DIE WITH A SMILE | BBANGIZ [MATTRAE/ZB1]

ch.03

The concert tour had finally ended, and Zerobaseone was back in South Korea. As soon as they returned, exhaustion weighed heavily on each member, and they quickly dispersed to their respective rooms. Taerae made his way to his shared room with Hanbin, feeling both relieved and emotionally drained. The concerts had been incredible, filled with energy and cheers from the fans, but now, the adrenaline had faded, leaving only the quiet hum of thoughts behind.

Taerae took a long shower, letting the warm water wash away the fatigue from the past few days. His thoughts, however, remained tangled. He kept thinking about Matthew—how close they had been during the tour, how they’d shared rooms and moments together, yet somehow, that invisible wall still stood between them. He sighed, stepping out of the shower and drying off before heading back into the room.

Hanbin, freshly out of his own shower, sat on his bed, looking just as tired as Taerae felt. "It was so tiring, right?" Hanbin said, leaning back against his pillow.

"Yeah," Taerae agreed with a faint smile, sitting down on his bed and reaching for his phone. "But it was fun too. The fans were amazing."

He started scrolling through social media, finding posts and clips from their concert tour. As usual, his eyes sought out the moments with Matthew. His fingers paused over a video of the two of them during "Hello," the part where Matthew looked at him during his verse, and Taerae smiled back. It had become a routine that fans loved, but for Taerae, it was always something more.

"Look at this," Taerae muttered, showing Hanbin a clip from the concert.

Hanbin leaned in, watching for a moment before chuckling. "You and Matthew, huh? Fans love you two together."

Taerae smiled, though it was a bit forced. "Yeah, they do."

Hanbin stretched out, letting out a yawn. "You two seem close these days. Roommates during the tour and everything."

"Yeah, we are," Taerae said, his voice softer now. He wanted to say more, to talk about the complicated feelings he had for Matthew, but the words wouldn’t come. Instead, he put his phone down and stared at the ceiling, trying to clear his mind.

"Are you okay?" Hanbin asked, noticing Taerae’s shift in mood.

"Yeah, just tired, I guess." Taerae forced a smile, knowing it wasn’t entirely true. He wasn’t just tired; he was conflicted. He cared about Matthew as more than a friend, and each day it got harder to keep those feelings hidden.

Hanbin gave him a knowing look but didn’t push further. "Well, get some rest. We’ve got a few days to relax before things pick up again."

Taerae nodded, turning off his phone and lying down on his bed. The room fell into silence, but his mind kept spinning. He thought about the concerts, the moments with Matthew, and how much he wanted to confess his feelings but couldn’t. The fear of losing their friendship was too great, and Taerae wasn’t sure if he was ready to risk it all for the chance that Matthew might not feel the same.

As he drifted off to sleep, the echoes of the concert still played in his head, but instead of the crowd’s cheers, all he could think about was Matthew’s smile.

-

The next day

After the long, exhausting concert tour, the members of Zerobaseone had finally managed to get some rest. Taerae woke up feeling a bit more refreshed, and as he glanced over at Hanbin, still fast asleep, he decided not to disturb him. Quietly, he slipped out of bed, grabbed some clothes, and took a quick shower. The warm water helped clear his mind, though his thoughts still lingered on Matthew, as they often did these days.