Everybody Wants to Rule the World

60

Interstellar Main Theme by Hans Zimmer

~ Jimin's Point of View ~

00:23, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2028. SUNCHEON HOSPITAL, SOUTH JEOLLA PROVINCE, SOUTH KOREA.

With her skin so pale, she nearly blended into the dull-hued hospital bed. But my eyes latched onto her from the moment I opened the door, and I saw her shift from weariness to bright-eyed excitement. Well, as much excitement as she could muster while being on the brink of d-d...

"Hi, Jimin." She laughed at how foolish it sounded to greet me somberly, but I couldn't even bring myself to smile. One word, and the quiver of my lip would shift into full-blown sobs. "How are you?"

"How am I? You're the one that... the one that... that..." I clapped my hand over my mouth to muffle a sob, a cry of relief, regret, pain, and a million emotions. "Emira, I... you have to know words pale in comparison to how I feel, but I'm... I am so, so sorry... for all the pain I put you through, for all the... all the... shit."

She pressed her lips together, and her reddening nose twitched. "Can you sit down? I shouldn't look up. It hurts my neck."

"Of course, anything you want." I sat down beside her bed but just as quickly stood again. "Do you need water? Food? Ice cubes? I don't know what they're allowing you to have..."

"I just need you, Jimin." She smiled weakly and reached out for my hand. I immediately clasped her hand between both of mine and held it against my cheek. "The nurse... she told me not to get too excited, but here I am, crying already." She chuckled, and with her free hand, she dabbed tears from her eyes. "I'm still kind of... out of it, but there are several things I would like you to know. You know, just to get them out of the way.

"When I first fell in love with you, it wasn't because you were hot – even though you are." She laughed, so I tried to muster a smile. "And it definitely wasn't because I saw you as a charity case. I fell in love with you because I saw that there was depth beyond the flirtatious façade. There was something more, something pained, yes, that had been through hardship... but it was you. Through everything, I've seen you, for better or for worse, and that's the reason I could never stop loving you. I will always love you at your best and at your worst. And... when you shot me, that was you at your worst. But I haven't stopped loving you."

"You should," I mumbled. "You really should, and that's what kills me. I don't deserve you. If there was a woman with even an ounce of your perfection, I wouldn't deserve her either. You don't deserve someone dangerous whose... whose own mind is turning against him."

"Maybe not. Maybe not, but no one said love would be easy. And despite what everyone tries to say, I don't think love is perfect either. Our circumstances are very difficult. I'm just... a kid from New Braunfels, Texas, who hadn't traveled outside of my home country until I started working at Kim & Kim in London. And you're... well, you're you. By definition, you've been a hitman in your past, and you worked for the largest crime ring in the world. But love rarely occurs under the best of circumstances, anyways. And the one thing that's remained constant through everything is that we love each other." When I didn't immediately reply, her eyes glossed over with tears. "Right?"

"Yes, oh, my God, yes. Emira, I love you more than anything in the world. I just... I kind of can't breathe, so..." Her hand shifted out of my grip to run her fingers through my hair. I buried my head in the blankets next to her hip. "I love you, I love you, I love you." It was all I could say, all I could breathe. I was desperate, desperate for her to understand that I would lay down my life for her in a heartbeat.

But I would also live for her. I would give up the blissful darkness of death. I would weather the horrific trials of my life, all for her.

"I love you, too." She sounded like she couldn't breathe, and when I looked up, tears were streaming down her cheeks.

"Baby, the nurse told you not to get overwhelmed," I sobbed, reaching forward to dab beneath her eyes with my sleeve.

"I know, I'm trying my best, but you're just... you're making me emotional. Seeing you sad, and all."

"I'll be happy. Look, I'll even smile." I forced myself to look past my tears, to curve my lips into something reminiscent of a smile.

"We'll be okay," she assured me, continuing to comb her fingers through my hair. I caught her wrist and pressed a kiss against her palm, which made her smile. "We can work through all of this. I just... there's a second thing I wanted to talk about."

"Of course, I'll talk about anything."

"As much as I love you..." She sighed and blinked back more tears. "I'm not giving up on a relationship, but I think... I think we're going to need some time to work through all the damage that's happened because of" – because of me – "the Jade Phoenix. I love you, but I can't put my trust in you. Not just yet."

"Good. It would be stupid to just... to just blindly trust me after all I've done."

She couldn't refute it, so she simply nodded. "But once it's all over, we can talk. We can make it work again. And even if we aren't in a relationship, I'll stay with you every step of the way. I haven't spoken to Arlie, but I can promise you this: you're not going to jail."

"I should."

"I'm not giving you up, not after everything we've been through."

"Emira, I swear to you... I will do everything in my power to reverse the damage." I kissed her palm again, using it as a moment to compose myself so that I could speak comfortably without feeling like my throat was closing in on itself. "We'll figure out a way to fully dismantle the Jade Phoenix, and... and I'll answer for my crimes."

"But we'll be okay? No matter what?"

"Yeah." I shifted one knee onto the hospital bed to press a kiss against her forehead. I lingered there for a few moments when she held my arm to make me stay. "Yeah, we'll be okay."

~ ~ ~

A/N: does this book have anything to do with space? nopeeee but i happened to be listening to movie tracks while i was writing this, and interstellar fit best.

i hope y'all have enjoyed this emotional roller coaster of a book :) one more chapter, and then an epilogue XD

Published June 15, 2021.