(WARNING: Mentions of sexual assault)
Ch.8
Sometimes you're good at acting like everything is okay. It takes mastering to trick the cameras after all. With just one photo taken at any second, you were raised to be alert. Aside from business events, this skill comes in handy when going out in public. You were able to pass off as feeling alright in high school. Now that you're in college, you're putting in a little more effort to make it look like you're doing great. Everything was fine! Though as much as you did smile and did your best to act like you were having fun, one person wasn't being fooled.
Did you think you were tricking Hoseok? To be honest, you weren't that focused on making him believe you were doing alright. As long as everyone else thought that everything was normal with you. From afar, that certainly looked like the case. When they didn't know you then it was easy to pass by you without a second thought. It was a little different for Hoseok who got to sit next to you and talk to you. He took notice of how quiet you were in comparison to how you usually act. Suddenly, the Kang (F/n) he knew who could ramble on for days would hardly say a word.
When he subtly asked how you were doing, it ended with a regular 'good'. That's never how you answered in the few weeks he knew you. Hoseok was waiting for you to start telling him every detail of your morning. Where were the complaints about runway shows? The mentions of the twitter arguments you would get into with creative directors? That all seemed to vanish as you gave him a forced smile. At first Hoseok didn't want to pry. If you were being vague and quiet, it had to be for a reason. He was going to respect it and leave it to you to handle. However, the silence was going for a little too long for his tastes.
Hoseok could feel himself going mad. He could be a talkative person himself and having you not utter a single word made him feel deprived. He was having conversations all on his own while you walked with him. It easily began to bother the male. What was wrong? It was something you felt like you couldn't talk about with him or at least that's what it felt like. Hoseok did question if he himself was the problem except he knew you would have told him that to his face if that were true. Hoseok even showed you a picture of himself, commenting about how unattractive he looked and immediately got threatened. Even in your mysterious state, you refused to hear Hoseok talk badly about himself.
If he wasn't the problem then what could be the case? This was more than just simple curiosity. Hoseok was worried for you. Whatever was going on, he would hope that you could confide in him. That's what this whole friendship thing is about. It comes with those perks and he wanted you to take advantage of them. He was all ears, but you didn't feel comfortable revealing so much. If you told him one thing then you had to explain and tell him another. There was so much to tell that it was better off keeping quiet. That was until you didn't eat a single fry.
"Why aren't you eating?" Hoseok held out his fries to you. He was waiting for you to take one and nibble on it cutely, but you only shook your head. Hoseok could tolerate the silence, but if you weren't eating then he really had problems with this. Right away, he stopped walking and lowered his fries. "Kang (F/n), what's going on?"
"Hm?" You turned to face him in surprise. Truthfully, you were in your own mind when you were walking alongside Hoseok. You didn't even realize that you guys were so far away from the main buildings on campus. The two of you were by the edge of campus near all the trees and flowers.
"What's going on, (F/n)? I'm being serious," Hoseok said. Your grip tightened on the chain handle of your purse as you gave him a small smile. "You're not talking as much, you're always out of it, and I'm worried you're not eating as much as you should. It's really bugging me if something's wrong and I don't want to keep ignoring it...please tell me the truth."
You stood completely still in front of Hoseok. He wasn't an honest person by instinct. A lot of his bravery with speaking what was on his mind came from you. If you revealed as much as you did, Hoseok felt no shame in doing the same. He was extremely honest when he needed to be. Now was one of those times and it was impossible to ignore him. The both of you haven't really been vulnerable in front of each other in your opinion. You've never sat down with Hoseok to have a proper heart to heart conversation. Anytime you did think about being honest with him, you immediately shot down the idea.
How could you not think about telling your only friend what was happening? You just didn't want him to get too concerned though. Hoseok is a very passionate person as calm and collected as he may appear, you knew he would have a lot to say if you told him everything. How could he not? If the three men causing the most problems in your life all wanted you to keep quiet then even they knew how bad this looked to others. Your normal was wrong and you just didn't know if Hoseok was ready to hear about it all. It was just upsetting you that you couldn't brush off what happened with your Father that one morning.
"It's a lot, Hoseok. I really don't think you want to hear about it," You admitted weakly. Hoseok was quiet at first as he stared into your eyes. His gaze was intense enough to make your fake smile fade away. Hoseok's lips were pursed tightly before he took a step closer to you.
"No, I do want to hear about it," Hoseok said, taking one of your hands into his. "I don't care if you think I don't want to hear it or if you're trying to protect me from your drama. I'm not going to like you any less for sh*t that you're going through. I just wanna make sure if you're okay and if I can help." Hoseok squeezed your hand. You could almost feel your heart skip a beat. Did he have to be that sweet? You looked away from his eyes, squeezing his hand in return.
"Okay...there's a lot." You sighed as he nodded.
