❦ ♪

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE : hanmei

"you're my comfort person."

❦ ♪

— hao pov.
- 3rd person.

flashback — the night before.

ricky's parents let hao stay over for the night, leaving the two boys sat in ricky's bedroom talking about what happened a few hours ago, since the two did not say a word to each other after, not even an apology.

"i really hate that girl, how could she mention my parents like that?" he rants.

ricky sighs. "you were both just unreasonable. you started the argument in the first place, and you know how angry that girl can get."

"yeah but i didn't know she'd be so mad about it." hao rolls his eyes. "like i know she found out what i said but who the fuck would believe what my dad says?"

"well, you did say it. and it did kind of look like it was true, that's why mei was mad." ricky says, "but still, you both should have just shut up when i said so."

"you know i couldn't she mentioned my parents, ricky." he sighs. "and that was really uncalled for."

ricky nods. "yeah, that was really wrong of her to say. but still, i heard she gets brutal when's she's really mad."

"she's always mad." hao scoffs. "she's argued with half of the school at this point."

"maybe, but that could have really pissed her off, since she does also care about her rank." ricky shrugs.

"that girl runs her mouth, she's just like her fucking ex boyfriend." he complains to the younger. "god why did she have to get sent here instead of another prestigious uni?"

ricky chuckles, "don't act all sad now, there's romantic tension between you two like, all the time."

"not when she's kissing hanbin's ass everytime he breathes." he scoffs. "or it could be the other way round, they're obsessed with each other."

"well their families are close, so that's inevitable that they're also really close. i doubt they'd ever get together though." ricky shrugs, earning a side eye from the older. "i'm being serious, she talks more about you than hanbin."

hao rolls his eyes. "well now she thinks i actually am trying to get her to like me for ranks."

"nah, my parents will speak to her. it'll be sorted soon, trust me. just don't hate her."

"my parents despise her, i'll have to talk to my dad when i get home because i just know he'll act all shocked when i tell him she found out." hao says, laying down.

"well for now, let's forget about what happened earlier. you and mei will sort it out this week."

"i'd hope so, i feel bad that she genuinely thinks i would do that." he sighs.

ricky chuckles, "see? you actually do care."

hao rolls his eyes. "fuck off, ricky." he says as ricky ended up teasing him about mei for the rest of the night until the two went to sleep.

❦ ♪

— mei pov.
- 3rd person.

timeskip: the next morning.

so after last night's little feud, the two were sent out with ricky into a different room to calm down, in which the two never wanted to talk to each other, and they didn't. this made ricky extremely fucking annoyed since they basically caused a scene over something that was useless.

and to be fair, it was both of their fault; hao shouldn't have really lied to his dad that he was doing something bad to mei for the ranks since he knew full well his dad was a sly bitch and would try start something.

however, mei had took her overthinking too far and said things in anger that she shouldn't of. she knew it was pretty useless but she still had to take her anger out on him somehow.

so as a result of the two's argument during the event, mei's parents were angry at both of them, and they wanted to punish the two for starting something on such an important event.

thankfully, everyone in the hall agreed to not talk about the argument between the two top students and pretend it never even happened (this means her parents bribed everyone).

so now, it was the day after and mei and her mother were having a talk about it.  "mei i'm so disappointed in you." her mother sighs, "i get you're mad but you don't mention his parents."

mei looks at her mother guiltily. "i'm sorry, it really just threw me off and i wasn't thinking."

"do you think you need to take anger management again?" her mother suddenly asks, making mei frown.

"no." she says immediately. "i was only mad at him for that, it doesn't need anything like that to treat me."

the woman sighs. "are you sure?"

mei nods. "i'm all better with it now anyway, i only have regular arguments, that's all." she says, hoping her mother wouldn't make mei go through some pills and one-to-one therapy sessions again.

mei's anger wasn't even that bad recently, so she did think it was absurd for her mother to request management every time she decides to argue with somebody.

"okay, fine. but honestly mei, if you ever feel out of control again please tell us." she pats the girl's head. "because ruining an important event was really irresponsible."

"okay okay i get it i'm sorry, what are you planning?" she asks in worry, not expecting anything good coming out of this.

"well, your father and i talked with your headmaster who talked to hao's parents about a decision we're all making.." her mother says.

mei's eyebrows furrow. "are you sending me back to my old university?" she questions, trying to read her mother's face.

