“Why’d you tell her?!” Saerim-or rather, Haera- burst up from her seat at the dinner table, shocking both parents with the loud screech of her chair while her palms slammed onto the table, “She was very good without knowing anything! Now she’ll think of me as a traitor!” 

“Haera dear, “ Mrs Kang chided softly in attempt to calm the boiling fury that was her adopted daughter, “She realized it herself. Don’t you think it’s time for her to know as well? After all, she has been through so much-“ 

“She’s not the only one that’s been going through okay? Like deal with it, move on. You lost three years, I lost my ing family” Haera rolled her eyes and made disgusting noises. Mrs Kang frowned and opened to reprimand her for being so rude when Mr Kang’s voice sliced the air like a knife. “What is going on?” 

“I-“ “-Appa!” Haera interrupted Mrs Kang and pinched her arm under the table so that a few tears spilled from her eyes, “Omma told Soa e-everything. Soa hates me because of that a-and omma’s just talking behind my back!” 

“I did not-“ “-Is this true, yeobo?’ Mr Kang cut her off with a raised brow, awaiting while the tension filled with the room like a thick blanket stopping her from breathing properly. 

“I-I did tell her everything but that was because-“ “This was not part of the deal” Mr Kang interjected once again, blood rising on the back of his neck. “I thought we had agreed that Soa was to believe Haera was her smaller sister” 

“Soa isn’t dumb” Mrs Kang replied back icily, “She knows her smaller sister more than anybody else, we were stupid enough to ignore the fact that even though Haera may visibly bear similar traits, they are two different people” 

“You could have just lied your way around it!” Haera shouted, showing no respect to the one that had taken care of her all those years. Not even a hint of gratefulness was on her face, and Mrs Kang wondered exactly how had she found this child to be sweet like her younger daughter. It felt like a tape had been pulled off her face, now she saw the world with a much clearer light, and discovered that Haera was not someone that she made herself out to be. 

“Young lady,” Mrs Kang exhaled through her nostrils and tried to keep control of her emotions that were bubbling to the surface, “Go to your room this instant” 

“Whatever!” Haera just rolled her eyes and stomped up the stairs before they heard the slamming of her room door. The older woman flinched at the sound before her gaze pinioned down on her husband, nostrils flaring, “You’re encouraging her to speak like that with me?” 

“The kid has a point, you shouldn’t have told Soa anything” Mr Kang’s reply only added fuel to the fire, and when annoyance burst at her temple, the woman decided that enough was enough. Her hand grabbed onto her cup of cold water before splashing it onto her husband’s face while seeing the cold liquid drip down his shirt in satisfaction. 

“This is what you get for not seeing the pain of your own daughter” She hissed before walking away from the dinner table. Mr Kang’s next line brought shivers down her spine like someone had just thrown a cold bucket full of ice onto her face. It was a miracle she managed to stop and still stand upright, not trusting the jelly that she called her legs to work once his words echoed through her brain. 

“Step out of this room and you’re no more my wife” 

His words were so cold. The tone of his voice so full of menace and darkness Mrs Kang wondered what happened to her husband. He who she thought she knew better than anyone else, that one person she had believed in and who in turn poured his faith into her. he had changed, he was no more the man she loved, the man she had supported all those years. This was a stranger, he was a stranger. When she turned to meet his eyes, they were cold, merciless, with nothing but darkness swirling through his blackened orbs. It was a terrifying site, she could not bear with his temperament and flickering moods any longer. 

Without looking back, she ignored his calls and stepped out of the house. 

Free. 

Soa woke up with a start, heart pounding in her ears and chest heaving up and down heavily. She looked around and relaxed visibly upon realizing that it was only a dream. Hoseok going away and leaving her forever was a dream. Just to clarify this point, her hand landed on the arm that was curled around her waist and she felt his muscular skin. Relief was like a breathe of fresh air and she exhaled, unconsciously burrowing back in Hoseok’s warmth. Breathing into his masculine scent, Soa closed her eyes once again to feel a soft throb of happiness rumble in her abdomen and had to suppress a smile. He had been her pillar of strength for so long, had let her pour the darkest secrets from and hadn’t run away at all. Instead, he stayed. He stayed and pushed her forward with his own two hands even when his own were bleeding with his own burdens. 

