I shook my head weakly while replying haltingly, "I ... have been grieving so much, please, don't ... make me feel sorrow ... more than this."

Yunhee didn't respond to my words as if he didn't hear anything, he even continued his speech.

"When I came to see Lee at his office, what surprised me the most was that he smiled. You know, he smiled. He never even did that when he was in trouble. Of course, it worried me a lot." Yunhee chuckled mockingly before continuing, "If you saw how he smiled at that time, you would see how depressed he had been since losing you."

"I asked him to go see a psychiatrist I know, but he refused on the grounds that he was fine. He said it wouldn't take long. It would all be over soon." Paused for a moment, Yunhee chuckled again, then added, "At first, I didn't get what he meant by that. But, now, I get the point of his words. Apparently, this is what he meant by the words 'this would end soon'. I didn't expect that he would end his suffering in this way—"

"Yunhee, stop. I beg you ..., enough ..., please," I cut his words while shaking my head, not wanting to hear all that. "I was wrong. And I'm sorry. So please ... stop ...."

"You need to know. So—" Yunhee was about to say something, but suddenly he paused.

Out of curiosity, I slowly turned to Yunhee and saw that a big hand had gripped his shoulder quite firmly.

"Didn't you hear him? He said stop," Daehyun said coldly as he continued to grip Yunhee's shoulders tightly. He added, "I exactly didn't want to interfere, but you're going too far. Did you ask him to come here because you just wanted to tell him this?"

Yunhee didn't look tense or scared. He even calmly mocked him by the words, "Oh, here it is, a hero. I can't do anything when confronted with someone in power."

Daehyun gritted his teeth when he heard that, looked like he was struggling to hold his emotions.

Daehyun opened his mouth, about to speak. However, before he could say his sentence, I immediately said to him first in a low voice, "Daehyun, it's okay. Let him go now."

Daehyun was silent for a moment, then turned to me to confirm, "Are you sure?"

I nodded in response.

After that, he said to Yunhee in a threatening tone, "Watch your words next or I'll beat you up."

Yunhee didn't say anything. He just smirked as if he thought Daehyun's words were a joke.

Daehyun glared at him before he went behind to where he was standing before.

After Daehyun left both of us, silence immediately filled the atmosphere. I just kept staring at Donghwa's face, holding his hand gently, while shedding tears.

This was an unexpected journey of our life story. I never thought that he would go first.

When the past was repeated in my head, the memories revealed that it was Donghwa who would survive longer.

However, in fact, I was the one who witnessed him laying in the coffin with a pale face and cold body.

I never expected to witness this moment. After I found out that I had a serious illness, I kept hoping that I would die soon while Donghwa wasn't with me. I thought that it would be better if he didn't see me die.

But, this person was too stubborn and insane at the same time or ... too reckless?

He couldn't control himself.

Donghwa ...

Why are you doing this?

Do you think killing yourself will end everything?

Don't you think about how I felt when I had to be here on the day you died?

If we meet again one day, I won't miss the chance to slap you in the face as hard as I can ...

Thinking of this, there was a stinging feeling in my chest.

Yunhee suddenly spoke in silence, "Park, I'm sorry for telling you that. I shouldn't blame you for this."

I turned to him slowly. There was silence for a moment before replying, "It's okay. I know how you feel. So, drop it and don't talk about it anymore."

After my words, Yunhee was silent for a while, then asked again, "I heard you are going to France with Kim. When are you guys leaving?"

I froze as soon as I heard his question. All I could think of right now was the question: How did he know that? But, asking it wasn't important anymore, so I just kept the question in my head.

Then, I simply replied in a hoarse voice, "It should be three more days."

"Don't you want to wait until his [1]four-ninth day?"

I couldn't answer and be quiet. After all, I had promised someone to always follow him. So, I couldn't determine my life path anymore to survive.

The atmosphere was quiet again. Yunhee seemed to understand my current situation so he didn't comment further. Meanwhile, I just kept silent with sorrow.

"So what now?" Yunhee turned to me with seriousness on his face, he asked coldly, "Have you forgiven him now?"

I suddenly smiled weakly amid my sadness, and there was a steadfastness that rose in my heart like something soft and warm that no words could describe.

I looked at Yunhee for a moment, then return to look at Donghwa again and smile as if there was a firmness carved between this world and the hereafter. I said sincerely, "I forgave him a long time ago. Ever since he came to me to apologize, I've forgiven him at that time. But, I just can't go back to him."

"...."

"Yunhee, listen, I'm sick and I know that I'm dying too. You might think that I'm fine right now, but that's wrong. I'm just trying to look fine." Paused, I added, "My eyesight is getting worse. I'm even having trouble walking again. Therefore, I don't want him to be sad when he finds out the truth. I don't want him to cry over me. However, he is stubborn and keeps trying — even if I say a cruel thing to him."

"But he already knew it all, didn't he? You must also know that no matter how deep you dig a hole to hide, he will overturn the earth to find you." Yunhee spoke calmly, but the calmness in his voice had thorns prickling my body.

I was stunned for a moment. That was a painful truth. Donghwa already knew the truth I was trying to hide. And in the end, I was the only one who endured such deep sorrow for two people at once and lost many things that should have been the most precious thing in my life.

I couldn't even say anything.

After finishing his sentence, we were silent for a long gap before Sunyeon's voice cut the silence from behind.

"Brother Bae, it's useless for you to say that to an ignorant person like him."

[1]On the 49th Day Ritual, the family will burn the deceased's clothes and belongings and hold a ceremony, ensuring that the deceased has no lingering regrets towards the world.