Slave to a King | Jinkook

Fifty-Four

Jungkook was awake even though Jin was sleeping, and his gaze was fixed firmly on Jin as he watched him sleep. Even in his sleep, Jin seemed to sense the weight of the King's intense gaze. When he finally stirred and opened his eyes, he was met with the King's unflinching gaze, leaving him puzzled and curious about the reason behind the lingering look.

"Why are you not sleeping?" he asked, looking around their room as his mind wandered to their daughter. He was unsure if something had happened. With the light on, he wondered if Jungkook had slept. It was highly unusual for the light to be left on, especially when the King was in their room. They slept with the lights off all the time.

"I have been debating whether or not I should wake you."

Even more perplexed, Jin sat upright and stretched his arms before turning to look at Jungkook and asking, "Why?"

"You still have not informed me about your conversation with my mother."

After letting out a long sigh and closing his eyes, Jin turned to Jungkook and said, "Jungkook, we talked about this-"

"I have been thinking about this, and as I mentioned before, I want to hear it directly from you. I'm not open to considering any other explanations as valid. I've been trying to handle this situation calmly, but Seokjin, this is important to me. Tell me everything you discussed with her."

"Just this once; I wish you would listen to what I have to say and have a conversation with your mother. On the other hand, if this is how you want it to be, there isn't much I can do about it." Jin positioned himself, angling his body to face the King. His deepest wish was to create an opening for the Queen to have a conversation with her son. However, Jungkook remained stubborn, insisting on having things done according to his own wishes, as was often the case with him.

He understood Jungkook's reluctance to hear directly from the Queen due to a lack of trust. However, after conversing with her, he believed that she had the ability to provide the closure that her son needed, which he couldn't. However, he also knew that what he hoped for and what Jungkook desired differed.

Before telling Jungkook about his conversation with the Queen, he paused momentarily to collect himself. Carefully choosing each word, he spoke slowly and thoughtfully. He understood the pain the King had experienced. He was cautious not to cause him any further suffering or bring up any memories that may cause him to regress instead of going in the direction he was hoping the King would go.

Even though Jungkook wanted to hear everything from him, he felt certain things were more suitable for Jungkook to hear directly from the Queen. He understood that it wasn't his place to disclose those matters, and he also knew that even if he did, Jungkook wouldn't interpret it the same way. He realized he couldn't replace a parent in Jungkook's heart. That wasn't his role.

In the same way that no one could ever take his parents' place in his life, he knew he could not do the same for Jungkook. Nevertheless, he wanted Jungkook to have an authentic experience with his mother, not obscured by a mask or feelings that were kept secret but rather one filled with openness and sincerity.

After he had finished telling Jungkook everything he was at ease revealing to him, he noticed that Jungkook remained silent and unresponsive. This lack of reaction made him uneasy and anxious, as he couldn't read Jungkook's thoughts or emotions. Throughout the entire time, he talked and shared what he could; Jungkook did not interject or participate in the conversation.

Jin knew that even though Jungkook had made a lot of progress, he was still impulsive, and his tendency to act based on emotions still heavily influenced his actions.

When Jungkook laughed and rose from the bed, a wave of deep concern washed over him, intensifying the heavy weight already on his mind. "Jungkook, where are you going?"