"Do you want to know what's your ing problem? I can tell you! You never complain! You never say when something really pisses you off! You just accept everything! This is the first time you speak up to me and the fact that you have to say so ing much makes me wonder how often you secretly hated me for the things I said and did! Have you ever been honest with me?? I'd really like to know!!"

Mino closed his eyes, silencing Hanbin's voice that echoed in his head.
He was sitting in the middle of the practice room with a towel wrapped around his neck, busily packing his bag. WINNER had just finished their practice for today and he could hear Seungyoon and Seunghoon talking about a choreography for one of their new songs now, and even though he was curious, he didn't feel like participating in this conversation. He didn't feel like participating in anything. It had already been hard for him to practice, his motivation had reached a low. But that was his own fault, somehow, wasn't it?
"I have to confess something."
Mino looked up at Taehyun who had suddenly appeared next to him with his arms crossed behind his back.
"What is it?", he asked the youngest of the group and stowed away his water bottle.
"I talked to Jinhwan hyung. We want to have dinner together later, to celebrate iKON's successful activities in Japan."
What a confession. The rapper nodded.
"Okay."
"Really?"
"Yeah, why not?"
"You don't have to come with us if you feel uncomfortable."
What? Mino couldn't help but laugh even though Taehyun seemed to be serious. It was funny how everyone thought they had to treat him like a hurt little child. Funny but also annoying.
"Don't make such a big deal out of it, okay?", he said with a smile that turned out a little sarcastic while he finished packing his bag and got up.
"I'm not going to cry when I see Hanbin, don't worry. And just because we two are having some problems at the moment, that doesn't mean that I want to avoid him and the others. I'm actually happy to see them. Everything's cool."
Taehyun was unimpressed. He had his brows raised a little, just enough not to appear judging but knowing. The ghost of a smile flitted across his lips.
"You can't fool me, Song Mino. You can't fool any of us. I just don't want you to feel bad."
"Why should I feel bad?"
"Well, everyone heard what you two said."
"And?"
"To me it seems like-"
"I don't care about that."
"Oh, are you mad?" The obvious change in the elder's voice and the fact that he interrupted him, let a smirk shape Taehyun's lips. It wasn't his intention to annoy him and Mino knew that, it was just his way. But still, he couldn't hide that WINNER's youngest was going on his nerves right now. Especially right now.
"Not at all", he hissed and turned away a little.
"So you are mad." Taehyun seemed satisfied and ignored the fact that Mino rolled his eyes. The rapper was ready to leave, ready to end this unwanted conversation, but before he could, the other had to quickly add something.
"Who knows? Maybe your fight with Hanbin was useful in the end. Maybe you'll start to speak your mind now and show more of what's going on inside of you."
Mino froze. These words were like a stab in the back. They pretty much proved Hanbin and what he had said right, and they implied that he wasn't even honest with s. Great. What a support! He knew that he was being hurt for no reason, but he couldn't help it.
"See you later", was the only thing he said, without even looking at Taehyun, before he turned away completely and left the practice room, not even saying goodbye to the others. Seunghoon stared at the door for a second, after it had closed behind Mino, then he went over to Taehyun and put an arm around his shoulder, a sigh on the lips. He hadn't listened to what they had been talking about, but this reaction was enough to know it.
"What are we going to do with him, mh?", he asked and cocked his head.
Taehyun only laughed, shooting a glance at the elder.
"Nothing. Let's just wait what will happen later."
Seunghoon nodded. Actually, that was all they could do.

