The Secret of The Swan: Ch5

Jimin strode into his apartment and smiled as his father in the living room. “Hello, father! I hope you’ve had a good day with uncle,” he greeted, bowing with respect. His father blinked once at him. He sat in his chair, not moving. He hadn’t been able to move in three years.

Jimin’s father, Pilwoo, was a detective- the best in Daegu. He was assigned to help discover the identity of the infamous Swan, one of the largest human traffickers in the world. He had gotten very close to The Swan, saw a glimpse of him before the warehouse he had pinned him in had gone into flames. He had to flee to save his life, and The Swan did the same. He had managed a feat that no one on the right side of the law was able to accomplish-to see The Swan in person. He was so close, but he slipped right through his fingers.

After that incident, The Swan laid low. Anyone with contact with him had disappeared with almost no trace, but he somehow kept the human trafficking ring going. There were theories that The Swan had died in the warehouse that day and his trade taken over, but he returned to the scene three years ago.

Jimin had been working the night that The Swan sent his man. He had come home to find his father within an inch of death. He had been in the hospital for months in a coma until he finally awoke- but in a completely paralyzed state. All he could do was blink his eyes to communicate. He recently began to be able to move one of his fingers. Jimin was filled with hope that this could lead to a possible recovery, but he just had to be patient.

With questioning from the police, his father revealed that the person who came had explained that he was sent by The Swan, and this was his revenge. With that being revealed, The Swan was well and alive, back to being hunted by authorities all over the country. His father left in a state to no longer be able to live a full life again.

Jimin had been through a depression through all of this and only got through with the support of his uncle. His uncle made it possible for him to still work to help support his father. Together they traded shifts to tend to their hero.

Jimin’s hatred for The Swan could not be measured. He never could understand how someone could be so evil and immoral. He thought about him every time he saw his father, which was The Swan’s goal. He wanted his father to suffer-to die would be merciful. The man that The Swan had sent had been vocal about The Swan’s wishes for his father. Jimin could never imagine being in the state his father was. He knew if his mother was alive, that seeing her husband in this state would kill her.

Jimin’s mother had died shortly after giving birth to Jimin due to natural causes and it haunted him his whole life since finding out. He carried the guilt even though his father had assured him that his mom would be happy to have given up her life for Jimin. He wondered why his father didn’t hate him for taking away the love of his life, but he was treasured by his father more than anything. He was always supported and loved, so Jimin would do anything he could for his father, especially in this state.

“Do you need anything?” He asked his father while waving to his uncle who was heading out the door to his job. Pilwoo blinked twice. “Okay, father,” Jimin smiled, pecking him on the cheek. He went to the kitchen to make himself some ramen and sat back down with his father. “Let me know if you need anything.”

They sat together as they did every night, tv flickering on their eyes, Jimin’s a reflecting pool as he held his father’s hand.