𝓑𝓸𝓾𝓷𝓭 𝓫𝔂 𝓟𝓻𝓸𝓶𝓲𝓼𝓮 (𝓙𝓲𝓴𝓸𝓸𝓴)

chapter 6

IN KOREA

Mrs. Jeon’s POV

“Jungkook… it’s eomma. Your father… he’s been in an accident. He’s in critical condition.” My voice cracked as tears streamed down my face. It felt as if my world was collapsing in that very moment.

“Come back home, baby,” I whispered, barely holding on. My hand shook as I ended the call, unable to stop the sobs that wracked through my body. I covered my face, trying to calm down, but it was no use.

“Eomma!” Jimin’s voice broke through the fog of my despair, and within seconds, he was at my side, wrapping his small arms around me. His own tears spilled freely, but he tried to stay strong for me, wiping my tears with his sleeves. “Don’t cry, eomma. Nothing’s going to happen to appa. He’s strong. He’ll pull through."

I nodded weakly, but the words were trapped in my throat, suffocated by my overwhelming grief. Before I could even attempt to speak, Minyoung, my dear friend, pulled me into a tight embrace. “Go Eun-ah, you have to be strong. Like Jiminie said, nothing’s going to happen. You have to believe that.”

Her words echoed in my mind, but my heart ached. My eyes shifted to Dong Wook, standing just in front of the ICU, motionless, staring at the closed doors. He looked so lost, so broken. The pain on his face mirrored mine, yet it seemed even deeper. He and Gong Yoo had been inseparable since childhood. How could this happen?

The doors to the ICU suddenly opened, and a doctor emerged. “Doctor, how is he?” Dong Wook’s voice was tight with desperation.

The doctor’s heavy sigh made my chest tighten even more. “His body has sustained severe damage. We’re preparing for a bypass surgery, but…” His eyes reflected the weight of the situation. “It’s all in the hands of fate and his will to fight. He’s conscious now, but if anyone wants to speak to him... this may be the last chance.”

I felt the ground beneath me shift. My heart pounded in my ears, drowning out every other sound. My feet moved of their own accord as I walked toward the ICU, every step feeling heavier than the last.

Inside, there he was—my husband. The man who promised to stay by my side forever, now lying there, fragile and fading. I held his hand, my grip tightening as though I could pull him back from the brink. His once-strong frame looked so small, so weak. His eyes fluttered open, barely focusing on me.

“Don’t you dare leave me,” I whispered, my voice shaky. “I will never forgive you if you go this early.”

He tried to speak, his voice no more than a whisper, “…s…orr..y… ja..gi..ya…. ti…me for… m…e… to… le..ave…”

“No!” I almost shouted, my breath catching in my throat. “Don’t say that! Dong Wook is out there praying for you. Do you know how heartbroken he’ll be if you leave? What about our son, Jungkook? Don’t you want to see him grow? His wedding?” My tears fell uncontrollably as my heart shattered. “You promised me, you promised we’d grow old together…”

As I clutched his hand, an image of Jimin flashed in my mind. Gong Yoo had always dreamed of marrying Jungkook to Jimin, a wish he’d never fully expressed because of the boys’ age difference. But it was always his hope—to unite our families even more through marriage.

“Don’t you want to see our Jungkookie and Jiminie get married? They’re in love, they’ve told me. They want to marry as soon as Jungkook returns from Canada.” I didn’t know where these words were coming from, but I clung to them. “Don’t you want to give your blessing at their wedding? Promise me… promise me you’ll fight.”

I held out my pinky finger, trembling, waiting for him to seal the promise. Slowly, with what little strength he had left, he linked his finger with mine. I felt a flicker of hope, but deep down, I couldn’t shake the weight of guilt. What had I just done? I’d made a promise, one that could change everything. But in that desperate moment, it felt like my only choice.