“I’m sorry to tell you this but your husband’s brain activity is gone. Right now the only time that is keeping him alive is the life support.”

 

“So he’s basically a vegetable?” Jane covered trying to muffle her whimpers with Taeyeon’s dad at her side comforting her.

 

“Yes, that is the only thing keeping him going. You have a decision to make, keep him on the life support or take him off.”

 

Her sobbing grew louder and louder as Mr. Kim tried his best to comfort because about the news with his brother and Jane’s husband. “Jane, Jane” he called out to her kneeling on the ground keeping her up. “I know this is a hard decision, but you know what has to be done.” He started to tear up. He didn’t want to even think about it, but he would rather end his brother’s suffering.

 

She looked up at him seeing her brother-in-law’s tears forming. She cupped his cheek and gave his a slow nod and faced her attention to the doctor. “Can we have a moment with him?”

 

“As much as you need.” He walked out and closed the door to give them their privacy for their farewell.

 

She walked to his bedside and grabbed his hand. Mr. Kim was on the opposite side. “Brother, our memories together from childhood to now will not be forgotten. I hope you see mom and dad up there.” His tears started to flow down. “Tell them I said hi and to watch over our family.” He didn’t show his face because he knew he couldn’t let anyone see him like this. “I’ll miss you big brother.” He went over to his sister-in-law’s side and put his hand on her shoulder. “I’ll be outside.”

 

She touched his hand and nodded. Once he left her alone with her husband she let the tears flow. “Honey, I thought we were going to grow old together, but it seems you left before me.” She swallowed that lump in . “But at least you got to see our baby girl grow up.” She smiled just of the memories of the two together. “She is your pride and joy and you know she will keep doing you proud.” She pursed her lips letting out her remaining tears. “She’s going to be sad that she wasn’t here, but I think that’s best.” She sniffed her running nose. “Like your brother said honey, watch over your family and that means especially Seohyun.” She smiled saying her last goodbye. “I love you sweetie, I always have and I always will.”

 

She walked out of the door letting the doctor know that it was time to let him rest in peace. Once they went in she started walking to her brother-in-law her legs fell down to the floor, sobbing and sobbing her broken heart out. He came over and held her tight sharing the same pain as her. “He’s in a better place Jane.” He said in between sobs. “He’s not suffering anymore.”

 

“I know he’s not.” She broke away from their embrace. “I’m just really going to miss him and I know she is going to too.”

 

They looked at each other giving a look and knowing what it meant.

 

----

 

Yoona sat back in her chair rubbing her belly. “That steak dinner was good Taeyeon.”

 

“Well that’s because everyone passed their final exams for the fall term!”

 

Everyone was at the house because Taeyeon wanted to celebrate everyone passing their final exams.

 

“Ah that’s so sweet of you Taeyeon.” Krystal said to her.

 

“Yeah babe, thank you for the dinner.” Jessica kissed the chef’s cheek. “You want me to help you with the dishes?”

 

“If you don’t mind.” She smiled and got up to gather everyone dishes. She noticed that Seohyun wasn’t really being herself at the table. “You all right Seohyun?”

 

She furrowed her brows. “I don’t know, I have this weird feeling Taeyeon.”

 

“Are you sick?” she put down the plates and checks her cousin forehead. “Your head isn’t burning. Hm? Well go rest for a bit and drink some water okay? I check again in an hour to see how you’re feeling.”

 

She nodded. “Thanks for the food tonight Taeyeon.” She got up and went to her room.

 

Taeyeon and Jessica proceeded to the kitchen to do the dishes and clean up the area a bit while Yoona, Krystal, Sunny, and Tiffany sat in the living room waiting for the couple. Taeyeon had a few more plates to wash when her phone started ringing. She answered it and put the phone between her ear and shoulder keeping her hands at the task of finishing the dishes. “Hello?”

 

“It’s dad sweetie…”

 

She brightens up at hearing his voice. “Dad! How are you?”

 

“Not so well sweetie. Is your cousin there with you?”

 

“She’s resting upstairs she wasn’t feeling good for some reason. Why what’s the matter?”

 

“Taeyeon we had to take your uncle off of life support…”

 

She dropped the dish that she was cleaning on the floor making pieces scatter everywhere.

