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haesunflower · 1 year

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the way he loves | sung hanbin

genre: a little angst, mostly fluff, comfort

pairing: reader (gn) x sung hanbin

about/tags: hanbin has no time for himself and is exhausted. though reader is worried about him, hanbin fears reader will leave him (1.1k words)

hanbin is overworked and spread too thin, yujin matthew and hao are mentioned, sleepy boy hanbin, he's doing his best for everyone 100%, y/n is just worried for him

“You need to stop doing that to yourself, Hanbin”

Hanbin looks up at you, confused. His eyebrows slightly knit together and he tilts his head to the side, as if questioning what exactly you mean.

To be fair, you did bring it up out of the blue. You couldn’t help it though, he just looks so exhausted. Without any makeup, you can clearly see his dark undereyes, and his skin has gotten so much paler. His eyes are slightly red too, you presume from rubbing it to stay awake. Albeit the obviousness of sleep deprivation, he still showed up to your date today.

You can tell he’s trying so hard for you. With that, you let out a deep sigh – hand extending across the table to get ahold of his.

“I’m worried for you Hanbin-ah, I think you’re overworking yourself”

Taking your hand, he softly smiles at you. He brings the back of your hand to his lips, kissing it gently before saying “Thank you for worrying about me, love. But I’m okay.”

The vibrancy of his smile, while still plastered on his face, isn’t really there. But Hanbin changed the topic, and you let it go. You listened to him as he told you about the new choreography they’ve been learning and how they’re flying to Japan soon. He tells you that he’s been practicing his Japanese to communicate with fans more.

Hanbin has always been the kind of person to always put other people before himself. It’s the way he loves. He’s never been the type to be burdened to help another person, it just comes so innately with him. Truthfully, it’s why you fell in love with him in the first place. To be loved by the most selfless person on the planet is something you were grateful for everyday.

Little by little, you start to understand how Hanbin got himself to this position. When they moved in at the dorms, he spent his nights helping Yujin with his homework after practice. You learned from Hao that Hanbin has been helping him with his Korean as well. On top of that, Hanbin has still been showing up to school, attending classes left and right. Yesterday, when he visited his mom at the café, he even picked up a few shifts in the kitchen for a part-timer that didn’t show up that day. And right now, he was carving out time for you when he could be resting.

You spend the next few days distancing yourself a little so that he has more time to himself. You don’t communicate this with him, because you know he’ll continue to insist that everything is fine.

When you don’t respond to his texts with your usual energy, or stop making plans with him on the weekends, Hanbin genuinely starts to think he’s losing you. He feels like he’s grasping at straws when he invites you to come over at the dorm to watch a movie with him. He’s scared you’ll say no.

But you agreed mainly because you miss him, and you felt kinda guilty for icing him out like that. You rationalized that you would both just be at arm's length from a bed or a couch anyway. So when you arrive at the dorm for your movie date and find him peacefully asleep on his bed, you let him sleep. You patted his head, and tucked his blanket tighter against his body before turning off the lights in his room.

When Hanbin wakes up, he thinks he messed up.

He looks around the room and wonders how he got there. Checking the time, it’s been 4 hours since he’s invited you over. He frustratingly puts his face in his hands, hating himself for falling asleep.

He hears voices coming from the living room. Slowly following the sound, he finds both you and Matthew laughing at some Hollywood romcom he hasn’t seen before. There’s popcorn and beer laid out on the floor where you're both seated, and an array of pillows and blankets.

It looks like they’ve been at it for hours, Hanbin thinks to himself. It’s Matthew that notices him standing there first.

“Oh hyung, you’re awake!”

Even though he says it excitingly, Hanbin can’t help but take it as a dig. You’re smiling at Hanbin and gesturing to him to sit down next to you, but he doesn’t notice. He’s too in over his head, thinking that he fucked up and thus easily replaceable.

He needs water to clear his head. So he doesn’t respond and just walks to the kitchen. Confused, you get up to follow him.

Hanbin is opening the fridge when you wrap your arms around his waist, head resting in the middle of his back. He stands there and feels your embrace, placing his hands atop of yours as he lets out a deep sigh. Fridge door long forgotten, he says sorry first.

“Sorry I fell asleep love, I didn’t mean to”. He sounds defeated. His head is hanging low, and he doesn’t turn around to face you, fearing your reaction. You simply hug him tighter and press a small kiss on his back, making sure he feels loved.

“I didn’t wanna wake you, don’t beat yourself up over it”

Arms still holding him, you crane your neck to the side to see his face. He’s looking down at the floor and biting his lip, as if punishing himself. You use your left hand to force him to look at you instead.

His eyes are searching yours, as if trying to read you. He looks anxious, as if his next words were crucial.

“Don’t leave me, Y/N”

His voice cracks at the slightest, and your heart breaks. Your eyes soften and you run your hand through the back of his head, gently stroking against his scalp.

“I’m not leaving you silly, I love you too much”

He just gently nods repeatedly, relieved to hear you say that. This time, he engulfs you quickly into his arms, head resting atop yours. You can hear his heartbeat as you rest your ear to his chest. When it slows down, you ask him what he wants to eat for dinner.

You look up at him and he presses a chaste kiss to your nose. It tickles and you can’t help but smile widely at him. His arms are still resting at your waist when he responds.

“Anything you want, love.”

