⊰ ＦＯＲＴＹ ＦＩＶＥ ⊱
FIGHT
"Yes," Jimin whispered, affirming my guess. A sharp pain dug into my gut at his answer.
I didn't know what to think. I wanted to stay angry at him for letting me get stuck in this terrible situation in the first place - for putting my freedom at risk - but I had to consider the fact that the curse kept him from caring in the beginning. He couldn't have felt sympathy for me even if he had wanted to, so I couldn't exactly blame him for following his instincts and doing what he needed to do to try to escape his bondage. What did still pain me was that he had kept it a secret that whole time, and he hadn't done anything to stop it even when he could see that it was progressing.
But if he was telling the truth about his plan, I couldn't keep the same perspective. If he truly had the intention of giving up his only chance at a human life in order for me to keep living my own, how could I possibly see him as some monster who didn't care? I had caught those beautiful glimpses of the true person Jimin was, and those moments became the anchor that grounded my thoughts and helped me to calm down.
A small voice in my head questioned if I could trust him after he'd kept such a secret for so long, but I knew everything matched up to what he was planning. He had been trying all this time to do what he could to keep me from turning, I just hadn't known it until now.
"Please, please, believe me, Katherine. I know what I did was terrible. I was so angry with myself every time I was reminded of what was happening to you. I wanted to stop it so many times, but Jihyun-" Jimin's voice hitched at the mention of the little boy he seemed to care so much about. His bottom lip quivered before he continued, "He's the only thing that kept me from taking the curse back. It's the one thing I need to do before I go back to the water. I promise you I will not let you become a siren," he stated earnestly.
Holding his gaze for a moment, I finally sighed, "I believe you," I whispered, taking a step closer. He breathed out in relief, his shoulders drooping as he briefly rested his forehead on the bars. Then he lifted his head to look at me, eyes glistening with a sincerity that robbed all breath from my lungs.
"Thank you. I don't know what I would have done if you hated me. That's not how I wanted to spend our last moments together." His gaze remained trained on me, taking me in carefully like he had so many times before, only this time the curious, admiring look was replaced with a longing sadness. It was as if he was trying to engrave my face into his mind, afraid he'd forget what I looked like.
That's probably exactly what he's afraid of.
"Jimin..." I moved closer, hesitantly placing my hands on top of his. He let out a sigh at the contact, meeting my eyes again. "I'm not happy with you, but I don't think I could ever bring myself to hate you. I'm just hurt that you kept it from me," I explained quietly, to which he slowly nodded.
"I know, I'm so sorry. But I couldn't risk you freaking out or one of the others finding out. I couldn't risk them ending the deal and throwing me back into the sea before I got a chance to find Jihyun."
"But the fear of becoming a siren again didn't stop you from going in the water to help my mom the other night," I commented, realizing that he had risked even more than I'd originally thought. "You were willing to lose your chance of finding him just to heal my mother."
Jimin lifted one of his hands away from mine, reaching out past the bars to cup my cheek in his palm. The faintest smile painted his lips before he gently spoke.
"I'm willing to die a thousand deaths for you if it means that you'll be happy."
Tears were already trickling down my cheeks as I shook my head, "I won't be happy if you go back to being a siren," my voice broke, and his brows pulled together in pain as he watched me fall apart. "There has to be another way," I sobbed, "I don't want you to sacrifice yourself for me."
"If there was any other way, I would do it in a heartbeat," Jimin said carefully, his thumb feathering over my cheek. "You think I want to go back? To leave behind the woman that I love, to give up on my dreams of our future together? I would do anything to be able to stay with you, but there's nothing. That's why I tried to push you away at first. I thought it would be easier when the time came to part ways. But the more human I became...I just couldn't keep my feelings from you," he whispered somberly.
My chest tightened and burned as I recalled every moment when Jimin had acted strangely, giving me mixed signals and pushing me away whenever I finally felt like we were growing closer. For the first time, it made sense. Jimin had decided his fate and carried it with him all that time, bearing the weight of knowing exactly how our story would end before it had even started.
"There has to be something. There has to be another way," I murmured. He just shook his head, dropping his hand away from my face.
"I'm sorry. I've tried so hard to think of a loophole but I never can figure anything out. The curse won't just stop - it will take you unless I go back and reverse what I started," Jimin stated, "Since I'm the one who transferred it to you, I'm the only person who can stop it."
