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ot7heaven · 6 months

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Never Let You Go

Pairing: idol!hobi x manager!reader

Genre: fluff, angst

Words: 4362

Warnings: none

Chapter 2: San Man

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Just as Hunny starts tucking into her salad, Jihyeon glides into the break room. Effortlessly rocking the heels she loves to wear, Jihyeon looks the part. It’s not hard to believe she’s a nail technician judging by the way she’s always so put together. Hunny has only known Jihyeon for a month but she already admires her so much. Her infectious laughter, calming and kind personality, professionalism and kdrama actress good looks have made Jihyeon a favourite with staff and spa clients. Hunny is so glad to have found a spa with such nice employees.

“Is everything going okay out there?” Hunny asks, popping a cherry tomato into her mouth.

“The girls out there look rushed off their feet!”

“Let’s stay in here and hide for a while then,” Hunny laughs. “What scrumptious food have you brought in today?” The spa manager asks.

Setting her lunch on the table, Jihyeon replies “Kimchi Jjigae and also homemade brownies for afterwards.”

“My mouth is watering just thinking about those brownies!” Hunny exclaims. Last week it was Namseok’s birthday. Jihyeon brought in homemade matcha croissants for the waxer’s birthday. Needless to say, there were none left for him to take home after everyone enjoyed them on the morning break.

“Actually Lucas made these.” Jihyeon explains. Her boyfriend is a pastry chef in the kitchen of one of the fanciest hotels in Seoul - no, in all of Korea. Having a hot French pastry chef boyfriend at home is a blessing Jihyeon could never take for granted.

“So I'm guessing they’re out-of-this-world amazing, then?” Hunny asks as if the answer isn’t at all obvious in any way.

Laughing as she nods her head, Jihyeon slides the container across the table towards Hunny. Hunny is on a diet - again - but how can she resist? Surely one little brownie is okay… With its chunky chocolate chips and an ‘eat me’ deeply chocolatey scent… She barters with herself and decides to go jogging 6 times this week instead of the usual 5. She inspects the brownies until she finds one with the most chocolate chips. She makes that brownie her victim.

Noticing Hunny’s tactics, Jihyeon smiles “I think they all have lots of chocolate chips in them. Lucas knows we would have to break up if he deprived me of chocolate.”

Hunny puts the chosen brownie in her bag so she can enjoy it later at home. “Seriously, chocolate owns me. Chocolate has made me its little slave.” She disposes of the salad container and sips on her coffee. “I wonder if it settles down when we're back out there.” Hunny says hopefully as her eyes drift towards the door.

“Ugh, I hope so,” Jihyeon says, putting a cube of tofu in her mouth. “It seems that every guest in the hotel decided that today is the day for manicures and massages.”

The first verse of 'Dynamite' by Bangtan starts playing on the radio. Hunny smiles to herself as she reminisces about her chance encounter with Hobi yesterday. She’s spent so long being bombarded with Bangtan on the radio, television and even on Tumblr. One of her mutuals often posts edits and one shots regarding idols. Scrolling through Tumblr, she has seen one shots of Hobi. Hunny always scrolls by quickly when she sees Hobi’s name as it’s just too weird. Yes, Hobi is hot. Yes, he’s an idol. And yes, Tumblr is rife with Hobi thirst traps and edits. But being his childhood friend, Hunny thinks it crosses a line. One that she couldn't possibly allow herself to cross.

Gesturing upstairs towards the hotel rooms, “If you were doing in-room treatments you'd have no radio. So maybe being down here in the chaos is actually better than the tranquillity of doing treatments in the peace and quiet of a fancy suite.” Hunny offers, taking another sip of her coffee.

Giving it less than five seconds of thought, Jihyeon shakes her head with a slight smirk. “No, I have to say I actually prefer to be down here in the spa. Upstairs, I don’t have you or Namseok or anyone else to talk to. I feel a bit intimidated by the guests in the rooms.” She honestly admits.

“You do?” Hunny would never have guessed that Jihyeon's Achilles heel would be her confidence.

“Well, the guests that come down to the spa are relatable. I easily find common ground and I can just be myself. The guests in the suites? The fancy expensive suites? They expect more and I don’t always know how to connect with them.” She trails off shyly.

Hunny feels touched that Jihyeon felt she could be this open with her. “You just have to be yourself with all of your clients. I mean, you’re working in an award winning hotel for a reason! If you run out of topics to talk about you could always tell them about Lucas’ tasty croissants.” Hunny offers this advice sincerely because she knows how scary it can be to talk to rich clients who expect the world.

With a raised eyebrow, Jihyeon quips “Lucas’ tasty croissant? That’s for me and me alone.”

“You can behave yourself right now!” Hunny laughs. “You know what I meant.” She says as she disposes of her coffee cup. Heading towards the door to continue her shift, Hunny offers Jihyeon one last piece of advice. “If you ever need some advice or just a chat, my office door is always open.”

