"By the way, where's my bag?"
The boys were still in the livingroom, boring ads playing on the TV, which was not as loud on the volume anymore due to Namjoon changing it. There was already enough noise to fill the room, coming from the seven students chatting.
"Oh, right, I think it was left in here..." Jungkook mumbled to mostly himself, as he got up from the couch to bring Hoseok his bag.
Everyone had pretty much forgotten about the pitch black bag Hoseok had dropped on the ground earlier, right before collapsing next to it. But now that he had asked for his missing property, he was also going to get it.
After looking around for just a few seconds, Jungkook found and lifted up the almost dry bag, and then turned to look at Hoseok.
"Is it okay if I bring it upstairs?" he asked, holding the bag with his left arm, making it seem like it was as light as a feather.
"Um, why would you do that?"
"You're gonna sleep there, in the guest room. Why not?"
Hoseok blinked his eyes, still staring at Jungkook, and his bag. His heart shaped lips formed a small circle, before he let out a quiet "Oh".
Jungkook only shrugged his shoulders at his reaction, and walked out of the room, towards the stairs. Thump, thump ー you could clearly hear his footsteps as he went upstairs.
A sudden silence took over the livingroom, a perfect timing in Jimin's opinion. He looked at Hoseok, whose gaze was on the fluffy blanket covering his body.
"Well, how are you now? You don't look as pale as you did before" Jimin started, gaining Hoseok's attention along the others' in the room, "But I guess you do still have a fever, your cheeks look very red."
"I'm fine."
Nothing more than Jimin had expected to hear, nothing less either. This boy sure was something. Not being satisfied with this answer, Jimin continued;
"That's all?"
"Mmh."
This time it was only some quiet muttering that Hoseok gave back.
Breaking the conversation between the two boys, Namjoon clapped his hands twice to have everyone's attention before he began to talk. The stairs were creaking a bit again, meaning that Jungkook was there to listen, too.
"So, what are we going to do now? We've got a sick mate here, so nothing too crazy ー and Hoseok, if you need to rest, just tell us and I'll make these guys shut up."
"I can do that by myself too, thanks."
"No you can't, you think we'd listen to a sick puppy like you" Yoongi commented with a playful smile on his milky face, getting up from his armchair.
Before Hoseok got the chance to beat the life out of the ghost boy (who already looked too dead to have his life beated out of him), he had already walked to the kitchen. The sound of glasses jingling against each other could be heard afterwards, followed by the faucet being switched on.
Hoseok only cursed under his breath, fucking Min Yoongi.
"You know," he said louder, lifting his head up, "I think I'm just gonna have a nap for now. I don't care what you guys do here, make as much noise as you want to."
Hoseok wasn't even finished with his words, and he had already left the blanket to be a small mess in the corner of the couch, revealing his fragile body that had been hidden by the thick fabric.
You could see how the clothes really didn't fit his small frame; the shirt was just hanging there, not even fully covering his exposed collarbones. The pants seemed to fit better, but they could have been an inch or two shorter to actually look like his size.
The whole sick-at-home outfit made the poor, messy haired ravenette look even more vulnerable, yet his actions were fighting against that image. His eyes had the same old, piercing look which was only highlighted by the dark circles under them.
Not much was said after the information he gave, just a bunch of 'okay's all around the room, and Hoseok was satisfied with that. He went past Jungkook, not even making any eye contact, and walked upstairs, his dark locks bouncing as he did so.
"...Rest well!" he could hear behind him, it was Jungkook's voice.
Rest well, in a strangers' house? he thought to himself, leaving Jungkook hanging there, without giving him a response. Not even a thank you, nor thanks.
He could easily remember which room he had come out of when he first went downstairs, and so he gently pressed down the handle and pushed the door open, assuming it was the guest room.
His assumption was proved to be correct, since he saw his old pal ー his bag, laying there. He didn't bother to do anything about it, no checking it or the things inside.
He just closed the door, brushed his fingers through his messy locks, and sat down on the perfectly bouncy bed. Letting out a tired sigh, he threw his whole body on the heavenly soft mattress, clinging onto the blanket laying there with him. Gosh, why was it so warm and silky too?
For a while, he felt good. Laying there, yeah, it felt good.
But after realizing he really was all alone now, the burning tears of disappointing himself started to flow quickly. Silently, but quickly.
The blanket he was cuddling was soon fixed to hide his whole body, creating a small, safe space for Hoseok to cry in.
Whispering to no-one but to his lonely self, the words flowed out, followed by more tears;
"Why..."
A small gulp, he tried to stop the tears, force them to stay in place.
"Why is it so hard t-to keep it up with them..."
Keeping up the act, like in a show. That's what he was talking about. Talking about to himself, to the only person who already knew all he did was act.
"Why can't I hide?"
The words burned his throat, yet they still came out of his mouth.
"Why are they so... kind?"
× × ×
A/N
sorry hunies, sad hours
💕 stay safe
ー hyun
