Sarang sat on Nari's bed, her back resting on the headboard as she placed her right hand on her tummy. She had grown that habit of placing her hand on her tummy since the time she began showing. Her gaze was fixed on her future mother-in-law, who sat on the edge of the bed near her. 

The two of them were gazing at each other. Nari was biting her lower lip as if she was contemplating something and Sarang knew by now that she wanted to discuss something important with her. 

"Mom, did something happen?" Sarang finally let out carefully.

"Sarang, I'm going to share something very important with you that Jungkook would never share. But since he is planning to spend his whole life with you, I feel that letting you know about this is important. Just don't reveal to him that I've already shared this with you. Just act oblivious like him." 

Nari's pleading eyes furrowed Sarang's eyebrows. He was planning to spend his whole life with her? So did that mean he was planning to marry her soon? If so then why wasn't she aware? It wasn't like she would reject him because she herself was planning to propose to him. She loved him immensely and was more than ready to dedicate her whole life to Jungkook. But still, he should share it with her.

"Yes, he is planning to marry you." Nari's confirmation widened Sarang's eyes. "I shouldn't have revealed this because he was going to surprise you. But since he was planning about this, I just felt that I should talk about his past with you. About what happened on the first of September and why he doesn't go to work on that particular day."

Sarang finally understood Nari's point. She wasn't wrong and Sarang's respect for the woman only increased, because even though she was Jungkook's mother, she somehow didn't want anything unfair to happen to Jungkook's future partner.

"I'd reveal something right away without beating around the bush. Hana isn't Jungkook's daughter." The major revelation widened Sarang's eyes and she let out a shocked "What?" as if a nuclear bomb had dropped on her heart.

Without responding or confirming her statement, Nari got on her feet and made her way toward her wardrobe. She opened it and pressed a button. Soon, a door opened and there was a room. 

A shock took over Sarang's face. She couldn't help but stand up as well. She carefully followed Nari who began turning on the lights of the room and waited for Sarang. Somehow she guessed that Sarang would follow her.

Hana and Sarang had been to this room numerous times. But no one could have imagined that there was a secret room behind Nari's wardrobe.

Once Sarang made her way inside, her eyes roamed around the place and the whole room was covered with photo frames of Jungkook with a baby, who Sarang assumed was Hana; with photos of a couple holding the same baby; there were some family pictures too; and now Sarang was sure that if Hana wasn't Jungkook's daughter than she was that couple's. However, who were they?

"He is my older son Ji-Woon and his wife Hee-Jin. They are Hana's parents. They were." Nari mumbled the last part as her eyes teared. 

"Wasn't Hee-Jin Jungkook's ex-girlfriend?" Sarang voiced out. As long as she remembered, that was the name that Jungkook mentioned while he was talking about Hana's mother. It was just once but she remembered the name clearly.

"He lied. Hee-Jin is Hana's mother but not Jungkook's ex-girlfriend." 

"Then what happened to them and why did Jungkook lie to me?" Sarang inquired; her face was puzzled as she wasn't understanding anything. She glanced at Nari, expecting a reply but instead, she walked further inside and brought a wooden short stool and placed it near Sarang, guiding her to sit. 

Nari brought another stool and placed it in front of Sarang, sitting on it as she took Sarang's hands in hers. 

"It was Jungkook's twenty-sixth birthday. His brother brought a beautiful cake at midnight. We all were really happy. We celebrated his birthday, just the five of us. When your Dad asked what gift Jungkook wanted, he asked for his permission to allow him to make a career as a photographer. Jungkook loved photography but his father had other plans for him. Ji-Woon was supposed to take over the company and his father wanted to give Jungkook another position in the company. But both my sons were against that. Both of them wanted Jungkook to follow his passion, especially Ji-Woon because he sacrificed his dreams for his father and he didn't want Jungkook to do that."

"On that day, they had a heated argument and his father yelled at both of them because they weren't listening to him. Ji-Woon had a habit of leaving the house whenever he was angry because his temper was really bad. If he indulged in a fight, no one could control him. Hence, just like any other day, he grabbed the car keys and left the house. Hee-Jin was worried and so she followed him. She asked Jungkook to look after Hana as she was sleeping in their room. Hana was just five months old at that time. Hee-Jin trusted Jungkook with Hana, so she asked him to take care of her till they returned. However, they didn't return that night and we got the news that they were met with an accident."

Nari was crying rivers by now and Sarang's eyes watered too. Sarang couldn't even imagine a child getting orphaned, parents losing their son as well as a daughter-in-law, and a brother losing a sibling on his birthday. 