"But what about Yoongi? When he kissed Dawon, he didn't turn into a siren. Why did that happen? If we can figure that out, maybe there's a chance that we can both stay human too," I said hopefully.
"I don't know what happened with them, I've never seen it turn out like that. Maybe it was just a fluke, but even if there was a reason, I don't think we have enough time to figure it out. I don't know how much longer you have until you start turning, so right now our biggest priority needs to be getting me out of this cell so I can help you."
I ignored him, instead continuing to wonder about what had happened with Yoongi and Dawon. The key to a future with Jimin had to be hidden somewhere there.
"It sounds so stupid, but maybe Yoongi stayed human because they loved each other. Like... like true love's kiss?" I suggested unsurely, embarrassed of my own theory. It seemed ridiculous, but it was the only thing that made any kind of sense.
"No, that's not how it works. Dawon was a siren. She wasn't even able to love Yoongi when they kissed, so that can't be what happened. I know you want to figure it out but we really need to focus on getting me out of here, okay? I need to be free if I'm going to save you."
I stared at him, panic instantly flooding my veins. I kept picturing Jimin diving into the sea, returning to how he once was, and I couldn't stand it.
"I can't. I can't let you throw your life away just to try to save me," I murmured, slowly stepping back. His eyebrows drew together sharply, face worried and frustrated.
"Katherine, don't even think about it," he warned in a deep and rough tone.
"I can't let you out if it means you'll become siren again. You served your time, you deserve to live your human life now," I whispered, taking another step away from him.
"Damn it, listen to me! You are going to lose everything you know and everything you love if you don't get the others to let me out," Jimin said, shaking his head, "That's the last thing I want to see happen to you."
"I'll figure something out. I'll find a way. And if I don't, then I'll accept my fate," I told him quietly. Then I turned around and walked out of the room, leaving a yelling Jimin behind.
I knew he was upset with me, but that didn't matter. All that mattered was that as long as he was in that cell, he wouldn't be able to take the curse back. And as long as I didn't have to worry about him jumping overboard, I could focus on finding a solution to all of this.
I knew I would need to talk to Dawon since she was a siren herself. I was hopeful that she could explain what she knew, and maybe she would have an answer as to why Yoongi remained human. I also had to talk to Namjoon and ask him if he could do more research. Perhaps the loophole we needed was hidden somewhere in that book of his.
A fierce determination was welling up inside me. I'd dealt with enough heartbreak and I was not about to let some stupid mystical curse snatch away the remainder of my happiness.
The pirates were waiting for me when I returned to the deck, their faces worried to say the least. I sighed as I approached them, catching onto Namjoon's eyes first.
"How did it go?" he asked hesitantly, searching my expression for any sign of distress.
"I'm not angry with him," I said bluntly, then winced as soon as the others piped up.
"What?!"
"How?!"
"He's put you under his spell again!"
I shook my head. "He didn't put me under his spell. He did this to me before he had any humanity but as soon as he started to feel, he thought of a way to stop it-" I explained, only to be interrupted by Hoseok.
"If he knows how to stop it, why hasn't he done it?" he asked the same question I had asked Jimin, and I took a deep breath as I prepared to retell Jimin's reasons.
I told them about him growing up in that terrible orphanage, how he grew to care for Jihyun and how he had met my father, then ended up becoming a siren in his attempt to save him. I gave them as much context as I could, hoping it would help them see the good, human side of Jimin that had grown up with struggles and scars just like the rest of us.
By the time I had explained more of his background, I could see the shift in the pirates' eyes. They weren't blind with rage as they were earlier, and though they still seemed upset, they had softened and were hearing me out.
"I know you all are mad at him for doing this to me. I was too, but I saw his face and I believe him. He never would have done this on purpose if he had been able to feel. The only reason he kept it a secret and didn't stop it by now is that he wanted to complete his end of the deal so that we would complete ours. He was waiting so that we could take him to see Jihyun, before..." I came to a stop, realizing that if I told them Jimin's plan to take the curse back, there was a risk that they would just throw him into the sea's depths without a second thought.
"Before what?" Taehyung softly asked, looking at me comfortingly, urging me to not hold back.
"Before he takes the curse from me and becomes siren again," I finished, my hands balling into fists as I waited for their responses.
"Did he tell you that's what he's going to do?" Jin asked with drawn brows.
