{Chapter 23: A miracle, a sacrifice.{

Letting go <3

I’d been holding on to you for so long
but now I must let go.
There’s nothing I can do for you.
It’s the only way to make you happy;
So I let go, let go, let go.

So you can smile someday,
So you can be happy.

Changbin danced to the song as sweat trickled down his face, vigorously matching the steps alone in the practice room.

The door to the practice room opened as Changbin paid no heed to it, continuously dancing and matching his beat when the song suddenly stopped

“Aish” he muttered as he turned back, only to find Hani standing there, smiling.

“H-Hani” he muttered as she walked to him before grabbing his sweatshirt and pulling him to her level

“I missed you” she said as she kissed his lips.

Changbin stood there, stunned, trying to analyze the situation – a hallucination? a dream?

Changbin’s hand crawled to the back of Hani’s waist as her long hair brushing against his fingers

“Why did you take so long to come back?” Changbin said in a soft voice as Hani felt her eyes tear up

“Mian” she cried as Changbin pulled her tighter.

“I missed you so much” he said, tears streaming down his face

“Saranghae” Hani said as Changbin nodded

“Na du” he said as Hani pulled away

“Hajima, just…stay still…” Changbin said, his voice cracking

“Bin-ah…” Hani muttered

“Don’t ask me how I’ve been. Every day you were not with me, I felt like I was dying. I didn’t even know if I had the strength to go on anymore. I was so guilty; I wanted to shout out to you that I was sorry—”

“Hush…hush, now look at me” Hani said cupping his cheek

“I’m sorry okay? I’m sorry I left without saying anything…I’m sorry” Hani said as Changbin leaned in, placing his forehead on hers

“Kwenchanna…I’m not mad” Changbin said as tears stained their cheeks.

Hyunjin smiled as he turned to walk away from the practice room –

“Hwang Hyunjin, what were you thinking?” he chuckled, taking a soda in his hand.

“What do you want to do today?” Hani asked, interlacing her arms with Changbin’s

“There are so many things I want to do with you, I don’t know which ones I want to do the most” Changbin said as Hani thought for a while

“Make a list. We’ll do as much as we can” Hani smiled as Changbin frowned his brows

“Are you that guilty? I’m not mad okay? I’m just happy were back again” Changbin said as Hani smiled nodding sadly.

“Of course” she smiled.

“One week…let’s just be with each other for one week” Hani smiled walking backwards, facing her boyfriend

“Why only one week?” Changbin asked, making a suspicious face

“Because after that, you guys are gonna debut. So we should make the best use of the free time we have” Hani smiled as Changbin nodded pulling her to him.

“Let’s go out every day and eat together everyday…like a real family” Hani smiled cuddling close to him
“Starting from now then, you are Mrs. Seo” Changbin chuckled as Hani nodded proudly.

Ryujin stamped her feet angrily as she looked at the photos of Changbin and Hani

“I can’t leak these either, that’ll close all ways for me to date Binbin” she sighed as she paced back and forth in the corridor

“What do I do?” she muttered as she called Changbin’s number

“Ring 1”

“Ring 2”

“Ring 3”

“Ring 4”

“Oh yobosaeyo?” Changbin answered

“Oh, oppaaa~ I hurt my ankle, could you please come and get me to the hospital?” Ryujin cried on the phone when

“Nugundae jagi?” Hani’s voice called from the background

“Are-are you with H-Hani?” Ryujin asked, angrily

“It’s no one jagi, get to sleep” Changbin said as Hani gave an ‘okay’ reply

“Oppa, it hurts so much—” Ryujin cried when Hyunjin pulled her phone away from her

“Hyung, this is Hyunjin. I got her, just enjoy your date” Hyunjin said hanging up as he looked at Ryujin

“Snake” Hyunjin muttered as Ryujin looked at him, annoyed

“Give me my phone” she said as Hyunjin raised it high up from her reach as she tried to jump and grab it

“Looks like you leg is fine though” Hyunjin said furrowing his brows

“YAH!’ Ryujin shouted as Hyunjin looked at her phone

“Cool wallpaper” he chuckled at the photo of a sleeping Changbin and Ryujin smiling brightly as he unlocked her phone

“YAH THAT IS VIOLATION OF PRIVACY WHAT—”

“Oh wow, seems you’re the stalker eh?” Hyunjin said as Ryujin angrily shouted as she tried to get her phone back

“GIVE IT BACK HWANG HYUNJIN!” she shouted as Hyunjin walked away with the phone

“HYUNJIN! GIVE ME MY PHONE BACK!” she shouted as Hyunjin smiled before smashing the phone on the floor

“YAH!” Ryujin shouted as Hyunjin put his hands in the air

“Oops” he said, turning to walk away.

Hani turned to Changbin who was sleeping peacefully as he softly took breaths.

Hani lovingly brushed his bangs away as she placed a kiss on his cheeks as a tear escaped her eye –I’m sorry, that’s all I can tell you right now.

A few days earlier (the same day Hani met Minho):

“Samchon” Hani called, entering the office as JYP smiled brightly at her

“Come in Hani-yah…I’ve been wanting to talk to you” he smiled as Hani nodded, getting herself a seat

“Have you eaten? Do you want to eat anything?” he asked as Hani shook her head

“I’m fine, Samchon. I just needed to request something” Hani said as JYP shook his head

“Did you make up with your dad yet?” he asked as Hani shook her head

“Tell him you’re sorry okay? He was feeling so down just recently” he said as Hani nodded her head.

“About the kids – Stray kids” Hani paused as she took a deep breath.

“Don’t pretend that you don’t know about me and Changbin’s pictures being dropped into the office…” Hani said breathing deeply

“Hani-yah…”

“I know, uncle…YG and JYP blood shouldn’t mix with each other. I also know Changbin has almost debuted and such a rumor would affect their reputation greatly…I also know breaking up with Changbin makes the most sense right now before anything gets out of hand…”

“But I have a condition” Hani said looking at JYP as he listened to her

"Make them debut as a 9 member group" Hani said as JYP gave a small sigh.

“Have you noticed the boys performing in the stage as 9 members and as 7 members? Everything seems perfect when there are only 7 of them – all perfection. But when there are 9?”

“…There are faults, there are mistakes. But there is this expression on their faces that show joy, worry and satisfaction…”

“Uncle, I told you about those robot dogs once…How you’d complain about how your dogs would disobey and make faults. Then there are those robot dogs we saw, the ones that make no mistakes or faults – perfect…”

“...The robot dogs could not express their emotions; they just did what they were being assigned to them…just like the boys…”

“...They are like a family…so can I request you not to tear this loving family of 9 apart?...oh?” Hani asked as JYP pursed his lips

“Hani-ah…”

“Of course, it won’t come without a circumstance, uncle. I’ll break up with Changbin. Just give me 7 days and I’ll take care of everything…just please…” Hani said as she got up and kneeled down, crying as JYP rushed to her making her stand up

“Hani-ah, uncle is sorry okay? I will make them debut as 9…I promise…just don’t cry” JYP said as Hani nodded, wiping her tears away.

“Khamsanmidah uncle, neomu khasanmidah” Hani said bowing profusely.

Perhaps, one thing you don’t know about that day is that I was there too, Yang Hani.

I heard everything you told to JYP.

I was thankful...you made our dream your dream as well.

That’s when I realised why Changbin loved you so much. How could there be someone as pure as you?

I’m thankful Hani-yah.

Thank you for keeping my family safe.

-Love, Chan.{