Even in moments like these, he simply yields to what you want. You nod at his response and decide to order his favorite food. You’ll have to have another conversation with him about prioritizing himself for once, but right now, you gladly do it for him.

He cups his hands on either side of your jaw and brings you to a kiss. Only then, he finally smiles.

A/N: This one is more fluffy and longer than I thought it would be. Thank you to the person who requested!

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jebewonmorelike · 1 year

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Devil by the Whiteboard

wc: 4.2k (so i was way off lmao) pronouns: none used; n/a warnings: MEAN!hanbin he is not nice so be forewarned but the ending suggests he can possibly be fixed maybe but no promises; being alone with a mean person in a hallway; light swears; angst but only towards the end; i wrote that they go to an academy but it could be a university it doesn't change the story summary: booksmart!reader is ready to finally win the scholastic decathlon, but a series of coincidental unfortunate events that couldn't possibly have anything to do with studentbodypresident!hanbin threaten to ruin their chances once more. ~masterlist~ ♡ ~kofi (no pressure at all)~ guys i did it, i finished my masterpiece. i hope you like it. academic play on the title of the txt song, i know-- clever. the scholastic decathlon is inspired by the one in high school musical. also pls don't make fun of me for not knowing how science or chemistry works, i was literally advance in science but my chem teacher in high school was on academic probation for being such a bad teacher and we all nearly failed our regional exams so. anyway pls excuse this or lightly roast me in the tags or comments. i hope you enjoy mean!shanbin... this one might need a part 2... or a prequel. or both. I'M SO EXCITED I FINISHED THIS OMFG I HOPE YOU LOVE IT!

(part two— “i didn’t think you had it in you”)

It's 7 P.M. on a Friday and there's nowhere in the world you'd rather be than at the Regional Scholastic Decathlon Finals. You're about to partake in your favorite extracurricular activity: more academics. There's only one thing you wish you could change...

"I'm so honored to be competing as a team leader in the Regional Scholastic Decathlon Finals," Hanbin says into the handheld microphone. "And I'm even more honored to be competing against who I believe to be the most worthy opponents."

You fight the urge to gag at the Student Body President standing next to you on the makeshift stage.

"And you know each other well, I've been told," the announcer adds with a laugh. "You and (Y/N) are something of academic rivals, yes?"

Hanbin laughs, smile lines on his cheeks only adding to his innocent, clean-cut image. "In the most respectful way. Wouldn't you agree, (Y/N)?"

There are, in truth, very few things you'd agree less with. Coming from a private academy for gifted students, there were several different Scholastic Decathlon teams at your school. The Green Team, the Red Team and the Yellow Team had all already been eliminated this semester, which left the Blue Team (led by Hanbin) and the Pink Team (led by you).

There had also been a new Purple Team formed at the beginning of this year, but they were disbanded when the headmaster found out the "experiments" they were conducting in the science labs were a bit unorthodox.

You honestly weren't sure how much of a "worthy opponent" the Pink Team was at this rate. The Blue Team had won Regionals for three semesters straight and it didn't seem like their streak would end any time soon...

Not with Sung Hanbin on their side.

You glance at the walking, talking cinnamon roll standing next to you and wish fervently that all his teeth would fall out. "Right. Respectful," you chime quietly into your own microphone.

"And (Y/N)! It seems this is always where the Pink Team meets its demise under your leadership," the announcer notes, a bit too happily if you're being honest. "What makes you think you can beat Hanbin this time?"

The audience of family, friends, and teachers laughs awkwardly at the dig of a question. You swallow nervously, taking a deep breath to steady yourself before you answer.

You and Hanbin were total opposites, both competing for the tile of top student since your first year at the academy. He was friendly, outgoing-- a networker, even. When the election for Student Body President came around each year, there weren't any votes cast for anyone except Sung Hanbin (and you knew that for a fact since you were the one counting them). You were more of a behind-the-scenes overachiever. Acing every class, developing plans and putting them into action, and keeping your head down in the hallways to avoid any unwanted social interaction.

Though President Hanbin had been asked to recite a speech for Teacher's Appreciation Week, it was Secretary (Y/N) who had stayed up until the wee hours of the morning writing it.

"I don't think I can beat Hanbin," you say finally. "But I do think the Pink Team can beat the Blue Team. I think that's what you meant to ask, right?"

There's a moment of uncomfortable silence before Hanbin grins, extending his hand for you to shake. "I couldn't agree more. This event is about our teams, not us. Every team member has worked hard to prove their abilities tonight."

You watch as the audience absolutely melts at the handsome boy's charming smile and his words of camaraderie that were merely a more attractive repackaging of your previous reply. You pull your hand back from his as quickly as possible.

The announcer smiles in admiration at the boy to his right. “You are entirely correct, Hanbin. My mistake. And what a wonderful sentiment for you to share with us.”

It barely even phases you anymore: the hold Hanbin could have on people. Maybe you’d have been captivated too, if you weren’t the one person who--.

“(Y/N)?” The announcer prompts, his tone indicating that this isn’t the first time he called your name. “Any words for your team?”

“Oh,” you mumble, mentally shaking off the embarrassment of daydreaming during a regional competition. "Let's do our best! No matter the outcome, though we will strive for a good one, I'm incredibly proud of the work my amazing team has done so far this year and you all should be as well. Fighting!"

"That's just swell," the announcer replies rather unenthusiastically. "Hanbin?"

