A/N: This is a continuation of the prequel, so if you've read it already, go to the next one! xx

chapter 1: giving in to hanbin

The jaded winter greeted Seoul with its breezy chill wind and drops of little snow, blanketing the cemented sidewalks with slight white patches here and there. Hayi looked through her songs of playlist and chose one that she thought would mute the outside world. With her headphones already glued to her ears, she selected the song 'Waiting for Me' and put the volume on max.

Jinhwan's smooth voice flowed through her ears and she closed her eyes to let the song engulf her completely. It was one of her ways that made her sane and choosing the song was not mainly because her boyfriend is the leader and backbone of iKon. She appreciated the song as a musician, and as a sunbae, even if she hated the idea of them treating her like one. Not that they ever did. The boys of iKon looked at her as 'Hayi nuna' or just 'Hayi.' Dating one of the members might be the contributing factor that she was considered like a close neighbourhood nuna.

She remembered the first time she heard the song. It was on a unprecedentedly bright autumn right in the very headquarters of YG Entertainment. She could vividly remember the eager tone Hanbin had when he urged her to come to the producing room that day immediately. She had reasoned that she might be busy due to practices and concerts but of course, Hanbin didn't listen. He never did when it came to showing her his new songs. He believed in some jinx that every song Hayi said would make it, would make it. Somehow, that became their every routine, one that Hayi knew she could never refuse to do. Hanbin would call or text her when a new song was out (and it didn't even take long for that 18 year-old to produce one), and she would scurry to the producing room so that she could listen to it. 

Hayi wasn't exactly a musical genius nor was she the daughter of a clever producer, but she knew a thing or two about making music. Ever since she joined YG, she learned there was a lot more than it seemed. She learned music, the real music; its flow, melody, harmony, lyrics, beats, tempo, etc. It was something of a discovery for her really, for someone who only sang her voice out her whole life.

Wait, because we're gonna be forever now

Because I can't go on without you

Wait for me hey

Time, go faster

Wait because I'll go to you right now

I'll run against time and go to you

Wait for me yeah

So she can remember me

Time, go go go faster

"So, how was it?" Hanbin's eyes were filled with genuine hope, his puppy eyes more or less. Hayi stared at the latter before breaking out into laughter. It wasn't really often of her to laugh like that. Not because she was the ice cold, awkward rookie monster like the tabloids claimed, but because she rarely got comfortable around people. It would usually take her some time for her to get close to people in general. But not Hanbin, he managed to make her drop formalities the moment they met and even cracked a smile on her face with some lame cheesy joke he learned from Bobby a week before.

"Yah, why are you laughing?" his eyebrows creased and his mouth pouted. "I'm serious, here. I haven't even show this song to President Yang."

"I don't get what's so charismatic about you, Hanbin-ah. All I see is cute Hanbin," she chortled again after pinching his cheeks only to amuse herself. Hanbin didn't find it funny at all though. His debut life depended on this, well maybe, but still, it was a very serious matter to him.

"YAH LEE HAYI!"

"Okay, okay. Sorry, babe," she suppressed the urge to laugh even more and took a deep breath. "As your sunbae, Hanbin-ssi, I think that the song shouldn't be locked in the computer here, but rather have someone use it to debut with. It's an all-kill song, and I would flip if President Yang called this trashy."

Hanbin's lips curved upwards hearing the positive feedbacks that he longed to hear so much. It had been almost a year since Win ended and all he had been doing was working thrice as hard as before. He wanted to debut so badly and so he racked his brain with a new song almost every week. This time, he was sure of the song. So sure that Hayi's approval made him feel over the moon.

"Really? Assa! I knew this would be a jackpot!" he fist pumped the air before crashing into a hug with the girl's petite frame. "Thank you, Hayi. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you," he softly whispered, his words were filled with every bit of sincerity. He felt satisfied at that point, very grateful that such an amazing girl was there to keep pushing him forward. She slowly returned the hug, feeling the same content he did.

They broke out of the hug and Hayi found that Hanbin was still smiling. She chuckled, "Yeah, right. Because all you need is me and not that genius talent of yours that could just produce a new song within a day. I'm honoured, Kim Hanbin."

"I'm serious!"

"So am I!" 

"Hayi, we're here," her manager informed her, loud enough for his voice to reach his ears despite the blasting music through her headphones. She took them off and let them sit around her neck and on her shoulders, just to let her eardrums relax for a bit. She hated the sounds of screaming fangirls to be honest, they weren't there for her anyways. But she decided to take Hanbin's advice for once.

