chapter vii. | need

Hayi was horrified.

Her phone hasn’t stopped buzzing thanks to this bothersome sender that kept spamming her messages all morning. Now she was just more than sure this was to annoy her.

His instruction had been simple: text back as soon as you can. The reason? Entertain me, Lee Hayi. Just before separating yesterday, she thought he had been joking but clearly not as she was now getting punished.  

He’s a damn kid, she thought.  Jung Jaewon was a damn kid.

With an angry grumble, she silenced her phone once more. From the look of things, he could not only go all night but for the rest of today.

“What’s with the sour face?” Jisoo was separating the cucumber pieces from her salad when she caught Hayi’s displeased expression.

“Yeah, it’s a beautiful day and you’re glaring at your phone!” Suhyun said, picking those very pieces from Jisoo’s salad. “Hopefully, that won’t carry over to our movie date tomorrow.”

Caught red-handed, Hayi was quick to be dismissive. “Nothing and yeah, yeah. I won’t.”

Suhyun beamed at that, prattling on about how excited she was for the movie they picked out. She and Jisoo listened as usual just as the boys next to them huddled together, thinking of their own weekend plans.

“So what’s on the agenda, boys?” Bobby questioned after a loud slurp of his juice box.

“I’m free this weekend,” Jinhwan confirmed. “So up to you guys.”

The boys scattered into mutters until Yunhyeong clapped his hands.

“Oh, yeah! A few of my friends are playing at the courts near Han River on Saturday. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind extra players!”  

There was the sound of agreeable murmurs and high-fives in response. That was until Hanbin cut in.

“Can’t. I have somewhere else to be but you guys go on ahead.”

The bumbling sound of the boys’ excitement quickly died as all eyes turned to him. The effect was so abrupt that it caught the girls’ attention as well.

“Again?” Yunhyeong spoke first, and it was his voice that seemed to break through the awkwardness.

“Last week, hyung was busy too,” Chanwoo said innocently while the others nodded.

At the mention, Hanbin’s eyes seem to dim for a second but remained firm.

“Sorry, guys.”

The bell rang. And although most of the boys shrugged it off, Hayi caught the frown that Jinhwan and Bobby shared as they got up along with everyone.

“Well, that was weird,” Suhyun whispered to her and Jisoo as they too began to collect their belongings.

After that, Hayi found herself walking in the hallway with Hanbin in tow, her mind still replaying what happened at lunch. There was no doubt about the tension she sensed then; the hope and the collective disappointment at play.

It seemed all wasn’t fine and dandy with the boys either.

“Hey,” Hayi turned to Hanbin out of concern. “You alright?”

Hanbin didn’t seem fazed by the question.

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”

“Nothing, you just seemed out of it earlier.”

He shot her a smile. “Just a lot on my mind lately.”

Just like that, Hayi no longer had words nor the courage to dog him for answers. All thanks to that smile. Hanbin must surely know of this power.

“So we’re supposed to do the conversation activity today.” She changed the subject. “I was thinking…”

But it seemed like the rest of the day was not on her side, unlike the bell that was on Hanbin’s side earlier because as soon as they turned into the Languages department, all eyes went to them.

Murmurs rose into the air and feet stuttered backwards into classrooms.

Both their feet slowed down to a halt.

What in the world?

Hayi and Hanbin looked around, eyes searching but no one seemed to want to approach them. Then they caught a whisper, loud enough for the both of them to catch.

“—him, isn’t it? , let’s get out of here or it might be us next!”

Hanbin seemed to have found the one responsible, some lanky junior, who scurried away from sight with his friends. And Hayi was certain he had too heard about the him that they had mentioned, ruling Hayi out leaving only…

Hayi’s stomach churned. This didn’t bode well.

“Hanbin…”

She was just about to grab him but it was a second too late.

The nearest student to Hanbin was shoved against the wall, a merciless hand around the poor guy’s collar.

“You’re going to tell me exactly what’s going on or it might just be you next,” he snarled.

Hayi was taken aback at how quick his temper took over; a whole a hundred and eighty degrees change from smiles to snarls. Then again, he already seemed to be on the edge during lunch, eyes constantly on his phone up until the moment he rejected the boys.

Naturally, the other student was too frightened to reply and clawed at Hanbin’s grip.

“Please, I don’t know anything. Let me go!”

“Hanbin!” Hayi also pleaded.

Her childhood friend didn’t even flinch. His fist tightened.

“Talk,” he ordered.

The guy wheezed. “Something about a party you went to and beating a guy to death! That’s all I heard, please!”

Apparently, Hanbin heard enough as he tossed the guy away. The other student didn’t even look back as he scampered away, sneakers squeaking after him as the crowd drew back for him with gasps.

Hayi felt useless. Constraining Hanbin had been hopeless, but how about that innocent boy? He didn’t deserve that. Hanbin must’ve known it as he looked at the ground, breathing heavy, refusing to look at the numerous fearful faces surrounding them.

It was Hayi’s worst fears come true, and just as she made a move to comfort him, he slipped away from her grasp and hightailed it out of there and their judgemental gaze.

This left Hayi alone with the crowd that seemed to exhale in a single breath altogether, their relief coming in hushed whispers and thrown glances from the direction Hanbin took off in before glancing back at her.