He was a keeper, he was her protector. He was everything she was not and for that she was in admiration of his qualities. 

“Your heart is beating so fast” was his mumble that made her heart lurch to so suddenly it felt harder to breathe. Freezing on her spot, the girl’s gaze shifted about on everything in the room apart from his that she was trying to avoid in the first place. She noted absentmindedly that Namjoon and Hani were curled up against each other on the nearby couch while V was drooling on the ground, head against the carpet and feet on Jimin’s stomach who had propped himself on the other edge of their couch. The rest was nowhere to be seen and she was about to frown when Hoseok’s warm fingers were at her chin, tilting it upwards. 

Their gazes met and both stilled, drinking in each other like painters taking in every single details of an artwork; every quality and every crooked edge, every shape, line and color portrayed over their souls. His mocha orbs were burning with so much intensity that Soa felt compelled to look, although her flushed cheeks said otherwise. 

“I have hyper tension,” she blurted out stupidly. 

A chuckle twisted his lips upwards into that crooked smile she adored, “liar” 

Her eyes narrowed, “Why do you even bother asking when you already know the answer?” 

“Because then I can tease you about it” He replied like it was the most logical thing to do and the girl rolled her eyes in response. Really, even if they were this intimate, their endless teasings and insults would never change. It was what started their relationship in the first place. 

“Tease me?” Hoseok managed not to gulp when her eyebrow formed an arch of sassiness, “You really want to play this game?” He felt her fingers lingering at the edge of his face and moved it away at the last minute so that his ears were out of her reach. Sometimes, Soa could be such a cunning little fox it was amazing how he hadn’t ravaged her yet. 

“Let’s go make breakfast” 

A groan of was her only reply. 

He tugged onto her arm when he got up and stretched, “Come on, lazy ” 

“I don’t want to” 

“Oh yes you do” 

“Wae?” She frowned. 

“Because otherwise I’ll-“ in a swift movement, he had caught her lips with his and led onto that red patch of skin, drawing back and his lips to see a flustered Soa beneath him, “-do this till you forget how to breathe” 

“I told you to stop that” she shot up and glowered at him, for once cursing her smaller height for he towered over her so easily it felt intimidating. This did nothing to deter J-Hope who only chuckled more before pecking her nose, “Nu-uh” 

“Yah!” 

J-Hope couldn’t resist her adorable reaction and pulled her by the waist, nuzzling her cheek and cooing softly through her ear, “So ing cute. Can I eat you?” 

Soa’s eyes narrowed, “No” and jumped again once his lips landed on hers before pulling away, saying, “Just you wait”

As she mumbled incomprehensibly and reluctantly followed the boy to the kitchen, another figure stirred slightly. Hani grasped onto Namjoon’s shirt and pulled him closer, burying her face in the crook of his neck only to sigh in bliss when his scent enveloped her nostrils in a lullaby. The boy, being a light sleeper, instantly flickered his eyes open and took in the situation. He gulped when he realized the closeness of their bodies and tried to think of a rational way out of this thing because dear god, he would not be able to restrain himself if she was going to press against him like the earth depended on it. He’d lose his mind trying to keep onto the edge of sanity, and so with the use of his hands, grasped her shoulders to pull her away. 

“Mmm, nooo~” The girl’s lips upturned into a pout, her eyebrows furrowing into a frown as she struggled to keep her grip, “…Five more… minutes” 

“Hani, wake up” He pushed at her. 

“Andwaeee!~” Her aegyo threw him off guard and she took this chance to nuzzle the underside of his jaw. His breath stilled, taking a huge gulp only to press his fingers against his nose bridge. For god’s sake, that woman really was looking for trouble. Just imagine if it hadn’t been him but another member…he didn’t want to think that far. 

“Hani” He called again in resignation. “Hani” 

“Just stop it” 

He cocked his head at her, “Stop what?” he was more preoccupied in getting her off of him before they started conversing. 

