PERSONA ✓

26.

Taehyung arrived with Namjoon and Yoongi at HQ—as Jungkook was now calling it.

"What's going on?" Yoongi asked, going straight to business.

Taehyung's eyes went from Seokjin, to Hoseok, to Jimin and Jungkook. Jungkook held something clenched in his hand and Hoseok stood there, looking terrified, maybe even ashamed.

Taehyung felt rage bubbling up inside him.

Of course he was hiding something. He was a villain, after all. People don't change. Mind control or not, Taehyung didn't trust Hoseok, not one bit.

"Hoseok," Jungkook said. He held up the crumpled paper. "What is this?"

"It's nothing," Hoseok began.

"Answer him," Taehyung said flatly. "You're being suspicious and hiding things. If you truly are innocent, you wouldn't be hiding this when we confront you."

Hoseok glanced at Taehyung before directing his gaze back at the ground. He shuffled his feet.

"It's... it's an address," Hoseok said.

"I can see that," Jungkook said. "I mean, it's not this address, so why did you write 'Persona' at the bottom?"

Jungkook handed the address to Namjoon, who examined it for a second before looking up at Hoseok. "It is kinda suspicious, Hobi. What's going on?"

Hoseok swallowed. His voice shook. "It's... it's the address of the previous... the previous Persona."

"Previous Persona?" Yoongi asked from beside Taehyung. "There was one before Namjoon?"

Hoseok nodded. "Y-Yeah. It was 10 years back. There was a Shadow back then too."

"Choi Byungho," Namjoon muttered. "Atlas told me that there had been previous Personas, but I never knew their identities, only Shadow's. So that means this address..."

"Is the previous Persona's," Hoseok finished. He twisted the rings on his fingers nervously. Taehyung rolled his eyes.

"How'd you get it, then?" Jimin asked.

"I... I did everything I could to find his name. And then— then I found his address."

"Why?" Jimin pressed. "Why did you work so hard to find this dude?"

"He..." Hoseok screwed his eyes shut, twisting his rings faster and faster. "The accident 10 years ago that k-killed my parents... he was there. But— but instead of saving the people stuck in the apartment building as it burned, he went to catch the arsonist first, and everyone in the building died while he was gone. I... I wanted to find him. And I did, I just... I never talked to him. I'm... too scared."

There was a long silence where no one said anything.

Jungkook broke it first, his doe eyes shining with emotion. "Hoseok, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to—"

Hoseok shook his head. "I was being suspicious. You had every right to question me."

Jungkook stopped talking but didn't look any less guilty.

"Jungkook," Seokjin asked, his expression solemn, "What was that thing you said last week? That mind control is easier when there's a motive?"

Jungkook nodded slowly. "It... it makes sense that whoever we're up against would use Hoseok to fight Namjoon. Hoseok does have a bone to pick with Persona— just not our Persona."

"That's why it was so easy for him to get in my head..." murmured Hoseok. "Why it almost feels like I did everything willingly."

Taehyung clenched his fists at his side. He knew Hoseok said "almost", but almost is enough to make Taehyung protective of his hyung.