Beautiful | haobin

Six

After basketball practice, the team went to the locker room to get changed and most of the people sitting on the bleachers were also gone by now.

"Hao, I have to go. My mom texted me and I have to get home." Taerae tells Zhang Hao.

"Okay, I'll wait for Ricky. Don't worry."

"See you tomorrow." Taerae quickly stands up and walks out of the gym. Zhang Hao takes his phone out and plays a game as he waits for Ricky to come back.

After a few rounds, he gets bored and stands up, deciding to go and look for Ricky at the locker room. What if he left already?

He goes to his contacts list and tries calling him, but he doesn't answer. "Where is he?" Zhang Hao mumbles and makes his way towards the locker room.

He's about to open the door, but he hears what sounds like a serious conversation going on, so he stops himself.

"Hanbin, I'm really sorry. I promise I'll change."

Zhang Hao knows that voice. That's definitely Jeong Juwon trying to get Sung Hanbin back. He's so familiar with that.

They break up and get back together when Juwon apologizes and promises he'll change. It always happens. He's witnessed it one too many times.

"I don't want to be with you anymore." Hanbin tells him. "You always say it's a mistake, but how can you continue making the same 'mistake' over and over again? There's no way that's a mistake and there's no way you'll ever change."

"Hanbin, I'm sorry. I just see him as a friend, but he likes me. I didn't expect him to kiss me, I swear."

"It's a different person every time, Juwon." Hanbin sighs. "Are they all your friends who kiss you suddenly and you kiss back? I'm not stupid."

"We can get past this, Hanbin. We always have."

"Yeah, because I've been stupid and I've forgiven you, but that doesn't mean I forget... especially when you do it every single time."

"Hanbin..."

"Get out, Juwon. I don't want to see you."

"Okay, I'll give you some time, but I know you still love me. You'll come back to me."

'Wow.' Zhang Hao thinks to himself. How can someone be like that? Juwon really doesn't see that he was in the wrong. He's just apologizing but doesn't even mean it. He doesn't think he actually did anything wrong.

The door opens and Zhang Hao quickly moves out of the way. Juwon walks the other way, not noticing Zhang Hao, thankfully, making him sigh with relief.

But that sigh of relief is replaced with a small scream when Zhang Hao notices Hanbin right in front of him. "Gosh, you scared me."

"Why? Were you doing something wrong?" Hanbin raises an eyebrow.

"What? No." Zhang Hao shakes his head, trying not to give away that he was totally eavesdropping.

"You know... it's rude to eavesdrop."

"Eavesdrop? Who? Me?" Zhang Hao chuckles. "I don't do that."

"Oh really? You do realize that there's a window, right?" Hanbin points. Zhang Hao turns to a window that definitely made him get caught by Hanbin.

"Seriously? A window? Who puts that in a locker room?" Zhang Hao scoffs.

"Locker room?" Hanbin asks. "That's on the other side." He points.

"What? So then what the hell is this-"

"The storage room. I was putting the basketball away."

"Right." Zhang Hao just nods. "And then your ex suddenly went to help you too." He jokes, but regrets it. "Anyway... it seems like your ex is really obsessive. I know that's none of my business and I really didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I thought this was the locker room and I'm looking for my friend. I was waiting for your conversation to end before I went inside." Zhang Hao clarifies. "Anyway... I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I ended up hearing everything. Like I said, I know it's none of my business, but I think what you're doing is the right thing."

"What I'm doing?"

"Yeah... not taking him back." Zhang Hao clarifies. "I don't think he deserves another chance. Love should be from both sides, but it seems like you're the only one putting in the work while he just goes and cheats. It seems like he thinks you'll always forgive him and-"

"I'm not forgiving him this time." Hanbin shakes his head. "I've had enough. He just won't leave me alone."

"Really? What if you move on and date someone else then? Maybe then he'll back off."

"Really?" Hanbin thinks about it for a while. "Do you really think he would?"

"I don't know." Zhang Hao shrugs. He knows nothing about relationships, but he just assumes. Plus, he's watched some dramas where they have no choice but to move on once their ex gets with someone new. "Well, I have to go find my friend." He starts walking away, but Hanbin quickly catches up to him.

"Wait... you're right."

"Me? Right? As always?" Zhang Hao nods. "I know."

"You gave me a great idea."

"A great idea?" Zhang Hao asks confused. What did he even say again?

"Date me."

"Excuse me?" He almost drops his phone and chokes on his own words. "Are you crazy?!"

"Not for real..." Hanbin tells him. "Please be my fake boyfriend, Zhang Hao."