"Where the hell is she? She can't just disappear like this."
Mr. Kim paced back and forth in the living room.
"That girl has always been trouble. She's probably causing problems somewhere else." The wicked woman added fuel to fire.
The way they were cursing Aerin won't make anyone believe she is their daughter.
"I don't know where she is but she's an adult. Let her be."
Alex tried to dismiss the topic, but they didn't seem to let go.
"You don't get it. She's just a mental."
"MOMM! ENOUGH!"
Alex roared in anger,
"She's not but you made her."

"Alex don't raise your voice on us."
Mr. Kim faced him and so did he.
"Come on dad, you both.."
He was soon cutted off.

"Alex."
Mrs. Kim continued,
"And let's just leave that girl on her own."
She announced as if it was best decision.

"Of course, you'll leave her. You only need her for money."
"Shut up, Alex. Stop taking her side."
Mr. Kim became furious at his own son.

Alex went out of the house in anger making sure to slam the door.

《~_~》

"Why the hell are we in Busan? I thought we were going to Vegas or New-York?"
Aerin whined reading the board as soon as they landed.
"Oh come on, Aerin. You'll enjoy here."
Jiyeon tried to convince her.
"Plus we're going to stay at my cousin's house. Yayyy!"
Soojin added to which Aerin widened her eyes.
"Now we're not even staying at hotel but someone else's house."

"Don't be so dramatic and I know what you're worried about." Soojin started again, "You'll get the best peace and solitude there."
Aerin just scoffed stomping towards their taxi.

(*-*)
{Aerin pov}
After an hour, the taxi stopped with a halt. One by one we got out of it.
And soon my eyes met a young boy standing across the footpath with a hearty smile.

He looked at Soojin beside me and started waving at us, with a little jump.
"He's my cousin- 'Jung Hoseok'."
Soojin whispered to me pointing towards the same guy.
For a moment I felt relief watching him smile, and it also crept on my face.
"Let's go"
Soojin dragged us to him.

"Hi." I said shortly with a wave.
"Yeah, hii."
He did the same.
"Let me do the intro," Soojin again chimed in,
"Hoseok, this is Aerin," she addressed to me, then beside me
"And this Jiyeon. "
"Y'all, this is"
I cutted her this time,
"Jung Hoseok. We know."
Hoseok laughed awkwardly.

Why? Did i made a bad first impression?
I just shrugged at the thoughts.

"As we are done with intro. Let's go."
He stated walking ahead of us.

We walked for what felt like miles.

I saw them ahead of me- Soojin and Hoseok. Enjoying the walk,
and Jiyeon was with me.

"Ughh..." All heads took a turn in my direction.
"Are you okay?"
Jiyeon asks concerned.
"When will we reach there?"
My voice became unintentionally stern.

The heck? I didn't mean it.

"I'm sorry, just few more steps."
Hoseok convinced me.

We stepped further, that is when a
house came in my view.
It's not too small but not
like my mansion.

"This is my place."
Hoseok announced.

I looked towards his house- It was surrounded by green grass and tall trees.
The moon shining on its roof giving perfect scenery.
Glass windows and doors without scratches.
Sitting area outside was located perfectly.

We walked inside, and it was as beutiful as I expected.

"Uhmm, I only have one guest room."
I glanced over him with wide eyes and he backed off.

"It's ok. We can sleep in living room and Aerin will take the guest room."
Jiyeon tried to diffuse the tension.

It's true that I've never let anybody interfere my personal space.

"I'll prepare dinner."
Hoseok paced towards kitchen.
"I gotta help him."
Soojin followed him.

Me and Jiyeon sat on the couch.

I started rubbing my forehead.

"What's wrong?"
Jiyeon asked.

"Nothing."
I replied without giving her a glance.

"Dinner's ready!!"
We heard Soojin shout from the kitchen.
As we headed to have our dinner.

{At night.}

I tossed and turned in bed, unable to shake the restless feeling that had taken a hold of me.
Finally, I couldn't take it anymore as I got up.

I walked out for some fresh air and to my surprise 'Hoseok' was present there.