"no." she chuckles. "it's something you may hate but it was requested by your headmaster."

"just tell me please." she asks, getting a bit anxious. she did feel really bad about the whole argument thing but she didn't want to have horrible consequences.

"okay, so. this is something you hate and i'm sorry in advance, but you are going to start volunteering during tuesday and friday school hours."

"what the fuck is volunteering?" mei asks.

"well, you and hao clearly haven't been getting along since the start, and your headmaster noticed. so he wants you two to do tasks together until you get along." she reveals to the girl.

mei's jaw drops. "you can't be serious mother." she whines. "i can't do that, i just said something horrible to him."

"well apologise, forgive, forget." her mother shrugs. "he should understand you were both just unreasonably pissed off."

mei rolls her eyes. "yeah but how is us two being forced to do tasks together going to make us nicer to each other? he probably hates me more than i hate him now."

"maybe one day you'll realise that after being with him for so long, you'll fall in love with him." her father says, walking in with a chuckle.

"not now." mei's mother says as she glares at the man. he laughs as he sat down next to his wife then kissing her on the cheek, making mei roll her eyes.

"why can't i want what's best for my daughter?" he asks. "we all know they're close to being together."

"she has to focus on her studies, then get with hanbin." her mother argues. "hao and her can be just friends, they just have to become friends first."

mei's father snorts. "i'm not sure about that, i still believe in zhangmei–"

"how the fuck did you know about that name?" mei asks with a laugh.

"one of your friends bumped into me yesterday, asking if i was team zhangmei or hanmei.." he explains with a shrug. "he's really tall, he's got a small face too."

"gyuvin? you saw gyuvin yesterday?" mei asks in confusion. "he wasn't at the event."

"he was talking to ricky when you were inside, but he left early." he chuckles. "but anyways, you and hao need to get along fast."

mei exhales, "wow gyuvin is a liar. and no i don't want to get along with him."

"mei don't be silly now, you do." her father says. "just do the tasks with him and that can cause you two to become closer."

"so if this works then.. what's in it for me?" she asks.

"you have the top student off your hater list, then you make him your musician boyfriend." her father laughs.

"he will never be my musician boyfriend." she scoffs. "okay well, if this doesn't work then what?" she asks with crossed arms.

"then you'll both just live being academic rivals for the rest of uni and you can be with hanbin." her mother says. "which is what i would like."

"you're both ridiculous, honestly." mei rolls her eyes. "okay well, i'll still do it i guess, but only for one thing in return."

"what do you need?" her father asks. "because we aren't letting you go to a club if that's what you're aski-"

"no." she laughs. "i mean i'd love that but no. i want this whole week off from uni. i want to catch up on some work and i need to mentally prepare myself to face him again. and i can't even go to uni without renjun with me." she explains, begging with her eyes.

"you lasted your whole university life at your old one without him, so what's the problem with it now?" her mother asks with a confused tone.

"you see, if in don't have my comfort person, huang renjun, then i will literally not focus. you don't understand, he's like my comfort person and you should know this."

her parents look at each other and chuckle. "i'll only say yes if you promise you try hard during your volunteering and apologise to hao."

"i will, i promise." she says with a smile, taking her pinky out in which her parents jokingly also took theirs out. "okay thank fuck thank you." she says in relief.

mei knew that if she wasn't with renjun, she'd be the most awkward person ever, and she may go back to her old self as someone can't help control the girl's emotions. so thankfully, she got this week off, until friday. where she had to mentally prepare herself to apologise to hao for being a bitch.

❦ ♪

— hao pov.
- 3rd person.

timeskip: the next morning.

hao got dropped home by ricky's driver, yuta after the whole thing with mei. hao liked arguing with her, but her being pissed at him for something that he lied about was infuriating.

so, as he made his way into his kitchen, he finds his parents sat down with some coffeee. they both looked up at him and his dad looked him up and down judgingly, "what the hell are you wearing? you can't afford any of that." he ridicules.

he forgot he had borrowed ricky's clothes, but hao ignores what he said, "why would you tell renjun's dad what i said?" he asks, arms crossed in irritance. "you made her and huangs all hate me now."

"and why do you care?" his mom questions, "you're supposed to be happy she hates you."

