12. HIS STORY

His Story 

Hanbin was emptying the dishwasher when someone knocked on the door.

He had returned from the harbor a few hours ago, ditching the whole idea on going fishing with Bobby today - he wasn’t exactly on the mood. Everything had suddenly taken a steep turn and he wasn’t sure if he could survive the fall without breaking any bones.

Jennie had been so believable, so real somehow… And yet she had turned her back on him, just like that.

Like he had been nothing but a little holiday swing. A smash, as Minho would’ve put it.

Hanbin sighed and swung the dishwasher hatch shut a little too aggressively. He wasn’t expecting any visitors. He just wanted to be alone.

The doorbell rang three times in a row, exposing the person behind the door. There was only one person who kept ringing the doorbell like a toddler. Hanbin dragged his feet to the door and opened it effortlessly.

”Why not!” Bobby groaned as the door opened. He pushed himself past his friend, inside the apartment, like he was entering his own home. ”Yesterday you were all, ’yeah sure, why not’ and today you’re just - just gonna ditch me like that? What’s that about?”

Hanbin leaned his head against the door and closed his eyes. He was exhausted.

Bobby threw his jacket on the kitchen counter and shook off his shoes. Then he stopped to examine his friend by the door. Bobby’s face turned more serious. ”Did you go see her?”

Hanbin sighed. Then nodded slowly, still with his eyes shut.

”And? What’d she say?”

Hanbin opened his eyes, closed the door, walked over to the kitchen and continued putting the plates and glasses to their places. ”She’s leaving.” 

”Huh?” Bobby dropped a box of spoon baits on the kitchen table. ”Why? When?”

Hanbin felt heavy in his heart. How was he supposed to know? He hadn’t expected this either. ”Tomorrow evening.”

Bobby’s jaw dropped. ”Just like that?”

”She’s got this job thing - I guess it was pretty tricky. Her boss was threatening to kick her out or something…” Hanbin drifted off. He stopped to examine a fork that had somehow managed to bend in the dishwasher.

Bobby rubbed his face against his palms and ruffled his hair. There was an awkward silence in the room, probably for the first time in years. Bobby and Hanbin were never awkward with each other. Not even when it came to girls. They were usually perfectly able to talk about their crushes and one night stands. This time, it was different. Jennie hadn’t been just some girl to Hanbin. She had been the one girl. Or at least he had thought so.

”Did you- did you even like, try to stop her?” Bobby finally spoke, trying out the air between them. ”Did you grab her and, you know, do all your tricks?”

Bobby’s hand gestures made Hanbin chuckle. He just shook his head. He hadn’t done anything. Except maybe he had. He had completely chased her off. ”No.”

”Did you even talk back?” Bobby raised his voice.

”Yeah, I asked her - I asked whether I was just a tool for her.”

Bobby winced.

Hanbin raised his brows. ”What?”

”It’s just -” Bobby began in a controlled manner. ”- girls often don’t know what they’re doing. When they’re with a guy they like. They might not even realize it before they’ve already shaken the poor guy off, you know?”

The glasses clicked in Hanbin’s fingers. He arched a brow at Bobby - a silent question.

Bobby emphasized his point with a brisk set of nods. ”Trust me on this one.”

”So let me summarize”, Hanbin started, wiping the steam off of one of the pots. ”She didn’t know what she was doing with me, and that’s why she decided to go? Not because of her work.”

Bobby’s head jerked down. ”Exactly.”

Hanbin huffed and shook his head slightly. ”That’s where you’re wrong.”

”No, I’m right. I know I am.”

”She’s not just any girl”, Hanbin pointed out. ”She-”

”Listen, with girls you have to be head to toes committed. All over. If she senses even a little bit of doubt in you, she’ll run”, Bobby interrupted.

”I think I made myself pretty clear.”

”Not clear enough.”

Hanbin sighed. The plates clacked. ”It’s not helping.”

