Pandora's Hope

Come Back Home

Hoseok wishes too. No matter how much he begs and pleads it won't make new information appear out of thin air. It's deflating.

"Hoseok," Namjoon says softly. "Please take care of yourself. Eat something at least. I know this has been hard on you, but you know Nari wouldn't want to see you like this. She wouldn't want to find out that you haven't taken care of yourself."

Hoseok looks up at Namjoon without saying a word. He notices the soft look on Namjoon's face is filled with concern and compassion.

"I'm saying this not as a detective, but as a friend," Namjoon continues. "You can call me anytime if you need anything. I'll send you some food or whatever you may need. I just want you to take care and know that I'm here."

"Thanks," Hoseok says softly nodding. Although his depressed state is making it hard for him to express it, he truly appreciates Namjoon's support and everything else he's done so far.

Namjoon is reluctant to leave but he has to return to work. Hoseok is left alone once again with his thoughts. That never used to be a bad thing until his reason for being disappeared. Namjoon was right though. Nari wouldn't want to see him like this.

He can already hear her voice in his head telling him to eat something and get some sleep. He can still taste the memory of her burning his toast one morning then trying to cover it up with a mound of strawberry jam hoping he wouldn't notice, all because she didn't think he was eating enough.

He can still hear her telling him to leave the bar and get some sleep. He hears her fussing at him for still being awake sometimes when she'd get home from work. And the most piercing sound, the one that breaks him the most. The promise she made.

"All I want is for you to come back to me soon and in one piece."

"I promise I will."

"So much for that promise," he mumbles to himself.

She promised she would come back. She promised she would make it up to him. That promise that will never stop ringing through his head.

"Fuck."

He looks down at his fidgeting hands in his lap trying to will himself to stop shaking. Then he takes a look at his bracelet. The bracelet she made him that he hasn't taken off since. The bracelet reminding him that he's her hope.

"You've been my hope ever since I met you. No matter what happened I always knew I could go to you as my safe place. I just want to thank you for always being my hope."

"I'm her hope," he repeats to himself igniting a small spark in his soul.

She could be out there somewhere scared and alone, she needs him, her hope. He's been here fearing the absolute worst. Fearing she's been buried somewhere and he'll never see her again. But on the contrary, she could still be out there waiting to be saved. Waiting for her hope.

Suddenly he jumps off the couch and rushes to wash himself up. He's going to find her no matter what. He's not sure where to start so he goes off of what little information he has. She is or was no doubt with Leo, if he's trying to flee to Busan then Hoseok was going to try to find him.

He jumps in his car and the first place he goes is back to Leo's apartment. He sits in the parking lot staring at the front door wondering what could have possibly happened in there. As he's thinking he realized he has no idea where to go from here. All he knows is she had to have been with Leo and her car was at the train station, and Leo is looking to flee to Busan.

For all he knows Leo could already be in Busan, and if that's the case what is he supposed to do now? Did he dump Nari somewhere and go on the run or did he take her with him? Most importantly, why? What set this whole thing off? Was it JK getting arrested? Did he feel like he needed to flee to Busan since everyone he had here has been arrested now?