After her shift, Hunny decides to get her eyebrows waxed. Namseok made a joke about them looking a little too wild. She thought that they looked fine - oops. She didn’t want to ask him to stay at work late so she tracked down a salon that she’s heard good things about. Pulling her car into a parking space, she turns the radio down so she can call her sister. Jinseong went to university in Denmark and fell in love. She stayed in Denmark after graduation to be with her Danish boyfriend. Not long after graduation, they got married and started a family. Hunny sometimes wishes she studied abroad. She thinks of the life she could be living right now if she left Korea. She could be fluent in English instead of her skills being just about conversational. She could improve her Japanese speaking skills. Hunny wishes that her speaking skills were as good as her listening skills because she feels overwhelmed and lost most of the time when she speaks Japanese. Hunny could have gone on so many adventures and seen so much of the world. She’s not yet left Asia apart from trips to see Jinseong and her new family. Jinseong may only be two years older than Hunny but she still feels so far behind her cool older sister. Hunny’s attempts at playing catch up have amounted to nothing. This only makes her break up with Sonhee more devastating.

After a few rings, Jinseong answers. “Hunny Hunny!”

Just hearing her sister’s voice fills Hunny’s heart with love. She beams, “Eonnie, I've missed your voice. How’s your day?”

“It’s only 10:30 in the morning so the day hasn’t even started yet,” Jinseong jokes. “Well, that’s if you don’t count Karen’s morning tantrum which seems to be a daily occurrence now.”

“Oh no. What happened? Is my little angel okay?” Hunny is her niece’s fiercest protector.

Jinseong scoffs, “Little angel? Little angels don’t cry because they want to come to work with mommy. Lars has taken her to see his parents so they'll be out of town until the evening, I guess.”

“So you can come home from work and relax in the bathtub with a very large glass of wine?” Given the time, Hunny assumes that Jinseong is on her morning coffee break and would love something a little stronger than coffee.

”Ooh, that does sound like a good idea! How are you doing? It’s been so long since we last spoke.”

Realising that they haven’t spoken since Hunny moved to Seoul, she mentally scolds herself for not keeping in touch during the move. “I’m good. All settled in now. Just missing my Karen.”

“Have you made any friends yet?” Jinseong asks. She really cares about Hunny. Knowing it can be scary moving to a city, she just wants to give Hunny a huge hug and tell her this adventure is going to be amazing.

“I’ve made a few friends at work. My colleague, Jihyeon, gave me a homemade brownie today. I just couldn’t resist. So Sunday will no longer be my rest day. A quick 30 minute jog and that brownie will be forgotten about.”

Jinseong sighs, ”You’re lucky that you don’t live in Copenhagen. The bakeries here are amazing.”

“I’d never see a rest day again in my life!” Hunny laughs.

“So Jihyeon bakes?” Jinseong quizzes.

“Her boyfriend does. He’s a French pastry chef. Jealous doesn't even begin to describe how I feel” Hunny jokes.

“I bet. She’s a lucky girl. And how are you feeling today,” her tone shifts, “with it being the day of what would be your four year anniversary?”

Reality hit Hunny like a brick. She spent so long surrounded by memories of him in Gwangju. Memories that she thought she’d never escape. Four years of being a dream team gone. Just like that. Ouch. She now remembers why she was so desperate to move to Seoul. She hasn’t cried in weeks but feels tears threatening to spill. The man she thought she might marry is no longer in her life and she hasn't thought about it for weeks. That’s either Hunny moving on or Hunny going on autopilot to cope with this big life change. She’s surprised that Jinseong remembered the anniversary and she didn’t.

Shaking her head and blinking fast, “I haven’t thought about Sonhee much recently. I think I’m just trying to get used to being in Seoul that I haven’t really had time for anything or anyone else. I’m sorry that I haven’t called you in a while.”

“Hey, don’t be sorry. You’ve been busy. I just want you to be okay.” Jinseong reassures her younger sister.

“I think I am going to be okay. It just may take some time for me to really believe it. One of my colleagues - employees - said that my eyebrows were looking a little too wild today. Wow, saying 'employees' is going to take some getting used to.” Hunny laughs, “He was only teasing. Everyone at work has been welcoming and kind, so I think I’ll be okay. They all seem like great friends.”

“Is he a friend or something more?” Jinseong cheekily asks.

“Namseok is not even a friend yet. I don’t know him that well so it’s been weeks of polite small talk.” Hunny says, hoping that she gets the chance to know him as well as everyone else at work knows him. “I’m actually about to get my eyebrows waxed. Would you mind at all if we ended the call here and carried this conversation on later?” Hunny hates ending phone calls with Jinseong. Timezones and busy lives mean they don’t even get weekly check in calls.

“Go! Go get your sexy brows and we can talk later. I’ll call you on my afternoon break. I love you Hunny.”

“I love you Eonnie. Bye.” After cutting the call, Hunny steps out of the car and makes her way to the salon.

After what felt like an unnecessarily long day all Hunny wanted to do was sit on her couch, watch Business Proposal and eat that dreamy homemade brownie. Just as she took her first bite of chocolatey goodness, a flash of pure white came running in from the hallway. The surface of Hunny’s face was just 90% pure smile at the sight of her cat. Sonhee had gotten Hunny a kitten for her 25th birthday. She spent so long saying she wanted a dog. However, her apartment was tiny. It would not have been ideal or realistic to raise a dog in that apartment. Sonhee compromised and brought San into Hunny’s life. San is the best friend she’s ever had. He occasionally reminds her of Sonhee but he’s a nice way to remember the good times they shared. She doesn’t know how she would have coped with moving to a new city if she had to leave San back in Gwangju.

