Hani waved goodbye at Saerim’s retreating form, her quirky smile slipping from her face the moment the younger girl turned the corner only to be replaced with a tired but satisfied expression. Namjoon thought that she hadn’t seen him coming and decided to tempt his chance by hiding beside the wall of the neighbouring house when her shrill voice rang out to send shivers across his skin.

“I know you’re there, Namjoon”

Reluctantly, almost as if someone was dragging him out, he walked up next to her with a frown scattering his features in darkness. His lips opened to ask a question, one that had been burning at the back of his tongue for some time, “What the was that, Lee Hani?”

“That? You mean Saerim?” instead of seeing a shocked expression on Hani’s face, Namjoon blinked when the girl broke out into a satisfied smile. It almost looked genuine that it blinded him for a moment. What the hell had happened to Hani and who the hell was this stranger smiling at him like she never once did? It had been ages since he’d seen that smile, and god knew he could count them on his fingers. Hani had never been an honest person, mainly because she needed the attention, she needed to be found interesting so that people talked about her, therefore always inventing stories and trying to mold into a perfect creature that one would worship if he was blind enough.

Unfortunately, Namjoon could say that it worked on most boys at school. Granted he wasn’t one to fall for her fake charms especially when he knew her since they were practically toddlers.

“Come in” She grabbed onto his hand and he jumped at the contact. Hani had never ever done that in the past, and doing it now meant that it was something important. The boy was left once more in the dark, thinking that maybe there was more to Hani than what she was reflecting to the outside world. Namjoon knew that there was this hidden, angelic side of her that surfaced only when she was out of society’s hypocritical eye, but he couldn’t help but imagine how much more beautiful she’d be if she would just drop the fake act and start acting a bit like the Hani he used to know.

“How do you know Saerim?” he went straight to the point. He was never one to dwell and beat around the bush. Hani giggled in response and scrunched her nose, “So impatient are we?”

“Hani, I’m not here to play games” he answered coldly.

“Right, god Namjoon why so serious?” the girl proceeded to roll her eyes and chuckled, “I mean I’m going to tell you anyway so might as well wait for it. I’m not going to run away from you”

Instead of replying, he only cocked an eyebrow in her direction, signaling that if she wanted she could’ve just dashed out and run away because knowing Hani, she could be unpredictable like a storm.

“Do you want some ice-cream?” she plopped down onto one of the kitchen chairs and reached out her long legs onto the table in front of her, not even bothering about the fact that Namjoon was present and that her behavior wasn’t all that ladylike. Rolling his eyes, the boy took a seat facing her and restrained himself from fidgeting in his seat. There was something going on behind those chocolate swirls of orbs, and he couldn’t wait to find out especially if it meant involving Hoseok and Soa.

Granted, he’d seen enough of their fights to last them a century. People could at least leave them alone for now.

“Hani” Namjoon’s voice echoed out as a growl when his patience could not stand it anymore. He was slowly losing his cool especially when the latter was doing everything and anything to stop herself from blurting out her secret. “You’re seriously testing my ing patience”

She laughed, “Chill Joonie”

Let him repeat that sound in his head, she laughed.

ing laughed.

Okay did somebody drug her today?

And really, Joonie? What the was that name?

“Alright then,” She placed the tub of ice-cream on the counter and removed her legs from the table, leaning onto the cool granite with her elbows and looking at him with dead seriousness swimming in her eyes.

Finally, she was going to tell him what was going on, and maybe he’d understand for once. He hoped that it wasn’t something against the couple for he’d probably just faint this time.

Hani was mean but not that mean.

“Well, you see…’

“Hoseok! Come back here!”

The door of Hoseok’s room slammed once again but this time, he wasn’t inside. His duffel bag bumped against his thigh every time he walked, but that didn’t stop his huge and determined strides down the stairs and through the kitchen. His aim was to get out of the door before exploding or losing a screw of his head. He mustn’t show them the wreck they have made him become, because there would only be just satisfaction at the end of the day, and that would gladly make them happy.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

This voice. That voice.

The voice that had taunted him for years on end.

His father.

The boy stopped in his tracks and turned, a pokerface hiding all the wreck of emotions that was tormenting through his brain at this moment. Thoughts were tumbling from all sides, most evil ones dominating his feelings before Hoseok took a deep breath and replied as coldly as he could, “away from here”

Mr Jung crossed his arms with a smug look on his face; Hoseok’s fingers throbbed to slap it away. “Really? What do you know? You’re just a kid trying to run away from your problems once again”

“Yeah, I wonder why” was his sarcastic reply.

