chapter 9: haughty girl

haughty

definition: 1) arrogantly superior and disdainful.

            2) Lee Hi.

            3) not Lee Hayi.

From: Hanbin

What you doing?

Hayi's phone beeped and she glanced at it. His name caught her eye and she immediately smiled while grabbing her phone to type a reply back.

From: Hayi

Nothing much. Hanging out with the girls. You?

He too couldn't keep his face straight as he read her text. It was nothing, really. Just asking how each other was doing might be something normal but to him, it was enough to make him happy knowing how she was.

From: Hanbin

Shooting the new MV. Ah...I'm so tired. It's been five hours already T.T

"Don't lie to me, oppa! She is prettier than me, isn't she?!" Soohyun yelled in Hayi's tiny apartment, making her whole house resounded with her anger. Hayi glanced at the latter, thinking how Jinhwan could possibly stand her. But then again, Jinhwan and his jealousy was no small matter too. Maybe that was why they were so perfect for each other.

From: Hayi

Stay strong! You can do it, B.I.! ^^

"I'm serious! You're way, way prettier than her!" Jinhwan frustratedly ran his fingers through his hair. It had been around ten minutes since Jinhwan was on the phone and Hanbin did not need to guess the topic was about Jinhwan's one-day MV girlfriend. In all honesty, Hanbin had to admit YG did a pretty good job in casting the girls who would play their girlfriends in their new music video. They were pretty.

But not as pretty as his Hayi. Nope, not even. But that was just his thought, the others would disagree massively.

From: Hanbin

By any chance, is Soohyun there?

"Send me her photo!" she retorted. "What do you mean you don't have her photo! Just go and take one, then. Oppa, if you don't send me one, I will ask Donghyuk oppa to send me one," she threatened her poor boyfriend before hanging up abruptly. Hanna who was also there couldn't help but to be amused at the younger's behaviour. "Yah, why would you want her photo? It's better not to know how she looks like. Wouldn't it hurt your self-esteem if she is prettier than you?" she said.

"Still, I need to know how pretty she is. My source says all the girls there are beautiful," Soohyun elaborated. Hanna didn't know whether she would want to laugh or roll her eyes, "Obviously. If not, they wouldn't feature in iKon's music video."

From: Hayi

Yeah. The fight's been going on for fifteen now.

"Yah! Donghyuk!" Jinhwan basically sprinted towards the latter in attempts of preventing him from following Soohyun's request. Just in time, he saw Donghyuk was already holding on to his phone, a KakaoTalk message from Soohyun was already on his screen. "Just, don't," Jinhwan said. "Why? I am the Dong-parazzi," he smirked.

"I'd give anything you want, just don't. She'd flip," he was basically pleading now. "One embarassing photo of Junhoe," he declared his wish of adding his collection of Dong-parazzi photos. Jinhwan sighed in relief, his wish was much easier than he thought. "Deal."

Hanbin sighed deeply. At times like this, he honestly felt jealous of his Jinhwan hyung. Soohyun was jealous and he was jealous of that. Hayi barely showed such a thing towards him and that made him wonder if that was because she loved him less. And he hated it because he felt like he was asking for more when Hayi had given him so much. Some of his friends even said he was weird because guys usually would love cool girls not clingy ones.

An idea popped inside his head and he immediately went searching for the photo he took earlier with his 'one-day girlfriend' for the music video shoot. Without any hesitation, he sent the photo to Hayi.

"Who's that?" Hanna who was seated beside Hayi peeked a look by accident at her phone's screen. "Don't tell me...that's the girl he's acting with? Why would he send you that?" Hayi shrugged, she really couldn't figure Hanbin out then. What she knew was the girl in the picture was beautiful. Really beautiful. Soohyun sighed, "Boys, why are they just so stupid? Hanbin oppa is crazy for sending that picture." Hanna agreed, "I know. What? Is he trying to set up a fire in Hayi's heart?"

From: Hayi

She's pretty. Lucky you.

Hanbin frowned. This was not the response he was hoping for. "What's the frown for, hyung?" Donghyuk blurted. Hanbin was startled since he was sure the latter was with Jinhwan a minute ago. "Yah, don't you think your Hayi noona is a lil' bit too much?" he showed Donghyuk the screen but obviously the younger did not understand what he was talking about. "What's wrong with noona?"

"Can't you see how she's not jealous?" Hanbin exasperated. "Aren't you supposed to be thankful that she's cool like this and not like Soohyun?" Donghyuk was not following. "Yeah, she's way too cool. I hate that. Didn't they say jealousy is an expression of love? What's this then? Does it mean she doesn't love me?!"

"Whoa, whoa, hyung. Hold on, there. How do you know she's not punching her pillow right now?"

"Huh?" Hanbin was lost. "What I mean is, noona's jealous but she's just too cool to show it to you. She hardly expresses her feelings, right?" he clarified. "How can you be so sure?" Hanbin was doubting the explanation. "Hyung, I might not be a love expert, but I'm sure I know a little more than you do," the younger's answer made Hanbin feel annoyed. It was true, but still, annoying.

