Remember

Truth

⚠️ This chapter does contain some gore content and some REALLY sensitive topics in here, so please read at your own risk! ☹️ i.e. drugs, rape, abuse, suicide

Hoseok's bare body was bruised, unnoticeable in the dark, but he crossed his arms, doing his best to cover himself anyways. "Let's go inside," Hoseok changed the topic. "We can talk there." The interior of the house contrasted the outside's. It was neat, clean, and expensive. The lights were dimmed, the silence echoing through as their shoe's heels clicked against the floor. "Wait here," Hoseok scurried upstairs and came back down with a shirt on. He led them into the kitchen and placed a bowl of fruits in front of them before also sitting down. "Okay, now tell me what's going on," Hoseok said, motioning them to start talking. "What the hell are you guys doing here all the way in Gwangju?"

"Because of you?" Yoongi hesitated to speak. "You've been awfully distant and we got worried... thought you were cheating on me." Hoseok's chewing slowed down as he pulled the stem out of his cherry, his eyes widened.

"So you followed me?" He chuckled dryly, not mad whatsoever. "I'm not surprised."

"Really?" Jimin asked, shocked. "I thought you'd be pissed at us." Hoseok shook his head, laughing at their expressions.

"What if I told you this was all intentional?" He 'joked.' "No, I'm not mad at all."

"Thank god," Yoongi exhaled in relief.

"What is this place by the way?" Jimin asked, changing the subject once more. "Is this your home?" Hoseok nodded, joining them in admiring the tacky furniture and such.

"I grew up here with my parents and sister before relocating to Daegu," he confirmed. "It... holds a lot of memories."

"Where's everyone?" Yoongi asked. "Are your dad and sister out?" Hoseok looked at him, his eyes staring at him in a way Yoongi's never seen him look at him with before— sadness.

"I wanted you guys to follow me," Hoseok finally told them. "This... was kind of like a setup." Both Jimin and Yoongi tilted their heads, surprised with his sudden confession.

"And that means...?" Jimin searched his expression; his eyes. "You trolled us?"

"The day your mom passed, you said you wanted me to tell you about mine— my family," Hoseok began. "I thought what better place then to tell you in the home it all occurred in."

"Go on," Yoongi encouraged him.

"It's a lot," Hoseok choked out. "But just promise me one thing... Believe me, yeah?" Yoongi and Jimin exchanged eye contact before nodding and agreeing.

"Of course Hobi," Jimin smiled, holding his pinky with his own. Hoseok took a deep breath, looking at them with worry but he did it anyways and began to spill his life story out.

"I um... I've lived in this house since the day I was born," Hoseok started. "My sister grew up in Gwangju as well, just in a different house. Our family was like any other, average income, small house with thin walls, we went to school, all of it. The only difference was apparently... me." Hoseok took a second before continuing, the two sitting across from him letting him take his time. "I was always energetic, loud, hyper, you name it, and my mom would always tell me to act more 'mature' which looking back, of course she wanted that so the neighbors and community wouldn't talk bad of us. However, she was always desperate for attention- the good kind- and it was excessive."

Hoseok leaned back in his chair, staring up at the ceiling and scoffing at the thought. "She'd always get so petty when someone didn't compliment her on a new dress for example," Hoseok continued on. "I was always told the problem was me, but she never realized it was her. One day, after school, my sister and I went to the park and I fell asleep on her lap. When I woke up, the sun had already set and she was gone. Left me there alone. The park was empty, and I was only like 10 years old? I knew the way back though, and I cried while walking, but that's also the day I found Mickey. Her box was just around two blocks away from here, so I picked her up, excited to take her home and hopefully keep her, but when I walked into the house, my mom was using a knife to carve the word disobedient into the flesh of my sister's back right there in front of the staircase."