Hanbin nods, smiling graciously at the announcer and the crowd. "We've put in so much time and effort this semester and I truly believe our labor of love has blossomed into a winning fruit. And, even on the chance that we don't take this win, I will still be so proud of that fruit that is my amazing team. Fighting!"

The audience applauds and the scream sitting in your throat is now desperately trying to claw its way out. Instead, you just smile.

"Hanbin has such a way with words, doesn't he?" The announcer muses to you.

"He does," you agree politely, muttering under your breath, "If that 'way' is stealing them."

"Then let's get this Regional Final started!" The announcer's words are met with applause as you rejoin your team behind your table.

"We've got this," your teammate Maria encourages, patting you on the back gently. "It's our turn to win!"

You nod, smiling at your team and giving them two thumbs up. "Let's win this! Fighting!"

The first subject of the Super Relay is mathematics, an event where each team's members must rotate in a line to solve a new equation while racing against both their opponent and the clock. As the team leader, you are last in line as you will have the least amount of time left on the clock to solve your equation.

Unfortunately, Sung Hanbin is also at the end of the Blue Team's line. While you're better at economics, history, literature, and geography, Hanbin has a slight leg up on you in the math and science departments. But you had been studying overtime and, even if you didn't manage to beat his time in this round, you were confident you could follow closely enough behind that your team would not be hurting for points.

As soon as both teams are set in their positions, the announcer raises one arm. "On your marks, get set..."

"Go!" He signals, lowering his arm as Maria rushes to the shared whiteboard.

Her equation flashes on the screen and you exhale with relief. Maria was the weakest at maths on your team, so she always went first in relays so the other four team members could make up the time. This equation is fairly straightforward and in her wheelhouse, so you're able to relax for awhile.

Each team member finishes their equation, placing their markers on the whiteboard shelf and joining the end of the line until it's finally your turn to solve. David throws his marker down too harshly and it falls to the ground, rolling to the other team's side.

Hanbin is now racing up to the whiteboard for his team, but on his way he bends down and reaches under the chair that your team's marker has rolled under. After a moment, he resurfaces; marker in hand as he smiles at you sweetly, holding it out to you as you run up to the whiteboard.

"I think you might need this," he jokes politely. You give him a nod and tear off the cap as you quickly memorize your equation, smiling to yourself as you realize you've practiced this exact problem in a workbook just last week.

"And look at this sportsmanship from Sung Hanbin!" The announcer commends. "He's the Student Body President for a reason, folks."

You put your marker to the board, attempting to copy your equation as you ignore the adoring audience's endless mumbling about Hanbin. As you write, however, you suddenly realize that the marker in your hand isn't producing any ink.

Panic flows through you as you scribble it desperately against the whiteboard trying to get the ink flowing again, but your efforts are fruitless. You turn to the announcer in a frenzy.

"Please, my marker isn't working!" You exclaim, looking to the judges' table for assistance.

"It worked fine for the previous team member," the announcer contests, watching as you show him the lack of ink. "But, yes, it seems to be out of ink."

He walks to the judges table as your heart sits in your stomach, terrified that some fluke could completely ruin your team's chances of finally beating the Blue Team. You glance over at Hanbin, who, much to your surprise, is looking back at you concernedly.

A judge brings you another approved marker and you resume solving your equation frantically, despite the judge relaying that you would have ten seconds added to your permitted time due to the mishap.

After about 45 seconds, you check Hanbin's progress and your spirit is renewed when you see how quickly you've caught up to him. You're now only two lines behind him in the equation and you can tell Hanbin is caught off guard by your speed.

After another thirty seconds, Hanbin steps back from the whiteboard and nods as he double checks his math. He circles his answer and lays his marker down on the shelf, running to the stop clock and hitting his team's timer.

The audience cheers at the Blue Team leader's probable victory, but you don't let it throw you. Another nine seconds and your answer is circled on the board as you run to the buzzer and stop the clock. Your team surrounds you excitedly, praising you for your focus during the stressful situation and your noticeably quick solving of the equation.

After the judges finalize the results of the mathematics portion of the Super Relay, they hand the announcer a script card. "The results are in! The winner of the mathematics Super Relay is... The Pink Team!"

Your team starts to cheer, jumping up and down ecstatically around you as you remain absolutely shocked at the unexpected win.

You watch as the announcer's eyebrows furrow confusedly, rereading the script card to check if the result is correct.. "Huh. Mathematics is usually where the Pink Team has the most trouble, but with the additional ten seconds added to their time clock... The Pink Team wins by just 0.45 seconds."

You can't help but notice that the announcer looks concerned by the results, but before you can analyze him further you're pulled into your team's celebration. Out of the corner of your eye, you catch Hanbin chewing his lip nervously at the Blue Team's defeat.

You're halfway through the Science portion of the Super Relay when your beaker begins to boil. You watch as it bubbles furiously when it's merely supposed to be simmering on the hotplate.

You hover your hand over the hotplate, panic turning into confusion when you feel a low amount of heat that couldn't possibly be boiling the solution in this beaker. Unfortunately the alternative to a hotplate turned up too high was much worse...

"Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit," you whisper, taking the beaker off of your hotplate with your gloved hands. As expected, the beaker continues to bubble over even after being removed from heat and you stare at the mixture in horror.

Where had you messed up?

You look around at the different tubes on your table, reading the labels of each vial carefully to see if you'd poured in the wrong liquid by mistake. You check each empty tube, verifying that they were in fact the liquids you had thought they were.