“Stop pushing me away when you know we both want this” her mumble was almost inaudible, a mere whisper that passed through her lips. But Namjoon heard her loud and clear; his eyes widened and with shock his gaze flew down to see her orbs fixed on his face. She looked so serious that he gulped in slight intimidation. Before he could open his mouth and ask her exactly what she meant, the serious expression was wiped off her features and instantly she poked his cheek, eyes avoiding his like the plague had struck her. 

“Oh hey, you have stubble” She touched the skin at his jaw lightly, and giggling, passed her finger up and down just to feel the sensation of his prickling hairs. The boy was embarrassed and forced himself not to flush when she was so close to proximity where he could just grab her and kiss the life out of her. Her words were still ringing through his ears but he knew that once the moment has passed, Hani was not going to come back to it. What did she mean by ‘we both want this’? His wheels were spinning in his head but decided to keep it for himself. Why? Because Namjoon was scared; feared the answer that would blurt out of once he asked. He had always been a coward, had always ran away whenever encountering an obstacle.

This time was no different. 

“And your moustache is growing” He pointed out right back at her, watching her face change in horror. Hani leaned back in shock with a frustrated look, “N-No! I do not!” 

“Look, it’s starting to grow” before he even knew what he was doing, his thumb reached out to brush against her upper lip as it bristled against the small hairs beneath her nose. The girl was more than embarrassed as she jerked out of his grip and got to her feet, as if offended by his words when all that was said was the truth. It was funny how women always seemed to take things too much to heart, and the only reason why he stopped himself from chuckling was because he knew she’d throw a fit if ever he did. 

“Y-You jerk!” she threw him one final aggravated look before exiting the room.

 The boy sat there, blinking at her retreating figure while trying not to play back what just happened a few seconds ago. Her body fit so well onto his, and her words, albeit Namjoon was not one who love daydreaming about love and all that romantic stuff, he was pretty sure that she meant them, in a way where she saw him as more than friends, just like he did. 

“Hyung, why are you smiling to yourself like a e who just caught a young girl?”

Taehyung’s voice snapped him out of his momentary daze and the older boy only chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his neck when he replied, “I just realized something that makes me happy” 

“Happy? Like how I am when I get a new toy in the happy meal Mcdonald set?” 

“Exactly like that, Tae” 

The exams came by and went, as quick as lightning during a storm. Then, there was a clear sky. Soa pushed out the thoughts of her family aside and decided to concentrate on her exams for the time being, but now that there was nothing else to do apart from waiting for the results to come out, her mind kept drifting back and forth through the memory of their last encounter. Her mother, she felt bad for having spoken to her in such a way, to pressure her shoulders until the weight broke her. Guilt ate away at her skin as she gnawed onto her fingernails, only to be reprimanded by J-Hope’s hand pulling it away with a stern ‘don’t do that’ look on his face. 

She distracted herself with work; taking on odd jobs here and there before finally settling as a staff member of the coffee shop. She had earned herself an internship after harsh training that she paid for out of her own pocket money – saved up till now- and that very particular morning, the girl was tying up her shoelaces with knapsack slung over her shoulder when Hoseok’s hand came to a rest on her shoulder. 

She was used to him by now, no more jumping or squealing every time he’d make a surprise appearance. But then when her head turned to him, she caught sight of a letter grasped between his fingertips, and frowned. Was that for her? She never received any letters, which was definitely an odd sight. 

“Are you sure it’s mine?” She asked, taking the paper while watching him sip his coffee and shrug on his blazer at the same time. 

The boy nodded, ‘There’s your name on it” 

“Oh” gingerly, as if it would bite her head off, Soa tore the opening with furrowed eyebrows and took out the folded piece of paper inside. She unfolded it and her breath caught at the familiarity of the handwriting messily scrawled over the white sheet. Her face turned pale as she started reading the first line and it felt like something knocked the air out of her lungs. 

“What’s it say?” Hoseok’s worry dawned when he felt her stiffen. 

