Work Text:
Jinman’s entire world changed the day he’d decided to reunite with his family.
Initially, he couldn’t see any harm in it. His mother was still alive, aging, and probably worried sick, assuming him dead after his years of absence. He also wondered about his brother— if he’d settled down and married, perhaps even had a child or two. The usual. The life one would expect from their family and siblings. For the most part, Jinman had been correct.
Reuniting with his family had led to a chain of events he regretted immensely. No one had been as safe as he’d first assumed. Enemies somehow remained breathing; the return of a man thought dead, who in turn killed those he cared for— his mother, his brother, his sister-in-law— and almost taking his niece as well.
But that wasn’t the worst part.
When Jinman had first walked through the door of his brother’s home, he’d laid eyes on someone he’d never met before— Jeong Jian, his niece. She couldn’t have been older than four or five; standing between her parents, holding a plush bunny tightly in her arms, and staring up into Jinman’s eyes with wonder. He would be intimidating to anyone of her size, wondering if his towering stature might frighten her. But what’s when he felt it— an overwhelming sensation flowing through his body, catching him off guard and causing his eyes to burn.
Jinman couldn’t recall what exactly had happened in the following moments. All he knew was that he’d passed out unexpectedly. He realised once he opened his eyes, to find himself resting upon a bed. Sitting up rather quickly, he was stunned beyond words. The world looked so different now. He was practically blinded by the sights around him. Colour splashed freely on every object in sight. He was overwhelmed; suddenly curious to learn which were which, having assumed he’d never live long enough to meet his soulmate, nor see colour in all its glory.
A horrifying revelation took all joy from the moment. The reason for his newfound colour was the discovering of his other half. Of all the people, of all the places, of all the possibilities... how could his own niece, a mere child, be his destined future soulmate? He couldn’t dare let her - nor her family - know of such a truth.
Jinman covered his face with his hands, forcing colour from his mind. He never should have come here. He never should have reunited with his family. He should have stayed dead to them, distant; hiding in the shadows. Then Jian would have had a normal chance at life. She would have had parents well into her later years. She could have met someone else and settled with never meeting a soulmate— something common for most.
All Jinman knew for certain was that he could never allow her to discover the truth.
Jian couldn’t recall a time when she saw the world as black and white.
She caught on quickly that she wasn’t like the other children. Her teachers grew concerned the more times she mentioned colour, realising she could indeed see the world that was mostly left to adult eyes. There had been no denying it when she would draw pictures where the subject was always the correct, corresponding colour— unlike other children, who blindly selected colours based on the grey shade as it appeared to them.
Jian recalled a time when Jinman had been investigated. The teachers had come to her home, spoken to him at length, interrogating him to a degree. She hated it; hated seeing the only one in her life treated like a criminal, for reasons she still couldn’t understand at the time. It was only as she grew older, and began to understand what colour vision meant, that she came to know that she had a soulmate— something even Jinman refused to elaborate on, or tell her anything about the person who was destined to be her other half.
Although memories of her early years were hazy, she knew that Jinman was the unintentional cause of her parent’s early deaths. It wasn’t something she ever held against him, even though she missed her mother and father dearly. Not a day passed where she didn’t think of them, or wonder about what their life would have been like, if Jinman had never walked into their home that day. Such trivial thoughts didn’t serve any purpose, so Jian focused on the present, on what she had, and of the man who she now lived with.
Considering the unexpected circumstances, Jinman tried his best to accommodate her. He’d taken her in, given her a home, an education, a chance at a future. Despite that, he’d always remained distant. Far too distant for her own liking. Jian was only human. She craved closeness of the ones she loved. More than simple chatter over meals and a bed to call her own. The future appeared bright by the time she’d finished high school, only for everything to go downhill that fateful day.
When Jinman died, Jian grieved in a way unknown to others. She’d grown to love him to an extent that he never had the chance to understand. For the last few years, she’d assumed Jinman had been her soulmate, even though he’d never mentioned seeing colour. Perhaps it was wishful thinking, or ignorance on her part. Now it was clear how wrong she’d been. If they had indeed been soulmates, then the world of colour she knew so well would have dissipated back into grey once Jinman had taken his final breath.
Jian had never felt so lost. The last person she’d called family was now dead. There was no one else in her life. The man she loved was gone. Her life felt meaningless. Even her own soulmate - whoever they were - had no interest in being by her side. She could understand the struggle with meeting her at such a young age, but she was an adult now, and they still hadn’t made themself known to her. A cruel fate. That was how she could summarise her life. A cruel, unfair fate.
Despite everything, she continued to fight—
When her life was threatened. When she discovered all the secrets Jinman had hidden from her all these years. Murthehelp. The entire underground. Weapons hidden in plain sight. Who was Jeong Jinman to begin with? Everything she’d thought she knew about him was a lie. Jian had no idea what to believe anymore. Was this the reason he had died— for something so trivial? Was this his excuse for all the skills he’d taught her over the years— to fight for her own survival?
