Hanbin x Y/N
Angst x Fluff
(Took inspiration from how he forgot his sister’s birthday😂)
.
You watched as the second hand on the clock struck twelve along with the minute and hour hands. Your birthday is officially over, and yet you still haven’t heard from your best friend, Hanbin.
You knew he was very busy due to his recent comeback, but he could at least have sent you a message.
You tried to brush off the disappointment and made a wish.
“Happy belated birthday, Y/N.” You uttered to yourself before blowing out the candle.
The next day, Hanbin went on a live after his long day of schedules. Someone commented something about Yujin’s birthday, which was approaching soon.
“Yujin’s birthday is coming up? What day is it today?” He checked the date on his phone. “17th of March. You’re right. 3 more days till our baby’s birthday.”
“Wait, it’s the 17th today?” Hanbin suddenly gasped out loud.
Zeroses in the comments started asking what’s wrong in the comments upon his sudden, big reaction.
“Sorry, I just remembered I had forgotten something.” He couldn’t possibly tell the world that he had forgotten to wish his best friend a happy birthday. He continued his live for a little longer, despite being tormented by the guilt he was feeling for missing your birthday.
“Y/N-ah.” He called you immediately after the live.
“Hey, Binnie,” you tried to respond in the most natural tone.
“I know I’m a day late, but happy birthday. I’m really, really sorry. I was so busy yesterday that I didn’t even realise it was your birthday. Please forgive me.”
“I’m not upset, Binnie. Birthdays happen every year; they’re not that special. I know you’re busy, so it’s okay.” You let the sensible side take over you; you did realise it was unreasonable to become mad at your busy idol best friend just because he didn’t say ‘happy birthday’ to you.
“Did you have a nice day yesterday?”
“Of course.” You lied, not wanting to amplify his guilt. Many wished you a happy birthday, but how could you have had a nice day when you didn’t hear it from the only person who mattered?
“I have some time off on Monday night. Let’s have dinner together.”
“You don’t have to if you’re busy.”
“I want to. Let me make it up to you, Y/N.”
“Okay.”
On Monday night, he showed up at your door with his hood up and wearing a mask. But the mask couldn’t hide his smiley, sparkly eyes which lifted the corners of your lips.
“See what I brought you.” He held up a sky-blue paper bag.
You recognised the bag; it was from you and Hanbin’s favourite cake shop, which you two had been visiting since high school. It was from the same shop where you bought the cake for yourself. It had become a habit for the two of you to buy your birthday cakes from the same shop every year.
“I got scolded by Ajumeoni for forgetting your birthday.” Hanbin said while entering your home. The cake shop was owned by a middle-aged lady whom the two of you were very familiar with after being frequent customers all these years.
“I told you Ajumeoni likes me more.” You joked.
“I don’t know how you came to that conclusion, but she definitely likes me better. You should have seen how happy she was when I gave her our newest signed album.” He said proudly while putting the cake in your fridge.
After dinner, he took the cake out and put on candles. You had the exact same cake a couple of days ago, but this one somehow looked a lot more delicious.
You noticed Hanbin stopped after having a few bites of the cake, which was unusual because the two of you used to easily finish half of the cake each.
“Are you not eating anymore?”
“Got to manage my weight during the comeback period. You have some more.” He slid the cake closer to you.
Moments of the two of you fighting to take the last bite of the cake back in those days flashed through your mind. So many things have changed through the years. You looked at your best friend, who has become a global superstar, loved by millions across the globe.
You ended up putting the cake, which wasn’t even half-finished, back into the fridge.
.
Three months later, it was Hanbin’s birthday. After work, you headed to the cake shop.
“Y/N!” The cake shop owner greeted you enthusiastically when she saw you. “I’ve got the cake ready for you.”
“Thank you.” You specifically asked her to make you a low-fat cake so that Hanbin could enjoy the cake without having to worry about the calories.
“Are you meeting up with Hanbin later?” She said as she carefully placed the cake into the box.
“I didn’t really make plans with him. He’s been busy lately.”
“When is he not?’
“But he said he’d probably be at the company today, so I thought I might just drop by and give him the cake.”
“Well, tell Hanbinnie happy birthday for me.” She handed you the signature sky blue paper bag with the cake inside.
.
You called Hanbin when you were in front of his company.
“Hey Y-N.”
“Hey birthday boy!”
“Sorry, give me one second.” He excused himself briefly.
