note: longest
chapter so far !!
It's +3.2k words.
warning:
mentions of RTA; and
as usual, this chapter
is also not proofread.
༊
Hoseok is pleased when he doesn't find Taehyung around him for the next few days. Maybe he did the right thing to leave the mansion without thinking much about Taehyung's warning.
But a part of his heart is yearning for his presence, his annoyingly charming smile and his stupidly possessive behaviour.
Shaking his head, Hoseok pats both of his cheeks. "Get yourself together, Hobi! This is not the time you get distracted and think about him. Utilize your time well and prepare for your exam!"
He briefly checks his cracked [thanks to Taehyung] phone to see if he has got any texts from anyone [Taehyung] but is bummed to see that there isn't any. So much for someone who claims to be madly in love with me! He pouts, looking away and that's when a ding is heard from his phone.
Excited, he checks for the sender but all of his excitement is blown away when he sees it's his network company that sent him a text. "Ugh, they're so annoying! How can I unsubscribe to their updates?" He searches for the option and that's when he gets a pop-up of another text.
Surprisingly, it's Yoongi.
They haven't spoken much in the past few days. Hoseok is too guilty to initiate a conversation, and Yoongi is probably too chastened to do that himself. And that's how, Hoseok believes, they grew distant.
Yoonie
Hey
Are you asleep?
Me
Hi Yoonie
How are u? I miss u ):
And I'm not asleep yet.
😮💨🧟♀️😓😪😪
Yoonie
I'm... fine. You?
Hoseok takes his moment to reply for that text. He has known Yoongi for years, and he could just tell that Yoongi clearly isnt feeling fine. And he believes he is probably the reason Yoongi is feeling down. But he decides not to make things awkward, so he changes the direction of the conversation before it could take them to awkward situation.
Me
I'm annoyed. Ugh n exhausted.
N worried 2. I hope I do well 🥺
Yoonie
You'll do your best and you'll
pass the exams in flying colours,
trust me.
Don't beat yourself up too much.
Me
Mmmm :]
U 2 Yoonie.
🤗☺️😇🥰💖
Yoonie
Hoseok
.
.
Hoseok is nervous. Yoongi hasn't texted him in two minutes after that text, and he has been staring at his screen, only to see three bubbles moving up and down, indicating Yoongi is typing out something; which, considering the time duration, is probably long.
His thoughts are cut short when he finally sees a reply.
Yoonie
Take care Hoseok.
All the very best for your exams!
Weird, is what Hoseok thinks when he reads the texts. Is everything alright? He wants to ask, but decides it'd be better to talk to Yoongi in person rather than in here.
Me
Uh sure. U 2.. tc
Yoonie
Won't you wish me good luck?
We won't get to meet since our exam centers are miles away. And we most definitely will not have enough time to call before we leave to attend the exams. So I thought I should text you and wish you good luck beforehand.
Well, that makes sense. Kind of. But Hoseok still feels kind of off. Something about Yoongi feels off to him.
Me
Sorry hyung!
Got distracted der 4 a sec
I wish u a gr8 luck hyung!
😍🥰💕💯❤️🔥
read 10 57 PM.
Hoseok hums, deep in thought. Soon, an alarm goes off from his phone which reads: Enough distractions! Get back to study!!
And it's what Hoseok does.
⪩⪨
The next morning, Hoseok wakes up earlier than his mother and decides not to disturb her sleep. He toasts himself a couple of bread slices and butters them up as he distractedly revises some important topics.
With the sandwich of bread and omelette still in his hand, he soon starts walking from home, not even noticing the fact that his mother, in fact, wasn't even present at their home.
His phone buzzes in his pocket, so he fetches it out to answer it. He low-key wants the caller to be Taehyung, wants the younger male to wish him a good luck for his exams, but who is he kidding? Taehyung's ego is far too big, and Hoseok knows it. And just as he had expected,it wasn't Taehyung who dialed him.
Smiling at the caller ID, Hoseok lifts the call.
"Hello, my sweet mother. You're up already? I didn't hear you waking up when I left.."
