What the Heart Needs - JiKook

Chapter 19 - Promises Kept

I walked into the dorm slow and quiet. I wasn't sneaking in; I just couldn't bring myself to move faster. Jungkook came right away and pulled me into his chest. He held me close and stroked my head. When I was calm enough, he took my hand and we went to find Namjoon. I was told that Tae and Yoongi had taken Misun to bed and would be joining us when she was out. We found Namjoon and waited while everyone gathered. Once Tae and Yoongi were there, we began.

"Everyone here knows the situation, but something new has come up, and I'm not sure how to tell everyone. Or how to handle it. I can't even see a way that we can fix it."

"It's okay, Jimin. Tell us. We will find a way to figure it out.", Namjoon assured me as Jungkook rubbed his hands over my shoulders to help ease my tension.

I took a deep breath and tried to relax myself. He was right, somehow we would handle this. "Jihoon is gone."

"Gone!? For how long?"

"I don't think she's coming back."

I told them all what I had found when I entered the apartment, and the fact that I was unable to make her new man answer his phone. Yoongi wanted to try calling again, and I let him, but he ended up with the same results. We talked way into the night about options. The most common plan of action was to track Jihoon and her man down. It wouldn't really be too hard, even without police involvement. The internet is an amazing thing. But there was no way I could let that happen. Jihoon left her daughter without a second thought and had become detached from her the moment I entered the picture. She wasn't just after money and a free ride, she was looking for a way to be free from responsibility. If we tracked her down and forced Misun back on her, she would just abandon her again on the next sucker. Misun deserved better. She deserved real love. This house is where she would find it.

"You know we can't subject her to that life. I want to keep her... I love her!", I shrank back into Jungkook's chest, ready to cry, "She belongs with us."

"It's true she deserves a much better life than with Jihoon, but Jimin, she can't stay here. What about our careers? The group? What would happen to the company? We've been lucky so far, but we need to contact the police anonymously and let them deal with this. I know that sounds cold, but it's what's best for all of us."

"Namjoon-hyung! How can you say that!?"

"I know how you must feel, but you know you can't keep a child you aren't actually related to. Doing anything other than handing her over to the authorities would mean the end of your career as an idol."

"I don't care! Misun thinks I'm her father. I'm the only father she's ever known and I can't abandon her. I don't care about being an idol!"

"Jimin!", Seokjin walked over and slapped me, "You need to clear your head. You can't just walk away from the group. You love being an idol... and we love you. You can't leave us."

"I can't leave her... Blood or not, she's my daughter. I know you are right. I KNOW I'm being irrational. I know all the things you are saying. I'm sorry everyone, I know I'm being unreasonable, but I can't help it. I love all of you... more than family, but I love her, too. I can't let her go."

"Baby... even if you go this route, you can't just keep a kid. There are legal channels you have to go through or bad things can happen. You aren't related at all. Right now, police would consider you a kidnapper if you kept her. Even if you go through all the legal stuff... you still may lose her to the system. Everything, including our group, would be over. Possibly for nothing."

"I know..."

"Jimin, are you sure you want to go down this path?", Namjoon asked, taking a very serious tone.