If she were to choose a favorite color, it’d be black. She’s always loved black. Black is elegant, classy and ever so accessible. Black offers everything a cloud of mystery, covering part of the truth. Black manifests what is inside of her mind through the funerary clothing she wears.

Looking around the crowd, all she sees is black clothes and sickly white, painted faces. Clouds gather above their heads and the wind starts to blow. Soon, it will rain.

What a joke, she mentally laughs out at the possibility of even the sky mourning his death.

Why can’t they see the truth?

Hyera and Taehee have come to a communal accord on cremating the body.

“For dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” The priest says, and Taehee feels like sneering again.

How pathetic.

He’s turned to ashes without a holy prayer or a service. The body was burned in a proportion of sixty percent. Though everyone still says it has been Kim Jongin. But then, why does she feel like she’s biding goodbye to another, to a complete stranger?

Should she move on? Is that it? Should she forget that she ever loved Kim Jongin, and that, at a point in her small and insignificant life, she considered him The One? If yes, then how? She could cut open her chest and pull out her heart, though that won’t help much.

Hyera is the first one to step away from the crowd, to walk towards the vase sealed behind the glass, and place one bouquet of bloody red roses in front of the small shrine, decorated with candles and pictures.

Jongmin is precisely one month old. He has surprised everyone by showing his strength, despite being a premature infant. In most cases, newborns coming to life before the due date tend to be weaker, so they need monitoring and whatnot. But looks like Jongmin’s organs have developed correctly, him turning into a healthy, though slightly anemic child.

He was born on the twenty-third of August, last month.

It took a while for Jongin’s supposed body to be handed over, because the doctors had to run lots of tests on the corpse, making sure it was him and whatnot.

After Hyera, it’s Taehee’s turn to step over to the vase and place down her own bouquet, consisting of orchids. Honestly, orchids are her favorite flowers, and their strong scents is believed to cross the worlds, so maybe, if he is indeed over there, he might feel her scent and be reminded of her.

Taehee will do anything, as long as he won’t forget about her, about Jongmin.

The siblings’ relatives have come to the service. Again, Taehee feels like throwing up. Those are the sick people who have turned their backs at the siblings, when they needed help. But then again, tragedy tends to make people curious. Especially when death doesn’t knock at their door.

As the service ends, the crowd disintegrates, everyone going back home. Honestly, Taehee, nor Hyera have been in the mood to hold dinner for the so-called mourning people, so that was it.

“Are you alright?” Taehee asks the older woman, who is wiping her tears with a handkerchief.

“I’m not.” She then confesses.

Indeed, how can someone be fine under such circumstances? The clouds are getting thicker with rain.

Just as the two walk towards Hyera’s car, with their arms linked, a familiar figure comes closer to them. What used to be a gorgeous -symbol is replaced with a skinny and sickly looking woman. The long hair which used to be cared for is now simply tied in a tail by the nape, and the simple black dress seems to be too loose on her. Her long legs are only bones, and even her cheeks seem hollow.

Taehee notices that she’s applied too much face foundation and powder around her right eye – probably trying to hide a black eye – but she does not mention it. It has nothing to do with her anyway.

“Haeun,” Hyera says in a whisper.

“Unnie. My most sincere condolences.” The said woman whispers, as thin arms close around Hyera’s figure.

“Thank you.” She replies weakly.

Haeun then turns towards Taehee and hesitates just for a second, before embracing her as well.

“I’m sorry for ever causing you hurt. Please forgive me.” Haeun bursts out in a round of tears, while still in Taehee’s embrace.

However, she caresses her back, shocked to feel the bones sticking out. Still, she tries with a soothing voice that everything’s settled between them.

“I can’t wait to meet Jongmin.” The tall woman says with a forced smile, once the embrace is broken.

Taehee nods and promises to introduce her son to her, once he grows a bit. Eventually, Haeun has to go. The two watch her retreating back with worry, especially seeing how Sehun had been waiting for her next to his black and shiny Jeep. It almost seems like’s waited for her so he could slam the door for her, nearly catching her foot in the door.

Shivers race down her spine at the sight.

“Come on, let’s go check on Chanyeol and the children.” Hyera suggests and Taehee agrees.

Chanyeol has been Inhye and Jongmin’s babysitter for the day. He has such a way with children.

However, just as they’re about to go, another car stops before them, a bloody red Mustang. A woman steps out from it and Hyera gasps immediately. Taehee has no idea why, until the woman walks closer. Then, she can spot the similarities.

This woman seems