Secrets | BTS ✓

15

Flashback - October 2014

Hoseok walks into the convenience store with his hands in his pockets; it's autumn and it's slowly becoming cooler outside. He prefers summer weather, but he knows he can't complain about this time of year; the colors are so brilliant and bold.

He's smiling to himself as he reaches the back of the store where the alcohol section is. Since he's having a small party at his house for Halloween, he figured he would buy a couple cases of beer for the people to enjoy. He doesn't drink, but he knows his friends will complain very loudly if there is a lack of alcohol.

Hoseok shakes his head, quietly laughing to himself at the thought of his friends. He's been lucky to have the same group of friends for years; they all met in high school and have never lost contact like most high school friend groups tend to do.

After grabbing two cases of beer, Hoseok quickly turns around and bumps into a smaller figure.

"Oh! I'm so sorry," Hoseok says.

"It's okay," the girl says, pushing her hair behind her ear before peering up at Hoseok through her lashes.

Hoseok gulps at the girl's beauty.

"I, uh... I'm so sorry," he stammers.

"You said that already," the girl says, giggling. "What's your name?"

"Hoseok. What is your name?" He asks, moving away from the open door of the refrigerator to let it close.

"Nari," she says sweetly, grinning brightly at Hoseok.

"Beautiful," he says before blushing and clearing his throat. "Beautiful name."

"What's with the beer?" She asks, pointing at the cases in Hoseok's arms.

"Halloween party," he explains and smiles at the girl.

"Can I come?" She asks and Hoseok's eyes widen slightly.

"Oh. Um, sure! Yeah!" He says and she grins at him before taking her phone out.

"Tell me the address and the time and I'll be there," she says and he complies by giving her his address.

"It starts at 9, but feel free to come any time," he says as she types the information into her phone.

"I'll be there at 8 so I can spend some extra time with you," she says, biting her lower lip before turning and walking away, her hips swaying with every step.

Hoseok lets out a deep breath and stares at the girl until she disappears from view.

~

The party is in full swing by 10 PM, with everyone drinking and talking mindlessly to anyone who will listen. The music is booming and sweaty bodies are squeezed into the living room as everyone dances with drunken strangers.

Hoseok is standing in the kitchen, drinking water out of a plastic cup while Nari drinks beer out of her cup.

She hasn't left Hoseok's side since she arrived, and Hoseok can't complain. She's a beautiful girl, and he has gotten to know a lot about her in these last two hours. He's decided that at the end of the night, he will gather up the courage to ask her on a proper date.

"Hoseok," Nari slurs from beside him and he glances down at the girl, who is clearly drunk at this point. "Let me see your bedroom. I can tell a lot about someone from how they decorate their bedroom."

Hoseok laughs and nods. "Sure! Follow me."

Hoseok takes her hand in his before leading her through the house towards the stairs; he sees a couple of his friends wiggle their eyebrows at him and he rolls his eyes playfully at them. He'd never hook up with a stranger, especially if that stranger is drunk.

After going up the stairs, he opens his bedroom door and gestures for her to go inside. "Here you are, my lady. The place where I sleep."

"Ahhhh," Nari says in awe at the sight of his bedroom. "I love it!"

Hoseok laughs and leans against the doorway to his bedroom; he knows there is nothing special about his bedroom. He has simple furniture and nothing is hung on the walls. He hasn't lived in this house for very long, so he's still in the process of making it his home.

"I'm going to hang up posters soon and-"

Hoseok's words are cut off by Nari's lips pressing against his.

He can taste the alcohol on her lips and he immediately pulls away.

"I'm sorry," he says, wide-eyed. "I can't do this. You're drunk and I still don't know you very well."

Nari scoffs. "Come on. I'm fine."

She leans in to try to kiss him again, but Hoseok holds his arms out in front of him.

"I'm sorry, but no. I don't feel comfortable with this," he says and Nari scowls.

She purses her lips and shoves past Hoseok to leave the bedroom. He tries to call after her but she completely ignores him. She stops for a moment at the top of the stairs before suddenly slapping herself in the face.

She turns around to face Hoseok and grins at him with her reddening cheek shining, but it's not the same grin that he's been seeing from her all night. It's like she's become an entirely different person. Her eyes aren't shining with excitement and happiness anymore; they are cold and hard.

Nari closes her eyes for a moment, and when she opens them, tears start to fall down her cheeks. She reaches her hands into her hair and messes her hair up until it looks tangled and disheveled.

Her mascara is running down her face in dark streaks and Hoseok is staring at her, mouth hanging open in confusion.

After one last look at Hoseok, Nari lets out a blood-curdling scream before she turns and runs down the stairs in a frantic pace.

"Help! Someone help me! Hoseok just hit me because I wouldn't sleep with him!" She screams at the top of her lungs and Hoseok begins to run after her in a panic.

"No! Oh my god, no!" He yells as he follows her down the stairs.

"Get away from her, you piece of shit!" A man yells as he takes Nari and gently pushes her behind his back.

It's one of Hoseok's high school friends.

"No! You know I would never-"

"Should we call the police?" Someone asks quietly and Nari sniffles.

"No. I just want to go home," she says in a shaky voice.

Slowly, everyone begins to file out of Hoseok's house. Some people give him death glares, some people shove past him harshly and some are calling him vulgar names and yelling out death threats.

After everyone has left, Hoseok falls to his knees at the foot of the stairs in despair, at a loss for words at how quickly things took a turn for the worst. She was so nice only minutes before, but as soon as Hoseok refused to hook up with her, it was like she changed into a different person; a vile person.

After that, for months, people would vandalize his house, leave anonymous voice messages promising him a slow and painful death and people would cross the street to avoid being near him.

He finally decided to abandon his now unbearable life and he moved across the country to start a new life, desperately hoping to never hear the name "Nari" again.