JIKOOK | one-shot collection

GHOST

prompt suggested by: Zuki KM
full story written by: Ella Satellite

Two boys aged ten and twelve, stood unmoving on the middle of the road. Feet glued on the ground. Hearts pounding hard, beating fast, racing. Their breathing unite, but uneven. Eyes wide open, lips parted, voice unfound. Everything turned quiet, but rather than calming, the silence was dark… scary. The kids who didn’t know what to do, remained motionless. They held each other’s hand on one, their books on the other. Until a car, fast, angry and roaring with a deafening sound, came mercilessly crashing on the innocent kids. Leaving them bathing on their own blood, crying, and wailing for help.

𝘕𝘰. 𝘋𝘰𝘯’𝘵. 𝘗𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦! 𝘕𝘰!

Jungkook woke, panting, warm water dotting his forehead, cheeks drenched with tears, body aching, sweating. It’s the time of the year again. The day he always dreams of the same tragedy. A brutal accident he couldn’t quite recognize. Both kids were faceless, too vague, but everything else were vivid, clear as water, felt real… like it actually happened.

“Hyung!” Fourteen-year old boy, Jungkook called, trying to seek for comfort from the warmest person he knew. “Jin hyung!”

𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘮𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦 𝘩𝘺𝘶𝘯𝘨'𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘴𝘭𝘦𝘦𝘱. Jungkook thought, pushing himself to sit and hurriedly reached for the glass of lemonade on his side table, the only drink that could calm him down. His older brother never fails to put it at that exact same position every time this particular day comes. As he was done chugging the drink down, the door opened, revealing his brother with worry evidently reflected on his eyes. He rushed inside and immediately checked on Jungkook, asking, “Are you okay?”

Jungkook forced himself to flash a smile, did his best to make it appear genuine. “I had the same dream, hyung.” He said the moment his brother sat beside him and gently rubbed his back. He heard him sigh before he slowly scoots over and gave him a tight hug.

“It’s okay. It’d be fine, Gguk-ah.” He continuously stroked his back in hope it’d console him. Jungkook tamed on his touch, suddenly getting pulled back to oblivion. He fell asleep again, thankfully.

Jungkook always dream of these two kids, he was confused of who the other guy was, but one thing's for sure, the younger one was him. This particular scenario shows up on his dream only when August comes. His nights were usually filled with this boy's blissfull laughs. His velvet soft voice, sweet smiles and shining eyes. It was like a happy memory, disguised as a dream. But he doesn't know him. He felt oddly familiar, but he wasn't on his mind. He was like a part of him, someone who holds a big share on his life. A ghost lingering inside him. Someone he forgot, but kept in heart.

Jin sat on a wooden chair next to Jungkook's bed and watched him sleep. He felt bad for keeping things from Jungkook, but it was a brotherly instinct. He needed to protect him, keep him safe and keep him away from sorrow. Jungkook is not physically and mentally stable, he'd been like this since the accident he was in when he was ten. He almost died... almost. He'd been in coma for 2 years and woke up forgetting about the accident, who he was with, what he was doing that time and how it happened. The doctor said it was due to the trauma and he must not be triggered with those memories, or else he'll breakdown. He'll probably shatter mentally and emotionally. For two years, Jin saw how his brother suffered. He was young, but he'd been through a lot. He couldn't go to school like other kids. He needed to stop because of his condition. He doesn't have any friend, he isolated himself from anyone. He only has him, his brother.

He repeatedly brushed his hand on his cheeks when he felt tears rushing down. He wanted to take everything away from him. He wanted him happy. But he couldn't do anything aside from staying by his side and making sure he wouldn't feel alone, lonely.

"Jungkook... I don't know what to do anymore. If you're really asleep that's fine. I just need to let things out. It felt too heavy. I can't bear it anymore. But if you're awake, please listen. Do not open your eyes. Do not look at me. Please. I'm sorry. I'm sorry if I concealed everything from you. I'm sorry. Do not hate me too much for this." He trailed, gently tousled his brother's hair and caressed his cheeks before he continued.

"That kid on your dream was your friend. He was two years older than you. Though the age gap, you two get along so well. You were two inseparable beings. You are him, and he is you. Safe to say, you were one." Jin pulled a deep breathe. Keeping himself still, holding his tears back as he tightened his hug on his knees. He felt the cold engulfing his stomach. The guilt crawling through his veins. He unconsciously shivered.

Voice trembling, he spoked again. "You told me you like him so much. I don't know if it was just a feeling towards a friend or if you really have something special for him. But I felt like it was the latter. You were totally different when you talk about him, the happiness was too obvious. He was your childhood crush, probably your first love. But Jungkook, that night... that nightmare you always have. That accident. He died that day. And you almost did too. You lost your memory, everything about him. But you never lost his presence in your life. He never left you." A soft laugh then echoed in the room. Jin tried to make everything light. To make himself relaxed. He was trying.

"I don't know how I'll be able to get rid of him. He'd became a part of you, a great part it is. Those dreams of him, those reflections, those little fuzzy memories. Those weren't forgotten. They were kept locked deep inside your heart. I want you free from his ghost. But I couldn't deny the fact that those tiny remains he engraved in you, kept you sane. It kept you alive." Jin stood up after his long statement and slid his hand inside his pocket. He then placed a photo beside Jungkook before he turned his back and walked to the door.

Jungkook who was listening all along, finally opened his eyes and reluctantly looked at the photo. As soon as his eyes found the boy, his dreams came back like a wave of memory. Blurry faces turned clear. Those smiles. Those eyes. He heard his voice once again. It resounded on his ears like a broken record.

"What's his name, hyung?" Jungkook managed to ask before Jin could close the door. The older turned at him over his shoulder and sparked a melancholic smile.

"Jimin. Park Jimin."