My brain was a scattered mess as I walked into my room, letting out an exhausted sigh. I rested my back against the door, unsure of how to even begin navigating everything that happened that night. Thinking of Seokjin's reaction was already enough to make my head twinge in pain. Then to relive the nightmarish encounter with The Hood, as I'd chosen to uncreatively name him for the time being, was enough to make my stomach flip with nausea.
There were too many details of the night to consider: Jin's behavior, Taehyung's acts of concern, the supposed forgotten past I had with the stalker.
And Hoseok.
In his presence, my mind was fogged. Not a confused, fearful kind of fog, but a blissfully ignorant one. He had opened up just a fraction to me, and in return, I'd dropped my guard more than I ever intended. While a concerningly large part of me wished to trust him, no longer having him beside me helped clear some of the mist. I reminded myself that he had taken an inexplicable interest in me since the moment I'd arrived. That he'd asked me to be his dancer without a true explanation. I had to learn his reasons before I kept allowing his mysterious magnetism to further attract me to him.
But did I even stand a chance at that?
My mind wanted only to bombard me with questions, doubts, and suspicions, but my body won out over my head and dragged me to the sink. I brushed my teeth then quickly changed clothes before sleepily scuffling towards my bed, burrowing beneath the covers.
I was just starting to doze when the temporary peace I so longed to reach was torn from my fingertips. An image of black - his cloak, his gloves, his veiled face - forced itself to the forefront of my thoughts. My eyes snapped open and I took an unstable inhale, trying to calm my nerves.
The process repeated more times than I could count. My night was one of misery as my own brain worked against me. Even when he wasn't actively trying, his leather-covered hands still kept their constrictive grip on me.
I barely managed to get an hour of sleep. Every time I began to fall away into slumber, I was jolted awake by the flashes of him or the sound of his voice. My alarm went off far too early, signaling that I needed to get ready for the lesson.
Hoseok was already there waiting for me as soon as I arrived, though surprisingly, he stood by the door rather than inside. I stepped closer and lifted my gaze to his, only to stop short at the annoyance that weighed his brows down and set his eyes on fire.
"Took you long enough," he said impatiently, immediately closing in on me. I watched him, heart accelerating as he was suddenly a foot away. He held out his phone and I looked down at it in bafflement.
"Put your number in. I wanted to change where we met today but I couldn't tell you. I had to come here and wait for you and now we've lost time since we still need to go there."
Hesitantly, I took his phone from him and began entering my number, pausing briefly as I noticed the name of the new contact. My cheeks warmed. Rather than 'Jangmi', he had simply entered a sun icon.
Once I handed it back to him, he wasted no time in nodding his head and brushing past me. With my curiosity piquing, I followed him to the next building over. It was one of the larger, more extravagant structures on campus, decorated with towering archways that we had to walk under to reach the front entrance. I'd never figured out what the building was for, and I didn't get a chance to observe the interior as Hoseok went straight for the spiral staircase in the corner as soon as we entered.
Silence surrounded us, aside from the quiet tapping of our shoes as we ascended the stairs. He led the way across the second story floor, only stopping when we came upon a large mahogany door at the very back of the building. My eyes followed his hands as they reached out, slim fingers wrapping around the bronze handle to pull the door open. He stood back and let me enter the large room first.
I stepped forward, instantly astounded by its beauty. While it was a rather bare studio, the simplicity made it all the more attractive. The shades of the hardwood floor were of the same colors you'd find after biting into a chocolate-covered cherry. The reddish-brown carried onto the wooden walls and the room would've been too dark if not for the paneless window that stretched across the entire wall opposite the door. Bright rays of the rising sun streamed in and bounced off the reflection of the mirror that took up the wall to my right.
"It's beautiful, but why was it so important to come here?" I questioned, turning back to meet his masked face.
His eyes carefully glided over my features before he replied, "It's rare for anyone to come up here and there's no way to see in unless they open the door. The other studio has too many people passing by and they can see right inside."
I frowned, crossing the remainder of the room. I gestured to the grand window that showcased the deep grey fountain in the middle of the courtyard outside.
"Can't anyone passing by just look up and see us?" I asked as I gazed upon the detailed craftsmanship of the statues. Three ballerinas en pointe, each leaning in different directions with their hands on one another's arms for support.