With her eyes rolling back at how good the brownie tastes, Hunny licks her lips. “San Man, why can’t you bake like this?” The white ball of fur nestles next to her on the couch. He purrs with contentment, happy to have his owner back home from work. Before Hunny can even miss the taste of the brownie on her tongue, her phone starts to ring. Leaning over to look at the coffee table, Hunny notices that it is Jinseong. A video call? Now that’s more like it. Hunny misses her eonnie’s face. Propping her phone up against a decorative potpourri bowl on her coffee table, she presses the answer button.

No sooner than the call connected did Karen’s little face take up the whole screen. Hunny’s five year old niece beamed as she saw her long distance auntie for the first time in too long. “Hunny Eonnie! Eomma told me to give you a kiss before I have a nap,” the small shouted into the screen, not realising that her indoor voice would be much appreciated.

“Karen, I love your kisses. Thank you so much my little Bunny.”

Jinseong appeared as she placed Karen on her lap. ”Let’s see those brows then,” she said, trying to hold a hyperactive Karen in place as she attempted to wriggle out of her mother’s grip.

Hunny leaned down so her sister could inspect her brows through the screen, “I think they’re the best I’ve ever had. Don’t you think so?”

After a quick inspection, Jinseong nods in approval. “Lookin’ good, girl! Just don’t tell the waxers at work that you cheated on them,” Jinseong laughs. She looks over to the right as she places Karen back on the floor. “Karen, give Hunny Eonnie one last kiss. Appa’s ready to read you a story now.”

“Can he read me The Little Mermaid?” The sweet child asks with the biggest puppy dog eyes Hunny has ever seen.

Jinseong beams down at her daughter and teases, “Only if Hunny Eonnie agrees.”

Okay. Hunny was wrong. These eyes are the biggest puppy dog eyes she’s ever seen. In a way, Hunny is lucky she doesn’t live in the same country as Karen. She knows she would have to say goodbye to her disposable income and free time. And maybe, her sanity.

“Hunny Eonnie…” those puppy dog eyes get bigger with each syllable. Hunny doesn’t know how Karen does it but she has everyone wrapped around her finger at all times. There must be magic behind those sparkly brown eyes. “Can Appa read me The Little Mermaid?”

“Seeing as you asked so politely, of course he can Bunny. But first, I want another kiss.”

Karen kisses the screen for the briefest of seconds. Not wanting to miss out on any reading time before her nap. And in an instant, she runs out of the room.

“Wasn’t she going to see Lars’ parents today?” Hunny asks suddenly, remembering that Jinseong should be at work and Karen should be at the coast with her appa’s parents.

Jinseong pouts, “She fell over and cut her knee up pretty badly. She wouldn't let Lars’ eomma clean her up unless I left work early and kissed it better.” It’s never easy seeing your child in pain and hurt. Especially when you’re almost one hour away. As much as she loves her marketing job, she would drop everything to be there when Karen needs her. And she has. Multiple times. She really can do it all - career woman and mother. Hunny is always in awe of her.

Hunny’s heart sinks at the thought of her little Bunny being hurt. “Oh, no. When you go into her room make sure to give her extra kisses from me.” There’s no ocean Hunny wouldn’t cross just to make her little niece giggle and smile. Man, she loves Karen’s lopsided grin. She’s currently missing one of her front teeth but that somehow adds to her charm.

Nodding, Jinseong sits up straight. “So, come on. Anything new with you?” Always one for a gossip session, Jinseong brings out Hunny’s talkative side like no other. Jinseong feels like a friend rather than a sister. Hunny’s so grateful for that. If Hunny had a brother instead, the connection just wouldn't be the same.

San stretches out, taking up even more room on the couch. At this point, Hunny will need to buy a bigger couch. Stroking the mini cloud beside her, Hunny thinks back to her meeting with Hobi yesterday. Jinseong still doesn’t know about it. Jinseong got along with all of Hunny’s childhood friends. The kids in the neighbourhood all hung out together. Everyone knew everyone’s business so eventually Jinseong would become friendly with Hunny’s friends, and vice versa. The fact that Hobi lived 4 houses away meant that he would be at Hunny’s house almost every day. The days when he wasn’t, Hunny was at his house. Jinseong hopes that Karen’s childhood will be like that. Living in the centre of a big city should be great but it lacks the small town feel that everyone’s childhood needs.

“Well, yesterday I went to this cafe near my apartment. Jihyeon from work recommended it to me because we live in the same neighbourhood and she knows all the good spots.” Hunny starts.

Jinseong’s eyes light up, “Ooh, how was it?”

“I have to say, it lived up to the hype. Most cafes in Seoul are pretty but the drinks are terrible. Thankfully that was not the case here.” Hunny makes a mental note to go back to the cafe soon. “I was about to leave and guess who called out my name.”

Jinseong wracks her brain. Who do they both know living in Seoul? Unless it was someone from their hometown who was visiting Seoul. But who? “I really have no clue,” her eyes dart to the side as if she’ll find answers there. “I can only think of Eomma and Appa… have they moved to Seoul to secretly spy on you?”

Hunny laughs in amusement, “No, they’re still on their American cruise. Eomma keeps sending me photos of Baskin Robbins!”

“Aw, she’s so sweet. Someone needs to tell her that there are such things as international chain restaurants.” The elder sister smiles as she remembers being surprised when she first recognised the names of restaurants and stores in Denmark, quickly learning that 711 was not a little Korean secret. “But, who? I couldn't even begin to guess. My mind is empty. Well, it’s empty apart from the ‘Encanto’ soundtrack.” She laughs, never being able to escape ‘We Don’t Talk About Bruno’ thanks to Karen’s latest favourite movie.

