Divided Faces | KTH ✔️

Seven

Taehyung continued jogging through the neighborhood until he reached Hoseok's house. Fortunately, the lights were on inside, indicating that he was home.

The silver-haired man sprinted across the street and practically crashed onto the elder's porch. He bent over, placing his palms on his knees and panting raggedly before ringing the bell.

The door swung open, revealing a delighted Hoseok. However, his smile quickly faded once he noticed Taehyung's disoriented state.

His silver hair was completely disheveled, strands sticking out in all directions and beads of moisture collected on his temples. His doe eyes displayed a look of distress and his lips quivered as if on the verge of crying.

"Tae, are you alright? What happened to you?" Hoseok asked, frowning worriedly.

Taehyung didn't reply. Instead, he covered his face and broke down in tears. Without hesitation, Hoseok walked over and engulfed him in a hug.

"I d-did something r-really bad, Hobi. I-I'm scared. I'm s-so scared of myself," Taehyung sobbed into Hoseok's shoulder, tightly clinging to the cloth of his shirt.

The elder hushed him soothingly while massaging his stiff back muscles which seemed to calm him down a tad. Minutes passed before Hoseok finally pulled away and cupped Taehyung's cheeks.

"Let's head inside so we can talk, yeah?" he suggested, wiping the younger's stray tears with his thumbs.

Taehyung sniffled and nodded. "Okay."

—

"Damn, that must have been super traumatizing. V is truly the epitome of Satan," Hoseok commented after Taehyung explained everything that transpired with Dr. Kim.

Both men sat opposite from each other at the dining table, drinking cups of hot tea that the elder had boiled.

"Such a flatterer, this one," V grunted.

Taehyung shook his head, ignoring him. "Tell me about it. Hopefully she doesn't press assault charges on me," he said, sipping his tea.

"Shame he doesn't have an off-button. That would make your life much easier," Hoseok jested.

"I suppose a guy can dream," Taehyung laughed dryly.

He looked up at the elder with swollen red eyes, tapping his index finger on the white mug's exterior. "Hobi?"

"Hmm?"

"...Do you think I'm a monster?"

Hoseok finished his tea and met the younger's somber gaze, sporting a serious expression.

"Listen to me. You are the most compassionate, generous, caring person I've ever met. You have a heart of gold and the ocean pales in comparison to its size. And I guarantee that Jeongyu will forgive you no matter what. You're my best friend, Tae. I hate seeing you so depressed. If anyone here is the monster, it's V. Please stop blaming yourself for circumstances that aren't your fault."

A boxy grin stretched Taehyung's lips as tears brimmed in his chocolate brown orbs once again. "Really? You mean it?"

Hoseok presented his signature heart-shaped smile. "One hundred percent."

Choking back another sob, Taehyung stood up and flung his arms around the elder in a secure embrace.

"Thank you, Hobi. For never losing faith in me and always being my anchor. I love you so much."