Behind The Front | Yoonkook

Chapter 12

Yoongi POV

Reaching my meeting place with Hoseok, he smiles and waves.

"Ready for class?" He asks, despite already knowing the answer as he hops on his skateboard, the two of us taking off towards the building we need.

"Am I ever actually ready for class?" I question in return, making the younger chuckle.

"Fair point." He answers with a smile as he looks over at me. I just smile in return, both of us soon jumping off our boards as we reach the music building.

"How was your weekend? Any new developments on the cats? How's the store holding together?" Hobi asks as we grow near our classroom. I smile a little at the question, excited for class solely so that I can begin designing the new floor plan of the shop.

"I'm actually the new owner of the bookstore. I'm changing things up a bit with the place, so I'll be taking all of the cats that are supposed to be getting put down soon there instead." I answer contently. He pulls us to a stop, and I'm looking over at him in confusion. He's got a warm smile on his lips though, tugging me into a hug which surprises me even more.

"Hobi-"

"I'm so proud of you, hyung. You could've turned out so much worse and so destructive with the way you grew up. I couldn't be happier to see you the way you are today, hyung. You're so strong." Hoseok whispers softly, causing tears to begin forming in my eyes. My body becomes shaky at the topic, and I'm wrapping my arms tightly around him to try and steady myself.

I know he feels guilty for not being here this weekend with these kinds of developments. For being home and celebrating his sisters birthday, things that I'll never be able to do. I know he's also relieved to hear about the cats though, knowing they're importance to me.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here this weekend, Yoongi. I'm so happy for you that you're able to save the cats and that you can own that wonderful little bookstore of yours." He whispers softly, holding me as I begin crying softly, cracking under the severity of the topic.

"It's okay. I still had Jin hyung." I mumble softly as I pull away, wiping at my tears roughly. He gives me a warm smile, leaning down and kissing my forehead before we begin on our way to get to class before we're actually late.

When we finally arrive in the auditorium, Hobi and I take our seats in the back. Sitting down, I pull my notebook out of my bag along with a pen. Flipping to a blank page, I take a quiet deep breath, trying to focus and think.

I've had ideas swimming in my head all morning as to the way I want to redo the beautiful old bookstore. Now that I can finally draw and sketch it all out, I want to make sure it's absolutely perfect and that it utilizes the space to the fullest without making the place just simply seem cramped and cluttered.

"Ya know, that's two businesses now that you'll be owning once the bookstore gets to operating. You don't even need your music career that you've been working towards, hyung. Besides, you're perfectly comfortable with the tattoo parlor and the bookstore." Hoseok murmurs softly as he watches begin to carefully draw the outlines of what I'm thinking for the place. I frown at this, shaking my head.

"The bookstore doesn't make nearly enough money for me to be able to fully live comfortably. Don't forget I split the profits of the tattoo parlor anyways. You, Jin, and Joon wouldn't make anything otherwise." I argue quietly, being careful and fully thinking spacing out before drawing anything.

"I'm sure you'll be making plenty by the time a month has gone by after the reopen of the bookstore, Yoongi. Don't be so hard on yourself." Hoseok counters gently, both of us falling silent as the professor begins class.

"Just think about it, Yoongi. I'm almost certain that there's no way you'll ever be able to part with the shop after everything. You and I both know you make enough to get by comfortably, especially if you weren't worrying about college payments. You know as well as I do that you'd be perfectly happy if you ended up staying here for the rest of your life, getting to run that bookstore and volunteering too. Just, consider it. Okay?" Hoseok murmurs in the middle of the lecture.

I simply shrug in response, even though I know he truly ultimately is right. I'd be perfectly happy to never have to part ways with this book shop. It's the one place I've found true solace after all of these years, after all of those years of suffering and struggling, and I don't know that I could ever have the heart to leave it. Especially after Ms. Lee so kindly gave it to me the way she has.

I choose not to focus on that for now though, instead focusing on finishing up with sketching the new setup of the shop.