{Chapter 16: A bottle of Soju{

Hani looked at her phone, a day after the incident –

7 missed calls *My hubby*

“Hyunjin-ah, where are you?” Hani asked on the phone, walking out of her apartment as she locked the door.

“Me? I’m headed to the practice rooms, wae?” he asked in his ever sweet voice that literally melts me into a pool of goo. 

“You say you’re my besttest friend right?” Hani asked, getting into the lift as she pressed the ground floor button.

“Of course, bestest-test friend” Hyunjin chuckled

“Let me come see you practice your rap today then! My meeting is over and I am bored” Hani pouted

“Oh sure, you’re most welcome by Hwang Hyunjin to do that” Hyunjin answered with a playfully stern voice

“I’m headed now then” Hani said hanging up the phone.

***

“Ta, ta, ta, ta…try to match that beat” Changbin said as Ryujin nodded

“Do you ankle hurt so much?” he asked worriedly as Ryujin shook her head, clearly in pain.

“I need to work hard to be able to debut. I can’t let a stupid sprain take it away from me” Ryujin said as she got up and continued to the beat of the song.

Changbin looked at Ryujin as he frowned before calling her

“You just go rest today okay?” Changbin said worriedly

“Aniyo, I need to practice” Ryujin said doing the steps again and again

“Yah get a grip, it’ll only make things worse for you at this rate” Changbin said as Ryujin collapsed to the floor, crying.

“I need to debut. I’ve been a trainee for nearly four years now, my friends make fun of me. I need to pass the showcase this time” she cried as Changbin kneeled on one knee placing his hand on her head

“Take it easy okay?” he said as he turned to the door and paused.

“Hani?”

***

Hani stood in front of the only practice room which was booming with music as she turned the knob of the door with a big smile, expecting to find Hyunjin there.

“Hyun—”she paused as she looked at the couple in front of her

It hurt to see them like that, his hand placed on her head as she sobbed.

Lucky, she had someone like Changbin to catch all her tears. I wonder who would be the one to do that to me.

I didn’t know which was worse. Not being certain about someone’s feelings for you or standing there like a complete idiot, not knowing what to do, staring blankly at what I wanted to turn my back at the most.

My eyes met his eyes as he stared back, equally shocked.
Why couldn’t I read his expression? Why couldn’t I understand what was going on in his mind?

Before I could react, a tight grip pulled back into reality as I was being dragged out of this bad dream by him –Hwang Hyunjin.

“Kwenchanna?” Hyunjin asked as Hani nodded blankly

“Maybe it was a bad idea coming here” she said pulling her hand away from Hyunjin’s grip as she walked away

“Hani-ah!” Hyunjin called when

“Yang Hani!” another voice called as Hani tried to stop her tears

“HANI!” he called as Hani continued walking away as fast as she could.

“JEBAL STOP. JUST ONCE!” Changbin begged grabbing her wrist and making her face him forcefully.

“Hear me out” he said as Hani threw his grip away

“Listen to what?? That you’re with another girl now but Hani is so dumb she probably won’t know?” she asked, tears streaming down her face

“Listen to that? And should I probably figure out how good enough I should I be for you to come back to me?!” Hani shouted

“Ani, you’ve got it wrong” Changbin sighed

“Oh, did I really get it wrong that I have been seeing you continuously with a girl whom you are supposedly helping out and taking her places? Is this what’s this is all about?” Hani asked as she wiped away her tears

“Waaa~ why am I even crying over an idiot like you? If-If you think I’m not good enough, fine…I don’t want to spend my time over someone who fusses over whether he wants to be with me or another pretty girl…fine” Hani nodded

“U-Unnie, it’s definitely not what you think!” a voice said as Hani looked over and turned to Changbin

“Keep your bull to yourself. Don’t involve me here” Hani said walking off.

***

Hani looked at her phone that was continuously ringing, one time Hyunjin and the other time Changbin.

A bottle of Soju in her hand, Hani sat under the Banpo Bridge of the Han River as she looked up, her legs dangling above the water.

“Waaa, Yang Hani, you really are something eh?” she muttered taking sips from her soju bottle

“How could you tell Changbin that?” she muttered as she rubbed her tears away.

“Dear Soju, I’m sorry I have to drink you for the first time like this” she sighed as she looked over at the river

“At least my mind is at ease watching your beauty, River Han…Han Jisung… River Jisung?” she chuckled as she drank her soju, almost drunk.

“Hani” a voice called as she turned back, blinking her eyes as she tried to see the face of the person.