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After the promotions for their debut song 'In Bloom' were over, the company gave them a little free time (unfortunately, only a week) to do whatever they wanted.
Ricky had never visited Busan before, so he, along with Gyuvin and Yujin, went on vacation to do some sightseeing. Gunwook finally had time to spend with Junhyeon, even though the latter was a bit busy preparing for his debut, but he made sure to make time for the younger one in his tight schedule. Taerae also went to visit the Wakeonez, who now had a new member, Jihoo. As for Jiwoong and Matthew, they had left early, and when Zhanghao woke up, they were no longer there, but he assumed they had simply decided to spend the day together.
A few days earlier, Hanbin had asked Zhanghao if he had any plans, but he replied that he didn't. The promotions had been so intense that he just wanted to laze around in bed. Of course, he wouldn't spend the whole week doing that, but at least he planned to do it in the first few days. He was too exhausted to think about what to do next, so he left that task to his future self, who would probably want to finally leave the apartment.
He hadn't returned the question to Hanbin, but he assumed Hanbin would visit his friends from college and his mother. It had been a good while since the younger one spent a day with them. However, to Zhanghao's pleasant surprise, Hanbin decided to stay with him.
"Aren't you going out today?" Zhanghao said as he got up to go to the kitchen because he wanted to make himself some breakfast, only to find Hanbin eating a sandwich in the dining table.
Hanbin looked up at the sound of a voice, and when his gaze met Zhanghao's, his face lit up. "Hyung! Come, sit next to me, I made another one for you," he said cheerfully. "And to answer your question, no. I'm not going out. Today, I wanted to be with you since we rarely have time alone." He pouted. "Although, from what I can see, you don't seem very excited about the idea."
Hao giggled. Hanbin could be so cute sometimes. He sat in the chair Hanbin had indicated and playfully nudged him. "Well, you're right, I'm not excited at all."
It was an obvious lie, but he loved seeing Hanbin's reaction. This time, Hanbin exaggerated his pout, and his cheeks looked plumper, making him resemble a hamster. Zhanghao couldn't resist pinching them.
"All right, all right. It's a joke, and you know it."
After that, they continued their conversation while having breakfast, immersed in an atmosphere of serenity.
Every gesture, every word they exchanged seemed to carry a special magic in that moment. Zhanghao could feel his chest fill with an indescribable warmth, a feeling that only Hanbin could evoke in him. His heart beat with joy at sharing those moments with his soulmate. (Yeah, he didn't like to say that Hanbin was his soulmate in public, but he did think of Hanbin as such).
Whenever Hanbin smiled, his face lit up, his eyes narrowed, and the whisker dimples on his cheeks made his smile even more enchanting. Zhanghao couldn't help but get lost in the sparkle of those eyes, which seemed to radiate stars every time the Chinese boy spoke, even if it was about something trivial.
This was just a small moment, with an insignificant conversation, but it made Zhanghao realize how blessed he felt for fate to have crossed their paths with someone so special.
Hanbin made him feel...
Loved.
He made him feel loved.
As friends, of course.
His heart began to beat rapidly. Perhaps this time, adding the "as friends" part had hurt him a little more than usual.
Trying to push away those intense thoughts, Zhanghao got up, wishing to dissipate the emotional turbulence that now occupied his mind. "Okay, let's clean up," he said with a choked voice, as if something was stuck in his throat.
If Hanbin noticed, he didn't say anything, understanding that Hao didn't want to discuss it.
After a while, Zhanghao's heart finally called a truce and stopped beating a mile a minute because of Hanbin. Though the warm feeling in his chest whenever Hanbin looked at him still remained, Zhanghao could live with that.
They both flopped on the couch, Zhanghao lying on Hanbin's chest while the latter stroked the arm holding the phone. As Zhanghao checked his mobile, Hanbin paid attention to the movie playing on TV. They were still in their pajamas; after all, they had no plans to go out, so there was no need to change.