But there's one label that catches your eye in particular. The side of it is sticking up slightly and, cautiously, you peel it off to reveal another label underneath.

Glycerin.

Thankfully it wouldn't kill you, but it was a huge nuisance. You'd have to remake the solution and, as you glance at the time clock, you realize your prospects of finishing are hopeless.

5, 4, 3, 2, 1...

Hanbin hits his team's buzzer in the knick of time, the crowd erupting into applause for the school's golden boy. You chew your cheek, willing yourself not to cry as your team members begin to comfort you. Just as you compose yourself, you hear shouts coming from the other side of the room.

"(Y/N) couldn't even finish the experiment!" One of the younger Blue Team members taunts, smirking at you. "Pink Team is going down!"

"Maybe they should consider appointing a new leader," another Blue Team member jeers. "(Y/N) is clearly--."

"That's not very kind, Ilsung," Hanbin interrupts, placing a hand on the shoulder of both of the younger team members sternly. "Everyone here is trying their best and, unfortunately, mistakes are very easy to make under pressure."

"I didn't make a mistake. The--," you start to correct, but Hanbin has already stepped up onto his metaphorical soapbox once more.

"Whether we are winners in the competition or not, we are the losing team if we don't treat our opponents with the respect they deserve," Hanbin concludes, turning back to face the audience.

"Once again, Sung Hanbin proves his humility and kindness," the announcer coos as Hanbin shakes his head to politely deflect the compliment with a smile. "Exactly what we'd expect from the Fall Regional Scholastic Decathlon champion."

"What!?" You exclaim. "He didn't even win yet!"

"Anyway," the announcer continues as the judges hand him the results, "the winner of the science portion of the Super Relay is... The Blue Team! Obviously!"

You laugh hopelessly. "Obviously, he said."

"It's alright," David reassures. "Double the points in the final Humanities portion. The Blue Team has nothing on us!"

You nod, smiling reluctantly. "You're right. We can still win this! I believe in all of you. Let's do this!"

Pink Team is ahead 44 to 36 when you finally step up to the podium to answer your set of twenty humanities questions. Hanbin steps up to his podium, picking up his buzzer and breathing deeply in preparation for the upcoming questions in his weakest area.

You pick up your buzzer, placing your thumb on the trigger comfortably so that it doesn't cramp when you press it rapidly.

"Good luck," Hanbin says, smiling at you cutely.

"Yeah," you manage to reply without throwing up. "You too."

You fire off the five economics questions easily, hitting the buzzer a full second before Hanbin each time. You're on a roll and you don't have any intentions of slowing down.

"Now we'll move onto literature," the announcer prompts, rearranging his script cards.

"One second, please," Hanbin calls suddenly, shifting uncomfortably on his feet. "This is embarrassing but I think there's something in my shoe. Can I be allowed to remove it?"

The judges look at each other momentarily before nodding. "Quickly," one agrees.

Hanbin bends down, untying his shoelace and shaking out his shoe. You look out at the audience, who are all both visibly and audibly fawning over how adorable the Blue Team leader is.

"So endearing, that Sung Hanbin," the announcer remarks fondly.

Hanbin finally hops back up to his feet, nodding at the judges and the audience respectfully. "Please forgive me for the delay."

"No worries at all. Let's jump right back into it then," the announcer segways. "Question six: What is the name of the collection of 85 articles written by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay—.”

You smile as you press your buzzer, but confusion sweeps over you when Hanbin’s buzzer sounds first.

“The Federalist Papers,” he answers, but you can hear a bit of uncertainty in his voice.

“Correct,” the announcer says. “Question seven: Name the correct order of the three cantos of The Divine Com—.”

You press your buzzer, Hanbin’s buzzer ringing out again.

“Inferno, Purgatorio, Paradiso,” the Blue Team leader answers correctly again.

You go through five more questions like this— knowing the answer to them all immediately only to somehow be beaten by Hanbin’s buzzer.

“Um, excuse me?” You ask before the start of the history round. “I think… I think there’s something wrong with my buzzer!"

The announcer turns to the judges who allow the complaint with a nod. "Please test your buzzer several times," the judge on the end requests, gesturing for you to proceed.

You press the button on your buzzer and hear it ring. You press it once more and it rings again. The third time you press it, your cheeks heat up with utter embarrassment. You could've sworn it wasn't working just a moment ago...

You smile uncomfortably. "I'm sorry," you apologize quickly, mortified as your bottom lip tucks between your lips shyly.

"It's okay," Hanbin answers, smile lines appearing on his perfect cheeks. "I know this last section is usually not my best, but I promise it's just because I've been studying so hard. I would be thrown off guard too!"

The audience laughs at his humorous compassion, your error only making way for another opportunity to boost Hanbin's morale. You swear you feel yourself shrinking down, down, down to the size of an ant as Hanbin gets every last point in the final round of the Super Relay.

You pressed the buzzer in the middle of every question.

"It's okay, (Y/N)," Maria says, resting her head on your shoulder. "I'm sure all of that stuff with the marker just threw you off. That wasn't your fault."

You shake your head, completely perplexed by how this had happened and now also beginning to questioning your sanity. "I was pressing the buzzer," you assert, fighting off another round of tears welling up in your eyes as the adrenaline of the competition wheres off.

"I pressed the buzzer every time."

"We'll get 'em next semester, (Y/N)!" David encourages. "And they'll never see it coming."