His father’s face darkened. The amount of loathing for this man couldn’t be compared to whoever, Hoseok agreed with himself that right now he was grateful for not having similar traits to him because then looking in the mirror would be like looking at his father, and he blessed god for his mother’s genes.

“Jung Hoseok who do you think you are to talk to me this way?”

“I’m not your son! You’re not my father! You’ve been screwing up at this role for your whole life!”

“I’m trying to do what’s best for you, you little brat!”

“NO!” Hoseok shot back, “You know nothing about me! You don’t care about what I want!”

Mr Jung’s laugh was one of mockery, “That’s because you dream too much my boy. A dancer? What money would you get from that?” he sneered.

The boy took a deep breath before looking at him straight in the eye, “Goodbye. Ahjusshi”

And then he was gone.

The rain was splashing down onto the cold, sullen roads of the city while Hoseok flew past them, past every lamp post flickering with their somber yellow light.

He couldn’t care less whether he was getting drenched, hell he couldn’t even care if he got sick, he only needed someone to comfort him and hold him in her arms while telling him that everything was going to be okay. His sneakers splashing into puddles, he pulled his hood up not to hide from the rain but to hide his tears streaking down his face. Hoseok was usually someone that could stand his ground and didn’t shed tears easily. But this was the last straw; the end of his tether. How could he go on like this when everyone was looking down at him? in this cold, harsh world filled with dreams, why was everyone just looking at him like a freak for wanting dream differently? It wasn’t fair. Sobs were wretching out of his voice box, almost making him choke out of breath, but still he continued running, bag bumping against his hip.

When he paused to catch his breath under a lamppost, this one flickered, once, twice before going out. Looking up, he thought how ironic it looked, for the light that had given him so much hope would just die away with a single flicker. Ironically, he thought that reflected this false hope he always held when his father was concerned. He had held onto this string while thinking that maybe, just maybe his dad would someday turn back and realize just how much Hoseok worked hard to achieve what he wanted the most, to appreciate his efforts…but no, not even that, not even a slight acknowledgement about his dancing skills, or his rap…or anything for that matter.

The only person scattered around his thoughts, the only one that could comfort him right now was the one he had been thinking of all along ever since he left the house.

He needed to see her, now.

Nevertheless, Soa was more than surprised to see a drenched Hoseok standing outside her door.

“Hoseok?” Blinking at the boy’s sudden presence, the girl only frowned before catching the look on his face and letting him enter without a mere protest.

“You’re freezing” she noted once she caught him shivering.

Still he said nothing.

The boy trudged in like a zombie would, and he didn’t even have time to recollect his thoughts when the girl threw him a towel and told him to just go wash up in her bathroom. She watched him walk away like a half-dead person, and worry flooded her system like it flooded through her heart. What had happened for Hoseok to look so broken? Usually, the boy was adamant about not letting his feelings show because that was just his male pride. But sometimes, she felt like he kept his problems to himself and it killed him. it wasn’t right, for him to go through all those things. But no matter how much she pestered him to tell her his secrets and what he was thinking about, he’d shut off and tell her that it wasn’t any of her business. Soa was wounded most of the time, especially when he’d use that snappy, cold tone that caused her to flinch.

But this time, it seemed like a totally different matter.

Hoseok looked broken.

The look in his eyes, it was something she had never seen before.

Soa decided that preparing some coffee would be better than sitting around and wondering what the heck happened to her boyfriend. So decisively, she went on about in the kitchen trying to distract her from the worry that had eased a permanent place in her mind. it did little to ease her anxiousness though; all she could think abut was whether Hoseok hadn’t suddenly gone ballistic inside the bathroom and cut himself. Thank god she didn’t have any razors. He probably wouldn’t be able to do much damage.

Unless he banged his head against the wall.

The door to the bathroom opened after a while and Soa was already sitting on her couch when the said boy appeared, still walking like he had the life out of his soul by a dementor. Plopping himself down next to her, he didn’t acknowledge her presence and kept staring at the wall opposite him. Soa sighed and forcefully wrapped his hands round his mug she had prepared before walking away.

He looked down at the coffee, steam swirling up like mist and looked back up at the wall.

He was numb, he couldn’t, wouldn’t feel anything.

Maybe it had been a mistake to come over to find solace in Soa’s arms. She would be troubled and would lose sleep over him and his well being. Soa wasn’t someone that just played it off, she’d worry about the smallest things and that’s what scared him the most; her passion. Or maybe he’d just be a burden to her now, seeing as she was going on and coping well with life after her sister had returned to her original home. Everything seemed back in place.