After a long and hot shower, the world looked totally different again to Mino. He was not the type to be mad or get angry easily and luckily the others knew that, but he still felt sorry. He shouldn't have been so cold towards Taehyun. It was just that the whole situation wrecked his nerves and made him get upset because of the smallest things, and he hated it, because - just like already mentioned - that wasn't him. But all of this proved one thing - he couldn't handle being on bad terms with someone. And he especially couldn't handle it when it was Hanbin. This was something he had never experienced before and honestly, he wished that he didn't have to experience it now, but there was a first time for everything, right? Humming along to a song that was playing in his head, he wandered through the dorm and collected the clothes he wanted to wear later. It was around 7:30pm already and he was sure that they'd leave to meet iKON as soon as the rest of WINNER was back home and ready. Mino had decided not to think about Hanbin too much, or the fact that he'd see him again after they hadn't talked to each other for a couple of days. That was actually pointless. He'd only stress himself and above that, it wouldn't change a thing. He was sure that the younger wouldn't talk to him and maybe try to avoid him as far as possible. Honestly, just the thought hurt, but it wasn't his intention to force him into a conversation while they were having dinner. Mino would just sit it out, and when he felt that the moment was right, he'd try to get through to him. That was the plan for now. Subject to change.
"We're back." Seungyoon's voice let him turn around and greet the members that were entering the living room one after another. When Taehyun appeared in his sight, Mino wanted to apologize, but the younger just raised a hand and smiled, signalizing that he didn't have to and that it was okay. So Mino only shared his smile.
"You're late", he then said and looked at Seungyoon.
The leader laughed and patted his shoulder before he already left for his room.
"We thought you could need some time for yourself", Mino heard him saying before he disappeared to get ready. Yeah, he was right. He had needed that. It felt good that they knew and that they had given him the time. Seunghoon now came over to pat his shoulder too, but before he left to get changed like everyone else, he looked Mino straight in the eye.
"Are you ready?"
A question Mino could only answer with a shrug. Ready wasn't the right word. He was prepared for the worst was more to the point. Well, not that he was, though. But he thought that he could at least talk himself into believing. While the others got ready, he put on the plain white shirt he had been holding in his hands all the time plus a jeans jacket, and dried his hair with a towel. The clock on the wall ticked 8:23pm when everyone finally gathered in the living room. Taehyun gave Jinhwan a quick call to tell him that they'd leave for the restaurant now. When they left the dorm, Mino hoped that no one noticed the deep breath he took before he closed the door behind them.

"Okay, got it. See you in a bit!" Jinhwan ended the call and put his mobile phone away, then he got up from the couch and looked around. It was really noisy in iKON's dorm. They had arrived here a while ago already, but getting ready for a dinner with friends seemed quite hard for a few of the seven members. Bobby for example, who slithered into the living room only to leave it again after he had realized that he still wasn't wearing a shirt. Yunhyeong and Donghyuk were lost in the bathroom and Junhoe complained about the fact that someone had taken the clothes he wanted to wear. Well, the normal chaos. Only Chanwoo was sitting on the couch next to Hanbin, all ready to leave.
"Guys, are you ready? WINNER are on their way to the restaurant now." It was actually pointless to ask this because obviously they weren't, but maybe they'd hurry a little. Maybe. A silent sigh parted the lips of iKON's eldest when the only answer he received was a tangle of words but nothing specific. He seemed kind of helpless when he turned to Hanbin, but the leader wasn't paying attention to what was going on around him. He was busy gazing into space. When Jinhwan had told him that they'd have dinner with WINNER to celebrate a little, his reaction had been really reserved. Sure, that was a nice idea, but he didn't feel like celebrating. Not after the decision he had made on their way from Japan to Korea.
It was something he had thought about a lot the last days, especially after the conversation with Bobby earlier today. And he knew that it would hurt a lot for a while, but maybe, yeah, maybe he'd get over it someday. Maybe time would heal.
"Man, I'm hungry." Jinhwan ruffled his hair and crossed his arms in front of his chest. He seemed a little annoyed by the fact that no one paid attention to him and that it took the others so long to get ready, so now it was time for Hanbin to finally intervene.
Chanwoo almost dropped his phone when the leader suddenly got up from the couch, stepping into the hallway between living room and kitchen. 
"If you're not ready in exactly ten seconds, we'll leave without you!", his voice echoed through the dorm. Only three seconds later, everyone was gathered. Bobby, Yunhyeong, Junhoe and Donghyuk exchanged quick looks, but no one said a word when Hanbin stared at them for a moment. Then he turned to Jinhwan, a "They're ready" on the lips, before he put on the hood of his black hooded sweater and left the dorm. He was actually afraid that his tensed temper could ruin the other's good mood, but it didn't. When they sat down in the van, they were back to joking around and that was what he had hoped for, Hanbin didn't want to drag them down. It was enough that he was staring out of the window, not saying a word. He was wondering if Mino had thought about him as much as he had thought about him. For Hanbin, every free second had been filled with thoughts about the elder and he hated it, he didn't want to bother his head about Mino all the time. But he couldn't help it. Even now the only thing his thoughts revolved around was the older rapper. It was annoying because it made him nervous. So nervous that he stopped in front of the door of the restaurant after they had reached it and their manager had left. It was a small, really private restaurant, luckily. They'd pretty much be for themselves but right now, right at this moment, Hanbin didn't know if that was what he wanted. What if he needed some distraction and there would be none? He would feel like an animal in a cage. But there was no way back, he had to get a grip on himself. What was the worst that could happen anyway?