All he wanted to do was embrace Jungkook and promise him that everything was going to be fine. Being the hopeful optimist he was Hoseok didn't know how things would be to the bright side. Not all situations could easily bring back a form of joy. Hoseok witnessed Namjoon take everything that Jungkook had found important. Instead of staying in the castle, Jungkook had explored and collected.

Hoseok didn't know what had happened. One moment he's giving Jungkook a present and then the next he's sobbing while surrounded by destruction. The first person he'd make sure to question was Jackson. The mer had said they'd be keeping this secret and they were the only three that were aware of Jungkook's collection. They were supposed to keep their lips sealed. Someone had told the king.

Jackson approached the sobbing red haired prince, "Jungkook, I didn't—"

Jungkook refuses to look at anyone, "Just leave me alone..."

Hoseok swam out with Jackson. Neither expected to see Namjoon talking with Yoongi and Taehyung outside of the lair.

Hoseok hadn't been expecting Taehyung and no one knew about Jungkook's lair. This was all a story that he wanted to know about. Seeing Yoongi's and Taehyung's face told him that they had just found out what there was to know about their brother's fixation with humans.

Namjoon and Yoongi swam away from the cave while Taehyung stayed, glaring at Hoseok. Seeing his betrothal looking at him that way did hurt. Jackson ended up brooding near some coral and clownfish while Hoseok went in the direction of Taehyung.

"Did you really give Kookie a statue of a human prince?" The sound of Taehyung's voice would intimidate anyone by the bitterness.

Hoseok couldn't resist shrinking a bit; he brushed it off promptly, "I saw no harm in it. I thought it was a gift that he'd—"

Taehyung snapped, "What were you thinking, Hoseok? It was a horrible mistake! You're encouraging Kookie to keep his interest in humans."

Hoseok didn't like the way this discussion was going. He gave his friend a human gift but he wasn't trying to push him out of the sea and into a human's arms. He was concerned about Jungkook's protection as well. Hearing Taehyung like this made sense but it all seemed off.

It sounded like his betrothal was calling him a bad influence on his best friend.

"It's a statue, Tae, not an actual living human being," Hoseok kept to his word. The gift was harmless but sweet.

Taehyung scoffed, "You're badly swaying Kookie, Hoseok. He's not supposed to love humans, he's to hate them."

Hoseok took one look at the ring on his right hand ring finger. How could Taehyung say that to him? He's been friends with Jungkook for a long while. It was as if the blue haired merman was calling him a bad friend. If there was one thing he wasn't it was a horrible friend.

He had wanted to do something extraordinary for Jungkook. And the only one who thought that was a good thing was Jungkook and him. It wasn't the best situation Jungkook was wedged in and there were two sides of the coin. Hoseok didn't have to undergo being stressed to detest humans since he had no family to tell him how wicked they were. He was a bright, faithful person who'd rather hope than assume.

He slipped off the ring Taehyung had given him and shoved it into the prince's hands before swimming towards the brooding Jackson.

He swam to Hoseok and Jackson, "Hoseok, what are you doing?" Taehyung questioned the merman he treasured.

Hoseok wheeled around with tears in his eyes, "How dare you? You think your appa, Yoongi and you are the only ones who care about Kookie? You're so wrong!"

"I didn't..." Taehyung moaned in frustration. Nothing was going right. "I wasn't trying to hurt your feelings, Hobi, please let's talk."

Hoseok didn't wipe the tears away, "Talk about what? It would appear that I impact Kookie incorrectly. How could you say that?"

Taehyung began to see Hoseok's viewpoint, "I shouldn't have..." He couldn't believe how the day he proposed to Hoseok was the day their relationship might end. "I was hoping that you would persuade Kookie to stop."

Hoseok looked betrayed, "Is that the only reason you proposed to me, Prince Taehyung?"

Taehyung didn't favor the jeering but it was the least of his worries. He tried grabbing Hoseok's hands but failed, "Please, let's just...Let's resolve this back at the palace."

