Distance(d) | Sung Hanbin ZB1

Ch.6 Stardust (Part 2)

Hanbin and Eunbyeol were walking back to Eunbyeol's home after school on Friday to cross-tutor their brothers.

"Eunbyeol-ah, say someone you meet in high school asks you out. Will you go out with them?" He bit his lips while he awaited her response.

"I haven't really thought about that. I don't think I know anyone well enough yet to go on a date with them."

"Say... if it was Jay Sunbae?" What Chaeyeon said the other day definitely bothered Hanbin a bit.

"Um..." She paused to think. "That's going to feel a bit awkward. I don't know. I don't think I'm ready to date anyone yet."

"Would you tell me if you liked someone?"

"Probably?"

"Probably?" He repeated incredulously. "I thought we were best friends. Shouldn't we tell each other everything?"

"Haha why are you getting angry? I don't even know what liking someone feels like. I can't possibly tell you about a feeling I don't know about. Why are you suddenly asking me this? Do you like someone?"

"No!" He quickly denied.

"But you're going to tell me if you get a girlfriend, right?"

"You will be the first to know if I get myself a girlfriend."

"Do you think we can still hang out like this if you have a girlfriend?" Eunbyeol wondered before coming to her own conclusion. "Probably not, right?"

"Why can't we?" Hanbin was slightly aggravated.

"Well, don't girlfriends always get jealous of their boyfriend's girl best friend? And then they force the boyfriend to choose between them."

"Chaeyeon talks too much about K-dramas in front of you."

"But dramas do reflect real-life situations. If you have a girlfriend, she should be your first priority."

"You will always be my first priority."

"You won't be able to say that if you have a girlfriend, Bin-ah. You're saying that because you don't have one yet. 'Always' is a big, big word to use."

"So are you going to start ignoring me when you find yourself a boyfriend and he doesn't like us hanging out together?"

"Of course I'm not going to ignore you... It's just... Let's stop talking about this. This conversation is getting a bit overheated. We'll talk about this when you actually have a girlfriend, okay?"

Hanbin had never lost his temper in front of Eunbyeol (anyone, really), but he felt his blood boil for a moment. He remained quiet to calm himself down for the rest of their walk. When they reached Eunbyeol's house, he stopped at the gate. Eunbyeol noticed his sudden halt, so she turned around to look at Hanbin with a small pout.

"Sorry, Byeol. I must have been out of my mind." He went up to her and pulled her into a hug, All the tension they had vanished along with it.

"Let's go in now." Eunbyeol reached out her hand to hold Hanbin's, and they went into her house together.

.

In Gunwook's room, Hanbin was helping Gunwook with math.

"Hyung, I don't get how you substitute this into x."

No response.

"Hyung??" Gunwook looked at Hanbin, whose mind had been drifting to who knows where.

"Oh sorry, what were you saying?"

"Are you okay, Hyung? Something seems to be bothering you today."

"It's nothing. I'm fine."

"It's always a good idea to get your thoughts off your chest. I'm quite a good listener."