Chaeyoung sat on the bed beside Jungkook's figure, her thumb softly brushing against the skin of his wrist as many thoughts lingered in her mind. After Jimin and Taehyung went home, she had spent her time thinking of the agenda behind her parents agreeing to the unison between her and Junhoe. She gulped, feeling anxious as she thought of the two people that she had looked up to the most being traitors of the village by helping Junhoe to hide the fact that he was a Dual when they were supposed to help the village to get rid of him.
The sound of Jungkook's door creaking open pulled her out of her thoughts. His grandfather walked toward her in slow steps, holding something in his hands, something that looked precious to him.
"You need a change of clothes," he began as he approached closer.
Chaeyoung looked down at her dress, completely covered in the already dried blood of Jungkook. She thought of her home and inwardly shivered as the images of her parents came to her mind.
"Please let me stay here longer," she murmured before looking up at the older man, silently pleading with her eyes. "I will leave once Jungkook wakes up."
There was the faintest of smile on the man's wrinkled face. "I am not asking you to leave." He gently pushed forward his hand that was holding a black garment and she stared at it for a moment. "Get yourself cleaned. You can change into this dress."
Chaeyoung slowly took the dress from him, her fingers lightly caressing the fabric and glanced at Jungkook.
"I am sure your brother has healed him completely," his grandfather said gently, sensing how she felt reluctant to leave Jungkook even for a short second.
Before Jimin and Taehyung left, Jimin had convinced Jungkook's grandfather that he would offer his healing ability to help heal Jungkook. The elder expectedly did not agree at the beginning, strongly refusing the offer but eventually relented as Jimin continuously tried talking him out of it. Chaeyoung could not be sure, but she still felt the elder's resentment and dissatisfaction toward the Healer's community in general, but perhaps, he saw something in Jimin that reflected the latter being the opposite image of the Healers the elder had faced in the past.
"After you change your clothes, come outside and eat. I have prepared some food," he said, and without another word, he exited the room.
Chaeyoung sat in silence for a minute, drawing in her breath and stood up as she made her way out of the room to get herself cleaned and changed her dress to a cleaner one. After she was done, Chaeyoung approached the table and the elder gestured her to take a seat. They ate in silence for the first few minutes before she slipped in her gratitude in between the sips and chews of the food he had prepared.
"Thank you for the dress and the food," she softly said and slightly bowed her head. When she looked up, the old man gave her a gentle nod and a brief small smile.
"It is the least that I can do for you," he said. "You have helped me to heal my grandson."
She shook her head softly. "I did not do much."
"You have done a lot," the old man replied and the look in his eyes, although they were displaying his own gratitude and strangely, a fondness, there was a firmness that told her that he would not accept her denial of what she had done to help. "You should never look down on yourself, child. Yes, your brother has completely healed Jungkook, but you did your part, and your part is huge."
It warmed her heart of hearing that from the old man, feeling touched at his warm words that she was reminded of how Jungkook had always encouraged and comforted her with his own warm words. A smile pulled at her face, bowing her head once more at the old man as she lost words to reply to him.
After they had done eating and Chaeyoung was done with helping him washing the dirty plates and cups, Jungkook's grandfather sat back on the chair. She was about to excuse herself to Jungkook's room when he told her to sit back at the chair she had sat on earlier. Feeling nervous, she quietly sat as she chewed on her lower lip, sensing that the older man had something to talk about.
"My wife made that dress, as a gift for our daughter-in-law," he said before glancing at Jungkook's door. "Jungkook's mother."
Chaeyoung's eyes went wide for a second, looking down at the dress that perfectly fit her figure.
"You can have the dress," the old man told her. "Keep it. You don't have to return it."
"But -"
"When my wife made that dress," the old man cut her off gently, "she told me that she wanted that dress to be inherited. She wished to give it to Jungkook's mother. And she wished that Jungkook's mother would give it to Jungkook's wife."
Her cheeks rose in temperature as soon as she heard the last words the old man said, her eyes immediately looked down at her own fingers fidgeting on her lap. "But I am – I'm just -" she stammered.
"If my wife and daughter-in-law are still alive, they would definitely be happy to give it to you," he briefly smiled at her. "After all, you are special to him."
Chaeyoung smiled shyly, nervously nibbling the inside part of her bottom lip as she went back into staring her fingers.
"My wife loved our daughter-in-law very dearly," he displayed a smile that was obviously sad. "She prepared the dress in secret at dawn every single day, because if she was to do it on any other time in a day, the secret wouldn't have lasted as a secret," he chuckled, and Chaeyoung couldn't help her own small smile forming at the way the old man slowly making himself comfortable around her, telling her stories of his personal life, stories of the people that he loved, memories that he held dearly.
