Night Owl

Night Owl Ch.19

Jin burst out of the club, shoulders heaving, fists clenched tight enough to make his knuckles ghostly white. Without a second thought, he swung at the brick wall beside him, and a dull, splitting pain shot through his hand, leaving a thin trail of red in its wake.

"What the fuck was that, Yoongi?" he spat, his voice raw.

Yoongi glanced at Jin, eyes weighed down by some unseen burden. "Jin... you knew this might happen. She... she doesn't remember you. She's seen the pictures, watched the videos—there's just nothing. No spark." He spoke carefully, but each word carried the weight of his own defeat.

Jin looked away, jaw tight, shoulders sagging as Yoongi's words landed like punches. He knew Yoongi had tried. Tried and tried to bring Rae's memories back, to fill her empty spaces with fragments of their past. But it wasn't enough. The Rae he'd loved—her laughter, the way her eyes softened just for him—had vanished, leaving only the shell of her, unfamiliar and cold.

"Does... does she love him?" His voice was barely above a whisper, choked with the ache of a half-forgotten promise.

Yoongi's hand found his shoulder, grounding him. "No. But... she likes him. A lot."

Jin felt his legs give, his back pressing against the rough wall as he dropped to a squat. His chest ached, hollow, and for the first time, he couldn't remember the last time he'd breathed without feeling that emptiness gnawing at him.

"You have to give it time, Jin," Yoongi said, voice low. "Her memories—they will come back. Just... you don't know when."

"And if they don't?" Jin's voice was barely a rasp, almost lost in the hum of the street. The words tasted like defeat, sharp and bitter.
How long could he wait, hoping to see that flicker of recognition in her eyes? Months? Years?

As he stared blankly into the pavement, a familiar voice rose above the chatter, clear and bright. Jin's head snapped up.

"Yoongi!" Rae's voice was lilting, casual, as she pushed through the crowded entrance. Her gaze fell on him, and for a fleeting moment, he saw it—the girl he'd loved, the one who used to look at him like he was her whole world. But just as quickly, her expression hardened, eyes cooling as they took him in.

Jin stood, lips parted, a fragile smile pulling at his face. He wanted to reach out, to say something—anything that could remind her of who they'd been together. But before he could find the words, a figure slipped in beside her, wrapping an arm around her waist with casual familiarity. Her face softened again, and it wasn't for him.

Jin's hand fell limp at his side, his heart shattering quietly in the shadows.

"What's going on, Rae?" Her boyfriend said his gaze lingered on her, possessive, a dark glint beneath his calm facade.

Rae leaned into the man beside her, her hand resting on his arm as she looked up at him, a soft smile playing on her lips. "Nothing, baby. Just found Yoongs." That smile twisted something deep in Jin's chest—a wrenching reminder of how she once looked at him, the same sparkle in her eyes, now aimed at someone else.

Yoongi cleared his throat, trying to break the tightening silence.

"Maybe you two should head out, Rae." His tone was light, but there was a warning edge beneath it.

"Yeah, take the fuck off," Jin muttered under his breath.

Rae's head tilted, her gaze narrowing as she turned to Jin. With her transformation came new abilities—she'd heard him, every word, as clear as if he'd shouted. "Look," she began, her voice cool, "I get that I knew you once, back when I was human. But that doesn't give you the right to act like this."