Everybody sighed in great relief. Ai sat beside Jun, who wiped the corner of his eye. She held his hand and smiled. "I told you he will be fine, and he is."
"It's not your fault," Ai cut him off. "It was an accident. Please don't blame yourself. Nobody saw it coming."
"It doesn't matter!" Jun broke down and whispered, "Jin, he…protected me just like he did in my past life. He took the bullet for me. This time, he got hurt again. The whole time he was inside, my thoughts only wandered off if he would…die again" he shuddered, "No matter what he did or is doing now, I don't want him dead," a tear slipped from his reddened eyes.
"If something had happened to him again, I would have never been able to forgive myself. It's al-already enough that I killed Jin and Mom once. I don't want to see anybody hurt because of me once again." ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ nοvelfire.net
Ai felt helpless. She wanted to help him and throw away all the guilt from his heart. But considering what happened in the last life, she knew she couldn't blame him for feeling sensitive at this time.
Shui was on the other side who was crying and staring hard at Jin through the ward's window. Huan was by her side consoling her.
Yunru jumped to hug his cousin. "Bro, are those tears what I see!? Why are you looking like you are blaming yourself for this!"
"Because he is," Ai agreed with dissatisfaction.
"How dare you! I protest!"
Nian folded his arm. "The one who should blame himself should be the one who caused the accident. It's not your fault for standing at that place. So quit it with any guilt or I will slap you."
Xing Bi hit his arm. "Don't be to him! Can't you see he is already in distress?"
"O-of course not, Xing Bi. I am being a good brother!"
He patted Jun's shoulder and said, "You stay here. I will look into how the accident happened."
Yunru stood up flaring his nostrils. "I will come with you too! How could the hotel be so irresponsible!? I will sue them!"
Nian glanced at Shui's side once with a hint of worry in his eyes. But Xing Bi shared a gaze with him and nodded.
A four years old Jin was crying in the dark room where his brothers, Jian and Nian had locked him up. Nuo had tried to stop them, pulling Jin to her side, but they didn't listen to her and dumped Jin into this room.
His heart thudded and he felt a knot in his stomach, feeling dark all around. Sometimes, he hallucinated as if shadows were creeping onto him.
"N-No…" he sniffled hard and kept wiping his tears, "I want to…to be out…I don't want to be here…Waaaaa…Somebody help me…I will die. I am scared…"
He covered his ears with his hands and shut his eyes, sobbing loudly. His small body was trembling hard with fear. He didn't know how much time had passed, but he felt a hand on his head.
"Jin. Open your eyes."
He froze. He slowly raised his head which he had hidden between his knees. He looked at Jun with his eyes and cheeks stained with tears.
"B-Bro Jun…" he squeaked with a tiny and helpless voice.
Jun, who was eight at that time, adjusted his spectacles and sat beside his brother. He wiped his face and said, "Don't cry."
Jin burst into tears again and begged him. "Bro please…Take me out! I-I don't want to be here. I hate the dark…" he sniffled. "I don't want…to be here," he cried.
"I cannot. You made them really mad."
Jin's face lost more color.
"I cannot let you out. But I will stay here with you," saying that he took out a small toy from his pocket that lit up with a dim light as he pressed a button. He kept it in front of him. "Is it better now?"
Jin gasped through his tears, whose fear of the dark was slowly disappearing as he stared at the toy that faintly illuminated the room. His teary eyes beamed, and he hugged Jun.
Jun patted his head. "Mom is sick. You shouldn't have been stubborn."
Jin bit his lip hard. "I-I just wanted to eat Mom's spaghetti…"
"But she is sick. Do you like to play when you catch a cold?"
"It's hard right if you force yourself to play? You feel weak and just want to sleep."
"It's the same with Mom. She is also weak right now and has to rest."
Jin lowered his head with shame as he understood his mistake. "I am s-sorry…I am really sorry."
Jun bobbed his head and ruffled his hair. "Good that you understand. When Bro Jian and Bro Nian will let you out, apologize to Mom."
Then he panicked. "When will Bro let me out? I d-don't want to be here…" tears pooled in his eyes once again.
"I don't know. But it doesn't matter," Jun smiled and wiped his tears again. "Because I will stay here with you as long as it takes."
As the memory resurfaced in his mind, Jin slowly opened his eyes. He recognized the white ceiling of a hospital and looked around to find Jun beside him.
His eyes slowly widened and for a few moments, he felt as if it was just like the time when they had spent in that dark room where Jun stayed with him. He felt as if he was seeing little Jun's apparition in front of him.
Jun noticed he regained consciousness and leaned. "Jin, how are you feeling now?"
Jin stared at him hard for a longer time until a tear slipped down on the pillow through his right eye.
Jun looked at him shocked. "Jin, what's wrong? Is your temple hurting too much?" The concern and worry in his voice was distinct.
Jin crumpled the sheet in his fist, remembering how it was Jun's bullet that had killed him.
"Yes? I am here. Should I call the doctor?"
"Bro…" a weak snide curled his lips, "Why are you here? It's…not like those days anymore where we were always together. You hate me. So do your part and…" he became slightly breathless, "leave. You don't have to care about someone who snatched everything from you."