He happily spoons porridge into his mouth, face lit up with a smile.

We haven't told him yet.

A couple of nurses that can in to check on him mentioned the accident, but didn't say anything about his father.

He pauses, looking around at us, "What's with the sad expressions? I'm gonna get better guys, stop worrying."

"Eat well, Kook. You need the energy," Yoongi says, earning a warm smile from Jungkook.

He drinks a glass of water and leans back, "Once I'm better, I'm gonna drink as much banana milk as I want and will eat all the waffles in the world."

Seeing him like this makes me happy, but my heart begins aching. It's a slow pain, one that's gradually getting bigger.

"Oh wait, where's my dad? He said he would come by in the morning to visit, which is now," he says, sitting up.

I feel a pang in my chest, and as much as I try to fight it, my vision begins blurring with tears.

I glance at the guys, who all nod, before sitting down next to Jungkook.

"Jungkook," I start, gulping.

He immediately frowns when he sees my expression, "Hey, what's wrong? Guys what happened?"

"It's...it's your dad," I say, and he stares back at me, not saying anything. It's almost like he knows what I'm about to say.

"Remember when the nurses were talking about that accident that happened? With the taxi and bus?" I ask, and he slowly nods.

"He was..." I pause, a lump forming in my throat, "He was in the taxi." I say this in a whisper, not wanting to hear my own words.

His face goes blank, and I feel his hands start trembling. "W-What? No he was with me just last night. He was right here."

"I'm so, so sorry," I say, tears beginning to stream down my face.

"I want my dad back," he whispers before breaking into a sob. "Bring him back to me."

I wrap my arms around him, bringing him into my embrace. The guys have also approached him now, not being able to do anything but to offer him comfort.

"If I hadn't told him to come here, none of this would've happened," he says, but I shake my head.

"Shhh, no baby that's not true. Don't say that," I reply, planting a kiss on his head.

"I miss my dad," he whispers, his whole body trembling.

Jimin'sextends his hand in front of me, holding a small notecard. "He wanted you to read this."

Haru releases me from her embrace, but keeps an arm around me as I take the note from Jimin.

I wipe my tears, opening the note. My vision blurs with tears as I begin to read it.

Dear Jungkook,

It'syour dad. We haven't talked to each other in years, but that's about to change. I'm coming to Busan. I hate myself for not knowing about your situation earlier. I hate myself for not being there for you.

Your mother's death was hard on the both of us, and I should've been more understanding about how it was from your perspective. I was always so obsessed with my job that I was forgetting about the most important part of my life, which is you.

Now I don't have much time, but let me tell you something.

You're my little fighter, Jungkook. Your heart is made of gold and you have so much potential in life. Do not let this sickness get the best of you. Fight it. Use all of your strength. Because you have so many reasons to survive. You have me, Haru, and your hyungs that love you more than you can imagine.

You mean more than the world to all of us, and we have faith in you that you can make it.

I love you very much, son. Always remember that.

- Your father (who's the luckiest man alive to have a son like you)

I close the notecard, feeling like I just ran an entire marathon. My heart feels heavy, and my head begins pounding with a headache.

Everything about this card—his handwriting, his words, his thoughts—has filled me with an inexplicable feeling. It makes me happy, but my heart is upset.

Why is it that you only realize how much you love and appreciate someone when they're gone?

Why couldn't I spend just a little more time with him? Why can't I go back and undo all of my faults and mistakes? Why can't I go back to the days of my innocent childhood, back before I knew about the harsh reality of the world?

Why is the universe so cruel?

i'vewritten these past few chapters, including

this one, all in one night and i'm getting this

really bittersweet feeling rn

i'm most likely going to finish off this story

by the end of tonight, but by the time this is published, it's already gonna be a few weeks

after i wrote these final chapters

this story holds a really special place in my

heart, and i want to thank you guys who have

stuck around until here.💜