“Jung Hoseok - I saw Hobi!” Hunny bursts out unable to contain her excitement.

“No way. He was just in the cafe?” Jinseong found it hard to believe an idol would be in a space so public and potentially busy. Don’t idols hangout at their companies where they can socialise away from prying eyes?

With a nod accompanying a beaming smile, Hunny replies “He was sitting in the corner but, yes. I had to do a double take. It’s been years. Like, so many years but that’s still my Hobi.” Now Hunny was the one whose eyes mimicked an innocent puppy.

“How is he doing?” Jinseong asks with a warm tone.

“Oh Eonnie, he seems so happy. And he hasn’t changed.” She says just as San purrs.

“I think San approves,” Jinseong jokes.

“I should hope so! We exchanged phone numbers and we’re hanging out on Friday.” Hunny feels as though she’s been given the biggest lifeline by finding Hobi. If they can recreate their childhood friendship, Hunny will need no one else. The two best friends were inseparable once and, if life hasn’t burned them too much, hopefully their old roles will fit like a glove.

“You’ll have to say hello from me.” Jinseong says.

“We’ll have no time to talk about you. We have a LOT to catch up on,” The younger sister proclaims in jest. “Min Yoongi was also there…” She sheepishly utters. She can’t even attempt to hide how flush her cheeks have become at the mere mention of her bias and celebrity crush.

“Hunny, tell me everything! Have you set a date for the wedding yet?” Jinseong quips.

“Don’t even joke about that because if I let myself daydream about marrying Yoongi, I’ll start to be severely disappointed when I remember that I live in the real world.” Hunny doesn’t have a list of boxes a man needs to tick to win her heart. Her dream man doesn’t need to look a certain way, have a certain job or have certain hobbies. That being said, Yoongi ticks every hypothetical box imaginable. And extra boxes. If there was a dream man, it’d be Min Yoongi and Min Yoongi only. Yoongi is perfect. Or rather, the public image he projects is perfect.

“Was he everything you’d hope he’d be?” Meeting someone you admire isn’t always advisable. Idols have a certain image that their companies have created for them. Just because an idol is funny and sincere in an interview, that doesn’t mean that they’re not a major jerk when they’re not at work.

Smiling into the phone screen, Hunny may need to pinch herself to ensure she’s reminded that the encounter wasn’t a daydream. “After a while, it felt just like talking to Hobi,” she admits.

“That’s so great. A couple of weeks ago I watched their show that they livestreamed from Seoul. Was it called ‘Permission To Dance?’ Or something like that?” Jinseong searches her mind for the name of the concert.

Instantly, Hunny has the answer. Of course she does. “Yep, ’Permission To Dance’. You’re starting to become an army?”

“Well Karen has gotten into kpop since I played Blackpink in the car. I wish she spoke more Korean so kpop karaoke sessions in the car are becoming our morning routine. I even heard Lars singing ‘Whistle’ whilst cooking dinner last week.” Jinseong chuckles.

Hunny laughs, “Please tell me his bias is Jisoo.” Jisoo is Hunny’s Blackpink bias. It seems as though Jisoo is the least biased member, so Hunny always gets excited whenever she finds out Jisoo is someone’s bias.

“I think she might be.” Jinseong tries to recall listening to Blackpink with Lars, but she can only remember her excitement at having a fellow Blackpink fan in her house.

“Good man Lars,” Hunny approves. “So you were watching the Bangtan concert?”

“Yes. So Karen has decided that Bangtan might be her next fixation. She begged me to watch it so that she could learn their songs,” she explains.

“I knew there was a reason I liked that kid.”

Jinseong laughs, “She kept on saying ‘I like him’ whenever Yoongi appeared on the screen.” It’s highly likely that thousands, if not, millions of girls shared Karen’s exact thought. “I think she wants to marry ‘Life Goes On’ Yoongi when she grows up.”

“Get in line, kid. But seriously, I think it’s so cute that she may become a little blink or army,” the doting auntie remarks. San, clearly not impressed at the prospect of having another army in his life, jumps off the couch and retreats to his bed next to the floor length window.

Hunny yawns. She wishes she could be discreet about it and yawn like a lady. She wishes she could be like that. Sadly, her tiredness forces her manners to take a backseat. Before she can comprehend what it takes to begin to feel embarrassed about showing Jinseong all of her teeth along with her tonsils, she yawns again. These gigantic yawns are becoming increasingly involuntary.

“Tired?” Jinseong giggles. She realises how late it must be in Korea. Hunny actually completed a full shift today, unlike her elder sister. On top of that, she also worked out before work. Jinseong respects Hunny for working out before work every morning. Why on earth would anyone want to wake up earlier than absolutely necessary? Hunny should just workout after she finishes work. Like normal people. Like Jinseong.

“So tired,” Hunny mumbles along with another yawn. Stretching her arms in an attempt to wake herself up, Hunny stumbles and slides off the couch. Luckily she has a large sheepskin rug placed under the coffee table to break her fall.

Unable to hold a laugh in, Jinseong reluctantly mocks her sister. “Be careful. If you fell through the floor and into your neighbour’s apartment, you know I’d pee myself from laughing so much.”

“Meanie!” Hunny pouts as she finds comfort on her leather couch. Trying to take the high ground would prove useless because Hunny knows all too well that she would laugh so hard if the roles were reversed.