"Jungkook... He felt guilty because every birthday he asked for his father's permission and Ji-Woon being the older brother took Jungkook's side, making the three of them fight. But that night, we lost them and since then, Jungkook stopped celebrating his birthday. He would mourn for their death by staying alone in his room and crying his heart out. On that day, he promised them to give the love of a father to Hana. On that day, not only did they die but Jungkook made sure to wipe their existence from our lives as well, not because he hated them or felt guilty. But because he never wanted to let Hana know that she became an orphan because of him, and he was just her uncle and not her father. He gave his whole life to Hana. He began living a fake life where his ex-girlfriend died, leaving their daughter for Jungkook to raise all alone."

"He took off all these photos from our house and warned us to never mention them. We were forced to live this fake life too, for the sake of Hana."

Nari began weeping while Sarang couldn't help but take the crying mother in her embrace. The two of them cried for more than 10 minutes. Sarang felt bad for her future family's sorrows while Nari was mourning for the loss of her first son as well as how her second son stopped living his life and let the burden of his responsibilities take over him.

"However, here is the thing which we got to know from Yoongi after one year of their death." Nari continued once she calmed down a little and Sarang was all ears. She released herself from the hug and sat straight, grasping Sarang's hands again after wiping her tears.

"Hee-Jin and Ji-Woon were childhood friends. The two of them were 4 years older than Jungkook. But since the time Jungkook grew up, he began liking Hee-Jin. Jungkook had always been an introvert. So he never revealed it to anyone other than Yoongi, who is Hee-Jin's real brother. When Jungkook was twenty-two years old, Ji-Woon showed him the ring and shared that he was planning to propose to Hee-Jin. That was when he got to know that they were dating. After that, Jungkook decided to let go of his feelings for his brother. And after their death, he decided to dedicate his whole life to Hana and the company; both the responsibilities that his brother left him." 

After listening to everything, Sarang's heart swelled with pride. If Jungkook could love Hana so much and give his all to her, even though she wasn't his daughter, then what would he do when his own child was born? The man had the ability to give his everything to their child. 

Sarang was really impressed by Jungkook's dedication and she was sure that she chose the right man. So in short, this was Jungkook's first relationship too. This was the first time he got physical with a girl as well. No wonder he messed up so many times. And even though Sarang fought with him, he never fought back. He was always ready to apologize just for the sake of love. Jungkook indeed loved her a lot and she was ready to dedicate her all to her man too. 

If Jungkook never shared about his past with Sarang, even she would keep this from him. If he wanted to give the love of a real father to Hana, she had decided to do the same. The secrets he kept from her would always be kept secret even by Sarang, and she would make sure of it, to never reveal them to Hana even when she grew up. She was their first daughter, their real daughter.

Indeed, blood relations matter and those make you related. However, love matters more and it makes you a family. 

A strong bond has nothing to do with blood relations, it has everything to do with the heart that beats for you. It has everything to do with how you are ready to make compromises because you love someone even though they aren't related to you.

Hana might be related to Jungkook as they belonged to the same family, but still, he wasn't her real father. And even so, he was ready to give her the love of a real father and make sure to fall for a girl who loved Hana just like her real mother. His whole sacrifice was worth it. Hence, if Jungkook asked Sarang to marry him the next day, she was ready.

The man who had been living his life for everyone around him, now Sarang had decided to dedicate her whole life to her selfless man. This was the day her love and respect for Jungkook only increased. And she was sure that she was the luckiest one to have him in her life. She promised herself to cherish him forever. 

"Mom, don't worry! I'll take care of Jungkook as well as Hana. And I promise you to not let Jungkook know that I know about this phase of his life. Also, I will make sure to help him move on and I will change the whole meaning of the first September for him. He will be happy on that day every year and I won't leave him alone on that day to cry anymore." 

Sarang decided that she would talk with Jungkook and make him agree to get married on that day. If not birthday, she would give him another reason to celebrate and be happy. Little did she know that Jungkook had already decided to marry her on that day.

And after hearing Sarang's promise, Nari's heart felt peaceful. She might have lost her older son, but the thought of losing her only alive son- mentally and emotionally was killing her all these years. At least he would start living his life happily from now onwards. And if she had to do this every day just for the sake of Jungkook, she was ready to break all the promises that she had ever made to Jungkook. She was desperate to see him happy because she knew he deserved it. And alas, his happy days were closer. 

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Did you see this coming? 

How was the major twist? Was it too shocking?

And did you enjoy reading this chapter? Lemme know your views about everything.