Moonlight Heirs 🌗🐺 | TAEKOOK |

21). Echos by the Waterfall

Jimin sat by the edge of the waterfall, watching the sunlight dance on the rippling surface, tracing patterns that seemed to come alive only in the corners of his vision. This spot was one of the few places he felt at peace. But today, his mind was crowded, restless, haunted by a heavy feeling he couldn't shake.

From a young age, life hadn't been gentle with him. His father had passed away when he was only a child, leaving behind little more than memories and a fractured family. His mother remarried not long after, choosing her-own happiness over her son's, and moved to the city with her new husband. Jimin could still remember the day she left. She'd kissed his forehead, promised she would return for him—but she never did.

Instead, he was left with his aunt, his father's stern and unfeeling sister, who took him in out of obligation rather than love. She wasn't cruel, exactly, but she made sure he knew he was a burden, a duty rather than family. Every day, she'd give him endless chores: sweeping, washing, gathering wood. And though he hated the bitterness that built in his heart, he still couldn't bring himself to leave. Running away was never an option—he'd learned early on that life would always be harsh, and he had to find strength within himself to endure it.

In his quiet moments, though, Jimin would always try to see the good in things. He'd find beauty in the simplest of places, like the morning mist over the fields or the way sunlight filtered through trees. He held tightly to that small, persistent hope, determined to prove that he could find happiness even when the world around him was dark.

But everyone in the village pitied him, and that pity felt like a weight he could never escape. Whenever people cast sympathetic glances his way, or whispered about "poor Jimin" behind his back, he would smile. On the outside, he acted unaffected, but inside, he wished they wouldn't look at him that way. He didn't want their pity; he wanted someone who would see him as an equal, not as something broken or sad.

Then he met Jungkook.

Jungkook, with his own tragic past, had felt like an unexpected gift. Like Jimin, Jungkook had no parents, and somehow, that had made Jimin feel a kinship he hadn't felt with anyone else. He'd thought they could be companions, even if just to fill the emptiness of each other's loneliness. Yet, just as quickly as they'd met, life seemed intent on pulling them apart. Now, he'd heard from Jungkook's uncle that Jungkook was going somewhere—one he hadn't even mentioned to Jimin.

The thought gnawed at him. Why hadn't Jungkook told him? Were they not close enough to share something so important? It left a bitter feeling, one he wasn't used to, settling deep in his chest. And that feeling had drawn him here, to this waterfall, where he could think and try to make sense of the confusion that swirled around him.

He stared at the rushing water, lost in thought, when he heard the faint sound of footsteps behind him. He was so deep in his mind that he barely registered the approaching presence until a deliberate cough broke the silence.

Startled, he turned sharply to see Yoongi standing there, watching him with an unreadable expression. Jimin's heart jumped in surprise, and he let out a small, breathless laugh to cover his shock.

"Old-man!" he said, a bit too loudly. "How long have you been there?"

Yoongi's face remained impassive. "Long enough."

The silence between them felt heavy, but Jimin forced a smile, feeling awkward under Yoongi's gaze. There was always something mysterious, even unsettling, about Yoongi, as though he carried secrets he'd never willingly share. Jimin had never quite known how to act around him. Yoongi's red eyes watched him steadily, almost as if he were studying him.

"You could've said something," Jimin muttered, with rolled eyes, trying to brush off the tension. But Yoongi merely shrugged in response, his silence saying more than any words could.

Jimin sighed, his thoughts shifting back to Jungkook, the questions that haunted him resurfacing. Without thinking, he voiced them aloud. "Do you... know what's going on with Jungkook? Where he's going?"

Yoongi didn't answer right away. Instead, he tilted his head, his expression thoughtful, almost amused. "Why does it matter to you?"

Jimin frowned, surprised at the question. "Because he's my friend. I... I don't understand why he'd leave without saying anything." His voice softened, the vulnerability he usually kept hidden seeping through. "It's like he doesn't trust me."

Yoongi's gaze didn't waver, but something shifted in his expression. "Maybe he's trying to protect you," he said, his tone carefully neutral.

Jimin looked at him, trying to read his expression. "From what? I don't understand what's happening... with any of this. It feels like he's hiding things from me." He lowered his gaze, feeling the weight of it all pressing down on him. "It's not fair."

There was a long pause before Yoongi finally spoke, his voice soft, "If you really want to know, I can take you there—to the wolves' clan."

Jimin's heart skipped a beat, his gaze snapping back to Yoongi. "You... you'd take me there?"

Yoongi's eyes glinted with something dark, a faint, almost dangerous smile curving at the edges of his mouth. "If you're that eager to find out, I'd be more than willing to show you the way."

The offer lingered in the air, and for a moment, Jimin's desire to know the truth battled with an instinctual fear rising within him. Yoongi's smile, faint as it was, felt like a warning. But he wanted answers, more than anything, and Yoongi's offer was the only way to get them.

"But... why would you help me?" Jimin asked, his voice cautious.

"Let's just say I'm looking out for my clan's interests," Yoongi replied smoothly, his gaze never breaking. "And your friend might need someone like you by his side."

The words were like a hook in Jimin's heart. His concern for Jungkook outweighed any doubts he had. He would go, and he would finally understand what had been hidden from him. But as he nodded his agreement, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was stepping into something far darker than he'd anticipated.

And as Yoongi turned to walk away, the sound of the waterfall seemed to drown out all other thoughts.

Jimin lingered a moment longer, casting a final glance at the familiar place, feeling a strange sense of goodbye settle in his heart.

🐺🌗To be continued....