Netizens had been posting of how she seemed rather arrogant and pompous always wearing a pair of shades and headphones whenever she was at the airport. It wasn't that other idols hadn't done it before, but because she was Lee Hi, the said ice queen who just debuted and snagged only a couple of Inkigayo awards, they said she didn't deserve to act all so mighty.

"She won second in Kpop Star and signed with YG, and now she's a total snob."

Hanbin said that it was best for her to ignore the negative comments, even he had way worse ones. Being an idol rapper was a challenge much worse than hers, but still it didn't make her feel any better. If anything, Hanbin knew better that his girlfriend possessed the stubborn trait. And so, he decided to opt advicing her to either take the headphones off or the shades off. Or maybe both.

A drastic move was what she chose and that glorious winter day, she stepped out wearing her usual airport getup with her luggage in hand. No shades, no headphones. She even thought of smiling to any of the fans' cameras for once. This time, she hoped that the nickname 'arrogant' and 'snobbish rookie' would be gone for good.

Hayi chose her own outfit for the day, like most idols would do when it came to flying overseas. A simple velvet sweater topped off with a jet black jacket and a woolen white scarf, one that Hanbin had bought for her last year when they were just in the early stages of romance. She also wore her favourite fitted jeans together with a pair of leather boots that almost reached her knee. 

As expected, fans went wildly screaming as if she stepped out of the minivan. Mostly uncle fans and high school boys, but she managed to spot another group of young girls behind as well. As if in a screaming competition, this time, the other group of girls yelled their lungs out once another van parked behind Hayi's. She looked to her left and when Kang Seungyoon bowed at her as he got out of the car, she immediately comprehend the situation. She slightly bowed back before making her way across the sea of fans, into the airport and finally into the lounge for final boarding pass check-ups. 

"Eo? Hayi?"

A familiar voice resonated against her ears and she looked up to meet a pair of slanted smiling eyes. She smiled back at the latter and greeted him, "Are you sitting next to me, Taehyun oppa?" He loaded his knapsack into the compartment above their seats while nodding. The rest of the Winner members were seen trailing right behind him and then past them to find their own seats. The business class was not that spacious anyways, and so it was no trouble finding their seats.

"The kids are not boarding this flight?" he referred to the iKon members who were supposed to join in the YG Family Concert in Tokyo. Those boys were like his brothers and so the matter of B.I. and Lee Hi dating was no secret. "No, apparently they'll get on the next one with Big Bang oppas and Tablo oppa," she replied nonchalantly.

"Good then. I don't want to face an annoying, naggy Hanbin that would hold onto my leg till I give this seat to him. He's freaking clingy! What do you see in that boy?" Taehyun shook his head, the picture of B.I. doing that was like a nightmare he never wish to be true. Hayi was about to speak, but Taehyun managed to cut her off, "And don't give me all that crap that he's the charismatic leader of iKon that even my fangirls would be dying to date." 

Hayi's mouth automically went shut afterwards and she found herself trying to suppress a chuckle. It was just simply a remark she would catapult at Taehyun to shut him off. She was half-joking in a way, Hanbin being a leader of iKon did not have anything to do with the reason she dated him. Honestly, she didn't know why too. She just did. She knew she loved him with all her heart although expressing it might be a little bit more difficult. There was no reason, she just dated him because Hanbin is Hanbin.

Sizzle. Sizzle. Sizzle.

The hotel kitchen staff all dressed in their almost crease-free uniform, with hair tied up into a bun for the ladies or combed back smartly for the guys, strided from one place to another, busy attending to the A-list YG Famiy like bees. A chef, all dressed up in white, topped with his 'tall' hat that verified his level of importance in the hotel kitchen, was personally slow roasting the lamb leg at a table not far from the pool. Varieties of dishes were being served as a buffet, all from the grilled seafood skewers, the roasted chicken with smooth mashed potato to the finest desserts enclusive of a chocolate fountain and an upgraded version of patbingsu. 

Hayi took a seat at one of the empty tables, feeling awkward since Akdong Musician wasn't in for the list of YG family performing at the Japan's concert. If not, Soohyun would be her best companion, her only friend. It wasn't like she was ocstrasized by her 2NE1 unnis or the other sunbaes, she mingled with them once in a while. She had gotten much closer compared to the first time she stepped her foot into YG. But the fact that they were almost 10-year apart and not to mention her sunbaes are the major sunbaes who basically are at the top of the Kpop pyramid might be the cause that she was still cautious around them.

