34.

The young lady tilts her head upward, for a second finding it hard to believe her own eyes for a majestic view that comes to her sight. Even the residential area is already extravagant itself, the house that lies in front of her pair of orbs is beyond fabulous. This is the only house in this neighbourhood that owns a traditional concept, like a government official’s residence from Joseon era.

“Jisoo…?” She turns to her friend that had just come out from the car, pulling the former back to reality of why did they chose to come here. Meanwhile the latter wears an expression of doubt with her furrowed brows and lips pursed as she pivots her head to left and right. “Are you sure this is it…?”

“Well, according to this–” Jisoo waves her phone with a note shown on its screen to her friend, “–this should be it.” She pauses, feeling uneasy by her friend’s decision of coming to that place. “But Eul, are you sure?” That one question receives a calm gaze from the other. “You really have thought this thoroughly? Of what you are going to say, and all?”

“Getting this one info about that kid was tough enough, I won’t waste it. And I’ve been hesitating for too long, Soo.”

Ga Eul sighs, at the same time fixing the white scarf wrapped around her neck before inserting her hands in her jacket’s pocket, fighting the early winter breeze.

“Let’s go, before it gets any colder.”

And so both of them draw their steps towards the place upon the latter’s command, together with courage that she plucked for the past months since the accident happened. It doesn’t even crossed her mind at first, perhaps as she was too occupied with the grief and new responsibilities that she had to carry in a blink of an eye upon her father’s passing but after a while, all her worries channelled to the person her father saved that day. Only then Ga Eul realized that she should find the boy, thinking of the trauma that the incident would cost him.

There is no normal people that would not have hesitated if they were in her shoes yet in the end – after series of pondering it alone, also discussing with her mother and Jisoo – the young lady chooses not to spend any seconds longer on faltering about it.

For the boy might be having a hard time too. Perhaps more than her.

Ga Eul feels responsible to comfort that young kid, telling that none of this was his fault.

Yet the universe was never on her side or even anyone’s, as the only news that both she and Jisoo heard from the housekeeper arrives like sky falling down directly on top of her head, reading the piece of paper that been handed afterwards had Ga Eul wobbling before her knees meets the ground, reflecting the disaster that she’d caused by her hesitation.

“The owner of this house died in a car crash two months ago, leaving their sons behind. But then not long after that, our bright Hwan sadly passed too. Just last week, his brother left this house. Never knew where he went to, we contacted their relatives but we never got any calls back. And we found this note from Hwan in his brother’s room. Poor young master Kim, he had to deal with his whole family’s passing at a very young age.”

If only she never holds back.

The corner of those lips curl as soon as she caught the sound of door being opened, waiting for a cheerful face of her daughter’s comes greeting. However things flies far from her expectation, Madam Lee’s gaze then falls to her daughter’s fingers in one quick glance before trailing up to that face again, seeing traces of dried tears on those rosy cheeks. Worries grow in her heart as Ga Eul didn’t say a word, only dashing in to her room without sparing even a glance towards her and Haneul in the living room.

Noticing the behaviour, the boy turns his head immediately facing his mother, brow lifted, “Ma?”

“Hm.” She only hums with a nod, indicating her being aware of it. Her eyes pinned to the closed door of her daughter’s room as if she could see what is going on the other side. “She won’t open it.”

“Surely.”

Haneul leans to the front, picking up the remote control to turn the volume down just enough to hear if anything is going on in that room. But nothing could be heard. Not even sobs.

“I wonder what happened…”

The mother seals her lips shut yet never tearing her gaze away from the door, full of concern. The only person who would know the reason behind of this would be one, and just when she thinks of asking him, he is already knocking on the front door, entering afterwards.

“Auntie.” And apparently Jongdae is no different than her daughter, he is clearly as devastated as Ga Eul. “I’m so sorry, but Ga Eul…”

“She’s inside.”

“Hyung, did something happened?” The boy tilts his head to look up to the other, glancing to his sister’s room in between. “Did you two fought again? It’s been a while though…”

Seeing the young man could only sigh without an actual answer, Madam Lee gets up – at the same time tugging on her son’s sleeve. Aware of Haneul’s confusion, she sends a signal by narrowing her eyes to the outside, leading to the latter’s understanding as he quietly leaves to take his coat that is hung by the door, stepping aside from whatever this situation is.

“Waiting out here would bring no good, that kid wouldn’t open that door.” The mother then ambles towards Jongdae who silently stands in the middle of the room with his lips pursed and eyes on that one door, patting his arm lightly. “You look as terrible as her, Teacher Kim. You should go home first. Wash up, get some rest.”

“But, Auntie…tomorrow…”

“She doesn’t know it yet?”

Jongdae shakes his head weakly, distraught of what happened for the past hour. His gazes now fall down to the floor, eyes b with tears.

“Never mind then,” she smiles thinly, though her own self has zero idea of the current situation, what she sees now is enou