“Mom’s…” The words scratched and caused it to sting as she struggled to find the words, “Mom left home” 

Hoseok said nothing for a few seconds, more confused than ever as he tried to connect the dots, “What?” 

“She-She left. She left dad and …Sae- Haera” Soa couldn’t believe it; she was frozen in place, as if someone was threatening her with a knife at and she couldn’t move. Her thoughts were a jumble of a mess, a huge ball of confusion that kept bouncing about her mind. Could it be because of her and her alone that her parents’ relationship had fallen apart? That the flame of desire had been blown out? She felt to blame for what occurred and as she continued skimming her eyes down the page, her chest tightened up into knots, her stomach juggling the emotions to make her nauseous. Her mother explained that their marriage hadn’t worked out ever since they decided to cut off Saerim’s life source, how her father had started suddenly dwindling down the wrong path that caused a lot of misunderstandings. It was too much for her mother, too much pressure on her and at some point she was sick, had been sick of him and his endless nights of drinking himself to sleep. When Haera was added to the mix, it only created more problems in the family. The pictures they took together lied about their happiness, because in truth, the family was far from happy. 

I’m sorry I didn’t phone. I can’t bear to speak to you, let alone see you after what I’ve made you go through. I just hope that you won’t hate me too much, because all I did was for your own good. But you still hate me, right Soa? I’m living on my own, rented a small flat just a few blocks away from where you live, but I’ll understand if you don’t want to see me again. Eat your meals and don’t forget to sleep, it’s very important for your health, arraso?
I love you. 

mom. 

Before she could do something she’d regret, Soa felt herself being embraced from behind by Hoseok’s arms twining around her waist. She let her head lean back against his shoulder as she felt his breath hit the skin at her neck. His lips ghosted over her jaw and provided her warmth from his own body. Soa had gone through so much that she was feeling numb from it all, no more surprised at the sudden happenings. She was just so over everything that has been happening, just wanting to close her eyes and drift to sleep without being bothered by it all. There were no tears to shed, she was just sick of everything hitting her in the face when she didn’t understand because she never wanted any of it. 

“I just don’t understand why everything’s just not turning out right” She murmured and twisted a strand of hair around her finger absentmindedly. Hoseok pressed his lips together and wondered why as well when he knew that Soa was just innocent and too good for this kind of treatment. 

The only thing he could do was hold her and that’s what he did, making sure to show her that he was there, even when no one else was, that she could lean on him because that was what he was here for. 

“It will pass, I promise” He replied. 

Soa cocked her head up, nose brushing his cheek and sending chills of pleasure down his spine. Softly, she breathed him in and let herself relax in his odor. It was a comforting smell that cleared her mind when she needed it the most, “I hope so” 

“I need to go” He didn’t feel like moving away from her, not when he was in his happy place, but work was calling and he was reminded that he indeed had a meeting this morning. So reluctantly and trying not to listen to the sound of his desire roaring at the back of his head, he parted from her and took his suitcase. When he looked back, he was not surprised to find that Soa had already gathered herself in order to look strong in front of him, when in truth she needed time and space to think. He could not have been more proud of her at this moment, because granted although numerous bullets are thrown at her, she continues on and doesn’t let it bring her down; his pride swelled as he thought about how amazing his girlfriend was. 

Soa’s eyes met his brown orbs; they exchanged a look before he leaned in to press his lips against her forehead, eyes hooded, “Be careful on your way to work” 

She nodded and looked up at Hoseok only to wrap her arms around his neck and hug him suddenly, making him blink in mild confusion. She backed away before he even had the chance to hug her back, eyes hard with determination to stay in control, to stay sated and try to look at the better picture, “You too, go now, or you’ll be late” 

That girl will be the death of Hoseok, really. 

Lost of movement in this chappie :) Hope ou guys liked it! AND NAMNI OMG CAN YOU GUYS JUST KISS ALREADY DAAAAAYUMMMM TT.TT Thanks to all those who support and read this story! I love reading all your comments it makes my day all the brighter :) <3 Thanks to all, and i love love love you! <3