There was a faint pang in my chest. I missed having girlfriends. The ones I'd had in high school all had different doors open for them, and though we still checked in from time to time, we'd mostly parted ways. I hoped I could make a female friend soon or I was sure I'd go crazy from all the testosterone surrounding me.
"The window is blacked out from the outside. We can see them but they can't see us." Hoseok's voice was calm, almost serene, and it only made his statement even more chilling.
"Why does it matter if anyone sees us or not?" I questioned apprehensively.
He observed my countenance with precision, giving me the sense that he could read me with ease. Then he proved my theory by asking, "Why are you so nervous?"
"Just tell me why, Hoseok. Please."
His brow twitched, then he sighed. "I'm going to dance."
My lips parted in surprise and I rushed to gain back my composure, trying to appear unfazed - or at least less than I truly was. "I thought you didn't want to dance in front of anyone."
"Hence why I brought us here," his deep voice replied.
"But what about me?"
I could hear a faint breath leave his nose out of amusement. "You already saw me, and for some reason, that fact doesn't bother me like I thought it would," he said as he captured my eyes. "Now, I'm not saying I'll put on a whole performance for you, but you will be able to learn faster if I can show you exactly what I want from you."
His explanation made sense, and I decided to trust him, but not before sending a text to inform Jimin of where I was and who I was with. I told him around what time we would likely finish, too.
Just in case.
Hoseok went to set up the music and I watched with a thump against ribcage as I spotted the gloves that were tucked into the back of his dark pants.
The music began playing and he was suddenly taking the gloves out and putting them on.
"Why do you wear those?" I couldn't keep the blunt question from leaving my mouth.
He turned to me as he finished pulling the second one over his fingers and the yellow in his eyes hardened into a darker, coppery orange. "Will you ask me about my mask, too? 'Cause you won't be getting an answer for that either."
"I wasn't going to ask about your mask," I replied quietly. He seemed surprised, the intensity of his only visible features melting into a more relaxed state.
"Let's start. Why don't you run through the section we went over last time," he suggested, though when he was in teaching mode, each word he spoke was actually a command.
I did as he ordered, gliding through the first few steps he'd taught me at our previous lesson. While I didn't miss a single move, the details were off and I was well aware of it - my mind was fuzzy from the stress I'd experienced the last few days, not to mention the utter lack of rest. Even watching myself in the mirror, I could see how my movements were too soft, how my eyes were unfocused. Hoseok seemed to notice also.
"You're not putting your full effort into it," he stated sharply.
"I'll do better," I replied, willing myself to concentrate. Beginning anew, I went over each move. I knew it was an improvement from the first run, but my body refused to function at its full ability.
Hoseok sighed and used the small remote from the stereo system to pause the music. I swallowed, anticipating his annoyance. I braced myself for him to raise his voice and admonish me, but instead, he walked up to me and spoke quietly.
"Show me your arabesque," he instructed.
So I did, going up on my toes on one foot and lifting the other behind me, also raising my arms. Balance didn't come as easily as it normally did.
"You're leaning too far forward and it's ruining your center. May I?" he asked as he lifted his hands toward me, stopping before he touched me.
After I nodded, a single hand of his was placed at the bottom of my ribs, pressing lightly to help bring my chest up. Then his hand slid to my waist and my stomach immediately tensed under his touch. "Good, keep your core tight," he said at a low volume.
The moment he dropped his hold away, I released my pose and stood back up, running my hand over one side of my face.
"Jangmi, what's wrong?" His voice drifted out in an unexpectedly light sound.
I hesitantly met his gaze, shaking my head. "I just... haven't been sleeping well lately."
"I see," he said while he frowned. "Do you think you can push through it today? It's important that we make progress in every meeting."
I nodded, but he didn't seem to believe me as he kept staring.
"Why don't you sit for a bit while I go over the next section? Just watch me so you can get an idea."
Within the next ten minutes, I had sat at the back of the room while Hoseok showed me the next part of his choreography. As much as I knew I should've been noting each step, all I saw was a body moving beautifully. He'd seemed hesitant at first to begin, but he quickly traveled to the dream world where true dancers always found themselves in.
Watching Hoseok was spellbinding. His every move was strong, almost angry, but then he'd break into moments of softer grace and it felt as if he was allowing me in those short instances to glimpse past the curtains he kept around himself. Moments of vulnerability, only to be washed out by a new wave of the colder, harsher lines.
