Infatuation - haobin

-13-

♪"In My Room" by Chance Peña ♪

Cold is one thing, but cold with snow is another. Everything just seems much peaceful in the snow, when the world becomes quiet and the streets get coated in white. It's a comfort that cannot quite be replaced by any other feeling.

Now, imagine just that, but with your friends in a frozen lake, so cold you are sure it will not break. Gliding through the ice, lips turning blue, and nose and cheeks turning pink, with the biting feeling of snow droplets run down the inches of your face. Imagine all you hear is the constant scraping of the shoes against the ice and the occasional laughs of your friends when someone falls down clumsily. Imagine a scarf tied securely around your neck, hugging you in comfort and protecting you from any possible sickness from a bare neck. Imagine hearing the occasional whistling of the wind, watching snowflakes dance around you before casually settling down on the surface of your shoes. Imagine looking up, and all you can do is admire the angelic white appearing from the grey invisible clouds above. It sounds more than gorgeous, doesn't it?

Hao loved every second of it, just like anyone would. It brings a real sense of peace in some ways; a way to forget anything and everything. That is, in the spur of the moment. Had Hao known that Hanbin would someday become this close to him unknowingly, Hao would have laughed it off. Why, he is just a friend of Gyuvin. But at this moment, Hao realizes that maybe Hanbin isn't just a friend of Gyuvin. He is his friend as well, surprisingly

Hanbin is clearly a simple guy. He cares for others, understands the logic in things, and understands emotions in others. He isn't complicated at all, and clearly spends time freely without overthinking too much about anything. It's something Hao envies... why when he tries to not think, all of his emotions clash together? Hanbin is carefree, while Hao is an overthinker. Hanbin is mature, while Hao feels like he makes wrong decisions on a daily basis. It is a problem, he knows, but when he normally compares himself to others, with Hanbin he's just glad he has someone like him by his side. Maybe a harsh truth of reality, Hanbin keeping him grounded and supported rather than encouraging his bad habits

"C'mon, Hao, you're so slow!" Hanbin shouts from the other side of the lake, watching Hao. Hao looks up, slight panic in his eyes, watching as his three friends stand together at the end of the iced lake. His eyes catch Hanbin, who looks at him with a sort of sincerity that makes Hao's heart melt... he feels seen

"I can't... I feel like I'm going to fall" Hao shouts back, his legs unstable as they slip and slide around the ice. He hears his friends laugh, making himself muster out a chuckle. He's well aware that he looks absolutely cowardly

He looks up again, eyes looking at Hanbin who slides through the ice toward him. Hao isn't sure if it's the brightness from the street lights in the dark of the rising moon, but Hanbin looks like an angel more than anything

Hanbin skates toward Hao, taking his arm "C'mon, scaredy-cat, you won't fall" he says. Hao clutches onto him, laughing nervously as he lets Hanbin lead him through the ice. Gosh, maybe Hanbin is really an angel

"Watch out!" Ricky shouts, and Hao's eyes widen as he sees Gyuvin zoom past him before the boy falls face-first on the snow beside the lake

---

"That's going to bruise" Gyvin mutters, rubbing the top of his head while Ricky rolls his eyes and slaps the back of his neck

"Maybe that's what you get for being such a dumbass"

Hao watches as the couple argues gently back and forth, a small smile on his face. It felt nice... everything about this. The snow continues to fall, soft and steady, blanketing the frozen lake in a fresh layer of white. The air grows crisper as the evening deepens into night, the moon now hanging high and bright, casting a cold glow over everything. Hao watches his friends playfully push each other around, their laughter muffled by the snow-laden air.