Almost blind | Haobin

🔞48| Velvet shadows |48🔞

‼️TW: Smut at the end of the chapter marked w 🔞 ‼️

"You're actually better than I thought you'd be!" Somi called out, panting, as she dribbled the basketball with growing irritation. Her ponytail had half-rebelled against its tie, strands sticking to her sweaty cheeks like rebellious vines. She glared at Hanbin, who stood near the three-point line with maddening calm, his coat abandoned on the bleachers like a forgotten trophy. His shirt clung to his back, damp with effort, but that smug, infuriatingly adorable smile remained fixed on his face like it was stitched there.

"No wonder your trainer skipped winter break for you," he teased, catching the ball just as she aimed for the basket. He snatched it mid-air with the casual arrogance of a magician pulling a rabbit from a hat.

Somi cursed under her breath. "Big mouth, huh?" she muttered, already repositioning herself behind him, determined to block his next move.

But Hanbin moved with the grace of someone who lived in rhythm. No hesitation. No mercy. He spun, dribbled once, and launched the ball. Swish. "Six to one," he said without even looking at the hoop, just turning back to face her, glowing with victory.

"Alright, I'm done with you, Mr. Perfect!" Somi huffed, throwing her hands up dramatically as she stormed toward the bleachers. Her limbs were heavy, but her pride even heavier. She snatched a water bottle like it had personally offended her.

Hanbin laughed, the sound light and teasing as he followed her at a leisurely pace. "I thought you'd be harder to impress," he said, the smirk playing on his lips almost too confident. "You're the one who dragged me into this so-called 'casual training,' remember? I was just trying to enjoy a peaceful vacation-and now I'm dripping sweat, risking injury, and being verbally assaulted by you."

He slid his hands into his pockets, the movement casual, but carefully measured. Beneath the surface of his easy smile, his body betrayed him. The dull ache in his right arm pulsed like a silent alarm clock that refused to be snoozed. A reminder. A warning. The kind of pain that starts in the bone and hums upward, threading through nerves like electric wire. He bit the inside of his cheek, not from frustration-but to keep from wincing, from giving anything away. His fingers twitched with an involuntary tremor, just subtle enough to miss, unless someone was really watching.

With a practiced grace, he adjusted his stance, shifting his weight to the other side, masking the discomfort like a magician hides a trick. It wasn't the first time his body whispered secrets he wasn't ready to share-and he knew how to keep them quiet. For now.

Somi drank deeply from her bottle before turning back to him. Her eyes narrowed-not from exhaustion, but calculation. Like a cat watching a bird a little too closely. "I thought you'd be worse," she said with a raised brow. "You're actually... kind of annoyingly good. We should play more often. It might be fun having you around." Her voice was casual, but her gaze wasn't.

Hanbin blinked. "That's not so easy," he said, chuckling softly. "I'm just here for a short vacation. Tomorrow's our last day-we're flying back to Korea the next day." He reached for her bottle, and she let him take it, her fingers brushing his for a second too long.

"Oh. That soon?" Her voice dipped. There it was-tension. Not from his side, but hers. Her mask cracked just a little, letting something else peek through. "That's a shame. I thought you'd be sticking around a little longer. I was starting to like wiping that cocky smile off your face."

Hanbin smirked, sipping the water. "Too bad you never got the chance."

"Yet," she added, stepping closer, her tone light but her eyes sharp. "You're not off the hook that easily, Mr. Perfect. I want a rematch before you vanish back to Seoul or wherever you came from."