"But on the day that she planned to give her the dress, that was the day... of my son's betrayal," he said in a low voice. The anger and sorrow in his voice were balanced. He shut his eyes tight, and Chaeyoung felt a surge of pain in her heart as she watched the old man trying to suppress a painful memory.
He let out a long, heavy sigh after he opened his eyes. Chaeyoung could see that in his head, the memories were all being revived.
"My son was never satisfied with our request to unite him with the woman of our choice. A very amazing woman, our daughter-in-law, Jungkook's mother. He loves another woman, though. And because of love, he did things he shouldn't. Because his love toward the woman was stronger than his love and respect for his family..." he swallowed.
Chaeyoung's brows furrowed as she observed how his fists had tightened on the table. "Because his love for her was stronger than his love for his people..."
Chaeyoung watched as the old man's eyes shook as he said, "My son helped her escape." His teeth gritted when he said the word 'son'. "The woman whom my son is in love with is a Dual."
Chaeyoung's eyes widened, feeling her legs shudder all of a sudden.
"I was on a duty during the attack. I came home to this house reeked of nothing but blood and death," his breath came out shakily as he turned his head toward the door, as though recalling the incident. "I stood there, watching my grandson crying beside his mother's dead body." He turned to his right. "And my wife's lifeless body just right here. Both had Red Dahlia placed on their bodies."
The old man's eyes began to glisten with tears as he stared past her shoulder, toward the room where Jungkook lied motionless.
"I will never forgive him for what he did to his own family," he said, voice becoming wobbly. "Because of that Dual, he was even willing to get rid of those who got in his way," he paused, his breath shaky when he exhaled. "Including his own mother and wife. It was disheartening that everything was witnessed by his own son. Jungkook was a mere child."
Her hand immediately flew to her mouth hanging open, unable to picture herself in Jungkook's place. Being so young and having to witness something so gruesome happening just before his eyes must have been so traumatic. It must have wounded his mind to see his own father going as far as taking his family members' lives. Subconsciously, Chaeyoung's tears formed in her eyes at the sight of the elder Jeon's face twitching as he tried to hold himself strong.
"I was able to locate him and tried to stop him, but obviously, if he was willing to kill his own mother and the mother of his son, I was not an exception," he said with such anger in his voice. "I managed to injure him enough to slow him down, but the woman, the Dual was there to help him. And I almost died because of her. All these wounds I have on my back were caused by that Dual and my own son."
Chaeyoung wiped her tears, recalling back of the stories of how Healers had refused to help Jungkook and his grandfather just because they were related to Jungkook's traitor father. She understood his reasons even better now that she knew the full story. She understood his resentment, the dissatisfaction, his refusal to get Healers to heal either him or his grandson after the revelation. She would have done the same if she were in his place.
"Why are you telling me all of this?" she asked softly. It felt like a very personal thing, something that he would guard with his whole life.
The old man drew in his breath, held it and released it heavily. "I do not want you to misunderstand me," he replied. "I have my reasons for what I feel toward the Healers. I hope you understand it."
Chaeyoung nodded her head. "I am sorry," she managed in a broken voice.
"But you need to know that I am grateful, forever grateful for what you have done. For what your brother has done. I do not resent you nor your brother. Though, I will not change my stance on getting myself into the sector. Until I die, I will not seek help from the sector. Will not step into the sector."
Chaeyoung put a hand on the elder's hand. "I understand," she said gently. "But you can always reach for me or my brother for help."
The elder smiled, patting her hand on his with his other hand. "Perhaps... someday, child."
*
"Mother?"
His mother was holding a big bowl of food, putting it onto a tray and looked up at him with a smile. She turned around and took some fruits with her, placed them in a small bowl before putting it together with the other bowl on the same tray. He looked at all the food and furrowed his brows. "Where are you taking this to?"
The older woman gave him a small smile. "Outside."
He was slightly curious of the person his mother was serving but did not bother to ask any longer. "Let me help," he said when he noticed that there were a lot to carry.
His mother placed her hand gently on his to stop him when he reached for the tray. "No, you have to stay here."
"I will help you bring this outside," he said.
His mother smiled. "Stay here. They need you here."
His brows furrowed and he stayed rooted in his spot momentarily before he noticed his mother walking toward the door with everything in her hands. She was struggling with all the things she was carrying, yet she stubbornly asked him to let her do it on her own.
He sighed and approached her. "Mother, let me just -"
His mother turned around and stopped him before he managed to step out of the door. "They need you. Go back inside."
