"Hoseok?" My voice comes out muffled, muffled by the warm palm covering my mouth. Mixed feelings overwhelm me. It has been eight, nine years since I last saw Hoseok.

"Yes, it's me," He says quietly and carefully, removing his hands away from me. This time, I spin myself around to face him. I breathe deeply.

"Why and what are you doing here?" I say impatiently. Hoseok sighs. "Can we go somewhere else to talk? I'm not supposed to be here."

+++

I end up sneaking out and following Hoseok to a nearby café. My phone rings in my pocket, it must be Jeongguk. I don't answer it, it's not that I don't want to, but I can't.

"Here." Hoseok sets a cup of Vanilla Latte in front of me. My legs cross as my eyes follow him. He sits on the chair across me, and sips on his Americano.

"You know." I start. "I never really understood how you'd be able to drink a triple shot Americano without cringing," I say.

"You will never change," He comments, setting his cup on the table.

"I said I never understood," I protest. How can Hoseok disappear for years and act as though we're still as close as before? I don't know, but I want to make it clear we'll never go back to before.

"What about now? Bet you can't drink this in one gulp," He challenges, gently pushing cup toward me. I inhale. My gaze fixes on Hoseok as my hand reaches out for the paper cup. The edge of the cup touches my lips, and I tip it over. The bitter Americano flows down my throat, as I gulp on down. It's aftertaste is bitter, but I'm too familiar with it. I crinkle my eyebrows as I bang the paper cup onto the table. Hoseok cheers, and claps his hands. I'm not sure if it's out of amusement or sarcasm. Probably a little of both.

"So you've changed, huh?" He asks, folding his arms. I cough. Irritation seeps into my pores.

"I can only be out for an hour, say what you have to say and I'm leaving," I snap. Hoseok straightens himself, and his face is serious.

"You've toughen up," He tells me. I roll my eyes.

"Yeah well, time and losing people you love, tends to do that to you," I say, making it clear I have not forgiven him for leaving me when I was weak.

"Look, I did it for you, Taehyung. It was to protect you," He argues. I lift my hand up in front of his face, and say, "Leaving me when I was weak isn't protecting me." Hoseok ignores my statement and proceeds to take a picture out from his jacket.

"This, I found it." He slides over the picture to me. My hands tremble as I pick it up. It is a family picture of Namjoon, my parents and me. My next breathe shudders on it's way out.

"Where did you get this?" I say. Hoseok sighs. "That's what I meant by protecting—"

"Where did you get this?" I demand, cutting his sentence short. Tears sting my eyes, and I blink them away, before anyone sees them. My tears dry as quickly as they came.

"When I left you, it wasn't because I didn't want you and Jimin anymore. I left to find out more about the death of your parents," He tells me softly, as though I'm a frail child about to break. I clench my first, crumbling the picture in my hand. I hate it when people sympathise me.

"Don't speak to me like I'm a weak, frail loser," I warn him hotly.

"I didn't mean to leave you. If I didn't, Jimin will. And I know you'd prefer me leaving over him, so I couldn't let him take my place. I know you'd be even more broken than you were if Jimin left," He reasons with me. I stay quiet. There's no point arguing with Hoseok. He's right, I am closer to Jimin than to Hoseok. I bite the insides of my cheeks, and say, "What else did you find out?"

"The attack that killed your pack wasn't planned by rouges, they were planned by another pack," He tells me. This time, his voice is clear and serious, with no hint of sympathy in it. I remember hearing this. I remember Namjoon telling me this.

"You came back a few days before my combined training began, didn't you?" I ask cautiously. Hoseok is quiet. He nods.

"Why didn't you find me? Why did you go to Namjoon?" I accuse. Now is not the time to be pointing fingers, but I don't care.

"How did you know?" He asks.

"You told Namjoon about the attack that was planned by a pack, didn't you?" He nods. I close my eyes and breathe in deeply. Right now, I just want to go back to my dormitory, and let everything sink in.

"I have to go now, before Jiyeong realises I'm missing when he does his rounds," I excuse myself. I push my chair back, the pads of the legs rub against the rough floor, creating a screeching sound. Heads turn around to look at me, and murmurs fill the room. They're calling me rude. I would usually care, I would apologise. But today, I don't. Instead, I look at Hoseok for the last time and make my way out.

When I get out, the cold wind slaps my face, and I shiver. My hand slides into my jean's side pocket and grab a hold of my phone.

4 missed calls from Jeongguk.

My chapped lips crack into a small smile as I tap on Jeongguk's contact.

"Taehyung, where are you?" I hear him say from the other line.

"I'm outside but I'm coming back now," I say. I hear him let out a sigh. "Okay."

"See you in ten."

√a.n.

I wanted to write more, but the chapter is getting long and boring. Sorry, I'll update more frequently because school is starting soon and I want to update as much as I can.
Also, has net neutrality happened yet?