Chapter 9- Warmth

Hae Soo’s Pov

November 19, 2017

My knees felt like they were breaking. Why did I always bring trouble with me wherever I went? Could I not bring pain to people that matter to me? In front of me, I watched helplessly as Jungkook took a hit from a large fist followed by a kick to the stomach. His body went limp, and I fell to the ground in shock as my breath evaporated.

“No.. sto-stop,” my lips spoke trembling with fear. “Don’t hurt him!” I felt my voice crack as I yelled. Throwing myself over Jungkook was something I did without thinking, but when I felt my hair being pulled to lift me off of him, I latched myself to him. Never would I allow harm to come to Jungkook.

“Don’t ing touch him,” I screamed at the top of my lungs while receiving a kick to the head. All I could think of was how bad the hit caused my head to hurt as I started to lose my edge.

As everything started to slowly burn out, I faintly watched Taehyung’s friends start to chase off Kai and the others. Relief washed over me, and I began to lose my hearing. Everything was going dark, but before the lights went out I managed to see Taehyung run towards us. I could tell he was yelling Jungkook’s name, and I smiled softly knowing that everything would all right. Jungkook would be fine with these people. No longer, did I need to protect him.

So as everything faded away, I unawarely began to detach myself from where I was and let go of any obligation that had laid on my chest. Until something warm pulled me back to consciousness. The strength of that warmth pulsed through me and for some reason, made me want to go on trying. All of the sudden, I didn’t want to go…

Distorted colors surrounded me. I slowly blinked to clear the confusion. In front of me, I made out my father sitting in a chair asleep by the window, and Namjoon to the right of him reading something on an ipad. To the left of him, I saw two unknown people fighting over the remote to change the channel on the TV. One had light orange hair while the other had one of the brightest smiles I’d ever seen. It was an odd pairing, but it looked as if they were having fun. I softly exhaled a laugh at the sight of them.

With what energy I had, I turned to look to the left of me. A young boy with dusky black hair was struggling to stay awake. I smiled unintentionally. Comfort filled my weak limbs as I watched the boy. Jungkook seemed to be trying to listen to music while reading a book.

Squinting, I was able to figure out what the title said. ‘The Glass Castle’. There was something about the name of the book that sounded to familiar to me. Like it was a memory that kept rolling off my tongue. Daughter and father? Or was it brother? Money problems. Something along the lines of that? Deciding to put my jumbled thoughts away, I stopped grasping at strings and tried to sit up instead.

I thought that I had the energy to sit up, but was obviously wrong. I fell back with a thump causing Jungkook to finally notice that I had woken up.

“You’re awake?” Jungkook asked with sincerity while standing up to help me sit up straight.

Thanking him with a nod, I winced at the pain piercing at my head. “What happened?” The sudden buzz of noise made the others realize I had waken. “And who’s all these people?” I spoke softly because for some odd reason my throat felt dry. There were so many questions being tossed around at the tip of my lips wanting to escape, but my voice couldn’t word them all.

“Your idiot self got yourself knocked out when trying to protect passed out Jungkook,” Taehyung said walking in with two cup carriers that held 8 cups of some liquid I did not know, but I knew it smelled strong. And wasn’t there only seven of us here? I shook away the needless observation.

He flashed a quick smile at me reassuring me that he wasn’t mad. Unawarely, I smiled back at him and stuck my tongue out at him. That was odd… I barely met him, but naturally accepted his tease and returned it… Why did that feel so natural? He returned my reaction while handing me one of the drinks. I didn’t notice Jungkook’s anxious expression while he watched the two of us interact. Instead, I felt fuzzy when my hands cupped the warm drink. The warmth from the drink felt similar to what I felt before passing out. What had that been? I can’t remember what exactly happened or what I felt, but something about that feeling brought an urge of passion over me to find out what had caused it.

“And over there in the corner, where there’s two idiots fighting over the TV, is Jimin,” the orange haired boy raised his hand, “and Hoseok,” the brown haired boy, whose smile lit up the room, gave me a wink with a short wave. I softly laughed to myself at Hoseok’s flirtatious tease, and waved back over at them.