Answers remained unheard. She survived. That’s what mattered.
Then the moment Jinman had stepped out of that car - alive and breathing, locking eyes with her - Jian was convinced she’d been right all along.
There was one secret Jinman had left; the one he held in the deepest depths of his heart.
Once he’d brought Jian to his home on that first night, it was difficult to comprehend just how different his life would be from that moment on. Not only raising a child, one he barely knew, but dealing with the fact that he’d been the cause of her family’s deaths. That was only the beginning. Jinman couldn’t even fathom how he would deal with their newfound life together; especially considering Jian held his soul, his other half, the one he was bound to.
A problem for later. She was far too young to understand yet.
In the meantime, Jinman couldn’t help but learn to appreciate colours. He was already in his early thirties, yet experiencing the spectrum of colours for the first time made him feel child-like wonderment. He’d always known that the sky was blue, but couldn’t even imagine how beautiful and colourful a sunset could be— like a burst of warm colours across the horizon. The ocean was a far deeper blue-green than he thought, and even the sun itself wasn’t a bright yellow like he’d imagined in his mind.
Noting his newfound colour-vision, Jinman realised something. He had to ensure this was kept a secret. If others knew, there would be questions. He would be expected to have a partner, his soulmate, by his side. Technically a truth— but the mere thought of others discovering the age gap between the two of them caused his stomach to churn in discomfort. For now, it was best for everyone to be none the wiser.
On the other hand, Jian had always been an inquisitive child. In her early teenage years, questions had begun. The types that he held no answers to, due to his insistence on keeping the truth a secret. He created an elaborate excuse for her ability to see colour. The most important lie was this— convincing Jian that she’d met her soulmate before he’d walked into her life, and that her other half’s identity was information that died with her parents.
A painful lie, but a lie nonetheless. After that, the questions ceased. For a time being.
Faking his death had become a necessity. It was the final trial of Jian’s training, to make use of all the skills he’d inadvertently taught her, and see if she was finally ready to take over Murthehelp. She’d exceeded all his expectations, to a degree he thought not possible. Jinman could admit that in their time apart, he’d gained the time to reflect on how he felt about Jian— how she’d grown to be a beautiful young woman, how strong she was even in his absence, how much he loved her, and in addition, how deeply he longed for her whilst they remained separated.
Laying his eyes on Jian after the hell she’d been through caused something to shift inside his chest. Jinman could feel a change in his heart. Holding her in his arms, he reconsidered the decisions he’d made up until this point. Perhaps now it was time he told her the truth. Despite how much he desired her, despite his own selfish wants and needs—
Jian could make her own decision, without his feelings clouding her judgement.
Jian had sobbed freely against his chest, embracing the man she thought dead, unable to let him go for fear that he’d disappear again. Jinman had winced, both of them suffering from recent injuries, but he’d returned her embrace regardless. She’d never expected to have a chance to see him again, to tell him of all her regrets, of her true feelings, of her desires— and this time, she wasn’t going to wait for the right moment. With enemies remaining, there was no telling what their future might hold, or how much longer they’d have together.
Jinman had cradled her gently, wiping tears from her eyes. He smiled, and she melted. He’d been saying something to her, but her mind was blank. An apology for faking his death, for causing her to endure such an ordeal. But most of all— he confessed to a lie she’d suspected all along. There was remorse in his voice, for two reasons: not only keeping such a lie, but for feeling unworthy of her love. Jian disagreed with such a ridiculous statement, opting to prove herself through actions alone.
They’d returned inside to speak. Everyone else had left. Their place was a mess, barely anything left, and not a location they could stay until many repairs had been made. Jian didn’t care to think about that for the moment. All she could see - all she could think about - was Jinman, and the beautiful world of colours that his presence had graced her with. A man destined to be hers, a person who could complete her, who would remain beside her, no matter what adversity they faced.
Jian had dragged him down, frustrated with the height he held over her. She kissed him, claiming his lips, like a thousand dreams she’d had in the past. They were softer and warmer than she’d imaged. Jinman didn’t fight it, didn’t deny her. He practically melted in her embrace, cupping her cheek, deepening their kiss. His tongue was hot and warm, slipping into her mouth, entwining with her own. Jian felt weak in the knees, only remaining upright thanks to his strength, unsure if she could last much longer like this.
Jinman finally pulled back, regrettably separating the two. Jian gasped for breath, feeling far warmer than mere minutes before. He was staring into her eyes affectionately, confessing his deepest love and desires to her— mirroring everything she’d ever felt about him in turn. She couldn’t believe they’d been so close, yet so far, all these years together. Jian hardly wanted to waste anymore time. She smiled, barely holding back tears as she dragged Jinman closer, resting their foreheads together, taking a moment to relax after such a chaotic few days.
Now that they were reunited, their future together could finally begin.