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HOSEOK's POV

The last thing I’d expected on my day off was to hear two of the most logical people I knew going at each other from the room next door. I definitely didn’t expect to find myself literally chasing after a girl that wasn’t my own, either.

“I just want to be okay.”

That’s what she cried to me when I’d finally flagged her down. With every call of her name she slowed down, either the desperation or the warmth in the voice catching her attention. The sight of her face as she dared to turn and look at me nearly knocked me off my feet. I'd seen her in pain and I'd seen her grief-stricken. But never before had I seen her so destroyed. She looked ready to give up and it shook me to my core. And no sooner had I begun to quietly mutter her name in surprise did she tearfully walk into my open arms and express her every burden.

“I don’t want to go. But it hurts too much to stay.”

Each of her cries were heavier than the last. Her every movement unconsciously left trails of tears on the fabric of my shirt on my shoulder as she found as much solace as she could in the warmth of my body.

“I didn’t mean to throw the news at him like that. But I didn’t know how else to tell him.”

“I love him, Hoseok. I love him so much, but I need to love myself first for once.”

I knew she loved him, it didn’t come as a surprise to me to hear it. I hadn’t seen many truer examples of love before. They didn’t need to be constantly passionate or clingy for it to be bright and clear. She loved him as intensely as he loved her but she was right, she couldn’t put her health on the line anymore. If she wasn’t happy and felt this move would at least make things seem better, then she needed to follow through with it. It didn't matter what I thought or even what Yoongi thought. She was her own being and she needed to do whatever she felt was right. The consequences were her own to deal with. 

“He’s stubborn. Give him some time,” I had told her softly, rubbing her back with strong, consoling hands. “He’ll agree with whatever is best for you eventually. Trust me.”

She had nodded at the time, once again wiping her tears on my shirt. But I was willing to play the role of a big brother for her as long as she needed and no matter how far she’d ever be.

“I trust you.”

I convinced her to join me for some drinks at the cafe, deciding that if we were going to hang around outside the dorm, it might as well have been somewhere with food. She happily agreed, offering to pay for me as thanks for not just hearing her out, but for everything I’d done for her since her arrival at SKEES. I wanted to decline but she didn’t dare let me.

I knew she was still upset as we talked over our pastries and honestly, a major part of me was dreading the idea of her moving, too. America was 12 hours away at the minimum, not to mention the drastically different times zones that would make communication so difficult. I could see where Yoongi’s logical mind had gone to make him so emotionally reactive. Nothing was stopping them from attempting a long distance relationship but almost everything was stopping them from achieving it.

Eventually, our plates were filled with nothing but crumbs and our cups were empty. Although the cafe was only closed between the wee hours of 2 a.m. and 5 a.m., the space had been gradually clearing out. Anna and I exchanged a look before rising to our feet, cleaning after ourselves at the gratitude of the cafe's staff. When we stepped out of the cafe, she let me know that she wanted a little time to herself, which I was happy to give her.

“Will you come back to the dorm? Or are you gonna stay over with someone else?” I asked, only hoping to know whether she'd be okay.

She paused to think. “I’m not sure yet. But whatever I do, I’ll let you know.”

That was enough for me. I gave her a small smile before going off in the opposite direction. I heard a few of the SKEES fans gathered at the front fates yell her name as she unintentionally headed in their direction. I looked over my shoulder to see her give them a small wave, in which they returned their own excited onces, as well as a few more yells and screams to her.

It was crazy to know that she wasn’t selling well as an artist here. She always gave fans that may or may not have been her own so much love and they usually seemed to enjoy it. But numbers didn’t lie and I understood her feelings on the move completely. A better job option had been offered to her, why wouldn’t she take it?

I just hoped that she wouldn’t overthink these things on Yoongi’s behalf. Their argument had been so emotionally reactive. He hadn’t thought about this sensibly yet and probably wouldn’t be very happy if he ended up unintentionally manipulating her.

Part of me wanted to go straight to his room when I got home, most likely to urge him to listen to everything she had to say with an open mind. Doing so really helped me see past a lot of my own sadness over her decision and although I still didn't necessarily think the choice was right, I no longer thought it was wrong.

But when I lightly pushed open the door, I saw he was fast asleep on his bed, his body unconsiously leaving a spot open for where Anna should’ve been. And it broke my heart. Two people that loved each other so much didn’t deserve to be separated. They didn't deserve anything they were living with. 

I stepped away from the room feeling sad all over again. If anyone deserved better, it was Anna. And if anyone deserved love, it was Yoongi. And I knew that she so desperately wanted to give that to him. She deserved that, too. She deserved a normal life, not one plagued with tragedy and difficult decisions. I couldn’t help but feel sorrowful for her -- for us all, and for Chun Hwa. So I let the sorrow follow me into my dreams as I retired into a light sleep.

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I woke up maybe an hour or so later due to the faint clattering of someone enterting our dorm. I was slow to react and even slower to get up and check to make sure that it wasn’t actually trouble somehow making its way inside. I yawned as I stepped into our main living space, seeing no sign of anything or anyone. My sleepy self considered just going back to bed but I ended up deciding to do a quick sweep past Jimin and Yoongi’s rooms.

Jimin’s door was shut and his dark and silent room implied no activity. I glanced over to Yoongi’s door next to see that it was still slightly ajar, maybe even more so than earlier. I quietly made my way over and peered my head in, just in time to see Anna slide into the empty spot beside Yoongi. I couldn’t tell if he was awake or not as he to his side and laid an arm across her body. He loved her so much that I wouldn’t have been surprised if he had done it unconsciously. Anna scooted closer to him, resting her head comfortably near the warmth of his chest and letting herself relax in the security of his embrace. Her exhaustion from the eventful day was made apparent by how quickly she fell asleep.

I managed to smile at the sight of them and how quickly they managed to curl up against each other despite the severity of their earlier argument. If I didn’t believe they really loved each other before, I would’ve believed it then. They didn’t deserve the challenges imposed on them but I had full confidence they wouldn’t succumb to them. They were stronger than that individually and even stronger than ever together.

And if I had to remind them of that every day until they believed it, I’d be more than willing.