“You should head off to bed. We can talk again soon. Next time Karen can talk your ear off about Yoongi.” Karen loves talking about her new obsessions. Once she gets started, she doesn’t stop. She reminds Jinseong of a young Hunny. Maybe that’s why they get along so well.

“I like the sound of that. Talk soon?”

Jinseong nods, “Soon.”

“I love you Eonnie.”

“I love you Hunny. Sleep well.” Hunny’s phone screen returns to her wallpaper of San sleeping on Hunny’s periwinkle blue pillows.

Hunny finally takes herself off to bed once she finishes brushing her teeth and completing her skincare routine. Getting her nightly routine down to just five steps is an accomplishment Hunny is proud of. Her skin certainly thanks her for it. But right now she’s that tired that it feels like a twenty step routine. Her bed has never felt as cosy as it does tonight. Her pillows are soft and plump. Her mattress is just the right level of firm. She welcomes sleep as soon as her head hits the pillow.

#hobi #j hope #bts #bts fanfic #bangtan sonyeondan #방탄소년단 #아미 #fanfic #friends to lovers #childhood friends #slow burn #love triangle #idol au #fluff #angst #j-hope x reader #hobi x reader #bts x reader #bts x reader fic

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ot7heaven · 2 years

Text

NEVER LET YOU GO

Pairing: idol!hobi x manager!reader

Genre: fluff, angst

Words: 4275

Warnings: none

Chapter 1: Hot Chocolate

Next Chapter: San Man

Series Masterlist

OT7Heaven Masterlist

Baek Hana is the type of person you’d want if you were in any kind of trouble. Quick witted and intuitive, she has the impressive skill of being able to read people like a book. However, you mustn’t let her quiet, calm exterior fool you. There’s a storm raging inside of her. She lives for weekends in karaoke booths. Weekends away on the coast. Loud concerts and hectic festivals. Letting her hair down is a necessity for her. Though she’s kind, polite and well spoken, Hana loves to let loose when she’s off the clock. She’s the life of her friends’ parties. The firework in all of their lives. It’s not often that you meet someone as calm as a puddle and as vibrant as the Northern Lights. She’s special. Special in ways that she’s too modest to understand. That’s the thing about people who are late bloomers, her personality is just as gorgeous as her face. Her friends never have to cry alone, dance alone, or get into mischief alone. She’s the type of friend we all want, whether or not we deserve her. She’s the type of girl mom’s would love their son’s to bring home. Those lucky enough to call themselves her closest friends fondly call her by her childhood nickname of Hunny. She’s… a force of nature in an understated way. That’s Hana - a woman who lives her life full of love, in all of its forms. If you’re lucky enough to see that side of Hana, you’re part of her inner circle. Despite all of the pain and misery that life brings as you grow up, Hunny’s the type of person who’s never seen without a smile.

Or rather, that was the old Hunny. Since her boyfriend left her she’s not been herself. She’s lost and lonely. She‘s 27 - this should be when she’s happy and carefree. He was perfect. She had to constantly remind herself that Gong Yoo hadn’t jumped out of the screen to sweep her off her feet. Tall, charming and smart. Kind, funny and adventurous. For almost 4 years they were an unbreakable team. The golden couple. He encouraged her to bring out the silly side she had to hide as she grew up. She found herself getting lost in new hobbies and interests that were only brought into her life because she met him. The Yin to her Yang. The stars to her moon. The kimchi to her fried rice. He fiercely embraced her flaws with such enthusiasm that she felt invincible. With every progression in his career as a gallery curator, her pride grew and grew. She was immensely proud to stand by his side as his partner. He felt like the one. He wasn’t perfect in many senses of the word but he was Hunny’s brand of perfect.

They still had their own independent lives, preferring to live alone. But, nevertheless, she thought he might pop the big question soon. She could feel it. That’s what made the break up so shocking and hard to digest. They were going to spend Christmas together and celebrate with all of their friends. The whole month of December felt special and extra festive. There was magic in the atmosphere that gave Hunny an abundance of optimism. Then, just a few days before Christmas her partner in crime decided that he didn’t love her anymore. He said it was over between them and nothing could make him stay. She tried to talk things through but his mind was made up. He just saw her as a friend and was too stubborn to fight for the passionate love they used to share. People change as they grow but they should have grown together. Mundane is safe, and sometimes that’s perfect. She thought they were comfortable and deep in love, not boring and stale. Their mutual friends refuse to take sides but she knows that she’s the one they should be supporting. She feels wronged and betrayed by his lack of respect and understanding. He can’t bring himself to answer her calls. Maybe he feels consumed by guilt and doesn’t want to add to her pain. But he’s the one who caused her pain. Breakups are never meant to be easy but she felt like the shell of who she once was. It was only her second big breakup and it made her question if love was unnecessarily cruel for the sake of being cruel.

At least her career was going well. She was the assistant manager of an upmarket spa in her hometown. She was well on her way to becoming the general manager of the spa when she got the opportunity of a lifetime. She was invited to interview for a position at a fancy hotel, under the same company as the spa she was working at. This new spa was set in a very fancy hotel in Seoul. The bright lights of Gangnam could be the escape she needed. Her hometown just reminded her of her ex who was avoiding her. The comforting streets where she grew up only seemed to act as purgatory for the happy memories of a relationship that she’d lost forever. The memories would never leave, even though they were painstakingly reminding her of loss. When she was offered the promotion, Hunny felt a suffocating weight lift off her shoulders. Perhaps all of the pain could be left behind, along with everybody who needed to be left in the past.

