Jimin relaxed under the apple tree's shadow which he had planted many years ago.
When he entered the palace once again after so many years, he felt a little nostalgic seeing the tree. It has grown. If a fleeting thought of his separated pup crossed his mind, we don't know. This tree was his pup's age, he thinks. He remembers planting the tree on the day he found out about his pregnancy. He wanted to do something that would remind him of his and Jungkook's love. And nothing could be more meaningful than an Apple tree. The start of their love story.
If he knew it would all be meaningless in a matter of a month's time, he wouldn't have planted it to start with.
But now that he saw the same tree, it was a calming feeling. Something about apple trees always helped him calm down.
He tentatively took a bite from the apple he was holding for Yoongi who had just left. The grainy texture with satisfying sweetness filled his taste buds. He moaned lowly at the aroma and taste until there was a hint of firewood he could smell in the air.
He opened his eyes to see Jungkook standing there, with not so his usual stiff posture. Jimin watched his in amusement as he neared him with slow steps, anticipation clear in his eyes as if he was asking for a permission to sit beside him. And Jimin wasn't rude to not give one.
He let Jungkook settle down and then looked at him in question. There wasn't even one word that has been exchanged.
Jungkook didn't know why was he here. Few minutes ago he was enraged and didn't want to see anyone's face. Aera had pissed him off utterly. So he had decided to take a break until he came across the private garden he somehow never visited. What stopped him is a pair of soft laughter he could hear from the specific garden. And then came a small hint of delicious smell of apples...
He couldn't resist and peaked inside to see Jimin with Namjoon's Omega. He remembered him since Namjoon had taken Yoongi to Jungkook to meet. He remembered him telling him that he had rescued Omega and brought from the Kisaeng house. This Omega was Kisaeng too in the past. Hearing that he had remembered a specific Kisaeng he almost forgot years ago after his "supposed" debauchery. He didn't know, these two were friends or he should've just guessed.
What hooked him there for some more time was how Jimin chattered while he picked ripened apples from the ground. It suddenly took him too many years back to his childhood, where he had stopped a small chubby cheeked Omega who wanted a few apples but Jungkook was stubborn enough to not let him. But in the end he just let him in exchange for a little help and that marked the day of their unending friendship...
And now when he came in front of him, he didn't know what to say. Thank you? Or perhaps, a Sorry?
"What are you doing here?", He asked instead and then mentally slapped himself for asking such a dumb question because Jimin did look at him with judgemental eyes. Oh right, he himself never had come here, so why would he ask someone else.
He turned back to eye the apple tree and chuckled, "So you're eating these apples?"
"Shouldn't I?", Jimin replied with expressions.
"No.. No, I mean... You said that you wouldn't be eating anything in the palace??", He tried reasoning and then did a second mental-slap himself.
"I had said 'anything that belongs to the Palace'. This tree has been planted by me back then, so practically this belongs to me. Even though I haven't grown it...", He whispered last sentence to himself. But Jungkook still heard it, but he didn't delve into it much.
The aroma of fresh apples must have been coming from the tree, Jungkook thought because he could see that Jimin still wore the leather collar to protect his scent gland. Which was absolutely useless since he had already mated Jimin way back. So why did he even need that collar...
"You're lost again...", He was brought out from his thoughts by Jimin's soft voice. He looked up embarrassed but was shocked to see something.
A smile.
Jimin's precious smile...
"Y-you're smiling?", He asked dumbfounded. Jimin let out a sigh while chuckling.
He observed how his beautiful almond shaped eyes turned into crescent moons while they shined like full moons...
"It's just amusing to see you fall in deep thoughts.", Jimin answered honestly. "You never used to think back then..."
Silence fell over. Only the little noise of Jimin chewing on the apple remained. Maybe Jimin said that casually but it held a lot of meaning for Jungkook, especially considering their tragic past. All of that happened because he never used to... think.
"Jimin I— you must hate me so much...", He barely let out. Eyes already lowered in guilt. The chewing noise came back indicating another bite to the apple.