"Let's sit then." Hoseok gently brought you over to a bench. He made sure to hold out his fries to you, grinning when you accepted one. You don't know what made him so happy about you eating, but you appreciated it.
Hoseok didn't rush you to speak the moment you were on the bench. He figured you would still need some time to think your thoughts through and say what you needed to say. It was a mess inside your head. Every time you looked back at your memories, you wondered if that's what really happened. Were you perhaps too rude to Seokjin? Was your behavior the entire reason he was rude in return? But you tried to assure yourself that you had your reasons. Though it was so easy to get lost in what was real and what was fake. Father could speak so calmly when telling you the most horrifying things while your emotions were constantly out of control. It made you second guess all your emotions and question if you really were the problem. You were convinced you were going insane.
"Just let me explain without too many questions first," You started off. Hoseok was quick to agree to your terms as you took in a deep breath. Where should you even start? "I went on a date with my fiancé—"
"Your what!?" Hoseok dropped his fries. There was only three left in the bag, but that didn't make his reaction any less nerve wracking. Frowning at him, Hoseok immediately cleared his throat and adjusted himself in his seat. "S-Sorry...you've never mentioned that before...and no ring..." Hoseok awkwardly scratched the back of his ear.
"Yeah, it's not really something I like to think about often." You let your head hang down.
"...how did you guys meet?" Hoseok questioned, making you let out a small laugh.
"Through my older brother. Don't be fooled though, Hoseok. It's an arranged marriage thanks to my Father," You explained, noticing how Hoseok's eyes remained wide. "I wouldn't be engaged to this man otherwise. It's purely for business and I have no choice in this. Just like the date I had to go on with him. My brother told me to go or else so...yeah, I went..." You stopped yourself. You were about to reveal a little too much, but it was just enough to shock Hoseok further. "My fiancé is a piece of sh*t. He's rude, doesn't respect me, and he got drunk on our date."
Hoseok could have never predicted this. It made him realize just how different your worlds were. While it was clearer to him, you were just grateful to be getting some of this off your chest. You still chose to filter and be vague with what you told him. All he needed to know were the basics. You hate your fiancé and you would rather not marry him at all, but your Father was forcing you too. Your brother also helped in this disaster, but he was also incredibly rude to you for no reason a lot of the time. You defend yourself though you have to be careful about it. Then your date with your fiancé didn't end well so Father scolded you. It's left you a bit on edge ever since.
"I know that's a lot to hear and you're overwhelmed, but you understand why I didn't want to tell you, right? It's nothing against you at all, Hoseokie! It means a lot that you're willing to listen to me. Believe me, it means the world! I really adore that about you though even a few reactions were what I expected. Hearing about my fiancé and my family being awful isn't really fun for anyone. I'm managing though!" You clasped your hands together. You could already feel yourself returning back to your regular self. While you felt great, Hoseok was staring at you in disbelief.
"You're managing?" Hoseok repeated. He was staring at you like you were an alien. All you did was nod and you were only being honest. Still, Hoseok didn't seem happy with this. "I don't know the full details on your relationship with your family, but they're already crossing a lot of boundaries just from what I heard. That's not okay."
"No, Hoseok, it's...yeah. It's not okay, but it's complicated." You sighed heavily, letting your shoulders sink. He furrowed his brows, trying to keep up with what you were saying. "There's nothing I can really do about it as annoying as that is. If I could do what I wanted then I definitely would have by now. It's just that I need to go along with certain things just to get what I want."
"What do you mean?" Hoseok raised a brow. He wasn't happy to hear any of this. From his expression alone, you could tell how pissed off he was.
"As long as I don't fight with my brother too much and treat Seokjin decently then Father lets me have my sewing room. He lets me come to college." Your hands motioned to the campus. "If I push it too far then he'll take me out despite all my hard work and begging just to come here."
"...that's so..." Hoseok had his head down. His eyes were staring at the ground, anger radiating off of him. It was the first time you had ever seen Hoseok like this. It was interesting to see. The two of you have never had a conversation like this before. You always kept up the image of the Kang family to everyone but revealed secrets to Hoseok. You trusted him though. How could you not? "It's f*cked up, but you already know that."
"Most definitely." You nodded tiredly. You were exhausted of having to deal with those three men constantly. It would be a miracle if you ever got free from them. It only felt like a dream so out of reach.
Hoseok was left deep in thought. When he figured something was going on with you, this was not what he expected. He had no clue you had a fiancé, much less such a toxic environment around you. The way all these men enabled each other into shoving you into a corner and forcing you into submission to fit their ideas was disgusting to him. Especially when you were such a free spirit in his eyes. He felt it was impossible to keep you boxed and why would he want that? Hoseok loved your energy and passion. It inspired him to be more true to himself.
