Still in flashback:
The excitement of Jimin's graduation felt distant. As he stood among his peers, receiving their congratulations and shaking hands with teachers, his thoughts were elsewhere. His mind kept wandering back to his mother, to everything she had gone through, and how much she would have wanted to be there, smiling proudly for him. But she was gone. She had passed away quietly, leaving behind a void too deep for words.
Jimin stood near the back of the crowd, staring blankly at the ceremony unfolding before him. The cheers of his classmates and the sound of music seemed to fade into the background as a sense of loss consumed him. He had earned this graduation, but it felt hollow without the one person who had always believed in him—his mother.
The Shocking Encounter:
Suddenly, from the corner of his eye, Jimin saw him. His father.
For a brief moment, time seemed to stop. Jimin's heart skipped a beat as his eyes locked with his father's, who stood in the crowd with his new wife and a young boy.His father's expression was unreadable, but the sight of him with his new family hit Jimin like a punch to the gut.
Jimin's father had been absent for over a half year, ever since he walked out on them. The last time Jimin had seen him, the man had left with that woman, leaving behind nothing but shattered trust and broken promises. And now, here he was, standing proudly with his new life—completely unaware of the devastation he had caused.
The Confrontation:
Jimin's father started making his way toward him, pushing through the crowd. His face showed a mixture of curiosity and concern. But to Jimin, it felt like everything was crashing down all over again.
"Jimin…" His father's voice was soft, tentative. "I wanted to talk to you. I—"
Jimin couldn't stand it. His heart was pounding in his chest, and his anger swelled. He took a deep breath and immediately cut him off, his voice shaking with emotion.
"No," Jimin said, his voice raw. "I don't want to talk to you. I don't want anything from you."
His father looked taken aback. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but Jimin again cut him off.
"You left us!" Jimin's voice cracked. "You left Mom to fall apart. You were never there, and now you think you can just show up and act like nothing happened?"
His father took a step back, clearly shaken by Jimin's outburst. His eyes were wide with regret, but Jimin couldn't stop the flood of pain and anger pouring out of him.
"I was wrong, Jimin," his father said, his voice quieter now. "I never meant for any of this to happen. I know I've hurt you. I know I've hurt your mother."
At the mention of his mother, Jimin's chest tightened, the grief choking him. "Don't you dare talk about her. You don't deserve to even say her name."
Tears began to well up in Jimin's eyes. His father reached out, his hand trembling as he tried to place it on Jimin's shoulder. "Please… I know I made mistakes. But I want to fix things with you. Please."
But Jimin couldn't hold back anymore. He stepped back, his emotions boiling over. "You can't fix anything. It's too late for that. You think 'sorry' can make up for what you did? You think it's okay that you walked away from us? From me?"
As the words left his mouth, Jimin felt a deep, painful realization hit him: his father had no idea how much things had truly changed. He had no idea about his mother's death. He hadn't even been there. Jimin's mother, who had suffered in silence for so long, had never had the chance to speak to him, to tell him how much his absence had affected her.
The thought of it tore Jimin apart.
Jimin's breath hitched, and before he could stop himself, he blurted out, "Mom is dead."
His father's face went pale, his eyes widening in disbelief as the words sank in.
"What?" he gasped, as if the reality of the situation couldn't have possibly hit him harder. "What… what do you mean?"
"She's dead," Jimin repeated, his voice broken. "She died, alone. Because of you. You abandoned us, and she couldn't handle it anymore. You were never there when she needed you. You weren't there when I needed you."
Jimin's father's face crumpled, his eyes filling with tears for the first time. "No… No, Jimin, I didn't know. I didn't know… How could I not know?"
Jimin took a step back, his emotions crashing over him like a tidal wave. He wiped his eyes angrily, but the tears wouldn't stop.
"Do you even care?" Jimin's voice trembled as he asked. "Do you care that she's gone? Do you care that you killed her with your lies?"
His father stood there, speechless, his hand to his mouth, trying to process the gravity of Jimin's words. He hadn't even known. He hadn't even been there when she passed. And the realization hit him like a freight train.
