You Never Know [JIKOOK]

44. Time

"Minju is your brother."

"Your father loves you so much, Jimin-ah."

"He didn't cheat."

"Wonnie was excited to see you that day, so eager to meet you."

"Their car exploded."

"Wonnie wanted to show you something."

"Jackson knows everything."

"Vince shot their tire; that's why they had the accident."

Those words. They echoed over and over in Jimin's head like a broken record. His mother's voice haunted him, her revelations piercing through his thoughts with relentless intensity.

Jimin pressed his palms hard against his ears, as if trying to shut out the world, but it was no use. The truth had already sunk deep into his bones.

It was too much.

He felt like he couldn't breathe, couldn't move. His body had turned to stone as soon as his mother's words left her lips. Without even thinking, he had fled from the ICU, from the hospital, from everything. He couldn't stand to be there another second. Ignoring the desperate calls of his mother, his friends, his husband, he ran. His legs moved as if they were on autopilot, his heart pounding so loudly that it drowned out everything else.

Now, hours later, he found himself on the beach. He had been sitting there for four hours, staring blankly at the horizon as the waves crashed endlessly in the distance. The rhythmic sound of the sea was supposed to be soothing, but it did nothing to calm the raging storm inside him.

What was he supposed to do? How was he supposed to process everything? He felt like a child, lost and afraid, with no idea of where to turn. He knew his friends and husband were probably frantically searching for him, but he had left his phone behind. He didn't want to be found-not yet.

The sea stretched out before him, dark and unforgiving. It was midnight now. The moon cast a pale light over the water, but it did little to soothe his tired eyes. He was exhausted. His body ached for sleep, for the comforting embrace of his mother. But his mind wouldn't let him rest.

All this time, he had believed that his father had cheated. He had lived his whole life with the weight of that lie, the bitterness of it eating away at him. But now... now, the truth was something entirely different.

Minju wasn't just some kid he had known. He wasn't just a friend.

Minju was his brother.

And there was another. Wonnie. His other brother. The one he had never met. His father had asked him, years ago, what he would name his little brother if he ever had one. And with all the innocence of a child, Jimin had said, "Wonnie."

The name echoed in his mind now, accompanied by the image of a boy he would never know. Jimin blinked, and fat tears rolled down his cheeks. He would never know how tall Wonnie was, how he laughed, or how much he would have loved him. His heart ached with the weight of that loss.

They should have been a complete family. They should have been whole. But because of Vince and Nathalie, everything had been ripped apart. Those two-they were the ones who should have suffered. They were the ones who deserved punishment, not him.

Jimin clenched his fists. If God didn't have a plan for them, then he would gladly take on that burden. He looked up at the sky, feeling a drop of rain land softly on his arm. It was as if the heavens were weeping with him.

He sobbed again, burying his face in his arms. He didn't know what to do anymore. He didn't know where to go, how to face everyone, or even himself. But one thing was clear-he needed time. Time to process. Time to rebuild. He would return when he was ready, stronger, braver, without the fear that had gripped him for so long.