"oh dear, did she find out?" his dad feigns a hurt expression and tone. "you know it would be easier if she hated you rather than liked you?"

hao tries to make up a justification, "but you see, if she hates me, it will drive her wanting to be first and she'll keep being at the top. but if she um, likes me, then it's easier, she'll just do what i say, right?"

his dad shrugs. "that makes sense, however we don't want you two having a serious good relationship. we don't like their family, and neither does youngjae's."

"youngjae is literally so irrelevant though." hao rolls his eyes. "but anyway, why did  you still tell renjun's dad?"

he shrugs. "well i was just talking to him, why? it's true isn't it?" he looks at his son with a smile.

hao knew he couldn't not lie. "uhhh yeah, but still. you know how annoying this is." he sighs.

"awh, don't worry hao, you have to get close to her again anyway." his mom bitterly chuckles. "thanks her parents reporting it to the school."

"what do you mean?" he asks with a quizzical expression. "they reported it?"

his dad nods. "yeah, and now you two have to be with each other for two months. but we don't want you to be friends with her, understand?"

"i'm so confused what are you talking about??" hao sighs, sitting down on the table.

"we're happy you're not getting along, but this is supposed to make you two friends." his mom says, handing him his tablet.

"what is this for?" he asks in confusion, yet still opening it. "it's only used for school."

"open the email, hao." his dad sighs. "this is your fault, you need to do this with her for two months."

From: Headmaster JY. Kim.
To: Hwang Mirae and Zhang Hao

Recently, students have reported both Mirae and Hao have been arguing in lectures and not paying attention. Along with shouting at each other in our student lounge room, which is supposed to be a quiet study space for our students. And it has recently come to our attention that you both have argued and created a scene at the fashion opening event on May 27th.

So after a discussion between our staff and both of your parents, we have started a volunteering program for you both to do every Tuesday and Friday in result of our top students not getting along. We want all of our students to get along well and treat each other with respect.

So as a bittersweet punishment, you both have to come with me to different places to help out. This includes cleaning, organising and going to other schools. It will be only you two, which we all hope can help make you two get along.

This will last from Friday 2nd of June to Wednesday 2nd of August. A two month program for you two to get along. However, you must still try hard in monthly evaluations without fighting.

❦ ♪

— mei pov.
- 3rd person.

pretty (fucking annoying) boy

ummmmm

did you also just get told

yes and ummmm

what

i don't get what we have to do

check your emails on your school
tablet then dumbass

damn ok
WHAT THE FUCK
i'm not doing this shit with u

acting like i wanna do it too🤷

so we're starting on friday
fuck my life and fuck you

cry about it

how long is this for again

two months

you're having my life right
i can't stand you enough already
why do we have to do this ffs

maybe if you believed me...

shut the fuck up

where's my apology

i want to do it in person

okay

okay
opinions on my hard fit yesterday🔥🔥

are you going to act like nothing
happened yesterday or..

yes
until i see you which is on friday

why aren't you coming in this week

renjun isn't with me and the head
master is letting me stay home this week

oh alr

so opinions on my Fit

yeah you looked good

OH OKAY
BYE

??? bye

❦ ♪

timeskip: wednesday – hanmei sleepover!

⚠️ — has dare (my taerae book) spoilers, if you're not a fan of spoilers don't read the part when they watch it. teehee. also italics = dare.

mei hears a knock on the door, and she basically ran towards it to answer. "hanbin!" mei squeals as she opens the door and hugs him.

after the whole hao fiasco, her mother had convinced her to hang out with hanbin more. so now she's overly happy to be alone with him again.

"you're excited to see me aren't you?" he laughs as he hugs the girl and pats her head. "are we watching it straight away?"

she nods. "it comes out in like ten minutes the last time i checked, i already have some food for us though." she says, closing the door. "hurry hurry i can't miss dorae."

he laughs at mei acting cute in front of him again. he always felt lucky at how easy she is with him, and it's been like this since they first met. well, when they met when hanbin first came over.

but only hanbin knows that they've met before.

she pulls him upstairs as hanbin rushed saying hi to all of her maids and other guards or whoever was just working in her house. he found it bizarre a family of three had so many people working for them.

mei opens her room door and it was really clean, the snacks scattered on her little bed desk, which was placed in the middle. her led lights were on and her tv was on the episode countdown.

