Chapter 38: Hanbin's Best Offer

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Knocking on the door, Yiseul waits patiently. 

Surprisingly, it doesn’t take long for the door to open to show Jinhwan’s unimpressed expression. 

“It took you two days,” he remarks casually before she could greet him. “I’m in the middle of finding some places that would take her.”

“Her?”

“The cat,” he answers. 

“How’s Chanwoo handling it?” she asks. 

Now that she’s thinking about it, she hasn’t seen Chanwoo around. A part of her thinks she would have heard complaints about the cat by now. So, it’s strange that she hasn’t. 

Jinhwan shrugs. “He hasn’t been staying in the dorm.”

That explains it.

She watches him take a peek outside and down the hall. Once getting a look, he steps back and returns his attention back on her. 

“What are you checking?” she asks.

“For unwanted attention.”

“The whole dorm is keeping it a secret,” she reveals to him. 

He snorts. “They aren’t doing it for me.”

“Well, I can guess you’ll see.”

Just as she says so, Junhoe and Bobby step out of Seunghoon’s room. They catch sight of the two speaking and at the same time the door connecting Center body to the West wing clicks open. They spin around, instinctively shifting to block the view of Yiseul and Jinhwan. 

“Where’s Yiseul?” the voice asks.

It sounds like Jisoo. One of two people she didn’t want to hear from.  

Yiseul snaps her head back towards Jinhwan and he rushes back into his room. 

“Right here,” she answers and steps past the three boys. “What did you need me for, Jisoo?” she greets him with a smile. 

“Well,” he begins to say, “Someone mentioned there possibly being an animal here… is it true?” 

Yiseul hesitates. 

She can’t believe how fast information travels here. 

“Also, Hanbin is a complete mess back at the wing.”

“Thanks for coming by, but you don’t need to worry,” she replies. 

“So, there’s no animal here?”

“Who’s crazy enough to risk getting kicked out of the dorm by bringing in an animal?” Junhoe blurts from behind Yiseul. 

“I didn’t mean to accuse you or your residents of anything, Yiseul,” Jisoo makes certain to say. 

“It’s okay, but… it’s as Junhoe says,” Yiseul answers. 

Jisoo nods and is about to turn away when Junhoe continues behind her.

“What a weird question,” he comments. “An animal? That’s ridiculous to even consider.”

Jisoo shoots him a confused look.

“Right, dorm head? Where would we even find a ca– I mean, animal?” Junhoe asks her. “What? Are they just lying around for us to take them in?”

The door opens wider and Jisoo looks beside him to see Jongdae. His eyes set straight on Junhoe. 

“When Junhoe babbles like that, he’s usually lying,” Jongdae comments with a look. 

“Junhoe,” Seunghoon calls out and nudges him as Yiseul grows nervous. “You’re making us look suspicious for no reason.”

“Shut up,” Bobby mutters underneath his breath. 

Pressing his lips together, Junhoe motions the movement of zipping his lips and locking it with a key. He holds out the imaginary key towards Yiseul and she unsurely places her hand out to receive it. 

Bobby rolls his eyes at Junhoe’s antics.

“Jisoo, we understand the rules here,” Yiseul says lastly.

Content with what he hears, Jisoo turns back around while Jongdae glares in their direction as the door closes shut. 

***

After a day of classes and after hearing from Junhoe that Hanbin is dying in bed, Yiseul walks to the East wing for the first time since she has moved into the dorms. 

Easily, they let her through. 

“Hey, Yiseul,” Jisoo greets her this time. “What are you doing here?”

“I share some classes with Hanbin, so I have some work I can pass on,” she shows him a notebook belonging to her.

“His room is there,” he nods her in the direction. 

Knocking on his door, she hears a faint ‘come in’ and opens it. Beyond the door, she finds a single room with just one bed that Hanbin is laying in. Though seeing her causes him enough shock to force him to sit up. 