You force yourself to smile, not wanting to to show the team your real emotions. Had you really not been pressing the buzzer? Were you actually going crazy?

"Mm," you agree quietly. "Pink Team: Spring Regional Scholastic Decathlon Champions! We'll make it happen!"

Your team all puts their hands into the circle, shouting, "1, 2, 3: Pink Team on Top!" After saying your temporary goodbyes, you walk through the empty hallway behind the gym and hang your lab coat up on the designated rack. As you secure your lab coat on the hook, you hear a mumbling coming from around the corner.

"Here's five hundred," you hear a familiar voice say as you tiptoe quietly to the end of the hall. "I'll get you the other half by Monday."

"Are you kidding me? You said you'd have it in full! Should've known the kid that was paying me to help him cheat in a Scholastic Decathlon would end up screwing me."

You peak your head out slowly around the corner, taking care not to make any loud sounds that might get you caught.

"Guess that's on you then. By Monday."

As the two men start to go their separate ways, you duck back behind the wall and try to control the rampant beating of your heart. You desperately attempt to silence your breathing as you hear one set of footsteps approach, closing your eyes and exhaling with relief when they continue down the hallway and past your hiding spot in the adjacent corridor.

With your hands over your eyes, you rub your face as tension bubbles to the surface. "Oh my god," you squeak out as the interaction you just witnessed sinks in.

Suddenly, something slams down above your head on the locker you're leaning against and rips you from your thought spiral.

"I'm glad you're finally starting to see my appeal," Hanbin says with a smirk, both hands pressed firmly against the locker on either side of your head. "But I think god might be a bit too much, even by my standards."

You swallow nervously, having had the displeasure of being confronted by Hanbin like this numerous times before. You look around to check if by some miracle there's anyone still lingering in the hallway that's witnessing this.

"Just me," Hanbin seemingly reads your mind. "That's not a problem, is it?"

"Y-you--... You..." He tilts his head expectantly, waiting for you to stop tripping over your own tongue. "You cheated?"

"Oh," Hanbin coos mockingly. "Did I?"

You nod, feeling your bottom lip shake. "You paid that announcer to give you all the answers."

"What?" He asks, face scrunching up in confusion. "He didn't give me the--... You think I, the reigning Regional Champion, need someone to give me the answers? Come on, (Y/N), I know you're smarter than that."

You blink back at him silently, watching as his face lights up in amusement.

"Do you actually have that little self-confidence?" He asks, shaking his head at you in amazement. "You really think your marker just happened to stop working right when it was your turn to solve? Or that the glycerin tube was just coincidentally mislabeled?"

Your lips part as Hanbin pieces the truth together for you.

"You and I both know you pressed that buzzer first every single time," he says earnestly, pouting at you sadly. "Are you really that insecure that you'd believe you were going crazy before you'd believe that I'd rigged your buzzer while I was fixing my shoe?"

"You... you..." You attempt to protest, but once again your stammering proves why you're always just Hanbin's ghostwriter.

His eyebrows furrow in concern and it's unnervingly genuine. "Seriously, (Y/N)? Now you're kind of just making me sad."

The patronizing from Hanbin is the last straw. He can steal your words, he can call you names, he can even sabotage your efforts...

But the moment Sung Hanbin begins to pity you is the moment you can no longer just stand there and take it.

"I'm gonna tell everybody," you threaten, but your voice comes out far too soft and shaky for him to take it seriously.

"I'm sure you are," he mocks, smirking at you. "I'm sure this time you won't just suck it up like you always do."

You lean forward, your face now just a couple inches from Hanbin's and you swear you see just the smallest flash of panic in his eyes at your action. "You're right," you agree. "You're always right, Hanbin."

He stares back at you, unmoving.

"That's why I'm so disappointed," you admit, sentiment suddenly shifting. "It wasn't my lack of confidence that made the possibility that you cheated unfathomable to me. It was honestly that, even after everything we've been through, I've always thought a bit more of you than that."

Hanbin leans back, hands falling to his sides as he continues to frown at you.

"I really don't like you, Hanbin, and I don't like always being in your shadow, but the truth is: you make a much better leader than I would," you confess, everything you've wanted to say now flowing freely out of your mouth. "And up until tonight, I thought that if I had to stand in a shadow, at least it was of someone who on some level deserved to be casting one."

Hanbin just blinks, his lips parting slightly as you study him. When he continues to refuse to react, you turn on your heels and begin to walk back down the hallway in the direction that you'd come from. You're halfway to the doors when Hanbin's voice suddenly rings out behind you:

"Join my team next semester."

You turn around quickly, one eyebrow raised in shock. "What!?"

"You heard me," he replies calmly.

"That's--... That's ridiculous! And your team is full anyway."

"Not for you, it's not," Hanbin quips, walking up to you.

"But--... But--."

"Come on, (Y/N). You just said it yourself: you were never meant to be a leader," Hanbin says as he stops in front of you. "But you're smarter than me. That's why I needed to set you back. There was no way I could've beaten you fair and square this time and you know it."

You stare at him wordlessly, wondering what you did in your past life to have to suffer the acquaintanceship of such an infuriating man.

"Even being thrown off by your stupid marker, you knew that equation like the back of your hand," he continues definitively. "If you had spoken up about the mislabeled tube. If you had trusted yourself about the buzzer..."

"But you knew I wouldn't."

