﹄✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ﹃

"hobi, i'm literally going to owe you until the day i die." yoongi said as he looked around his friend's house to see yejin running round excitedly.

"it's no problem! you and yejin can sleep in the extra bedroom," hoseok said with a wide grin as he set down yoongi and yejin's last box of belongings. "is that everything?"

yoongi nodded and rubbed his tired eyes. the two had packed up everything in less than a day and moved out in the next.

"thanks again, hobi," yoongi said as he watched yejin jump up and down on hoseok's nice couch. "i won't get in the way if you have any girls come over."

hoseok scoffed and flicked yoongi's shoulder. "-not around your five-year-old daughter!" he said with a laugh.

yoongi snorted, "you need to date someone, man," he said as he placed his backpack on the floor, "the last time you dated was... in highschool!"

hoseok stared at him, his mouth open. "i'm the one that needs to date someone?" hoseok chuckled. "you haven't dated since... hyerin!"

"and i don't intend to change that." he said, "it's pointless for me. whereas for you..."

hoseok rolled his eyes, "oh come on," he sighed, "you're telling me that you haven't been interested in anyone for five years?"

yoongi sighed as a certain someone flashed across his mind, "well... i never said that." he muttered, "it's just that... dating is too complicated."

"you know... hyerin was my friend too." hoseok said with a sigh, "i know she kind of ruined everything for you, but..."

"-but what?" yoongi gritted.

"hyerin... you and i both know she's a good person." hoseok mumbled, "she hurt you because she was angry."

"hurt me?" yoongi nearly cried, "hyerin-! she-she... that woman-! s-she doesn't even pay child support!" he sputtered.

"yoongi-ah, i know you're mad. and you'll probably be mad for the rest of your life," hoseok replied, "but... she's human too. and i think it's time you let go of this five-year grudge."

yoongi laughed humorlessly. "maybe when i'm 90 and on my deathbed."

hoseok groaned at his friend but was interrupted by yejin who ran into the room and attached herself to hoseok's leg, "uncle hobi, can you give me a piggyback ride?"

"of course, yej!" hoseok said with a bright smile as yejin leapt onto his back. yoongi watched the two ride into the kitchen, disappearing around the corner. he sighed and sat onto the couch that yejin was previously jumping on. i live here now, huh? he thought to himself as he looked around the nice house. how does hoseok pay for this stuff?

hoseok was the boss of his own company, the Hope Dance Studio, where he oversaw hip hop classes- meaning that he got to create his own schedule and also make a decent amount of money.

he grabbed the remote control and switched on the TV that was sitting across from him. as he flipped through the channels, he thought about what hoseok had said. you're telling me that you haven't been interested in anyone for five years? has he?

of course, yoongi would find the occasional girl attractive, but he wouldn't let it go as far as a crush or a liking for her. that is, not until recently.

jihye? he thought, but quickly dismissed it. jihye was just a close friend. nothing more.

the sound of a door popping open shattered yoongi's thought process as a screaming hoseok and yejin crashed into the living room. yoongi raised an eyebrow as yejin bopped hoseok in the head with a pillow. "faster, faster, faster!" she shrieked.

hoseok dumped her onto the couch and collapsed onto the carpeted floor, breathless and red-faced. "where did you get all of this energy from?" he panted as yejin giggled and sat up.

"go easy on your uncle, will you?" yoongi said with a slight sigh.

"you're not the boss of me!" yejin spat back with a smug grin.

yoongi rubbed his temples. "watch your mouth, young lady." he said sternly, without looking at his daughter.

"you watch your mouth!"

to this, hoseok's eyes widened in surprise to mirror what yoongi was feeling. where did she learn to say that?

"i thought i told you not to talk back to me?" yoongi reprimanded, "that's it, no ice cream for a week."

yejin began to protest.

"no means no." yoongi said as she shook his head. "i told you not to give me attitude."

"but i want ice cream!" yejin shrieked. "i. want. ice. cream!" she began to stomp her feet on the floor as hard as she possibly could.

"how many times do i need to tell you?" yoongi nearly shouted as hoseok remained frozen on the ground.

yejin continued to yell. "i hate you! you're the worst dad ever!" yejin screamed at the top of her lungs as she ran into hoseok's bedroom. the door slammed shut, shaking yoongi's body to the core.

he exhaled slightly, his eyes beginning to water.

the two men sat in silence, not knowing what to say next.

"y-you know she doesn't mean that." hoseok's voice said quietly as yoongi felt a hand pat his back.

yoongi's whole body shook as he stood up, not replying to hoseok's comfort.

"i-i'm going to take a walk."

﹄✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ﹃

yoongi pushed the daycare doors open aggressively to see jihye who's smile instantly melted as she saw yoongi's dark expression. "yoongi, you... are you okay?" she asked.

"when did you teach my daughter to say such awful things?" he bellowed.

"awful things? yoongi, i-"

he said as he looked around the sunshiney daycare, a stark contrast to the aura he was giving off. "when did she learn to say such hurtful things?"

"i... she must've heard the other children say..." jihye trailed off, "yoongi, what happened?"

yoongi didn't answer her, he just buried his face in his hands in front of the check-in desk. jihye sighed and walked around the desk.

"she says she hates me." he murmured into his hands, feeling tears fall down and grace his fingers. "she s-says i'm the w-worst dad ever."

suddenly, he felt a small pair of arms wrap around his body.

"hey," jihye whispered, "yejin loves you more than anything. i think she just misses spending time with you, and that she confuses it with... anger."

"i've punished her like this b-before," yoongi cried into jihye's shoulder, "but... she's never said these things before."

"yoongi-ah." jihye said warmly, "you're her father. how could she ever hate you?"

"i-i..."

"look, you two may be going through a rough patch right now," jihye said, "but i promise you, yejin loves you more than she can say."

yoongi exhaled slowly.

"okay?" jihye asked as she placed a finger under his chin, forcing him to look at her. inside her eyes were pools of rich, dark honey. captivating, mysterious, and guarding the gateway to her soul. and yoongi found comfort in her wise eyes, he felt his shoulders lift themselves as he nodded slowly, wiping the tears away.

"besides, what was the punishment anyway?" jihye asked. "just curious."

"i told her 'no ice cream for a week'."

to yoongi's surprise, jihye broke into a smile and laughter poured from her lips, nearly filling up the whole room.

yoongi's heart rose as he started to smile. jihye continued to cackle, "oh yejin, such a brat." she joked as she looked up at yoongi.

"gotta love her," yoongi said with a sigh, but he smiled. yoongi felt jihye's hand on his cheek. "you guys are gonna be just fine," she said, "got it?"

his cheeks went warm as his smile widened. "got it."