You heard voices, seemingly from staff, from Hanbin’s side of the line.
“Sorry, Y/N. I have a birthday live in two minutes. Is it anything urgent you need to tell me?”
“Oh, sorry, I didn’t know you were working. No, there’s nothing urgent.”
“I’ll call you after my schedule tonight, okay?”
“Okay. Happy birthday, Bin-ah.”
“Thank you. Talk to you later.”
You waited around at a cafe near his company and watched his live. It still amazes you how your best friend is a celebrity. To you, he has always just been Hanbin, but seeing him on that tiny little phone screen suddenly made him feel so distant.
You expected him to call you soon after he ended the live, but you waited and waited until it was the cafe’s closing time. You then went to a convenience store, which was one of the few places that opened until late. You thought that as long as Hanbin called before 12, you could still get a glance at him and give him his cake in time for his birthday. But once again, you watched as all the clock hands struck twelve. When Hanbin called, it was way past midnight, and you were already home.
“Hey, are you asleep yet? Sorry for calling back so late. I had dance practice after the live, and I just got home. Did you want to talk to me about something?”
“It doesn’t matter anymore.” You said lifelessly. “I’m not in the mood to talk right now.”
“Are you mad at me?” He sulked cutely, but it didn’t work on you this time.
“No.”
“Y/N, please understand. I know I haven’t been able to spend as much time with you, but I don’t even have enough time to sleep lately.”
“I understand. I really do. You shouldn’t be wasting your resting time on calling me.” Your tone turned scornful unknowingly.
“Y/N, that’s not what I meant.”
“I’m not mad at you, Hanbin.” You cut him off, and your voice tightened as you spoke. “I’m mad at myself for blindly waiting for you all the time. I’m mad at myself for being the only one stuck in the past and for being the only one who cares about our promise of spending every birthday with each other. I’m mad at myself for not wanting to share my best friend with the world.” You hung up after saying that.
You immediately regretted saying all those things to Hanbin. You shouldn’t have taken it out on him, no matter how hurt you felt. After all, it wasn’t his fault that you had feelings for him. You knew well you were asking for things that a mere best friend couldn’t give.
You ignored Hanbin’s texts and calls for the next few days. When he finally found the time to physically go and find you, it was already another few days later.
Hoping that a belated celebration with you would make you feel better, he visited the cake shop.
“Oh Hanbin-ah, what brings you here?” The owner was delighted to see Hanbin.
“I missed your cakes, Ajumeoni.”
“It’s only been a few days since you’ve had it, though.”
“What does that mean?”
“You didn’t eat the cake Y/N bought you? She specially ordered a low-fat cake for your birthday and said she would drop it off to you.”
“That’s why she called that day. She should have just told me.”
“You didn’t meet her?”
“No, and now she’s mad at me.”
“If you were intending to buy a cake as an apology, I don’t think it’s a good idea.” The owner kindly advised.
Hanbin then went straight to your place, but you weren’t at home. He reached for the smart door lock hesitantly and put in his birthday.
When you first moved out to live alone in Seoul, Hanbin helped you pack and move.
“I’ve set the passcode as your birthday so that you won’t forget.” You told him casually when you were both unpacking at your house.
“Shouldn’t you set a passcode that you wouldn’t forget? This is your home.”
“Technically, I won’t forget your birthday, so it works.”
Back then, Hanbin was still just a trainee and he was able to spend a lot more time with you. His family lived in Cheonan, so he would often have to travel back and forth from Cheonan to Seoul. Your place allowed him to stay over on days when practices ended late. Thinking of it, it’s been a while since he punched in that code. He always rings the bell first when he visits. He smiled to himself when he realised you had not changed your passcode.
Hanbin was sitting on the sofa waiting for you to come home when the corkboard next to the TV caught his attention. He knew you filled the board with the polaroids the two of you took on your birthdays, but he saw a few new additions, so he went closer to have a look.
He wasn’t able to contact you for your birthday last year because he was still on Boys Planet and they weren’t allowed to have their phones with them, but he ordered a cake from the shop, which arrived with a mini bouquet of flowers and a card. That was the first Polaroid on the board that only had you in it.
Then he was busy preparing for his comeback on his birthday, so you couldn’t meet up, but you still video called each other. It wasn’t clear on the Polaroid, but Hanbin was on the phone screen you held up next to the birthday cake.
His gaze moved to the next Polaroid on the board—you with a faint smile and a candle-lit cake.
Then the next one was just a cake.