Hayi had always been so weak at expressing how she feels. She would take some time to open up to people and if she liked someone, she would rather bury it in the deepest place on earth than go and tell them about how she felt. Even when she started dating Hanbin, she found him doing most of the things first; the confession, the dates, the 'I love you's,' the gifts. It just felt so difficult for her.

But that did not mean she had no feelings. She does. Yes, even feeling slight hostility and jealousy when Hanbin was surrounded by girls hundred times prettier than herself. It made her feel insecure, that he would stop looking at just her now, but she never told him that.

The first time she saw the 'Airplane' MV was on a lazy afternoon at her apartment. The members forced her to because they all buzzed about how Hanbin and Bobby acted in that music video. She was curious and excited to see their acting and was surprised by their performance. They looked natural, like they had been the best of friends who had a complicated love triangle story.

But then she found the behind story video of the music video. 

"I've never seen Hanbin smile like that during the past four years."

She knew Bobby said that out of fun, for the sake of the camera. She tried to shake it off, she even congratulated Hanbin on his first acting challenge but it didn't work. What was worst that she met the girl he acted with in the YG building weeks later. She wished she hadn't done such a thing.

Hayi stepped inside the elevator and pressed the button to the floor she was going. She noticed someone running and yelling to hold the door open and she did just that when she realized it was the girl the boys acted with. It was a split second, she swore, but she did eventually press the close button multiple times in hopes it would close. It was petty but she couldn't help it. 

"Safe!" the girl exclaimed while blocking the elevator doors from closing with her arm. She bowed to Hayi and entered the elevator pressing a button to the floor just below to the one that Hayi was heading to. Hayi thought it would be one of those long, awkward elevator rides but instead the girl greeted her. "You're Lee Hi, right? I'm Ji Hayoon, rookie actress here. I've worked with Hanbin and Jiwon the other day for their music video."

"Ah, right," she awkwardly replied. Without the introduction even, Hayi already knew who she was.

"The boys mentioned about you. They said you're very close to them."

They did?

"It's true. I'm kind of jealous because you guys are so close together, I wish have friends like that," she confessed. "Especially Hanbin. He was awkward with me but when Jiwon bring up the topic of you, he excitedly talked about you. I figured you must have been really close to him then.

Hayi tried to not smile but she felt her lips curving upward slowly. She couldn't deny the fact that she was elated that Hanbin talked about her.

"Oh, my floor! I'm getting off, first," Hayoon announced. "See you around, Hayoon-ssi," Hayi politely bowed. 

Instantly, regret flooded within her for feeling something so stupid when watching the music video and the behind the scenes and for trying to close the elevator earlier. Stupid, stupid, Hayi, she chanted as she knocked her head against the elevator. She promised not to behave so stupidly but jealousy is not something you could just control...

"Who's that?" Hayi didn't mean to take a peek at who Hanbin was texting. No, she understood the word privacy. It was really an accident. But then the name of the recipient was a girl's name and so she just had to ask. "Ah, just a girl Minjae's been crushing on. I'm helping him out," he didn't even look at her while typing away a reply. Hayi nodded but she could feel something at the pit of her stomach. The kind that would make her do stupid things like the other day in the elevator. No, Hayi, he's just helping Minjae, she told herself.

"Hayi! Where do you keep your plates?" Yunhyeong shouted from the kitchen. He was already invading Hayi's kitchen, claiming to be the Song Chef he is and promised to make them some delicious supper. Jinhwan and Soohyun were there too along with Chanhyuk who were playing video games with Mino, Junhoe and Seunghoon. 

"I'm here!" Jennie announced as she took off her shoes and headed towards the living room. "Ugh, why are you here?" she found Hanbin texting on the couch. "Why are you here?" he glanced at her for a second with the same annoyed look she was giving him. Nevertheless, she walked towards him. "What are you doing?" she was already next to him, basically reading the texts he was sending and receiving. "Oh my god! Are you cheating on Hayi?" His eyes widened. "Yah! Are you nuts? Don't say something like that."

"I'm just helping Minjae out. He likes her," Hanbin clarified.

"Minjae...Minjae....Oh! Kim Minjae? The cute one?" Jennie's eyes sparkled.

"Forget it. I'm not introducing someone like you to him," he shot her down before she could even ask. Jennie scoffed, "Did I ask you to?" She scanned the apartment and found that Yunhyeong was with Hayi handling their supposedly scrumptious supper while the others assumably at the dining table. 

"Why are you texting her though? Isn't Hayi jealous?" Jennie arched her eyebrow. She wondered how stupid could Hanbin get because in the years she knew him it seemed to be limitless. "Nah, she's cool with it," he shook it off as she deeply sighed before hitting the back of his head. "OW! WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!!"

"Did that get some sense into you? Are you really that dumb? What girl would be cool with this?!"

"But she didn't say anything earlier..."

