Jungkook's eyes fixated on Namjoon as the devil further explained the past, the fair moon outside obscured by a thick haze that waned in gray shreds across the indigo plane. The warm lights inside the house now seemed to dwindle in dark blotches as the room temperature dropped a degree or two.
Jimin...used to be a human? Jungkook thought in complete dismay, his body falling back against the sofa. But that's...
"I know. You're probably aware of Jimin's hatred for humans. Reminds you a lot of the first Death right?" Namjoon halved a smile and intertwined his fingers in a secure clasp across his lap. "When Jimin was human, he lived in the late Joseon Dynasty around the 1790s and 1800s. His father was the Minister of Rites, so his family was relatively rich, and his mother died giving birth to his younger brother, Jihyun. He grew up as normal kid, getting his education, making friends, and running errands to feed his brother while his father was gone on his duties for the king. He cared deeply for Jihyun and would always take care of him whenever he became ill, ignoring his own pain when he himself was ill. Jihyun always came first."
That's amazing. I never knew Jimin could be so...warm-hearted. Jungkook thought, picturing the raven's impeccable, stoic face and heartless remarks wherever he went. It's weird to imagine him as someone who was capable of doing anything nice for anyone.
"But one day, Jihyun fell very very ill, more than he ever did. Jimin's father wasn't home, so only Jimin could save him. He ran out as quickly as he could to get the closest doctor, who was too busy tending to the royalties to listen to what this young boy had to say. Jimin didn't know what to do. The next doctor was miles away, and by the time he would've reached him, Jihyun would've already been dead. He bought medicine from an herbal shop, but on his way home, he encountered a group of bandits who attacked him for money. The delay was long enough to set him in panic, so he simply gave what little he had left to the men. By the time he got back home after running till his feet had multiple blisters, Jihyun had already stopped breathing." Namjoon tightened his clasped hands and jabbed them deeper into his kneecaps while everyone else remained eerily silent.
"Jimin was devastated. He was angry, blaming himself for the death of his dear younger brother. The next day, the same group of bandits followed him to his house and broke in to steal more food and money. He found out that his best friend, Minhyuk, was the one who informed the bandits of his wealth and location. He was utterly betrayed by his trusted friend, who in the end, never thought of him as a friend since the beginning. No one knows why Minhyuk did that, why he hated Jimin so much. But it was Jimin who suffered in the end..."
Jungkook swallowed the heavy lump in his throat as he clenched his fists unknowingly by his sides. "What happened after?"
Namjoon suddenly brought his eyes forward in a strangely menacing glare, as if the memory had reached up and slid the edge of a knife along his heart. "Minhyuk found Jimin sitting alone and broken at the empty dock of the nearby lake. He found his chance and shoved him so he fell into the water, knowing very well that he couldn't swim."
Jungkook, Hoseok, and Yoongi all widened their eyes in apprehension, the words escaping Namjoon's lips stabbing them each in the gut with bold accents.
"Jimin died..drowning, alone and cold."
A heart-wrenching fist seized Jungkook's lungs and twisted them so painfully he couldn't imagine what Jimin had truly been through. He must've lived through hell and back, having to come back to see his beloved brother dead and his own best friend betray him like he was worth nothing. With no one there to help him or save him. It was unduly tragic.
