Bultaoreune

Five

"Hobi, I want to ask you a big favor. And I hope you say yes." Jin tells him.

Hobi puts his chopsticks down and looks at Jin.

"I'm worried about Joonie, and the fight that y'all had. He hasn't been eating or sleeping properly.

And I hope that whatever happened between the two of you has been cleared up. I don't want him to start failing his classes or worse. And I know that you currently live with your stepfather."

Hobi quickly glances at Joonie and his leg nervously starts shaking, as he turns back to Jin.

"I was hoping that you could maybe move in with us. And you can both go to school together.

He would be so happy with you here, and I just want him to be happy as well. I will even go speak with your stepfather.."

"No!!" Hobi yells out.

He then looks at Joonie with a betrayed face.

"You told him, didn't you?" He asked him.

Joonie stood up and rushed over to him.

"No! I swear I didn't. But I did tell him that I really missed you. And I couldn't concentrate on things because of it. I swear Hobes, I would never betray you that way. I didn't even know he was going to ask you that."

He held onto Hobi's arms and hoped he'd believe him. He was especially worried because he looked panicked and might just run away from there.

"Hobi, I didn't mean to upset you. I honestly asked you in good faith and hoped you'd accept. My brother means everything to me, and he loves you.

I don't know what upset you about me speaking with your stepfather, but I won't pry. If you don't want to tell me, I will respect your wishes. But I do hope that you will think about my offer. I will give you some time to think about it, ok? For now, let's just finish eating and then the two of you will clean the kitchen while I do laundry."

Hobi settles back in his chair and continues eating. Joonie does the same, but keeps his eyes on him.

Jin tries to make him relax again so he doesn't look at him anymore, and shovels food in his mouth.

After dinner, Jin walked around the place gathering all the dirty clothes he could find and started a load of laundry. Afterwards he went to his room to clean it up.

After an hour or so, he heard the front door open and close.
He then walked out and saw Joonie walking towards his room, so he asked him where Hobi was.

"He said he was going home." He replied sadly.

Jin pat his shoulder and said, "Don't worry too much. He was probably just uncomfortable with my proposition. I'm sure he will return when he feels better about it."

Joon nodded and walked into his room.

Jin finished the laundry and went to bed after.

Hobi wandered around the neighborhood, seeing the lights in houses going out one by one. Their occupants going to sleep in peaceful slumber.

He wishes he had a safe space to call home. Then he thinks about Jin's offer to take him in.

If he had asked before he had shared anything with Joonie about what was happening to him at home. Then he might've accepted his offer. But now he doesn't even know how to act around Jin if he actually knows about his situation.

When he walks towards his house, he can see the light from the TV through the front windows.

He should've known that he'd still be awake at this hour.