𝙴𝚚𝚞𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜 4 𝙻𝚘𝚟𝚎 | HAOBIN AU

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 4

ᯓ★ (this chapter is kinda long 😓😓)

Hanbin shifts his weight, his usual confidence faltering just a bit. He looks away, almost as if he’s embarrassed, before meeting Hao’s eyes again. “Yeah, I know. I… I didn’t really need a tutor.”

“I just…” Hanbin’s voice wavers, and Hao can see the vulnerability in his eyes. “I wanted to talk to you. Outside of class, outside of all the competition. I didn’t know how else to do it.”

Hao’s heart is pounding, his emotions a whirlwind of surprise, confusion, and a flicker of hope. He’s never seen Hanbin as a rival, hell he sees him as the man of his DREAMS

He swallows, trying to find the right words. “You… wanted to talk to me?”

Hao is stunned into silence, his mind struggling to process everything. This isn’t what he expected—he never imagined Hanbin would feel this way, or that he would reach out like this.

Finally, Hao breaks into a small, tentative smile. “I guess… we don’t need to pretend this is a tutoring session, then.”

Hanbin lets out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding, a slight smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “No, I guess not.”

Hao gestures to the empty chair across from him. “Do you want to sit down? We could just… talk.” (A/N STOP THIS IS SO AWKWARD)

Hanbin nods, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders. He pulls out the chair and sits across from Hao

"Hao,” Hanbin starts, his voice quieter than usual, almost hesitant. “I… I need to apologize. For everything.”

Hao’s eyebrows knit together in confusion. “Apologize? For what?”

Hanbin looks down, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. “For how I’ve treated you. For being so competitive, for letting this stupid rivalry get in the way. I’ve been a jerk, and I know it.”

Hao is silent, taken aback by Hanbin’s words. He’s never heard Hanbin speak like this before—so open, so vulnerable. It’s a side of him Hao never expected to see.

“I’ve been so caught up in trying to beat you,” Hanbin continues, his voice filled with regret. “I was so focused on being the best, on proving something to myself, that I forgot… I forgot that you’re a person, too. Not just my rival.”

“I’ve said and done things I’m not proud of,” Hanbin says, finally looking Hao in the eyes. “And I know I can’t take them back, but… I want to try to make things right. I don’t want us to be rivals anymore. I want us to be… friends. If you’ll have me.”

Hao’s breath catches in his throat. He never imagined this—Hanbin, the person who always seemed so distant, so focused on winning, asking to be his friend. The sincerity in Hanbin’s voice, the regret in his eyes—it’s all so raw, so real, that Hao feels his own emotions welling up inside him.

“I’d like that,” Hao says, a small, genuine smile forming on his lips. “I’d like to be your friend, Hanbin.”

“Thank you,” Hanbin says, his voice filled with gratitude. “I promise, I’ll do my best to be a good friend. No more rivalry, no more competing. Just… us.”

Just..us
That word kept repeating in Hao's head

Hanbin hesitates for a split second, then decides to just go for it. “I was thinking… maybe I could walk you to your class? I mean, if you don’t mind.”

'YES? OH MY GOD'

“Sure,” Hao says after a moment, a small smile tugging at his lips.

As they start walking together, Hanbin feels a strange mix of excitement and nervousness. He’s not usually this anxious around people, but something about Hao makes him want to be careful, to get things right.

“So,” Hanbin starts, searching for something to break the silence, “how’s your day been?”

Hao shrugs, his smile still in place. “Pretty good. Just the usual—finished up some homework, grabbed breakfast with Taerae. Nothing too exciting.”

Hanbin nods, his hands slipping into his pockets to keep from fidgeting. “That sounds nice. Taerae seems like a cool guy.”

“He is,” Hao agrees, glancing over at Hanbin. “You’d like him. Maybe we could all hang out sometime.”

"Yeah, that’d be great.”

“Well, here we are,” Hao says, stopping just outside the door. He turns to Hanbin, a curious look in his eyes. “You didn’t have to do this, you know?"

Hanbin shrugs,  “I wanted to. It was nice… walking with you.”

Hao’s smile widens, and for a moment, Hanbin thinks he sees a hint of something more in his eyes, something that makes his pulse quicken. “It was nice. Thanks, Hanbin.”

Hao glances at the classroom door, then back at Hanbin, his expression softening. “I should go. But… I’ll see you later?”

“Yeah,” Hanbin says, his voice steady. “I’ll see you later.”

ᯓ★

As Hao finally steps into the classroom, trying to shake off the lingering warmth from his conversation with Hanbin, he barely notices Taerae lounging at his desk near the window. Taerae has been watching the entire scene with a mischievous grin, his eyes sparkling with amusement.

“Well, well, well,” Taerae drawls, his voice full of playful suspicion. “What do we have here? Were my eyes deceiving me, or did I just see Hanbin walking you to class?”

Hao tries to play it cool, but he can feel the heat rising to his cheeks. “It’s not a big deal, Ta. He was just being nice.”

“Uh-huh,” Taerae says, drawing out the syllables as he slides into the seat next to Hao. “Sure, ‘just being nice.’ If that’s what you want to call it.”

Hao rolls his eyes, but there’s no hiding the small smile tugging at his lips. “I’m serious. He just offered to walk with me, that’s all.”

Taerae chuckles, clearly enjoying this more than he should. “Oh, come on, Babe. You can’t fool me. I’ve seen the way you look at him, and trust me, that wasn’t just a friendly walk. There’s something more going on, isn’t there?”

"I… I don’t know, Tae” Hao finally admits, his voice quieter. “Things have been weird between us lately. Not in a bad way, just… different.”

Hao hesitates, searching for the right words. “We’ve always been rivals, you know? But lately, it feels like there’s more to it. Like… we’re not just competing anymore. It’s like we’re actually becoming… friends.”

Taerae raises an eyebrow, a knowing smile creeping onto his face. “Friends, huh? Is that all you want to be?”

Hao looks down at his desk, his heart pounding as the unspoken truth hangs in the air. He’s liked Hanbin for a while now, but he’s never admitted it out loud—not even to himself. And now, with Taerae pressing him, it’s becoming harder to ignore.

“I don’t know,” Hao finally whispers, his voice barely audible. “Maybe… maybe I want more than that. But I don’t know if he does.”

He reaches out and lightly nudges Hao’s shoulder. “Hey, whatever happens, I’ve got your back. Whether it’s just friendship or something more, you deserve to be happy, honey. And from what I just saw, I think Hanbin might feel the same way.”

"Let's not get too carried away..that conversation was like the first time we actually talked to eachother..." Hao mutters looking down

Hao looks up, meeting Taerae’s eyes, and he feels a sense of comfort in his best friend’s words. “You think so?”

Taerae nods confidently. “I do. Just take things slow, see where it goes. You’ll never know unless you try, right?”

Taerae grins, the teasing glint returning to his eyes. “Anytime. Just don’t forget to invite me to the wedding, okay?”

Hao groans, playfully shoving Taerae’s shoulder. “You’re impossible.”

ᯓ★

Pleaze vote 😢 (and stream Good so bad)