"thank you!" she shakes the hand of one of her maids that smiled as she walked out quickly. mei had a lot of energy today for some reason.

"are we watching it on your bed?" he asks, putting his stuff on her floor and only taking his phone out.

she nods. "like the little set up? my maids helped me." she points at her bed with a huge smile.

he couldn't help but smile at her. "yeah, it's cute." he says, sitting on the right side of her bed as she skipped to the other side.

the two got comfy in mei's covers, and it was still really cold in her room. "oh i forgot to put my heating on, let me get one of my m–"

"no it's fine," he takes off his hoodie straight away. "wear this, we don't need it." he chuckles.

mei looks at him dumbfounded. "did you just like plan that out or something–"

"no, i'm just used to it. you're always fucking cold." he laughs, helping her put it on. "see? you look cute in it." he says.

mei crosses her arms. "did you just want to see me wearing it?" she raises a brow. "because you look like you're shivering already."

"hm maybe." he shrugs, he couldn't even hide the fact he liked the sight of it. "you're so pretty, mei." he suddenly compliments the girl.

"uh huh." she says, turning away and pulling her snack table closer to the two. "anyway, you won't be cold?" she clearly likes to avoid his compliments.

"nah." he smiles, then hesitating to put his arm around her shoulders, "can i?" he asks.

"can you what?" she looks at him confusedly. "i mean yeah, but i don't know what you're on about."

he chuckles as he quickly pulls her closer to himself, basically having their bodies pressed together as his arm was around her securely.

mei doesn't even know how to react by how touchy and cute he's been acting today, and he's barely been in the house five minutes.

she chuckles. "well okay," she picks up her remote. "i just want to know what happened when they got to doah's house." she changes the subject to the kdrama they were going to watch.

"i feel like they'd kiss or something, or maybe he'd comfort her." he says, making mei nod. "jungmin was a bitch for kissing her spiked brother."

"right??? what a fucking slag." she rolls her eyes, looking at the little slideshow that played behind the countdown.  "god they're so cute don't you think?" she giggles. "they actually make me giggle and kick my feet."

he nods in agreement. "i love how bad he obviously likes her." he laughs. "i find it funnier how his name is taerae."

"mood, when i met him i was so like... dare taerae?" mei chuckles, turning to the tv again. "god can it be quicker???" she complains, looking at the 3:24... 3:23... 3:22... timer take fucking ages.

he chuckles and looks down at her. "so you really haven't been coming to campus at all this week have you?"

she shakes her head. "i really can't be there without renjun, who's like my number one comfort person, besides you obviously."

"i think you're my comfort person." hanbin admits to the girl. "i find comfort in all of my friends, especially hao. but you're really becoming my favourite."

mei laughs, cupping his face. "you're so cute aww." she giggles. "that's nice to hear."

hanbin felt his face getting warm from how close their faces now were and he takes her hands off of his face with a smile. "only i can do that."

she rolls her eyes. "yeahh whatever." she hits his arm playfully and then sighs. "i have to start volunteering with hao this friday because of the argument we had."

"you two are more intense than i thought." he chuckles, "what are you two doing together?"

"we have to do tasks like in school or in other public places together for two months, they think it'll make us get along." she explains.

"you're not going to be in school or?" he asks.

she shakes her head. "nah we'll be in school, we have to do it every tuesday and friday, but we're starting this friday."

he hums. "that's fine then, you'll still have time for me right?"

mei chuckles. "shut up. i spent a whole month of being with you every day already, what makes you think i wouldn't?"

he shrugs. "i don't know, what if you and hao start becoming closer than us?" he asks. but he wouldn't say that this was a genuine worry, especially after seeing the people that shipped them.

"maybe, i doubt it. but it won't even be bad.." she says. "but anyways, we're having a sleepover right now. so enjoy it."

"i'm glad you asked me, i'd be so bored today." he chuckles, playing with her hair. "it's good that i can see you while you're off."

"blame renjun, he left me." she rolls her eyes. "oh my god it's almost starting.."

he nods, then facing the tv as the two tried to get comfier. mei's hands were around his waist and his arm was around her shoulders comfortably and her head was now on his chest.

"oh my god hanbin it's literally starting." she says, pointing at the screen as the countdown ended.

it left off where the two main leads arrived at doah's house after getting ice cream together. they were eating ice cream in her kitchen.

the duo were talking about their ice cream, and taerae was feeding her, but doah felt offended as she thought taerae didn't want to try her ice cream.