In that moment, the proximity and comfort of being together filled the room with an unparalleled serenity. No words were necessary, as the shared silence spoke more than a thousand words, and they didn't need to fill it with empty chatter. Feeling the steady rhythm of Hanbin's breathing, his gentle caresses, and the warmth of his presence, Zhanghao felt a sense of security and deep connection.
When Hao opened the TikTok app, the first video that appeared on his 'For You' page was titled: "Questions to ask your soulmate." Zhanghao suppressed a smile. He could perfectly ask those questions because he was sitting next to his soulmate.
Zhanghao decided to show the video to Hanbin, who quickly became curious and stopped watching the movie.
"Questions to ask your soulmate?" Hanbin smiled. "Do you want to do it?" Zhanghao nodded eagerly, causing Hanbin to chuckle at his enthusiasm. "Okay, why not?" He took the TV remote and turned it off, not minding that the movie hadn't finished yet.
Sitting cross-legged facing each other on the couch, Zhanghao held the phone and asked the first question.
"Why am I your soulmate and not someone else?"
Hanbin rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on, I've answered that question a thousand times. I'm sure there are clips of me saying it all over the internet. Can't we skip that one?"
"No! I want to hear how you say it one more time," Hao whined.
Hanbin looked at Zhanghao with affection, taking a moment to ponder before answering. "Because with you, I feel a deep and special connection since the moment we met, well, mostly later, but I really felt a spark from the first day. You're the only person who makes me feel so complete and understood. I can't imagine anyone else as my soulmate because you are my perfect match." Zhanghao was about to interrupt, but Hanbin stopped him. "Yes, even though we're really different in some things and we argue from time to time." Zhanghao closed his mouth with a satisfied smile.
Hanbin's words filled Zhanghao's heart with warmth, and his cheeks flushed. It was incredible how Hanbin could express his feelings in such a sincere and profound way. He wasn't as good with words as Hanbin was.
He moved on to the second slide of the video. "What do I give you that you never knew you needed?"
"Well, I think I already kind of answered this with the previous question, but okay." He took a deep breath. "What you give me is a sense of security and unconditional acceptance," Hanbin said sincerely. "With you, I feel like I can be completely myself without fear of being judged or rejected. Someone who will be there no matter what happens. When you comfort me, it's not just because it's 'your duty,' but because you genuinely care about me. You give me the confidence to pursue my dreams, never give up, and face my fears, knowing you'll always be by my side. Without you, I'm sure I wouldn't have come that far in Boys Planet, really. You also give me such deep love that I never knew I needed until I found you."
Well, that was too much for Zhanghao's heart to handle. It was almost as if he was going to have a heart attack. He was certain his ears were burning red. But hey, Hanbin didn't look any better. His ears were also bright red, and he had a nervous smile on his face.
Not knowing how to respond, Zhanghao simply moved on to the next question.
"What does a 'perfect day' look like in our life together?"
Hanbin bit his lower lip. "This might sound cheesy, don't judge me." Hao raised an eyebrow. "Every day with you is perfect." He looked away, not ready to see how Zhanghao would react to that. "You know, perfection doesn't really exist, and that's why I don't even hate those times when we're not at our best. Life is like that. I wouldn't change anything at all, and therefore, every day is perfect... Does what I said even make sense?" He laughed.
Zhanghao was delighted with Hanbin's words and assured him affectionately, "It doesn't sound cheesy at all; it's just beautiful."
Oh, this was becoming so gay.
But why should Zhanghao care? He simply stopped listening to his conscience, as if he had pressed a button to turn it off.
"Mm, next one. What's a dream you have for our relationship?" Zhanghao furrowed his eyebrows. That 'relationship' was very suspicious.
"To be together, forever. I don't care if after ZB1, we go our separate ways, I want us to always keep in touch, to never lose what we have." Hanbin took Zhanghao's free hand. "Don't tell anyone else, but... losing you would be the most painful thing for me. And I'm sure it will always be that way. So never leave my side. Whether we're in different groups, are soloists... whatever. We have to keep seeing each other."
Of course, Zhanghao wanted the same.
