CHAPTER 15 – REVELATION 

Jongkook kept going to the back and forth while waiting for Jihyo in front of the surgery room. He is about to lose his mind, making Jaesuk approached him.

             “Jongkook, she’s going to be fine.”, Jaesuk tapped Jongkook’s shoulder to assure him.

             “She just cut her finger.”, Haha interrupted.

             “Just? ‘Just’ you said?”, Jongkook exasperated as he stared at Haha fiercely.

             “Why are you being so upset? We are all upset here. And if you didn’t tell us soonest about noona’s past, this thing wouldn’t went this far.”, Kwangsoo interrupted too as he blamed Jongkook.

             “Ya! Can you guys stop fighting for a while? Fight after all of this finish instead of keep blaming each other. Jihyo is still inside and we are still in the hospital!”, Sukjin said in disbelief.

             “Sukjin hyung, maja. Keumanhae yeudeura.”, Jaesuk agreed with Sukjin.

             “Ne. Jeuseonghamnida, timjangnim, Jongkook hyung, yeudeura.”, Haha apologized as he bowed lightly to all of them.

             “Aniya. Don’t be.”, Jaesuk said. “Keurae. I think Haha and I should go back to the station. Kwangsoo you too. We have go back to Kim Sangho.”, Jaesuk informed.

             “Nadoyo, hyung?”, Kwangsoo asked Jaesuk.

             “Eo. Jongkook will stay and wait for Jihyo.”, Jaesuk said to Kwangsoo while nodding to his understanding.

             “Ani. I think I’m the closest one with noona. Why would Jongkook hyung stay with her?”, Kwangsoo asked in dissatisfied.

             “There is a reason.”, Haha interrupted as he tapped Kwangsoo’s hand while nodding too.

             “Ani. Wae?”, Kwangsoo kept looking at Jaesuk and Haha.

             “Keunyang… You don’t know any about Jihyo’s past while Jongkook know about it. So I think it’s the best for Jihyo to have a talk with Jongkook first.”, Jaesuk said.

             “There must be a reason that Jihyo don’t tell you anything about her past, but to Jongkook hyung only… Since he is the only one who knew about it.”, Haha tried to convince Kwangsoo too. Kwangsoo just zipped his mouth while looking on the ground. Also nodding in agreement as he tried to understand the situation.

             “We should go back to the station too. Jongkook will be here.”, Sukjin said to Gary, Sechan and Somin.

             “Anything just tell us, Jongkook hyung.”, Gary said to Jongkook.

             “Eo.”, Jongkook just nodded as he answered shortly while listening to all of them.

…

The stark smell of bleach was overwhelming. Jihyo scrunched her eyes at the bright light that was sipping through her closed eyelids. She felt powerless and heavy. She could not move her hand, her head or her body.

             The room was pristine clean and gloomy as she slowly started to open her eyes and see what’s around her. The typical hospital bed, IV and monitors beeping surrounded her. 

             Jihyo could not even remember how she got there but she knew for sure what happened earlier. She then looked at the familiar silhouette who sat on the chair next to her bed with his close eyes as he putted his hands together.

             “Oppa…”, Jihyo called on the familiar silhouette, who is her boyfriend, Kim Jongkook.

             “Jihyo-ya?”, Jongkook immediately raised his head upon hearing Jihyo’s voice.

             “Eo…”, Jihyo answered.

             “Gwenchana?”, Jongkook asked while touching Jihyo’s face gently.

             “Molla.”, Jihyo answered honestly.

             “I will call the doctor. Jamkan-“

             “Keunyang andwae?”, Jihyo quickly grabbed Jongkook’s shirt as she tried to stop him.

             “Eo?”, Jongkook turned to look at his girlfriend. “Gwenchana keureom?”, Jongkook asked.

             “I think so. Can you sit down please?”, Jihyo requested as she pulled Jongkook’s shirt gently.

             “Eo? Arasseo…”, Jongkook nodded as he listened to Jihyo’s.

             Both of them kept staring to each other without talking, neither speaking. Just stared at each other blankly. Jongkook slowly moved his hand to touch Jihyo’s cheek but she quickly stopped him, making Jongkook nervous.

             “Wae?”, Jongkook asked in shock.

             “You don’t have anything to tell me?”, Jihyo asked.

             “I don’t think so. Hajiman, why would harabeoji did that to you? Is he really the Rainbow Umbrella Killer?”, Jongkook lied.

             “Are you still going to play dumb with me? Na paboya, Kim Jongkook?”, Jihyo started to get upset as she pushed away Jongkook’s hand.

             “Mianhae, Cheon Seongim…”, Jongkook looked on the ground while apologizing to Jihyo.

             “Eo? Keureom, jinjja ne? You… you… knew me?”, Jihyo eyes started to get teary.

             “Mianhae. Jinjja mianhae. I don’t really have the intention to hide it from you. I just can’t find the right time to tell you.”, Jongkook said in sullen while grabbing Jihyo’s hand.

             “Don’t touch me, jebal.”, Jihyo brushed off Jongkook’s hand again.

