Beastly Beauty ✓

35. The Ice

35 | THE ICE

Hoseok didn't move, and what I said did nothing to ease the distress that coated every part of him, from the stillness of his body to the devastation in his voice.

"I'm sorry," he said just loud enough for us to hear.

Jungkook spoke up when I failed to do so, a bite in his words. "I'm taking her back. Don't come to see her until you have a handle on all of this."

I could feel Hoseok's eyes on mine, though it was hard to see that far in the dark. I didn't think I wanted to see clearly anyway. Not after what happened. It would be too much to find even more of that anger he hosted toward himself.

Jungkook carried me out of the woods and back to my dorm, where I only fell asleep due to the weakness in my body.

It took another week for Hoseok to agree to meet with me, and only so long as Jungkook was there too. I didn't blame him for distancing himself after what happened, but I hated not knowing how he was doing or where we stood in his eyes.

But when we finally met, all we did was work on completing the choreography for my project. Then he left before I could get the chance to talk to him properly about everything.

I couldn't imagine how difficult it was for him to come to terms with almost losing control a second time. I did my best to accept that he needed space, that he was battling with guilt, but anger still brewed somewhere deep within me. Maybe not quite at him, but at the darkness that continued to force a wedge between us. I was furious, actually, the more I realized that he had compromised everything he worked so hard to prevent just because he felt cornered by our enemy.

Hoseok failed to text back even when I tried telling him that I'd had no nightmares since our last encounter with The Hood. After another week of not seeing him, I decided he had to be the one to come to me. As difficult as it was, I needed to keep moving.

Following classes one afternoon, I had an early dinner with Jungkook and Jimin. We grabbed sandwiches at one of the campus stores before sitting at a stone table beneath the shade of a tree.

Jimin had gotten the okay to start walking again, his skin fully healed. He was told to take it easy with dancing, especially since he was experiencing tingling with some of his nerves, but he was ecstatic to be on his feet again regardless.

"I wouldn't say she likes me," Jimin grumbled as he bit into his food.

Jungkook scoffed. "You're blind when it comes to women, buddy."

"She's the one you're partnered with in contemporary, right?" I asked.

He nodded, and I smiled at the pink dusting his cheeks.

"Ask her to the masquerade," Jungkook suggested between mouthfuls.

My stomach dropped at the mention of the event. We hadn't talked about it with everything going on lately, but I was dreading the fast-approaching night. I remembered The Hood's words the last time I'd seen him. Remembered the invisible smirk that had weaved into his tone.

"Not yet."

He was waiting—for what, I wasn't sure, but I felt this overpowering fear that his deadline would land on the evening of the masquerade.

"You okay?" Jimin questioned after noticing my silence.

I tried to smooth my expression as I offered a nod, but they both knew me too well, their eyes narrowing in sync.

"Come on, Red. If you have something on your mind, you can share it with us."

With a sigh, I said, "I know, I know. Things have just felt... off lately."