 

“Taeyeon you okay?” Jessica paid attention to her seeing Taeyeon in a shocked state.

 

Taeyeon put her index finger and on her lips telling Jessica to be quiet. “When?”

 

“Just awhile ago. His brain activity stopped earlier today.” He paused “Your auntie and I are here. We thought we should let you know before we told Seohyun.”

 

Taeyeon’s knees went weak and almost fell over before catching the kitchen counter to hold her up. “You want me to tell her?” she tried to keep her voice from breaking but couldn’t help but form tears in the corner of her eyes.

 

“Your auntie isn’t really up for it, she’s still kind of out of it and I don’t think I should do it...”

 

Taeyeon took in a deep breath. “I’ll go do it right now. Can you let me know of the final details once you know?”

 

“Yeah…”

 

“Okay, bye dad. Love you.” She hung up and finally fell to the floor and start bawling.

 

Jessica didn’t know what was happening but she quickly went over to Taeyeon and held her tightly rocking her back and forth. “Babe, what’s wrong?”

 

Taeyeon’s words didn’t easily come out. Her breaths were irregular since she couldn’t stop her emotions. “My…Seohyun’s dad…” that was all she could say before crying again.

 

Jessica didn’t take long to figure out what she meant. She just gasped and kept holding her. “I’m sorry Taeyeon…”

 

Taeyeon cries quiet down after awhile because she knew she had to tell her cousin. It took her awhile to catch her breath once she did she got up and composed herself. “I’m okay, I’m okay now…”

 

Jessica watched her walk away trying to keep herself from collapsing going to Seohyun’s room. Taeyeon’s heavy footsteps finally made it to Seohyun’s room. She knocked lightly expecting her to be asleep. She quietly opened the door. “Seohyun…” she said softly.

 

Her cousin got up, as she couldn’t fall asleep. “Yeah…”

 

She slowly started to break down again. “It’s your dad…”

 

She started to shake her head ‘no’. “No…no, no, no, it can’t be.”

 

Taeyeon’s tears fell down to the floor and started to slowly shake her head ‘yes’. “They took him off life support a while ago…”

 

She couldn’t hear Taeyeon anymore. She felt like she couldn’t feel anything. She didn’t feel her eyes start to water or feel that lump in . Her life at that moment dropped and only thought of one thing. “Why didn’t she tell me she was going to do it?”

 

Taeyeon sat besides her. “I don’t know Seohyun…”

 

“Why didn’t she let me say goodbye to him?” she held her face in her palms letting the tears run down her arms.

 

Taeyeon just held onto her. “I don’t know Seohyun, I’m sorry I don’t know.”

 

They sat there crying in each others arms letting out all of their heart break from losing their family member. After awhile of crying, both of them felt numb.

 

“When is his funeral?” Seohyun finally said, as all her tears were gone.

 

“They said they’d tell me when they set it up…”

 

They laid on Seohyun bed starting at the ceiling in silence.

 

“I guess I know why she didn’t tell me…”

 

“What?” Taeyeon looked beside her.

 

“She wanted me to have good memories of him. She didn’t want me to see him like that…”

 

Taeyeon just looked back up at the ceiling because she didn’t know what to say.

 

“She didn’t want my last memory of him to be like that…”

 

“Your mom really looks out for you.”

 

“Yeah…”

 

----

 

Jessica went to the living room once she finished up in the kitchen and sat beside her sister.

 

“Where’s Taeyeon?” she asked since they’re both attached to the hip with each other.

 

“She’s upstairs.”

“She didn’t help you?” Sunny got up and was about to tell Taeyeon off for having Jessica do her cleaning duties.

 

“Sit down.” Jessica said coldly. “Seohyun and Taeyeon need to be alone with each other right now.”

 

“Huh?” Sunny slowly sat back down. “What with them?”

 

Jessica just stayed quiet and it made the atmosphere awkward.

 

----

 

Jessica was laying in bed waiting for Taeyeon to come back from Seohyun’s room. She was worried but thought that Taeyeon and Seohyun needed time to themselves knowing that their family member has passed. She was about to fall asleep and then finally Taeyeon came through the door. Eyes puffy and it look like she could barely move. “You okay?”

