Surprise was apparent on her face as she looked at him with uncertainty. Rhine wasn’t sure why he bothered since nobody did. They would worry about themselves before she even crossed their minds. Even Travis rarely considered her feelings. So why does Hanbin care? Besides, he’s in the process of debuting. Why would he give up his time for someone like her? She searched his eyes for any other emotion other than seriousness, but found nothing. So Hanbin wasn’t fooling around.

            “I mean, the evaluation is coming up...,” he explained when she was staring too long. “It could affect your time here if Mr. Yang doesn’t see any improvement.”

            Shifting in his spot uncomfortably, Hanbin tried figuring out her thoughts. The way she was staring at him in disbelief was beginning to make him feel awkward. As if their encounters weren’t embarrassing enough. Hanbin didn’t understand why he often felt humiliated whenever he was with Rhine. The girl didn’t seem like someone that would make a situation awkward, but so far she proved otherwise.

            Thinking about the girl in front of him, he suddenly recalled the moments he caught Bobby and Rhine together.

            (Flashback)

            The rain was hammering as Hanbin hurried to the entertainment. The morning was damp and smelled like cement. The trees dripped with droplets of water. Hanbin pulled his hood over his snapback in an effort to prevent his head from getting wet. Shop lights flickered with faint buzzes as he passed by. The morning was eerily quiet except for the pounding of the storm.

            Up ahead, a laugh snapped his attention. He looked up and scanned the horizon. In the distance was a guy and a girl with the guy holding onto the girl’s wrist as they ran. The couple was laughing and Hanbin felt himself scowled. He often despised seeing couples together because he was consistently reminded that he had never had a lover. Hanbin was going to turn his head away when the guy turned his head to look at the girl and Hanbin instantly recognized his best friend, Bobby. Without him realizing it, Hanbin abruptly stopped in his tracks. His scowl was replaced by an emotionless expression. His heart beat dully and all he could do was watch the pair. It didn’t take him long to know who Bobby was with.

            The way Bobby looked at Rhine sincerely made Hanbin uncertain of what he’s supposed to think. What exactly was his friend thinking about the girl? Just then, Hanbin witnessed Bobby crash into the pole and a small smile lifted up Hanbin’s face. Bobby was such a dork. As Hanbin watched them, they didn’t notice that he was there and Hanbin didn’t mind. He watched Rhine reach over to feel Bobby’s cheek and Hanbin bit his bottom lip.

            With a feeling of guilt, Hanbin entered the nearest shop. He wondered if Bobby was going to tell him about the incident later that day.

            (End of Flashback)

            “But you’re in the process of debuting…,” Rhine was hesitant and speechless.

            “No, it’s okay,” Hanbin reassured with a small smile. His smile somehow seemed a little forced and Rhine couldn’t decide if he meant it or not. “You wouldn’t want to get kicked out, would you?”

            Instantly, she shook her head. Getting kicked out of YG Entertainment wasn’t on Rhine’s to do list. She wanted to debut as much as anyone else did, maybe even more. It was her willpower to avenge herself that she couldn’t fail. Debuting was the only thing that really mattered to her.

            As much as she didn’t want to trouble Hanbin, she knew he was right. The evaluation was approaching fast and her Korean wasn’t even the best. Mr. Lee told her she was doing great and so did Mr. Choi, but Rhine didn’t think it was good enough. Her pronunciation was lacking and she needed to get rid of her foreign accent. There were many things that she lacked, but pronunciation was the biggest problem.

            “Good,” Hanbin confirmed.

            Instantaneously, he walked over to the desk and put his bag down as he pulled a chair over. Rhine was still glued to her spot as she watched Hanbin. When he sat down, he looked up at her with a stern expression. His expression was intimidating, but inside he was a nervous wreck. He had never helped out a girl before.

            “Should we begin?” he asked.

            Rhine nodded, still stunned. His offer was so unexpected and she was still trying to process what just happened. Rhine turned to face the desk, still standing and Hanbin glanced over at her from the piece of paper. He raised his eyebrow at her.