The way you behaved around Hoseok was the real you. Completely unfiltered without a care of what he thought about you as long as he didn't think you were a bully. You just felt free around him. There was no need to fake smile or impress him. Hoseok cared to know the real you which you were thankful for. He's seen your passion, determination, and just how much dedication you put into your craft. Now he's gotten to witness some of your vulnerability. You weren't just some loudmouth rich fashionista as much as it looked on the outside. He badly wanted to do something, but...what could he even do?
"You know what? How about we hang out this weekend?" Hoseok suggested. He couldn't tell off your fiancé and certainly never face your family. That wasn't required of him nor was it his job. Hoseok knew where he stood. It was better not to get stuck in a wealthy family's drama with his status. Plus, you badly didn't want your family knowing about Hoseok yet. He's been your secret and it's going to stay that way.
"Hang out together? You really want to spend time with me outside of school?" Your smile was beaming. Hoseok chuckled at this, returning your smile.
"It'll help you destress and it'll also be fun. I'll show you around my neighborhood to get your mind off your troubles. No fiancé, family issues, or rich people stuff. Just you and me." Hoseok wiggled his brows at you causing you to giggle.
"You've already made it so tempting with spending time with you and now you're telling me all this." You happily leaned into Hoseok. Letting your shoulder bump into his, you rested your head against his shoulder. Hoseok had a warm expression as he looked at you. Somehow being with each other was so freeing. "I'd love to hang out with you, Hoseokie. I'm sure it'll be very fun! You'll show me around your neighborhood so I can see all the sights of where the famous Jung Hoseok grew up and all that!"
"The famous Jung Hoseok?" He laughed, shaking his head lightly. "Yeah, I'll show you around my home. I'm sure you'll love it. Though fair warning...it probably isn't anything you've ever seen before."
"Do you live in a hovel?" You tilted your head to look at him. Hoseok immediately burst out laughing, making your face heat up. It was a serious question!
"Yeah, something like that. It's probably nothing compared to what you live in." Hoseok shrugged softly. You stayed leaning against him before wrapping your arms around his. He just felt warm and comfortable to be around. None of this felt weird or unnatural. Hoseok didn't mind it either as he rested his head against yours. He closed his eyes in content, the both of you enjoying the gentle breeze and the warm sunlight. "No matter how different it is, you won't feel out of place. I promise."
"...thanks, Hoseokie."
"And wear comfortable shoes. No heels."
"No heels?" You whined.
"Nope." Hoseok was enjoying this too much. Your whines were kept short and were playful. He's lucky he's cute. In the end, you were grinning from ear to ear.
*~*
It couldn't be Saturday soon enough. You were looking forward to spending time with Hoseok so much. It made it a lot easier to deal with your family members. They never stopped getting on your nerves, but you felt more reason to behave yourself. It wasn't just college this time around. If you wanted to leave the house without raising suspicion or questions then you needed to be on your best behavior. Father didn't think anything of it. He was convinced his little threat to you did the trick. You kept quiet and stayed out of their way. Sometimes Kyunghwan tried to jab at you, but you ignored him just enough not to cause issues.
Kyunghwan really tested your patience though. There were a few times where you were going to possibly punch him in the face and lose everything. Though most of the time, you only thought it. Never did you actually do it since you feared the consequences too much. You just swallowed your pride and dealt with it for the sake of hanging out with Hoseok. You were desperate for any kind of normalcy. If you could spend time with a friend outside of school without your Father switching up your plans for you, you'd do anything to make that happen.
When it finally did become Saturday, you were up before any alarm. The eye mask was tossed off as you jumped out of bed. You were running around in your pajamas in disbelief at first. Was it finally the weekend? Did you survive? Was this real? You were so relieved and then you knew it was time to get to work. Slamming the button on your wall, you were feeling fired up. It didn't take long for the maids to come rushing into your room. They were ready for the orders you had. They needed to get your bath ready and they knew the exact temperature you liked. You'll be selecting your own clothes, but they also need to bring breakfast up to you and tell Mansu that he has a very important job today. His life depends on it!
It was busy at the Kang estate. With all the maids going in and out of your room, you were grateful that Father and Kyunghwan went early to the company today. They didn't have to witness the commotion you were causing. You were doing everything in your power to look good today. After washing up, you put on a simple dress that you made yourself and styled your hair. There were a few last things you had to do which was put on makeup and get your heels on. Hoseok said not to wear any but that was just something you couldn't commit to. You really wanted to wear this dress! It looked better with heels in order to make the skirt not seem too long, but also to elongate your own lines. How could you not wear heels?
"They're only three inches anyway," You mumbled to yourself. Hoseok will sigh at most. Either way, you were looking forward to meeting him. He texted you the address of his house which you already sent to Mansu. He better know how to get there!
