Colder Than Winter [BTS | Drama | Romance]

11. Boy Meets Obligation

HOSEOK

It took everything to let them walk away. I could think of a million ways to serve justice on those psychos. And no one would even know it was me. But that wasn't who I was anymore. I couldn't let that be me anymore. When I moved here with Uncle, he convinced me to change and I wanted to. I wanted to be someone he could trust. Someone like him used his skills to protect people. A humble man.

Sure, dad was a cop but he thought beating me was the way to fix my delinquency. As though loyalty to a gang that treated me with more respect than him could be beaten out of someone. Besides, all he cared about was his social standing in the police force. He couldn't handle me, so he sent me to his brother. A master in martial arts who didn't speak much, who was head of field operations for a private security company. I thought he'd be the same.

I was wrong.

We fought endlessly on the mats. Usually because I started it. I lost each time, never learning my lesson and kept finding reasons to fight things out. But every time, after every finishing blow, he was never angry. He'd simply remind me of when I was expected to be at the table for dinner and walked away.

It took me a while to understand what he was doing. Initially I thought he was just throwing it in my face that he was stronger. But that wasn't it. It was like when people needed to cry out their anger or frustration--the need for someone to just listen and be there. That's what he was doing for me.

When I agreed to change in the way he deemed was sufficient, he made me swear off of violence. He even hired Heejae to be my parole officer, driver and body guard if I ever ran into trouble. I wasn't even allowed to learn martial arts from him until I was able to prove my dedication toward change. A few months later, he finally started my lessons and even permitted me to attend school--which I was a little iffy about but I found a reason to enjoy it. I was practically a saint compared to my old self. 

To be honest I wasn't expecting a disciplined life to feel so free. But ever since Namjoon had it out for Yurim, it's been tough holding back. Why did it have to be her of all people? 

I licked the blood off my lip and grimaced at the sting. A slight metallic flavor lingered on my tongue. I was hoping I could get out of this without a scratch. At least then Heejae and my uncle would never know. There goes my clean slate.

I sighed and looked over at Yoongi who sat still as a stone against the concrete wall. When I got here, I wasn't expecting a fight to have already broken out. Funnily enough I wasn't surprised Yoongi was the odd man out. Namjoon mentioned his 'dissention'. And when the pretty boy talked to him, he mentioned a girl being a possible explanation for his actions. Could he have been acting against what was done to Yurim?

If so, how could he have been so stupid? Surely he didn't expect anyone to come and save him from being beaten to death. Was he really going to risk, at the very least, hospitalization for her? My mind returned to his sorry state, pity seeping in.

"Are you dead?" I picked up an old, withered milk crate and sat beside him in the shade.