He intertwined his hand with Hanbin's. "I promise." He wanted to continue with the next question, but his lips didn't move.
『Why do you think I fell in love with you?』
Oh, right, that made sense. This video considered the word 'soulmates' as something romantic, for couples. Zhanghao wanted to skip that question, but Hanbin questioned him about it.
Zhanghao felt a knot in his stomach and wanted to skip it, but Hanbin was curious.
"What's wrong?" Hanbin asked when he saw Zhanghao's indecision.
Zhanghao simply looked from the phone to Hanbin, in an indecisive back-and-forth. Finally, Hanbin snatched the phone away and read the question himself. His mouth formed a surprised 'O' when he saw it.
The atmosphere was filled with nervousness and expectation. Zhanghao bit his lower lip, trying to find the right words to say. It was a question he was definitely not prepared for.
He wasn't foolish. He knew that what he had with Hanbin wasn't something that could be categorized as 'friendship,' but for the sake of the group, he decided to keep all his feelings to himself.
Finally, Zhanghao took a deep breath and looked directly into Hanbin's eyes. "What if we skip this one?" He tried to give a sincere smile, but it screamed fake all over. He blamed himself for making things so awkward. Hanbin simply nodded and returned the phone to him.
"What's a secret you've always wanted to share with me but never have?"
Zhanghao felt intrigued by the next question. It was an opportunity to share something intimate, something he might not have dared to say before. Perhaps this would dispel the awkwardness between them. However, he also felt a slight nervousness about what Hanbin would say.
Hanbin squeezed Zhanghao's hand, but it was to hide how he started trembling. Zhanghao could see the gears turning in his head. He saw Hanbin swallow before answering.
"There's something I've always wanted to tell you, Hao hyung, but I've never dared to say it. I know this might be very burdensome for you, and I don't want that, so we can definitely pretend I never said anything." He paused, and it felt infinitely long. Hao felt like he couldn't breathe. "As I said before, from the moment I met you, I felt there was something special between us, a unique connection I had never experienced before. Since then, every time I'm with you, my heart beats faster, and I feel an inexplicable emotion. It's like..." Hanbin closed his eyes tightly. "Like I'm in love with you. I've always feared that this could affect the group and change things between us, so I never told you. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for seeing you in this way. I really tried to see you just as a friend, but..."
Zhanghao's heart skipped a beat hearing Hanbin's words. He hadn't expected that response, and he felt overwhelmed with emotion. Zhanghao couldn't hold back any longer and pulled Hanbin into a hug. He didn't know where he had thrown his phone, but he didn't care in the slightest. He was ecstatically happy in that moment.
"I'm in love with you too, Bin," he whispered into Hanbin's ear, resting his head on the Korean's shoulder. "Although, I'm sure about it, unlike others."
Hanbin laughed at the response against his shoulder, and Zhanghao could feel his pajamas getting wet from Hanbin's tears. He was probably terrified when he confessed. "I lied; I'm completely in love with you."
"So, you dared to lie to your hyung?" Zhanghao said dramatically, which resulted in another laugh from Hanbin. "And it's incredible that you confess, but you don't even give me a kiss." He could feel his ears turn red again. He hoped he didn't sound desperate.
Hanbin looked at him again, with stars in his eyes. He put his hands on Zhanghao's cheeks, and they shared a short but meaningful kiss, where they conveyed how much they had wanted to do it all this time.
When they were about to bring their lips together again, Hao's stomach growled. Hanbin looked at the wall clock and realized they had spent a lot of time with their little questions, and it was almost lunchtime.
"What do you want to eat?" Hanbin asked.
"Don't worry, hyung will cook for both of us."
The look of terror that Hanbin gave him was almost offensive. He definitely didn't want him anywhere near the kitchen.
Hanbin gave him a peck and got up. "With all due respect, Hao, I think it's better if I take care of that." He left, leaving a smiling Zhanghao behind.
They didn't need to talk about what happened between them or about their future. At the end of the day, it was them. They would figure it out.