You're My Light (Jikook/Kookmin)- COMPLETE

22

“He has cancer. Stage four stomach cancer.”

Jimin’s world shattered with those words. His mind went blank as his body began to tremble uncontrollably. He felt like all the strength had drained from him in an instant. Jungkook, standing by his side, immediately wrapped his arms around Jimin, pulling him close and gently rubbing his shoulder in an attempt to comfort him.

“No… No… Tell me this isn’t true. You made a mistake," Jimin whispered, his voice shaking. He couldn't believe it, refusing to accept the news. His grandfather, his beloved Harabeoji, had always seemed strong. There had been no signs, no warning other than a recent cough. It couldn’t be cancer. It couldn’t be this.

Jimin’s breath hitched as he desperately tried to grasp onto hope, hoping it was all just a misunderstanding. But deep down, the fear had already taken root, threatening to break him completely. He stood frozen, leaning on Jungkook for support, unable to process the enormity of the situation.

"I'm sorry to say, but this is the result we got from the examination. You can see early signs of stomach cancer, such as nausea and vomiting. Sometimes, the vomit contains blood."

Namjoon gasped, suddenly recalling all the moments when Harabeoji would quietly excuse himself after meals, claiming he wasn’t hungry or that his stomach was upset. He had lost his appetite and so much weight, but no one had thought it could be something so severe. Namjoon felt a surge of guilt for not noticing sooner.

Jungkook, holding back his own sorrow, gently guided Jimin out of the room after the doctor finished the report. Jimin could barely stand, his legs shaking from the emotional weight he carried. His vision may have been gone, but the reality of losing his grandfather was a darkness far worse. Tears streamed down Jimin's cheeks, uncontrollable sobs escaping his lips.

Jimin’s legs buckled, and he nearly collapsed, but Jungkook was there, catching him in his arms. With great care, Jungkook helped Jimin to a nearby chair, seating him gently. His hands moved soothingly over Jimin’s back, trying to offer comfort in the face of the impossible pain Jimin was feeling.

Jimin gripped Jungkook’s shirt tightly, burying his face in his chest. “It’s my fault… I didn’t know… I didn’t even notice…I can't live like this," Jimin’s voice trembled, broken by the weight of everything that had crashed down on him.

"Jimin..." Jungkook whispered, trying to find words, but there was a tremor in his voice too. He didn’t know what to say. What could he say? How could anyone survive this?

"Kkuk-ah, I can’t," Jimin’s sobs grew louder, his hands clutching at the fabric of his pants. "My parents… they’re gone. Harabeoji… he’s all I have left. And now... now he's slipping away too. I’m blind. Useless. Everything is falling apart. I can't live like this. Kkuk-ah, Harabeoji will leave me," Jimin sobbed, his voice raw with anguish. "God was never fair to me. God took all the people I love..."

Jungkook and Namjoon stood beside him, their own hearts heavy with the pain Jimin was expressing. They knew the depths of Jimin's suffering, the strength he showed outwardly hiding the fragility within. Jungkook's heart ached at Jimin's words, feeling the weight of his sorrow and helplessness.

Jungkook fell silent, his heart shattering as he watched Jimin in this moment of complete despair. What could he say to make things better? He couldn’t take away Jimin’s pain, couldn’t bring back his sight, couldn’t change the terrible diagnosis looming over Harabeoji. How could anyone survive this kind of agony?

Jungkook knelt in front of Jimin, taking his hands into his own. They were trembling, cold. He didn’t know if he could survive in Jimin’s place either—losing both parents at a young age, being raised by the only family member who stayed by his side, losing his sight in a tragic accident, and now… facing the impending loss of his beloved grandfather, the one person who had always been there for him.