[Left to right: Yesung, Donghae, Eunhyuk]
Ch.25
Things weren't perfect at home, but you were used to that. It was unfortunate. That was all you could really say about it. You avoided breakfast today since you knew Father wouldn't be there. Only Kyunghwan and you still weren't in the mood to see him. He probably wouldn't say anything to you though. Not after the extreme reaction you had. Maybe he would have said something, but you really didn't want him to. It was easier to avoid that altogether by not going. Instead you had a small breakfast packed and had Mansu drive you to FIT earlier than usual.
You've been avoiding Kyunghwan recently and for good reason. After yesterday, you just weren't in the mood to talk to him. He was so hard to figure out recently. Was he trying to help you or was he just following Father's plans? What were his intentions? If he was only there to help Seokjin then you don't want to see him ever again. But there were moments when it felt like he took your side instead of his best friend's. What was the truth? It was too hard to sort out on your own. Kyunghwan was just as complicated as you were. There were times when you've attempted to help him yet they were never enough. Could you even consider it 'help'?
*~*
It's only been a month since you've finished middle school. There were still so many days left of summer break so you intended to have as much fun as you could by going to the fabric store. It's always been a hobby of yours to sew and make clothes, but lately you've really been getting into it. So you messaged Mansu to have the car ready for you as you left your bedroom. By the time you were approaching the stairs, you came to a stop to hear voices. They belonged to Father and Kyunghwan. Staying quiet, you stayed close to the wall to check what was going on. Sneaking out of the house might be a problem with them right there.
"Don't bother coming into the company. I have people to entertain and all you ever do is make a fool of yourself in front of others. I don't need you acting like an embarrassment in front of my colleagues," Father said coldly. You were tense just from hearing his voice, but his words made you feel...sad. You secretly took a peek to check Kyunghwan who was giving Father a small smile. You were fourteen while he was eighteen, only recently getting hands on work with the company.
"I promise I won't embarrass you, Abeoji! I actually can be of help since I was thinking for the Gangnam branch—" Kyunghwan was ready to impress, but Father never looked thrilled.
"Not a single thing you said was worth wasting my time over. We're done." Father narrowed his eyes on Kyunghwan, making him quiet. Father sighed heavily as if talking to his son was exhausting. He looked away from Kyunghwan, staring down at his expensive watch. "I'll let you around my colleagues when you stop being a disappointment."
"..." Kyunghwan silently nodded. You frowned at this, wondering why the hell he would nod to Father's words. Regardless of your feelings towards your brother, you wish he would have a little more self-respect for himself.
Father left like that without a care. He never really said goodbye to either of you. Slowly, you began to step out as Father went out the front door. He was going to the company today so he wouldn't be a problem. As for Kyunghwan...you doubted he would put up much of a fight with you after that. Especially if you saw it. That only hurt his pride and you honestly weren't sure if he had much pride to begin with. Kyunghwan was stuck standing in the same place Father left him when you walked over to him quietly. By the time you were at his side, Kyunghwan finally snapped out of it to look down at you.
"What the hell do you want?" Kyunghwan tried to sound tough and aggressive. He just sounded defensive and hurt.
"...I have something for you," You spoke softly. Kyunghwan furrowed his brows, waiting when you held out a small packet of tissues for him. "You look like you need them."
"If you saw, just laugh and go away." Kyunghwan turned away from you to walk back up the stairs. He didn't take your tissues which you figured he wouldn't. Still, you found yourself reaching out to grab him and that only annoyed him further. "What?"
"You're not..." You started, but you couldn't get yourself to finish. For some reason the words just wouldn't come out. Kyunghwan stared at you quietly until he knew you weren't going to finish your sentence. He brought his hand to his wrist, gently shoving your hand off.
"Thanks anyway." Kyunghwan stopped looking at you to keep walking back to his room. He wasn't going to stop you from leaving the house and doing whatever you want. He didn't tease you or pester. He only grew more distant from you and you didn't fight it as you went down the stairs to continue your day. The atmosphere at the Kang estate felt heavy as ever.
*~*
You disliked your brother a lot and then sometimes...sometimes you remember that the two of you go through similar things. It wouldn't be a stretch to say Father hates the both of you equally. That didn't bother you as much as it bothered Kyunghwan. It was times like this that got you thinking. You always wish Kyunghwan would protect you, but you never protect him either. All you did was stand there and you could hardly comfort him. Not to mention in the past you have purposefully lied to get Kyunghwan in trouble and he was verbally abused as punishment. What a pair of siblings you two were. Your whole family was a joke. No one knew how to be affectionate or care for each other without it feeling insincere. You all hurt each other.