"Hey pretty lady, mind if I seat next to you?" she chuckled at the sudden question, perfectly knowing that there would be only one person who was daring enough to shoot such a question. She decided to play along and merely shrugged, apparently a green light for the latter.

"Have you ever think how lucky you are? I mean what are you going to do here all alone if it wasn't for me? Thank goodness you have a boyfriend to keep you company," he fixed his jacket, putting an all cocky act just to relax his girlfriend. It worked every time like a charm because she chuckled again, slight disbelief resounded as she did.

"Hmm...but I wonder if I did the right thing? I mean Taehyun oppa's nice and all, and he's way less jealous than you are," she playfully . She knew that Hanbin couldn't stand being compared to any guys at that rate. Even Big Bang. He would always have some sort of comeback to defend himself, even if he were to compare with TOP.

"Hey, for your information, Taehyun hyung is hella scary when he's jealous. Have you seen those eyebrows?"

"But I don't think he's going to be jealous if I ended up acting all in love with ," her eyes were glued onto his. His on the other hand widened, not expecting that this day would come. "Yah, how do you know that?"

Hayi merely shrugged, "A little birdie told me." In actuality, Soohyun had accidentally slipped it to her when she was telling her about how childish Jinhwan was despite being the oldest in the group. But for Soohyun's own safety (although Jinhwan would gladly become her black knight), Hayi had promised to keep shut of her source of information.

"So...you actually chased Jiwon oppa the whole night, and almost murder him, if it wasn't for the sake of iKon." Now that info came from Junhoe's mouth, but of course, all lips shut.

"Aish, it must be Bobby hyung, right? You know what, iKon can debut with one rapper, I'm sure President Yang wouldn't mind. Or we could train Chanwoo into a rapper. Either way, that hyung's dead by tonight," his eyes fired up and Hayi laughed again. She swore no other guy could make her laugh as much as he did. Hanbin wasn't even funny, but being with him always made her happy. No, scratch that, ecstatic.

"It's not him. But come on, you're seriously jealous?" Hanbin looked away, not wanting to admit it to Hayi herself. This was so typical of Kim Hanbin, something about a man's pride and ego, or something. "Oh come on, we've been dating for quite some time and you're jealous over him? It's not like we hugged, or kissed," she said like it was no big matter.

"Oh so you want to kiss him?" he turned to Hayi again with all seriousness.

"Hanbin, don't be ridiculous."

"Aish, this is just so fu-"

"Oh, you guys are all here? Hanbin, you too?" President Yang made his appearance at the barbecue party, one he specifically threw to celebrate his artists since they had been working impeccably hard for the concert and their upcoming albums. He hopped on the first flight in the morning and would return back to Seoul right after this party would be over. He patted Hanbin's shoulder and the latter just bowed to greet him.

"Hayi's here too? Wah it's nice to see all my favourite people together," Hayi knew that he meant as in together in the party, mingling and all, but she couldn't help but to feel tensed. It was if he knew. He couldn't know, no, that would be the worst nightmare for both of them.

"Where are the other kids, Hanbin?"

As if to answer President Yang's question, the atmosphere with faint background music was disturbed with chatters and noisy childish quarrels that was highly suspected involving Junhoe and Donghyuk. All of the three turned their backs as soon as the other boys arrived at their table. Noticing the important figure's presence, all six of them bowed 90 degrees and belt out a proper, "Annyeonghaseyo!"

"Oh, sure. Since you're all here now, I'll leave you guys to enjoy yourselves," he patted Hanbin's back once again. Hanbin couldn't help but to feel pressured every time he did so because President Yang did not just pat anyone. It made him feel burdened, but he never told any of the members that. He thought that it was a definite thing for a leader; to feel burdened.

"Ah, Hanbin, babe, it's not like that! Look, I'm sorry, okay?" Hayi started apologizing the minute President Yang walked out on them. Despite the members' presence, she felt that sorting this out was more important. If she didn't she knew it would be harder for Hanbin to think rationally and overlook this small matter. 

"Yah, maknaes, I heard they would be serving plates and plates of premium grilled beef tonight, wanna check it out?" Jinhwan, the sensible one in this case, gave a signal to Bobby as if this was their cue to leave. Maybe it would be best for them not to interrupt the two lovebirds. "Really?!" Junhoe replied innocently and went ahead without Jinhwan. "Yeah, Yunhyeong, let's go and say hi to Haru," Bobby manuevered the poor guy away before he had a chance to agree. And so, the two were left together, again.

