Forever And Ever (BTS)

Chapter 38

Hobi walked into school with Namjoon by his side. For the first time in forever, he was smiling. Not the fake small smile he usually wore, but a full-blown grin that made his eyes crinkle and his cheeks lift. People who walked past him took a second glance, not familiar with this happy version of him. Hobi felt light, like there had been a stone weighing his heart down and it had finally been removed. Now that he had told his brothers everything he'd gone through, he didn't know why he hadn't before. His brothers had made sure he knew that they would always be there for him, no matter what.

"Hobi, whenever you need us, we're here. No matter what you're going through, we'll be right by your side, helping you fight. Just remember that. Don't hide things from us anymore, and we'll make sure we don't hide anything either."

Hobi had never realised just how much his brothers meant to him, how important their support was, until he experienced being open with them and sharing his problems again after too many years. Now that he knew they had his back, he didn't understand himself for pushing them away. They were his rock and the had made it clear that any amount of struggle he went through could never be considered a burden. He had tried to use that as an excuse again when he first started telling them about his problem with Iki-Ryo, but they wouldn't have it. It took a good portion of the night, but they eventually managed to get him to see that he was the furthest thing from a burden. "Us brothers gotta stick together. We all know what we're getting into, and we want to help you. We should all be taking care of each other." 

Now, as he walked next to Namjoon, he felt genuinely happy. Over breakfast, he had joined in the multiple conversations that were happening across the table. Mr Kim had been highly surprised, but after the boys had explained everything, he had smiled fondly and ruffled Hobi's hair like he was a little boy again, "I always knew you boys would be alright as long as you had each other." And it was true. None of the boys would have made it through their struggles if their brothers hadn't been there to help. 

Iki-Ryo appeared on the other end of the hallway. He spotted Hobi and smirked. Hobi would normally have bowed his head and tried to avoid him, but today he stood up tall and made sure to make eye contact with his ex-friend as he walked past. "Just know that I'm not going to be affected by you anymore. You can keep trying to push me down, but from now on I'm ignoring you." Iki-Ryo's teeth gritted as he started to retort. But Hobi walked away before he could utter a single word. Namjoon held a hand up for a high-five before they reached Hobi's classroom. "I'm gonna head off to my classroom now. See you at lunch?" Hobi happily nodded. Namjoon grinned and quickly said, "I'm proud of you," before walking off. Hobi sighed in satisfaction as he went to his seat. His classmates stared at him, confused about his new demeanour. His table mate slowly spoke, "So... what's up with you? You're...different..." Hobi shrugged his shoulders. "I was going through some stuff the past few years. Now it's over. This is who I actually am. So, wanna be friends?" 

Hobi started to make his way out of school after his last class, ready to get home and spend time with his brothers. Just as he was about to reach the gate, though, he saw Iki-Ryo near the entrance of the school leaning against a wall. Hobi walked over. While he had already resolved to ignore Iki-Ryo if he continued his teasing, he couldn't help but wonder if there was a chance that they could make peace. So, he stood in front of Iki-Ryo, "I want to talk." Iki-Ryo raised his eyebrows and gestured for him to speak. 

"I don't know why you did what you did all those years ago. I don't know why you continued. And I'll be honest, it affected me longer and worse than I wanted it to. I'm sure you know, you've seen me the past few years. But, now that I've gotten over it, I just don't want to think about it. So, I want a truce. You don't bother me, I don't bother you. I've grown, and I know now that what you do doesn't have to be worth anything to me. But if you do try something, I won't hesitate to fight back, and my brothers won't either. I don't want that to happen, though. So let's just leave each other alone from now on." Iki-Ryo unfolded his arms and held a hand out. "You really have grown, Hoseok. I'll leave you alone. And for what it's worth, I am a little sorry for what I did." Hobi gave a small smile and shook Iki-Ryo's hand. And so, he could finally be fully at peace.