He nods. "So join my team. Anyways, I... I could really use you," he says, a sheepish look on his face that you've never seen him wear around you before. "Blue Team is always able to win Regionals because I know how to beat the Pink Team-- I know how to beat you. But we always lose at Sectionals because the smartest person at our school was on the team we just beat."

You bite your lip, chewing on Hanbin's words as you feel both intensely offended and unfortunately flattered. But you could never let him know the latter. "What about anything that I just said makes you think I would join the team of some cheating asshole?"

To your surprise, he just laughs. "I've never heard you swear before. It's kind of..." He clears his throat, trailing off before he finishes his sentence. "If I'm being honest, your sudden display of willpower is kind of throwing me."

"Well I hope it throws you into another dimension, you self-righteous prick," you respond, turning back around furiously and continuing to walk down the hallway towards the exit doors-- shaking your head at the audacity of the boy called Sung Hanbin.

"Then can I pitch an alternative?" Hanbin calls as your fingers grip the door handle.

You pause, not realizing the mistake you've made as Hanbin's voice ricochets off the walls of the gym hallway:

"Go out with me."

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exhaustedxreader · 1 year

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Coffee Shops and Crushes

sung hanbin x reader

wc: 3.1k

chapter 2

a/n: btw i take requests if you want any boys planet/zb1 fics :)

Chapter 1 - An Unexpected Meeting

A week had passed since your job interview at a quaint café a few streets over from your house. It was run by a sweet lady around the same age as your mother by the name of Mrs. Sung. Apparently, you had been the only person to ever apply to the café; you'd needed some extra cash to keep you afloat, and a small café job that wasn't too busy and was right around the corner seemed like the perfect place.

Mrs. Sung had started you on the job immediately, and by the weeks end, you had managed to finish all the training necessary to independently run the business, allowing Mrs. Sung to rest upstairs as you worked. Currently, you were working after school for 2-3 days a week, making minimum wage. It didn't really bother you, though, since the shop was air conditioned, and with the fast approach of summer, you wanted to stay as far away from the sweltering heat as possible.

The Sung family—comprised of Mrs. Sung and her son, who you hadn't yet met—lived above the shop. You remembered her mentioning in passing that he had been the one to run the shop before you had applied, but was now attending university for performing arts, which was why she had needed the extra help. She was starting to enter retirement age, but cared too deeply for her café to let it collapse. You could understand the sentiment. She had raised her son here as a single mother and even managed to weasel him into every conversation she had. You could tell just how proud she was of how far he was getting in life. Though, if you were completely honest, you hadn't really been all that interested in learning about her son. Well, that was until you finally met him.

Standing behind the counter of the Sung Café, you held a wet rag for cleaning in your left hand, and the other barely managed to pry open a textbook that was about the thickness of your pinkie, scanning the pages as you absentmindedly swiped at a small splotch of spilled milk from a previous order. The store had been completely empty for the past 20 minutes, so you didn't see the harm in cracking open a textbook while you waited for customers, revelling in the soft gusts of cool air from the air conditioner. You were pretty short on money, so using the air conditioner at home was a no-go, and the air conditioners at school never seemed to work. Working here almost seemed like a luxury.

You flinched suddenly, jumping at the sound of a bell sounding and a door softly shutting, a wave of hot air emanating through the doorway. Slamming your textbook shut, you quickly turned to the new face in the doorway. "Hello and welcome to the Sung Café," you recited, repeating the words Mrs. Sung had drilled into your head. "How may I help you today?" You accompanied the words with a bow, making sure to seem as friendly and approachable as humanly possible, baring a gentle, welcoming smile.

A young boy, probably only a year or two older than you, stood in the doorway. He was noticeably taller than you, and carried a backpack that suggested he was passing by after university or work. From here, most of his face was obscured by his long hair that covered his forehead. "Sorry to scare you." He laughed softly. "You're [Y/N], right? My mother has told me a lot about you." He stepped forward so he was in front of the counter, opposite you, and reached his hand out for you to shake.

Extending your hand, you shook his hand and tried to forget the comfortable, strong feeling of his hand in yours. "Yeah, I am! Nice to finally meet you!" You repeated the same small bow as before.

There was an ascending clattering noise behind you. Turning, you found Mrs. Sung trudging down the stairs. "Ah, Hanbinnie, you're home!" She stretched her arms wide, pulling her son into a hug as you made a mental note of his name. "This is [Y/N]," she explained to him, gesturing to you. Peering over the counter, she looked at the textbook laying half off the surface. "See how hard working she is! Spotless kitchen, no unhappy customers, and studying!" Her face held a wide, toothy grin. She clearly seemed happy with her evaluation of your work. You had always had a good work ethic compared to most others.

You laughed, embarrassed, giving a short bow as you brushed off the compliment. "Thank you, Mrs. Sung."

“You’re home early,” Mrs. Sung noted, eyeing her son up and down. “Not sneaking out to eat chicken with friends again, are we?”

Hanbin waved his hands in front of himself, showing innocence. “Of course not, the teacher just went home early.”

Mrs. Sung gave a short nod, satisfied with his excuse. "Come upstairs, love," she said to you. "It's empty out here and will be for a while. You can study upstairs. More space." She turned on her heel, walking back toward the steps, like the matter was settled.

"Oh, no, Mrs. Sung, I couldn't impose like that!" You waved your hands in front of yourself, gesturing that it was unnecessary.

