Sunshine in her Shadows (Rosekook AU)

16

Trigger Warning: This chapter contains themes of domestic abuse, violence, and death. Please read with care.

Chaeyoung POV:
The house was quieter with Jungkook around, but it wasn’t the comforting silence that usually came with his presence. There was a tension in the air today, something unspoken hanging between us. I tried to focus on the task at hand—fixing the broken leg of the coffee table—but my hands kept shaking.

Jungkook was on the floor, clearing out the last of the broken dishes from last night, and I couldn’t help but steal a glance at him. His back was turned, but just knowing he was here gave me a sense of peace I hadn’t felt in a long time. It was why I let him come over, why I allowed him to step into this mess I called home. But today, something felt off.

It wasn’t long before I heard the sound that made my blood run cold—the creak of the front door, followed by the unmistakable shuffle of heavy, unsteady footsteps on the stairs. My heart dropped. He wasn’t supposed to be home yet.

“Chae?” Jungkook’s voice came in a whisper, a question hidden in that single syllable. I opened my mouth to respond, but before I could say anything, my dad’s figure loomed in the doorway.

He was drunk. Again. His eyes were bloodshot, his expression a twisted mix of anger and confusion. “Who the hell is this?” he slurred, narrowing his gaze at Jungkook, who stood by me, concern etched on his face.

Panic surged through me. “Dad, this is Jungkook. He’s just—he’s just a friend, helping out,” I said quickly, trying to keep the situation from escalating. But I could already see the storm brewing in my dad’s eyes, and I knew this wasn’t going to end well.

“A friend?” My dad’s voice was low and dangerous. He took a step toward me, his fist clenching at his side. “You think you can bring boys into my house? You think you can do whatever you want?”

“Dad, please, just—” I tried to calm him down, to reason with him, but he wasn’t listening. His hand shot out, grabbing my arm with a force that made me wince. “You ungrateful little—”

The tension in the room thickened as my father, reeking of alcohol, staggered towards us with rage in his eyes. His slurred words cut deeper than any physical blow, his anger directed at me with a venomous intensity. Jungkook's fists were clenched at his sides, his face a mask of barely contained fury. I could see the struggle in his eyes—he wanted to do something, but he was powerless in the face of my father's wrath.

When the first blow landed on me, Jungkook stepped in, trying to shield me. "Leave her alone!" he shouted, his voice trembling with a mix of anger and desperation. I never saw Jungkook this angry. I saw him stand defiant and face the bullies at school, but my father was different. Fueled by his drunken rage, turned on Jungkook, hitting him with a force that sent him stumbling back.

Every hit felt like a stab to my soul. Tears blurred my vision, but through the haze, I saw Jungkook's pain and helplessness. I remember the first time we met, how I saved him from bullies, and how he had been the only one to protect me. That was the breaking point for me. With a surge of energy that I didn’t know I had, I pushed my father away, desperate to protect the only person who had ever truly cared for me.

In his drunken state, my father lost his balance, teetering dangerously close to the edge of the staircase. It felt like time slowed down as Jungkook and I both realized what was about to happen. But before either of us could react, my father slipped. His eyes widened in surprise as he lost his balance, his body teetering on the brink. “No!” I cried out, reaching for him, but my hand grasped at empty air. His body twisted in a way that looked unnatural as he tumbled down the stairs.

The sound of his body hitting each step echoed through the house, followed by a sickening thud as he landed at the bottom, motionless.

“Dad?” The word slipped out, a reflex more than anything else. I rushed to the top of the stairs, my heart pounding in my chest. “Dad?” I called out again, but the only response was the silence that settled over the house like a shroud.

A chill ran down my spine as I stared at the crumpled form at the bottom of the stairs. The room was silent except for the harsh breaths I took and Jungkook's stunned, silent presence beside me. What had just happened? Had I done this? The fear and shock left me numb, unable to process the reality of what I had just witnessed.

My dad was dead. And I am the murderer. Again. This time, it was not survivor's guilt like Jungkook always told me. It was real.

I killed my father!