Yuki sighs, waiting for her boyfriend to pick her up. It’s already ten minutes since school’s ended, and Hoseok still hasn’t shown up.

She knows he’s probably asking a teacher for help or something, but it doesn’t make sense. He would tell her before making any plans. Did something happen?

“Hey, Lee Yuki!” One of Hoseok’s friends, Yoongi, waves at her. She waves back, walking over to him. Maybe he knows where Hoseok is.

“Yoongz,” she says happily, “do you know where Hoseok is?”

Suddenly, Yoongi rushes away. “I’m late for my bus!” he shouts over his shoulder, leaving Yuki confused.

“I know where he is,” another familiar voice says behind her. Yuki whirls around, seeing Jimin, Hoseok’s best friend. “He’s staying after school to help clean the classroom.”

“Oh.” So he was doing things for a teacher after all. Still, as she waves goodbye to Jimin, Yuki can’t help but feel disappointed. Why hadn’t he warned her about this? Even if the decision was spontaneous, Hoseok could have texted her and told her not to wait.

Oh well, he can’t be long. Yuki sighs and sits down on the stone steps to wait.

***

“What are you doing here?”

A hand is on her shoulder, shaking her awake. Yuki opens her eyes slowly and sees Hoseok’s frowning face.

“Hoseok!” The sun is setting, and the early autumn wind is already chilly. Usually, Hoseok would give Yuki his jacket, but today, he just stands there with a disapproving face.

“I thought you’d go home,” he says bluntly. “I was helping my teacher clean her classroom.”

He walks down the steps, and Yuki scrambles up, chasing after him. “Why didn’t you tell me, though?” she asks. “I would have gone home if you’d said you’d be a long time. I thought something had happened.”

Abruptly, Hoseok stops and turns around, eyes cold. “Then why didn’t you come look for me?” he demands haughtily. “I’m always the one there for you, but you’re never there for me. I’m tired of always having to attend to your need. I never have time for myself, and I can’t love myself anymore because guess what? I’m too busy loving you.”

He walks away, leaving Yuki alone in the impending darkness.

“We’re not broken, just bent, and if you change, we can learn to love again.”