In The Kim Household:
Kim Namjoon's P.O.V.
After Hoseok and I left the hospital the day before we'd gone back to my house. It was on the small side but it was enough for me and Monie, my puppy. We travelled in silence through the storm ignoring the radio since we wouldn't be able to hear it over Mother Nature still throwing her tantrum outside of the vehicle. Once we got inside I poured us both a whiskey & coke, I indicated for him to take a seat while I brought the bottles of whiskey and the carbonated drink, placing both of them on the table.
"So." I started, I knew this was probably going to be uncomfortable for him, for both of us, but I felt I needed to know. Hoseok looked down and sniffled. "Hey," I tried to reassure, "I don't need your life story but as your Employer I need to know what the restraining order is about. But as someone who considers themself your friend, I want to know what happened because it's obviously still wrecking you. How long ago did this happen, Seok? Is this why you don't dance anymore? Please tell me." I asked, knowing it would have to be discussed eventually. I didn't think he would cry when I asked Hoseok anything but I felt bad when I saw the drips fall from his face and disappear into the dampness of his denim jeans.
"Hoseok? Talk to me man." I think he nodded, the movement was subtle so I wasn't sure. He skulled the drink in his hand and poured another then, after wiping his tears roughly and downing his second drink in one go, he started talking. "It started when..."
His tale started fairly normally. Like most people he'd had a best friend and they were a formidable pair through high school, but when someone had overheard something Hoseok had said to his best friend they had decided to use it against him. The group had blackmailed him and because he was so terrified of what his parents would say if they found out he liked the same gender, that he allowed this group to convince him to bully his friend. This group was intimidated by the duo's influence in the school so they split them up and destroyed the younger of the pair.
Hoseok told me how he'd seen Park Jimin the day he'd vanished but the only indication his former best friend might be alive was the restraining order that had turned up two days after he'd walked away from the bloody mess behind the gymnasium - Hoseok had never been able to find a trace of him since that day. His regret was glaringly obvious and I wondered how I hadn't seen something before.
"Seok, I'm speaking right now as your friend, okay? What the fuck man? Did you really have to be that cruel to him, like what did he ever do to you? You knew everything that would hurt him but you told his secrets anyway and allowed those dickheads to use everything against him. He was your BEST FRIEND, man, how could yo-" "I KNOW!" He screamed at me. "Don't you think I don't know! That's why I try to smile all the time! That's why I do my damnedest to make sure other people don't have to go through this shit ever. Park Jimin is why, when anyone calls me, I ALWAYS go help them. And it's so damn exhausting but I don't know how else I can make it up to him. I know I can't but this is how I try! What I did to Park Jimin is why I jump in no matter what when I see someone being bullied, and Jimin is the reason I started the support group back after that night you saved my ass. Because I'm the one who's guilty of being a piece of shit and nobody can change anything I've done!" He completely broke down after he'd finished shouting at me, telling his truth.
"What's done is done, we both know you can't change the past, but, have you spoken to anyone about what happened? Like, a professional?" He shook his head, I rubbed his shoulders and back trying to help him calm down. Holy fuck this kid's a mess. "Seok, I really think you need to see someone. Look man, I'll even pay for it for as long as you need it, okay?" I spoke firmly but softly so he would understand this wasn't negotiable.
"Don't wanna," he started to argue with me but by placing my hand under his chin to make him look at me, I repeated myself. "Jung Hoseok. This isn't a debate. As your Employer I am seriously worried about your mental health. You will be booked in to see a professional and you will attend every session unless you're dying or something important. If you choose not go to the appointments that Bulletproof Boys Construction Company make for you then you will not be permitted to work. Do you understand me?" He stared at me for a long moment longer, then nodded his head. I wrapped my arms around him tightly.
"Seok, this is for the best. As your friend I'm worried as fuck. You seriously need to tell someone about this shit you're carrying around. You've carried so much of this by yourself for way too long and it's not healthy. Please. See someone?" I plead, this time as his friend. Hoseok nods again, this time a little less reluctantly.
We didn't speak much about anything serious for the rest of the night and we definitely polished off too many 750ml bottles of whiskey and scotch between us. We'd decided to pull out the sofa bed at some point and ended up watching The Untamed (based on the novel Mo Dao Zu Shi by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu) on Netflix.
At some point I heard my phone notifications going off but I ignored it.