Dark Horse

CH 4 : Pitch Black Room

Two months later.

The door creaked open, bringing in a single ray of light from the hallway inside.

The man looked around, before recognizing his room mate huddled up next to his bed, his frame turned away from the door, facing the balcony.

"Hobi? "

There was no response.

However as soon as he was about to reach for the light switch, the other man's strained voice could be heard.

"Don't Joon. Just..don't... "

The man could only sigh as he let the door close behind him, as walked in, making himself comfortable beside his roommate.

"Don't do this to yourself Hoba. "
Namjoon's voice was nothing but a soft plea.

"You know it helps me think better. "

Hoseok answered.

"And you know this is gonna end up with nightmares for months more. "

"I'm used to it. "

"You shouldn't be. It was an old training habit. We left it way back in the orphanage. "

Hoseok still refused to look at his roommate, his gaze farther away, staring in to their glass covered sky.

There were no stars that night and the moon seemed unusually bleak.

Strangely similar to his mind.

The guilt seemed to burden his heart the more he thought.

It was muddled mess, his thoughts.

He knew he should stop. But it seemed that his mind was refusing to obey him this time.

That was why he had chosen this. Sitting alone in absolute darkness.

Something the nuns back in his orphanage used to make the kids do everytime they behaved out of the norms.

Something the nuns had Hoseok do countless times, till his denial had turned
into acceptance and fear had subsided, giving way to nightmares that would visit him instead.

If it was a black room for Hoseok, then it had been a white one for Namjoon. But that was a tale for another time.

He finally looked at his roommate beside him.

Oh.. He's been worried.

"Did I worry you too much Joon-ah?"

"Of course! "
Namjoon answered, relieved that the other was finally replying.

"You know you didn't do it intentionally.

It's no use beating yourself up over it. What's done is done. What we really need to do is something about the current situation ! "

"I know. But it was something that shouldn't have happened still.

I'm the one always warning others about the words they speak and yet... "

He couldn't help but wince at the memory.

"And yet I yelled out such bullshit, insensitive to the gravity my words held... "

He bitterly let a disappointed chuckle escape.

Namjoon could easily read through the other man, they had been beside each other for years more than one could count on their fingers.

But even after so much time, he didn't know what to do when Hoseok got like this.

It may happen rarely, but he hated it. Hoseok being so vulnerable, so fragile.. As if a single touch would shatter the man who otherwise had the poise of a hawk on hunt.