Hunny was tired. She was more than just tired. She was physically and mentally exhausted. She knew that the promotion at work would come with more responsibility, but she was ready for that. Her body just needed to get used to the new life she found herself living. As the nation’s capital city, Seoul was bound to be full on. It was bound to be loud. It was bound to be full of bright lights. This was something that she knew. It was still overwhelming for her. All she wanted to do was spend her Saturday in bed catching up on Business Proposal. But she suddenly got a craving for hot chocolate, the kind with too many marshmallows thrown in for good measure. And when that tempestuous craving hits, there’s simply no ignoring it. So she dragged herself out of her warm bed and stumbled over to her closet.

She knew better than to decide against a hoodie considering it was still the middle of March. The sun may have chased away the rain but the wind continues to howl outside her window. The kind of howl that is making her wish she had the ingredients to make herself a hot chocolate at home. Unfortunately she can never remember to buy milk. Something so simple, and yet, it often seems to slip her mind. She still wanted to look good because she could see someone she knows. Though the chances of that happening are low, she still feels the need to make some kind of effort. Trust today to be the day when everyone she knows in this city decides to go to the same cafe.

She drew two symmetrical flicks on her eyelids. If there’s one thing Hunny can do, it’s draw her eyeliner perfectly on the first try. She’d call that useless skill a party trick if it were interesting enough. She threw her hair in a calculated messy bun and looked around her room for her pink lip gloss. It was on her desk as she used it yesterday. It’s always on her desk because she uses it daily and needs to locate it quickly. So, where is it now? After searching hastily all over her room, she finds it on the rug under her head to toe mirror. She picks up her lip gloss and applies it. She lets out a yawn as she places the lip gloss back on the desk. She inspects her outfit in the full length mirror. Black skinny jeans and a black hoodie with a Bart Simpson design across it. She laughs at the funny cartoon on her chest. Bart is leaning against his skateboard, wearing sunglasses, as a speech bubble above him reads “eat my shorts”. Equally comfy and cute, her outfit is almost complete.

With a quick nod, she walks out into the corridor, grabbing a small leather bag and a black and white tartan scarf. She slightly parts her bangs in the mirror near the door to her apartment, making a mental note to book a hair appointment sometime next week. Another thing that she’s not been on top of lately. The weather outside is still on her mind, praying for a short and dry spring season. Hunny really hates being cold. She’s so sensitive to the cold that it can get painful for her. Hoping that the weather is kind to her, she makes sure she has everything she needs. Purse? Yes. Keys? Yes. Shoes? Yes? Scarf? Yes. Sliding her phone into her jeans pocket, Hunny psychs herself up to brave the cold. She takes a short moment to enjoy standing in her warm apartment. And then just as swiftly as she hopes to return home, she opens the door to her apartment and speed walks out of the building.

Finally feeling the comforting warmth of the hot drink in her hand, Hunny makes her way to the exit. The weather wasn't as horrendous as the wind made her believe it to be. She decided to have a slow stroll home, clutching the warm beverage close to her chest. Nearing the exit, she heard her name. But that can’t be right. They called out her nickname. Everyone she knows in this city knows her by her legal name. They're all colleagues. She hasn’t gotten close enough to anyone to allow them to use her childhood nickname. She’s been Hunny for so long that when someone calls her Hana, she knows there’s some distance between the two of them. But the voice calls out “Hunny” again. Taken back a little, she looks around until a pair of piercing eyes meet hers. Overcome with joy and shock, the smile on her face is unmissable. Walking as fast as she can with a hot drink in her hand, she walks over to the table in the darkly lit corner of the cafe.

“Hobi oppa? Is it really you?” Hunny says with a laugh in disbelief. Of course it’s him. She’ll always be able to pick him out of a sea of people. He’s forever been the person who stands out in a crowd. His bright inquisitive eyes have always lit up like festival lanterns.

The tall man grins from ear to ear and confirms. “It’s really me”. He giggles and rises from his chair to engulf Hunny in a hug that feels like home. He no longer smells like cheap hairspray and hair gel. There’s an air of sophistication about him. She’s never smelt this cologne before but she already knows it’s a new favourite of hers. “Have I really changed so much that you don’t recognize me?”

“No, you’re still as handsome as the day you left,” she remarks as she looks up to inspect his face. His smile still reaching his eyes. Joy written all over his face. She doesn’t know if Hobi will ever lose his childlike wonder. It’s woven into his DNA, surely. It’s been so long since she felt his warm embrace. She didn’t realise how much she missed being squashed by his arms. “It’s just a shock to see you considering you’re probably very busy with work.”

“Yeah, I have been busy lately. I’m actually just taking a break from dance practice.” Hobi says, as he takes in his childhood friend. There’s something different about her. He probably wouldn't have recognised her if they hadn’t have spent their teenage years glued to each other’s side. “So, how have you been lately? Take a seat,” he smiles, gesturing to the seat next to him.

“I don’t even know where to begin! So much has happened since we last spoke.” She says with a slight sigh.

“I’m so sorry I haven’t been able to keep in touch. We said we were going to be best friends for life when I left to become a trainee. And I’ve seen you just once since I left.”

