Not Her || HAOBIN

Ch# 19 - HELLO

The hallway outside Zhang Hao's room was eerily quiet except for the aggressive knocking echoing through the space. Jiwoong's knuckles were starting to hurt from the constant pounding on the door, but he didn't care. His voice was hoarse from calling out Zhang Hao's name over and over, his fear growing with each passing second.

"Hao, open the door!" Jiwoong yelled, his tone desperate as he tried to turn the doorknob again, but it wouldn't budge. "Please, Hao! Don't do anything stupid!"

He pounded harder on the door, his heart racing as a million terrible thoughts flooded his mind. What if Hao was in there, doing something reckless, something irreversible? The thought made Jiwoong's blood run cold. He pressed his ear against the door, trying to hear any sign of movement, but there was nothing—just an unsettling silence.

"Zhang Hao, please!" Jiwoong shouted, his voice cracking as he banged on the door with both fists. "Open the fucking door! Don't do this!"

Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, Jiwoong noticed a flash of movement. He turned his head just in time to see Minnie, her face streaked with tears, rushing into her room. She slammed the door behind her so hard that the walls shook.

"Minnie..." Jiwoong muttered under his breath, his heart sinking further. He was about to go after her when he heard footsteps pounding down the hallway.

Yujin came running towards him, breathless, his face pale with worry. "Hyung," he gasped, trying to catch his breath. "Minnie... she won't even listen to me. She just ran off..."

Jiwoong sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair as he glanced back at Hao's door. His worry for his best friend was tearing him apart, but he knew he couldn't ignore Minnie. She needed someone right now, and it was clear Yujin wasn't able to get through to her.

"Alright," Jiwoong said, giving Yujin a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "I'll talk to her. You keep an eye on Zhang Hao's door, okay? If he opens it, let me know immediately."

Yujin nodded, his expression still anxious as he took Jiwoong's place by the door. Jiwoong took a deep breath, steeling himself before walking over to Minnie's room. He hesitated for a moment before trying the doorknob, relieved to find it wasn't locked. He quietly opened the door and slipped inside, closing it behind him.

Minnie was curled up on her bed, her back to the door. Her shoulders were shaking with silent sobs, and she didn't turn around when Jiwoong entered. He took a step closer, his heart aching for her.

"Minnie..." Jiwoong began softly, unsure of how to approach her in this state.

"Go away, Jiwoong," Minnie's voice was muffled, but the bitterness in it was clear. She didn't turn to face him, keeping her head buried in her arms.

Jiwoong sighed and walked over to her, sitting down on the edge of the bed beside her. He didn't touch her, but his presence was a quiet reassurance. "No, I'm not going anywhere. I'm here, and I'm going to listen to whatever you need to say."

Minnie sniffled, wiping her eyes roughly with the back of her hand. After a long pause, she finally spoke, her voice trembling with anger and hurt. "You knew, didn't you? You knew about Hao's feelings... and you didn't stop him."

Jiwoong's heart twisted painfully at her words. He had expected this, but it didn't make it any easier to hear. "Minnie, I... I didn't stop him because... because how could I? How could I stop him from feeling the way he does?"

Minnie let out a bitter laugh, but it was laced with so much pain. "So, you just let him fall in love with someone else? You just let him hurt me?"