Appa (BTS fanfic)

Chapter 16

"Hopie," Jong Kook calls out seeing the younger boy doing bench presses at an inhumane speed.

The dancer slowly stops and Jong Kook helps him to put the weights back on its lift. "It's in the middle of the night now. Why are you gyming?" Jong Kook asks worriedly. Ji Hyo had talked to him about J-Hope over dinner and he decided to come to the gym after sending her home.

The dancer grunts before sitting up. "To let some steam off," he mutters.

"I've seen you here for the past few days Hoseok. Don't you need to help on the new album?" Jong Kook says, knowing that the dancer writes some parts of the song, especially his own rap.

"They don't need me now," he replies before lying back down and getting ready to continue doing bench press.

"Stop Hoseok. You're just hurting yourself," Jong Kook says, holding onto the metal bar firmly.

"I need to be stronger," he says gritting his teeth trying to lift but Jong Kook holds it down with no effort.

"Why?" the muscular singer asks. "You're strong already."

"Not strong enough," he replies.

"Drop that tone with me before I punch you Hoseok," he threatens. "I'm your hyung. Now answer me. Why do you want to be stronger?"

With no reply, Jong Kook heaves Hoseok up to a sitting position before sitting on the next bench, facing him. "Answer me!" he exclaims.

"Su Bin..." he mutters which made Jong Kook stare at him.

"What happened to her?" he demands.

"She was sexually assaulted," he murmurs.

"How," the older man presses on.

"Her neck is bruised," Hoseok replies. "He used to be her namjachingu hyung."

"Namjachingu?" Jong Kook whispers, trying to remember when she had one.

"Hyung?" Hoseok says after seeing the older's harden face. "Mianhae..."

"Why are you apologizing?" he asks.

"We broke your promise to protect her with our lives," the dancer replies.

"You guys weren't there. I could blame it on the whole world but there is no way that it could be changed now. I could have insisted for Su Bin to let me bring her back..." the singer says trailing off. "But I didn't."

Hoseok kept silent and looked to the ground. "Hopie..." Jong Kook calls out. "This isn't healthy. To gym like a madman consecutively. Su Bin told me about the hate. She's worried about you. You pushing yourself over the limit and not eating well just to get a body like Jimin's, this isn't working. It didn't take me days to get this body Hopie. It took dedication and hard work."

Hoseok continued to stare at the ground, guilt eating him alive. "You know why hyung decided to start going to the gym?" Jong Kook asks, sighing slightly as he remembers the past. Hoseok looks at him and shakes his head. "It was when I was in Turbo. Management was bad to Jung Nam and I. We went into hiding. After that, I started to go to the gym. Not for some dream body Hopie. It was for self-defense. If a management were to treat me like this again, I would know how to stand up for myself."

Hoseok could see the hurt and pain Jong Kook experience. "Hoseok... Don't let Su Bin and the twins go through this again..." Jong Kook says, a hint of pleading.

"Again?" Hoseok says, not understanding.

"Ji Woo and Min Jun had an older brother. He should be a little older than you now. That was if he was still alive," Jong Kook says. "He was my gym buddy. We promised to exercise the correct way and for the correct purposes. But all of a sudden, he got obsessed with trying to get that dream body. Huge muscles and abs. He stayed in the gym day and night just working out. If the gym was closed, he would go back home and work out. He hardly ate, thinking that one day he will get that body. He could never have that in the first place... His body type wasn't able to build to that dream body he wanted... One day, his body gave up. He fainted and got sent to the hospital before the doctors proclaimed his death."

Jong Kook puts a hand on the younger's shoulder. "Don't let them experience that again Hopie... Su Bin is worried. The twins may hardly speak about serious matters but they know everything that is going on. They know you haven't been going back to the dorm. They are scared," Jong Kook says. "Go back to the dorm Hopie... It's late... Hyung can teach you the correct way to exercise but you have to change the reason why you want to do so... Jimin worked hard for that body... He did it the correct way. And if you want to let off steam, don't be like me... I heard your dance moves are good and that you participated in underground dance battles before becoming an idol. Go back to that when you need to let off steam... Don't turn to this..."

"I understand Hyung," Hoseok whispers as he gets up and bowing to Jong Kook. "Kamsahamida hyung. Please take care of me."

"Ne... Now go get a shower then head back home," Jong Kook says. "I'll give you a ride."

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"Jimin Oppa," Su Bin mutters, attracting the attention of the older boy who was dozing off.

"Jin Oppa," she mutters again as she turns.

Jimin stands up to see her eyes closed tightly and sweating. "Oppa!" she yells as she sits upright.

Jimin rushed to her side. She immediately clung to Jimin tightly, breathing heavily. He wraps his arms around her to comfort her. She starts crying. Jimin just held her tighter as she cried. "What did you dream about?" he whispers.

"Th-That O-Oppas g-got k-killed," she stutters fisting Jimin's shirt tightly.

"It's okay. It's just a nightmare Su Bin," he whispers.

He glances to the digital clock and mentally sighed. It was gonna be a long night. "It's just a nightmare," he whisper.

He did that till she fell asleep. He laid her on the bed lightly. He pulls the blanket up and saw the bruises on her neck. "Mianhae Su Bin..." he whispers pushing some hair away from her face.

He left the room to get a quick drink but bumped in Hoseok. "Oh hyung..." he whispers. "Where were you?"

"At the gym," Hoseok says. "Jong Kook hyung came to find me. He's helping me to train now."

"That's good to hear hyung..." Jimin says.

"Is she okay?" Hoseok asks and the younger shakes his head.

"She had a nightmare of us dying..." Jimin whispers.

"She's afraid that we'll hate her too," Hoseok mutters. "I didn't say that to the others because it will just increase their worries."

"Hyung... You told her that we'll always love her right," Jimin confirms and the older boy nods. "Hyung, you should sleep. Those eye bags are not good for you."

"You sleep too Jimin," Hoseok says before yawning.

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The boys stared at the spread in front of them. "Su Bin ah," Namjoon calls. "Gwenchana?"

"Ne Oppa~" she yells from the kitchen before she appears with a tray full of coffee. "There is a performance tonight at SBS, Oppas have to be there in the afternoon for rehearsals."

She then puts a cup of coffee in front of each member while reciting their favourite coffee. On each of the cup, there was a latte art of the member's favourite item on it. "I found a job Oppas," she says. "Ji Hyo Unnie found a barista job for me at the cafe where many celebrities go to."

"Jjinja?!" Jungkook exclaims as he smiles before getting up to hug Su Bin to congratulate her. "This calls for a celebration!"