Hoseok didn't know much about what was going on. Some things you revealed to him because you wanted to share. Getting his opinion on things helped and you appreciated the thought he put into his words. Still, not everything was shared with him. A large part of you felt shame. He had such a loving mother and a nice home life. It felt embarrassing bringing up your home life. It certainly looked nice from the outside. Hoseok knew by now that your family wasn't...great.
Even though he knew, you just didn't want to overwhelm him with that kind of stuff. No one really ever wants to hear about it and get involved. You gave Hoseok his space and if you felt like you needed to, you'd share. Otherwise, you did your best to live as normal as possible as always. You went to your classes, did your work, and spent time with Hoseok. The two of you finished up your classes today and headed to the thrift store. That's where you got the nice surprise of finding out Donghae and Yesung were there too. Naturally, things got interesting and it was the perfect distraction.
"So, you guys are going on a trip together? Alone?" Eunhyuk raised a brow at Hoseok and you. His tone was suspicious although his stance gave that away. He was trying hard with the crossed arms and the elevated chin however, Hoseok remained the slightest bit taller.
"Yep! It's a romantic getaway!" You cheered as Hoseok began to laugh loudly. Yesung and Donghae were obviously listening in. They were seated on the ottoman behind Eunhyuk, leaning over with their elbows resting on their knees. They weren't even saying anything, but you saw their eyes switching to whoever spoke.
"It's actually not. It's just a short trip to see a runway held at another college is all." Hoseok shrugged. He was doing his best to clarify and lower the suspicions from his friends yet they knew too much.
"A short trip doesn't mean staying overnight together at a hotel." Eunhyuk narrowed his eyes on Hoseok.
"Oooh, this is getting good," Donghae mumbled.
"One bed?" Yesung questioned.
"Of course!" You smiled. It'd honestly feel lonelier to sleep in separate beds. Nothing had to happen, but the three older men in front of you were freaking out from this information. Hoseok knew exactly what they were thinking and he needed them to stop. He just wished you hadn't revealed that kind of information. Then again, you were the one paying for everything.
"OH—" Eunhyuk gasped, bringing a hand to his mouth. What stopped him from continuing was Hoseok quickly ramming into him towards the ottoman. Yesung and Donghae were tragically knocked down in the process. The four of them were piled on top of the pink ottoman, groaning in pain from Hoseok's actions. You were honestly surprised by what Hoseok had done. You blinked to make sure you were seeing things right. The sight in front of you didn't change though.
"I'm going to explain it very clearly to all of you!" Hoseok pushed himself up from the pile. The three remained uncomfortably squished together like sardines underneath him. It didn't help when Yesung tried shoving Eunhyuk away by pushing at his face. They were trying to wrestle until Donghae pinched the both of them so they could stop. "(F/n) and I were told that we need to go critique a runway show and our professor gave us a flyer for this show. It's two hours away, but (F/n) wants to stick around in that area for longer. That's why she decided to get a hotel room for us to stay in overnight before coming back. That's it!"
"One bed!" Eunhyuk shouted.
"For sleeping!" Hoseok growled.
"She said romantic getaway!" Yesung pointed out.
"(F/n) is always saying things like that!" Hoseok glared at them.
"(F/n)?" Donghae looked over at you. Hoseok could say all he wanted, but Donghae knew he could get the truth out of you. Eunhyuk and Yesung stopped struggling to look at you too.
"Hoseokie is right. It's just a school assignment, but the romantic thing is that it's just us two!" You clasped your hands together. "That alone makes me happy! But I will say for all of you to get your head out of the gutters."
"Yeah!" Hoseok flicked Eunhyuk's and Yesung's forehead They accepted the flicks as Hoseok stepped away from them. He was actually relieved that you had that as your answer. If you had said anything bold then he wouldn't know what to do.
A lot of this promising that nothing more would happen was more to reassure himself than his hyungs. In the end, they were just teasing him but for Hoseok...were you expecting more? Was he expecting anything himself? Hoseok rubbed the back of his neck, doing his best to act natural. He was blushing profusely in front of everybody. Adorable as always in your eyes. He was embarrassed, but there was a little more to it. Hoseok was doing his best to keep his thoughts at bay while he was here with his friends. After all, Hoseok was a private person when it came to anything about his relationship.
While you had enthusiastically shared with Eunhyuk that you had your first kiss with Hoseok some time ago, Hoseok hadn't said a word. He didn't budge when it came to sparing any details. He didn't want to say anything you weren't comfortable with. However, you seemed pretty happy boasting about how romantic Hoseok was to you. Princess may be the nickname he's given you, but Hoseok really does treat you like the most precious person in the world to him. Completely respectful, kind, and thoughtful towards you. You'll take any chance to boast about him!