“Actually, you’ve seen me twice,” she teases with a smirk. “You came home for New Year and your birthday. And then you were so busy being a trainee, working hard to make your dreams come true. It’s really not your fault that we lost touch, Hobi. It’s just one of those things.” She places her scarf on the back of her chair.

“I guess you’re right. But I should have tried to find your number each time I had to get a new phone.”

“Yes, Hobi. You’re the worst friend in the world. You win that award”, she jokes.

Laughing, he takes a sip of his ice americano. “What are you doing in Seoul?”

“I actually moved here last month. Still trying to get used to the city, if I can.”

“It does take a bit of getting used to, that’s for sure. Do you work in the city?” he asks, leaning in.

“I just got promoted so I’m now a spa manager in a hotel in Gangnam. At first I wasn’t sure if I should take the job, but now? I just wish I was promoted sooner! The hotel is so fancy and the job comes with lots of nice perks.” She beams.

Hobi’s face lights up with a genuine smile, ”I’m so happy for you, Hunny.”

“Thank you,” she says, sipping her hot chocolate. Her eyelashes dance on her rosy cheeks as she savours the blend of subtle spices of the drink. There is no way that she could have made a drink this indulgently tasty at home, even with all of the right ingredients.

Hobi hums as he takes in Hunny’s face. “You look so grown up. It suits you. You’re a woman! My little Hunny is now a woman, then? Huh?” His eyebrows raise with mischief.

She laughs shyly, “I’ve had a big old glow up. We all know I needed one.”

Before Hobi can interject, someone is standing behind Hunny with a confused look on his face. Hobi looks up, which prompts Hunny to look up. She sees a pair of beautiful catlike eyes staring down at her. His skin is so pale and poreless, she’s sure he was carved out of marble. It would have to be the finest marble shipped from Italy. Carefully crafted with precision to achieve heaven in human form. Her mouth goes dry as reality hits her. She knows exactly who she’s staring up at. She can’t lie to herself and say she hasn’t dreamt of meeting him. And now that he’s close enough to smell, she thinks she has died and gone as close to heaven as she’s ever been. In all of her years of being an army and watching Bangtan from afar, she could have never guessed that he would smell like vanilla, and what’s that? Amber? Firewood? All she knows is that it smells manly. And it suits him.

“Ah, Yoongi hyung. This is my childhood best friend, Hunny. I mean Hana,” Hobi says with a shy smile.

As he sits down next to her, Hunny swears he can hear her heartbeat. “Nice to meet you, Hana. I’m Yoongi.” Yoongi offers a genuine smile, albeit a brief one.

“It’s nice to meet you too, Yoongi,” focusing her attention on Hobi, she reluctantly says what she wishes she didn’t have to. “I think I should get going now. I’ve already taken up too much of your time. You’re supposed to be enjoying your break.”

“We’ll have none of that talk! You could never take up too much of my time. What kind of catch up would this be if it was over already?” Hobi rubs Hunny’s arm, reassuring her that he also doesn’t want to say goodbye so soon.

Looking at Yoongi, she smiles weakly. “I don’t want to intrude. You’re here to have a coffee with Yoongi, not me.”

“You can stay. I don’t mind. I’m just happy to be here drinking coffee,” Yoongi laughs.

Feeling more relaxed, Hunny takes a sip of her hot chocolate. Noticing it starting to get cold, she decides to stop drinking. She’ll order a fresh one if she stays here long enough.

Hobi perks up, “We should exchange numbers! I promise not to lose it this time.” He hands Hunny his phone and she passes hers over to him.

Yoongi looks over at Hunny from the corner of his eye. Something catches his attention which he cannot ignore. “Eat my shorts?” he laughs.

Hobi looks down at her hoodie, “Oh, is that Bart Simpson?”

“Of course! He’s a legend, how could you not recognise him?” Yoongi asks in disbelief.

“Hobi, I expected better from you than to completely disregard the leader of a generation.” Hunny shakes her head.

The three of them let out hearty laughs as a few people on nearby tables glance over at them. It feels as though no time or distance has separated Hunny and Hobi. It’s just like how she had hoped it would feel once they reunited. She always knew they would reunite somehow.

“Did you hear about Taemin’s wedding?” Hunny asks Hobi, as the thought suddenly pops into her head. She grabs a hold of his hand with urgency to tell him the juicy gossip.

“No… What happened?” he asks inquisitively, raising his eyebrows.

“Ok so promise not to laugh too loud.” Hunny instructs.

“Now I’m intrigued about Taemin.” Yoongi jokes.

“I promise.” Hobi says, looking at Hunny intently.

“So he married Hari, which I think we all saw coming since we were 15.”

Hobi hums and nods along, fondly remembering his childhood living on the same street as Hunny and Taemin. He sometimes wishes life could be that simple again.

“The last salon that I worked in was next to the photography studio, so I picked up their wedding photos for them on my break one day. So when I get to their house they let me be the first person to see their wedding photos. Bearing in mind we’re all seeing them for the first time together. It was a magical day full of love and happiness. Most of the photos caught that wonderfully. Everyone looked photogenic. The photographer was amazing. So I don’t know how he missed something this big. But he somehow did. Hari’s brother pulled down his pants and his butt was barely an inch away from Taemin’s back. Like, Hayoung’s bare flesh was so close to touching his bespoke tailored suit.”

Hobi bursts out laughing “And he didn’t know?” He wipes a single tear from his cheek.

