“Oppas” Yurim said smiling brightly “Hello little duck” Bobby said as the girl rushed over hugging him. Mannie smiled moving over toward them her eyes not bouncing on the one who looked dead at her. “Come on” Bobby said as yurim hugged the others. Mannie smiled shaking her head before hugging him “hello bobby” She breathed as he held her into a tight embrace. “How are you?” she asked breaking the hug “ok” he sighed.

          “I heard about mix and match” Mannie told him feeling for them “yeah but if we want to debut we need the training” donghyuk said moving over and wrapping his arms around her. “Hello Donghyuk” she told the male “hello noona” he said breaking the hug. Mannie hugged the others and greeted them. Coming to Hanbin she patted his shoulder “hello Hanbin-ah” came from her lips. “Hello Mannie” he said back.

          “Ew~ so awkward” Yurim said cringing “shut up before the only thing I treat you to is bread” Mannie hissed at the young girl. Yurim frowned moving to the maknae line.

          “Food?” Bobby asked.

          In the end, the boys were in their favorite BarBQ shack with the girls frying meat. “So noona what are doing now” Joo hwae asked Mannie “Eonni is attending a music school she wants to be a violinist” Yurim gloated. The boys oohed looking to Mannie who looked at Yurim not impressed. “What about you Yurim-ah” Yunhyung asked laughing at the girls expression.

          “I am going to dance school” she told them they nodded seeing her doing something like that. “Yeah I plan on being a choreographer” Yurim said nodding her head “she thinks Beyoncé wants to learn her moves”, Mannie sighed at the child. “She does” Yurim frowned “girl by the time you hit 20 she’ll be 50” Mannie told the girl.

          “I am 15 I don’t think it’s that far away from…how old is she?” she asked Donghyuk who shrugged. Laughter erupted from the table as the smell of meat cover the table. Mannie looked up spotting Hanbin quiet. She took in a breath knowing why he was acting this way.

          “I can’t believe I have to go against my hyungs like this” Hanbin said upset. He plopped next to the girl on the practice room floor. They were in the underground practice room “it should be fun” Mannie spoke out. Hanbin looked at his friend in disbelief. “You can’t be serious?” he asked her Mannie shrugged looking to him.

          Hanbin looked away “what if I don’t debut?” he asked her “what if I let my team down and we don’t make it through?”. Mannie closed her eyes “Hanbin, your mom, the guys, your adorable sister are all rooting for you” She told him standing “they are scream Hanbin-ah, Hanbin-ah” Hanbin laughed at his friends over exaggerating.

          “What about you?” Hanbin asked her “I don’t know yet I heard minho’s on the other team so” Hanbin chucked his towel at the girl as she laughed.

          Hanbin watched her, a smile forming on his lips. Standing to his feet, he moved toward her “tell me” he asked, as she looked at him “will you root for me” he asked in a serious tone as his hand rested on her cheek. “I always did,” she said smiling as she took this as him just being weird. “Good” he stated before kissing her lips.

          “Well thanks for the food noona” Joo hwae told Mannie “sure thing” she said ruffling his hair as they moved out the shop. “Well we better run” Bobby told the duo “well it was nice seeing you all again” Yurim stated as the group nodded in agreement.

          Mannie smiled waving to them as Hanbin watched her. Something burned within him. He needed to know. The girls turned and began to walk away. He clenched his fist “wait for a minute” Hanbin told them before rushing after the girls. Taking Mannie’s wrist he turned her around to face him. She looked to him lost and confused “meet me in the park” he told her before rushing back to the boys.

          Mannie watched him go confused looking to Yurim she spotted the child grinning like a mad man. “Don’t look at me” Mannie frowned walking a head. The girl laughed following them.

          “Yes I will do so” Mannie heard Claire fuss on the phone. Sighing she unlocked the door and left out. Claire poked her head out the door spotting the door closing. “Yeah I hear you,” she said going back in the room.

          Mannie moved down the street blowing air out as she looked to the sky. Sighing she crossed the road and got to the other side of the street. She stopped in her tracks spotting Hanbin sitting on a bench. Taking in a steady breath, she moved toward him. Hanbin looked up hearing the steps. His eyes watched her sit on the bench and inhale the air around them.

          “Mannie” “So” they both stopped hearing the other start to speak. Mannie looked to him as Hanbin looked at her. A laugh was shared before they stopped Mannie smoothing out her pants and Hanbin stuffing his hands into his pocket, it was silent. “Go first” Mannie told him as she stared at the swings. “Tell me something” Hanbin said letting it go serious “why did you stop rooting for me?” Mannie looked at him.

          She was wondering when he would ask. Laughing bitterly she tried to hold back her emotions “I stopped when you stopped” she paused and Hanbin looked at her brow raised. “Needing me” she finished looking into his eyes “Mannie I-” Hanbin was cut off with Mannie voice “you did call like you use too, I thought that you were busy and it could happen,” she said trying to remain calm. “Wasn’t until I met up with the others did I know that I was the only one who was in the dark” Mannie looked at him and spotted the guilt.

          “Even Nari knew more than me” she scuffed looking to the swings once more. “Plus from what I saw everything was good on your end” Hanbin clenched his fist, “I thought for sure you would have gotten what you wanted by now” Hanbin watched her look at him before standing. His hand stopped her from leaving, pulling her, he made her face him. “Everything wasn’t going good on my end,” he said in a hard tone. “Nothing was going my way,” he told her.

          Mannie looked at his eyes that held so much anger “sure we won here and there but it wasn’t the same as losing the one thing we needed to win” Hanbin let go of her wrist. “I wasn’t mad for long because I didnt win” he stated sitting down. “Sure I was disappointed in myself but it wasn’t like I would let something like that turn me bitter,” he confessed.

          “However” Mannie looked to him “knowing you were nowhere around when I needed you did make me bitter” Hanbin told her. Mannie scuffed rolling away the tears “Mannie I needed you” he called for her “well that makes two of us” Mannie said looking to him.

          “While you did something you love I had to face the things I hated,” she told him. “I don’t blame you though” she cleared moving to the bench “I just wished that you would have helped me escape like you used to” Mannie told him.

          Hanbin touched her hand before taking it within his “what about now?” he asked her. Mannie looked to him “can I help you escape now?” he moved closer to her. His body now towering over hers “please” she begged “not here though” he told her. Mannie raised a brow “I have fans” he told her “boy you haven’t even debuted yet” she said hitting him in the chest.

          “I did a show and soon another” he told her in low tone. Mannie smiled “well how about we hang out tomorrow seeing my sister is home and Yurim has a dance recital to attend tomorrow” Mannie declared. “Yurim lives with you?” he asked her “Yeah her mom overdosed two years back and her grams died after the sunset sighting” Mannie sighed deeply.

          “Wow” Hanbin said understanding he missed a lot “she’s a strong duck,” Mannie said smiling as she remembered Yurim. Hanbin nodded “well I should get back I bet one of them notice” Mannie told him “yeah” he said looking to her. Mannie patted his arm “bye friend” she teased, “shut up” he said knowing why she did that.

          “So you went to see him,” Yurim asked sitting at the table with Claire. “Aren’t you both supposed to be in bed?” Mannie asked them. “Nah its only 9” Claire stated “night” Mannie groaned moving to her room. Claire looked to Yurim who laughed with her.