Maybe he should’ve just stayed away after all.

But then he got the shock of his life when two hands dropped a towel onto his wet, dripping hair, Soa’s fingers skimming through his drenched locks before standing in front of him and starting to dry his hair like it was the most natural thing in the world.

“Idiot” She murmured when she pressed his head against her stomach while continuing to dry his drenched mop. The boy’s heart soared; whether it was in pleasure or in wonderment, he didn’t know. But he felt relieved and more than a little touched that Soa took care of him like he would’ve taken care of her, since she wasn’t someone that could show her expressions and her feelings that easily. It came as a shock when she initiated skinship, not that she was complaining or whatsoever.

With every touché she exerted onto him, it felt like a caress, like a feather would brush over his cheek, causing his heart to skip beats and stammer inside his head. He had never felt so loved and cared for in his life, not even with his mother who had become a stranger these past few years of him growing up. It felt good for once, leaning onto someone for support and not having to do anything by yourself, as it usually was in his case. This time, Soa was there to lend him her arms and he was more than grateful for that.

Before he knew it, he had his arms wrapped around the said girl’s petite waist while pressing his face into the material of her shirt. It took only a gasp from Soa to make Hoseok’s lips twitch slightly.

“What happened for you to be so upset?” The worry was obvious in Soa’s tone.

He took a breath, hesitating, before murmuring in her shirt as his lips brushed her stomach lightly through the material, “Family problems”

“Your parents?”

“Mmhm” inhaling her scent made him feel like he was at home, safe and protected. He had always loved Soa’s scent, a fresh piece of cut mint along with a soft buttery peach that reminded him of baby clothing. “My dad trying to rule my life”

Her hands paused in mid-movement, “Did you try talking to him?”

He nodded, nose nuzzling the material of her shirt, “My dad’s a lost case”

Upon the memory of his father surfacing, Hoseok’s grip only tightened around Soa’s waist as she softly caressed his head in an attempt of comfort. She knew she wasn’t the best when it came to taking care of people, but she tried at the very least.

His breath rolled over her body and it ignited sparks inside her chest. Soa gulped and tried hard to regulate her breathing for she feared that he could hear her heartbeats skipping about unrythmically.

“Gwenchana” she soothed him, like a mother cajoling to her child. “You don’t always have to be so strong, Hoseok”

That sentence, only composed of nine small words broke the leash he had been holding onto his sadness throughout all that time. it was enough to break that wall within him, that solid mural that he had put up in order not to mess his feelings around…now that he thought closely about it, him and Soa were very much alike, no wonder they always fought about mixed up feelings, because they were always misunderstood by the other.

He didn’t want Soa to see his tears, and if she did made no comment that could embarrass him. Instead, her hands wound tighter around his head as she cradled him close to her body and trying to give him the warmth he was yearning for. Her heart dropped when her ears picked up the boy’s sniffles; she had never seen Hoseok cry in his life, it had to be the first time he let down his guard so easily, meaning that what just happened had really affected him in a bad way.

This meant trouble.

Hey guys! 

It's been such a long time omg I'm so sorry :S 

I know the chapter's content isn't the best especially when there's no real fluff and little movement in the plot. Actually I wanted to add more in this chappie but it would just ruin the suspense wouldn't it? hehehee ^^" Anyway, won't be able to update next week if I have too many deadlines to submit, so I'm really sorry but I might actually put this story on hiatus :( As you guys know, I'm doing my final year in highschool and therefore this is a really important year of my IB Programme (IB btw, it's so freaking hardcore i pity everyone doing that program at their school). 

How did you like HobiSoa's interaction? :) Was it fluffy enough or no? It's rare to see Soa's comforting and gentle side so wanted to show you that even though she's tough she can still comfort Hobi in his time of need. and OMG HOBI MY POOR BABY CRYING DON'T CRURAIIIII~Pained my heart to write this scene really, I can't imagine Hobi crying ~ :( 

WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK ABOUT HANI AND NAMJOON?????? 

Thanks to all readers and subscribers! I am so sorry not being able to reply to comments because of school.... :( BUT I DO REALLY APPRECIATE ALL YOUR COMMENTS YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST THANK YOU SO MUCH! :D <3 FOR GIVING THIS STORY SO MUCH LOVE! I LOVE YOU ALL! <3 MUAH! CHU!<3