Though telling a friend that you've kissed your boyfriend was a lot different from telling them that more happened. It's not their business if anything happens. Maybe something will or it won't. You'll leave that up for Hoseok and you when the two of you go. The timing would certainly be perfect for more. Your eyes remained glued on Hoseok who was acting stubborn in front of his friends. He had his arms crossed tightly as he glared at them while they laughed like idiots. Hoseok wasn't even doing anything, but he was so attractive. Goodness, you need to pull yourself together.
"I'll be in the bathroom." You kissed Hoseok's cheek before casually walking over to the employee bathroom. Splashing cold water in your face will do you some good. What you didn't realize was that you left Hoseok to fend for himself against his three hyungs. Well, mainly Eunhyuk. Donghae wouldn't push it and Yesung had genuine concerns for the most part. Eunhyuk...he loved acting like a little sh*t.
"Alright, Hoseok, I normally don't give these things around like candy, but I think it'll come in handy." Eunhyuk took a look around the thrift store first. He made sure the coast was clear before reaching into his jacket to pull something out. He was acting like he had drugs on him. Instead, Eunhyuk pulled out a condom for Hoseok.
"Really!?" Hoseok slapped it down to the ground.
"Yah! I'm doing this for your safety!" Eunhyuk quickly grabbed the packaged condom and dusted it off. Hoseok only rolled his eyes while Yesung snorted in the background. "What are you laughing at?"
"Hoseok, check the expiration date on that if you are gonna take it. Eunhyuk probably bought it five years ago." Yesung laughed. Hoseok bit his lip in an attempt to stop his laughter though Donghae had no problem laughing at his best friend. Teasing Eunhyuk for his lack of action was a low, but easy move that never failed to make the others laugh. Slowly Eunhyuk turned to face Yesung with a dead look in his eyes. The joke wasn't funny to him, but that only made it funnier to Yesung.
"You think you're funny!?" Eunhyuk kicked Yesung's leg only to miss.
"I'm saying this for Hoseok's safety!" Yesung patted his chest. It just sounded like he was mocking Eunhyuk more. Hoseok stopped holding back his laughter the moment Eunhyuk began to wrestle with Yesung again. They weren't even really fighting each other. They looked like fishes out of water when they fought more than anything. Since they were proving to be not that helpful in the long run, Donghae decided to step in.
"If you need a new one then take this. I got it last week." Donghae took out his wallet to pull out a condom wrapper. At the sound of this, Eunhyuk and Yesung stopped to stare in shock. They were just as speechless as Hoseok. No one moved or even breathed for what felt like a whole minute. When the bathroom door opened in the back, Hoseok reacted quickly to take it from Donghae. Hoseok shoved it in his back pocket before doing his best to act natural when you came back out to them.
"What'd I miss?" You smiled at the four of them. Hoseok wrapped his arm around your shoulders, hoping you would look at them instead of him. He wasn't good at lying or acting. That was something he quickly found out about himself. His friends though...Donghae gave you a gentle smile while Eunhyuk and Yesung bickered quietly over an entirely different topic.
"Nothing much. These two just keep fighting and I can tell it's boring Hoseok." Donghae glanced at his friends.
"I don't do anything! I'm just standing here and he's the one who tries to pick a fight! I'm the victim here!" Yesung pointed at himself out of frustration.
"I'm the victim, eeeugh." Eunhyuk mimicked Yesung's deep voice to sound like he was crying. Immediately he was shoved into the clothes racks earning a gasp from you. Hoseok just felt relief. Thank goodness his hyungs were good actors.
*~*
The thrift store was eventful as always. You doubted there would ever be a dull day there no matter how slow the business got. That part never really changed anything. It was just seeing Hoseok interact with his friends that made it so entertaining. They were all so strange in their own ways, but it was perfect and you loved it. Donghae was the sanity the rest of the group lacked except he had his moments where he added to the fire. He was in no way going to shut down the chaos around him if it looked fun. Yesung looked like he wanted a peaceful evening though everyone knew that wasn't going to happen. Not as long as he continued to hang out with Eunhyuk and you think Yesung knew that.
Eunhyuk was quite the character. A funny and charming guy who you adored even though the others occasionally found that questionable. He could get pretty rambunctious though you realized he never went further than what a friend could handle. As hard of a time as he may give Yesung, he had a good idea of where the limits were. The same went with Hoseok. You could tell he was more careful and sensitive around Hoseok. He was also nice to Donghae, but those two did have their own fun and bickering of their own. It was a pretty passionate bromance that sometimes left Yesung feeling like a third wheel. Then again, he did get a break from Eunhyuk's teasing so it wasn't a complete loss.
