Winter In My Heart (Jikook/Kookmin)

12

"I'm sorry..."

Jimin placed a sleek black watch on the table in front of Mr. Kim, who paused mid-bite, eyes fixed on the new timepiece. His brows furrowed in confusion as he leaned back in his chair, glancing at Jimin's pale face.

"What is this?" Mr. Kim's voice was low, his usual playful tone absent.

Jimin, with his lower lip trembling, answered, "A new watch... I searched everywhere for yours, but I couldn’t find it. I thought...maybe this could replace it. I’m really sorry." His voice was soft, his guilt visible in the way his lips pouted slightly.

"I told you—"

"Please," Jimin interrupted, his voice cracking as tears brimmed in his eyes. "Please don’t fire me. I need this job." A single tear rolled down his cheek, landing on the table. The desperation in his voice was raw; he knew how hard it would be to find another job, especially without higher qualifications.

Mr. Kim, maintaining his calm demeanor, slowly pushed up his sleeve and revealed his watch—his original watch. Jimin’s heart dropped at the sight.

"You found it?" Jimin asked, his eyes wide with a mix of relief and confusion.

Mr. Kim shrugged, nonchalantly. "I never lost it," he said. "It was just a joke."

"What?" Jimin's voice was barely above a whisper. He felt his stomach twist, a storm of emotions brewing inside him.

"You know," Mr. Kim continued casually, still not meeting Jimin’s eyes. "Because of that little pizza stunt you pulled..."

Jimin’s world froze for a moment. The joke wasn’t funny; it was cruel. He had spent the entire night digging through trash, frantically searching, sleep deprived and stressed. His fists clenched as he processed Mr. Kim’s indifference.

Without a word, Jimin reached for the nearest glass of water and, in one swift motion, splashed it in Mr. Kim's face. The cold liquid ran down Mr. Kim’s cheeks, dripping onto his collar, soaking his shirt. The room went silent. A few nearby staff members stared, wide-eyed, unsure how to react.

"Is it fun?" Jimin's voice was trembling, a mixture of anger and hurt. "Was this funny to you? Do you even understand what I went through? I went through dumpsters! I was panicking, terrified you'd fire me. I couldn’t sleep, couldn’t rest, all because of your joke?"

Mr. Kim sat there, his usual smug expression gone, replaced by a look of shock. He hadn’t expected this. He hadn’t realized how much his 'prank' had hurt Jimin.

Jimin's eyes were filled with tears now, his voice breaking as he continued, "Do you even care about what I went through? I thought I’d lose everything over a stupid prank."

Mr. Kim, for once, was silent. He hadn’t meant for things to go this far. He thought it was just a bit of fun—a small joke to get back at Jimin for messing with his pizza. But seeing Jimin like this, visibly shaken and vulnerable, made him question his actions.

Jimin wiped the tears from his face, but the emotional exhaustion was catching up with him. His vision blurred, his head began to spin, and his body felt like it was collapsing in on itself.

"I'm sorry..." Jimin whispered one last time before his knees buckled. The last thing he heard was the sound of Mr. Kim calling his name, his voice filled with genuine concern.