You were hoping for the best as you grabbed your purse. It was time to go! While the morning had been hectic, everything had calmed down now that you were leaving the house. Mansu had the car door opened for you. He was sweating as he assured you that he could safely bring you to Mister Jung's house. You just giggled at him calling Hoseok that. Entering the car, you happily hummed to yourself the entire drive over. Mansu was taking you further into town than you've ever gone before. Staring out the window, you were eager to see where Hoseok lived. What exactly did his home look like?
After passing by all the tall skyscrapers and entering a more suburban area, you kept looking at each house with a smile. Except Mansu never stopped in front of the nice houses. He drove past them without a second thought. Oh, so Hoseok didn't live around here? You stayed quiet when the roads began to get narrower. The homes were growing more condensed together with less bright colors. Wet clothes were hanging on lines, there were stray cats fighting over a dead bird in the street, and a homeless man yelling at a plant.
Tightly holding your purse, you couldn't deny how nervous you felt being here. There's no way Hoseok could live in this area. You refused to believe it. This place was so...unsafe. There was trash littering the streets and children playing soccer in the middle of the road with an old ball. They stopped playing right as they saw the BMW slowly driving through. You were grateful for the tinted windows now. The kids were looking at the car in utter disbelief. Even the elderly women carrying their groceries. You had no idea what to think when you saw a man pulling a wagon with a bunch of plastic bottles in the back. What is this place?
"Mister Jung's home is just around the corner, Miss." Mansu stopped at an intersection. Your eyes widened, staring at the back of Mansu's head in disbelief.
"W-What? He...this isn't just a place we have to pass through?" You questioned. Mansu turned the corner when you saw Hoseok standing outside of his home. A small wooden building tightly scrunched between his neighbor's houses. You could feel yourself turn green as you clutched your stomach. "Mansu!!"
"Y-Yes?" Mansu nervously straightened his posture.
"Hoseok is poor! Like really poor!" You shouted. Mansu stopped in front of Hoseok, slowly turning to face you. The man was shaking as Hoseok stared at you without realizing it. The windows were too dark for him to see your shocked expression.
"I thought you knew..."
"I did, but...! Wow...wow, okay." You shook your head. It's going to be okay. You're going to be alright! Though now you were rethinking some of your outfit choices. Quickly, you took off your earrings and other accessories. Mansu pursed his lips, realizing that you were trying to prevent yourself from getting robbed. "Try to drive safely out of here, Mansu. I'll survive as long as I have Hoseok!"
"Uh...yes, Miss." Mansu nodded. "I'll pick you up whenever you call."
"Bye, Mansu!" You opened the car door. Stepping out, you slammed the door and hurried over to Hoseok. He lifted his arms slightly just as you threw your arms around him. Clutching onto Hoseok tightly, you hugged him for dear life as Mansu drove away. Hoseok stared down at you when he noticed you were looking at your surroundings suspiciously. Were you paranoid? Your grip around Hoseok tightened while his arms around you weren't nearly as tight.
"Wait, are you wearing heels? (F/n)! What did I say?" Hoseok sighed at you. "There's potholes everywhere here! You might as well break an ankle."
"Hoseok!" You frowned, returning the same frustration at him. "What is all this?"
"What is all what?" Hoseok raised a brow at you.
"This...place," You whispered. Hoseok shook his head at you right away.
"I told you that this place would be different from what you're used to," Hoseok said as you pulled away from the hug. You still made sure to hold onto his hand. Looking around, you really didn't know what to think. "I guess that doesn't really stop you from being shocked though. But I promise it's fine here even if it's unfamiliar."
"You mean it? I won't get robbed?" You gave him a hopeful smile. Hoseok's relaxed smile became tight before he looked away from you.
"Yeah—"
"Hoseok!!"
"Just don't wear anything expensive!" Hoseok whined. He really sucked at lying. Crossing your arms, you puffed up your cheeks at him. He really tried to lie to make you feel better and only accomplished the opposite. Hoseok only unzipped his large camo jacket with a sigh before bringing it around your shoulders. "Here, put this on. Makes you stand out less."
"Man...I really wanted to look cute for you." You pouted as you put the jacket on. Hoseok laughed at this, stepping closer to zip up his jacket for you.
"You do look really cute in my clothes." Hoseok smiled shyly. Tilting your head at this, you smiled back at him as you felt a strong flutter in your chest. It wasn't going away just like your smile. The two of you were blushing when Hoseok finally cleared his throat. "Okay! Ready to let me show you around?"
"I won't break an ankle?" You asked. Hoseok hummed as he took your hand in his, neither of you mentioning how your fingers interlocked.
"As long as you stay by my side, you'll be safe," Hoseok concluded which sounded perfect! You giggled happily as you brought your other arm to hold Hoseok's. He smelled nice today. You were getting familiar with his natural scent. It just made you happy without realizing it. Leaning your head against Hoseok, the two of you started to walk down the street.
