virtuous deception || pjm (editing)

xvi

HYEJIN

Damn you bitch, if you never got involved with us, my son would've never been shot. This is your fault! I will kill you if it's the last thing I do. That isn't a threat, it's a promise. Remember, I know you aren't just living for you anymore. Another life depends on your safety.

Mr. Parks words echoed through my head as I ran beside Jimin's stretcher. The doctors frantically babbled about blood loss and surgery while my face became streamed with tears. They barged through doors, skilfully turning corners and racing down identical corridors. My breath was getting faster and faster but my lungs felt empty.

Why did he jump in front of me?

They barged through another door before a man stopped me, saying I couldn't go any further. My sobs grew louder as I threw myself into him, desperate to get past. I felt a pair of hands slide around my waist and pull me back.

"NOONA! Calm down." Jungkook yelled. I continued to hit his hands off of me before turning and sobbing into his shoulder.

"He can't die, he can't leave us." My chest convulsed violently. Jungkook guided me to a chair and sat me down. He kneeled in front of me and put his thumb to me cheek, wiping away my tears, as well as hushing me, telling me to take deep breaths.

"Jungkook?" I said with a shaky breath.

"Yes Noona?"

"This is my fault."

"Don't think that way." He hushed, pulling me into his chest and stroking my hair.

"Your hyungs taught you well Jungkookie, but this is my fault. He better make it through. I love him too much to lose him."

"He will Hyejin, I am sure."

two hours later:

I paced around the waiting room, while the boys sat, talking about business things and other matters I was too sad to comprehend.

Another life depends on your safety

A wave of nausea hit me and I ran for the bathroom. Not even bothering to close the stall door, I began vomiting. I had hardly eaten today. A hand drew back my vast expanse of hair and rubbed my back.

"Just let it out, babe." A familiar voice hushed.

"Chae-Young?" I said between muttered sobs.

"Yes, I'm here."

"Thank you." I hung over the toilet bowl for a few more minutes before drinking some water Chae-Young offered. She got a tissue and soaked it in warm water, before wiping it across my face.

"Chae-Young, why are you here?"

"Jimin is the world's best boss, I had to be here. Plus, I was with Hoseok so we came together" I cocked up an eyebrow.

"You were at his place? Are you-" I paused, letting a quiet sob leave my swollen lips. "dating?"

"Yes, we are." She smiled faintly, removing the wet tissue and drying my face instead.

"You two need to get married pronto."

"Eventually." There was a pause of silence.

"Chae-Young?"

"Yeah?"

"You can keep a secret, right?"

"Of course!"

"Good, because-"I told her what had happened today and why I was so shaken up. She sat there and listened, being a great friend.

"I'll keep your secret. I promise. But you will have to tell him someday."

"I know, and I will."

-

Chae-Young and I walked back, after purchasing some strong mint gum and using some perfume to mask the hospital smell. The boys raised their eyebrows and cocked their heads when we returned but immediately turned their heads back when a doctor, dressed in crisp white clothes and a surgical mask approached us.

"The operation has been successful, we removed the bullet and have sewn the site of the main internal bleeding. We must keep him overnight in case of any unforeseen circumstances. His body is under immense stress." The doctor bowed as we all expressed our everlasting gratitude. We saw him wheeled out of the ICU and into a VIP ward. I wiped my red nose, dried my bleary, swollen eyes and walked towards his room.

He looked so calm in there, behind the glass doors I was peering through. Why not me in there? Why not me hooked up to those machines and wires and tubes? I looked down, knowing exactly why he had taken the bullet. I was thankful he had. But he, at this moment, is the most important thing to me. He doesn't deserve this pain.

"Is he okay?" I was startled out of my trance and saw Ji-Hyun, Jimin's dear little brother.

"For now, he seems so."

"Good, well I stopped by his house and then Chae-Youngs to bring you both clothes. I knew you'd be here." I smiled and nodded. "But Hye-Jin?"

"Yes?" Ji-Hyun pulled something out of his pocket and held it out to me. "How did you find that?"

"Hiding it under your clothes isn't hiding. Is this true Hye-Jin, yes or no?"

"Yes, it's true!"

"Does anyone else know?"

"Yes. Chae-Young, you and..."

"And?"

"Your father" Ji-Hyun dropped the bag he was holding and his mouth gaped open. "He knows? Yet he still- "

"Ji-Hyun, please keep it quiet, I don't want anyone knowing now. Not even Jimin." Ji-Hyun nodded, he had heard what his father had said to me, so he knew what I must've been planning. A nurse walked by, entered Jimin's room and filled out a paper form while tinkering around with the wires and machines. She came out minutes later and nodded towards us, silently telling us we could go in.

"You go in first." Ji-Hyun took a step back, handing me the bag.

The room was warm, too warm for my liking. It was almost completely white, with a wooden floor and skirting. There was a large hospital bed and a TV and a private bathroom among other small details. Crammed around the bed were machines, tubes draining blood into a closed, florescent yellow bucket and IV bags filling my love with countless drugs and likely large doses of morphine. His hospital gown had ridden up at the sides, exposing a heap of bandages with were slightly stained in fresh crimson blood. I pulled his gown into a position that covered his body and I pulled up the covers so they covered his torso downwards.

A ventilator kept his mouth slightly ajar. It pained me to know he can't even breathe on his own yet. His skin was pale, paler than Yoongi's, and cold. Anytime you touched him, he felt almost dead. There was hardly a touch of colour to his face. Only a faded pink to his lips, yet even that was minimal. His ashy brown hair laid a mess around his forehead, so I combed it down with my fingers, putting it in a position I know he'd like. I loved his brown hair, it suited him well. We always talked about our hair, how I loved all his usual bright colours and how he loved my deep black hair which apparently looked so pretty against my pale skin on my small face.

I brought a chair closer to his side and held his icy hand.

"Hey, I know you maybe can't hear me right now but perhaps you can. Thank you Jimin, you brought amazing colour to my life, helping me see things I never had before. Thank you for saving my life." I said as I looked down again. "Just please get through this for us. For everyone." I leaned forwards and brushed some hair away as I kissed his forehead but as I pulled away a long, ominous alarm sounded. 

***