Obese Love

Chapter 36

The restaurant door swung open, and a figure materialized from the evening shadows. A cold wind seemed to follow Tae-woo as he walked towards their table, his expression a mask of icy indifference. Both Hyung-joong and Taehyung stared, surprised by his unexpected appearance.

"What's this all about?" Tae-woo's voice cut through the tense silence, his gaze flickering between the report and their stunned faces.

Hyung-joong hesitated, then gestured to the open folder. "It's about Hoseok."

Tae-woo, his eyes narrowing, snatched the report and scanned it with practiced efficiency. A grim silence descended upon them as he absorbed the stark details of Hoseok's bullying ordeal. A flicker of something unreadable crossed his usually impassive face, and for a fleeting moment, a vulnerability peeked through the carefully constructed facade.

He slammed the report shut, a steely glint in his eyes. "There's something... unconventional you could do," he said, his voice low and controlled.

Hyung-joong and Taehyung exchanged a surprised look. This wasn't the Tae-woo they knew – the emotionally distant man who had retreated into a shell after his wife's departure.

Tae-woo leaned closer, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Make Taehyung pretend to be Hoseok's boyfriend."

Hyung-joong's jaw dropped, and Taehyung choked on a surprised laugh. "Dad, are you serious?"

Tae-woo ignored Taehyung's outburst, his gaze fixed on Hyung-joong. "Think about it, Hyung-joong. It might throw that stupid Minho off balance."

Hyung-joong considered the proposition, her mind racing. It was an unorthodox approach, to be sure, but the desperation in Hoseok's eyes flashed in her memory. "And... what happens after?" she asked cautiously.

Tae-woo shrugged, a hint of his old mischievousness playing at the corner of his lips. "We improvise. But for now, it might be the best shot Hoseok has at disrupting the status quo."

Intrigue battled with apprehension in Hyung-joong's eyes. While the idea seemed outlandish, it held a glimmer of hope. Taehyung, however, remained unconvinced. "But Dad, what about Hoseok? How will he feel about this?"

Tae-woo met his son's gaze, a flicker of understanding passing between them. "That," he said, a hint of warmth returning to his voice, "is a conversation you'll need to have with your brother."

Hoseok slumped onto the worn leather stool at the back of the convenience store, his body aching from a long shift of stocking shelves and the constant barrage of rude comments from Taemin, his supposed "friend" at the dance studio. The exhaustion was a physical manifestation of the emotional turmoil he was in.

Just as despair threatened to engulf him, the bell above the shop door chimed, announcing the arrival of a customer. He forced a tired smile, expecting to see another grumpy late-night shopper, but instead, his eyes met Taehyung's.

Taehyung was talking animatedly to Seokjin, the store owner, a wide, boxy smile plastered on his face. It was a smile that always seemed to reach his eyes, conveying a genuine happiness that instantly warmed Hoseok from the inside out. Even though Hoseok rarely let himself show it, Taehyung's presence was a beacon of light in his dark day.

Taehyung's gaze met his, and the smile on his face widened further. He excused himself from Seokjin and walked towards Hoseok, his movements radiating a carefree energy that Hoseok desperately wished he possessed.

"Hey, Hoseok! Long time no see," Taehyung greeted, his voice light and friendly. He paused, noticing the weariness in Hoseok's eyes. "Rough day?"

Hoseok managed a weak nod. "Just another day at paradise," he mumbled sarcastically, a hint of bitterness creeping into his voice.

Taehyung's smile faltered slightly, his concern evident. "Is everything okay? You look exhausted."

Hoseok hesitated, his mouth hovering over the words that threatened to spill out. He desperately wanted to confide in Taehyung, to tell him about the bullying, the constant belittlement, the heavy weight he carried every day. But something held him back. Maybe it was the fear of burdening Taehyung, or the shame of not being able to handle it himself.

"Just tired," he finally said, a deflection rather than an answer.

Taehyung frowned, his intuition picking up on the unspoken truth. He wasn't oblivious to the change in Hoseok's demeanor lately. He was quieter, withdrawn, and the vibrant spark in his eyes seemed to have dimmed. But despite Hoseok's closed-off nature, Taehyung was determined to find a way to help.

"How about this," Taehyung suggested, his voice laced with a determined glint. "Finish your shift, and then we grab some ramen together. My treat. Consider it a chance to vent, or just a chance to hang out, no pressure."

Hoseok stared at him, surprised by the offer. He wasn't used to people going out of their way for him, especially not someone like Taehyung. But the warmth in Taehyung's eyes, the genuine concern etched on his face, slowly chipped away at the walls around Hoseok's heart.

A small, hesitant smile touched Hoseok's lips for the first time that day. "Yeah," he said, a flicker of hope rekindled within him. "Grill pork sounds good."

Perhaps, just perhaps, spending time with Taehyung, with someone who genuinely cared, was exactly what he needed to recharge and face the challenges ahead, one step at a time.  

While, wauting for the ramen to arrived. Hoseok cannot help but keep glancing at Taehyung side profile. He feel lucky that a person like Taehyung would date a person like him. Sometimes, he imagine about some sort of fantasies about falling in love to a handsome guy.

The steaming  hot plate of steaming hot food is comeing, He doesnt understand why Taehyung would need to take him out to a ugly person like him that all of his thought. He asks those question to his mind and earger to ask Taehyung about it. 

But, everytime those question cross to his mind. Fear crawl to his spoine nit the couarage to asks thise question to Taehyung. The answer, he'll get when Teahyung would be answer. 

I'm just following, what my mother said...

Taehyung notice the silent to Hoseok, "Are you alright?" Hoseok say Nothing, because. Hoseok doens't want to asks that. They become sweet and Hoseok cannot believe himself that he concern too much on his body. He might become fat, forget the happiness of food and the bonding between him and his step brother or...

" I wish this would never end, if that happen... I'll become sad again."