"Don't be silly, come on," Mrs. Sung huffed, gesturing for you to follow her. "Would you like something to drink?” Her head swivelled to look at her son. “Hanbin, would you make her a coffee? Or would you prefer tea?"

Hanbin nodded, placing his backpack on the floor as he went behind the counter to access the coffee machine. "What would you like?" He had a gentle smile on his face, standing only inches away from you.

You sucked in a breath, face heating slightly as you noted his angelic smile and his perfect proportions. He must've just walked home straight from university as his hair stuck slightly to his forehead and neck from the sheer amount of sweat. The heat outside was stifling already, and it wasn't even summer yet. Even through all the sweat that must've been covering him, you could still faintly smell his cologne.

You didn't want to draw this out any further, knowing they wouldn't rest until you had a drink you were satisfied with. "Just a black coffee, please, if that's alright." You fidgeted anxiously with your fingers, averting your gaze from the taller man and instead towards the floor.

"Coming right up," Hanbin told you, grabbing a spare apron from a low cupboard and getting to work. He was clearly very experienced in the kitchen from the way he moved around it—his movements quick, and yet still precise and calculated, something you hadn't been able to master yet.

You turned around to follow Mrs. Sung upstairs, but a voice stopped you in your tracks.

"[Y/n]," Hanbin called. "You forgot your textbook." He walked over to the opening of the steps and passed it to you, along with your hefty school bag that was sitting on the floor next to his. The weight of the bag didn’t even seem to register for him, seeing how easily he carried it.

"Ah, thank you!" You smiled brightly, taking the book and bag from him, attempting not to shrivel under the weight of it all.

A few minutes later, you were sat at a small four-seater dining room table, books spread in front of you, along with a steaming cup of coffee. The house was rather small, but the bright white walls and cream-coloured furniture made the rooms look larger than they were. The aircon was much stronger upstairs and was able to completely chase away the suffocating humidity. You had taken a small break between poring over the horde of books to alternate between sipping and blowing at the coffee when Hanbin decided that was the perfect time to take a seat beside you.

You were glancing at the various paintings on the wall when he asked, "What are you studying?"

"English," you replied after taking in the room. "My finals are coming up in a few months so I need to start cramming...five months ago." Sighing dramatically, you dropped your head into an open book in front of you.

He made a sound of barely restrained laughter, nodding in understanding. "I was like that with my exams too."

"I heard you're at university? Performing arts?"

"Well, it's really just dancing and singing practice. A little rapping. Nothing special really." He scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.

Your eyes widened. "Really? You must be seriously talented!"

"No, no." He shook his head adamantly. "Nothing special."

You laughed, taking another sip of coffee and glancing up at him through your eyelashes. "You're too humble."

"[Y/n]," Mrs. Sung called as she came into the room, taking a seat across from you. She held onto a mug of, what you assumed, was tea. She had always opted to drink tea over coffee. She'd mentioned something about how coffee is a drug and no one knows it yet and it'll kill us all. "What are your plans for dinner, dear?"

"Ah, I hadn't actually thought that far, yet," you told her honestly.

"Well, Hanbinnie and I are going out for dinner. If you don't have plans at home, you're welcome to join us." She absentmindedly clinked her ring against the side of her mug.

You glanced at Hanbin as you mulled the offer over in your head. He seemed rather surprised by his mothers' words, but not overly so that he seemed upset at the prospect of you joining them. While you truly did want to go and get to know Hanbin more, you didn't think it would be the best financial decision, since money was so tight. Sometimes you even wished you could skip school to work, so you could catch up on bills. "That's such a kind offer, Mrs. Sung, really, but I wouldn't want to intrude on your night out. Plus, money is-" you began explaining, before being cut off.

Mrs. Sung made a sound of disapproval. "Ah, I'm not taking you out for dinner just for you to pay." She scoffed and shook her head, seemingly offended by the idea. "Don't be silly. Come on, it's getting late. Get ready and then we'll go out."

Your eyes widened at the finality of her words, and they seemed to bulge out of your head at the quiet laughs emanating from the man beside you. He placed a soft hand over yours. "Don't worry, she's always like that. Come on, it'll make her day. She's very fond of you." Your heart leapt in your chest, cheeks deepening in colour.

Quickly packing away your mess of books that splayed across the table, you checked your hair and clothes before following the Sung family out to the car, praying your cheeks had dulled in colour.

It had been a rather short yet chatty car ride to the restaurant. Mrs. Sung used every possible opportunity to mention her son, and Hanbin made a constant effort to redirect the conversation back to you. You honestly found it extremely endearing that she always did her best to show off her son when she could. The more she told you about him, the more you could swear the pace of your heart quickened.

When you entered, the restaurant emanated a homely smell of grilled beef, which was emphasised by the small amount of tables being filled, creating a cosy and intimate atmosphere. You could tell it was a family business since the walls seemed to be rather old—new paint peeling to reveal the decades of love and care poured into the establishment. Tables were set neatly, with crisp white tablecloths set out. If you weren't already working for the lovely Mrs. Sung, you might've changed career paths.

The informality of the restaurant was further accentuated as Mrs. Sung didn't wait for staff to seat her, obviously familiar with the restaurant and it's inner-workings, as both Hanbin and you followed. Where you sat, the light was mainly made up from a window beside your seat to the right, with Hanbin sitting on your left, and Mrs. Sung sitting in front of you. From this close, you couldn't help but make out the exact burnt umber hue of Hanbin's eyes, or the way his hair parts in front of his eyes when he laughs, or the way his tattoos just peek under his shirt.

