Namjoon didn't say a word as he held the crying Su Ji in his arms. Holding her like this… he could actually feel her warmth, such a contrast to the coldness he had always experienced in his life.

It must be what feeling human was like.

A live human, that is.

“I'm sorry,” she said, after she had stopped crying. “I just… I didn't know who else to go to...”
“What happened?” he asked, guiding her inside.

She shivered at the cold, and he quickly sat her down and went to fetch a blanket.

“It's Yoongi,” she said, her tone flat. “He.. he turned up just a while ago… he...”
Namjoon wrapped a thick blanket around her, and she nodded gratefully.

“Are you cold?” he asked, turning on the heater.

“Woah, I thought you didn't even have one of those,” said Su Ji. “I mean, since you don't need one.”
“A few years ago, I used it a lot. I had visitors.”
“Oh.”
Namjoon cleared his throat. “So, tell me,” he said. “What did Yoongi do?”
Slowly, with many pauses and prompts from Namjoon, she explained what had happened.
“I told you so,” said Namjoon, matter-of-factly. “I knew something like this would happen. And I would say it is almost entirely your fault.”
“My fault?” she repeated incredulously. “I thought you would take my side! You're a Protector!”
“I told you it is the nature of a wolf to get very jealous and possessive when it comes to their mate,” said Namjoon. “You ignored him all day too – don't deny it, I saw it! - and after what had happened last night too… why can't you just understand how he feels?”
“I don't want to,” she said, and cringed – she sounded like a child!

“You are hurting him,” said Namjoon, his voice just a bit colder. “I was afraid that this might happen… actually, I knew it would. Why else do you think I tried to keep you two apart?”
“Why?” asked Su Ji.

“I didn't want you to hurt him… I knew that if he bit you, it would be over. And you did it – you hurt him.”
“I am the victim here!” yelled Su Ji, her eyes filling with tears again. “I never asked for any of this!”
“You think he did?” Namjoon retorted. “You think Yoongi would have chosen anything in his life? Because if he did, he chose a lot of misery!”
“Whose side are you on?” demanded Su Ji. “You act as though you hate him, and then-”
“Don't try and understand,” cut in Namjoon. “Both of you were wrong. Both of you are stupid and ridiculous and causing unnecessary misery to each other.”
“What do you know?”
“I am unusually good in picking up negative emotions,” he replied.

Just then, the phone rang. Namjoon didn't budge, he just let the caller leave a voice message.

“I'm sorry,” said a deep, husky voice from the phone. “I just don't know who else to tell…”
Namjoon shot Su Ji a pointed look and her heart began beating quickly at the sound of his voice.

“I did… something terrible,” said Yoongi. “I won't blame her if he won't talk to me again, because… I let her see it… I let her see the monster in me… I didn't give her enough time when she even asked for it… instead, I flared up… what should I do now?”
The message ended.

“If you still think the same about him after hearing that,” said Namjoon. “Then you're just plain heartless. Did you hear him? He is taking it all upon himself. He is not blaming you one bit when in fact it's all your fault.

Su Ji bit her lip.

Namjoon was kinda right.

No, he was really right. She hated to admit it… she hated to even think about it… but he was right.

A heavy ache in her heart, she went back home, wishing she could erase everything.

In the heart of the forest, another heart ached.

****

Hoseok concentrated on just breathing. He could hear his heart hammering in his chest and the blood rushing throughout his body, his face hot and uncomfortable.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” his father demanded. It still had that sting; though Hoseok had heard it, over and over again, it still stung.

“I don't know where we went wrong with you,” he continued, pacing up and down.

Hoseok didn't even flinch anymore… he was used to this… but would the hurt ever lessen? He wanted to know it too. He wanted to know what went wrong with him too.

“And living in this God-forsaken dump… pathetic… but it's your own fault, you can never go back to Seoul. Not after you embarrassed me with your failed suicide attempt...”
Hoseok's stomach rolled itself into a tight knot and, not for the first time, he wished he could disappear. Or fly far far away from here, from his father who would always see him as a failure, an embarrassment. He kne