As I looked up, the stars twinkling above and the moon casting a gentle light over everything.

Taking a deep breath I went to sit beside him.
The sweet scent of blooming flowers and earthy aroma hits my nose.

Hey," I said softly, taking a seat beside him.
He jumped a little at the sound of my voice, then gave me a small smile. "Hey," he replied.

We sat there in silence for a few moments, just taking in the beauty of the night sky. I could feel Hoseok's nervous energy beside me, and I wondered what was going on in his head.

Finally, I decided to break the silence.
"Are you okay?" I asked.

He looked at me with surprise, as if he hadn't expected me to ask.

"Yeah," he said slowly. "I'm okay. Just...enjoying the night, I guess."

I nodded, not quite sure I believed him.
"You seem...nervous," I said tentatively.

Hoseok sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah, I guess I am," he admitted.
"I always feel like I'm doing something wrong, you know? Like I'm never quite sure what to say or do."
I nodded again, feeling a kinship with him that I hadn't expected.

"I know how that feels," I said softly.
"Sometimes I feel like I'm living in my own head, and nobody else can really understand me."

He looked at me with surprise, and I could tell he was really listening now.
"What do you mean?" he asked.

I took a deep breath. "Sometimes I...I don't feel like myself,"
I said slowly.
"Like there are all these different parts of me, and they're all fighting to be in control. It's hard to explain."

Hoseok was silent for a moment, then he spoke. "It's okay," he said gently. "You don't have to explain. I get it. I mean, I don't really know what it's like to feel like you do, but...I understand feeling like you don't quite fit in."

He continued,
"I used to struggle with social anxiety pretty badly. I still do sometimes, but I've been working on it."
I looked at him in surprise.

I never would have guessed that someone as confident and put-together as Hoseok could have any kind of anxiety.

"But you seem so... together," I said, struggling to find the right words.

He chuckled softly. "Appearances can be deceiving. I've just learned to hide it well."

We sat in silence again, the weight of his words settling over us. I felt a sense of kinship with him, knowing that he understood some of the same struggles I faced.

"I'm glad I'm not alone," I said, feeling tears prick at the corners of my eyes.

"You're not," he said firmly. "And you never will be."

We sat like that for a while, talking quietly about our shared experiences. The night air grew colder, and eventually, we both knew it was time to go back inside.

"Thanks for talking with me," I said, standing up and dusting off my pants.

"Anytime," Hoseok said with a small smile. "We're in this together."

{Morning}

Aerin walked out of the room to the kitchen. Hoseok was busy washing dishes and didn't seem to notice her presence until she spoke up.
"Where is everyone?"
she asked him, hoping to distract herself.

"You mean Soojin and Jiyeon? They went to explore Busan,"
he replied, turning to give her a plate of pancakes.
"Taste them. I made them."
She took a bite and closed her eyes, savoring the taste.
"Mmm, this is delicious. Thanks."
Hoseok's smile widened.
"No problem, Aerin. Are you ready for an adventure?"

"Where are we going?" she asked, intrigued.

"It's a surprise. Let's go," Hoseok replied,
grabbing her hand and leading her out of the apartment.

They walked for a while, enjoying the fresh air and beautiful scenery around them.
Finally, they reached a secluded stream, and Hoseok motioned for her to sit down on a rock.

"I thought you might like a peaceful place away from the crowds," he said, sitting beside her.

Aerin smiled, feeling grateful for the gesture. "I love it here. Thank you, Hoseok."
"You can call me Hobi, you know," he said, grinning.
They were enjoying the peaceful moment and each other's company.

Suddenly, they heard shuffling from the bushes, making them both tense up.

A man jumped out of the bushes, startling them both.
He was tall and had a muscular build, with sharp features and piercing eyes.
Aerin couldn't help but feel a bit intimidated by him.

"We met again," he said, addressing Aerin.
"I hope you're not avoiding me."

Aerin felt a knot form in her stomach as she tried to remember where she had seen him before.
His presence made her feel uneasy, and she couldn't help but wonder what his intentions were.

{Author's note:
Enjoyy.
I know description was not good. So, here u go

😉😘.}