Serendipity- 지극

VIII

"Because it's been more than a year since he passed away-"

Jimin's mouth hung open, his head was spinning and everything felt like a dream.

Is this a nightmare? Please be a nightmare, please, please, please...

Jimin babbled as he shut his eyes and grabbed his temples before he snapped out by the old lady's voice calling him, repeatedly.

"Jimin...!"

Jimkn looked over at the old lady with red eyes, his tears on the verge to spill down his sockets and his lips twitching up to yelp a cry.

"Come here..." She said and pulled him into a hug as he finally let down his tears. He clenched onto her dress weakly as she rubbed his back slowly.

"Shhh...shhh, it's okay, it's okay-"

After a while, Jimjn calmed down as he sat on the chair nearby. A hand extended to him with a glass of water making him raise his head.

"Are you feeling better, now?"

The old lady asked as Jimin grabbed the glass from her hand and took a sip. He nodded making the old lady smile.

"Uh-huh, granny. Would you mind if I ask you how did he pass away?

Jimin asked, a clear indication of hesitancy in his vocals but he needed to know, as his mind still couldn't forget the doe-eyed kid's smile he just happened to meet with yesterday.

"I don't like to talk about this to anyone but since you're a regular customer and you're family is close to me, I'll tell you,"
She mumbled as she grabbed his photo frame and gaped at the boy smiling in the picture.

"He was a bright kid, a naughty one indeed, always goofing around and joking, teasing, making everyone laugh. My grandson was the mood maker for everyone but-"

Her smile faded away as she proceeded to talk.

"....but we were unaware of the horrifying truth behind his happy face. He was.....was suffering from depression since a very long time. He always used to smile and glitter the place wherever he went with his laughs and giggles but we didnt know the way he cried up in his room every night,"

"We didn't know he was getting bullied in his school for the past 6 years. He never showed his pain to his mother, his Dad,  to his friends and even to me, despite the fact he was so close to me. Since, he used to share everything with me, I thought he was close enough to tell me everything that bothered him but I was so wrong...."

Jimin took his bottom lip between his teeth when everything was finally becoming clear. The words that escaped out of his lips fitting in the revealed scenario now.

'Why didn't you meet me before, Jiminie?'

'It's gonna be the last place we'll visit even if I don't promise you,'

'I'd turn nighteen as well this year if only-"

'I can't take you to my world, Jiminie, I-I can't-'

'You can teach me how to ride a bike right Jungkook?'
'I wish I could....'

'There might be people who're in more trouble than you Jimin. But not everyone choose to end their life, do they? Well, some might but.....that's not important right now,'