Bound by Colors

Chapter 12

Jimin lay with his head in his grandma's lap, her fingers softly threading through his hair, a calming rhythm that finally eased his restless mind. After a night of tossing and turning, he had finally fallen asleep. But suddenly, a distant voice echoed in his dreams, making his nerves tense. The voice grew louder, accompanied by a pounding on the door, harsh enough to break it down—or so it seemed. Jimin jolted awake, heart racing. The knocking wasn't as loud as it had seemed in his dream; his weary mind had blurred the sound with bad memories. Breathing heavily, sweat dripping down his forehead, he tried to steady himself. Then came another knock at the door.

"Come in," he called out, his voice shaky.

Aunt Park entered, a tray in her hands. She immediately noticed Jimin’s pale face, his damp skin, and his labored breaths. "Are you okay, Jimin?" she asked, concern lining her voice.

"Yeah," Jimin replied, wiping the sweat from his brow. She held out the tray toward him.

"I brought you some juice. You're really weak, and Mr. Kim instructed me to make sure you have this every morning before breakfast," she explained.

Jimin took the glass from her, and as Aunt Park went to slide open the curtains, sunlight flooded the room. He glanced at the clock—it was already noon, yet he still felt fatigued, his body heavy with exhaustion.

"Mr. Kim really cares about you," Aunt Park remarked.

Jimin felt uneasy. He could sense Taehyung’s care, but the reason behind it made his heart ache. It wasn’t genuine affection; it was because Jimin was Taehyung's only way to see colors. From the beginning, Jimin had wanted to understand everything, but now that he did, all he felt was sadness—he felt used.

He finished the juice and set the glass back on the tray. "Mr. Kim also asked me to tell you not to walk around too much and to rest," Aunt Park added. "Whatever you need, just use the intercom to call me."

She left, and Jimin closed his eyes, letting out a deep sigh. He felt tears prickling at the corners of his eyes. He didn't even know why. The dream he had of his grandma, the first in a long time, had been so comforting. He missed her deeply. He longed to talk to someone, to tell them how he was feeling, to ask for guidance. He missed Jungkook and his granny too; she had been so kind to him. He wanted to call her, but his cell phone had stopped working a few days ago when it fell and the screen shattered. It needed repairs.

Feeling suffocated, Jimin left his room and headed to the garden. He stood by the fountain, watching the water flow, lost in his thoughts. A hand on his shoulder startled him, and he turned around.

"Hoseok?" Jimin asked, surprised to see him standing there, holding a bouquet and smiling brightly.

"Yeah, I came to visit you. Taehyung told me you were injured, so I wanted to check on you," Hoseok replied, looking him over from head to toe. "But you look fine."

"Seeing how worried Taehyung was, I thought you were on your deathbed!" Hoseok chuckled.

Jimin furrowed his brows, unsure how to respond.

"Oh, sorry. It’s just that I’ve never seen him so concerned about anyone, so I figured I had to come and see the 'special someone' for myself," Hoseok added, smiling.

Jimin observed him. Unlike others, Hoseok seemed comfortable talking about Taehyung, as if the two were close.

"You seem close to him," Jimin noted.

"Yeah, I'm his friend," Hoseok replied casually.

"Friend," Jimin echoed, a hint of disbelief in his tone.