"No I don't.", Jungkook's head snapped up with that. He looked at Jimin for any sign of mockery or hate. But he showed none. He looked genuine, more so when he turned towards him with a neutral face.
"W-what? I did so much to you—"
"You did. But as days passed, I understood a few things over time...", He said calmly. "It wasn't you who hurt me. It was me, who hurt me."
Dead silence.
"You never loved me. Had you really loved me, you would've never looked at another Omega. It was my fault to take your infatuation as love... It was my fault that I trusted you. And I think I have already paid for my mistakes...", Jimin whispered while nibbling on whatever was left of the apple. It had started browning with ticking minutes.
"You didn't do anything... You didn't have to pay for anything—", Jungkook hurried but Jimin stopped him.
"Yes, I didn't do anything. I could and should've started new... With someone who really loved me....", Jimin faltered with a lone tear standing in his eye like a thorn. But that was it. His mind filled with face of his sweet Minho hyung. The same Minho hyung who showed him undying compassion and love without even expecting anything back.
He chuckled sadly while looking at Jungkook and raised his hands to the back of his neck to untie the collar bands. Jungkook took a sharp intake of breath as the collar came undone unveiling the ugliest part of Jimin's past.
A palm sized, blackened, taunting and most hideous looking burn mark stood on Jimin's otherwise unblemished skin. The same spot where he had put his mark there once upon a time.
Jungkook's throat went dry. He winced at the burn wound which looked quite painful.
"I tried to move on. But it wasn't as easy as for you it seemed. Tried to undo the mark but it didn't take away the bond. My Omega shut out since then...", He provided with same neutral face.
Jungkook was on verge of puking. It was becoming too much for him.
"It's still my fault, isn't it? I wanted learn about etiquettes and rules of Royals, because I knew you didn't want to be King. You wanted to be a free bird. You've always been like that, so I thought, that I should help you out in all of these Royal duties, so that you won't be burdened. I tried becoming an Omega whom your parents would approve, so that your choices won't be questioned. I didn't nag you about anything so that you won't be pressured. In the end, I lost something of 'mine' because I wanted to be 'yours'. Because I thought, free birds don't forget their nests. But it flew away. It's... All my fault.", Jimin sighed and still he was showing no emotions. He flinched at the soft touch of Alpha's calloused hand over his overbearing wound.
"Jimin, please... T-this collar...."
"I need it to hide this ugly scar. I am a Kisaeng, my King. We Kisaengs need to look perfect even though it doesn't bring us any respect. We still try because we don't want to be pushed out of this community ladder, even though we're already kept at the lowest of it. People want us to look like goddesses. Want us to look unblemished but they are the ones who put scars on us. They want us to bear their pups when their mate cannot, yet all we get is humiliation.", The Omega had peeled off his covered vulnerability. Yet he refused to cry. Crying never had brought him justice. So he just let the Alpha drown in guilt of his wounds. Not only the visible one, but all those he kept hidden in his chest.
"So I already have more in plate than to hate you My King. How can I forgive a person for cheating when he never even loved me? People who truly love someone either live happily after or end up like me... Lonely and bruised and unable to truly move on.", he stood up to leave. The half eaten apple forgotten and browned on the bench.
Suddenly he was engulfed in a large pair of arms from behind. His shoulder getting wet, knowing the Alpha was crying. And after these many years, Jimin let the tears flow freely. No one said anything for good 15 minutes. Just crying but without letting out any sound, like they wanted to hide the fact they were crying.
Slowly Jimin freed himself from the strong arms and for the first time Jungkook felt the feeling of abandonment. The feeling of not being someone's priority when you keep that person on the highest order....
But did Jimin care? No, He couldn't afford to...
____________________
Ayyo Beautiful Saramis!!!
Was it enough?
About the previous announcement, I have decided that I will take requests for oneshots as I'm thinking of doing "Movies Special"... You can drop you requests at the comment box of my other book "TO THE STARS"!!
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Borahae 💜