 

She just nodded her head not saying a word and climbed into the sheets and held Jessica. She just embraced Taeyeon letting her know she was there. “I’m going to be staying at my dad’s starting tomorrow. I’m taking Seohyun with me, I don’t know when we’ll be back.”

 

“Did you make the arrangements with work?”

 

“I’ll call them tomorrow and let them know…”

 

Silence engulfed them for a brief moment.

 

“Is Seohyun okay?”

 

She sighed. “Yeah, she finally fell asleep…”

 

“That’s good…” she looked at Taeyeon who buried her head between Jessica’s neck and shoulder. “Do you want me to go with you tomorrow? I would be happy to help.”

 

“If you want… we’re leaving in the morning. We can stop at your place to get some clothes.”

 

“Mhmmm.” She kissed the crown of Taeyeon’s head. “Get some sleep taengoo”

 

----

 

“Hey dad” Taeyeon greeted him at his front door.

 

He gave her a big hug and let all three of them in. once they were all inside he gave his niece a very much needed hug. “How are you?”

 

She tried to put a smile on her face but it came out half-heartedly. “It’s taking time, but it kind of hard to grasp that he’s gone.”

 

“I know sweetie.” He let go and faced her. “Your mom is in the guest room.”

 

She bowed and went to go see her mom know that she needs comfort, but actually they need to comfort each other.

 

Mr. Kim turned to Jessica. “And what are you doing here young lady?” he smiled and gave her a hug.

 

She patted his back while they hugged. “I came here to help out with things.”

 

He had this big grin on his face after hearing those words. “Is it too early to call you my daughter-in-law?”
 

“Well I already call you dad so it’s not too early.” She smiled and looked at Taeyeon who was laughing to herself. “What?”

 

“Sorry, this is just a nice moment during this bad time.” She turned to her father. “What need to be done dad?”

 

“Well two things are covered, his casket and headstone are done.” He sighed. “Just need to get him a new suit drop it off and pick it up at the dry cleaners and we have to go and get food for after the service.”

 

She glanced at her father’s eyes and can see that he hasn’t gotten a wink of sleep thinking that he was arranging everything since yesterday. “I go do the rest and you, auntie, and Seohyun just stay here.”

 

“Are you sure?”

 

“Yeah dad, you need rest.” She heard paws running against the wooden floors coming towards her. “Hey Tuco!” he greet her with the same excitement as last time. “Hang out with this dude for awhile and just rest dad”

 

“No I-I need to get these done.”

 

“Dad!” she argued. “I’m here, I’ll help and take care of these things. You’ve done more than enough. It’s time to do my share for uncle!”

 

He hung his head down and smiled. “I guess I passed down my stubbornness to you”

 

“That and many other things dad.” She smiled. “So please, rest and go comfort uncle’s wife and daughter. Me and Jessica can handle this”

 

----

 

They drove into town to drop off his suit at the dry cleaners. “Babe, you hungry.” She said keeping her attention to the road.

 

“When did they say to pick it up?”

 

“In an hour or two so we have time to eat and pick up the food for the service.”

 

“Then yeah okay, here should we eat?”

 

“There is this really good noodle place that my dad and I use to go to when I was a kid.” started to water. “It’s been a very long time since I had them.”

 

“Okay then! Let’s go!”

 

The drove to the noodle place and didn’t realize that they were being tailed by someone in a car behind them and keeping a safe distance.

 

----

 

The day of the funeral, they got done with the service and all headed Taeyeon’s father’s house. The house was packed of people sending their condolences to the family members. Taeyeon was busy in the kitchen handing out food and of course making pastries with the help of Jessica.

 

A girl underdressed for this occasion came into the house thinking it was just a gathering of people. She was of course looking for Taeyeon going through every room and finally landing her sights on the girl. “Hey” she said with a mischievously.

 

Taeyeon looked up and saw who she least expects on this day that was only for friends and family of her uncle. “What are you doing here?!”

 

Jessica put the last batch of éclairs in the oven and turns her head seeing this girl she hates with a burning passion of ten thousand suns! Like a bull she just saw red and was about to unleash hell on this woman.