Hoseok wouldn't be going anywhere with the mer he thought loved him hopelessly. "No. I'm staying with Kookie. Like a best friend would do."

Taehyung sought to stay and influence his gorgeous green tailed merman but there was no getting through him now. He had done enough harm. He dreaded he'd make more errors and end up with more regrets. He loved Hoseok but he knew he had done wrong. Calling Hoseok was a bad friend was wrong of him.

Hoseok rotated away from him and Taehyung knew he'd have to try another day. The blue haired prince hastily swam away from the lair.

"I'm sorry, Hoseok," Jackson asked for forgiveness to the young merman who had his back turned towards him.

Hoseok refused to blame anyone for what Taehyung had said. Right now he had more significant problems to handle with than try to fix something that was on the face of it broken.

                  ✯✯✯

Right where everyone had left him, Jungkook was sobbing at the loss of his collection. He felt so shattered and lost. If his own father couldn't comprehend him, whoever would? Was it so bad for him to dream of an impeccable world of his own that had to do with humans? Humans aren't perfect but neither are mers, Jungkook would've disputed. He felt too blue to do anything though.

The young prince had been too forlorn that he was uninformed of the appearance of guests. Jungkook detected there was someone else there and thought it to be Hoseok or Jackson. He would've told them to go away but the voice that he heard didn't belong to either merman.

"Poor child," a female said in a distraught, understanding tone. Jungkook had never heard of the female's voice before.

Another female's voice was heard, "Poor, sweet, child, Hyolyn." Jungkook spun to see two females he had never seen before. Their lower halves were the body of an eel.

The one called Hyolyn with curly bright blonde hair retorted, "You have a serious problem, my dear. Doesn't he, Bora?"

Bora, the other one, with short dark brown hair agreed, "If only there was a way we could stop the pain."

Hyolyn put a finger on her chin, "But there is something."

Jungkook swallowed, "Who...Who are you?"

Borasat beside the prince and wrapped an arm around him comfortingly, "Don't be scared, sweet prince."

"We know someone who can help you," Hyolyn took a seat on the other side of Jungkook.

Bora nodded, "Someone who can make all of your dreams come true."

Both Bora and Hyolyn said in unison, "Just imagine..."

Bora picked up the broken statue's face and held it out to Jungkook, "You and your dashing prince—"

"Can live your happily ever after, together, forever and ever," Hyolyn ended Bora's sentence.

Jungkook glimpsed back and forth at the both of them, not taking the statue's face, "What do you mean?"

"IU has wonderful powers that can turn your dream into reality." Boraanswered.

Jungkook knew that name too well. If there was something worse than humans it was the sea witch. His mother said his brothers and him to by no means trust a woman by the name IU. When they got older, they learned who IU was. Jungkook wouldn't ever want to be in the woman's presence.

"No! I would never—get out of here! Leave me alone!" Jungkook rejected help from someone like that. He scooted away from the eels.

Hyolyn got up, "Suit yourself."

"It was only a suggestion." Borasaid, following the other eel. Before swimming out, she gradually placed the statue's face on Jungkook's lap.

The prince's eyes set on the statue's face. Timidly, Jungkook reached out and picked up the face from his lap. The eels mentioned his dreams coming true. Could that really happen? Was there really a way that he could be with Jimin always and he wouldn't ever have to worry about his father trying to stop him?

It sounded too good to be true. But he longed to be with Jimin. He loved the human prince. If it meant going to such jeopardies, Jungkook would do it. He just has to get back to his prince.

"Wait!" Jungkook called out to the two eels that rotated back with corresponding grins.

​​​​​​   くコ:彡くコ:彡くコ:彡

Writing the angst scene with Vhope did make my heart ache. Later when I thought out what I was going to write for them in the story near the end I was screaming in my head, "SAVE VHOPE" I'm happy how I continued on with this couple though. Hope you're enjoying the story and comments are loved <3