Chapter 4
Love Her and Keep HerHanbin stared in the shock. The boy was sitting by his window like it was something normal to do. If he ever met Bobby, he wouldn’t lose in the smiling department. “W-who are you?” Hanbin held onto the doorknob in case he had to run if this meeting turns bad.
“Uh - how do I say this?” Jinhwan mumbled to himself. “I’m not really…real? Well I am but people don’t know I exist.” The boy rambled on. “Does that make any sense?” He tilted his head to one side innocently.
Not one bit. “I must be going crazy.” Hanbin laughed to himself. “When I open my eyes, you really won’t be here.” He shrugged and closed his eyes. One…two…three. He opened his eyes once more and the smiling boy waved. Still sitting there.
“As much as it’s hard to believe, I’m really here.” Jinhwan looked around at the bedroom. “I mean your life hasn’t exactly been believable, has it?”
Hanbin stared at the kid long and hard. “How is this even possible?”
The boy thought for a moment. “Well, I’m the reason why you’re here, in the past.” He smiled again light heartedly. “Well to be more exact, the big guy up there did the hard part – “ He pointed up. “ – and I’m here to explain it to you.”
When Hanbin woke up this morning, he didn’t realize how crazy this all was until this moment. Maybe he was losing it and this whole thing is a figment of his imagination. “I’m not crazy, right?” Everything that happened today felt so real, there is no way that it was all in his head. Sarang was there and she spoke to him.
Jinhwan placed his hand out to call Hanbin over. “You might want to take a seat.” Jinhwan situates himself on the window sill and faces Hanbin as he sits down upon the bed.
“I don’t know why he did it but the big guy felt bad for you. You were all miserable, sad, depressing, gloomy, pitiful –“
“Alright, I get it.” Hanbin urged the boy to move onto the next topic.
Jinhwan cleared his throat. “So anyways, he sent you back like you wanted.” He stretched his arms for emphasis. “You wanted a second chance with the girl and now you have it.”
“So you’re really here and I’m really here.” Hanbin wanted to make sure.
“You’re sane. This really happened.” Jinhwan confirmed it for him. “Any other questions?”
“Isn’t there something like don’t mess up the time line continuum?” He remembered reading and watching shows like that.
“Nope, do whatever you want.”
The smile on Jinhwan’s face was starting to irk Hanbin. How could someone be so happy? “So you’re telling me, I could do whatever I want, and there will be no consequences?” This sounded a bit too good to be true.
Jinhwan nodded once. “Yup, no punishments.”
“There has got to be a catch.”
“No catch.”
Hanbin stared at the boy, waiting for when he does admit that something will happen. Like how there will be an apocalypse or something along those lines. Just anything, but the boy did nothing but smile.
“Anyway, work hard!” Jinhwan jumps from his seat and stretches his limbs. “I have to go now, make sure you use this time well.”
“Where are you going?” What if Hanbin has questions later? How would he be able to call….this thing. He doesn’t even know what to refer Jinhwan as. An angel? He sure looked like one. Minus the wings and the glittery things that are supposed to fly around.
“Don’t worry, you’ll see me again.” Jinhwan waved and then the next minute, he was gone. Hanbin stared at the now empty spot. This is just crazy.
He lets himself fall back into his bed. Like Jinhwan said, he should use the time well. But with Mino around, what else can he do? It’s like the guy is stuck to Sarang every hour of the day.
It was frustrating, Mino didn’t even deserve Sarang but here he was, getting all of her attention.
***
“Hanbin! Wake – “ Hanbin’s mom burst through the door but stopped upon seeing the scene in front of her. “…You’re already awake.” She couldn’t believe it but she wasn’t complaining.
Hanbin was fixing his tie when his mom swung open his door. “I need to get to school on time.” He couldn’t be late to school. It would be like wasting time he had with Sarang.
“Don’t lie.” His mom looked at him with suspicion. “Come on, what’s the real reason?” Hanbin didn’t blame his mom for doubting him. Hanbin was never an ambitious kid nor was he someone who would be up unless his mom came in screaming to wake him.
“Really.” Hanbin answered blankly.
His mom sighs. “Alright, let’s see how long this last.” She turns around and walks out the room. “Breakfast is downstairs.”
Hanbin laughed softly to himself. He missed his mom. He should make sure to treat her better and visit her more often in the future. And, he’ll make sure to have Sarang by his side when he does.
He walked the familiar road and met up with Bobby. “So did you think about what I said yesterday?” Bobby peered at him from the side. He really wanted Hanbin to reconsider. If Hanbin wasn’t going to think about his wellbeing, he should think about Bobby’s then.
“Are you talking about the 'Sarang' thing?”
“Yes, that’s what I’m talking about.”
“I have and I’m not backing off.” Hanbin answers and he could already see the look on Bobby’s face.
“Man, do you really intend to get a beatdown for this? There are plenty of other girls.” Bobby had really hoped that Hanbin went home and somehow saw the light.
“I’ll deal with it when the time comes.” Hanbin looked at Bobby’s face and his expression said it all, causing Hanbin to burst out laughing. “Stop worrying.” He playfully shoved Bobby.
Bobby groans to himself. There was no more trying to talk sense into Hanbin. He had already ma
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