Work Text:
Jeongguk found himself waking far earlier than he had intended due to the sun streaming through curtains that he had forgotten to close the night before. Glancing over at the clock set atop his nightstand, he realized he had a little over two hours to get ready before he had to meet his parents—far more time than he needed. He fussed over his hair in the bathroom, making sure it fell just right, slightly parted on the right side. Both his concealer and face powder were applied with a light hand, which led to the decision that a light application of eyeliner and a little brown eyeshadow—softly blended into the outer corners of his eyes to add dimension—would pull his face together.
Leaving the bathroom, he stepped into his closet to put on the clothes he had chosen last night. Stepping back, he looked himself over in the mirror, straightening his tie and brushing some of his dog's hair off of his jacket. Deeming himself presentable, he grabbed his phone and keys from the top of his dresser and made his way out of the house and into his car.
Driving along mindlessly to whatever was playing on the radio, he looked down at the time. He debated with himself because if he sped a little, he could sneak in a quick visit to his brother before he needed to meet their parents. Making a swift decision, he pulled off the freeway and onto the local roads that led to their local hospital. The last week had been a whirlwind, and Jeongguk was sure that his brother could use a friendly face—especially today. He pulled into the now familiar parking garage and luckily was able to park on the right floor.
His legs operated on memory and brought him straight to his brother's room, a place he had heavily frequented over the last week. From the hallway, he could see the numerous bouquets that well wishers had sent, the room now transformed into garden filled with a dazzling array of bright sunflowers, pink peonies, soft white daisies, and orange tulips. Jeongguk stood in the hallway for a moment, reflecting on the events of the last week and how quickly their lives had changed.
His brother's weak heart had landed him on the transplant waitlist almost a year ago. It was something that his family had taken their time to come to terms with. Each time they were told that the wait was decreasing, that Junghoon was moving up the list, it came with a sigh of relief and a weight of sadness for the family out there, just like their own, who was mourning the loss of someone. The last year had passed this way until last week when Junghoon's heart suddenly stopped and he was rushed to the hospital. Their family was informed that medical interventions weren't inducing the right kind of response any longer, and that a donor needed to be found as soon as possible.
Then the impossible happened—a young man had been airlifted to the same hospital and had unfortunately succumbed to his injuries from an accident. He was a donor. Junghoon had been immediately informed of the news once the donor family agreed to proceed and then the next few hours were a flurry of action. Jeongguk watched as his brother was prepped and sent off for surgery, and as his family spoke with the transplant coordinator who had come with a strange request—the donor family was in the hospital and wished to speak with the Jeons if they were comfortable doing so.
Jeongguk had stayed back, feeling that the discussion would be better suited for his parents alone. They had been gone for almost two hours before returning to the room. As it turns out, the Jeons had a lot in common with the other family. They were also Korean-Americans who had moved from Busan, lived in neighborhoods not too far apart from each other, and shared a passion for similar hobbies.
Walking into the room, Jeongguk wasn't at all surprised to see Hyerin at Junghoon's bedside. In addition to receiving a new heart and an opportunity to lead a normal, fulfilled life, Junghoon had also met his true love in recovery. Hyerin had been the nurse assigned to care for him in the transplant specialty care unit and had walked into his room for the first time when Junghoon had been talking to Jeongguk. He had paused mid-sentence in his passionate speech about squirrels being superior to chipmunks when she had walked into the room.
Junghoon had refused to acknowledge the bells at first, blaming what he heard on the noises that the heart monitor and various other medical equipment in the room had been making. Hyerin had been steadfast in her belief that she had heard correctly, though, and after a couple days, Junghoon accepted that he had found the one.
"Hi hyung," Jeongguk addressed Junghoon as he stepped into the room before turning toward Hyerin. "Hi noona. How're you both doing today?"
"Jeongguk-ah, what are you doing here? I thought you were meeting eomma and appa?"
“I am, but wanted to come see you first, make sure you’re doing okay?” Jeongguk said as he sat in the chair next to the bed.
“Yeah, I am Gguk-ah. Nothing to worry about here.” A smile shared between Junghoon and Hyerin. “I’m all set.”
Jeongguk remained in the room for a little while, talking with his brother and learning more about Hyerin. He watched the way the two interacted, still almost strangers but with a bond that was steadily growing. The time came for Jeongguk to leave so that he could be on time, he bent and kissed his brother on the forehead before standing to hug Hyerin.
At the door, he paused, turning back to say something to his brother when he noticed the way the other two were looking at each other while speaking, almost glowing. They still barely knew each other, but the love was there, almost palpable and shimmering, suspended in the space between them. He left then, without speaking, not wanting to break the magic in the moment.
On his way out and as he started driving, he wondered when he would meet his soulmate, if they would connect instantly, or if he would resist the way his brother had. He hoped it would be the former. The rest of his drive passed peacefully before he arrived at his destination. He looked at the brick building as he got out of his car, dreading what was about to happen before going inside and finding his parents amongst the well wishers. He greeted them both before turning toward the center of the room, feeling a pull inside of him to not delay what he knew he had to do.
Jeongguk approached the casket, a heavy weight on him. He felt the weight of loss for a man he had never known, the knowledge that this life had been cut terribly short so that his brother's life could now be longer. There had been photos set around the room of the young man, but Jeongguk hadn't been able to bring himself to look at any of them, looking at the preserved smiling moments forever captured of a man that he had to meet in such a fashion seemed wrong to him.
He reached the opening of the casket and closed his eyes, taking a deep, steadying breath. The weight of all the gratitude sitting on him, mixed with feelings of loss for a man he didn't even know. Wishing that he could express his gratitude toward the other, a thousand words of thanks sat heavily on his tongue as he opened his eyes and looked onto the face of Park Jimin.
The world fell quiet in that moment, lying there was the most beautiful man that Jeongguk had ever laid eyes on, someone who certainly would have been an angel on earth in life. This man would never know the effect his life had on others, would never know the thanks and respect that the Jeon family held for him, would never see the way he sent Junghoon's life on a hopefully long and beautiful path. Maybe in another life, this young man would get to hear the tolling of the bells when he met his one true love because he never had the chance to hear them in this life. As Jeongguk stood there, gazing down upon the other, his eyes filled with tears that threatened to spill over at any second. For the moment that Jeongguk had looked upon Jimin's face, he heard bells.