Love At First Kick

103

'I'm dying.'

Jimin stopped counting and looked at him with pure shock on his face. Even I was shocked.

Jimin composed himself after a few moments. 'What kind of lies are you cooking now? What do you want from me?'

'I'm not lying. I have stage 3 cancer. Bone cancer. I've been through a lot of doctors, and they all said the same. It's gone too far into my bones to do anything about it. I've got less than 6 months, even with therapy.'

Did not see that coming.

'Are you being serious?' Jimin asks, raising his eyebrow, and his dad just nods

'There's nothing I can do but wait it out. I'm on strong medication, but it's only going to get worse. My bones will start falling apart from the inside and crack. It will only spread. Within 3 months I won't be able to do anything but lay in pain. I've been told that it's going to be excruciating.'

'Hmm.' Jimin hums. 'Sucks to be you.' He says coldly, walking past him

'Son, don't be like this. I may not be alive to see you again.' He calls after him in a broken voice

'Son?' Jimin turns to him with a scoff. 'Now you use that word? Now that you're dying and have no one?' He scoffs again

'See that door over there?' He points to the door of some other room, making both of us look over. 'Do you remember when you broke my finger by closing those doors over my hand repeatedly?' He asks calmly

'Or maybe the stairs? Remember all those times you pushed me down those just because you could? Or your favourite time when I almost broke my ribs when you picked me up and threw me down there?'

'Or maybe you like that corner over there. After all, that's where you kicked me until I threw up blood. More than once. It was nice and tight so I couldn't run away. I bet you thought that was fun by how you were laughing at it.'

'Or that room over there, where you held my head underwater in the bathtub until I passed out as a punishment for talking to my friends in school.'

'Or maybe we should go downstairs so I can take you through a few better sites. I'm sure you'll love it.'

Jesus Christ. This man is evil incarnate. I can't believe how much he suffered.

'Or-'

'I get your point. You can stop now.' His father raises his hand, stopping Jimin from naming it all. By how much he named in 15 seconds, I have a feeling he could be taking for days. He's been through so much.

'Do you? Have you any idea as to why I'm even telling you all of this?' Jimin asks

'To make me feel bad, I suppose.' His father replies

'See, that's not even close. I'm aware you don't feel any regret. You have no feelings for anything but yourself. Your only regret is that you didn't finish me off when you had the chance. And save your words. I don't need to listen to your bullshit.' Jimin stopped him right as he opened his mouth to say something

He walked closer to his father, stopping right in front of him, facing him dead on.

'The reason I told you all of this is simple. I just want to make this as clear as possible, because I already said it once. I hope, truly, that your death comes very, very slow, and very, very painful. I hope that everything you did to me, comes back to you tenfold. I hope, from the bottom of my heart, that you scream in anguish when the pain comes. And I hope that no one helps.'

His dad was listening to him, watching in horror.

'Funny how life works, huh? You spent a good decade torturing me, breaking me. You spent an entire part of your life, dedicating it to making me suffer as much as possible. And now, that life found a way to give it back to you, you want the same person you tortured to stay by your side. It's also kind of funny that the reason for your death will be your bones when you tried so hard to break mine. Maybe there is God after all. If I knew this was going to happen, I would have prayed harder.'

He was looking at him, his eyes red from holding back the tears.

'Funny. You're crying?' Jimin scoffs. 'Never thought I'd see the day. Maybe I should take a picture of this.'

I never knew Jimin could be so cold to anyone. If I didn't know him, I'd be terrified. All the things he just told him, those are some rough, soul-destroying words. But he had every right to say them.

'I hope you fall apart from the inside very slowly and feel each and every thing that comes with it. Don't think to even call me or contact me again. You do not exist in my life anymore. And see that woman over there?' He points to me, making his father look at me with a few tears streaming down his face.
'That woman is my life. She is the sole source of my happiness. Everything that you took away from me, she brought it back and made it so much better. So I want you to look at her, and I want you to remember that I'm going to have an entire life with her, and you will never, ever be a part of it. And one day when I have a family, I'll gladly tell them I never had a father. That's the best courtesy you'll ever get from me. For my own sake, I'll forget you ever existed. For all I care, you could drop dead now. I'd wish you good luck, but I don't want to lie now after everything I already said. Goodbye, Minhyuk. I hope your life in hell serves you well.' He patted him on the shoulder sarcastically, leaving him in the spot to look completely lost and shocked.

Je.sus. Fuck.

Those words cut deep. He didn't spare him for a moment. I never heard him speak so much. But he got it out. Whatever he held in. Whatever he wanted to say. He finally said it.

'Ready to leave, baby?' He smiles at me, gently caressing my face

'Y- yes. Let's leave.' I stuttered a bit, but I gathered the bags and we left

He paused by the front door, looking at the key in his hand. He looked at it for a moment, before dropping it on the floor and walking over it.

We loaded the bags in the car in silence. I wanted to let him process it all. This was a lot.

'You hungry?' He asks as if nothing just happened

'Um... not really. You?' I don't know what to think

'Not at all.' He smiles. 'Do you wanna go home or do you wanna stay here tonight? There's a hotel only 10 minutes away.'

'You're the one driving, so it's really up to you.' I'm trying to be as normal as possible

'Do you mind then if we stay for the night?'

'Not at all.'