"Why, hello! My sweet prince. I went out to buy you breakfast. Thought you'd love to eat donuts from your favourite place, only to now realise that you've left already!"
"Aww, shit. Guess we missed the timings mommy. I'll have them when I get back home, don't worry!"
"Well, I was gonna eat them all." His mother laughs in a faux evil manner. "I won't leave a bite for you!"
Hoseok whines at that. "You won't spare me even when I'm just about to give my exam, will you?" He giggles.
"Jokes aside, my son. Do your best! Get back home as soon as you're done with your exam though. Let's go for a walk today."
"Thank you! Also, I'm down for a small walk! My next exam will be two days from now, so I could spare you some time." Hoseok gloats, suppressing a laugh this time.
"Brat. You're just like your dad! Always have fun pulling my leg, don't you?"
And, it's true. As much as Hoseok remembers, his dad always loved teasing his mom. Sometimes, he wouldn't give up until his mom would hit him twice; sometimes out of love, sometimes out of frustration of being teased a lot.
"You do the same to me!" Hoseok accuses. When he left his home this morning, he was stressed and feeling antsy. What if he didn't do well today? A negative feeling lingered all the way to his center until he spoke to his mother. "Anyway. I'm near my exam center, mom. I'll—"
He cuts himself short when he hears a loud crash from his mother's side. His world stops revolving, and his heart sinks in the depths of his stomach when another bang is soon heard.
"No, no, no, no, no!"
It cannot possibly be...
"Mommy! Hello!!"
Tears start flowing down his cheeks. This cannot be happening. His mother.... she couldn't have possibly met with an accident, could she? He sure hopes not.
"Mommy! Answer me!"
As if on autopilot, Hoseok starts going backwards. "She said she went the the donut shop I loved. I need to go there."
And he runs. With fresh tears streaming down his face and an aching heart, he runs so fast that he reaches the said spot in ten minutes. By the time he arrived at the destination, the aftermath of an RTA was what the road blemished with. A mini truck and smashed car. There is also a little pool of blood; partly dried out, partly collected fresh, and Hoseok only wishes it does not belong to his mother.
He starts asking around like a madman, about the accident. He showed people a picture of his mother to ask about her whereabouts, but people who witnessed the accident only looked at him with unreadable expressions.
As if his prayers have been answered, his phones buzzes again, and it's from his mother!
A strong wave of relief spreads all over his being maybe his mother is alright, after all. Maybe nothing has happened to her. Maybe that blood didn't belong to his mother after all. Maybe his mother was one of the witnesses and took the victim to the hospital. Maybe—
"This is Yonsei Hospital. Mrs Jung has met with an accident and she was brought into the ER as a result. You were the only one in her emergency contact list. Can I know who am I talking to?"
Hoseok feels like his world has just been snatched away from him. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. "Her... son. I'm her son." He whimpers after replying, "How is she, Doctor? Is she hurt badly?"
"The doctors are treating her right now. Please visit our Youngsan Branch and finish the formalities so that we could go further. It is where she got admitted."
⋆༄˚
Hoseok always believed that he's strong. But maybe he isn't as strong as his mother thought he is, considering how he barely convinces himself to take care of his bed ridden mother.
He cannot bring himself to look at her broken self, but he also cannot choose to ignore her. He wishes he could turn back time and beg his mother to stay back at the donut shop until he meets her.
He's all alone, not a single friend of his knows about what's going on in his life. When the accident occurred, his phone slipped from his hand causing the already broken phone a great damage. It has been turned off ever since.
Briefly, his mind wanders towards Taehyung. How can he not look for him? Does he even know what Hoseok is going through right now?
He looks down in the checkbook. He needs to start working part time jobs to save up some money so that he could continue paying the hospital bills. Sighing deeply, he gives his mother a forehead kiss, and wishes her to get well soon before leaving the room in search of jobs.
Fortunately, there is a hardware store near the hospital which was looking for a worker. The owner eyes him suspiciously, unsure if Hoseok could give eight hours of time to the store as promised. But seeing how desperate Hoseok is, he reluctantly gives in.
