disclaimer: remember that this is a work of fiction; I am not assuming/asserting the sexualities of any of the members as I write my stories. these are simply tales with familiar characters. no homophobia/transphobia of ANY KIND will ever, EVER be tolerated by me. if you don't like it, don't read it.
June 12, 2021
Seoul, South Korea
A plastic toy is thrown at my head, nearly taking me out. I jump and drop my phone when the toy knocks my hat off my head and stare in shock in the direction of the two babies, both holding onto the edge of the living room coffee table for dear life. The two of them glare at me with their chubby faces. I stare back.
"What the heck, you guys?" I say exasperatedly. I sit up from where I was laying on the couch. I lean down for my hat and place it firmly back on top of my head. "Who threw that?"
Min Aera turns her face to look at Seo Jeongin. Jeongin, however, turns his head away as well and stares at the sunlight streaming through the window.
Aera looks back at me, her thin eyes staring deep into my soul as if to speak to me.
You're supposed to be watching us, Uncle Jimin. You wouldn't have nearly died by baby toy if you'd been paying attention.
"I know," I tell her. "I'm waiting for a very important phone call these days, Aera. It's very important."
Jeongin screeches at that. Yeah right, my brain interprets form his baby talk.
"Just wait until all your parents get here," I snap at them. "I'll tell them you were bashing me. You'll get in trouble."
The two children just look at me. Jeongin's chubby hands slip off the edge of the coffee table and he plops down on his bottom. I look over the edge of the table and he stares back at me. I would be more concerned if we didn't have the new rug in the living room. We got the super fluffy carpeting specifically for these two. Jeongin's always liked to throw his head back when he gets excited. After one time of him knocking his head on the marble floor, Namjoon bought the softest rug he could find. No more cracked heads.
However, once my attention is on him, the little boy's face scrunches up and he lets out an ear piercing cry. I roll my eyes at him, but get up to pick him up nonetheless. I worked hard to stop myself from having any big reactions when the babies fall. Chaeyoung told me he only really cries if we react. Still, anytime I babysit, the little sucker cries so I'll pick him up. Punk.
"Jeongin ah, you have to stop crying," I coo in a soft voice. I pat him on the bottom. "See? You're not hurt. It's okay. If you don't stop crying, Aera will cry, too. I'm not like Yoongi hyung, I can't hold two babies at once."
Jeongin finds it in himself to settle. His lip still pouts and his eyes are still all teary, but he's not crying anymore. I call that a win in the Jimin scorebook of life. Aera's not even crying this time.
"Oh yeah, how's it feel to be the best uncle, Jimin?" I ask myself. "High five, Jeongin."
He just stares at me.
"Okay, fine."
I set him down on the couch, placing cushions around him like Chaeyoung taught me to, and reach over the table again to pick up Aera. I cuddle the two babies into my sides and set my phone up against my leg once again.
"Here, we can wait together," I tell them. "What do babies like to watch these days?"
They don't answer. Figures.
I don't have to worry too long, though. The front door opens and the house is instantly flooded with laughter as Namjoon and his soulmate walk through the door. I nearly faint in relief.
"Namjoon hyung! You're home!"
"I'm here too," Min-ji says jokingly.
"Ah, yes. Hi noona," I say.
When she and Chaeyoung moved here to have Jeongin, Rain changed from going by her English name to her Korean name, Min-ji. At first she didn't respond to it very well, but with Namjoon and her girlfriend call her Rain still when they speak English, she's gotten better. And her Korean has gotten a whole lot better since they moved here, too.
"Where's my baby?" She calls out. Her son hears her voice for the first time and starts screaming in excitement next to me. I jump at the sound.
"God, take him," I say urgently. I hold the boy out to them at arms length and Namjoon snatches him from my grip quickly.
"Oo, Jeonginnie, you look so handsome in your striped onesie," Namjoon calls in a high pitched voice. Min-ji reaches forward, also cooing to the little baby as the two of them pinch his cheeks lovingly. Jeongin squeals at their attention.
"He threw up on the other one," I say plainly. They ignore me.
"Thank you for watching him, Jimin," Min-ji tells me as she takes her son from Namjoon and hikes him up on her hip. "I know it's not easy, especially taking care of both of them together."
I look down at Aera. She's got her foot in her mouth, apparently thinking her toes are snacks.
"Well, you know," I laugh nonchalantly. "It's nothing, really. They...they're very well behaved."
"Areum will be back from work soon to pick her up," Min-ji says to the both of us. "We have to get back home, though. Eomma's had enough of her day off and wants us to come back."
Namjoon laughs at that, pinching his godson's cheek another time. "Of course she has."
"I had to force her to let me bring him here," Min-ji sighs. "She didn't even give in until she noticed her hair has started falling out. She's been really stressed lately."
"It's no problem," I say, waving her away. My phone starts ringing in my pocket and I think nothing of it until I see the contact name. I jump up off the couch, startling Aera a little bit beside me.
"Oh shoot," I say, reaching my hand out to pat her on the head. "Um, hyung, could you watch Aera while I take a phone call? It's important."
Min-ji and Namjoon look at each other for a second before he turns to me again. "Yeah, no problem, Jimin."
I hold my hands out to him in a prayer-like motion and run down the hall to my room quickly. I lock the door behind me and hide in mine and Hoseok hyung's closet, closing that door behind me as well before I even click answer on my screen.
"H-hello?"
"Park Jimin, we've found your soulmate."
I'm speechless. I exhale in shock and find myself laughing a little bit to myself at the thought. My soulmate.
"Where is she? What's she like? What's her name? Where can I—"
"Let me finish, sir," the investigator on the other line says firmly. It shuts me up right away.
"First things first, he is not a woman."
My heart stops in shock at his words. He? My soulmate's a man?
"Secondly, things are a little bit...complicated," he continues.
"Complicated? How?" My heart starts beating again, this time in worry. I'm confused by this news. My soulmate's a guy, something I'd really never thought much about if I'm being honest. I'd never really thought of it as a genuine option for me. I'm surprised.
"He has a condition. It's called cystic fibrosis."
My brows furrow at that. I've never heard of it before.
"He's been sick since he was a child. In and out of the hospital. There's no cure except for a transplant."
"A transplant of what? If I match, I'll gladly give up whatever he needs."
"Lungs, Jimin. He needs a double lung transplant. He's been waiting for a match for twenty years."
My heart drops into my stomach and I dread the man's next words.
"He's dying."
I drop my phone out of my hand and it hits the marble floor with a disturbing crack. My body's completely numb and I stand there frozen in my place for far too long.
I finally regain control enough to pick up my phone again.
"Where is he?" I ask in a shaky voice.
"Jimin—"
"Tell me where he is," I grit out angrily. "Or I'll go to every hospital in the country until I find him."
He doesn't answer me at first. "Asan Medical Center. Ask for Kang Sung-ho."
I hang up immediately and I'm running as fast at I can out of the room and through the house.
Namjoon and Min-ji jump at my haste, staring at me.
"Jimin, where are you going!" Namjoon shouts after me but I can't answer him.
I slip my shoes and mask on quickly and then I'm running out the door as fast as I can in search of my dying soulmate.
Coming Soon: Twin Flame