DK led Sana and Mina into the house by the farm, the weight of the situation casting a solemn atmosphere over them. The space was filled with people, faces marked by grief and sorrow. DK's mother, a kind and gentle-looking woman, greeted them with a soft smile that held a tinge of sadness. She extended a warm welcome despite the circumstances, her voice carrying a touch of melancholy.

"Thank you for coming," she began, her tone tinged with a mixture of gratitude and sadness. "I want to say that I'm happy to meet you both, but I understand that given the circumstances, such words don't feel quite right."

Sana and Mina exchanged glances, their thoughts seemingly miles away from the current setting. Their minds were consumed by the heaviness of the situation, the abruptness of everything.

DK's mother's gaze turned distant, her eyes reflecting a deep sense of empathy. "Dahyun… she's a really good child. It's hard for me to wrap my head around how unfair the world can be sometimes," she uttered, her voice trembling.

Sana and Mina listened in respectful silence as the woman continued to speak. "You know, her relationship with her father… it wasn't good. In fact, it was quite strained. But even a bad relationship can weigh heavily on a person, especially when it's with someone so significant in their life."

She went on, "I can't help but wish that things could have been different for her… that she could have found some closure or understanding, no matter how difficult that might have been."

"Um, excuse me, but would it be okay if I stepped away for a moment?"

Both DK and Mina exchanged puzzled glances, clearly unsure about Sana's sudden request. The woman nodded understandingly, offering a supportive smile. "Of course, dear. Take all the time you need."

Sana quickly made her way out of the room with brisk steps, while DK's mother and Mina exchanged another look, curiosity evident in their expressions. DK, however, seemed to already have an idea.

"Where do you think she's going?" Mina asked in a hushed tone, her brows furrowed in curiosity.

His lips curved into a faint smile, "To look for Dahyun," he replied quietly.

//

On the other side of the farm, Dahyun was engrossed in her task of cleaning the chicken coop, her movements methodical as she tried to find solace in the mundane. The sound of the wooden door creaking open reached her ears, but she didn't bother to turn and acknowledge the arrival.

Sana cautiously approached Dahyun, her voice soft yet persistent. "Dahyun…" She called out the girl's name, her voice carrying worry and care.

"Hey, Dahyun."

"Dahyun… look at me."

"Kim Dahyun."

Dahyun's grip tightened on the pail of water, her knuckles turning white as she focused on her task. Sana's voice reached her ears, but she remained resolute in not turning to face her friend. She wanted to hide her vulnerability, to shield herself from the pain that had engulfed her.

"Dahyun!" This time, Sana's voice held a touch of urgency as she reached out to grasp the pail, attempting to pull it away from the girl's grip. A brief struggle ensued, both girls vying for control over the pail until it slipped from their grasp and clattered onto the hay-strewn ground.

"What do you want, Sana?!" Dahyun's patience waned, her voice was laced with frustration and vulnerability, a reflection of the storm that raged within her.

"I want you to stop shutting me out!"

Dahyun's eyes welled with unshed tears, a mixture of emotions flickering across her expression – anger, sadness, and a hint of desperation. "I don't need anyone's pity," she said, turning away.

"This isn't about pity, Dahyun. It's about honesty and trust."

"You wouldn't understand, Sana."

"No, I don't fully understand your pain, Dahyun. But that doesn't mean you can shut me out or lie to me."

Dahyun's voice rose, her emotions spilling over. "You're right, I lied! I lied because I didn't want anyone to see that weakness in me. I didn't want you to see the scars he left behind."

Sana's frustration was evident as she took a step closer, refusing to let the other girl push her away. "You think I'll see you differently because of your past? You think less of me, too? That's not fair, Dahyun!"

"You don't get it, Sana. I've spent years building walls to protect myself. I thought if I showed any vulnerability, people would hurt me, leave me, just like he did."

"But we're not him, Dahyun. I'm not him. I'm your friend, and I want to be here for you."

Dahyun scoffed, shaking her head, "Why does it matter? It's all in the past now."

"Do you have any idea how this is making me feel?"

The other girl's response was defensive. "Don't make this about us, Sana. This is not about us. I didn't want to talk about it, that's it."

Sana's eyes blazed with a mix of hurt and anger. "This is about us, Dahyun. It's about me, about you, about our friendship. You know what hurts? All this time, I've been pouring my heart out to you, talking about my messed-up family, and you've been sitting on something this significant. You've been carrying this burden alone, while I've been too self-absorbed to notice. Do you know how that makes me look? Like an insensitive jerk who couldn't even see that her friend was going through hell. And you know what? It hurts that I feel this way. It hurts that I feel like a terrible friend, just because you didn't trust me enough to tell me the truth."

"You know that I didn't mean to make you feel like that."

"I know you didn't mean to hurt me, Dahyun. But you did, and I can't just ignore it."

With a heavy sigh, Dahyun began to speak, her voice quiet yet filled with a raw honesty that left no room for pretense. "My father… he wasn't a part of my life. I never knew him, not even a single memory, a single moment to hold onto. He left before I was even born." Her lips curled into a sad smile. "My mother and father... they weren't exactly in a loving relationship. I don't think he ever wanted me or her. I was an accident, a mistake that he didn't want to be a part of. See, I grew up without him, without any knowledge of who he really was."

As the words flowed from Dahyun, her voice began to waver, her composure slipping away like sand through her fingers. She blinked back tears, her gaze distant as she tried to find the strength to continue. "I've been working at this farm...his farm," she said, her voice now a whisper, "but I've never really seen him. He avoids me, and I've been avoiding him too. It's almost like we're strangers in the same place."

Tears welled up in her eyes, and she finally let them fall freely, her vulnerability exposed. "And then... I saw him. For the first time. In the hospital. Sick, weak, unconscious." She choked on a sob, her hands trembling as she wiped away tears. "It was the only time I looked at his face. The only time I saw him, and I realized... I look like him. I look like the man who never wanted me, who never saw me as his child."

Sana's heart ached for the other girl, her own tears mingling with those of her friend. She reached out, enveloping Dahyun in a tight embrace, offering solace and understanding. "Dahyun, I can't even begin to comprehend the pain you've been carrying."

Dahyun clung to her, voice muffled against her shoulder. "He's my father, but I've never been able to call him that. I've never been able to forgive him for never being there." She choked out, "No matter how much I've tried to build walls, to protect myself from the world's cruelty, it's like life keeps finding ways to remind me of its harshness. No…no matter how much I shut myself off, it doesn't change the fact that the world is still out there, waiting to hurt me." Dahyun's sobs intensified, her voice a fragile whisper as she continued, "I don't even know what my life is supposed to be about anymore. It's like I'm drifting, I... I'm drifting."

"I'm sorry, Sana. I should have told you... I should have trusted you with the truth."

Sana's own voice was gentle, her fingers brushing back the girl's hair as she tried to offer solace. "Hey, you don't need to apologize. None of this is your fault. And I... I should be