At first you wondered where exactly Hoseok was going to take you. If he needed a ride then you could always call Mansu to drive the both of you around. Hoseok shot that idea down right away though. Not only did he want to do everything on foot, but he wanted you to get the full experience. He wanted you to see how his life was like in order to get your mind off your own. Hoseok also figured it would help you stop thinking he was dying of starvation. You weren't fully convinced which had Hoseok laughing with his whole chest. It's a genuine concern of yours though!
From the looks of it, Hoseok's house didn't even own a garage. When he told you that was true is when you felt like you were thrown off your balance. Hoseok was beginning to find entertainment in your reactions to your dismay. He told you how he had to always use public transportation to get to college or anywhere far. He also told you about the existence of laundry mats. Apparently that's a place where people go to wash and dry their clothes. They didn't have the space in their home and they also couldn't afford it! Hoseok was blowing your mind from all this information.
Though nothing could compare to how popular Hoseok was in his neighborhood. Never have you been so bewildered to see so many people greeting one another. They knew Hoseok by name, asking him how him and his family were. Hoseok asked them personal questions as well. How did he know all these people? Hoseok even knew the kids playing soccer in the street. Even the man who was yelling at a plant! Turns out the man wasn't homeless which embarrassed you. This was all easily a lot to take in. Hoseok's only explanation to you on why he knew them was because they were neighbors. They lived on the same street and suddenly that's what made them so close.
What?
Where you lived, there was a good distance between every estate. Visiting a neighbor would involve driving over which you didn't have time to do. You didn't know their names or their occupation. Everyone who lived around you was a complete mystery. You never minded this fact before though now that you were getting to see Hoseok's life...you kind of like it. It was still strange, but it definitely must have felt less lonely living here. Hoseok seemed happy when waving at them. You remained close to him as he brought you to a street that looked a little busier. It was full of small businesses, but you were surprised to see people have entire shops set up on just a table.
"Where are we going?" You eyed everything around you before looking at Hoseok.
"We're going to see some fishes." Hoseok wiggled his brows playfully.
"Fishes?" Your mouth turned into an 'o' shape. Where could these fishes even be?
You were looking around curiously when Hoseok stopped in front of a certain block. A large man was squatting in front of a metal garage door. The both of you watched him lift up the garage door manually as it rolled up at the top. Hoseok turned to face you, giving you a small nod. Nothing was really making sense to you if you were being honest. You were just letting Hoseok take you around everywhere while people said hello to him. They occasionally glanced at you, but Hoseok didn't bother to introduce you to every single one of them. You really didn't know what was going on as Hoseok brought you into the shop. The scent of fish hit you immediately.
"You opened just in time," Hoseok said with a chuckle. The man who had opened the door put on an apron before letting out a hearty laugh. He didn't even need to turn around to recognize the voice.
"Just came back from my lunch, Hoseok. Why? Were you missing me?" The man turned around to give Hoseok a warm smile. His eyes quickly moved over to you, noticing that you were holding Hoseok's arm.
"Something like that." Hoseok teased. "I came here to see some fishes."
"Better take a good look before someone buys them for eating," The man said. You gasped softly at this as you looked at Hoseok. Was this the fish market he told you about? "But first you gotta tell me who this young lady is."
"Ah...I do?" Hoseok's relaxed attitude turned awkward.
"Is she your girlfriend?" The man was grinning. You began to grin back while Hoseok shook his head profusely. As if dating you would be the end of the world!
"Maybe one day!" You answered.
"No! We're not dating!" Hoseok looked at you, his face pale.
"Hm, okay. I won't cause any lovers quarrel in my store." The man chuckled, motioning for Hoseok and you to run along. "Go look at the fishes."
"Thanks..." Hoseok turned around, taking you over to see the large tanks of water. There were all kinds of fishes and even crabs in them, but all for food. Were you going to eat seafood? "Sorry about that. He likes to joke...but anyway, we're here! An aquarium on a budget."
"Thank you for bringing me to see the fishes, but..." You looked at him with a pout. "Did you really have to be so adamant about us not dating?" Hoseok raised a brow at this, not knowing what was going on.
"...we're not though?" Hoseok sounded unsure.
"You're right, we're not." You nodded. "But who knows? If I'm lucky, I might just get you to fall in love with me!" You giggled at the thought while Hoseok immediately looked away from you. His face was turning pink. He looked so cute! He was trying his hardest to focus on the lobsters that were hardly moving to begin with. "Okay fine, I'm teasing too. Sort of."
"You're really...you're something else, Kang (F/n)." Hoseok's words made you laugh. You brought one hand up to fan his face for him.
"Thank you!" You were done joking around.
