Nada

Friends

Hoseok stopped moving, arm awkwardly stretched out. "...class....?" He finally finished.

"No." Her voice was so quiet he almost didn't hear it.

"Oh. I didn't realize you read romance." He set the book on the table.

"I don't." He looked up questioningly.

"Oh.....okay." He held the handkerchief up. "I didn't realize you'd finalized our outfits...."

"Hoseok, put it down and stop going through my stuff." She said coldly, ice crossing her features. He was a little offended.

"I know it's your stuff but I think I have the right to know if you're changing our dance outfits." He held the offending piece of fabric up. "Where would we even put this, the pockets are too small..." In a way, it looked like Y/N caved in on herself and became small and tiny when she saw the handkerchief again.

"It's not meant to be put in a pocket."

"Then what...do we tie it around our arms..."

"It's not for our performance and it doesn't go around your arm." She plopped her bags on the floor and walked over, snatching it from him, wrapping it around the book, and tossing both against the opposite wall where they smacked and then bounced to the floor. Hoseok opened his mouth, closed it again, then opened it. He knew she was stressed but come on, there was no need to get so pissy with him...

"Then what's it for?" He said, slightly defiant. Y/N said nothing, didn't even turn to look at him. And something in Hoseok's mind clicked. "Y/N, what's it for..."

"It's none of your damn business!" She whirled on him, looking angry. But there were unshed tears in her eyes. "It's none of your business and I don't understand why you're asking or why you're even here...."

"I'm here because there's a nutjob out there who apparently knows where you live and it concerns me!" Hoseok raised his voice, feeling frustrated. Why couldn't she just accept his help, why did she have to make everything so damn difficult.

"Why do you even care?" He looked at her incredulously.

"Why wouldn't I care? Why wouldn't we care? Someone wants to hurt you."

"I can handle it, Hoseok! You don't need to be involved, you can go back to your fucking and drinking, I am just fine! You don't have to worry about it!"

"How can I not worry when I know someone is out there who wants to hurt my friend!" He yelled in frustration. Y/N stopped, her eyes going wide. Wait, what?

"What?" Hoseok gently reached out and cupped her cheeks with his hands, looking into her eyes.

"Why would I let him hurt you when you're my friend?"

"What?" He frowned at her.

"What part of this aren't you understanding?"

"We're.....friends......?" His frowned deepened.

"Of course." What did she think they were? "What else would we be?"

"I thought..." She dropped her eyes and pulled away. Hoseok didn't understand what was going on. Didn't understand why it felt like her whole world had shifted. They thought of her as a friend...?

"What did you think we were?" He prompted when her voice trailed off. Y/N wouldn't look at him.

"I thought you were just nice to me cuz it made your fuck lives better." She finally admitted quietly. Hoseok stared at her incredulously.

"What the actual fuck." Y/N tried to turn away from him but he grabbed her arm and pulled her back, locking his arms around her waist and holding her against him. She stiffened on instinct but gradually relaxed as he buried his face in her hair. That....kinda hurt. The idea that she would think so low of him....of them....yeah that hurt a little. "If that was the case....we probably would've stopped hanging out with you as soon as this bastard surfaced. It wouldn't be worth the drama."

"Why do you think I didn't tell any of you?"

"Y/N, how long has this been going on?" He pulled back slightly to look at her face. She avoided his eyes and looked down at his shirt.

"It started about a month ago. I started getting messages through other people and then from him and then....that package...." Hoseok's jaw clenched.

"What's that lace cloth for if you don't put it around your arm?"

"It's...." Y/N took a deep breath. "...it's...." Tears started to leak out of her eyes and she closed them. "...it goes on your head."

"Huh?" Hoseok was confused but squeezed her tighter as more tears ran down her face.

"It's a headcovering." Y/N buried her face in his shirt so her voice was muffled. "You wear it during religious services in....it just...it reminds you that you need to submit to men, that you shouldn't step out of place and speak."
What. The. Actual. Fuck.