Dreadful silence fell over the room. Jimin kept looking at Nora, hope and fear intertwining in his eyes, while Nora simply closed hers. Tears were already forming, eyelashes fluttering and Jimin's heart started to sink. "Please don't ask me.." Nora spoke out, voice cracking and barely audible. Yet, it struck Jimin like a lightning bolt. He let go of her hands and cupped her cheeks. "Please, look at me." Jimin begged, and Nora slowly opened her teary eyes.
Jimin looked at them carefully, drinking in the ocean blue, fear of losing this gaze forever overtaking him. "Nora, please..." he asked again, feeling ashamed of his own words. He knew what he was asking of her, he hated the King for asking his mother the same. He knew to what it lead, but deep inside he hoped that their story would turn out differently. "I can't do this without you.." Jimin whispered again, but Nora turned her eyes away. She raised her hands slowly, wrapping her fingers around Jimin's wrists, pulling them even closer. "I'm sorry." Nora whispered back, closing her eyes and letting the tears roll down. "I'm so sorry, Jimin. But I can't.." voice cracking, Nora spoke again.
"I'll never get married. I'll find a way for us to be together. I'll break the royal law if I have to." Jimin started to ramble, eyes scanning her face frantically. Nora released a somber smile. "You know you can't. You know nothing of what you said is possible." Her voice was firmer now, her resolve was getting clearer. Jimin opened his mouth to protest again, but Nora was quicker. "I don't want to repeat history.." her voice, like knifes, pierced Jimin from various directions. "Do you want me to hide here? To only be there for you, when you need me? What about my needs? How do you imagine me spending my life here, in the same place, in the same room where he died?" Nora started to release her feelings on to him, trying to keep her voice as soft as possible. "Do you want to suffocate me in these four walls? Because that is what you're asking of me right now.." Nora whispered out again, still holding his wrists in her arms.
Jimin's heart felt heavy, internal turmoil making it hard to breathe. "I'd have to be locked here. I wouldn't have my own voice, I wouldn't have my freedom. And looking at you.." Nora spoke softly. "Looking at your face, I'd always be reminded of what we could have had.. but didn't." Jimin's hands fell from her cheeks, the feared reality pulling them down in defeat. Nora quickly raised hers and hugged Jimin fiercely, clasping her fingers in his shirt. "I'm so sorry.." She cried out to his neck, and quickly felt tears escaping him too.
"Don't leave.." Jimin whispered into her neck, tears now falling without constraint and Nora's stomach twisted again. She hugged him even tighter, hating herself even more. "I have to." She whispered back. Jimin was unsure what emotion was the most prominent one. He was angry, he was scared. He was heartbroken. All he wanted to do was run away with her now, leave everything behind, stop caring about everyone else and just focus on their happiness. As if reading his mind, Nora spoke again. "I can't stay here, and you can't leave."
Clasping to each other fiercely, Jimin and Nora sat in silence. Holding each other for the last time they allowed the tears run freely, there was no need to hold them in. Hearts breaking in million pieces, they made the choices they had to. Jimin understood why Nora couldn't stay, and she in turn knew he would never leave. Yet understanding didn't make it any easier, all either wanted to do was to stop time and stay like this forever.
Time, however, continued to run brutally. It didn't take long for their peace to be disturbed by Jimin's duties, and with breaking hearts they let each other go. The moment Nora stepped out of the hall, she felt her knees give in. Jin, who was waiting patiently, quickly caught her and helped her stand up. Riding away from the palace, Nora couldn't stop crying for a moment. Tears were blurring the view in front, and all Jin could do was to make sure that she doesn't fall.
After a few days, royal armory brought Nora a crate filled with coins. There was no letter attached to it, but Nora understood who it was from. The moment she opened it, she found a small leather pouch at the top and quickly opened it. Inside laid a slim golden ring. Without even thinking about it, Nora placed it on her fourth finger and surprisingly, it fit perfectly. Swallowing down the tears, Nora promised herself to wear the ring for her whole life.
After a week, everyone received official invitations to the King's crowning. The nobility were invited to watch the whole ceremony in the church, whereas the simple people had to wait outside. Nora didn't receive an invitation to the church, and Jin quickly calmed her down. "In no way he is responsible for these." Jin spoke, waving the invite in his arms. "I'll stay outside with you." He promised, helping Nora relax a bit.
Jin and Nora had been standing outside the church in the plaza, waiting for the newly crowned King to leave. Nora kept thinking why she was there, it seemed quite masochistic for her to do that. She already let him go, she already broke their hearts, what was the point to see the reason of their break up again and up close? Nora kept picking at her nails, feet already losing strength. "I think I shouldn't be here." She spoke to Jin, feeling the knot in her stomach twisting. "You sure?" Jin asked with a worried face. Nora nodded, and he quickly looked around the masses of people, trying to think up a way to leave without a commotion.