            “I would pick the chair up if I were you.”

            He motioned his head to the chair and Rhine’s eyes widened. Her cheeks warmed up and a slight blush crept across her cheeks. She stammered, “Uh, y-yeah.” As she turned around to pick up the chair, Hanbin smirked in amusement. He could definitely tell that she was nervous.

            She scooted the chair to the wall, leaving a huge gap in between them as she sat down carefully, trying to not embarrass herself again. Out of the corner of his eye, Hanbin observed her. He couldn’t comprehend if he should be glad or upset. The space between them was kind of big. Was she afraid of him?

            “Is this the lyrics?” Hanbin pushed the paper towards her. Rhine nodded and he took the paper back as he examined it. “Is this going to be the song you’re performing for the evaluation?”

            “Actually, I’m still undecided,” she answered. “We could improve it as we go along.”

            Hanbin slowly nodded his head as he studied the lyrics. Rhine scrutinized his every move as he leisurely bobbed his head, trying to figure out the beat. After a few minutes of going over the lyrics, he turned to her.

            “Could you give me a sample?”

            She caught his eyes and dread slowly made its way up her body. Rhine didn’t like the idea of performing in front of someone, especially Hanbin. Even though she loathed the idea, she nodded her head. It came to her attention that the only way to improve her rapping was her confidence to share her raps with other people.

            “Yeah, of course.”

            Reluctantly, Rhine took the paper from him. She masked her emotions well, deceiving Hanbin into thinking that she was actually eager to rap for him. Rhine sat up tall in her seat and with a deep breath, she the beat. After a few seconds into the song, he started to move his head along to the beat. It had a hip hop feel, exactly what Hanbin liked.

            When Rhine started rapping, her voice was hesitant. He could sense her anxiety, which made the verse a bit boring and tense. Hanbin wasn’t satisfied, but he nodded his head along to the beat. Rhine could hear her heart pounding rapidly, but her body was slowly settling into the rhythm. She let the beat sunk into her soul and took control of her body. Rhine was beginning to feel relaxed as she made gestures with her hand. She slowly closed her eyes and through the darkness of her eyelids, she saw Travis. She saw him wrapped his arms around her waist with a smile on his face. In a flash, she saw all the times they spent together. She could hear his laugh break through the lyrics. She could feel him smile against her neck. Then she saw his devilish smile after he betrayed her.

            At that moment, she could feel the pain as if she was reliving it again. It climbed up her spine and spread throughout her body, torturing her. She felt betrayed and in pain. The memories haunted her, refusing to leave her alone. Rhine could feel the tears pricked her eyes, but she forced them back. She didn’t let herself cry over Travis again, she had promised herself that she wouldn’t go down that path again.

            Hanbin’s head snapped up in her direction when she started to freestyle in English, completely ignoring the lyrics. At first, he couldn’t grasp what was happening and why she suddenly started to freestyle until he became aware of the pain on her face. Even though her eyes were closed, the pain was etched across her face like an open book. It dawned on him that the song was directed towards someone she had lost. Hanbin could feel the hurt in her voice. Although it was a love song, he liked the sound of it. Her voice was full of emotions and poise.

            Her voice faded as the beat came to an end. She was breathing fast with her eyes still closed and Hanbin shifted in his seat. He turned his head away as he tried to busy himself by studying another set of lyrics in front of him. It was quiet and the atmosphere was a bit different to him. Hanbin was alert of the girl beside him. He felt different when he was around Rhine, maybe it was because of that humiliating incident that caused the awkward atmosphere.

            “I’m sorry,” her voice broke through his thoughts.

            “About what?” He didn’t bother to look up from the paper, but all he could see was Rhine moving in her chair.

            “The song…,” she trailed off. “I got distracted.”

            “No, don’t apologize about it. The freestyle was actually really cool.”