"It's just that, I am jealous, okay? There, I said it. What boyfriend wouldn't? I hate seeing you with other guys, even Taehyun hyung, even Bobby hyung, anyone!" Hanbin grunted in reply but Hayi was glad that he would at least talk about it. Not just shoving her off the whole night.

But dating in secret had its downside. Like, no privacy.

"Oh, this table's not taken, right?" the familiar calm voice was heard and indeed, it was none other than their sunbae, Taeyang. Too bad he was with GD, Bom and TOP, and so their make-up session might had to be postponed. "No," Hanbin smugly replied. He couldn't just say, 'no but I'm in the middle of an argument with my girl so sorry hyung but can you find another table?' 

"Oh, our cutie Hayi is here too?" Bom's perky self was enough to lighten up the tensed atmosphere earlier. She simply nodded as an acknowledgement as TOP took the seat next to her and Bom next to him. "Ah it's so good to sit with my hoobaes like this," Taeyang commented. "By the way, congrats on winning Inkigayo, Hayi."

She lopsidedly smiled, slightly wishing for Taeyang to never mention that. It was a win for HI SUHYUN, the one where they performed with Bobby, the exact reason that whirled a triple storm in the iKon's dorm.

"Hanbin-ah, make sure to drop into the studio after the concert's over. I think you need to change the tune a bit," GD reminded. "Okay, hyung."

"Aish, stop talking about work will you? This is a retreat party, not the studio!" Bom reprimanded the hardworker rapper whose mind seemed to be filled with work. "And you, Hanbin, don't be like Jiyong here. He's a level above a normal workaholic! This is why you don't have a girlfriend," her shrieking voice made TOP and Taeyang bursted out laughing. She really seemed like a naggy sister Hanbin would never have. And thank goodness Hanbyul's only three.

"Yah, I'm G-Dragon! That's not so bad," he defended. "Oh it is. You just need to be Taeyang's level, I mean look at him! He didn't go all cuckoo working into the wee hours up until the wee hours the next day, and yet still managed to get hold of a snazzy Daesang."

While the two were abruptly fighting it out, Hayi sneakily held Hanbin's hand under the table. He was startled at the delicate touch, but when he saw she mouthing the word 'sorry' with slight aegyo poured in, he gave in. It wasn't your typical girly aegyo, but it was aegyo. Her very own version of it that Hanbin adored. That Hanbin could never resist. He knew he could never stay mad for too long and so he rejoiced the sensational touch of hers. And both of them had a hard time keeping their faces straight then.

"I had girlfriends before," GD cautiously gave out. He wasn't going to lose this. A fight between Bom and GD wasn't an everyday thing and thus, the other 2 Big Bang members were enjoying it to the max. "But Hanbin never had one. So, he needs to lay off the work a bit and start finding a girl! He's charismatic and young and we have lots of beautiful girls in our company." "You're not talking about you guys, are you?" TOP chided in. "No," she exasperated.

"Like I don't know, what about Hayi? She's getting prettier every single time I saw her." Hayi and Hanbin gulped hard. The two hands entwined together were immediately let go as if they felt like they were caught. Honestly, they were caught off-guard. Both of them didn't know what to say.

"Hey come on, he's going to be okay. He won't die a and haven't dated any girls, alright? Once he debut, girls would be all over him," GD surprisingly intercepted and Bom just scoffed at his words. Hayi and GD met eyes, but those eyes seemed like there was more to them and so she looked away.

Hanbin carefully placed another tempura on top of the other seafood he had filled his plate with. Minzy and Daesung were doing an impromptu performance, a duet to be exact. It was YG exclusive since those two never agreed to something like that before. "You know, you might want to learn from Seunghyun hyung."

Hanbin turned to his left to see GD with his own plate that was yet only to be filled with slices of the roasted lamb. "Huh?" GD smirked, "Holding hands under the table? That's like cliche 101. You want to really know how to date secretly, you ask the man. He rarely got into scandals, and even if he does, it subsides just as quick. Even I can't beat him." Hanbin froze. He didn't know what to do or say. He was caught, that was it. By GD on top of that.

Goodbye, debut stage, he silently thought.

"Don't worry, I'm not a tattle-tale. I'm cool like that," he assured. "Just work on the song harder okay, man?"

Hanbin nodded slowly. He felt like he wanted to trust his Jiyong hyung. It wasn't like he had a choice. And so, the rest of the night he decided to just lay it low and not do so many secret romantic gestures like they usually would. Always cautious and aware. Just in case.