“Yiseul?”

She looks around the room as she makes her way over to the bed. She hands him the notebook and takes out a box she had been hiding in her backpack. 

“Here are some notes from today and some allergy medicine,” she clarifies. “I felt bad.”

“It’s still here, huh?” he asks. 

She nods. 

“Just tell Jinhwan to handle it. Quickly.”

She smiles. “I’ll be sure to.”

There is some silence as Hanbin looks over the medication.

“Why do you have a single room?”

“Requested it,” he reveals. “Less people, less germs.”

That makes sense. Touchstone dorms is the smallest dorm amongst the rest on campus and he’s staying in the wing with the least number of residents when comparing to Center body and the West wing.

“What if what you need to strengthen your immune system is to expose yourself to more germs?” she wonders.

“Sounds like it’ll be a terrible time for me,” he answers with a chuckle. “You want to take a seat?”

“I would spread germs.”

“You already did by entering, so what’s the difference?” he responds in humor. 

So, she takes a seat in his computer chair. 

“Hey, did you know Chanhyuk is telling everyone that you’re using Jaewon to get to him?” Hanbin suddenly reveals.

Yiseul sighs. “Yes, I’m aware.”

“Shouldn’t you stop him?”

“Haven’t thought about how I could.”

“Want me to help?” he asks as he sniffles. 

“What will it cost me?”

“Lunch.”

Her eyes widen. “Just lunch?”

Well, that’s easy.

He scoffs. “Just lunch?” 

“Yeah,” she answers. “Fine, lunch it is.” She gets up on her feet and heads to the door. “I have to head back now. Let me know when you want lunch.”

In disbelief, he merely watches his door close behind her. 

***

“Dorm head, what do we do?”

Closing her room and locking it, she looks up to find Junhoe. He’s up early this morning. “What do you mean?”

“What if Jisoo or Joohyuk stop by again today?”

“We don’t have any animals here,” she says.

“Right.”

She watches him as he nods to himself. He worries her. But, there’s no sense in coaching Junhoe since she’s certain he’ll get himself out of whatever predicament he finds himself in. So, she returns her attention on getting to classes this morning. 

Once finding her seat in her lecture hall, she pulls out her phone to look up some shelters while the professor has yet to arrive. 

They have gotten away once, but she isn’t so sure they’re lucky enough to get away another time. 

Once c

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Sriracha31
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Comments

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Wanderer_bj
#1
Chapter 62: Ohh how I miss reading something not so heavy like this. I just love this and the end was just perfect. 😍
peachyjoonie_
#2
God, I miss you. Thank you for writing.
WholesomeRain
#3
Chapter 62: I miss these characters so much I’m going to puke.
WholesomeRain
#4
Chapter 60: It makes me sick that they aren’t all real people 😔 (even tho they are, but you get what I mean haha)
WholesomeRain
#5
Chapter 35: Oh, I’m also referring to Jinhwan, of course✊💯
WholesomeRain
#6
Chapter 30: That post that says “girls don’t want real men, they want fictional men written by women’ but I’m solely referring to the versions of Hanbin that you write. (Rereading chapters, yet again)
Amsohappy
#7
Chapter 62: Wow! I finally get to finish reading this breath of fresh air. I love your style.
All through the earlier chapters, I was chanting girl stand up for yourself like a mantra. I knew it wasn't easy to just up and switch. It took time, but I'm glad she achieved it in the end. Thank you, for this refreshing read.
Amsohappy
#8
Chapter 52: Girl, that's the spirit.
I don't want to.
maysui
#9
Chapter 57: The way Hanbin gives Yiseul a space and choice for her to decide shows how much he respects her.

All this time, she can't say no and I can't blame her for that. I hope they can leave safely and live how they want to.
maysui
#10
Chapter 55: Manipulating? Brainwashed? seems to be talking about herself hahaha I'm so proud Yiseul is speaking up for herself!