Flower

CHAPTER 43

Hoseok stepped out to find the alpha staring at one of the paintings on the wall. A large canvas with the sea painted in hues of pink and purple, sighed by Hoseok's favorite artist at the bottom. He is about to clear his throat when Namjoon spoke up, "That's a nice painting you got there. A part of her Cherry Blossom series if I am not wrong". 

He hummed in response, making his way to the small alcohol cabinet place on one side of the room. "Whiskey?" he asked, Namjoon turning around with a raised eyebrow, "At this time?" he questioned.

"Tea is for the faint hearted I believe. And no offense, I think you need after all that has happened" Hoseok said, pulling out two glasses, dropping two ice cubes in each of the glasses, pouring in the liquor. 

Namjoon had made himself comfortable on the safe, giving him a weak smile as he plucked the glass out of his hand, swirling his drink thoughtfully. Hoseok sighed, sinking into his own seat opposite the alpha, unsure of how to begin, how to phrase the things he wanted to say.

"I'm sorry about Taehyung".

"You have nothing to be sorry about. Had it not been for you, I cannot even bring myself to imagine what he would have gone through" Namjoon responded, grip tightening on the glass before taking a big gulp, squeezing his eyes shut as the alcohol burned his throat. 

"He deserves better. So much better" Hoseok said quietly, blinking away the tears brewing his eyes, hiding his feelings behind the glass of alcohol. "Why are you here?" he asked the man. When he came to know that Namjoon had come to meet him, he expected and earful, maybe even a punch or so for breaking his promise, instead the alpha was fidgeting in his place, looking like he had a few things to say.

"I came here to thank you, and apologize for my actions" came the answer.

Hoseok frowned at his words. What could he possibly be apologizing for? "Thank you Hoseok-ssi. I cannot express my gratitude in mere words, I owe you the lives of my mate and brother. And I am sorry,  for what I did more than six years ago. There are somethings that you do not know and certain things that I do not. I am here to share my side and apologize for my wrongdoings". 

Hoseok straightened at the mention of the time when he and Taehyung were together. It felt so long, yet the hurt was so fresh. He wondered if Taehyung ever felt it too, the yearning of his heart that called out to his lost lover. 

"Taehyung wanted to see you that night. After my parents fixed his marriage with that bastard, he wanted to come to you. He even tried to run away a few times, but every time, I was there to stop him. At that time, I did not know what love was, what it does to a person and how it important it is, so I acted the way my parents wanted me to. I don't blame them, for they had their own reasons behind the way they acted. But the way my mother drew you away was cruel, inhumane and incredibly brutish. Both of you did not deserve and I cannot fathom how you must have felt in that moment.

It was wrong of me let my brother get married to the man he did not know. I keep thinking that had I stopped the marriage, taken Taehyung's side, he might have been in a happier place today and it kills me, to think that I played a role in his misery. I wasn't aware back then, a fool in fact to have done something like that. For that, I am truly sorry. If there is anything I can do for you in return, please let me know".

Hoseok stared at the alpha before him in shock. The remorse was clear in his voice, guilt visible in the downcast eyes and it took him a while to wrap his head around what Namjoon had spoken. There was this odd feeling in his chest, like he was angry and happy at the same time. 

But no, it was this feeling of being validated, of being told that Namjoon believed now that Hoseok could have been the perfect mate for his brother, acknowledging that he was wrong-  that his family was wrong, He was looking past Hoseok's wealth and status, although it had considerably increased over the past few years, yet he was nowhere near the Kims, nor was he going to be- not in this birth at least.