"These many years you know her and you are still so clueless. You think she's like you? She won't just tell, 'I'm jealous' like that, idiot."

"Why are you so sure?"

"A, I'm a girl in case you forget. B, girls have been flocking around you since your trainee days. For all we know, this chick right here, she wants you not Minjae," Jennie concluded. When she saw Hanbin trying to open his mouth to protest, she added, "Don't let her jealousy build up inside of her that before you know it, one day, she's going to explode. Then, it would be too late."

"Hanbin! Jennie! Food's ready!" Yunhyeong announced making the boys who were playing game in the next room ran to their feet. Jennie patted him on the shoulder and left Hanbin to think about it on his own. She hoped he got her message despite how clueless he could be when it comes to relationships.

Hayi got into her room feeling slightly tired. Chanhyuk's stories about his new friends he made at Inkigayo almost made her forget about the non-stop texting Hanbin was doing earlier. Thank goodness he stopped durring supper. If not, she wasn't sure if she could handle herself.

"You remember this girl?" Hanbin blurted which almost startled her. When did he get in here?

"Apparently, she said she had an interest in me." he removed his phone's screen from her view.

"So?" she couldn't tell what he was doing. 

"Should I...tell her that I have a girlfriend?" he was now staring at her straight into her eyes. His gaze was so sharp that it caught her off guard. But maybe it was the question's fault. "Should I?" he asked again. "Hayi, tell me, should I?"

She froze in silence, not knowing what to say. Lee Hi would say that he was mad for declaring that he is in a relationship. But the other side of her desperately want him to say so. To shoo her away, to get the hell away from her boyfriend. She was torn between being an idol in relationship or just a normal girl in her twenties wanting to protect her relationship. 

"Yes. You should."

Hayi didn't know what made her say that, she didn't even know she was capable of saying such things directly to Hanbin. All this time, she wanted to keep the cool act on. But now, she was precisely telling him to not be near other girls.

Hanbin didn't say anything else for a second, his face was expressionless. But then, his face broke into a smile as he got up from her bed and pulled her into a tight embrace. "Thank you. Thank you for passing the test." Hayi didn't return his hug, she was clueless of what was happening. "Test? What are you talking about?"

"I lied. That girl never said such a thing. I was just testing whether you'd get jealous. Honestly, I've been feeling down these few days because Soohyun made a fuss about Jinhwan hyung's 'girlfriend' but you just said that mine was pretty," he admitted. "You're sad because I'm not jealous?" she was even more confused. Hanbin nodded, "Yeah! Jealousy means you love me, right?" he drawled. She chuckled unknowingly because she didn't expect such an answer. "I thought guys hated clingy girlfriends. Aren't cool ones much better?"

"Who says so? I like clingy, obsessive ones much better. At least I know you really care for me," he grinned proudly. Hayi wanted to laugh again but she tried hard to suppress herself from doing so. "Still, I can't keep up to you though. Your level of obsession towards me is honestly concerning," she rebutted. "YAH!! How dare you say such a thing? It's my way of expressing love to you!" Hayi broke into another round of laughter this time, not being able to hold it in anymore. 

"From this day onwards, if you don't like any girls just say it. I'll stay away from them," Hanbin said. "Don't regret this later, Kim Hanbin," she warned. "Oh I won't," he smiled as he put his arms around her and pulled her closer. 

"Ehem, staying the night is still forbidden, hyung," Junhoe was at the door along with Jennie. The AKMU siblings went home already along with Mino and Seunghoon. Only the two were left in the living room. "Don't even think about it, Hanbin," Jennie warned but the couple just laughed out of embarassment. "I get it, geez. I'm going now," they break away and he just looked at her lovingly while patting her head. "I'll call you once I get back to the dorm." She nodded, feeling much relieved.

"Oh my god, it takes like five minutes from here. Let's go, hyung! I need my beauty sleep," Junhoe whined. "Okay, okay! Let's go!" Hanbin went towards the two while Jennie bid Hayi goodbye. 

Outside the apartment, Jennie spoke up, "Just so you know, I expect your treat for my lunch tomorrow." "What happened now?" Junhoe who was completely clueless looked at the two same-aged friends with a suspicious gaze.

"Nothing, mind your own business, kid," Hanbin scolded. "Okay but food stalls only."

Jennie scoffed, "Stingy! Wah, to think that we're friends...."

And the three friends walked away bickering with Junhoe complaining why he was left out, Hanbin protesting that beef was too expensive and Jennie threatening to not help Hanbin ever again in the future.

a/n: so many things happened and I haven't been able to update because of exams! a jealous Hayi as suggested by maixee! wyd is so fluff, the mv makes me feel so lonely like where can I shop for a bf like them T.T i loved bobby's relationship the most, like can he nottt...new girl group is next! woohoo I'm excited because really, I kind of like Jennie Kim and her voice. so this chapter specially features her and I think she's pretty close to Hanbin and Hayi because they're the same age. hehe till next time!