             “Seongim-a…”, Jongkook called on with his pity eyes looking at Jihyo in guilty.

             “Don’t call me that, Kim Jongkook!”, Jihyo almost screamed.

             “Can you please hear my explanations first, eo?”, Jongkook tried to convince Jihyo.

             “You should before this happened. Before I found out by myself!”, Jihyo glared at him.

             “Ara. Na aneunde. Hajiman, I don’t know how. I can’t find the right time. I’m afraid you will leave me after I told you. I don’t… want… to lose you… again…”, Jongkook said honestly in sullen.

             “You are so selfish. You are making me look like a fool.”, Jihyo sniffling her nose.

             “Then why are you not telling me that you are Cheon Seongim? That you knew me before? Is that my fault too?”, Jongkook started to feel the unfairness of Jihyo.

             “I don’t want to feel humiliated. I don’t want to look that I’m happy to see you again after all these years. I thought my feelings for you were all gone but it came back as soon as I saw you again. You left me. You think it’s easy for me, oppa?”, Jihyo slowly started to sit while sniffling her runny nose.

             “I didn’t left you…”, Jongkook said as he helped to sit up Jihyo.

             “Keureom? You disappeared… completely… from my life.”, Jihyo said in disbelief.

             “Remember I told you I’m in coma before?”, Jongkook asked Jihyo.

             “Eo. Wae?”, Jihyo asked.

             “I got into an accident while rushing to go to you.”, Jongkook revealed slowly.

             “And why was that? Why are you rushing to go to me? You can just go to me safely, oppa.”, Jihyo said in dissatisfied.

             “I talked to Jang Hyuk. About you…”, Jongkook said.

             “Na? Wae? What does that matter?”, Jihyo frowned.

             “I told him that I already confirmed my feelings for you. I like you so much back then. I asked for his advice and he quickly told me that I should confess my feelings for you before someone get you before me. So I… I… drove to your place that day but unfortunately I beat the red traffic light and was hit by a truck.”, Jongkook revealed while looking on the ground.

             “So you were about to go to me before the accident happened?”, Jihyo asked in disbelief as her eyes opened widely.

             “Eo…. Mian… I can’t get to tell you…”, Jongkook apologized.

             “So you were in a coma because of me?”, Jihyo eyes started to pool with tears while looking at him.

             “Aniya. Aniya. It was my fault for not being careful enough, Jihyo-ya.”, Jongkook quickly denied as he waved his hands to Jihyo.             

             “Keureom… You like me for real back then… I thought I’m delusional for observing your actions…”, Jihyo said while looking on the ground.

             “Aniya. I really like you. Even now… I like you for 21 years already.”, Jongkook smiled.

             “Mwoya? Don’t lie to me. You had a girlfriend back then.”, Jihyo frowned.

             “It was you.”, Jongkook chuckled.

             “Ne? Na?”, Jihyo asked in disbelief.

             “Eo. I assumed that you were my girlfriend back then though I can’t get to confess to you. I also thought that you liked me too back then.”, Jongkook smiled as he grabbed Jihyo’s hand slowly. Surprisingly, Jihyo didn’t brushed off his hand away this time.

             “So I’m the one who left you like you said?”, Jihyo frowned.

             “Ani… Of course not. I just said that to hide my pain and ego.”, Jongkook revealed while smiling. 

             “How come you acted that you don’t know me before? I got fooled, eo? You can be an actor instead of detective.”, Jihyo pouted.

             “Should I?”, Jongkook chuckled in anticipation. He is relieved that Jihyo is throwing a joke.

             “I really thought you left me. I cried as I missed you so much. Anyway, are you purposely coming here or are you really trying to help me to catch the Rainbow Umbrella Killer?”, Jihyo asked in curious while putting her mong expression.

             “Mian for making you cried, Jihyo-ya. I came here not knowing that you are the Cheon Seongim. It took me a week to realize that you were really her. I wondered why you changed your name, but I came with my own conclusion.”, Jongkook said.

             “What do you mean by that?”, Jihyo asked in puzzle.

             “You told me about your father and family. Remember we used to promise not to keep secret toward each other and you suddenly revealed about your father and your new family. That is why I knew about you, Cheon Seongim.”, Jongkook smiled while holding Jihyo’s hand carefully.

             “You…. you even remember that?”, Jihyo asked in disbelief.

             “Keureom. There’s nothing that I don’t know about you. I just played pretend.”, Jongkook giggled.

             “Mwoya?”, Jihyo said as she embarrassed by his comment.

             “Keureom neoneun? Are you really don’t want me to know that you are the Cheon Seongim before? You got me fooled too. Not once, nor twice, but several times.”, Jongkook tilted his head.

             “I told you I’m afraid that you would not know me.”, Jihyo giving excuse while pouting.

             “Arasseo. Gwenchana.”, Jongkook smiled while patting Jihyo’s head.

             “You really don’t know me here, oppa? At Mapo Station?”, Jihyo asked in curious.

             “Eo. Don’t you remember that I hate you back then?”, Jongkook chuckled as he reminded Jihyo.

             “Eo. Majaneunde.”, Jihyo frowned. 

