Nada

Retraining

As RM said, it's D-Day. This comeback has really been something else.

"Y/N, please open up. I want to talk to you." No response.

Inside Y/N was glaring at the mirror, whispering under her breath, her fingers tightly gripping the counter. The more she tried to argue with herself, the more she tried to convince herself that she was just overreacting, the more it hurt and the more stupid she felt.

"Let me try." Namjoon gently pushed Hoseok away from the door and knocked firmly.

"Y/N, it's Namjoon. Please open the door." There was a moment but the door did open. Namjoon shot Hoseok a look that said not to move and pushed the door opened wider, stepped inside, and closed it behind him.

Y/N stepped back, trying to look composed but just succeeding in looking frazzled.

"Are you okay?" She thought about nodding, about brushing it off, about trying to convince herself everything was alright. But she'd done that last time too. Pretending things were alright when they weren't didn't work for her in the long run and it was stupid to act like it did. She needed to be rational if she was going to fix herself.

She shook her head and wrapped her arms around herself. Namjoon leaned against the counter.

"I...." She stopped. How could she make him, them all understand? It sounded so silly to voice out loud. "After his last final I met him at the testing center. I thought he'd want a break from studying and....obviously he likes being around me so...." She took a deep breath to sound calmer. "I was going to take him to coffee and let him ask questions because he always complains he doesn't know anything about me." Namjoon smiled slightly, because that sounded like Hoseok through and through. "But I was really selfish and I didn't think about how he might feel after taking a hard test. And it hurt but it shouldn't hurt, I don't know why I can't let it go, I've been making such a big deal in my head and I tell myself to stop but...." Namjoon held up his hand and she stopped mid-sentence.

"When things like this happened, how did Mordecai treat you? How did he react?" Y/N's face instantly darkened and she looked disgusted.

"He would tell me I was crazy and overthinking things and that I needed to be logical. But I couldn't be because men are more logical than women....he always prided himself on how logical he was. Anytime I disagreed with him I was too emotional."

"Were you? Looking back now, were you?" She thought for a moment and then shook her head.

"No. Well, maybe sometimes, but most of the time I was reacting to him deliberately saying things to upset me. Any reasonable person would behave the same way. I had legitimate issues with the things he would say."

"That's why."

"What?"

"Your previous relationship experience was with a manipulative man. You're primed and trained to react to a romantic partner like you are now. If this was Mordecai, he probably would've rejected your date just to get you worked up so he could prove to himself he's more logical than you. Am I wrong?" Y/N shook her head, absorbing the truth in Namjoon's words. She knew it was true but hearing it from him...it made her feel calmer. Vindicated even.

"He would've done exactly that." Namjoon stepped forward and reached out to rub her shoulders.

"Y/N, Hoseok won't do that to you. You're going to need to retrain yourself. Your instincts worked for you with a man like Mordecai but you're good at reading people. You know Hoseok's not like that. Please trust him. Don't blind yourself to the people closest to you."

Namjoon was right. Now that she'd talked about it she felt relieved and like she had a way to fix the problem. "I'm going to open the door and let him in now."

"Okay." Hoseok had been listening on the other side and mentally cursing at himself. He felt bad for feeling irritated with her that day.

The door opened and he muttered a quick thank you before pushing past Namjoon to face Y/N.

"I'm sorry." She said quietly. He held his hand out.

"Don't be sorry for being human."

Comforting words. She took his hand.