For the first few days, Hoseok thinks he should take his time and get used to the products so that he could find them easily when customers rush in. And I what he does.
By the fifth day, he almost memorizes every product. And that's when he decides to find another job. The store he's working in doesn't pay him that well, after all.
After getting off work, Hoseok quickly goes to the hospital to check upon his mother and then leaves the hospital as soon as he enters it. He looks for another suitable jobs near the hospital but to no avail.
To his luck, by late in the evening, he ends up finding a part time job at a decent gift shop a few blocks away from the hospital.
After promising the owner to come back again tomorrow to start his work, Hoseok leaves the premises. As he walks, though, he sees a little group of students —probably going back home after a group study session— with closed books in the hands, and tired expressions on their faces.
Belatedly, Hoseok realizes that, by today, he has missed three of his exams. Had it not been for the accident, Hoseok, too, would have probably gone to the library to prepare for the next exam as well. Just like those students.
He shakes his head, trying not to get disappointed. He has rather important things he needs to worry about, after all.
Instead of going to the hospital now, Hoseok walks back home. He needs to do some cleaning and then make some homemade porridge for his mother. He isn't sure if she'll even be able to have it, but it's the efforts that count.
The next morning, Hoseok heats up the porridge and rushes to the hospital. He's already late to go to the hardware store. He hopes the owner would be kind enough and not cut his salary for that, or maybe kind enough to let him cover the missed hour after his shift ends.
As he makes his way towards the ward, seeing two bodyguards guarding the room isn't something Hoseok expects. His eyes widen briefly before rushing in, only to find Taehyung standing by the window.
"Long time, no see?" Says Taehyung as soon as his eyes land on Hoseok. For a reason unknown, the smile that's etched on his face somehow irks Hoseok.
How is he smiling while Hoseok is suffering so much? Does he not care about him or his feelings at all? Taehyung is standing in flesh in front of him, in his mother's ward, so it's as clear as a day that Taehyung is aware of what happened. So how does he look so unaffected? Does he even have any explanation for his absence?
But when he opens his mouth to question the Prince, a different question leaves his lips, "What are you doing here?"
Taehyung puts his palms in this jeans pockets. "I heard that my dear future mother-in-law got into an accident." A shrug, "It was tragic, I heard. So I'm here to pay her a visit."
Hoseok nods, not knowing what else to say. He places the packed box filled with porridge on the bedside table and unclasps it.
The Prince walks towards him and wraps his arms around Hoseok's figure. And that's all it takes for Hoseok to breakdown. He starts sobbing, this time he doesn't even try to hold his tears back. Because for once, he has someone to hold on to, besides his mother. Because for once, he's in somebody's warm embrace, besides his mother.
"It's alright... she'll recover soon." Taehyung assures him half-heartedly. He then turns Hoseok around so that they're facing each other.
"It's been eight days and she's not awake yet. Doctors said the surgery went well but why won't she wake up? Why did it happen to her— I'm so scared. Taehyung, she's the only family that I have. I hope she gets well soon." Hoseok babbles, choking on his sobs in between. "I also filed a report but there's no update yet..."
Wiping the tears away from the crying male's cheeks, Taehyung leans down a little. Using his right palm, he holds Hoseok by his cheeks; making his lips pucker a little. Confused and taken aback, Hoseok's sobs die down as he looks into Taehyung's dark orbs.
"I warned you, didn't I, Hoseok?" Taehyung mumbles, eyeing Hoseok's lips; feeling all too tempted to capture the soft, pink buds between his own. Confused still, Hoseok waits for Taehyung to continue whatever he was saying. "I warned you twice, not to leave me on that day. Yet you did."
Hoseok tries to recall the last time they spent time together. It was before his exams began when Taehyung called him over to his mansion to spend some time together. They fall into a dispute and—
And slowly, realization starts hitting Hoseok.
"Do you now regret not listening to me?"
His eyes dilate at the realization. No, Taehyung did not—
"Yes, Hoseok. I caused the accident." The Prince admits rather proudly. "You needed to learn a lesson, after all." There is not a single shred of guilt laced in his voice. "Next time you decide you go against me, I suggest you think about it."
