Afterlife || (OT7 X Reader) ✓

43: End

Jungkook slowly opened his eyes, the light in the hospital room blinding his vision and its scent filling up his nostrils. He was about to groan because of the pain he felt in his chest but he heard his father. "No, prepare everything as fast as possible!" He said lowly but the room was too silent so Jungkook heard it. 

His heart was pounding at the moment. What happened? He wanted to ask but the throbbing pain in his chest, and his mind didn't oblige with him. He wanted to see Haeguk.

"Yes, make sure the adoption papers of Taehyun are made as quickly as possible." Mr. Jeon whispered and Jungkook blinked his eyes in confusion. Something must have happened to Haeguk for his father unexpectedly decided to adopt Taehyun. A panic surged through his heart, causing it to sting. Suddenly, the door of the hospital room creaked open and Jungkook quickly shut his eyes, pretending to be unconscious. Eunwoo entered the room and looked at him, sighing. He turned to look at Mr. Jeon who was hanging up on the call.

"Did Haeguk wake up?" Mr. Jeon asked but Eunwoo shook his head in dejection. "No, there is no response from her. The doctors are saying she won't make it-"

"Shh, Jungkook might hear it. Whisper," Mr. Jeon warned and Eunwoo's eyes landed upon Jungkook who was still unconscious in his eyes. But Jungkook's heart accelerated at the news. He wanted to jump from the bed and run to her but he was smart enough to know that he wouldn't be allowed to leave the bed now, not in front of his father. 

"He is still unconscious," Eunwoo commented. Mr. Jeon turned around to peek at Jungkook and sighed. "Still, what if he suddenly wakes up and hears about Haeguk? He will go berserk." He whispered. Jungkook wanted to bite his lips, the uncertainty surging through his whole body. "But still he must at least see her before she loses her life. She is the reason Jungkook could safely have a heart transplant, she was caught up in a bad accident but protected the transplanted heart for Jungkook as her life depended on it."

Heart Transplant. Haeguk was bringing in the transplanted heart to him but was caught up in an accident.

She made sure that his heart gets to beat but hers is about to stop beating.

Now, she won't survive. A tear slipped from the corner of Jungkook's eye but the two present in the room couldn't notice. 

"Jungkook just had a transplant. He must not know about this. He shouldn't stress at all." Mr. Jeon mumbled. Eunwoo gulped, hanging his head low. "Auntie Jeon took Taehyun back home along with Hyunjin since he was crying a lot." He informed and Mr. Jeon hummed. "Can you check the bills for Haeguk and bring them to me, Eunwoo? I have some phone calls to attend." Eunwoo nodded before looking at Jungkook once and walking out of the room.

Mr. Jeon's phone started ringing again immediately as he picked up the call. "Hello. Yes. Wait." He mumbled to the phone and was about to discuss a few things about Haeguk's case with others so he didn't want Jungkook to overhear him. He went outside the room.

Jungkook gasped, feeling suffocated, and sat up on his bed. His eyes widened, bright red as he stared at the wall in front of him. He had to see Haeguk. She is surely in this hospital. He has to see her. He looked at the door. He slowly moved his hand, moving it to the bandages and gauges wrapped around his chest and torso. It was aching like shit at this point but he slowly took the tubes out of his elbow, turning his legs to the edge of the bed, getting down from it. 

His heels touched the cold tiled floor of the hospital but he noticed the slippers beside his feet. He wore them and his knees trembled when he tried to stand up, stumbling but eventually walking up to the door. His whole body was in tremendous pain and with time, it just kept increasing.

He opened the door, peeking his head out to see his father nowhere in sight. He sighed, took a huge breath, and stepped out of the room. He walked through the hallways in his hospital pajamas, peeking into several patient's rooms searching for Haeguk. He spotted his father talking to some people along the way but he quietly managed to escape him.

He passed by the ICU but stopped when he felt a tug in his heart. He squeezed his eyes at the pain and turned around to see inside the room through the door window. He didn't wish to find her in the ICU but something told him to look inside and his eyes widened at the view inside. 

He slowly opened the door to the room and noticed Haeguk's limp body on the bed, her head was completely wrapped up in bandages, her lips were chapped, her eyes shut, skin was paler than usual. Silent tears rolled down his face as he covered his mouth in agony. He slowly scrubbed his feet to her bed.

"Hae." He croaked but no response. He slowly held her cold hand in his and bent down but he felt pain to sit on the chair. He slowly pushed her body on the bed to make space for him as he climbed on the bed and lay down beside her figure, sliding his arm under her head and acting as a pillow.

His chest pain was increasing immensely but he still lifted her head and placed it over his bandaged and clothed chest. "Jung-Jungkoo-" Her voice was almost inaudible but Jungkook cried.

"My love. My wife. Why do we end up being in pain when staying in each other's arms?" He asked. "Jungkook." She tried to whisper but still struggled to speak. He intertwined their hands and she curled her fingers to lock their hands tightly. "Do you know why God created a gap between our fingers?" He asked but she whimpered softly, tears falling from the corners of her eyes over his chest, soaking his hospital shirt.

"So that someone who truly loves, comes and fills this gap by holding hands." He mumbled and gripped her hands and admired the bracelet in her hand. He then folded his other arm under her head, hugging her closer, admiring the bracelet tied around his wrist, similar to Haeguk. "Our love bracelets said we'd be together forever. But what do beads and threads know about real life?" He mumbled to himself and cried with a small smile on his lips.

His eyes seem to close, his mind shutting down slowly. The pain in his chest became unbearable. "Meeting you was an accident, but accidents can be happy too. Being together was like a dream but dreams can come to an end too. You're the only one I want. I've had eyes on you for so many years and now I'm right by your side. What else should I ask for?" He mumbled.

"Do you regret being with me?" She struggled to ask but he pressed a small kiss on the crown of her head. "Two lifetimes. Both belonged to you. No regrets." He said with heavy eyelids. Even her warmth wasn't able to make up for the coldness in this room. Both of them were shivering in each other's arms.

She slowly moved her hand, wrapping it over his waist, hugging him for warmth but it was still cold. Her eyes were closing by itself, everything turning dim around her. He smiled and hugged her closer if it was possible because he felt his arms weakening around her body, he was losing all his strength but still he spoke, his hands still laced with hers, 

"Death is too cold, Haeguk. I'll come and die with you."

************************

Read the title of the story. Yes, you are right. It was supposed to be a sad ending. But no sad ending is ever really sad. There always is a positive thing in sadness. Wait for the epilogue. 

This story was actually inspired by the song "Afterlife" by Hailee Steinfeld. I love her voice in this song was obsessed with this song a few years ago. I again found this song randomly and looked up the lyrics. I thought to write a story on this. So I did, boom. Now it ended too.

Thank you for reading this story till the end. I didn't quite enjoy researching this book because it was all history. Still, I spent 6 months on this book, planning the storyline, characters, and timelines so I hope I was able to bring out the plot of this story and make the readers enjoy this story. A story where no one is the hero and every character is special and important, along with the reader, that is you, darling. Rest in peace~