Perhaps it was my sleepless night or maybe it was the enchantment he'd put me under, but as he reached and leaned and spun, I saw an angel. Not one of either darkness or light, as I'd pictured on my first night meeting the others. Hoseok, to me, was an angel of neither a pure white nor a tainted black. The wings my imagination gave him were ones of silver; he was something unique, deviating from all that I knew.
I continued to lose myself in a daydream of Hoseok with feathered wings sprawling magnificently from his back. His amber eyes seemed to glow in my head, shining like medallions of gold.
"Jangmi."
I hadn't even realized that I drifted off until Hoseok called my name, and then it hit me that I finally fell asleep without the Hood showing up to torment me.
"I'm sorry, I swear I was watching... most of it."
He walked nearer and crouched down, resting his arms on his knees as he looked at me. His head tilted just slightly to the side, and his eyes seemed to harbor a mild sadness in them.
"I'm sorry that you're so exhausted. Did you have breakfast?"
I shook my head in response, remembering how my stomach had felt nauseous the past several mornings due to stress.
He sighed. "And you didn't bring any water with you either. You need to take better care of yourself." His words were caring, a contrast to the neutral manner in which he spoke them.
I was about to reply when he stood and held his hand out. I placed my palm in his, allowing him to help me to my feet.
"Go over the section I just showed you. I'll be back," he said before playing the music again. He exited through the large doors before I could even reply.
I did as he asked, trying to mimic most of the steps he'd shown me. Mustering up all of my focus and energy, I finally was able to meet the steps with the precision they demanded. It wasn't perfect by any means, but it was far better than before and that was enough for me to feel accomplished.
Eventually, my eyes closed and the music carried me. Each note was like a gentle guide that directed my limbs through every action. As I completed the sequence with a final turn, the door opened and Hoseok walked in, catching my eyes in the mirror. Returning to a normal stance, I noted the bottle of water and the protein bar in his hands.
My mouth had a mind of its own, lips lifting into a soft smile. His gaze flickered away and he let out a quiet scoff.
"Why are you giving me that look? I just don't want to deal with you passing out on my watch."
"Understandable," I replied despite my gut believing that he did it out of genuine thoughtfulness. The more time I spent with him, the more I caught these hints of warmth in him.
I stood still as he came up to me and held out the items. As I took them, my hands brushed the leather on his fingers. For the first time, rather than worrying about myself due to him wearing gloves like the Hood did, I was solely praying that it meant nothing for the sake of wanting to trust him and grow closer to him. For once, I wasn't overtaken by fear for myself.
We ended up standing in front of the expansive window, both staring out at the view while I ate the bar he gave me and sipped the water. Music played quietly from the speakers as we watched students roam the campus below. I'd predicted that things would move at a slower pace since it was the weekend, but everyone still seemed to be in a rush. I should've known that the dancers would keep practicing, the composers would keep writing, the actors would keep rehearsing, and the vocalists would keep singing.
"It seems like people forget how to pause when they come here," I commented.
"Including you," Hoseok responded. "You're already burnt out on your first week here."
"I'm not burnt out, it's just... I've been stressed with something," I said as I looked over at him.
His eyes were already prepared to capture mine with a strength that left no room for escape. Then he posed a question that put a skip in my heart.
"Something or someone?"
Before my mind could even process the implications behind what he said, my phone started buzzing. Pulling it out, I found Jimin's name on the screen and I swiftly answered the call.
"Hey, what do you need?"
"Jangmi," Jungkook's voice caught me off guard, but even more concerning was the lack of a nickname and the graveness behind his tone.
"Jungkook? Why do you-"
"It's Jimin. He's hurt."
• • •
Okay but LOOK at this masterpiece my darling @Maveea made for me!
Please do stare as long as you want and smother her with your compliments 💜
So another chapter down! Finally! I really am hoping to update more consistently for you guys, I just sometimes struggle to find the time and the focus to get it done at the standard I try to aim for. Still, I hope this was worth the wait! I promised more Hoseok and that's what you got!
What are your thoughts on the gloves? Does it affect your theory? Do you think it means he is the Hood, or does it perhaps hint to something else? What about the last thing he asked? Does he know something?
And what on earth happened to Jimin? Is he okay? I hope so :( I'm as worried for him as you guys
Thank you for continuing to come back to this book. Thank you for spending time on reading the story and putting effort into your theories. You have no idea how important your comments are to me. They mean far more than any number ever could.
Your grateful author,
-Kat ❤
July 17, 2020