"hayi, i want the both of you to give your best on stage. i need the public to be distracted from the scandal and focus on your promotions instead. we need to gain back their trust. understood?" "yes, sir" the both of them nod confidently. "you can leave now". both hayi and hanbin said thank you and went out of the ceo's room. a few seconds after the door was shut, there was a brief silence. they both looked at each other at the same time and cracked a laugh. "guess it's up to us now huh?" hayi said. "i guess so, let's do this together". hanbin took hayi's small hands in his palms, and they both went together to the practice room, each with the brightest smiles on their faces.

"you remember how it was back then?" she asked while closing the lid of her water bottle. "we're gonna talk about that now? out of all times?" hanbin laughed. "hayi i'm still tired" he was all whiny but then decided to lay his head on hayi's lap. hanbin was still breathing heavily after their dance practice. technically hanbin didn't have to dance for their performance, but he told hayi they'd practice together so here he is now, panting as if he just ran two full marathons. the dance wasn't even hard, but he just came back from his own dance practice with the boys so he was a bit deflated. "you're such a baby, hanbin." she tried nudging hanbin's head off her thighs but after seeing just how comfortable he is, she decided to give in. "you know, i just didn't thought we'd be together again, that's all". she was drowned in her thoughts, her hands subconsciously hanbin's fluffy blonde hair. "maybe we're always meant to be, it was just a matter of timing". hanbin's eyes were half closed, voice a bit raspy as he felt as if he was being lullabied, with hayi's small fingers playing with his hair. "let me sleep for a bit, then we'll walk to the dorms together. I'll send you in front of your house". hanbin went dead asleep before hayi could even say okay. she chuckled, "he was so tired yet he still came here to accompany me, poor baby". the dance studio was filled with the sound of hanbin's soft breathing and the tick of the clock with the short needle nearing 3, but none of that mattered. hayi was lost in her thoughts again, but this time, she felt lucky that the man in her arms is hers.

the staffs were all lining up in the dressing room waiting to congratulate hayi on her successful comeback after 3 years when suddenly a figure rushed passed them and hid behind a rack of hanged clothes. hayi came with a sour face not more than a second later and asked "where did hanbin go?", the staffs were laughing when they realized who exactly was the running figure just now. hayi's manager couldn't help but giggle looking at the always bickering pair and told her where hanbin was hiding. hayi went close to the clothing rack and whispered "i'm not done with you yet kim hanbin, I'll make you pay after my fansign". after a few photo sessions with her labelmates and receiving tons of praises on her comeback from everyone, hayi went to her fansign and left hanbin behind, making sure he knew she was annoyed at him. she was making faces at hanbin in most of the pictures they took, "that ought to be clear enough", she thought. 

later that night, hayi was just done showering and was about to plump herself on her queen sized bed when the sudden ringing of her phone disturbed the silence. the caller's name set hayi into her pouty sulky mode once again, she still picked it up though. "hello shortie" the voice broke through, "you asleep?". "I know you're dumb but I thought you'd know people can't sleep AND pick up their phone at the same time, hanbin". he cackled. "wow fiesty, i love fiesty girls", hanbin was clearly enjoying this. "what do you want?" hayi asked annoyed. "woah baby who got you this mad? tell me who I need to fight, come on i'm ready", hanbin was popping his knuckles acting as if he was prepared to pack a punch. "cmon hayi tell me". "fight yourself idiot, I'm still mad at you". "me? what did I even- OH WAIT, you're still mad at me from this morning? awh baby" hanbin had the biggest grin etched on his face. hayi is so freaking adorable, but of course he won't tell her that, not when she's mad especially. "don't baby me" hayi wasn't having it. hanbin thought of something, "okay, but meet me in front of the elevator will you?“. silence. "let's go out for a walk". still silent. "I'll buy you ice cream?". just when hanbin thought he'd be answered with silence again, her small voice cracked out, "what flavour?". hanbin smiled. she really is so adorable. 