Bobby filled his cheeks with air. Then released it. ”I could call her friend?”

Hanbin’s head jerked up, as if someone had pulled a string that was attached to it. He had forgotten it - her, Jennie’s friend. Her roommate. She had given her number to Bobby the other night. ”You think that would help?”

”Trying doesn’t cost you anything, does it?” Bobby took out his phone. ”Besides, if you really want her, I think we should try everything we can think of.”

Hanbin chuckled at Bobby’s words. The way he spoke of ’us’, ’we’ should try everything… it sounded funny to him. As if Bobby had his fingers in the game too. Which he probably did. With Jennie’s friend.

”Are you really gonna call her?”

Bobby dialed a number on his phone. ”Yeah, I’ve called her once.”

”You have?”

”Yeah. She sounded pretty hot.”

Hanbin rolled his eyes. Bobby got excited over the smallest things. He could’ve heard her coughing and said she sounded y while doing so.

”And she didn’t get weirded out?”

”Not in the slightest”, Bobby answered lightheartedly. ”She was… outgoing.”

Hanbin’s head bobbed slowly. He couldn’t wait to hear more about this exotic friend. Bobby turned the call on speaker and set the phone on the table. Then he sat down at the table and crossed his legs on the chair. His eyes fidgeted between Hanbin and the phone.

”What was her name again?” Hanbin whispered.

”Rose”, Bobby mouthed hoarsely. ”When she speaks english she has this cute acce-”

”Hello?” The tunes stopped as someone picked up the phone. Bobby shifted on his chair, throwing his feet down.

”Oh - hi.” He quickly glanced at Hanbin. ”It’s Bobby.”

A short pause. ”Oh.”

Hanbin shook his head slightly. This was already going to be a farce. Bobby didn’t look as grim though. He took the phone from the table, fiddling it hesitantly in his hand.

”I just - I’m here with Hanbin and-”

”Wait, who?” A strong female voice asked.

”Hanbin”, Bobby said properly this time. ”Jennie’s guy.”

That earned another head shake from Hanbin. He wasn’t her guy. Unfortunately.

”Oh.” Again. 

Bobby nibbled his lip. ”Yeah… we just wanted to know if you happen to have any intel about Jennie’s situation.”

The boys listened as the girl tried to catch her breath in the other end of the line. She sounded like she had been running. ”I might have some.”

Bobby shifted on his seat again. ”Care to share?”

”Why? What’s happened there?”

Hanbin sat down at the table and grabbed the phone from Bobby’s clamp. ”Hi, it’s Hanbin.”

A nervous laughter. ”Hi there.” She sounded a little off. ”How’s Jennie doing?”

Hanbin was whirling a bottle opener in his fingers. It clung onto his finger, making little laps around it. ”I’m not sure, I just talked with her and she was… distant.”

”Oh, she’s like that sometimes”, Rose spoke, concentrating on her breathing. ”Did she say something weird?”

The bottle opener suddenly launched off and flew across the kitchen. Bobby’s shoulder’s twitched. Hanbin leaned his back against the chair and closed his eyes. Trying doesn’t cost you anything. ”Actually… I was wondering if you could help me get her back.”

The line stayed quiet for some time before anyone dared to open their mouth. Bobby was staring at the phone with an intensity Hanbin couldn’t even comprehend. He was desperate to hear the girl’s answer. And so was Hanbin.

Rose seemed hesitant. For a second Hanbin thought she would straight up hang up on him, but to his surprise, she stayed on the line. ”How would I do that? I mean, I happen to be in Seoul if you guys didn’t notice…”

Bobby rolled his eyes playfully, while Hanbin cleared his throat to speak. ”You could call her.”

”And how would that help? She’s so incredibly…”

”Stubborn?” Hanbin suggested.

Rose let out a short laugh. ”As a mule.”

Hanbin rubbed his neck. ”You could try. All I’m asking for is for yo