Blue Side (Jung Hoseok x Readers)

Chapter 11

After cleaning up the shards of glass and the juice, Areum sat you down on the dining table. It was weird to see her sitting. You were so used to seeing her in her corner while you and Hoseok ate that you thought she was an antique that belonged to the house. Everything held a story, they were clues, you just didn't have the brainpower or courage to really put things into perspective.

"I have known the Young master since he was born, I was the caretaker of his household," Areum explained. "His family was part of a large media conglomerate in the city. Technically, he is still the heir to that. Then when his parents passed away in a car accident when he was still a toddler, rather than letting him go to some relatives that wouldn't actually care for him, I decided to raise him myself, as I have been. Hoseok had been kind, helpful, and independent. That part didn't change. He never treated me like a servant. He needed someone who was constant and wouldn't leave him, and that was my role for a while. And then you came along."

Your eyes widened a little, more intrigued now. "You're right," she proceeded. "The young Master isn't just some stranger. This isn't the first time you've met him. After his parents died, we moved here so that he would have a relatively normal life. After his first day of school, he came home with wide shut and his usual bright smile and told me he met a friend at school. It was the first time he had been so excited about something, especially school. Despite being friendly, the other kids from his previous school didn't take much of a liking to him because they said he was too loud and sometimes weird."

Putting aside the evil deeds that he has done, your heart still tugs at the sight of a little child being rejected by his friends. That was something you both had in common. No child should experience that, they should be loved and happy. "I don't remember ever seeing him before," you said, shaking your head. "I mean, I'm sure I would have recognized him, even if he had grown up. Or someone would have talked about him, right?" You weren't sure of the answer, nothing made sense anymore.

"I'll get to that later," Areum nodded. "But I want to tell you about your relationship with the young Master. Once you two found each other, you were inseparable. Whenever I went to pick him up, I would always see you two in the classroom, huddled in the corner and reading a book. Hoseok wasn't much of a reader, but he loved the way you read to him. And he would always insist on staying until your father came to pick you up. After meeting you, he began picking up books on his own time. He was back to being himself. Not only that, he was regaining the light that was lost after his parents died. I might just be making assumptions but I saw that you were happy around him too because he didn't judge you the way other people had."

"You know about the rumors?"

She nodded, "It's a small town. The ladies at the market warned me to keep the young Master away from you. But he was going to stay by your side no matter what and I had no intention of stopping him. As time passed, I think your relationship grew stronger. It wasn't long before the young Master fell in love."

You couldn't hold back your gasp, "Love?"

"He was longing for a family, and that's something he could finally get with you. He loved you."
Your mouth hung open, "How did I feel about it?"

"I never got the chance to ask, but you always had a beautiful smile when you're around him. Carefree, and unafraid of anything. I do believe you needed him as much as he needed you. Hoseok really thought you two would always have each other. He couldn't imagine the day that dream shattered."

"What happened? Does it have anything to do with why I can't remember him?"

"Yes," she smiled bitterly. Her voice came to a whisper, as if it was something she shouldn't talk about. "My knowledge of this is limited. But I know what when the mafia boss came to look for you, something else happened that made you go into shock. When you woke up with your new family, you had no memories of the young Master any longer, or a lot of what happened in your childhood."

You slumped back in your chair, feeling overwhelmed with the information that has just been thrown at you. What could have happened that made you go into shock? And why wouldn't Seokjin and his family tell you about it? There was still something lingering your mind. "Why did he become this person? Why is he a mafia boss?"

Areum opened her mouth, but it wasn't her voice that came through. "Because I wanted to." You both turned in fright to see Hoseok descending the staircase. He changed his white tee to his usual street style. He must be going out again. He stalked closer to the two of you and Areum stood up from her seat. "Because I can," he said louder. He pulled on the ends of your hair, twirling it around his finger. "You promised you wouldn't leave me, but you did. And now I'll make you pay for it."

Your jaws dropped. It was not what you had expected him to answer. From the story Areum told, it seemed that he cared about you. But the monster in front of you only had his fun in mind. "That's why you took me? Because I forgot about you?" Anger rose through your body, you gripped the table for support.

"Do I need another reason?" he asked arrogantly.

"You're an awful person." you spat. "I really thought if I know the whole story, then maybe I would understand you more. But now I know you're just a heartless ghost. Maybe it was for the better that I forgot about you."

For a split second, you saw tears in his cold eyes, but then it was gone. "Maybe," he repeated. You could no longer stand to look at him. Pushing past him, you made your way to your room.

"Why didn't you tell her the truth?" Areum asked.

"I told you not to say anything to her." He couldn't bring himself to be mad at Areum, he knew her intentions.

"She has the right to know."

Hoseok's shoulders dropped. His eyes squeezed shut. "I'm scared that if she remembers, then she'll be in too much pain. And then I won't be able to comfort her."