On Saturday, Taehyung met up with Hoseok as they walked to the address. Taehyung was practically bouncing with each step.
"Hyung, d'you think your house is like, really big?"
"It is," Hoseok said dryly. "I used to live there, Tae."
"Oh. Right, ha, forgot about that."
Taehyung continued talking to Hoseok, chattering about homework or school stuff. Taehyung brought up Hoseok's phone.
"How do you have such an expensive phone when... considering where you live..." Taehyung trailed off, unsure how to word his question without sounding like a douche bag.
"My aunt gave it to me on my eighteenth."
"You have an aunt?" Taehyung asked. "Why don't you live with her, then?"
Hoseok shrugged. "Don't want to."
That puzzled Taehyung. If he had any other living relatives, he would have taken Eun Ha and gone to live with them right away. Taehyung shrugged, "Whatever suits ya, hyung."
Hoseok cleared his throat. "We're here."
Taehyung looked ahead and was met with a large white house. It looked like it was well taken care of in Hoseok's absence.
"Dude," Taehyung said, gaping. "You live in a mansion?"
"This is not a mansion."
"It could be, hyung! It's so big!"
Taehyung heard Hoseok chuckle. When Taehyung looked back at Hoseok, he was clearing his throat and looking away.
Shocked, Taehyung asked, "Hyung, did you just—"
"Let's go inside," Hoseok said, cutting him off and heading up the driveway. Taehyung followed as Hoseok used the keys to open the door. They went inside, Taehyung turning and looking at everything in wonder. He had never been in such a big house before.
Taehyung bumped into Hoseok, who was standing still.
"Sorry, hyung—"
Taehyung paused when he noticed Hoseok was watching someone dust the counters in the kitchen. At the sound of Taehyung's voice, the man turned around. He seemed old, maybe in about his fifties, and was wearing a suit.
"Hyunseok?" Hoseok asked, and Taehyung's brain buffered, attempting to make a connection.
His father, maybe? No, Hoseok's parents were dead, and Hoseok wouldn't lie to him. An uncle?
"Young Master Hoseok," the man breathed, and he went in for a hug. Taehyung backed up and let them have their moment. Hoseok was stiff, and didn't hug back, but didn't look displeased either. They pulled apart, and Taehyung watched as they talked.
"My, Young Master, you've grown!" Hyunseok said. He was looking at Hoseok fondly.
"You've been here all this time?" Hoseok asked. "Alone?"
Taehyung was hit with déjà vu of when he followed Hoseok to return his lunch.
Hyunseok nodded. "Though Master and Mistress are gone, I will serve this household till my dying breath."
Ah, Taehyung thought, making the connection. So he's a butler. Hoseok's family must be rich as heck.
"Who is this?" Hyunseok asked, turning to Taehyung with a welcoming smile. "A friend of Young Master Hoseok's?"
"Yeah," Taehyung nodded. "I'm Kim Taehyung. Nice to meet you, mister."
"The pleasure is mine, Sir Taehyung." Hyunseok bowed.
Taehyung, surprised, said, "You don't have to call me Sir. Or bow."
"He'll do it anyway," Hoseok said. "Hyunseok, have you left this house at all?"
"For groceries, Young Master."
Hoseok paused, searching for words. He settled on a low, "We'll talk about this later," and grabbed Taehyung by the arm, pulling him towards the staircase. As they reached the second floor, Taehyung asked, "Why didn't you live with Hyunseok?"
Hoseok didn't answer for a long time. When he did, it was short and clipped, and Taehyung felt like he was back at square one.
"Didn't want to."
"But—"
"Drop it, Kim."
Now, that was a tone Taehyung had never heard before. Taehyung stayed silent. Hoseok had never addressed him like that, either.
"...sorry," Hoseok mumbled. Any quieter, and Taehyung wouldn't have heard it.
"S'alright," Taehyung replied. He smiled, trying to make Hoseok feel better. "You gonna give me a tour or what?"
-
Hoseok was halfway through 'the tour' when Taehyung's phone rang. Taehyung pulled the flip phone out of his pocket and pressed it to his ear.
"Hello? Crap, Jimin, I forgot! I'm coming right now, okay? Sorry... yeah, bye."
Taehyung pocketed his phone and looked at Hoseok with an apologetic look. "Sorry, hyung, but Jungkook and Jimin invited me to hang out, and I totally forgot—"
"Go. You're already late."
"You sure? You can come with—"
Hoseok shook his head. "Have to check out the rest of the house."
Taehyung sighed. "I'll complete the tour later, then. Thanks for having me over, hyung!"
Taehyung gave Hoseok a bear hug. Hoseok stiffened, then awkwardly wrapped his arms around Taehyung. Taehyung pulled back and give him a wide boxy smile before bounding down the stairs. He yelled a 'bye, Mr. Hyunseok!' before running out the door.
Hoseok watched him leave with a forlorn expression on his face.
He hadn't meant to snap at Taehyung. The reason Hoseok never lived with Hyunseok was because Hyunseok didn't know of the curse, and Hoseok hated lying to him.
So whenever Taehyung said something that was related to the curse in any way, it put Hoseok on edge.
He had to keep Taehyung in the dark about it.
(Or Taehyung would leave him and he'd be lonely all over again.)
Hoseok went down the stairs and informed Hyunseok that he was going on a walk in the park (which he did when there was no school in order to get enough happiness, but Hyunseok didn't know that, of course).
Hoseok closed the door behind him and took the long way to the park, a pit of guilt settling in his stomach.
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