Poor thing looked like he was going to faint. Perhaps you were a little too honest there though you hadn't even said half of what was on your mind! You did really like Hoseok and enjoyed him as your friend though. Right now, you valued your friendship with Hoseok so much. It meant a lot to finally have a true friend in the first place. You wanted to enjoy this platonic dynamic with him more than anything. Sure, you think Hoseok is an attractive man and you meant it when you said you'd be lucky if he fell for you, but you didn't have a crush on him. Not yet anyway. Again, who knows? And you were really excited about that 'who knows'!
You let Hoseok show you the fishes he must have been excited about. He was able to name some of them thanks to working at the fish market when he was younger. He forgot some of their names, but you were happy to just be here with Hoseok. Hearing stories about his past little adventures was fun. Hoseok did get revenge though by picking up a crab with tongs. He thought it would be hilarious if he brought a crab out of the water to say hi to you. It only had you screaming and running out of the shop. Your life flashed before your eyes, but he had the audacity to be bending over in laughter. Very funny! But the two of you were even at least.
Hoseok apologized to you though it was hard to believe when he kept laughing. This man! You just shook your head at him, letting Hoseok take your hand in his again. The day wasn't over yet and there was so much more he wanted to show you. Hopefully, no using live creatures to freak you out anymore. This time he presented his mother's tailoring shop which was right next door. It was closed for today or at least that's what Hoseok insisted. Hoseok only let you get a look at the exterior before rushing you over to show you the dentist's office. Admittedly, the dentist was less interesting.
That luckily wasn't where your day with Hoseok would end. After tugging you around his neighborhood, he figured that you would be hungry. You were excited at the thought of food! Where would he be taking you? Back to his place or to a nice little restaurant in the area? You were looking forward to filling your stomach until Hoseok brought you to yet another suspicious area. What is all this? You stopped in your tracks, looking at Hoseok who stared back at you. You raised a brow and he raised one back at you as if he was oblivious to the problem.
"Hoseok, what is this?" You gestured to the confusing sight.
"This is street food," Hoseok answered simply.
Yet another concept that you were doing your best to comprehend. There were all kinds of stands set up where people were using fryers and cooking in front of their patrons. People sat along the sidewalk or got a stool if they were lucky. Menus were written on whiteboards while beverages came from coolers sitting on the ground. This was a completely different experience from watching your chefs cook at home. You were staring at all this, unsure of it all. There were flies close to the hot stands that were only getting swatted away. Was any of this...sanitary?
"Hoseok, I know you mean well." You lifted his hand to place your other on top. "I'm just worried for my wellbeing."
"Don't worry. I know which stands to avoid so you don't get food poisoning." Hoseok winked. That was not as reassuring as he thought it was.
"Hoseok, I want to say I trust you and at the same time I'm starting to doubt your reliability." You let him tug you through the busy street anyway. Hoseok laughed without a care as he brought you to a stand that had a tent set up. There were actual tables and chairs which was relieving until you saw a beetle fly by. "Hoseok!" You squeaked as you pointed it out to him.
"Oh sh*t!" Hoseok jumped, placing you in front of him on instinct. The beetle flew by without a care though you could imagine it snickering from the scene it caused. You pursed your lips, turning around to face Hoseok who was hunched behind you.
"You used me for protection..." You could feel your eye twitch.
"Desperate times call for desperate measures." Hoseok coughed. He straightened out his posture as he dusted off his clothes. His explanation was crap and he knew it. "Uh, take a seat!" Hoseok presented a free table for the both of you.
Crossing your arms, you dropped yourself into a seat as he called out to the woman making food. Looks like the two of you were eating fried chicken tonight. Hoseok sat in front of you with a smile even when you were still disappointed he hid behind you. With how much bugs were around, you were surprised he wasn't used to it yet. It was startling to say the least. You were able to get over it when the woman brought over a large plate of chicken before commenting how the two of you were a cute couple. You immediately thanked her while Hoseok was tense. His eyes narrowed on you as the woman walked away.
"These people know me, you know?" Hoseok grabbed a chicken as you did the same. "I don't want them telling my Eomma and her getting the wrong idea."
"Just tell her it was easier going along with it then denying it." You shrugged, taking a bite of the drumstick you had grabbed. This was the first time you've ever had food like this. It was actually a lot better than you had been expecting. Smiling, you continued to eat which secretly made Hoseok happy. As long as you weren't overly disgusted by the greasy food and eating outdoors like this.
"I guess..." Hoseok ate his chicken before calling out to have two sodas. You were quietly eating your food, interested by how this all worked. There was no waiting staff to call over. He just shouted and the woman running the place was on it. You've been living in your own bubble so high up from the ground that the concept of this was not even the slightest bit familiar. Eventually the two cold sodas were placed on the plastic table for the two of you. "I'll pay for us and after we finish, you can call your driver to pick you up."
"You'll pay for me?" You stopped reaching for your soda. Hoseok gulped his drink, nodding like it was nothing. "No, I should pay."