He collapsed onto a nearby bench, his head in his hands, shaking with disbelief. "I… I didn't know. I didn't know. I… I thought she was just angry, that she was upset. I didn't realize…"
Jimin's heart ached, but there was nothing he could do to fix it. His mother was gone. And his father's apology—his guilt—was too little, too late. Jimin turned away, his vision blurred by tears.
"I don't want your apologies. I don't want your regret. You had a chance, and you ruined it."
Jimin's father sat on the bench, still in shock, unable to process what had just happened. His new wife and son, who had been standing off to the side, had witnessed the entire scene. The woman looked as if she had been slapped, her eyes wide in shock, unable to understand what was unfolding in front of her. Her son stood beside her, confused and quiet, unsure of what to say or do.
The weight of Jimin's words hung in the air, suffocating everyone around him. Jimin's father, for the first time, saw the full scope of the damage he had caused—not just to Jimin, but to his ex-wife, to everything that had once been.
But it was too late. Jimin had already walked away.
The Aftermath:
Jimin ran from the scene, his heart racing, his legs carrying him as far away from his father as possible. The words he had just said hung in the air, unanswered, unresolved. His father's tears, his father's brokenness—none of it could change the fact that he had lost everything.
Jimin collapsed into a quiet corner of the campus, his body shaking with the weight of it all. His father had no idea what it was like to lose his mother. He had no idea what Jimin had been through, what he had been left with.
The pain of seeing his father with his new family, his father's lack of understanding, and the realization that his mother had died alone, haunted him. Jimin couldn't escape it. He couldn't run from the brokenness his father had left in his wake.
Moving Forward:
After the heart-wrenching confrontation with his father, Jimin knew he needed to leave everything behind. The memories, the pain, and the heavy burden of a broken family—he couldn't continue living in the same place where every corner held a reminder of what had happened.
So, he made a decision. He decided to move to Seoul for his further studies. It was a fresh start, a chance to put distance between himself and the past. The only thing he could focus on now was his future. His mother had always encouraged him to aim high, to chase his dreams no matter the obstacles.
Jimin was an exceptional student—his intelligence, work ethic, and resilience had always set him apart. It was no surprise when he received a scholarship to one of the most prestigious universities in Seoul. But that wasn't all. His mother's side of the family, who had been supportive after her passing, helped him financially, giving him the stability to focus entirely on his education.
But even in this new city, with all its opportunities and distractions, Jimin felt alone. He had no one to share his victories or defeats with, no family to turn to. His heart had closed off, and no one could reach the place where the pain lingered. He was content with being alone. He didn't need friends; he didn't need anyone.
Time to Heal:
As the months passed, Jimin worked relentlessly. His studies became his only solace, the only thing he could fully immerse himself in. At night, when the world was quiet and his thoughts would wander, he felt the weight of the past, but he learned to live with it. He locked it away in some corner of his heart, where it couldn't hurt him too much. But it was always there, lingering, a part of him he could never truly forget.
He healed slowly, inch by inch. His confidence grew, and so did his sense of purpose. He started to feel proud of how far he had come, of the strength it had taken to survive the storm and stand tall on the other side.
But despite his progress, the ghosts of his past never fully faded. He kept pushing forward, working harder, determined to carve out a future that was his—no longer tied to the chains of his broken family.
A New Beginning:
And then, after all his hard work, an opportunity came knocking.
One fateful day, Jimin received an email that would change his life. He had been accepted as an intern at one of the most renowned companies in Korea—a company that was known for its innovation, prestige, and cutting-edge work. The email congratulated him, but more than that, it acknowledged his potential and skills, something that had been missing for so long in his life. It felt like a sign, like a chance to step into the world he had always dreamed of, his mother had always dreamed of.
Jimin was overwhelmed, but he quickly composed himself. He had fought so hard for this. Every late night, every sacrifice—it had all led to this moment. He was finally going to get the chance to prove himself.
END OF FLASHBACK
End of chapter