Book 3: 24/seven | A Jung Hoseok BTS Fan Fiction

Life Minus Virus

It was very rare, very rare indeed to see Hobi upset. There were only a handful of instances that would upset Hobi and they usually revolved around the upkeep of the dorm, fooling around too much in the practice room, and the deadliest of all was falling short of his high standards. With respect, his standards are high because he demands no less from himself. He was disciplined. He held high morals. He had the deepest patience and tolerance, but his threshold was breached, he was outright scary. They were not quite sure what he was mad at exactly this time.

The boys were all walking towards the living room when the doorbell rang. Jeongguk jogged to the door and opened it with a big smile on his face. "Hi." He whispered and bent down for a kiss.

"Hi." Nira frowned, "Why are you whispering?" Jeongguk helped her with her jacket. "Is this a bad time?"

"No, no it's fine," Jeongguk replied. Behind Jeongguk, everyone waved her in.

"Hoseok-hyung is not happy about the book."

"Oh." She nodded slowly. The boys left her a spot on the sofa, and Jeongguk sat at her feet.

"Are you guys sure you want me here?" Nira asked.

Seated beside Nira, It was Yoongi who replied, "If he goes on a rampage, he can't kill us. It would be impolite to our guest."

Right at that moment, Hobi stormed into the living room where all seven boys and Nira watched him with great interest.

"She didn't even give me a chance!" he said crossly. He leaned on the wall and stared dead ahead at nothing.

"Ah...She didn't give Hopi a chance!" Taehyung corrected him bravely but slinked back when Hobi's gaze transferred to him. "Forget I said anything." Taehyung waved his hands.

"No, you're right. I'm not Hopi." Hobi fumed. "But, I'm deeply invested in Hopi right now."

The members all did their best to stifle a laugh. It was an interesting, novel side of Hobi they have never seen before.

"What are you mad about exactly? If how she feels is aligned with the book, isn't this an opening for the clean-cut you wanted?" Namjun pointed out. Hobi sighed and slid his back down the wall to slump on the floor.

"I thought I did." He muttered, "I don't know anymore."

They all looked at each other. Nira ran her fingers through Jeongguk's hair. He looked up at her and squeezed her hand. They all got startled when Hobi suddenly said, "Why? Why won't she give me a chance? Why is she making a decision for us?" Their silence made Hobi look up and his eyes settled on Nira.

"Oppa, you're not Hopi." She reminded him.

"That's right." Namjun added.

"I think Nira's theory was right though. Because when she gave me the coins back, I really felt like she was saying goodbye."

"They're just coins." Yoongi called out from the sofa to Hobi. "I think we seriously read too much into this. Book aside, you wouldn't be tormenting yourself like this. You would be like, 'Ooh coins! I can't believe you kept them all these years!' The problem is you're making too many assumptions. You shouldn't have listened to us about the book."

It seemed like Hobi was lost in his thoughts because he suddenly blurted out, "Or it could be like.. 'Here are the coins Hoseok, I want no memory of you.' But I really felt like she was attracted to me so that doesn't make sense UNLESS... she was making a sacrifice which she thought was favorable to me!" His eyes were wild.

"You're not Hopi!" they all cried in exasperation.

"Can we focus on you and Aiko?" Namjun stood to reason. "Let's talk about the real world here. If you can be objective about what happened, why do you think it felt like she was saying goodbye? Maybe there's another reason. Whatever it is, find out if you were right and take it from there. Just find out the truth."

"That actually makes a lot of sense." Jin nodded.

"Hyung, you have to admit though. There are too many connections to the book." Taehyung hugged his knees as he thought about it. "I think we need to clear that up. I mean, the only way Aiko and Hyung will have a chance is if they know for sure that they don't share the same fate as Emiko and Hopi. Don't you think?"

Hobi was lost in thought. His lips folded into a thin line as he stared at nothing. The living room was silent.

Hoseok, focus. Hobi told himself. This is not like you. This book has changed you. It had and it had shaken you to the core. You are fine, aren't you? Aren't you? Even if the meeting with Aiko only inspired the story in the beginning, the pages inadvertently hurt because it opened the scab of something he thought he could live without.

I'm tired, he admitted. He is tired of singing the same song solo. He was tired of being free in the brand new world he created minus virus. He let the wound scab over before because he didn't think he could muster the strength to love another. This was what I asked for, wasn't it? Someone who will love me and no one else. The one he thought he would never find has arrived a little early on schedule.

"Still, she also wants to let me go..." he muttered.

Hobi snapped back when Yoongi sharply yelled, "Yaaa! You were going to let go first, she just beat you to it."

"She didn't know that!" Jimin replied taking pity on Hobi who was already beating himself pretty hard.

"No, no. She read you right. She saw through your persona." Yoongi goaded. "You were sure about what you didn't want, so what's this about? Is this because your ego is bruised?"

Hobi turned red. "Okay, okay... I'm predictable. That's fine, but you know that's not me. I'm not licking my wounds just because my ego is hurt."

"So, what is this then?" Yoongi crossed his legs and asked sardonically.

"This is me wanting it! Damn it! I want to fall in love again!" Hobi shouted at the ceiling in frustration. "I admit it!"

"I thought you didn't have the time or space in your life?" Yoongi's eyebrows lifted.

"Well, I changed my mind! Okay? I can do that sometimes!" Hobi was boiling over. It did not help that Yoongi's smirk irritated him.

Dismissively, Yoongi pressed on, "You hardly know her. You've met her a total of three times and none of them were even dates. Don't you think your feelings are a bit too strong? I bet you're influenced by the book, the idea of her being Emiko loving you. I bet that's what it is."

"You're wrong. I am certain about how I feel for Aiko. I wasn't ready and maybe I will never be ready, but I'm going to take my shot."

The room fell silent again. Hobi and Yoongi just stared at each other.

Hobi reached for his phone and dialed.

"Hi. Can we meet? Right now. It's important." He said to the phone without breaking eye contact with Yoongi. "Can you text me the address of where you are? I'm coming to you."

Hobi stood up and left to get ready to go. Looking around the room, Nira noticed how they were all stunned, except for Yoongi who winked at her. She gave him a quick study and leaned forward. "Wow," she whispered to him. "You really know how to light a fire under his butt."

Yoongi leaned in as well and said, "Someone's got to do it."

Nira's mouth opened in shock. "Do you? Do you do it to all of them?" Yoongi shrugged and flashed her an innocent smile.

They both shifted their attention to Hobi coming back into the living room. He looked around the room and said, "I'm going out."

"Okay." Jin nodded, still stunned.

Hobi turned to Yoongi then and said, "Hyung..."

"Saranghae." Yoongi replied in a low voice and winked.

As soon as Hobi left, everyone slumped with a sigh of relief. Unintentionally, the Mood Maker had deluged them all in stress. The quiet was broken with Jeongguk saying, "I'm suddenly hungry."

Jin leaned from his seat over to Nira, "You know, you don't have to keep bringing this one back every night. You can keep him, and feed him, and water him three times a day. We really don't mind."