"I invited you though. It's only fair." Hoseok refused as you pouted at him. For his own pride, you knew Hoseok would be stubborn about not letting you pay. Even though you had more money, he was going to prove he wasn't taking advantage of your wealth. You appreciated it a lot though it wouldn't hurt to let you pay for this. That was until you formed an idea of your own.
"Oh my gosh! What if I take you to one of my favorite restaurants one of these weekends?" You clasped your hands together. Hoseok could instantly see how you were struggling to stay still in your seat.
"Would it be a place I could never afford to even breathe the air of?" Hoseok asked as you gave him a nervous smile.
"It's free to breathe there—"
"You know what I mean."
"Er...it's definitely out of your price range, but! I'm inviting you which means I can pay." You leaned over the table and lowered your voice. Anything to entice him further into accepting your offer. Hoseok had his eyes locked with yours before he sighed.
"It's okay, (F/n). You don't need to treat me to anything like that—" Hoseok was already refusing when you interrupted with a loud groan. Why is he being like this? You understood and at the same time, you were ready to pull your hair out. Hoseok became silent while you were whining openly in your chair. You didn't care about the other people in the tent looking your way.
"Let me buy you food! Please! You've shown me all this stuff! Please!" You begged like a child. Hoseok had his eyes on the ground, doing anything to avoid making eye contact with anyone he could recognize.
"Fine, fine! Just please tone it down." Hoseok winced.
Yay!
You smiled brightly at him, grabbing another chicken to munch on. It didn't take long for others to focus on themselves again. That allowed Hoseok to eat his chicken in peace again. He didn't know how you could be so willing to make a scene like that. As embarrassing as it was, he admired the lack of shame you possessed. It made him laugh to himself now that no one was paying attention to the two of you. All of that just because you wanted to take Hoseok to a restaurant and pay for the meal. He was flattered and shocked by your constant boldness.
It was just something you did without thinking twice. Honestly, it meant a lot that Hoseok didn't hate you for it. You knew you were overwhelming and sometimes you didn't always get boundaries. Though you did your best to always be kind to others. No matter what, you never had some evil intention to embarrass Hoseok or anything like that. You were just eager and quick to whining. Though honestly if Hoseok badly didn't want to accept it then you would have dropped the idea. You hoped he knew that. You didn't want him accepting only to make you happy. From the looks of Hoseok's smile, you think he did know.
'In need of a new phone? My family produces just what you need.'
The familiar voice made your smile fade away instantly. A commercial was playing on the TV screen behind you. It was small with only a few people paying attention to it out of boredom. It had been background noise until that voice reached your ears. His voice was all it took to cause your body to tense up. Hoseok seemed to catch that something was wrong the moment your entire mood changed. You lowered the chicken in your hands, no longer feeling hungry. Hoseok furrowed his brows in concern at you.
"(F/n), what's wrong?" Hoseok's voice was soft.
"...the TV..." You answered meekly. Hoseok's eyes shifted over to the small screen to see a young man presenting the latest phone. It seemed like any other commercial out there. The man was just vaguely familiar since he was in so many advertisements for this company.
"What about the TV? Is it the commercial?" Hoseok asked when it finally finished. It returned to some outdated drama which allowed you to relax and shake it off. You were having a good time here with Hoseok. Enjoying his world and forgetting a lot of your own problems until that.
"The guy in the commercial...he's my fiancé." You placed your chin in your open palm. Hoseok's brows jumped at this, realizing why it bothered you. "I can't even stand his voice..."
"Oh...I didn't think it would be that guy." Hoseok used a napkin to clean his own hands. He found he wasn't hungry either. Hoseok didn't pry though as silence grew between the both of you. Why though? You were so frustrated with yourself. How come you let his voice bother you? Seokjin wasn't here, but you let him control you anyway just like your brother and Father. You're so sick of this!
"Kim Seokjin is my fiancé because my brother suggested it to my Abeoji. He agreed without asking me and forced us to go on a date. Then we were engaged not that long after." You were spilling the truth to Hoseok. He knew a little about this already, but this time you were going to get into details. Hoseok only stared at you as you wrapped your arms around yourself. "I sort of knew Seokjin. I thought he was okay, but it didn't take long to figure out that he wasn't what he seemed. He was being sweet to me at first. Complimenting me a lot and acting considerate until it was the end of our first date."
"(F/n)..." Hoseok frowned, worried where this was heading.
*~*
Mansu wasn't your driver tonight for the first time. Normally he drives you everywhere because you trust him the most of all your staff. Tonight you didn't have him drive you to your first ever date with your fiancé. That was a mistake. People typically date before getting engaged yet you didn't get that. You barely knew Seokjin just from him being friends with Kyunghwan and now the two of you were to be wed in about a year or so. You've known for a long time know that you'd be set up in an arranged marriage, but you had hoped you would have ended up with a sweet guy you could fall in love with.
