The King's Swan | Jikook |

Chapter 51: Tell Me

     The moment the sun rose that early morning, Jungkook's eyes opened to lock onto the ceiling. His mornings were always filled with pain from his wound. At times, he would cough and drop his hand over the injury that was going to take a long time to heal completely but then he would try to let the pain ease on its own. Jungkook ran his hand over his exposed chest where his bandages remained and let out a gentle exhale. Every morning was a challenge to get up; sometimes, he wished the pain would take him out completely so he wouldn't have to feel it anymore, but he kept fighting. He kept fighting since he had a will to live, and that will was for himself and his omega; Park Jimin.

       "Ah...." Jungkook exhaled and hugged his own body as his own firm muscles pressed against each other. "A-Ah... I-I can do this..." Jungkook spoke to himself and finally sat up slowly. Once he did, the pain was still there, but slowly fading away from his progress. "Another day..." Jungkook spoke softly and looked over to the brooch Jimin gave him before; sitting on the empty spot by his side.

      The brooch hasn't been touched in a long time, it only sat on the empty spot right on his bed, but Jungkook knew better not to touch it as he recovered from his desperation. It was the next test he had yet to conquer, and so far, he was doing so much better. Jungkook glanced over to it when he thought of Jimin, but he didn't cling onto it like before. It was now that his eyes didn't carry dark circles underneath them and his skin wasn't as pale as the clean pages he used to paint on. The king was recovering and showing such great progress, his skin was glowing in health.

        Eventually, his servants arrived to dress him as he stood in place, staring off to the open window up ahead. He recalled the many memories that were written in the wind, the many tales of Jimin and the many golden moments he kept close to his heart. Jeon Jungkook always had a moment where he wondered about how his omega was doing, but he didn't keep his questions within his mind long enough to haunt him like his desperation would always do. Before, Jungkook would paint Jimin as the only source of sanity he had, but then he eventually came to realize that the portrait he longed to paint was one of himself.

       He thought back at how Jimin left him that day they argued and grew thankful. If the omega stayed longer, Jungkook would have still been the same. Jungkook was different now, he changed for the better and knew his desperation could have killed him if he also didn't choose to walk away from Jimin just yesterday. He was proud of himself and finally began to love two things. Himself and Jimin as well.

       "You look so happy today, My King," spoke one of the servants as they dropped his undergarment robe over his exposed shoulders.

      "And before I wasn't?" Jungkook asked with a smile longing to form over his bright face.

       "Before, you were so tired, so pale, so sad, recently you've been smiling now and you've been getting more sleep. I am so happy to see how much you've changed... Did you fall in love? With who?"

      "With myself," Jungkook answered and let out a chuckle in the morning and made his servants smile as well. Before, he was tense and looked as if he was close to knocking on death's door, but now he was happy, sane, loving. This alone made his servants happy to stand around the king who was once lonely.

       Once the king's hair was tied into a top knot and set under his two-tiered, black crown (an ikseongwan), he was then fed his first meal of the day before he made it to his usual throne room. Jungkook sat at his Phoenix throne and let out an exhale. His hands were fixed over his knees where the red silk of his royal robe tented over his skin. Jungkook sat silently and closed his eyes to listen to the silence that surrounded him. This was his usual mornings, his silent and peaceful mornings until the royal court notified him of the many things he had to know. But until then, he was at peace.