they were both eating choco cones alongside han river, with their feet dangling from where they were sitting. none of them said a thing, it was just the sound of the cold wind blowing the dead leaves around, and the sound of their plastic wrappers being torn down little by little as they take their own sweet time enjoying not only the ice cream, but the little private free time they had. no one was there at 12am, they both noted. "so you're still mad at me?" hanbin broke the silence. "ah, you just had to ruin the mood didn't you", hayi whined. hanbin laughed, "well I need to know, okay". "maybe just a little bit, the ice cream kinda melted half of the anger away" she pouted. hanbin was finished with his ice cream so his whole attention was focused on hayi's face now. she looked so pretty under the moonlight, he thought. "see! you're doing it again!" hayi pushed hanbin's side to divert his attention. "what? it's not my fault I love staring at your face. it's your fault for being so pretty". "you know i'm not wearing any makeup now right? i wiped it all off and showered already". "and you know i love you best when you look natural right? my point still stands", hanbin was adamant. "but still, you didn't have to stare so hard! especially on stage, didn't i told you we have to be at least 10 metres apart from each other? you literally went it front of my face kim hanbin", there it was, the main reason that got her riled up today. "if we don't keep our distance people might suspect things and assume we're dating", she continued. "but we are", hanbin reasoned. "i know, but they don't need to know that. you know the company can't afford another dating scandal on top of everything that's happening right now." hayi was right. she's always so calculative with their actions. "well it's not my fault i cant do the math. how am I supposed to know how far 10 metres is?" it was hanbin's turn to whine now. but then he thought of something, "hayi-ah, don't you see the comments, I bet people don't mind if we date." which was undeniably true, almost all of the comments on their videos were positive and said they match each other well, and literally everyone calls them as bihi. they are acknowledged as a pair. it's not something out of pure fantasy. they're legit. bihi is legit. "I don't know hanbin, they might only like us as a musical duo, not as an actual couple who's in love you know?". "i hate that you're right.... but guess what? that's not stopping me from flirting with you on camera!! I'll do it again for sure tomorrow!" hanbin's laughter lifted up the sad mood that was surrounding them. hayi can't help but smile. "i hate you", trying to keep her sulky face on. "no you don't". "I do", she was not planning to lose to hanbin again tonight. going out for ice cream was already her first loss. she can't lose more. "you really do?" "hm", hayi nods without looking. "oh, too bad then, i was just about to give you a congratulory kiss". hanbin sat there with the most playful looking smirk ever. his face practically screams "oh well", with his shoulders all nudged. "wait", hayi's voice suddenly squeaked. "hmm?", hanbin waits for her respond. "i want it", she said with her eyes closed shut, head down looking almost defeated. hanbin was about to burst a laugh out loud but he decided to play for a bit more. "what do you want, hayi-ah?", his hands tucked under his chin. the devilish grin he had was plastered on his face, which was not to mention, a little too less than anyone's normal proximity. "my kiss", she said in a breath. hanbin was about to declare his win but things took a turn when hayi looked up and met his eyes. she was being honest. she didn't intend it but she has the most puppy looking eyes. hanbin can't help but feel a surge of soft emotions gushing through his whole being. his heart feels full it was damn near exploding. "God, how on earth could i resist this woman", he thought to himself. "come here you shortie." 

it was nearly 3am and the both of them were walking to their apartment complex together. they reached hayi's house shortly and hanbin was about to leave as hayi was entering her door. but suddenly, hayi called him out. "hanbin!". "yes, princess?" he turned around. her eyes were glued to the ground. hanbin just knew she's about to say something she feels shy about. "thank you for being with me, today. I was nervous on stage, it's been so long since I had a comeback, I forgot how scary music shows are. and I wasn't really mad at your stare, I just got so nervous that it distracted me a bit. I'm sorry I-". "hey, shhh. it's okay. I know, okay? I understand how it is for you, that's why I wanted to be here with you today. I want you to know that it's gonna be okay. you don't need to apologize." "but you have an mv shooting this week, hanbin-ah", hayi feels guilty. she looks up to his face. she knows far too well how busy he is. "that mv shooting could wait, and it's not like i'm ditching it, the managers scheduled it really well so that I could perform with you." "i know, but I feel bad that you have to rush and do so many things at once." "it's alright, I'm used to it. i survived mix and match remember? I can juggle with everything all at once now" hanbin raised his perfect eyebrows, smirking playfully. "wow aren't you so confident?", hayi was amused. "yes I am, wanna know why?" "why?" "because I went through both times with you. you were by my side, right now and even then, that's why nothing could go wrong".