"But Mother..."
"You cannot come with me yet," she smiled warmly, her calm voice slowly fading. "It is not your time yet."
"Mother -" his voice halted when he saw his grandmother coming to stand behind her mother. "Grandma?"
"Go back, Jungkook," his grandmother's voice, just as calm and sweet as his mother's, softly traveled toward him. "They are waiting for you. Your Grandpa needs you. She needs you. Go back inside."
Jungkook tried to step out of the house, tried to walk toward his mother and grandmother, but his feet only brought him backward, deeper into the house as he watched their faces slowly faded. Their voices, though, lingered for a while, repeatedly telling him the same thing.
"Go back and stay a little longer..."
Everything slowly went dark before his eyes shot open. He briefly wondered when it was that he actually closed his eyes.
Jungkook took a while to realize his surroundings. He was in his room, on his bed, it was sunny outside, and he felt somewhat light. He felt like a new person, like he had just been born into the world.
He registered the sounds of pots from outside and the short screech of the chair against the floor. The kitchen was busy, he thought in his head. He remembered something from earlier. But what was it? He could recall seeing food and trays and a voice telling him to stay inside. Who? Why? What did it mean? He frowned heavily, unable to remember it clearly.
Jungkook took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a second, scrunching his nose the next as he took in the horrible smell of piss from outside. When he sat up on the bed, he looked down and realized that he had not a single thread donned on his body, except for a blanket covering him from waist down.
His eyes wandered around his skin and he felt strangely energized, slightly confused of what made him feel that way. His skin looked normal, but he felt like something was missing, though he wasn't entirely sure of what exactly was missing. While he was busy inspecting his body, he heard the door creaking open and when he looked up, there was a figure standing frozen at the door and he felt his eyes widened.
Like a heavy downpour, his mind was suddenly filled in with everything. The dream he had of seeing his mother and grandmother, the time he was savagely attacked by Hanbin and his allies, and the last face he saw before his eyes closed as his soul was slowly, bit by bit, being pulled out of his body.
The last face he saw was Chaeyoung. The same face was also the first that he was looking at after he first opened his eyes.
Chaeyoung stood like a statue as her eyes went wide staring at him. How long had he passed out? He questioned himself repeatedly. Why did it feel like it had been more than a century since he had last seen her?
"Chaeyoung..." he managed.
Just like that, Chaeyoung's tears rushed out her eyes as she took two long steps to reach him.
When she wrapped her arms around him and her face into his neck, relief was what he felt the most. He felt relieved to know that she was safe in his arms, and he was relieved to know that he was safe and was back in her arms again.
a/n: hi there, i'm sorry if this a/n is long and is unrelated to the story. if there's still anyone reading this story and is still anticipating the update, i would like to apologize for the very, very slow update of this story. i honestly do not have an update schedule. even if i do, i won't be able to stick to it and thus, sometimes the update is irregular and takes too long, could be a month, could be more than that or maybe someday, it could take a shorter time. honestly, getting back to writing is hard especially when you have to work and study at the same time.
i truly miss spending my time to write for personal enjoyment which is hard to get these days as i barely have time even for myself. the stress and pressure of work and study held me back from enjoying the things i used to love doing such as drawing, watching drama/anime/movie, reading and even writing. when i did have a little time that i thought i could use to spend on writing, i ended up staring into space and my fingers did nothing but freeze on the keyboard. it's really difficult to jump over the writer's block nowadays compared to before. recently, i lost three of my precious friends and things have been really, really tough for me ever since. sometimes, it gets harder to bear it all that quitting and leaving everything is an option that i consider a lot in almost every single day. after all, one can only take so much.
i truly appreciate all readers who stick by, there's nothing else that makes a writer happy than knowing that there is someone out there reading and enjoying their story that the story could even get a second read. i'm so touched by those who personally reached out to tell me how they enjoyed what i write, reading the messages and thoughts on the story truly lightens up my day. i apologize for replying late or not replying sometimes, but do know that i read everything. sometimes, i even read them more than once :)
but i would like to kindly ask for your understanding that i, honestly, can never give quick updates. please understand that if i could, i would give a chapter a day T_T even though i've planned out how the story should go, it gets difficult when you need to further write the ideas in detail especially with a writer's block around. i understand the frustration over not knowing what happens next, i have faced it in the past where quite a number of my favorite stories took too long to update but now, experiencing it myself, i understood the writers and i respect their decisions. i hope that this is not too much to ask.
anyway, this is getting too long. i hope everyone is safe and sound wherever you are. please, please always take care of yourself especially during this pandemic. thank you for reading, i apologize for any error and be safe <3