The One He Tried To Forget | 18+ |

10

A few days later, Jin entered the lobby of the large Spanish style building, and made his way to the lift. He didn't need directions because he was a frequent visitor. Even so, Jin couldn't help wrinkling his nose at the hint of disinfectant that always lingered in the air. He will never get used to it despite his many visits to the place. He hated the pungent odour because it was the first thing he smelled when he woke up after the terrible events of that long ago night.

Jin didn't go into work today. He had asked for the day off after his boss informed him that Yoon Gi, his only client for the day, had called to say he was working from home so he could keep an eye on his husband. It has been three days since the evening Jin rushed to his aid. Three days since Jin saw Jung Kook again.

Jin shook his head vigorously, as if by doing so, he could impel his ex-boyfriend from his brain where the man had taken up residence since that night. Jung Kook was all he thought about lately, and the memories that the man brought with him showed itself on Jin's face. His complexion was pale, and his eyes were slightly puffy from crying on and off.

Jin stepped out of the lift and made his way to the room at the end of the hall. As he neared the open door, he heard a deep male voice coming from inside. He paused to listen, and realised that the person was reading from a book. He smiled and entered.

"Ahhhhh Tae Hyung-ssi, you are trying to usurp my place as my mother's favourite son," Jin said ruefully to the man sitting in the armchair next to the bed where a thin woman lay.

The woman on the bed was frail, but one could see she was once quite beautiful, if not for the jagged scar on one side of her face. The scar was long and ran down her neck to disappear below the neckline of her soft pink shift. Jin bent down to kiss her forehead tenderly before placing the bouquet of yellow lilies on the side table.

"Jin!"

The man in the armchair rose in greeting, his handsome face beaming with joy as he flashed a boxy smile and said, "You're early today. I didn't think I would see you until later this evening."

"I took the day off so I could be with Mum and read to her," Jin explained. "But I see that you've already passed the last chapter I read."

"Oh I'm sorry, Jin. I didn't mean to," the man's face fell. "And I'm not trying to take your place as your mother's favourite son. Far from it! I just--"

"No, no, Tae Hyung-ssi. There's no need to apologise. I was teasing," Jin quickly assured the other man. "To be honest, I like when you read to Mum. You have a lovely voice, and she always has restful sleep after you read to her."

Tae Hyung blushed as he looked away. Jin always had the ability to fluster him. The man was appealing in every way, and the fact that he didn't know how appealing he was made him quite charming and irresistible to Tae Hyung.

A thought suddenly struck Tae Hyung. "Wait. Your mum's favourite son? I thought..."

"Haha!" Jin chuckled. "I was waiting for you to realise that. I was pulling your leg."

Tae Hyung's blush deepened even more. Any deeper and he knew he would start stuttering. That was the power that Jin held over him.

"But please continue," Jin gestured towards the book in Tae Hyung's hand. "I'm just going to put these lilies in a vase for Mum."

Tae Hyung sat back down, and picked up where he left off. He paused to admire the man's form as Jin left the room in search of a vessel for his flowers. Tae Hyung was glad that he had decided to come today even though he didn't usually volunteer on this day. He wanted to see Jin, and was going to stay until the evening when he knew Jin would come to visit his mother.

Jin's mother lived in a long term care facility. She became a resident after it became clear that she would never recover from the injuries she had sustained on that fateful night. The hospital had moved her here while Jin was still in a coma.

Tae Hyung's elder brother ran the facility, and Tae Hyung used to come and visit him whenever he had some down time from his studies at the local university. One day, as he crossed the quad in the middle of the main complex, Tae Hyung had seen a tall good-looking man with broad shoulders push a delicate but beautiful woman in a wheelchair out to the gardens to enjoy a bit of sunshine.

The woman had whispered something to the man, causing him to burst into a peal of squeaky laughter that reminded Tae Hyung of worn out wipers sweeping across a windscreen on a rainy day. It caught Tae Hyung's attention, and when the man smiled at the woman, Tae Hyung was smitten. He had followed the duo secretly and hid behind bushes, lamp posts, and stone statues whenever the man turned around. Then later when they returned inside, Tae Hyung had taken note of the woman's room number before going in search of his brother to ask if he knew who the man was.

Tae Hyung's brother immediately knew who Tae Hyung was talking about when he described the man, and though he had not gone into detail about the female patient, he did tell his brother that the man was her son. He also revealed that besides visiting his mother regularly, the man also helped the staff at the main building on his days off. This surprised Tae Hyung but when he pushed his brother for an explanation, his sibling would only say it was for financial reasons.

The fees associated with living at the facility was considerable, but with his boss's help, Jin was able to keep his mother there to get the care that she needed. In return, Jin often volunteered his time and service at the centre. This served a dual purpose. It helped offset what he wasn't able to pay, even with the many substantial discounts that Hobi was able to negotiate for, and it allowed him to spend time with his mother.

Jin was no fool. He knew that his mother didn't always know when he was there. Her horrific injuries meant she suffered both serious physical and mental trauma.

The wonderful woman who gave him life, and protected him while he was growing up, was paralysed from the waist down, and her memory was not what it used to be. She didn't know who Jin was most of the time, and during the precious moments that she was lucid and recognised Jin, she would cry and beg for his forgiveness over and over again.

It made Jin glad that she didn't always remember him. It made him happy because he didn't want to be reminded of that night. He didn't want to be reminded of what their lives had been like before. But most of all, he didn't want his mother to blame herself for what happened.