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IV

ENTRY 4.IV: HOSEOK
January 5, 2008: 17:33
"He's just unconscious from the impact," Ruyoung's father reassured Hoseok, who was still trying to process everything that had happened. "No worries. He'll wake up soon enough."

Hoseok knew that Ruyoung's father would be home when he got there and that he would be able to make the situation a lot easier to handle for him. His father was a doctor, so he knew he would know how to take care of Ruyoung properly. He couldn't just do nothing to help Ruyoung after that impact.

"So, Hoseok-ah," he continued after a few seconds with a laugh, "do you think you could explain to me how exactly he managed to run into a wall?"

In order to avoid spilling the true details on what actually happened, Hoseok had to figure out a different story to tell Ruyoung's father, and thankfully, as he was on his way over there, he'd planned ahead and figured one out. He'd left in the part about the two of them being chased by the stranger but shifted the story by claiming that instead of almost being killed, they'd lost him while running. Then, he'd explained to him, before they'd realized that they lost him, Ruyoung had been so panicked by it (which was understandable) that he lost his awareness of the situation and ran into a dead end.

Ruyoung's father laughed after Hoseok told his story as he rummaged for a sterile cloth to use to stop Ruyoung's bleeding. Hoseok himself tried laughing to hide the bad feelings inside of him.

"That doesn't surprise me," he said. "He's always been a bit clumsy. The part that surprises me is that he was clumsy enough to run straight into a wall."

His humorous tone of voice turned suddenly to concerned curiosity.

"You two were really being followed like that on your way home?" he continued, shaking his head. "That isn't the type of thing to happen every day..."

"It's the truth, sir, as much as I hate to say it."

"Ah..."

His uneasiness had done nothing but grow since he witnessed his friend fall unconscious. After so much time, he was beginning to think that he would never know what was wrong and the reason why he was still feeling this way. Did he do something that he wasn't supposed to do without knowing?

Before thinking about it longer, he realized in the process that he already knew the answer to that question. It was obvious: Hoseok had done something wrong. If he'd never broken down so quickly like he did, if he'd just calmed himself down and actually listened to Ruyoung rather than become so reckless with his words and actions, then none of this would've been happening. In a perfect world, he would be at home right now rather than at Ruyoung's place watching as his father examined him and cleaned him up properly. With this thought of home now in his mind, he'd begun to worry that his mother would be scared to death, wondering endlessly about where he could've been.

In time, Ruyoung's father removed the pressure of the cloth from Ruyoung's wound.

"Alright, I think that should do it. He may have a minor concussion, but that's nothing to worry about at all. He'll be back to normal in about a week."

After disposing of the cloth, he walked into the kitchen and opened the freezer, looking to be getting some ice together to put on his head.

There was a knock on the door.

"Oh, Hoseok-ah," Ruyoung's father called from the other room, "that must be your mother. Why don't you go ahead and answer that?"

Hoseok affirmed his request and got up from his seat to open the door. Sure enough, his mother was the source of the knock, bitting her nails nervously with concern before he answered.

"Hoseokie!"

She immediately embraced him as soon as he opened the door, her worries over him having now been lifted.

"Hi..."

"What happened to you? I've been worried sick!"

"It's a long story. I'll tell you later, just come inside."

Hoseok turned around and walked back into the room where Ruyoung was still laying.

...or at least he thought he was still laying there.

To his immediate surprise, Ruyoung was awake when he walked back in, sitting up with one hand on his head and an emotionless, yet confused, look in his eyes. He seemed so unusually calm.

"Ruyoung-ah!"

Hoseok's uneasiness was suddenly put aside as he was reassured that his friend was okay. He ran over to him with excitement, relieved that he had woken up.

"You're back!"

Ruyoung started at Hoseok, looking puzzled. He cocked his head and squinted.

"Who are you?"

Hoseok froze, his stomach dropping.

"W-What?"

His father came back into the room with a makeshift ice pack.

"Dad," he said looking over towards his father, "who is this?"

He looked at his son, just as confused as he was.

"You don't remember him?"

"No...no I don't."

Suddenly, he became stuck on words.

"W-Well, I'm sure this is just all from the injury...I didn't think it was that bad..."

Hoseok had a hand over his mouth, shaking his head in denial as tears quickly filled his eyes. He knew now exactly what his strong uneasiness had been for, and he couldn't help but admit it to himself. 

He had completely erased Ruyoung's memory of him.

His mother and Ruyoung's father had seen Hoseok's sudden rise in concern, and began looking concerned themselves. The two of them both knew well how much Ruyoung had meant to him. They'd been the ones to watch the friends grow up together, so seeing their friendship disappear right in front of their eyes had been heartbreaking.

After a few seconds though, Hoseok caught sight of his mother's gaze shifting to sternness as if she had realized and caught onto exactly what was going on.

"Hoseok-ah?" Ruyoung's father asked with worry in his voice.

Hoseok couldn't bring himself to say anything back. He'd lost his childhood best friend, and it was all thanks to his own recklessness.

It was all his fault.

Eventually, Hoseok was able to let two words escape his lips before running out of the house towards his own home where he'd end up secluding himself for the next few days.

"I'm sorry..."