            Rhine weakly smiled and bowed her head in appreciation as she rubbed her eyes in exhaustion. She shouldn’t have let herself trailed off like that especially in the middle of practicing. She knew it wouldn’t do her any good, but the words just kept coming and she couldn’t refrain herself. He caught her eyes from under his eyelashes as he flashed her a quick smile before looking back at the paper.

            “Do you want me to restart?” Rhine suggested ambiguously.

            Hanbin shook his head. “No, that’s okay.” He looked at her. “Your flow is really good, but the pronunciation isn’t clear.” Rhine nodded in understanding as he grabbed the original lyrics and studied it. “We could rearrange some words to make it less awkward... Like this, we could change this to this.” As he talked, he crossed out some words and replaced it. “Okay, try it out.”

            Obediently, she tried out the new line. The words slipped off her tongue without difficulty, in fact, she sounded even fiercer. Hanbin smiled in approval when the pronunciation was better than before.

            “That was better… How about we change this around…”

            Rhine watched Hanbin as he rearranged the lyrics and she didn’t object. In fact, she thought his arrangement was better than the original lyrics. He was concentrated on his task and she watched intently. Rhine surveyed the way his eyebrows furrowed and the way his hand glided over the page without much effort. Without her realizing it, she had scooted closer to him until their knees were only inches apart. She instantly knew that he was also a composer by the way he reshuffled the lyrics. It seemed like he had been doing it all his life.

            “There,” he exclaimed when he finally finished.

Her face was hovering by his cheek when he quickly turned to look at her and his face smashed into hers. They both let out little cries of pain. It sent a shock of pain from her nose to her cheeks and her head tilted back from the impact. Her hand immediately went to her nose as was ajar. Hanbin rubbed his face, the pain stung a little.

            “Uh,” he grunted, his cheeks reddening a little. “I’m sorry.”

            “It’s okay.”

            Rhine was holding her nose as she also blushed in embarrassment. She never understood why incidents like these always happened when she was with Hanbin. She had thought her embarrassing incidents were done with, but she was proved wrong. Rhine wished it didn’t happen again, but doubted her wish would be heard.

            Their eyes locked as they looked at each other in humiliation. An embarrassed smile lifted up his face and she smiled soon after. Just then, Hanbin started chuckling, letting out his embarrassment. Unable to hold it in any longer, Rhine also laughed. It was humiliating, but it was also funny in a way. Their laughs soon bounced off the walls and it sounded like an unorganized musical. His laugh was huskier while hers was softer, their tones didn’t blend well together.

             When they collected themselves, they were serious again, but the pink in their cheeks were still visible. The incident made the atmosphere more comfortable and less tense. It was a good vibe that Rhine found herself enjoying. To be honest, she thought it wasn’t so bad to be with the guy. He wasn’t as intimidating as he looked.

              Hanbin listened as she started to rap. He stared at the blank wall with concentration, completely immersed in the verse. He pulled his snapback lower over his eyes and he was worn out, but he couldn’t leave Rhine to practice alone. He needed to help her. The guy wasn’t entirely pleased with her rap as he spoke up, his voice stern.

              “Go over that again.” Rhine stopped and nodded her head as she rapped the line again. Hanbin shook his head, still not pleased. “It’s not right, again.” After she went over it for the third time, Hanbin sat up and turned to face her. “You’re not saying it right, the e is supposed to sound prominent… Like this,” Hanbin enunciated the word, making sure she understood. When she seemed to be having a hard time, he suggested, “I’ll do it and then follow my example.” He rapped the line perfectly with enough confidence and flow, making it sound unique. Rhine nodded her head as she listened to him. “I’ll go over it again.” After the third time he went over the line, Rhine soon got the hang of it as she rapped along with him. Their voices were a good combination and their flow was just as fast. Hanbin was amazed by her ability to keep up with him, but he didn’t let it show. “Now you do it.”

            After hours of practicing, they decided it was time to end the night. They were getting ready to leave as Hanbin rubbed his eyes and yawned. Rhine was hunched over her backpack as she stuffed her sweater into the bag. The practice with Hanbin went better than she thought it would and she felt more confident about her rap. She was grateful that he decided to help her.

