looked around, realizing who was absent. "Yeah, where's Yujin?"

Just then, Yujin came jogging up to them, slightly out of breath but grinning widely. "Hey, guys! Sorry, I'm late!"

Jiwoong raised an eyebrow, a little surprised to see Yujin. "Oh, hey Yujin."

Yujin chuckled, giving Jiwoong a friendly nod. "Hi, Jiwoong hyung! Long time no see."

The rest of the group exchanged curious glances. Zhang Hao was the first to speak up. "Wait, Jiwoong, you know this kid?"

Jiwoong nodded, looking at Yujin with a smile. "Yeah, we met when I visited his high school once."

"Jiwoong hyung was kind of a celebrity when he came to our school," Yujin explained, a bit of admiration in his voice. "We became friends after that."

Hao nodded, understanding. "Alright, enough chatter. Let's get those tickets scanned and get inside."

Hanbin stepped forward, pulling out the tickets he had on his phone. As they made their way through the gates, the excitement buzzed around them, contagious and exhilarating.

As they entered the park, the sights and sounds of the bustling amusement park were overwhelming but in the best way. Thrilling rides loomed overhead, the scent of popcorn and cotton candy wafted through the air, and the delighted screams of people on rides filled the space.

Zhang Hao glanced around with an eager grin. Suddenly, he grabbed Hanbin by the arm and started running. "Come on, let's ditch these guys!"

"Wha—?!" Hanbin stumbled in surprise, his face turning beet red as Hao dragged him along. "Hao, wait!"

Hao ignored the protests of the others, laughing as he continued pulling Hanbin through the crowd. The thrill of the moment had Hanbin's heart racing for more than one reason.

"Hey! Where are you guys going?" Gunwook called after them, but they were already too far gone.

When Zhang Hao and Hanbin disappeared from sight, the rest of the group shrugged, deciding to split up as well.

Jiwoong scanned the area, spotting a ride that looked promising. He turned to Ricky with a playful glint in his eye. "Hey, Ricky, want to join me on that one?"

Ricky followed Jiwoong's gaze, considering the ride for a moment before nodding. "Sure, why not? Let's do it."

Gyuvin watched the interaction, his eyes narrowing slightly. He felt a pang of irritation at the sight of Ricky and Jiwoong together.

Gunwook, Taerae, and Matthew exchanged looks, sensing the tension but opting to let it slide for now. Yujin quickly stepped forward, eager to distract Gyuvin.