Rage starts filling Hoseok's senses.
He slaps Taehyung's palm away from his cheeks and grabs him by his collar. "How dare you!?" There are tears, still pooling in his eyes, but there's also wrath. "How could you do this to her? To me? When you knew that I love her the most!"
Taehyung let's himself be pushed against the wall as Hoseok says that. He holds both his hands in the mid-air in defense, "Careful, Princess." Musing, he raises both of his brows. Completely unaffected by the turmoil he has put Hoseok into. "I wouldn't do this if I were you."
Hoseok loosens his grip then. Just a little. He gulps, looking away. He so wants to punch Taehyung right on his handsome face. He so wants to slap that arrogant smile off his face.
And that's what he does.
Before he knows it, he lands a harsh blow against Taehyung's cheek. "Fuck you, Kim Taehyung!" After a second, the Prince stands back straight with the same, nonchalant smirk, his fingers tracing the assaulted bone to soothe the pain a little.
"Fuck you, bastard!" Hoseok tries to punch him again, but Taehyung easily dodges it. And in an instant, both of Hoseok's hands are caught by Taehyung behind Hoseok's back, holding them at a place.
It is now Taehyung's turn to corner Hoseok. "If you want to lead a happy life, learn to obey me." He places a soft kiss on Hoseok's puffy eyes [Hoseok does not want to believe he involuntarily closed his eyes before Taehyung could kiss him there]. "Am I clear, baby?"
Hoseok shakes his head, as though mentally waking himself up. Don't give in. He's the reason why you're so distressed! There's a voice in his head that warns him.
"Ah, also. I see that you've gotten yourself a couple of part-time jobs. I hope they're not taking a toll on you." He gently moves the strands of hair aways from Hoseok's forehead. And then he lets out a faux gasp. "They most probably wouldn't. You don't have anything else to do, after all, do you?"
Hoseok wishes he could do something about the smirk that's been sitting on Taehyung's face ever since he has entered the room.
"Got no exams to give, no vivas to attend." Taehyung cackles. "The consequences you had to pay..." He trails off in a sing-song manner. "For not heeding my clear warning."
"Get out." Hoseok mutters, still trying to break free from Taehyung. "I don't want to see your face ever again. Get out of my sight, you asshole." There's venom in his tone, but it's all too composed.
"Awwh, my princess is mad at me!" Taehyung frowns, feigning sadness. "No worries! He'll come back to me, I know it."
"In your fucking dreams."
"That, you do. Always. In my dreams, you always run back to me, and we make love. So much. So damn much, that it drives me crazy. Insane."
Hoseok visibly shudders at that; briefly feeling his stomach flip. Butterflies create a hurricane inside of it, making him weak. Clearly, the Prince has an adverse effect on him, and he is also well aware of that. Which is why he always takes advantage of it.
"Taehyung!" Hoseok says in a warning tone. "I said leave. Right now."
Unmoving, Taehyung stays. Completely enjoying what's happening right now.
"Please." Hoseok mumbles at last. "Leave me alone. I don't want to see your face right now."
Taehyung let's go of both of Hoseok's wrists. "Just because you said please so prettily, I'm going to listen to you and leave." He places a few kisses on Hoseok's tear-stained cheeks and his lips. "But do not forget to take careof yourselves, love. You're too precious to me." He takes a few steps in a backward manner, eyes still on Hoseok. He waves his hands, "See you next time!"
Hoseok has his eyes closed ever since Taehyung started kissing his cheeks affectionately. He opens them only when he hears the door slide shut. He falls down on his knees and starts sobbing again.
And in the silence of the room, a question so heavy on his heart leaves Hoseok's lips.
"Does he even love me for real?"
༊
author note:
poor hobari 🥺🥺
Did you guys like the update?
Bet some of you all have started
hating Taehyung of this book heh
^__^;
Please leave votes/comments!
updated on: Sun, 15012023.
Also, belated happy new year!
I hope you guys have a really ni
-ce and warm year ahead 🥺🥺