The Broken Dam

They arrived at Joohyun’s house on time that morning. It was around ten and they knew that Jimin just had her breakfast. Tzuyu desperately wanted to go with them, but she had to travel to Busan for her conference right when they were given the approval to see Jimin.

Tzuyu promised them that she was going to see Jimin once she came back. Or leave a message whenever she could. And they promised her that they would update her after their visit that day.

When they knocked on the door, Joohyun was quick to let her and Chaeyoung inside the house, and they settled on the couch while Jimin’s sister went to get them refreshments.

“I’m sorry if I was rude to you last night,” Chaeyoung suddenly said, her voice was soft, and she was looking away from her.

Aeri sighed, but still tried to smile. “Hey, it’s okay. We both want the same thing.”

Chaeyoung pursed her lips and glanced at her for a second before looking away again. “Still, I felt like I was being rude. But I do mean what I said.”

She raised a brow, urging Chaeyoung to continue.

“I care about Jimin. Just like how you care about her.”

Before Aeri could respond, Joohyun came out from the kitchen and offered them water. “Would you like to see her after this?” the older woman asked quietly, as if she was worried that Jimin could hear her.

“Does she know we’re here?” Aeri asked after she finished her water.

Joohyun nodded. “I made sure she understood that you guys were coming.”

Aeri and Chaeyoung looked at each other and then back at Joohyun. “Then yes, if that’s okay, unnie,” Aeri said, absolutely sure with her words.

Once Chaeyoung was done, they were led upstairs a couple of rooms down by the hall, the first thing Aeri noticed was a push cart situated next to the door. There was a plate and a familiar looking container on top of it.

Aeri couldn’t help but smile. Guess Minjeong still found a way to give Jimin cookies and at least there was no cookie left uneaten. As expected of Jimin.

She just hoped they managed to lift up her mood.

Joohyun knocked on the door three times, “Jimin? Honey, your friends are here.” There was no answer and Joohyun waited patiently. But after what felt like forever, the older woman knocked again. “Jimin, it’s just Aeri and Chaeyoung. Like I promised.”

Like she promised? Was Jimin scared of seeing other people?

“They can come in.” A soft voice can be heard from inside and Joohyun sighed in relief. Then she smiled at the two of them.

Before Joohyun opened the door, she held onto the doorknob and turned to them. “Just be patient with her okay? And if she doesn’t budge, don’t force her anymore.”

That made Aeri’s heart clench. But she still nodded.

Joohyun opened the door for them, and they bowed at the older woman before they entered the room.

A part of Aeri imagined that Jimin’s bedroom was going to smell like sweat, dirty laundry and maybe dirt. Because she was aware that Jimin locked herself in this room for almost three weeks. But to her surprise it didn’t smell like sweat or dirty laundry.

It smelled… it smelled like Minjeong.

Aeri blinked when the door closed behind them and saw Jimin sitting down on the floor, back pressed on the side of the bed and her head was tucked between her legs that was covered by a jacket.

“Hey—” Aeri finally found her voice when she saw Jimin. Chaeyoung and her weren’t sure if it was safe to step closer but they still did. “Jimin, it’s us.”

For some reason each time she uttered a word, Jimin would flinch, and Aeri noticed how her hands tightened on her arm.

“D-do you have cuffs?” Jimin suddenly asked.

Aeri and Chaeyoung looked at each other in confusion again and then back at Jimin. “No, I don’t have mine.”

Jimin finally lifted her head and then grabbed a long piece of cloth from beside her and handed it to Aeri, her expression was different, eyes were tired from crying, and she just looked... terrified.

“I might hurt you too—” Jimin was frantic with her words and kept shoving the piece of cloth into her hands. “P-please Aeri. I don’t want to hurt anyone.”

Aeri was quick to throw away the cloth and gently grab Jimin’s shoulders. “Jimin, Jimin, hey look at me okay? Look at me—” She tried her best to make her voice as soothing as possible because Jimin looked like she was going to break again. “You’re not going to hurt anyone, okay?”

Chaeyoung quickly came to view, Aeri gave way and Chaeyoung held Jimin this time, caressing her shoulder gently. “Yeah, you didn’t hurt me the first time. You won’t hurt me again. I know it.”

But for some reason Jimin kept shaking her head, tears were freely falling from her eyes, and she tried to shake away from their grip. “N-no. Chaeng I almost killed you.”

“Hey, you didn’t. Remember? Did you forget that we checked your gun before I left you to have your FaceTime call with Minjeong?” Chaeyoung cooed her, taking Jimin’s hand in hers and rubbing her thumb over it. “You remember, right? It was empty before I left. We checked it together.”

Jimin kept shaking her head. Like she didn’t want to believe them. “I-I still pointed it at you.”

“You were dreaming, dude. You had no control over it.”

And then Jimin dropped herself on the floor and bowed. She quickly tucked her legs underneath her thighs and threw her head on the floor, visibly shaking. “C-Chaeyoung I’m sorry.” She hiccupped, her voice shaking. “I’m sorry. P-Please tell Mina unnie I’m sorry. I-I can be sent to jail. I just don’t want her to hate me. I’m sorry, Chaeyoung. Please. I’m sorry.”

And that was what finally broke them. Chaeyoung fell on the floor and grabbed Jimin quickly, forcing her to get up and hugged her. She hugged her so furiously and Jimin started sobbing out loud.

“I-I’m sorry, Chaeyoung! I’m so sorry!”

“S-shut up! Jimin, I forgive you! Mina doesn’t hate you! No one hates you!” Chaeyoung started sobbing and held her tighter. “Just come home, please.”

Chaeyoung then looked at Aeri, not realizing that her own tears were falling. Chaeyoung briefly took her arm away from Jimin and quickly grabbed Aeri to pull her in.

Jimin was clinging onto her, fisting a part of her shirt as she sobbed in her arms.

“A-Aeri, I’m sorry. I’m sorry, please forgive me,” Jimin cried. “I could have saved her, Aeri. Haerin would have been in high school if I saved her. She would have had Christmas with her family right now if I saved her.”

If there was one thing that people knew of Aeri, it was that she always had her walls up. Not even her parents, nor Jimin, nor Yizhuo, not even her friends had seen this side of her. They didn’t know the real her.

But it took one thing to completely break down her walls. Aeri could hold onto the shackles of her self-control forever, but it broke everything inside her to see Jimin like this.

Like a dam cracking bit by bit and the pressure of the water was just too much, so it broke, and everything started pouring out. Aeri was on her knees, hugging Jimin so tightly and crying out loud with her.

“You did your best, J-Jimin.” She sobbed. “Y-you did everything you can.”

Chaeyoung hugged them both in her arms and Jimin leaned her entire weight on them. “I’m sorry I’m not a good officer.”

Aeri shook her head. “You’re the best. Okay? Just please come home to us. Jimin, please come home. We love you, Jimin. Please come home.”

Aeri was already in the parking lot of her apartment building. But there was something still festering inside of her that she didn’t have the motivation to get out and go back home.