             “Do you believe it that I’ve been searching for you all these years. I can’t believe that the Cheon Seongim I like turned to Song Jihyo.”, Jongkook chuckled.

             “So you like me as Cheon Seongim, keutji? Not Song Jihyo?”, Jihyo asked seriously.

             “What is the difference? Same person, keutji?”, Jongkook smiled.

             “Cheon Seongim was weak but Song Jihyo is strong. I am not a person I used to back then. I am more aggressive now.”, Jihyo said honestly.

             “That doesn’t matter. I still like you and that would be forever.”, Jongkook chuckled again.

             “There goes your cheesy comments again.”, Jihyo sighed while shaking her head.

             “How do you feel? Appeo?”, Jongkook asked while looking at Jihyo’s thumb which were covered with bandage.

             “Appeo… Hajiman, gwenchana.”, Jihyo said to make sure Jongkook is not so worry.

             “Musseun gwenchana? Keu gae saekki did this to you.”, Jongkook said in enrage as he remembered Kim Sangho, the Rainbow Umbrella Killer.

             “It appa’s fault too, oppa….”, Jihyo suddenly said in sullen making Jongkook surprised by her sudden revealed.

             “Mwo? Wae? Why it is your appa’s fault?”, Jongkook asked in curios.

             “Appa neun…. He was having an affair behind my mother. With haraboeji’s wife.”, Jihyo revealed.

             “Jinjja? So your appa is in love with haraboeji’s wife? Ani… it must be an old woman, keutji?”, Jongkook asked Jihyo carefully to make sure that she is not offended by his word.

             “Eo. Harabeoji’s wife was 40-year-old back then. So that is why his target was a 40-year-old woman.”, Jihyo nodded, instead of offended by Jongkook’s word because she took it professionally.

             “Seolma… The one who is in the jail?”, Jongkook asked as he putted the missing pieces puzzle together.

             “Ani. That is his new wife. He killed his ex-wife back then.”, Jihyo revealed the shocking truth again.

             “Mwo?! He killed his own wife? Jinjja gae saekki!”, Jongkook said in disbelief as he shook his head.

             Keutji, oppa? Hajiman, nae appa…. I can’t believe he was having an affair with other woman behind omma.”, Jihyo eyes started to teary again.

             “Gwenchana. There is no perfect father in this world. Eo?”, Jongkook consoled as he moved closer to Jihyo to hug her.

             “Oppa…”, Jihyo hugged him back.

             “Tell me anything from now on, eo? Your pain, your happiness, your story and everything. I want to be the first person in your mind if anything happen to you, no matter good or bad it is. Keunyang malhae… narang…”, Jongkook demanded as he ruffled Jihyo’s hair while looking at her lovely.

             “Arasseo.”, Jihyo nodded as she looked into Jongkook’s eyes. Somehow, his eyes exude safety, protection, love and even lust. She felt comfortable whenever she is with him.

             Jalhaesseo.”, Jongkook smiled while nodding.

             “To think about that, that is why you knew my passcode back then? I didn’t even tell you my passcode back then. Your first night at my apartment. Remember?”, Jihyo said with her mong expression.

             “You are wrong. You told me.”, Jongkook said back.

             “I told you it’s my birthday. I never tell you the exact number.”, Jihyo tilted her head.

             “15th of August 1981. You think I don’t remember your birthday, huh?”, Jongkook chuckled.

             “You… you remember my birthday? After all these years?”, Jihyo asked in shock that her eyes opened widely.

             “I told you I would never forget you.”, Jongkook giggled.

             “Pabo.”, Jihyo shook her head while smiling.

             “Unnie?”, Somin’s voice calling Jihyo who is approaching them, along with Sukjin, Gary and Sechan.

             “Eo?”, Jihyo answered in surprised while pushing Jongkook from her.

             “Ya. Mongjiiiii.”, Gary shook his head as he witnessed the sweet scene of the couple in front of him, also the others.

             “Jinjja ne? You guys are together?”, Sukjin asked as he approached them.             

             “Eo? Ottoke ara, oppa?”, Jihyo asked in puzzle with her mong face while looking at Sukjin.

             “Everything were revealed while noona were gone.”, Sechan answered in behalf.

             “Mwo?”, Jihyo asked in disbelief.

             “Kwangsoo oppa is really mad with Jongkook hyung. They even fighting earlier.”, Gary revealed.

             “Almost punching each other.”, Sukjin interrupted while exaggerating his words.

             “Jinjja?!”, Jihyo asked in shock as her eyes almost popped out.

             “Keokjeong hajima, unnie. Let them settle by themselves. They are adults anyway.”, Somin said while patting Jihyo’s shoulder. “Unnie, gwenchana? What did the doctor says?”, Somin changed the topic.

             “Eo, maja. I didn’t call for the doctor yet.”, Jihyo gasped.

             “How can you remember to call the doctor if you are being so sweet with Jongkook hyung?”, Gary shook his head. “I will call the doctor.”, Gary offered as he walked away to call the doctor.

             “Eo… ne…”, Jihyo said embarrassedly.

             “Jihyo-ssi will need to