Prologue

Dear Diary,

I want to kill myself.

"Hyung, it's time for work! Can't be late for your first day!" Hoseok called out as he stuffed the black notebook back into its specific drawer in the dresser, hidden beneath mated socks. He put on a smile as he left the bedroom, going to the bathroom that was currently occupied by his boyfriend."Hyung! Did you hear me?!" he asked as he knocked.

The bathroom door was opened, and Yoongi peered at Hoseok with tired eyes."Yeah, I heard you. I'm ready."

"Isn't this exciting? You get to work with me." Hoseok was looking forward to having Yoongi at the same job as him, working the same shift and schedule. This meant they would always be at home at the same time and work at the same time. His boyfriend didn't look excited, but that was expected. Yoongi never was the type to show excitement on his face."Let's get going. I wonder who's going to train you. I doubt they'll let me train you myself."

"I guess we'll see." Yoongi spoke lowly with a frown. He didn't want to do this. He would rather go back to bed than go to work with Hoseok.

With a smile on his face, Hoseok left the house with Yoongi, going to their car. He got into the passenger seat, letting Yoongi do the driving. The ride to work was quiet, neither of them speaking a word to each other. Hoseok knew better than to say anything during the ride. That would only serve to ruin the night. Yes, the night shift. Hoseok didn't mind it, and he knew it would be more Yoongi's style anyway, rather than working during the day.

When they got to work, Hoseok walked inside with Yoongi and showed him the correct area to punch in for duty. Where did they work? They worked in a department store. However, the store was closed at night, so they didn't have to deal with customers. That was the most appealing part about this for Yoongi. He really didn't want to deal with people at all.

"I think you're going to be given the same type of tasks as me, Hyung. That's what most of us do anyway." Hoseok said, getting a side-glance from Yoongi, who definitely didn't look thrilled to be here."I'll introduce you to the manager, and she'll get you started."

---

Hoseok wondered how Yoongi was doing on his first night. As he'd suspected, they weren't allowed to work together since they were dating. The manager didn't want their relationship to get in the way of their work. So they were on opposite sides of the store. Hoseok was on the side of the store that had all the aisles of food and grocery items. His boyfriend, on the other hand, was on the side of the store that had all of the non-food items, the general merchandise.

"Hoseokie-hyung."

It grabbed Hoseok's attention when his name was spoken by a coworker who stepped into the aisle he was currently occupying."Hey, what's up, Jungkook?"

"That new guy..." Jungkook looked troubled as he got closer."He's your boyfriend, right?" He had heard about Yoongi, rumors and whatnot.

"Yeah, he is." Innocently, Hoseok cocked his head just a little to the side."Is something on your mind?"

Jungkook's nose crinkled a tiny bit as his brow furrowed."Is it true what I've heard? What all of us have heard, actually. How he treats you, I mean?"

The soft expression on Hoseok's face sank before he forced himself to smile."Yeah, but it's okay. Don't worry about me. He just has a hard time showing his love. That's all."

"Hoseokie-hyung..." Jungkook didn't like this. Not one bit."That's no excuse. That doesn't give him the right to--"

"You should go back to your aisle, Kook. I don't want you to get in trouble for chatting." With concern in his tone, Hoseok reached out to gently touch his coworker's arm. He loved Jungkook dearly. He was such a close friend."Yoongi-hyung loves me. It's okay."

With a huff, Jungkook left the aisle to return to his own aisle, where he was working closely with another coworker and friend."Hyung said it's true, Jimin-hyung. That new guy is his boyfriend. You know, the one who treats him like dirt."

"Why is Hyung still with him if the guy treats him so badly?" Jimin wondered curiously."If my boyfriend treated me like that, I'd kick his ass to the curb."

"It's not that simple." Jungkook said with a shake of his head."It must be so hard to leave an abusive relationship. Especially since Hoseokie-hyung still believes that dirtbag loves him."

A frown tugged at Jimin's lips."Is there anything we can do? I want to help Hoseok-hyung, but I don't want him to get in trouble with that guy. How can we make him pay for constantly hurting someone so kind?"

That was when an idea hatched in Jungkook's brain."I know exactly how we'll make him pay." Leaning down, he whispered into Jimin's ear.

"Oh, that's great. I love the way you think, Kookie." Jimin said with approval."It's petty, and I like it."

---

Four months passed since Yoongi started working with Hoseok, and Hoseok thought it was great. He and his boyfriend could work the same hours and always have the same time off. It was perfect for a relationship. He noticed that Yoongi didn't seem to enjoy it though. Of course, the reasons didn't go unknown to Hoseok.

He had seen it. The way their coworkers avoided Yoongi like the plague. The different ways coworkers would sabotage Yoongi's work to get him in trouble with their manager. The things they would say about him behind his back. Everyone knew what a terrible, abusive person Yoongi was, and they were taking it into their own hands to make him pay for mistreating Hoseok. Only one person on their shift wasn't doing anything to mess with Yoongi. That was Namjoon. He seemed to prefer to just stay out of it.

"Is it true that he hits you?" Taehyung asked in disbelief. How could someone hit a person as sweet as Hoseok?

"Show him the bruise, Hyung." Jungkook encouraged.

Biting his lower lip, Hoseok pulled up the hem of his shirt just enough to show a dark bruise on his side."D-don't let him know I showed you. He'll get really mad. I-I mean upset."

"That good-for-nothing douchebag." Clenching his hands into tight fists, Taehyung wanted to storm over to Yoongi's work area and kick his ass. However, he knew that would just get himself in trouble."What are we going to do about that asshole?"

No one here liked Yoongi. Who would like a jerk who abused his loving boyfriend without remorse? The toxic guy just worked by himself all the time, never talking to anyone. It was said that Yoongi thought he was too good for everyone here. He hated them all because they were 'below' him. He always dressed in baggy black clothes and had a seemingly-permanent frown on his face. It made him look so scary, considering what everyone knew about him.

"I have an idea." Seokjin said from another table in the break room. Getting up from his spot, he stepped over to where Yoongi's small bag of belongings was sitting, bottle of soda in his hand. They knew Yoongi kept his phone, car keys, and a nutrition bar in that bag. With a snicker, Seokjin poured his soda all over Yoongi's bag."Serves him right. He shouldn't be cruel to our Hoseokie."

Hoseok put a hand over his mouth at the act."Seokjin-hyung!" he gasped out."Oh my gosh!" Tensing up, he lowered his gaze."He's going to be so upset. Guys..."

"Don't worry, Hyung." Jungkook draped his arm across Hoseok's shoulders."He knows we all hate his guts. He can't get mad at you for what we do. We want to make him miserable for hurting you because we love you. You're precious to us, and we won't let anyone get away with hurting you."

This was happening on an almost-nightly basis. Hoseok's friends stood up for him. They did malicious things to get even with Yoongi, make him pay for being so cruel to Hoseok. What they didn't know was that they were only making things worse.