The Sky Ablaze | Park Jimin

Chapter 7

Jimin

Every day since the incident in the garden, Jimin went to visit Eunjin. She denied him access every time. At first, he was understanding. It was terrifying for her, and she needed time and space to process her emotions. But after two weeks, surely she'd have herself put together enough to face him.

When he wasn't trying to get into her room, he was with his father going over the fleets sent out to aid in Taehyung's quest. They hadn't heard from one, and that was cause for concern. But his mind was elsewhere.

He was starting to get angry, and he was made angrier by the fact that he saw Yoongi enter her room on a day he was denied.

The next day when he was denied, he shoved his way into her room. Like the first time, her room was completely dark and she had a blank stare. This time, however, her blank stare was directed at him. He could tell she'd hardly eaten. Her face seemed sunken in, and her dress was a little too loose.

"What is the meaning of this?" He asked her. "I am the prince, and I've let this slide long enough."

She didn't say anything at all to him. She turned away and walked back to her chair, sinking into it and closing her eyes.

"This isn't fair, Eunjin! Talk to me!"

"Why should I?" Her voice was hoarse. "You hate me. You don't trust me. I'm as good as dead to you; you made that clear."

"You betrayed me," he hissed. "And you act coy about it. You're whoring around with my bastard brother. What makes him so special? You only knew his name because of me!"

She sat up then, her eyes finally alight with the spark of anger. "Whoring around? Your father groped me. He tried to put his fingers inside me, and you're going to accuse me of whoring around? Prince Jimin, you are nothing more than the dirt beneath my feet if you truly think I'm doing anything but talking with Yoongi."

He stalked towards her, his anger flaring wildly. "It's not fair! You let him in, but we had years between us. I bet he knows whatever scheme you've concocted in your twisted mind."

"You haven't listened to me at all." The light in her eyes died again. "I couldn't alert Seokjin of anything that was happening. Jimin, you don't understand what hell I went through only to end up here in this hell."

"Do not talk to me of hell. I've spent my entire life in this palace."

She looked away from him, and he didn't think at all before he gripped her chin so she'd look at him again. His fingers dug into her skin and would likely leave marks. He barely registered the fear in her eyes and the rapid breathing.

"You will look at me when I am speaking to you."

He finally noticed then how wide her eyes were. She was afraid of him. He released her and stepped back. He looked down at his hands and then back up at her.

"I'm sorry."

She was shaking, and tears were building at the base of her eyes. "You're sorry? You're just like him."

It stung. He felt each word hit his chest, and he closed his eyes trying to ignore the guilt that clawed at him.

"Eunjin," her name tasted like acid now. "Whatever our friendship held is gone now."