I nodded, "He said as soon as he's done checking on Jihyun he will come back to reverse the switch," I paused, taking in the relieved yet conflicted looks on their faces. "But I don't want to let him do it." Then, predictably, there was an uproar of protests and disbelief.
"Kat, you have to let him do it," Hoseok insisted, stepping in front of me and meeting my eyes in a hard stare. "I'm not going to lose you. If Jimin can save you and he wants to do it, I'll make sure he follows through."
I opened my mouth to respond to him, but Yoongi spoke up before I could, "He's right, Kat. I know you don't want to see Jimin become a siren again, but he is the one who started this. You have to let him fix his own mistakes," he said firmly, though his gaze was gentle and sympathetic.
"He doesn't have a family that will miss him, but you do. The only person he had was Jihyun, and he probably learned long ago how to live without Jimin. You have a mother and a sister who just got you back. You have all of us-" Namjoon gestured to all of the men that stood around me,"-and we would be devastated to lose you."
"Please don't leave us, Kat," Jungkook murmured, waiting for me to look at him before he continued. "You mean so much to us. I know you care about Jimin, but I don't want you to become a siren and disappear forever."
I slowly took in each of their expressions, realizing that they were right. As much as I wanted to protect Jimin and keep him from taking my place, there was no way I could leave all of them behind. But that only furthered my resolve to find a different solution.
"Then I need your help finding out how we can save me and Jimin," I stated firmly, looking at each of them in turn.
"I think that's a good idea," Jin said, and I noticed a flash of sadness in his eyes.
"I'll see if there's something in the book, but I can't make any promises," Namjoon offered, placing a hand on my shoulder.
"Thank you," I said.
"I'll talk to Dawon and see what she knows," Yoongi spoke up, surprising me a little. I knew he was doing it for me, but it still seemed strange that he would try to help Jimin after always being at odds with him.
"Thanks, Yoongi."
"I'm doing it for you," he replied simply.
"I know," I muttered. "One more thing. I still want us to take him to my hometown. He helped every single one of us get what was most important to us. He held up his end of the deal, so we need to bring him to Jihyun." Especially if we can't find an alternative to Jimin's plan. Without a different solution, it would be the one and only chance he would get to see his brother.
"That's alright with me. We're already headed there, but I'm going to need a word with him before we arrive," Yoongi stated. "There can't be any wasting time. All of you need to do your part to get us there quickly. Namjoon, you should start looking through that book. I'll go talk to Dawon and see what she knows," he finished, then he and Namjoon walked off to go find out whatever they could.
I turned to the remaining four. "Will you guys come with me to talk to Jimin?" They nodded, and I couldn't help but frown at the stony look on Hoseok's face.
"Be nice. I already explained why he did what he did, so I don't want you guys going off on him, alright?" I warned, waiting until each of them mumbled an agreement.
When we entered the brig, Jimin was sitting on the floor with his back resting against the wall. He didn't move, just watched us calculatingly as we walked up to the cell. His eyes were intense, radiating all the frustration and pain he failed to mask.
"We're going to take you to see Jihyun," I announced, holding my breath as I waited for his response. He stared, a sliver of relief passing over him, but he let the silence drag for a while before finally speaking.
"I thought you were planning on keeping me in here."
"I'm not going to let you miss out on seeing him. But we're coming with you to make sure you don't go for a swim on your way back," I replied, making it clear that I still was not going to let him take the curse back.
Jimin's gaze drifted from me to the other four, "And you guys are okay with this? Did she even tell you about my plan? I thought you'd be all for it."
"She told us everything. I still think your plan is the best option, but Kat wants to try to find a way to save you both," Hoseok said irritably, "If it were up to me, you'd already be in the ocean by now."
"Hoseok," I chided, but Jimin shook his head.
"I want the same thing you do," he said, looking at the pirate solemnly.
"And what is that exactly?" Hoseok challenged, lifting his chin.
"For her to be safe and happy," Jimin replied.
"You haven't done a very good job at that so far."
"I'm working on it."
"The only way I'm going to be happy is if Jimin can stay human with me," I stated boldly, to which Jimin returned his attention back to me.
"You shouldn't get your hopes up," he whispered.
"Why not? Why have you already given up?" It was Jin who spoke that time, and I saw that same flash of hurt in his eyes. He continued, "You made all of us trust you. You even started growing on some of us, and you know how much Kat cares about you, but now you're not even going to try to find a better way out of this?"
