Let Go (Hoseok X OC)

Chapter 28

Ray POV:

Ray woke the next morning, her heart heavy and her head aching. She wanted so badly to reach out to Hoseok but her fear was keeping her back. She was afraid of not being accepted by his parents and his sister. She was afraid of becoming even closer to Hoseok just to leave him in 6 months. The thought of leaving was already breaking her heart and she knew the more time she spent with him, the worse the feeling would get.

Ray lost count of the number of times throughout the day she picked up her phone to text Hoseok to tell him she changed her mind, that she would go with him, but she chickened out each time.

A little after 7 in the evening, her mom called her to wish her a Merry Christmas. She knew right away that something was wrong. Ray sobbed as she explained the situation.

"Honestly, munchkin, I think you're overreacting. Why would you not want to meet your boyfriend's family?" her mom asked.

"Mom, I'm leaving Korea in 6 months. I know this is just temporary with Hobi. I'm not naïve enough to believe this could be it for me," Ray argued, her words at war with what she was feeling in her heart.

Her mom sighed. "I hate to break it to you munchkin, but I have to agree with Hoseok on this one. It almost sounds like excuses to me," she said, her voice soft but scolding.

Ray's mouth dropped in horror. "Why would you say that?" she asked.

"Well..." her mom began, "do you expect me to dislike Hoseok because he's Korean? Because he's an idol? Because he can't speak really good English?"

"Why are you making it sound like I'm the bad guy here?" Ray asked, her voice filled with irritation.

"Cause right now you're acting like it," her mom said simply. "You're telling me all the reasons you would expect his family to hate you, but yet they're not good enough reasons for me to dislike him? Do you realize how silly it all sounds?"

Ray was silent for a moment. She had assumed Hoseok's family would dislike her without even giving them a chance to get to know her. Without even giving herself a chance to get to know them. Hoseok was so amazingly accepting that she shouldn't have expected his family to be anything less. Ray knew she had messed things up, but at this point she didn't know how to fix them. She was afraid to text Hoseok for fear that he would tell her he didn't want to see her again. Why was she so afraid of losing him if she kept assuming she would anyway?

"I can tell by your silence that you know I'm right," her mom said quietly. "But why are you so afraid?"

"Mom, I'm a nobody. He's an international superstar that is loved by millions of women all over the world," Ray blurted out, her frustration evident in her tone.

"And?" her mom questioned. "He may be loved by millions but from what it sounds like, he loves just one. You."

Ray was silent again. Hoseok had never made her feel like she wasn't good enough. She thought back to all the interactions in the restaurant and how many times he tried to get her attention. How many times he had approached her first. Yes he may be an international superstar but he was still just a man.

"I think you have a lot of things to think about munchkin," her mom said softly. "Please don't make any decisions without really understanding the consequences. If you walk away from him now, there is no guarantee he is going to wait for you."

Ray thanked her mom and disconnected the call. Her mom's words broke her heart. She had walked away from him. Hopefully it wasn't too late.

Hoseok POV:

Hoseok let himself back into the dorm two days after Christmas. He had spent the last three days with his family in Gwanju and it was just what he needed. He explained the situation to his parents and they were surprisingly understanding of what Ray was going through. It was hard to meet your boyfriend's parents to begin with. Add in the language barrier, the newness of the relationship, and the cultural differences. It just made everything that much more complicated.

Dawon was also sympathetic towards Ray. "Think of it this way Hoseokie. She's in a foreign country surrounded by a language she doesn't understand. She spent the first two months of her time here barely acknowledging you and the other members. Now all of a sudden, you're trying to surprise her with a trip to meet your family. You're lucky the poor girl didn't fall into a dead faint at your feet," she said with a soft smile. "You need to give her time to get used to the idea that someone as amazing as you loves her."

Hoseok had nodded. "Yeah I get it. I do, but I love her. I'm so in love with her I can barely think straight," he had said, his eyes filled with hurt.

Dawon had patted his hand. "What's your plan when she goes back? Because you know she is going to go back," she asked gently.

Hoseok had rubbed a hand down his face. "I don't like to think of that but I have thought about it. I can visit her when we tour in the US. I can fly her here when she has breaks from school. I can call her. I can text her. We can make it work," he had said, his voice frustrated. "I want to make it work."

"Keep thinking of that then Hoseokie. Keep how much you want to make it work in the back of your mind," Dawon had said then smacked the back of his head. "And stop saying things that are foolish."

Hoseok had thought back to the way her called her reasons excuses. Ray was genuinely trying to explain her worries to him and he had brushed them off since he didn't understand. He loved his family so much that he didn't understand why someone wouldn't want to meet them.

Dawon had hugged him then. "It's going to be okay. If she loves you as much as she says she does, as much as you believe she does, then she will come back to you. Just give her some time and some space," she had said.

As Hoseok unpacked his suitcase, he thought about what Dawon had said. As much as he wanted to call Ray and apologize for his words, he knew it wasn't what he needed to do right now. He needed to give her space.