Abyss - Kim Seokjin AU Fanfiction

Chapter 2 | Jin

Jin had always known from a young age that he wanted to be just like his father. He was five when be began to steal his Appa's markers and triangles to make his own drawings of houses and buildings that he had seen in the office. He watched the draftsmen carefully etch on the fine tracing paper atop inclined tables. He could do this for hours and hours. Sometimes, he would sit beside them and observe how a plan can turn into a three dimensional drawing of a room if you knew the proper formula.

It was expected that he would eventually inherit his father's talent. When his mother realized this, she had spent most of her time researching the best schools for him, sending him to summer classes in primary school, eventually leading to a higher training in fine arts. His mother believed that to understand a structure, you must learn the fundamentals of nature itself. On the north wing of the house, his parents set up his bedroom and studio for him. Supplies from overseas were brought in. He used the best cold pressed paper from Japan and the finest linen canvases from Europe.

Jin, although provided with everything he needed, felt trapped. Every move he made, his parents seemed to be ready to hold out their hand to give him a boost. He did not like this very much. He would have wanted to claw his way into the industry by making his own design firm that focused on entirely different principles than his father's. Of course, he knew he could not have this. So, he settled. And he swore that this would be the last thing he allowed his parents to provide.

That all changed the night he met her.

Contrary to what she may think about how they met, Jin knew he had seen her first. She emerged from a corridor in the local bookstore that he frequented. Her hands carried, what he was sure to be the completed works of Caravaggio and Michelangelo, passed him in a hurry. A trail of the scent orange blossoms filled the air around him, branding her as the girl who smelled like summertime. He turned to catch another glance at her, but she had disappeared into the next hall.

He walked carefully tracing her footsteps while thanking himself that he wore his old sneakers that made no sound. Click click click, her heels echoed in two second intervals. She was taking her time. From the gaps between the shelves, Jin focused on the hand that ran through the spines of books. The thrill was foreign to him, and he loved it. The clicks of her heels ceased and she stopped, her hand steady on one spine as she leaned in to view the title. Jin, who was on the other side, narrowed his eyes and read the name typed on the hospital band on her wrist. Elara Young.

From where he stood, he could see her face clearly. Her dark eyes and skin like honey stood in contrast to the pale pages surrounding her. She was framed perfectly between books, and the old wooden shelves, as if his mind was shooting a movie. That image of her, of how they first met, now immortalized in his thoughts.

That evening, Jin had filled an entire sketchbook with that image of her, drawn perfectly from memory. The progression of Elara Young's pursed lips, furrowed brows and eyes focused on the book in hand from graphite to charcoal and pastel pencil to watercolor and every other medium he had in his studio, consumed twenty seven pages out of the thirty-five leafed, hand-made leather covered sketchbook. He had never drawn anything else on it since. It remained on his bedside table, never to be opened again until years later.

He was seventeen, and that had been nine years ago.

* * * * * * * 

When his mother called, he had been in a meeting with the contractors. As soon as he was informed by his secretary, he returned his mother's call. It was brief. Conversations with her were not usually short. There would be irrelevant doting and inquiries about his meals and if he drank too much coffee.

"You must not be late for dinner." His mother's tone was serious.

"Yes, of course Eomma." He said politely.

"We have something important to tell you so it would be best if you came home early."

As soon as he arrived in their family home, he was greeted by their butler who took his coat. His parents waited in the family room where a large portrait hung behind the brown lambskin chesterfield sofa. Perfect plump lips and steady eyes looked back at him. His parents were seated the same way as seen in the portrait and he laughed a little, amused at how comical it was.

"Eomma, Appa." He bowed at them. "Will we be having dinner with the Youngs again?"

"Yes." His father said. "Have a seat first. We must get to the meat of the conversation."

As he sat, he saw his father eye his mother as if to begin speaking. This was how his family operated. It seemed as if everything was all business. Each took on a role and was expected to do it right, otherwise, it would be inconvenient for everyone if there was a mistake made.

"Seokjin-ah, what do you think of Ela?" His mother asked and he felt himself stiffen. Quickly, he eased his posture, making sure not to show discomfort at the question he deemed to be invasive.

It seemed that Jin's brain had shut down. He wondered how long he silently sat there looking like an idiot in front of his parents. It must have been minutes before he spoke. "She is alright." He answered as soon as he felt his thoughts would be coherent.

"Just alright?" His father asked.

"Yes." He answered neutrally. Jin did not know where this was going, and he had a feeling in his gut that this was not going to go well. Tonight, whatever it may be, will end up being a disaster.

"Do you think she will be alright if you spent a lifetime with her?"

Jin's head snapped at his father's direction. "What did you say?" His voice dropped an octave. He could feel his fingers stiffen, and hands balling themselves into a fist. No, this can't happen, he thought in panic.

His father on the other hand was taken aback by this change in his son. Jin was a soft spoken child, never stepped out of line. "Do you think you are capable of being good to her for a lifetime?" His father's tone was definite, as if he was putting a foot down, or stomping a cane onto hardwood floor.

"Why would you ask me that question?" This was futile. He knew why they asked. He had always known that this might happen to him.

Eventual control of his own life was thrown out the window. Jin had felt like he did not earn his position in life. He had simply been born into it, a fortunate soul in the pool of the universe. He would never be rid of the privilege his parents had set up for him. His talent, his education, his job and every material thing he possessed had traces of his mother and father's hands in them.

What was he to do now? He had everything, everything he could ever want delivered to him on a silver tray. Even her - the Elara he dreamed to woo, who's name he repeats like a prayer at night - especially her.

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Author's Note 

Did you guys expect that? 

Let me know what you think! 

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See you in the next chapter! 

Love, 
Pepper