Requester: sejukiller
OC Name: Kang Eunmi
One-Shot Partner: iKON, Hanbin
Genre: angst

“Let It Go” Team B.I.

A gust of wind from the air conditioner above blew through Eunmi’s shoulder-length bob and she took a deep breath to try and calm her jumping nerves. It’s okay. It’s Hanbin we’re talking about. He’ll understand. But a tiny (realistic) portion of her mind screamed at her that she was crazy to try and talk him into this and that he would never agree. Her fingers automatically twitched towards her arm as if by instinct; the bruise that had been left there from his previous fit of anger and jealousy still hadn’t completely faded and it was still sore to the touch.

She bit her bottom lip and clenched her fists in frustration. How did she come to be in such a relationship? Hanbin had initially been so caring and attentive; he’d made sure she was never in any form of discomfort and would take upon himself the extra measures to see to her safety.

Where did he go? Where was the Hanbin that loved her and treasured her for all she was? She let out a quiet sigh; they’d been dating for six years, but ever since he’d become a trainee at YG Entertainment and had been forced to take upon the leader role for their group of six, the stress had begun bringing out his violent tendencies. Whenever he was angry, he’d fly into a fit of rage and not stop until everything in his sight was destroyed. Only then did he return to his senses and realize what he’d done.

Kang Eunmi was unfortunate to be one of the things he’d broken in more than one of his fits, and her body suffered for it. She’d landed in the hospital on multiple occasions and had to get an X-ray to make sure one of her joints hadn’t been dislocated. In the warmer seasons, she’d had to wear long-sleeved shirts and long jeans around everywhere in order to hide the bruises he’d left on her, and despite getting rashes from the poor air quality coupled with the sticky humidity of monsoon season, she obstinately stayed with him. She stayed with him, clutching onto the blind hope that there was still a trace of the Hanbin she fell in love with in high school. The Hanbin who wouldn’t do anything to hurt her and risk his everything for her happiness.

However, she finally realized that the Hanbin she’d fallen in love with, the one she’d been stupidly waiting for to come back to her, was long gone when he’d left her curled up into a fetal position on her side with a fractured rib, a black eye, swollen cheeks, and bruised limbs. She hadn’t moved in pain for the rest of the day, and even when he came back to her with his usual apologies and sweet but empty promises of “It won’t happen again,” she didn’t feel the sense of comfort that there was still traces of Old Hanbin in him.

He’ll understand when I say that it’s what will make me happy, Eunmi tried assuring herself, staring at the trainee practice room door with a newfound determination. I can’t take with this any longer. I need to have respect for myself too. With the final thought sending one final burst of adrenaline through her veins, Eunmi made her resolve and pushed the trainee door open. The pulsing beats of a new track made her chest vibrate in time to the thick bass and she saw the seven iKON boys dancing with sweat dripping from their temples.

closed up when she saw Hanbin at the head, leading them with every step; she used to think he looked best when he was working because that was when he looked happiest, but the almost demonic glint in his eye only sent chills down her spine now. Work was what turned him into what he was. It was no longer something she saw as attractive, but more bone-chilling.

Finally, when they came to the end of their routine, the boys broke apart and dispersed to reach for their water bottles. Donghyuk spotted her first and he smiled warmly at her. She sent him a little wave with a friendly smile in response and returned her gaze to Hanbin, only to see that he was glaring at her through the mirror, apparently having caught their friendly exchange.

The other thing that Eunmi wanted to escape the most: Hanbin became angriest when he saw her fraternizing with other boys, regardless of their relationship.

“Oh, sister-in-law!” Bobby called when he saw her and waved. “Hi!”

“What are you doing here?” Junhoe asked, and Yunhyeong rolled his eyes.

“She’s obviously here to see her boyfriend,” he pointed out. “What, did you think she’d be here for you?” The two began squabbling like usual and Eunmi tried to force a grin, but she could feel Hanbin’s heated gaze on the side of her head and she just managed to fidget uncomfortably. Donghyuk, on the other hand, was giving her a sympathetic look; he was the only one who knew of Hanbin’s treatment of her and they’d spent many nights at a local café where she’d just talk about everything that she was struggling to deal with.

“We’ll give you two some privacy,” Jinhwan said with a sweet smile, completely unaware of how Eunmi’s heart leapt into in fear at the pro