He took the Polaroid you took on your birthday last year off the corkboard to have a closer look, but it slipped off and fell on the floor with its back facing up. The hand that was reaching to pick up the photo froze mid-air as he saw words written on the back of it.
2023.03.16: This might be the first birthday after 2018 without you. I wish you were here with me, but it’s okay because you’re so close to achieving your dream. I only have one wish this year: please let Binnie debut!
Hanbin then checked the backs of all the polaroids and realised something was written on every one of them.
2017.06.13: First birthday with Hanbin
2018.03.16: Pinky Promise! Sung Hanbin said he’s going to spend all my future birthdays with me until I find a boyfriend. How am I going to find a boyfriend when there’s a Sung Hanbin in my life…
2019.06.13: The birthday boy said he wanted to become an idol. Nothing is impossible when it comes to him, so I think he’ll make it once he puts his heart into it.
2020.03.16: Another memorable birthday with you.
2021.06.13: To Binnie, who always works so hard towards your dream, I am incredibly proud of you. I love you.
2022.03.16: Someone took a day off just to spend my birthday with me. Birthdays are the best because I get my best friend all to myself.
2023.06.13: First birthday as ZB1 Sung Hanbin. I wish only good things lie ahead of you. Bin-ah, I love you.
2024.03.16: I guess I’ll have to get used to having birthdays without you.
2024.06.13: You had a good birthday even without me, right? But even so, I love you. I think it’d be hard not to.
For a good while, Hanbin just stared blankly at those messages and let them sink in.
The disappointment in the last few made his heart ache. Though it was never his intention, he had to admit that he did neglect you to some extent after debuting. You gave him way too much security. He’d be lying if he said he didn’t know he was more than a friend to you. What’s more important was that he felt the same about you and thought that you knew, too.
You were confused as to why the lights were on when you got home. Seeing Hanbin in the living room gave you the answer you were looking for.
“Why are you here?” You said blankly.
“I wanted to talk.”
You were about to give in when you caught sight of the pile of Polaroids sitting on the coffee table in front of Hanbin.
“I don’t want to.” You instantly escaped into your room, but Hanbin was quicker, and he stopped you from shutting the door on him.
“Ouch!” His poor leg, however, got slammed on.
“Ya, are you okay?” His loud wince made you extremely worried. You completely forgot you were trying to run away from him.
He chuckled, despite the pain, when he saw how concerned you were.
“How are you laughing? Does it hurt a lot? Please don’t stick your limbs in between closing doors ever again.” You couldn’t stop nagging while sitting him on the sofa.
“Well, I couldn’t let you get away.”
“This is going to leave a huge bruise.” Your brows furrowed as you rolled up his jeans to check on his leg.
“It’s okay. Come up here.” He pulled you up from a kneeling position and made you sit next to him.
You wanted to run away again as you looked Hanbin in the eye, but of course, he wouldn’t let you.
“If you don’t want to talk, let me do the talking.” His hands never let go of yours. “I know you don’t like hearing me say sorry, but I want to apologise again. Being busy shouldn’t be an excuse to miss my best friend’s birthday. Work is important to me, but everything wouldn’t be the same without you, Y/N. I asked for your understanding, but I wasn’t considerate enough of your feelings. I’ve been a bad friend to you. You ought to know how important you are to me. Then and now, that has never changed. I’m sorry for making you feel otherwise.”
Hanbin then took out his phone and gave it to you. You looked completely puzzled, not understanding what he was trying to show you.
“Unlock it.” He instructed.
“I don’t know your password, though.”
“It has been your birthday since high school.”
“And you still forgot my birthday?” You responded with a tease, even though you were exhilarated to learn the news. No one would set their phone password as their best friend’s birthday, just like no one would set their door passcode as their best friend’s birthday. You’d be a fool if you didn’t know what he was implying, especially knowing that he had read those little messages behind the polaroids.
“I would like to defend myself by saying I did not forget your birthday. I just wasn’t aware of the date; I MISSED your birthday.”
“It’s the same to me.”
“I’ll make sure to set a hundred reminders for your birthday next year, okay?”
“Maybe I will have found a boyfriend by my birthday next year. Then I won’t need you.”
“Didn’t you say that you wouldn’t be able to find a boyfriend with Sung Hanbin in your life, huh?” He held your chin to make you look at him. “But I think it’s more fitting to say it’s not that you won’t be able to find one; it’s just that your boyfriend can only be me.”
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