Jina, five years old
Jimin's POV
The moment I opened my eyes, I flinched at the brightness and whiteness of the place I was in.
Scanning the pristine white area I was in, I noticed myself still dressed in the clothings I was wearing, however, not a single speck of blood was seen stained on it.
As I was observing my own fingers, my head snapped upwards when I heard a familiar chuckle whom I had not heard for a few years now.
My jaw dropped when I saw him.
Dressed in a white sweater along with white pants and shoes, his dashing smile was plastered on his handsome face as he waved his hand at me.
"How are you, Jiminnie?"
"Yoseob!" I cried out in excitement, my feet leading me to rush towards where he was standing at.
"Be careful-"
Bang!
I groaned as I fell backwards, my butt landing on the floor when I knocked onto something that was obviously invisible to my eyes.
Laughing, Yoseob shook his head. "Still the same old careless Jimin I've known."
Stretching out my hands, I placed my palms onto the invisible wall separating me and him, and a confused look formed on my face.
"What is this? Why can't I go to you?" I questioned.
"That's because you're not supposed to be here, Jimin." He stated sternly, the playfulness in his voice dissipating away.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
Pointing at the barrier, Yoseob sighed. "It's not your time to die yet, Jimin."
"What? Die?" I widened my eyes at his words.
And that was when it hit me.
"No, wait. Am I in heaven?" I choked on a sob.
"No, you're not. Jimin, do me a favour and return back to the world to take care of Jieun and Jina for me, please. I beg you and the other guys." He suddenly said, his eyes teary with the corners of his lips twitching upwards a tiny weeny bit. "I miss her so much. And our little girl."
I followed his gaze to where he was staring at, and raised my eyebrows as we watched Jieun and the other guys surrounding my sleeping body on the bed.
"I can't thank you guys for all you've done in my place. I'm not lucky enough to be there to witness my daughter's growth and give her the love she deserves." He said with a sad smile before turning to look at me. "So please, take care of her and Jieun please."
I panicked when I saw his form fading away, like how glitches worked. "Where are you going?!"
"Take good care for them please, and I thank you for doing that." He smiled one last time, and with that, I shrieked when a sudden darkness enveloped me and swallowed me in whole.
My eyes shot wide opened as I gasped for air the second my consciousness had returned.
"Jimin!" I heard one of the guys exclaimed, and soon, I was surrounded by my friends who were now grinning radiantly at me, their eyes glistening with tears.
"Go away, you guys stink." I joked, and they laughed, the tension instantly lifted up and thrown far far away.
"You gave us a good scare, Park Jimin." Seokjin tapped the end of his pen on my cheek with his eyebrows furrowed. "Jieun has been crying nonstop for the past three days."
My ears perked up at her name, and the image of me meeting Yoseob, Jieun's lover who had unfortunately passed away due to a hit-and-run accident flashed across my mind.
"Where is she?" I asked desperately, and the guys pointed outside in unison.
"She's with Jina. I'll call them in." Taehyung spoke and exited the room, and within ten seconds, a pair of hasty footsteps came rushing into the room.
I grinned at Jina who stared at me for a moment before pouting and started to cry.
"I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry!" She apologized repeatedly, her small hands holding my bandaged hand, and I had to bite the inside of my cheeks to endure the pain.
"I-it's okay, Jina-ah. Just don't do that ever again." I comforted her, and she nodded vigorously.
How cute.
"Jina, you gotta let go of Jimin appa's hand if you don't want to hurt him any longer."
Lifting my head slightly at the new voice, I grinned at Jieun who was just looking up from Jina and then me.
"Hi." I greeted, and with that, Jieun's tear work started functioning and there they were, both the mother and child crying together while staring at me.
"Let's give them some personal space." Seokjin patted Jieun's head before gesturing for the other boys to exit the room.
"You come with me too." Hoseok swiftly carried the little girl in his arms, making her giggle as they left the room, leaving only both Jieun and I.
Sitting down, Jieun scanned my bandages with a dissatisfied grimace from head to toe, and gazed into my eyes.
She was about to say something when I cut her off.
"I met Yoseob." I said matter-of-factly, startling her.
"W-what?" She stammered, not being able to believe what she had just heard.
"I saw him when I was unconscious." I started off, my eyes watching her for any reaction. "He's still the same old Yoseob, always smiling and cheerful."
My heart shattered into pieces when Jieun started sobbing again, her hands clamping over her mouth to prevent herself from crying too hard.
"I miss him, Jimin." Jieun admitted. "Did he say anything else to you?"
Nodding, I continued with a warm smile. "He told me that it wasn't my time yet to die so he made me return here, telling me to take care of both you and Jina."
At that, Jieun pursed her lips before breaking into a breathtaking smile.
"He still worries about us even when he's on the other side." Jieun shook her head as she chuckled.
"Yep." I agreed.
As we fell into silence, I reminiscenced about the time we used to hang out back in highschool.
Yoseob was the same age as both Taehyung and I, and he had always been a popular guy back then.
Imagine being the football captain, a class president, and having a kind heart as well.
He was extremely selfless, and that was what all of us adored about him so much.
I could still remember that one day, when we were having lunch together in the school's cafeteria as per usual, Yoseob had returned to our table with a goofy grin with his white uniform stained with orange juice.
Following behind him was a girl, and I remember recalling her as the quiet girl in my class who had always hung out by herself.
"Who is she?" Yoongi had asked, and our eyes landed on the girl.
"She'll be joining us from now on." Yoseob grinned while pulling the still reluctant girl to sit down next to him.
"Kwon Jieun right?" I had questioned, and she looked surprised for me to know her name before nodding her head timidly, the blush on her cheeks so obvious as she had a fairer skin tone.
Smiling genuinely at her, I spoke again. "Sit with us, don't worry. We don't bite."
And as time passed, Yoseob and Jieun eventually fell in love, and we of course supported them, since they were pretty cute together.
Slowly, I watched the shy caterpillar I had once known transformed into a beautiful butterfly as she grew by Yoseob's side, with him being her personal sun and rain.
Jieun was such a quirky and funny girl, I had to admit.
I remember being extremely wasted from the alcohols we had during our graduation party, and the older hyungs were in the house as well.
And a few weeks after, Yoseob gathered us together and told us about Jieun's pregnancy.
I remember Seokjin putting him into a headlock and ruffled his hair, playfully yelling at him for doing that the Jieun.
We had laughed and congratulated him, of course.
We promised to take care of both Jieun and their child as well.
But life never went the way we had always wanted.
It took Yoseob's life away when Jieun was three months pregnant.
Everyone went into despair, but then Namjoon had reminded us about the promise we had made with Yoseob.
And that was how we ended up being Jina's appas.
This little girl was our weakness, and her existence brought nothing but a whole new light for us.
You could say that I was truthfully broken and hurt when Jina had said that she hated us all, but I knew that it was because she was still at such a tender age, still too young to know how the world worked.
Would she like it if we told her that her real dad died because of a hit-and-run case?
Did I regret sacrificing myself to save her from being hit by the car?
No, I couldn't let the same thing happen to her.
And I swear to you, Yoseob, I will love Jina with all my heart.
-
and the truth is out after so many chapters lawl