Seokjin

"Yeah. I'll be home by dinner."

I was on the call with Taehyung. Hoseok and I were on our way to Paelea Industries now to come to a final decision about everything concerning the companies.

"I'm with Hoseok." I replied when he asked about him.

"Yeah. 8 pm then?"

"Absolutely."

"Alright." I said in final and cut the call.

"Was it Taehyung?" Hoseok asked, sitting beside me in my car.

"Hmm." I nodded.

"The house must look a bit bright because of him around, doesn't it?" He smiled at no one in particular while looking at the front.

I spared him a glance and clenched my jaw.

"He's good." I said. My head started throbbing all of a sudden.

"Can't believe it was what... fifteen years?"

I could feel my bones burning under my skin. This bastard always had to make me remember that. That accursed night.

"Sixteen."

"Time sure flies." He wasn't sensing the aura which enveloped the small space of the car. I felt suffocated.

Hoseok reminiscing about the past always brought about horrible memories. They weren't great to begin with and my actions during that time, left me with no choice but to face them anyway.

I loosened my tie and tore open the first button of my shirt. I let out a loud breath and increased the air conditioning to cool the atmosphere inside.

"You don't have to be ashamed of yourself, you know?" He said while looking out of the window watching the world pass by.

"I would have done the same thing if I were you," He continued. "After all, you saved a precious life in exchange for a viscious bastard."

That's it.

I pounded the side of my fist on the window, momentarily making the car lose control. Hoseok shrieked as it swerved a bit out of the lane and almost crashed to the streetlight ahead. A blaring of collective horns rose on the street to give him an added sense of panic but I had it control by then.

The car was running smoothly now but his heart was in shambles instead.

"What the fuck, Jin?!" He screamed while clutching his chest.

I glared at him. "I don't want your soft ass crawling up on me every fucking hour reminding me about what a noble soul I am, you got that?"

He gulped but didn't say anything and looked ahead.

I clicked my tongue and drove ahead too.

He knows. I fucking get disoriented whenever I remember that night. It was a mutual understanding between us but he always seems to forget it. It's like he tries to compensate for that act by letting me know what good came out of it.

Taehyung was that good thing.

And murdering his father was that act.

He sighed loudly and looked at me. "Don't worry about it. I crossed the line too."

"There are no lines between us. Atleast not when it comes to Taehyung."

"I know that. Still.. you are my friend and I only did what a friend would do."

"You didn't have to. I unknowingly brought you in this mess. I swear your life would have been so much more less fucked if it weren't for me."

He laughed aloud. "I was destined to be by your side the moment your foot touched that bastard.." he paused. "..what was his name?..Ah..Youngchul's face in middle school."

I scoffed. He remembers his name?

I guess one doesn't forget one's tormentor. Hoseok, Taehyung...me.

"You've got to be kiddi–"

"We're getting late, hyung." He interrupted me and paid no heed to what I was about to say. This guy..

I looked at him and then in the front. It was an impulse action. Beating up Hoseok's bullies in middle school.

I still remember that day like it's fresh in my mind. A timid boy, his uniform and bag torn into shreds with two boys holding him down while that Youngchul bastard rained down punches after punches at him.

It was a horrific sight. Blood was everywhere and it was only Hoseok's.

Fuckers didn't have the decency to do it in the open. It was always that dark alley behind the school.

I was walking aimlessly that day and chanced upon them. It was the first time I met Hoseok. Before that, I didn't know we went to the same school. Much less that he was a year younger than me.

I stopped and watched for a few seconds. Looking at the scene in front of me, I was shocked and impressed all at once. There, lying all bloody and face beyond recognition, was Hoseok taking all those hits without letting out a sound. Much less a scream.

He laid there, silently grunting and groaning but never screaming. I was wondering and wondering. How? How does a person bear so much? How could anyone?

First, it was my mother and now, this boy. He looked fragile but his eyes...they were resilient and hungry for blood.

I would never forget that look in his eyes. They were in pain but the rage swimming in them was so potent. So strong.

I would like this guy. I thought then and dropped my bag down. I remember cracking my knuckles and charging ahead.

What happened next was a blur.

There were screams, blood, sounds of bones and cement  cracking and what not. It was euphoric.

After the mayhem stopped and I was greeted by a pile of three unconscious bodies, one on top of the other, I turned around and looked at the beaten boy who was leaning on the cold wet wall.

He was looking at me and was breathing harshly. I walked towards him and knelt down in front of him.

"Seokjin." I said and extended my hand towards him.

He gave me a blinding smirk, sheer amusement in his eyes.  He then put his bloody hand in mine and clasped it tightly.

"Hoseok." That's all he said before he lost consciousness and fell down in a slump.

I tilted my head and smirked at him. He really had the stamina to last this long.

Fucker.

I was brought out of the past when Hoseok increased the volume to the max with the sounds of heavy metal drums blasting through the speakers.

I looked at him and couldn't help but playfully scoff at him.

It was that day and today and he never left my side. Not even once.

I guess it was just like he said.

We were fucking destined.