Nora looked at Jin, hoping that he'd have a plan already, but they were too late. The church's doors opened and the nobility started to walk out together with the guards. The freshly crowned King walked in the middle, fake smile plastered on his face. Nora glued her eyes on his. Even if Jimin was flashing his pearly whites, Nora saw how desperate his eyes looked. Something got stuck in Nora's throat, she was unable to swallow properly. The knot in her stomach started to twist and turn, she could have sworn she started to actually feel pain. Following Jimin with her eyes, Nora felt tears rising in them. Jin quickly noticed this and hugged her shoulder, pulling her closer, hoping to provide some sort of support.
Jimin was walking right past her when their eyes met. It was just for a small moment, but they saw each other clearly. Nora tried to force a smile through the tears and Jimin simply raised his hand towards her, as if waving just for her. As if showing something. Nora released a small sob, eyes getting caught on the golden ring on his finger. Jin pulled her closer, now caressing her back slowly, face twisted from worry. Nora simply stood there, eyeing Jimin's back as he digressed slowly, creating a barrier of two different worlds between them.
The last time Nora stood in that plaza was no longer than three days after the coronation. A new platform was built in the center, priests and nuns stood around it, creating a certain atmosphere of holiness. People surrounded them too, just this time they weren't happy. Commoners were mixing with nobles, all of them screaming their rage out at the convicted. Ji-yeon stood on the platform, white gown covering her body, a noose on her neck. Jin asked Nora not to come, he almost begged her to stay home, but Nora couldn't. The least that she could do was stand there and accept the consequences of her choices. In a way she needed this, she needed the reality check. Nora had to see everything through, only then she believed she'll be able to move forward.
Yet as she looked at Ji-yeon, Nora's already shattered heart broke in a thousand pieces more. She was so beautiful, so calm. Not a single line on her face indicated worry, her eyes were not scared, Nora understood that Ji-yeon had her resolve set in stone. The King walked on the platform and took a letter from a guard. Nora noticed how Jimin tried to hide his shaking hands, but the paper trembled with them. He read out the royal decree of Ji-yeon's conviction and his voice kept cracking. Nora couldn't even try to imagine how painful this was for him.
It didn't take long for the text to finish, and Jimin walked off, turning his back at Ji-yeon, probably unable to face her. Jin hugged Nora, getting ready to turn her away. A guard walked over to the lever and pulled it. Floor opened under Ji-yeon's feet and Jin quickly turned Nora to his chest, pressing her closely so that she'd not be able to turn back. Even if Nora didn't see anything, she understood that the muffled noises will follow her in her nightmares forever.
Nora was packing her things, getting ready to leave, when Yoongi and Hoseok came to her room. "I hate that you're leaving.." Yoongi mumbled and Hoseok nodded with a pouting lip. Nora quickly turned to her friends and smiled apologetically. "I hate it too, but we all know it's for the best. Especially now, since you won't have any time for me." She giggled, teasing the boys a bit and they too released a smile.
As soon as Jimin got crowned, he made certain changes in the circle of his advisors. He quickly took his friends as the main heads, the only to decline was Jin, passing the opportunity to Namjoon. "Oh stop.. Now you make it feel like it's our fault." Hoseok mumbled and Nora scrunched her nose. "Bad joke, sorry." She apologized, not allowing a smile leave her face. It was the last thing she wanted to do, even thinking of a smile made her feel guilty, but she knew she couldn't leave them without a proper, happy goodbye. "Well, let me not keep you!" Nora spoke a bit louder and stretched her arms towards Hoseok. He quickly ran into the hug, and patted her back before pulling back. Nora invited Yoongi too, and after a moment of rolling his eyes, he hugged her too. "Remember us, ok?" He whispered quietly, and Nora pulled back a bit, wide eyes focused on Yoongi. He gave her an understanding smile, and Nora shook her head a bit. She couldn't help but be surprised at how sharp Yoongi was. "Visit us, ok? And write to us as soon as you arrive." Hoseok spoke and Nora nodded, stealing a glance at Yoongi, who stood there with a sad smile on his face. He knows I won't. He knows I won't do either.
Waving goodbye to the two, Nora went back to packing. It didn't take her long to collect all of her things and she took a last look at her room. Unable to hold herself back, Nora stepped for a moment into Jimin's room, eyes stopping at the bed for a second. Memory of their plans embraced her heart, shifting a boulder on her chest. Clenching her jaw and trying to keep the tears in, Nora quickly turned away and walked towards the exit of the only house she ever called home.
To her surprise, Nora found Jin next to the doors, with his bags packed too."I cannot stay here too." He whispered, looking at Nora with doubt in his eyes. Jin was scared, that Nora would want to run away from him too. He was afraid that she'll only take him out of pity, and he didn't want to burden her more. But nevertheless, he needed to ask. He had to leave this place too, he had to start anew. Even more so, he was scared of letting her go alone, still unsure of where her mental state was. So he simply looked at her, with hope in his heart that she will take him too.
Nora couldn't help but feel a sense of relief. Jin has been nothing but a shoulder to rely on throughout this whole journey, and Nora was happy that he will accompany her further. Smiling at him, Nora tilted her head towards the exit and they both left without saying another word. Neither of them knew where life will take them, but they both understood that anywhere will be better than here.