            “I’ll meet you here at eleven thirty,” Hanbin stated as he slung the bag over his shoulder.

            “Are you sure about this? I wouldn’t want to be a bother.” Rhine picked up her bag as she looked at Hanbin with concern.

            “It’s okay, you’re fine,” he fixed his snapback. “It’s settled then, right?” Rhine nodded in agreement and Hanbin glanced at the watch on the wall, it was a little past two in the morning. “Are you heading back to the dorm?”

             Deciding that there’s still some time to take a quick shower, Rhine nodded her head. “Yeah.”

             “Would you like to head back together?”

             “Um, sure,” Rhine agreed as she smiled in appreciation.

              They walked out the door together as Hanbin switched off the lights and closed the door behind them. The building was empty when they headed out the exit. Immediately, they were greeted by the cool and fresh air. Rhine breathed it in and it reminded her of home. She missed the ocean breeze and the way it smelled. She looked at the dark sky, admiring the bright stars as they walked. Without her knowing, Hanbin was studying her from the corner of his eye. His eyes traced her sharp jawline, the curve of her lips that left a faint smile, and the deepness of her eyes. He surveyed the way hair fell out of her messy bun.

              “It’s beautiful, right?” She looked at him with a small smile as she pointed to the stars. Hanbin followed her gaze and indeed, the stars looked gorgeous. “Do you believe in wishing upon a star?”

              “Sure,” Hanbin replied, their eyes fixed on the sky. “Do you?”

              “No.” Her response made him look at her, but she was still looking up at the stars blankly.

              “Why not?”

              She glanced at him with a faint smile that seemed mysterious and he couldn’t tell what she was thinking. “Wishes are like promises; they never come true; always leaving you with hope that vanishes.”

            Confusion washed over him as he tried to grasp what she meant. She sounded like she was a victim of being betrayed constantly with her hopes being crushed. With a smile like nothing was wrong, she looked at Hanbin before looking straight ahead. Hanbin noticed the faint trace of darkness that lurked in her eyes just before she looked away.

            “What made you decide to come here?” Hanbin questioned.

            “Hmm…,” Rhine mused. “I want to be like that star.” She pointed her index finger at the sky and Hanbin looked up, trying to find what star she was referring to. “The brightest one right there, do you see it?”

            When Hanbin saw which one she meant, he nodded his head. The light it illuminated was brighter and bigger than the rest, making it pop out a bit. “Yeah, I see it. Why do you want to be like that star?”

            “The light it illuminates, I want to be as bright as it is. I want to be able to withstand all the pain and hopefully, one day, Mother will…,” Rhine trailed off as she realized what she was saying.

            That caught his attention as he looked at her with curiosity. There was an edge of hope and doubt in her voice before it faded with the wind. As he looked at her, he sensed a change of mood come over her. She was suddenly closed off from him as if she was protecting herself from the world. Hanbin wondered what her relationship with her mother was.

            The rest of the walk was filled with silence. Hanbin knew it wasn’t a good idea to converse since he wasn’t like Bobby; he didn’t know how to lighten the mood. Hanbin was afraid he might make a mistake and say something that would upset her. They stopped in front of the girls’ dorm as Rhine turned to face Hanbin. They were a few feet apart, but it seemed like they weren’t that far apart to Hanbin.

            “Thank you,” Rhine finally spoke up.

            “It’s nothing.”

            They stood there awkwardly, but neither of them wanted to head back to their dorms. Rhine fiddled with her backpack strap as Hanbin glanced at his shoes. Hanbin was debating if he should say what was on his mind and when he was going to speak up, she grabbed her key from the pocket.

            “Have a good night, Hanbin.” Rhine bowed and Hanbin bowed after her.

            “Yeah, good night to you too, Rhine.”

            He stepped aside as he watched her unlock the door and she went in. She smiled weakly at him before shutting the door. Hanbin stared at the door as he let out a sigh, regretting that he didn’t say what he was going to say.

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I hope you liked the chapter :) The formatting is a bit off though :/