"And I never prepared for a moment like that
In a second it all came back..."

The moment their palms touched, their fingers clasped on each other's hands, the two of them released a small sigh, an unreadable expression plastered on the both of them. The two of them knew that this situation felt eerily formal, but they knew better not to be anything less than what they are right now. His sweaty hands were in contrast to her cold palms, the sensation making him internally shiver as they pulled away from each other, his hand wiping the sides of his trousers, her hands clasped in front of her as they stood across from each other. 

She drinks his appearance in: a white band tied by the forearm of his suit, his hair down and parted in the middle, his complexion could be compared to a new canvas, the white of his eyes drowning in red either from the tears or from the fatigue, or maybe even both. But there was one thing she was sure of as she stood right in front of him, he was just as beautiful and as damned as she remembered. 

“Have you eaten—“ she started to reach out to him, but as she took in the sudden stiffness in his body language, she paused halfway, retreating back to herself by folding her hands together again with a sigh. 

“I’m sorry.” She spoke. “That was a stupid question.”

He doesn’t say anything. Instead, he tried his best to mask all of the emotions he’s feeling at once after realizing that she’s actually standing right in front of him right now. He blinked a little too rapidly, squeezing his folded hands together as he tried to breathe properly. 

“PD Noh was a wonderful man.” She sighed, looking back at the picture on top of his coffin, but he kept his gaze still on her as she continued. “He was a supportive man with a lot of wise words to say at a given time. He was such a bold man with a wonderful vision, and a big heart as well. It’s such a shame he was gone too soon.” 

“You…” He suddenly trailed off. “You've worked with him?”

“I have,” she replied with a nod. “Actually—“ 

“Ji Hyun-noona.” Soo Jeon interrupted, and she suddenly shifted her attention to him, approaching him with an apologetic expression, placing a comforting hug with a few pats on his back to console him. 

“I’m so sorry for your loss, Soo Jeon.” She spoke as she pulled away from him. “Your father was a wonderful man, and I know he’s in a better place right now.” 

“Thank you for your kind words, noona.” He replied with a bow towards her, a small smile on his lips. “Come, I’ll you to the dining hall.” 

She nodded towards him, before looking back at the other man who stood by the coffin, who was staring at her with the same intensity as she did. His lips were ready to speak at that moment, and she knew it. But she knew that he had to greet the other guests as well, and she knew that this entire thing was so sudden for the both of them. So, she bowed towards him one more time, before walking to the doors that led to the dining hall, her kitten heels clicking on the tiled floor as she fiddled with the buttons on her black trench coat.  

"I was supposed to visit him again three days ago," she started. "But when I was about to go to the hospital..."

"It's alright, noona." Soo Jeon smiled feebly. "I'm thankful enough that you found your time to visit him when he was hospitalized." 

She smiled at him as well, looking at him intently. "Are you alright? Have you eaten anything? Why don't you come sit down with me and eat?" 

"I still have a lot of people to talk to, noona." He replied, giving her a curt nod. "But, I appreciate you offer. Thank you for your concern." 

She sighed at him. "Are you sure?" 

He nodded in response, and she sent him off with a bow, before turning to the dining hall; somber people wearing clothes as dark as the atmosphere that settled within each other. She took a seat by an empty table, bowls of soup and plates of kimchi, pork, and side dishes were laid out in front of her. She looked back at the guests roaming, chatting, and even laughing as they drank their soju shots and spoke stories to each other. She pressed her lips together once more as she grabbed the chopsticks by her side, but a figure suddenly loomed by her table, and just as she raised her head, she was met by the familiar eyes of an earnest woman. 

"Eomoni." she breathed out, before standing up and bowing towards her. As she stood straighter, she kept her head down from her vision, not willing to find whatever is hidden in the expression on her face at that moment. Given the past events, she probably would expect an uptight and cold expression on her face, but her next words made her feel another level of shock. 

"How are you, my child?" She spoke softly towards her. "It's been a while since I saw you."

She kept her head down still, feeling the shame creeping up on her body. "You know, it's okay to look me in the eye. I'm not mad at you." 

She shut her eyes tightly, releasing a sigh from her body as she raised her head up to meet the old woman's gaze. The warm, welcoming expression on her face was enough for her to fall at her feet and ask her for forgiveness. She felt as if she didn't deserved to be smiled upon by her, and the old woman knew that as she gently wiped the unnoticed tears that fell from her eyes. 

"Let's sit down together," she hushed as Ji Hyun hiccuped her sobs. "We have a lot of talk about, don't we?"

They sat down on the mats, side by side as Ji Hyun felt his mom's hand rub up and down her back, the other trying to wipe her tears. "You know, I haven't seen you cry this much since the last time I videocalled you. It seemed so sudden, doesn't it?"

She nodded, trying to suppress the tears from coming out her eyes. "He was such a wonderful man, and I'm guessing you've worked with him before."

The woman was met with another nod from the girl beside her. "I'm guessing you two were very close, weren't you?"

A nod from the girl, and a sigh fell from the old woman's lips. "Ya, I'm here. Look at me, Ji Hyun." 

Eomoni grasped her face with her two hands to face her, and she feels another wave of embarrassment as the woman wiped her tears with the pads of her thumbs, small, careful swipes placed under the skin of her eyes carefully, the same way he used to do in the past. The sensation felt familiar, and a little too painful if she may add, not in the touch, but the memory that stuck behind that touch. 

"You saw him, didn't you?" The woman asked, and she cringed to herself.

"He was in the memorial area when I arrived." She whispered to her. 

"Finally," she sighed. "I got a word out of you." 

Ji Hyun chuckled to herself as the woman kept wiping the tears that were streaming from her face. "I feel so shameful standing in front of you." 

"I'm stuck on the fence if you should be or you shouldn't." The woman bluntly replied. "I'll be frank that it was both of your faults in the first place, but it didn't have to end so soon and just like that." 

"It was for the best, eomoni." She breathed out. "It was bound to happen either way." 

The woman sighed as well. "You k