Madhouse || Park Jimin

41

I walk across the corridor with fast steps. I can't believe it.

When Yoongi told me Jihye was alive and recovering, I couldn't believe it.

I begged for them to let me come and see her. They'd initially said no, saying it was too soon, that seeing her in this condition might only make me feel worse, and that it was too risky because I could tell her something I shouldn't.

But how could I not come to see her after finding out she's alive? Jihye, the only one who was there for me from the very start in that madhouse. The one whom with, while looking at ourselves in the mirror, we'd promised we'd get better together, the one who had to suffer all this only because she was...

My friend.

This is the least I can do for my friend.

So after insisting for days, they finally allowed me to come on one condition: I can't tell her the truth, no one can know the truth. For everyone else, I still have to be the victim, the girl whose parents got killed by a serial killer and lost her memories.

Jimin and Yoongi came up with the perfect plot to tell her to explain how I was there so everything would make sense.

My hands shake a little as I stop in front of her room, letting out a long breath before opening the door and walking inside.

As soon as I step inside, a pair of brown eyes meet mine, growing in shock.

I feel my heart clenching as I see Jihye laying on the bed with a white bandage on the right side of her chest.

But she isn't alone. Another pair of eyes turn to look at me.

"___?!" Jungkook and Jihye say at the same time as Jihye brings her hands to her mouth and her eyes start filling with tears. Jungkook just stays there with his eyes wide open, trying to assimilate what he's seeing.

I feel my own eyes filling with tears seeing them both again.

My feet move on their own as I run to embrace them both in a tight hug. "Oh my God, I thought I'd never see you again."

They immediately return the hug, their arms embracing me as I feel Jihye crying on my shoulder.

"I can't believe you're here, I've missed you so much," Jihye says, her voice shaking a little as I see Jungkook with some tears in his own eyes.

"We've been terrified of what could've been happening to you, you scared us to death," Jungkook says, looking at me.

"I'm so sorry... I'm sorry I made you worry, I'm sorry I made all this happen." I separate from them, tears falling down my cheeks and my heart aching. I look at at Jihye as my hand trembles on hers. "Jihye, I'm sorry I did this to you, you nearly died because of me, I-"

"You weren't the one who pulled the trigger, ___, this wasn't your fault." She shakes her head.

"But if I-"

She holds my face with her hands. "No, you were the target of that psychopath, you were just another victim in all this. We both were deceived and fell into his games, we had no idea this would happen." She cleans my my tears.

Even then, I still can't help feeling guilty.

"Stop looking like that, right now we should be celebrating. I'm alive and you're safe and away from him." She smiles at me and I meet her eyes as a sad smile lifts my lips. The way she can think so positively even after going through all this is truly admirable.

"You're right, what's important is that you're alive and well. Look at you, you look so healthy," I say and she smiles, her eyes sparkling.

"Yes, they've taken good care of me while I was here, feeding me well and all. Right now, I'm at the ideal weight," she says happily.

"I am so happy to hear that, Jihye, you have no idea," I say, feeling happy tears welling in my eyes.

I turn to look at Jungkook. "What about you, Jungkook? Are you and Hani okay? Is everyone still in that psychiatric still okay?"

"Actually..." He lowers his gaze, pausing for a few seconds. "The psychiatric was closed down."

"What?" I furrow my eyebrows.

"The night you disappeared was a catastrophe. A killer was able to break free, innocent people were killed and badly injured, a patient was abducted and another nearly died. That place was a safety hazard. So the government closed it down," he says and I nod, it's only understandable that it happened.

"But what's gonna happen to all the patients who were getting treated?" I ask.

"They created a much safer, more guarded facility for those on the third floor. It isn't safe to have them together with the rest, so now, the first and second floor are completely separate from them as they get treated." He speaks softly as he gives me a small smile. "But luckily, the patients from the first floor who were completely safe and stable were allowed to leave, to finally start a life outside the psychiatric like Jihye, Hani and I."

A huge smile lifts my lips at the news. "Oh, wow, that's amazing! I couldn't have received better news after all that's happened."

He returns the smile. "But ___, I still don't understand. How did you manage to escape? How did you know Jihye was alive? Does the police know everything?"

I lower my gaze. I knew these questions would come, and even though it hurts so much to lie to them, I can't tell them the truth. It would be too dangerous if anyone else was to find out the truth, for me and for the boys. So I answer all their questions, just like Jimin and Yoongi told me and they believe every word I say.

"Oh, ___, we were both so lucky. I'm so glad everything turned out like this. The police must be looking so hard for him, I'm sure they'll catch him soon," Jihye says and I give her a small smile.

"Yes, I hope so too," I say.

We stay there, talking for a long time, just enjoying being together again after all this time and it feels great. I wish Hani was here too, but knowing that she's okay and happy is enough for me.

After a while, a nurse comes in and tells us that Jihye needs to rest and that we should go.

Jihye gets really sad, but her health is a priority. We hug each other again tightly before leaving.

"I love you guys," she says

"I love you too, so much." I say and leave the room with Jungkook, but before we start walking off, he speaks.

"___?" he says and I turn towards him. "There's just something I wanted to clear up, because I think I left a wrong impression."

I look at him with curiosity. "What is it?"

"You know that day when I suddenly pronounced your name correctly?" he asks and I remember how that incident made me very suspicious of Jungkook. Oh, how wrong I was... "The truth is that I'd been practicing because I wanted to surprise you... so when you asked about it, I got really nervous and said the first thing that came to mind, only to mess it up even more."

"That explains a lot. Thank you for telling me, Jungkook." I let out a small laugh at his cuteness.

He walks outside the hospital with me and we say our goodbyes.

"Take good care of Jihye for me, alright?" I say.

"I will, don't worry." He smiles. "And I'm so happy that you're safe, ___, please take care of yourself."

"You too, Jungkook." I return the smile and we wave goodbye before we start walking off on our own ways.

I don't know when I'll see him again, or if I'll ever be able to see them again, but those memories we made together, those precious moments of happiness, I'll never forget them.