You all wore comfortable smiles through most of the evening, making small talk about work and school, even managing to get Hanbin to spill a few details about the courses he's undertaking at university. He did the same with you and school. "What book were you reading earlier? For English, right?" Hanbin asked, tilting his head toward you and resting the side of his head on a closed fist.

You finished chewing your mouthful of rice. "Well, we are finishing up Edgar Allan Poe this week, and next week we are starting Romeo and Juliet," you answered. "Though, I've already started breaking down the text because it's better to be ahead than behind, you know?"

Hanbin nodded in understanding. Mrs. Sung's grin widened, whispering a short, "Such a hard worker," under her breath.

"How have you been, Mrs. Sung?" you asked, carefully manoeuvring the conversation to include her. "Are you resting well?"

"Of course, of course. It's just—" She sighed, playing with a ring on a finger that was showing the beginnings of wrinkles. "There's not enough hours in a day."

Sympathy struck through you. You understood how she felt. You often felt like you could never get anything done anymore due to the build up of everything—work, school, studies. It all felt like too much, sometimes.

"On that note; it's getting rather late, dear," Mrs. Sung commented, seeing the time on the restaurant clock as she spooned some of her dinner into her mouth. "Shouldn't you let your parents know where you are?"

You blinked quickly for a moment, sucking in a sharp breath. You went quiet for a few moments, deliberating your response. Your parents had always been a rather touchy subject for you, and you preferred when people didn't interrupt the fragile structure you had build to shield yourself from any thoughts of them. Your posture stiffened, noting the air surrounding the table become tenser and tenser as each second passed. "Uh..." you stuttered out.

A wave of goosebumps flowed over your skin as you felt Hanbin rest a reassuring hand on your knee, and smile at you. "I'm sure she's mature enough to make these decisions herself, eomma." Hanbin smoothed his thumb up and down your lower thigh, just by your knee, helping to ground you to the moment, rather than allowing your mind to wander off and chase old memories.

"Ah, you're right," Mrs. Sung conceded. "Sorry for overstepping." You could tell it was heartfelt and she truly meant it.

It took a few more moments of Hanbin's swipes on your knee before you could respond. Waving your hands in front of yourself, you shook your head in dismissal. "Don't apologise, really." You already felt bad for intruding on their nice night out, and now you were creating unnecessary tension. Hanbin squeezed your thigh, as if he could read your thoughts.

By now, most of the food had been finished, and the awkward silences of the end of the night were appearing. Mrs. Sung began to gather her handbag. "Well, we better get going now, you have school tomorrow, don't you?"

"Unfortunately." You sighed dramatically

"I have practice at 7am tomorrow," Hanbin complained, sharing in your pain.

You tried to ignore the nagging feeling at the back of your head that insisted that you were probably the only reason they were out so late, anyway.

The three of you filed back into the car after thoroughly thanking the staff at the restaurant, and bickered back and forth throughout the entire drive on whether they should drop you home first or just drive straight home and let you walk from there.

"Really, it's okay! I live so close that it won't even be a 5 minute walk!"

"It's cold out, and if it's so close it won't be a bother at all!"

"But it's a waste of petrol!"

"You don't know what strange animals are lurking at this hour!"

"Like what, a polar bear?"

"You never know!"

You eventually conceded, indicating to Mrs. Sung which house was yours and letting her park outside. You thanked her profusely for dinner and for today's work shift. Hanbin walked you to the door, carrying your impossibly heavy backpack for you—ever the gentleman.

"Thank you for coming today," he told you earnestly, beaming as your eyes met. There was a slight something swimming under the tension of the air. Something you couldn't place.

"Thank you for the invite. I enjoyed myself immensely." You bowed vaguely. His smile kicked up into a full size grin.

He continued to hold the bag for you as you got out the keys and unlocked the door, only passing it to you as you managed to half shove, half elbow it open. The house had no visible lights on and was dead silent. You could probably hear a pin drop if you were listening out for it.

When he passed you the bag, your hands brushed for a few moments probably considered too long. You both bore grins, eyes glued to one another's. Heaving the bag over your shoulder, you waved goodbye to Hanbin, praying that it was too dark to see the light dusting of red covering your cheeks.

"Goodnight, Hanbin." You took a backwards step, further distancing yourself from him in hopes that you'd snap out of his trance, or at least maybe breathe a little deeper.

"Goodnight, [Y/N]. I hope I'll be seeing much more of you." With a small wave, he turned around and made his way back to the car. You only shut the door fully when you were sure the car had passed your street and then some, exhaling deeply.

You followed through your nightly routine and lay in bed, replaying the motions of the day in your head, thinking over the different conversations you engaged in. You actively made sure to ignore the conversation at dinner pertaining to your parents. You didn't need to think about them, especially not now. Not here. You focused on the way Hanbin had smiled at you, and the way your skin tingled when his fingers had brushed across your thigh. It had become a new part of your bedtime routine—rather than counting sheep, you'd count the amount of times you could remember Hanbin's thumb swiping up and down, up and down, up and down across your thigh before falling asleep.

And with that, brought another day.

#boys planet x reader #boys planet #zb1 x reader #zb1 #zb1 imagines #shanbin #sung hanbin #sung hanbin x reader #reader #zerobaseone #zerobaseone x reader

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