However, Father chose poorly.
You were trembling by the time Seokjin slowly pulled up to the estate. He was irritated since you hadn't given in to his advances. What made him think trying any of that was okay? You were wearing a sweetheart neckline dress that ended above your knees. Dresses like this were your favorite. Yet with Seokjin sitting less than a feet away from you, you felt so naked and vulnerable. He had tried to pull down the zipper of your dress only to fail because of your adamant protests. He must have thought you were such a feisty one for putting up a fight, but you were terrified and delicate.
Seokjin didn't even say anything as you held your purse close to your chest and opened the car door. Stepping out, you shut the car door to run over to your house. The beating in your chest hurt so much. Now that you were no longer in front of Seokjin, tears were coming out. You entered the estate, breaking down into a strong sob from how frightened you were. What would have happened if Seokjin was stubborn? If you had given in? Were you really engaged to that monster?
Falling onto the floor, you brought your hands up to your mouth. You were safe to cry here. Even if your loud cries got unwanted attention. The staff had the decency to turn away yet at the same time it bothered you. It was different when it came to your family. Kyunghwan had approached you first, originally interested on how the date went but seeing you like this left him baffled and silent. Father's footsteps were slow as he came up to you.
"What are you doing on the floor?" Father narrowed his eyes on you. You wouldn't stop crying and shaking on the ground though. His question went unanswered, frustrating him enough to sigh. "Kang (F/n), what has gotten into you?"
"What did he do? Maybe it was a misunderstanding—" Kyunghwan frowned. Father raised his hand, silencing Kyunghwan to tilt his head at you.
"Princess. Are you going to answer me at all or should I head to bed?"
"A-Abeoji..." You forced yourself to look up at him. It still felt unreal and embarrassing to reveal. "S-Seokjin tried to...he..." You couldn't get yourself to say it, but it was clear to the both of them on what Seokjin had attempted.
"I see." Father sighed. "It's unfortunate, Princess, but there's hardly a girl in this world who doesn't experience something of the sort. I think it's in your best interest to get used to Seokjin's behavior. Learn to like it. After all, he will be your husband."
"..." Your throat hurt. It was hard to breathe as Father left you crying on the floor. He turned away easily without another word, walking off to get a good night's rest. That left you with Kyunghwan who didn't even know where to start. Father wasn't around, forcing him to ponder what to do. Kyunghwan considered stepping closer to you, but he hesitated. You didn't even want to look at him. Especially if he was staring down at you with pity or amusement. Father already said his peace, you didn't want to hear it repeated by Kyunghwan too.
"I'll talk to him and that should be the end of it, okay? Just no more crying and go to bed already." Kyunghwan shoved his hands in his pockets, walking past you to exit the house. He didn't look at you when he said that with his words awkward and rushed.
Was Seokjin even still out there? Was Kyunghwan even telling the truth? You didn't feel like moving from your spot and it's not like the tears would stop either. Sniffling, you stayed sitting on the floor alone for about half an hour before a maid helped you get up and brought you to your room.
*~*
"What the f*ck?" Hoseok couldn't believe what he was hearing. The center of his chest felt on fire, growing angry.
"I yelled and shoved him away a lot, Hoseok. That's all that really happened that night and I'm lucky it ended there since he thought I was too much trouble, but..." You didn't realize your lip was quivering so much. Tears were pricking your eyes as you remembered the night more clearly than any other memory. "...I was so scared, Hoseok..."
"You're engaged to a piece of sh*t and your Abeoji doesn't care? Why is he not worried for you? Did you tell him this?" Hoseok scoffed. You nodded at his last question. You came home, running out of Seokjin's car in tears when you told your Father and brother. Kyunghwan said he would talk to Seokjin, but what good did that do? As for your father... "What did he say?"
"He said I should get used to it. And learn to like it since Seokjin's going to be my husband—"
"What the f*ck is wrong with him!?" Hoseok nearly slammed his hand on the table. There were still others at the tent, but he didn't care. He was furious to hear this although he knew he needed to calm down. You looked like you were shrinking in his baggy jacket. For once, you didn't want the attention on you and he completely understood why. This was the time you carried shame and all because of another person. Hoseok couldn't ignore the anger he felt, but he did his best to be calm for you. He stretched his hand out which you took faster than he thought. "I'm pissed you're dealing with all that...you're safe with me though. If your fiancé ever tries to pull another stunt like that then tell me. I'll set him straight. I don't care if he's rich as hell! I'll protect you, (F/n). Just say the word."
"...thanks, Hoseokie." You squeezed his warm hand. It was intimidating to see him so angry, but you were just glad it wasn't aimed at you. At least you weren't alone in this. Someone believed you. Someone wanted to protect you. That's more than anyone else has ever given you.