Winter In My Heart (Jikook/Kookmin)

7

"Why are you like this?" Jiyeon’s voice cracked with emotion as she confronted her husband, Kihyun. Their once-happy family life had shifted drastically since the move to the US. Jungkook, their eldest, spent most of his time out with new friends, barely home anymore. Meanwhile, Jiyeon often found herself alone, quietly mourning every night, tears slipping down her face as she thought of Jimin, the child they had left behind.

"This is all your fault," Jiyeon whispered bitterly, her back turned to Kihyun.

"I'm doing this for you. For Jungkook," Kihyun replied, his tone defensive but tired. His decision to move away from Korea had been his attempt to heal his family, to help them escape the constant reminders of their youngest child. Every corner of their old home had haunted him—memories of Jimin playing in the living room, laughing with Jungkook, even stuffing his face with food. It had become unbearable. But now, it seemed, the move had only made things worse.

"For me? You did this for me?" Jiyeon spun around, her voice rising in disbelief. She had never wanted to leave. The pain in her eyes was clear as she approached him, her words cutting like glass. "You left our son behind."

"Jiyeon," Kihyun said softly, shaking his head, "he's not our son."

Jiyeon’s eyes flashed with fury. "How dare you say that! I raised him from the day he was born. I loved him with everything I had. Not once did I see him as anything but my son. How can you say he’s not ours?"

Kihyun faltered, guilt flickering in his eyes, but Jiyeon wasn’t finished. Her voice trembled with anguish as she continued, "Every single day, I think about him. Is he eating enough? Is he staying warm? Is he sick? How does his mother treat him?" She choked on the last words, fresh tears rolling down her cheeks. "You know how easily he gets sick in the cold. And now, it’s snowing."

Kihyun’s face fell, but Jiyeon pressed on, "You don’t love him, Kihyun. Not like I do."

"I do love him," Kihyun said, barely above a whisper.

Jiyeon shook her head, her expression hardening. "No, you don’t. If you loved him, you’d be finding him, not running away. You wouldn’t have moved us here, leaving him behind."

She had kept silent for too long. Now, all her frustrations and heartbreak were spilling out. Her husband had refused to listen when she begged him not to move. She had wanted to stay, to be there for Jimin, but Kihyun had insisted. Now, their family was broken, and Jiyeon couldn't keep her feelings bottled up any longer.

"I want my family back," Kihyun pleaded weakly, sensing the growing distance between them. "I want us to be happy again."

Jiyeon scoffed, her laugh bitter. "How do you expect to have a happy family when our Mochi isn’t here? How could you ever think we could be happy without him?"

"Jiyeon, I never wanted to keep him away from us. I thought—"

"You’ve already done it," she interrupted, her voice sharp and cold. "You tore us apart. I don’t think our family will ever be happy again. You destroyed it the moment we left Korea. You destroyed it the moment you left him behind."

Without waiting for a response, Jiyeon turned and walked into their bedroom, leaving Kihyun alone, drowning in his guilt and regret.

"It's my fault," he whispered to the empty room, his voice heavy with the weight of his own mistakes.