I realized then why he had seemed so upset. He grew to care about Jimin, and all that was happening was hurtful to him. How many of them actually care about Jimin like I do?
"I have tried to find a better way," Jimin sighed. "I've experienced first hand how relentless and cruel the curse is, and I just don't see any scenario where we both escape it."
"We need to have hope, Jimin. Don't waste this time expecting the worst outcome. We need to fight for the best," I said almost pleadingly. To my disappointment, he just sat there, quiet and defeated.
"If we let you out, will you stay away from the water?" Jungkook asked, watching him skeptically.
"He knows we're taking him to Jihyun. I don't think he'll touch the water before he gets to see him," Taehyung predicted with a small frown on his face.
"Can you guys go get Yoongi? Ask him to meet me here. I want to talk to him before we let Jimin out," I said, earning confused expressions from each of them. They didn't question me though, and the four of them slowly filed out of the room, leaving Jimin and me alone once more.
I sighed into the silence, carefully crouching down in front of the bars, my face level with his though he was sitting across the cell.
"Jimin, I know you think you're doing me a favor by telling me that there's no other solution, but I can't let myself believe that. I have to believe that we will figure something out. If I let myself think about you becoming a siren again... imagining you disappearing... just the thought of it makes me feel like I'm completely falling apart," I whispered faintly. "Please don't give up. I need you to fight for us."
By then my vision was blurry and I had to look away, angrily wiping at my tears. I knew Jimin was afraid to let himself hope for a happy ending. I understood that he feared being let down and having everything hurt even more for both of us. I understood, but I wasn't ready to surrender. My whole being ached for some kind of future with him, and I wasn't willing to give that dream up.
"Katherine," suddenly his soft voice was right beside me and I looked up to find him crouching in front me, the bars the only thing separating us. His hands reached out to hold my own and his dark orbs glistened as he opened his mouth, "I'll fight for us, okay? I promise."
"So you won't stick to your plan?" I asked, needing him to be clear.
"Not unless I have no other option. I'll try to be hopeful for us."
Before I could reply, someone's footsteps sounded against the floor and Yoongi was soon walking in.
"Kat? What did you need?" he asked as he approached me. Jimin and I both stood up, and I turned to face him.
"I'm going to let Jimin out. You have the keys," I said, trying to discreetly brush away the last of my tears. If he noticed, he chose not to say anything.
"Are you sure you want him out? What if he goes-"
"He won't," I stated firmly, relieved that I didn't have to worry about Jimin trying to sacrifice himself.
"I'm going to hold off until we look into every possibility," Jimin said.
Yoongi looked warily between the two of us, then he settled on me. "Do you mind if I speak with him for a minute? I'll let him out as soon as I'm done."
My first instinct was to protest as I wanted to hear what he had to say to Jimin, but seeing how serious Yoongi was made me slowly nod.
"Okay. I'll be in my room," I said, glancing at Jimin one last time before I turned to leave, curious of what it was that they would talk about.
When I got to my room, I immediately flopped onto my bed. After all the stress and chaos from the day, I was exhausted. I knew I probably should have been out there helping the guys around the ship, but my muscles refused to cooperate and I remained plastered to the mattress beneath me. I didn't even have time to wonder about what Yoongi was saying to Jimin as it only took a few minutes for me to start dozing off.
Sometime between my dreamy state, I was aware of the warm presence that joined me along with the soft feeling of someone's arms wrapping around my waist and pulling me close as if they were afraid I might slip through their grasp.
Jimin's chest vibrated against my back as he lowly spoke near my ear. "I love you, Katherine. And I'll tell you that as long as I'm with you, whether it's a few more days or an entire lifetime."
I hoped with every part of me that it would be a lifetime.
• • •
Author's Note:
Hello, lovelies! I just want to thank you for being patient with this story. I know this update took a long time to come out, but I'm thankful that you guys are willing to wait <3 I hope you all are doing well and that school is going smoothly for you if you've started classes. I appreciate you all!
So about this chapter, how many of you think Jimin and Kat will have a lifetime to spend together? Do any of you think they only have a few days left to be together?
Soon Jimin will have a chance to see Jihyun, so I hope you're all looking forward to that :)
Thank you for your support. Your messages, comments, fanart, everything means so much to me. You guys are awesome, and speaking of fanart, I've got a bunch of them to show you!
Thank you to everyone who sent these to me. They are beautiful and I love them!
See you all in the next update.
-Hoseokiiss <3
September 26, 2019