As fun as the thrift store was, the guys did put a couple ideas in your head. They were in there before but now with the trip being tomorrow...thoughts were lingering. It was hard not to think about it when Hoseok was your boyfriend. It was bound to happen eventually and it sometimes felt like the two of you would actually commit to it if your make outs weren't always in the back of a car. The opportunity for it was looking well. Plus, Hoseok was undeniably attractive. The thought of seeing him even shirtless had your heart racing.
"Oh my god, your nude. I need to find it." You gasped softly, opening your phone's photo gallery. Hoseok's eyes widened as he made the mistake of connecting eyes with Mansu through the rearview mirror. His face went on fire as you squealed, finding the photo of him freshly out of the shower with his collar bones appearing at the bottom.
"That is NOT a nude." Hoseok frowned. He hoped that was clear enough to Mansu who was slowly rising up the partition in the car. Nothing weird was going on in the back, but it was too late for Hoseok to defend himself to Mansu. He put his attention back on you and the so-called nude.
"It's as good as it's gonna get for me." You admired the photo. A huge grin was spreading across your face as Hoseok stared at it. "You're naked even if I can't see everything."
"I was not naked; I was just shirtless." Hoseok shook his head.
"Ugh, way to ruin the fantasy." You teased. Nudging him with your shoulder, you adored how he suddenly got quiet and turned red in the face. You looked back at the photo with a happy hum when you began to feel his hot breath against your ear.
"What kind of fantasy did you have?" Hoseok whispered, lips brushing against the shell of your ear. A shiver ran down your spine as your gripped tightened on your phone.
"O-Oh...um...wouldn't you like to know?" You tried hiding your face with your phone. Finally, it was Hoseok's turn to chuckle as he wrapped his arms around you, hugging you tightly.
"Getting shy on me, Princess?" Hoseok wiggled his brows, shaking you in his arms. He's such a tease when he wants to be! Though two could certainly play this game.
"Are you ready to find out on our romantic getaway?" You turned to look at him.
"Still not a romantic getaway."
"It is if I say it is."
"Okay, Princess. Whatever you say." Hoseok pressed a kiss on your forehead despite your playful glare. He laughed it off as he held you tight. He would keep refusing to call it a romantic getaway the entire car ride there tomorrow too.
One thing was for sure though. The two of you were having thoughts on what could go down in that hotel room. It wasn't leaving your minds and the two of you never really brought it up. The flirting and teasing was there. It didn't help that a simple peck on the lips from you eventually turned into making out. That was becoming a big habit between the two of you. That didn't help either of you when it came to the sexual tension. It felt like you were getting close to bursting and Hoseok was doing his best to be patient. He had to remind himself that just because the partition was up and he had a condom in his pocket, now was not the time.
How were the two of you going to survive a night alone together? At this point, you figured something sexual would go down. One of you would crack for sure. It just might be you. It will definitely be you. You were accepting this fact with open arms. Saying goodbye to Hoseok once you dropped him off, you knew that you would struggle to keep your hands off him if alone in a bedroom together. As for Hoseok, you figured he would try to remain respectful until he got the okay from you to go all the way.
He certainly gave off that impression. Hoseok controlled himself in the car and was doing best to walk back inside his house without popping a boner. Surviving this trip would have been a lot more manageable if it weren't for his hyungs putting ideas into his head! Thanks a lot! Even though he did have some of those thoughts already...that didn't matter. What did matter was that Hoseok needed to remain calm and think with his head. Not the other one. And the reason Hoseok was firm about this was because he didn't want to seem aggressive like Seokjin.
He's going to be different. He's going to be a good boyfriend! Hoseok nodded to himself as he made it up to his room to start packing up his bags for tomorrow. He's going to be well prepared for the short trip. Hoseok shoved everything from his clothes to a first aid kit. You could never be too sure! Sunscreen, bug spray, painkillers, and anything he could think of. Though as Hoseok looked at his stuffed bag that had everything for this short trip...he felt the weight in his back pocket the most. Slowly, Hoseok took the condom out to stare at it. A small square with the visible ring inside.
Hoseok held it tightly, deep in thought about what to do with the contraceptive Donghae gave him. It was more trustworthy than Eunhyuk's and that was just the truth. This would just be another way of being prepared in case the situation arises. At the same time, Hoseok didn't want to get any hopes up or give you the wrong idea by packing this. What if you found this in his bag? Will you call him disgusting and then break up with him? Unlikely, but his insecurities sure made it feel real in his imagination. Hoseok was conflicted, tempted to throw it across the room.
The trip could be completely innocent and focus on the school assignment as planned. Or...the night could end with a passionate act...Hoseok's mind only began to wander. Immediately he grew frustrated, upset that this stupid condom was making him feel like such a pervert. He's not a pervert!
"God d*mn it!" Hoseok pretended to throw it at the wall only to put it inside his bag, shutting his eyes tightly. "Just incase..."