“No. If he knew, he wouldn’t have reacted the way he did. He cried, which isn’t something to laugh about but what happened next is next level.”

“I’m guessing Taemin doesn’t have much luck?” Yoongi asks.

“That would be an understatement, “ she laughs. “He phoned Hari’s brother right away. So before Hayoung can even say hello, Taemin shouts ‘Why did you put your butt on my back? It was my wedding day. Your noona is on the brink of tears.’ Like, he was so angry. His voice even broke at the end of the sentence.” She looks over to Hobi, “Taemin isn’t the same Taemin that you used to know. Now he’s mature and serious so this was a side of him that I thought was buried so far deep within him.”

“I can’t even imagine him being mature.”

“It was a gradual process.” She counters. “But there’s more to this story.”

“I’ve always wondered where Hobi got his wild side from. It’s your hometown!” Yoongi laughs.

“As much as I love my hometown, no one normal that I know is from Gwangju.” Hunny laughs. “Anyway, Taemin must have dialled the wrong number in a rush and the person who responded wasn’t Hayoung.”

Hobi’s eyes widened again, which must have been the 50th time that happened this afternoon. He and Yoongi were both on the edge of their seats. Yoongi was quickly learning that Hunny was the storyteller amongst Hobi’s friends. She always knew what details to extract to emphasise an emotion or feeling. Whilst Hobi rushed to the punchline, she liked to build a picture and let the punchline sit there for a while.

“He actually phoned one of his employees. Which is even more embarrassing considering he owns an insurance company. He’s the king of being professional and serious at work. He ended the call so quickly. I wonder if that employee was brave enough to mention it at work.” All three of them now have tears in their eyes. This impromptu catch up has turned out to be the vitamin their tiring days needed.

After a few more funny stories and sharing details about their new grown up lives, the childhood best friends had to part ways.

“It has been so good catching up with you, Hunny. We’re not going to leave it so long next time, okay?” Hobi says, pulling her into a long hug.

“Okay. I promise.” Hunny says, speaking into her Hobi’s warm chest. As she wraps her arms around his slim torso, she makes a promise of her own: to never let life get in the way of friendship again. Hobi had promised to be her best friend for the rest of his life but she had also promised him the same thing. She had been acting like a stranger, barely an acquaintance of his. Could she really blame his career for being too big to allow her to still be a part of his life? Even as children, she was in awe of how effortlessly cool Hobi was. Of course he was now living a super cool life, in a world where Hunny didn’t belong. She hopes that now they both live in the same city they have a chance to reconnect.

“I’ll miss you Mister Hoseok.” Hunny pouts.

“I’ll miss you too, Miss Hana” Hobi’s pout is almost identical.

“It was really lovely meeting you, Yoongi.” Hunny says with a smile in his direction.

“It was lovely meeting you too. I don’t know if I should call you Hana or Hunny.” Yoongi laughs awkwardly as he scratches his neck.

“You can call me Hana now, and then if we meet again you can call me Hunny.”

“Ok.” Yoongi nods. His eyes turn into mini crescent moons as he smiles. Hunny can’t help but be drawn to his cute mannerisms. The way that he is just as inviting as Hobi. The way that he welcomed her to gatecrash his break. She can read people on first meeting and she’s glad that Hobi has someone like Yoongi in his life.

As Hunny walks back to her apartment, wind in her face, she cannot stop smiling. It almost feels as though she has made a new friend today. Hobi isn’t the same 17 year old that left their hometown. He’s a man now. He has a new circle of friends in a new city and a fulfilling career. She’s been rooting for him from a distance as an army. But knowing that he really is as happy as she’d hoped? That’s the best news she's heard in a while. She has a good feeling about the week ahead. Even stress at work cannot ruin her mood this week.

Hunny is laying on her bed listening to her chillout playlist. She’s not tired enough to nap but there’s something calming about laying in a darkly lit room, lounging about in cosy pyjamas. Her phone buzzes beside her. Recognising it as her text message tone, she decides not to move until the end of the song. She finds herself singing along to LeeHi’s H.S.K.T. As the song moves through the outro, she rolls over and takes a look at her phone. Her eyes light up when she opens the message.

Hobi Oppa: Hey Hunny. I really enjoyed catching up with you earlier. I miss you already. Would you be able to meet up again soon? Friday maybe?

Her fingers work as fast as they can trying to keep up with the thoughts in her head.

Hunny: Hobi oppa! I miss you so much! I didn’t realise how much until I saw you. I finish work at 6 on Friday.

Hobi’s reply is instant.

Hobi Oppa: I can pick you up from work. We can have beer and fried chicken whilst ignoring what’s on the television, if you like?

Hunny: Sounds like a plan. I work at Byeol Nagwon Salon. It’s inside Hotel Nagwon, along the river. My shift ends at 6 but I probably won’t be outside until 10 minutes later, it takes a while to sign out.

Hobi Oppa: I should be able to find that easily. And don’t worry. If I have to wait for you, I can just use that as a way of blackmailing you in the future. I’ll see you on Friday.

Hunny: And suddenly I’m scared of even being just one minute late… I can’t wait until Friday. See you then!

Just another week of work. Just another week of being on her feet for many hours. Just another week of making small talk with coworkers she doesn’t know all that well. Once again, Hunny falls into a deep sleep before she can finish the episode that’s playing on her laptop.

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