Everyone in the room seemed to genuinely care for my well being even though I had just met them. This was an odd feeling I was experiencing since I usually didn’t feel what people call “loved”. My father continued to stay sound asleep in his chair, but the idea of him actually being here for me warmed my heart. Which reminded me; Was I going to be in trouble? Taehyung set down a drink next to him before continuing on to pass out the rest.

“Yea why did you do that? When I had heard that you protected him, I thought the guys were messing with me, but I guess you do actually have some balls for a girl. Or do you just like getting beat up? Because if so, you’ll make great friends with V,” Jimin said with a snicker while glancing at Taehyung.

There was a flash of self pain in Taehyung’s eyes before he picked up a pillow of a sofa to chuck at Jimin but instead it hit Hoseok.

Hoseok had been playing a game on his phone when the pillow smack down nailed him in the face. Dropping his jaw, he pointed out at Taehyung with his facial expression shouting ‘You’re so dead.’

“Wait hyung~ I didn’t mean to hit you!”

“Take this!” Hoseok shouted throwing the pillow right back at Taehyung. But instead of dodging the pillow, Taehyung grabbed Namjoon and used him as a shield.

My dad jumped in his sleep when Hoseok shouted. We all paused in unison and watched him as he snored himself back to sleep.

“Won’t you shut up already!!” Namjoon shouted in a whisper. “He’ll start glaring at us again if he wakes up.”

Immediately realizing what he had just said, Namjoon quickly went silent and tried not to make eye contact with me. Everyone else fell quiet, and I began to feel guilty and uncomfortable due to the awkward tension.

“Maybe he just doesn’t like to his little girl surrounded by so many boys,” Hoseok said to us with a short laugh trying to lighten the mood. I felt grateful, and gave him a quick smile, but I knew that wasn’t it. My father had never liked any of the people I brought home whether they be a boy or a girl. It wasn’t anything personal; It was just the way my father was to people around me.

“Or he’s just an .” Taehyung said softly but quite strongly while finally taking a seat after passing out all of the drinks. My blood boiled, and I threw him a glare. He didn’t have to be so blunt. And who was he to say that of my father? He barely knew him. Sure I think my father is an , but Taehyung has no right to say that. He doesn’t know anything about my father…

“Don’t be an Tae,” Jimin said tossing the pillow back to him.

Namjoon hit Taehyung over the head with a scolding expression. “What? I am only saying what you guys won’t. At least I speak my mind,” he grumbled rubbing the back of his head.

I held my stare on him until he made eye contact with me. “How long have you known my father?”

“What?” He said giving me a confused look.

Tightening my brows, I asked again. “I said how long have you known my father?” Gritting my teeth, I clutched the hospital blanks beneath me out of frustration. For some reason I didn’t know how it ended up that I was releasing my built up anger out on Taehyung. Why did he have to go saying things that pissed me off? Why is it that I felt guilty when he said those things about my father? Or was I disappointed in myself for not saying it first?

“Maybe a few hours? Why does it really matter? My impression of him has already been made. He was already closed off to us the first time he laid eyes on us. He even tried to get us kicked out.”

Jungkook started to protest against everything Taehyung was saying, but I got to my words before him. “Don’t act like you know about what type of person my father is.” My heartbeat began to speed up with every word I said. “If you think that interaction is what makes him an then you know nothing about what my father has done…”

The room had gone silent. All eyes were on me, and I began to feel uncomfortable. I hung my head in shame rather in anger. My vent was over, and I had accidently spilled it to these people. There wasn’t any intention to express my feelings toward my father in that moment to people whom I had just met, but it was the easiest thing to do; Just as simple as breathing, I let it slip out.

I felt like crying, but no liquid immersed from my eyes. I just sat there, staring at my lap. The reason for my emotionless state wasn’t because I was tired or any sort; It was that I was used to everything that had happened to me up until now. The pain had become numb, and I didn’t care to try and feel again.

But when I heard some