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

Boy Meets Evil

"Hyung, are you really okay?" Jimin asked.

A few weeks had passed and Hobi had a chance to accept Aiko's decision.

Of course, he was finally able to say all this to himself only after going through a dim-lit catharsis. In the practice room, he threw himself into dance in an attempt to exorcise the demons of rejection and self-pity. He refused to be dragged deep into the pits of despair. He had always pushed himself to the limits, and even on the road to acceptance he grappled in the darkness until he could find a way out.

It started with overcoming bitterness. Seething, he thought about how meeting her was just an unnecessary diversion. Perhaps, it was because everyone was preoccupied with the love bug that had infected their dorm. Then he lamented over the unfairness of life. He stewed over why the idea would even present itself, have it dangled so close to his face, and then be told it was past its expiration date. Soon enough, he licked his wounds over Aiko's decision and conviction when she never even gave him a chance to show that things could be different. Finally, he respected her choice. Even if he would have wanted to push, she had already made up her mind.

Hobi was lying and panting on the floor of the practice room when he found the way out of the dark. He was done with his purge.  He had come to terms that Aiko merely pointed out the truth. He made a life choice that would not have had room for her in it. Her response was the result of the closed-off life he built around himself. She had a close study of him, it was hard to argue.

Boy Meets Evil started to play, and he was reminded that he was equally to blame. He sat up, listening to the lyrics that seemed to form a new meaning for him. The words were resonating differently.

The light of my future is dimming
Because of my childish love, I lost my way on a path of dream
The venom of my ambition, I sharpened my knife every day

But because of my uncontrollable greed, my knife became dull

I know it all

This love is another name for the devil

As the song continued, he realized he was caught in the rush of pursuing his ambition and it had boxed him in. He needed to break free from the constraints he created. He needed to transcend them.

In the beginning, he went through so much that sharpening his focus on his ambition seemed the only way to claw out of the ditch he was in. With that, he donned a mask and resolved to commit 24/7 to the dream his mother paved for him with her sacrifices. He did well, but apparently not without a trade-off. The mask turned into a blinder along the way and he lucked out on Aiko.

The mask - he had worn it too long and it was time to put it away, he thought. He sat up and looked at his bare face in the mirror. Aiko had seen through his sunny concept, but she was not able to penetrate the mask. He had worn it for so long, even he had gotten used to it. 

"There is one factor she didn't account for." He watched himself cockily say out loud to the mirror, "I'm stubborn as hell." Hobi called it stubbornness, but truly he was referring to his strong will. "I'm not Hopi, and she's made her assumptions too quickly."

"That's where she's wrong." He continued. If he just stood around and waited for things to happen to him, he wouldn't be where he was today.

Hobi decided then that he needed to quit milling around. He was going to break free from his own fears and insecurity.  If the opportunity presented itself again, he would cash in on a real chance at love. It didn't have to be Aiko and maybe it won't be anytime soon, but that's okay. He was known for his patience. 

"Yes, I'm okay. Life goes on, Jiminie." He flashed him a dimpled smile.

Jimin was a little shaken by the sunniness of the way he responded. It would have been normal to see this bright side of Hobi if it weren't for the fact that he had been disappearing in the practice room for hours at a time in recent weeks. 

"Let's go out today, hyung. We haven't gone out in a while." Jimin suggested.

"Sure, what do you want to do?" he smiled.

"Wow, okay. I didn't expect you to agree. Um... we can just go window shopping. Or maybe go out for coffee with Jin-hyung. He's been hanging in cafes a lot lately."

"He has? Why? Is it for Eat Jin?"

"I'm not sure actually."

"Okay. Yeah, that might be nice."

"Really?" Jimin perked up, "I'm going to tell Jin-hyung right now." Jimin jumped up and went to search for the eldest before Hobi changed his mind.

"Why? Why are you coming?" Jin asked suspiciously.

"Well, to hang out with you? Hobi-hyung agreed to come out. Is that alright?"

Jin hesitated for a moment and said, "Yes, okay."

"Hyung, why are you being weird?" Jimin frowned.

"No, I'm not. Get ready. Suga and I were on our way out."

"Oh, Yoongi-hyung is coming too?"