"you liar, you don't even want to try it!!" she crosses her arms as taerae laughed. "you just said that to flirt with me. fuck you." she sulks, moving her face to the side.

"calm down, babe. i'll try it in a minute." he cups her face with his right hand and moves her face so she was facing him. "you look cute when you're sulking."

"i want him so bad." mei says with a giggle. "the babe is sooooooo"

hanbin chuckles. "they're really cute."

"shut the fuck up! stop flirting with me i wanted some comfort ice cream after your ex kissed my brother." she complains. "you not wanting to try this leng ice cream made me mad again."

"mood because i'd be mad too.. like can't they just kiss already?" mei sighs. "i'm so fucking jealous of them. "now i want ice cream.."

"we'll get some after." hanbin says, his eyes still on the tv.

"damn, you must be really mad." he chuckles, his dimples showing. "stop moving." he says softly, wiping some ice cream that was a cause of her moving too much when he tried to feed her.

"RAHHHHHHHHHHHH." mei squeals.

"thanks." doah said sulkily. "redeem yourself and i might stop moving." she joked.

one of his arms wrap around the girl's waist and the other cups the side of doah's face again. he slowly takes another spoon and feeds it to her while grinning. "this is easier to make you stop moving." he says.

"SHUT UPPPPPPPP." mei screams, hitting hanbin's arm. "he's so hot oh my god." she squeals, making hanbin snicker at her giddiness.

he then places the spoon down, "i'll try it now." he whispers close to her face.

"wha-" taerae suddenly presses his lips on top of doah's, and she stayed still for a while before kissing back with her arms around his neck.

"oh for fucks sake." mei pauses the episode. "i hate kiss scenes so much stop." she complains, kicking her feet under the covers.

hanbin chuckles. "how come?" he takes the remote from her hand, leaving the two main characters kissing the paused frame on her tv.

"because youngjae was a fucking horrible kisser. you don't understand. i get jealous everytime someone else just..." she sighs.

hanbin looks down at her. "damn was he really that bad?" he laughs. "you look traumatised."

"yes. i was traumatised. and seeing them two have a cute romantic first kiss is pissing me off." she whines, pointing at the screen.

hanbin looks into her eyes with a cute smile. "do you think i'm a good kisser?" he asks suddenly. 

mei nervously keeps their eye contact. "um, we haven't kissed..?" she says in confusion, failing miserably as she looks down at his necklace instead of his eyes.

"mei we've literally kissed before." he chuckles, playing with her hair softly. "do you not remember?"

"boy what the fuck are you on about? we haven't." mei looks up at his (fucking beautiful) face.

"we have." he nods, putting strands of her hair behind her ears with a smile, the girl the noticing how his eyes went from focusing to her eyes to her lips.

"when???" she asks, genuinely confused, sensing something weird going on. but she still felt herself get nervous from him.

"maybe like, now?" the boy then presses his lips onto hers, leaving mei sitting there in shock . her eyes widen; she didn't expect him to make a move so easily.

but mei had conflicting feelings if she wanted to kiss back or not. well first off, kiss with hanbin?? she would enjoy that, along with how she was expecting it at one point and definitely wanted it.

however, she didn't want to ruin her friendship with him; she doesn't know if she has romantic feelings and she would feel bad if he thinks this was something serious.

but one side took over the other and mei decided to not lose her chance, especially when she was complaining about kissing in the first place. so what did she even expect? she set herself up here.

but once she starts to properly kiss back, she felt deja vu as hanbin's hand went from her waist to the back of her neck to get the two closer together.

she hated the fact she was already enjoying it, but her arms were immediately around his neck, one of her hands playing with the back of his matching necklace (that she bought for him). then, she felt his smile in the kiss.

but, this is when mei realised what she was doing, and that these little series of events she thought was a first kiss with hanbin felt awfully familiar.

awfully
fucking
familiar.

oh, was mei wrong about the events from the night of february 28.

❦ ♪

— no one's pov.

hanmei>>zhangmei
10+ members

— ricky has added hao

hao:
um so guys i have a confession

hao:
i think i've finally lost all of my feelings
for sung hanbin after many months

❦ ♪

hey guys. 🤓 surprise. 🤓