 

Taeyeon held her back and tried to calm her down. “Don’t, not here.” She turned her attention to Hara. “I said what are you doing here.”

 

She took a piece of tomato from the salad and ate before speaking. “You come here a lot with Jessica? You never took me to see you father let alone your whole family.”

 

“Hara leave, this isn’t a very good time to be pulling this bull.”

 

“Well it’s already a party with all these people here”

 

Jessica couldn’t hold back any long and lunged at her grabbing her by the collar of her jacket. “You need to get out of here now! Before I lay a hand on you”

 

Hara pushed her off and people went to go grab Mr. Kim because of the commotion in the kitchen. Seohyun heard the chatter coming from the kitchen and went in there and got furious seeing a girl who isn’t welcome at all.

 

Without thinking she just went in there and hit her so hard square in the nose and broke it. “Why are you here!?” hot breaths came out of her and nostrils biting down hard grinding her teeth. “My father just died and you have the nerve to come here and cause trouble!?”

 

She regained her thoughts and her eyes widened at the fact that she didn’t know this was a gathering of someone passing away. “I-I-I’m sor-”

 

She grabbed her on her wrinkled collar forcibly walked her out and threw her out of the house. “Don’t you ever come near me or my family again!” she slammed the door on her face and rest her back on the wooden door letting out big breath trying to regain her composure.

 

Taeyeon and Jessica stood there shocked at what Seohyun just did. Never in her life has Taeyeon seen her cousin unleash like that ever. She was always sweet and innocent. Taeyeon reached out to her and touched her shoulder. Seohyun flinched at the contact and Taeyeon retracted her hand “hey, you, you okay?”

 

She took another deep breath and pushed her hair out of her face. “Yeah” and went back to the people in the house and act the way she was before.

 

Jessica and Taeyeon just looked at each other shocked about what she did.

 

----

 

Hara sat outside holding the bridge of her nose to stop it from bleeding anymore. Her conscience letting her know she hit an all time low in her pursuit of Taeyeon. She sniffed and got in her car and left back home to her friend Nicole.

 

When she walked through the doors Nicole turned her head and saw this bloody mess on her face. “Oh my god! What happened?” she rushed over to the kitchen and put warm water on a cloth and dabbed her face cleaning it up.

 

“I think I’m going to stop…”

“What?” she stopped wiping her face.

 

“I’m stopping with what I’m doing, I realized I need to stop.”

 

“Did her girlfriend do this to you?”

 

“No” she shook her head. “Her cousin did…”

 

“Why did she do it?”

 

She took a breath. “I really messed up, I followed them back to her hometown thinking they were doing a family gathering at her dad’s place…”

 

“She doesn’t like you I’m assuming?”

 

“Now she really doesn’t because I thought what was a family gathering was a funeral service.”

 

Nicole gasped and covered . “You didn’t!”

 

She shook her head in shame. “You were right, it’s not good to mess with someone’s life. It comes back at you ten fold.”

 

“Well karma is a Hara.” She took a look at her now clean face. “Your modeling job starts in a week, what are you going to do?”

 

She touched her nose and winced in pain. “It’s broken, I need to go to the hospital.” She grabbed her car keys. “And don’t worry, make up does wonders.”

 

----

 

Another round of people gave their condolences to Mr. Kim. He was just going through the motions and didn’t pay attention to their presence.

 

“Hey Dean.” A very feminine voice called out to him.

 

He stood there shocked at who was in front of him now.

 

“I’m sorry about your brother Ray. He was a really good man.”

 

He got his mind straight and finally started to talk to his wife who left. “I know he was.”

 

She saw the look on his face. “I’m sorry for not letting you know, but I wanted to pay my respects to him.”

 

He cleared his throat. “Thank you.”

 

Her smiled faded a bit. “Is she here?”

 

He didn’t say a word and just stared at her for a bit. Still trying to see if this is real or not. “Yeah, she’s here.”

 

 

 

 

 

hello everyone! i feel like i haven't updated this story in a very long time i will edit later because i think i have a few things to correct. i hope you enjoy this update because writing it was kind of intense! i hope you all have a very good week! stay safe everyone! :)

thank you for the subscribers, upvotes, and comments! :)