Chapter 55:

“Last Farewell and Truth”

Only in the agony of parting do we look into the depths of love.  ~George Elio

P.S. The answer to the last trivia is Humans! (clap2x!) Amazing guys! Thanks!

Previously on TCOATH:

A short silence then---- the doors of the emergency opened and came the doctors that attended their father… Hae Jin saw from where she stood the image that would be painted on her memory, the memory of her father being covered by cloth up to her face, the secretary standing beside her father sobbing… another doctor shaking his head and saying something to the secretary… before the other doctors that came out said something---

“No, No, No, No… no…”-Hae Jin almost fell backward if Ji Hoo didn’t hold her, she clasps her hand to , muffled cries gave in…

“I’m so sorry… there’s nothing we can do…”-One of the doctors says it and everyone fell into silence, as the doctor left, Woo Bin’s face was blank, confused… and couldn’t believe anything…

“O…Otoke…”-Hae Jin pulls away and runs to the emergency room, she slowly walks toward the cold body of her father, she lifts up the cloth and stares at the frozen image… she traces her fingers at her father’s still black locks of hair…

“*sniff2x** a..apa….”-Hae Jin hugs her father, leaning, putting her head over her father’s cold chest… sobbing, helplessly…

“A..pa…apa… wake up… jebal…apa….weoyo!!”-Hae Jin sobs, shouts to no one… shaking her father… everyone got teary-eyed… eventually Ga Eul clasps her hand to , stopping herself… tears flowed on the faces of Jan Di and Ga Eul, even the known cold Jae Kyung couldn’t bear it she hugs her shocked boyfriend…

“Aish!! Why!!!? How could you do this!! Come back… apa… jebal!”-Hae Jin grabs the sheets cries aloud…

The helpless Ji Hoo couldn’t do anything… he stood there nothing to do…

Continuing:

AT THE SONG MANSION…

HAE JIN’S POV

A day has passed and here I am, In this large cushioned seat called sofa sitting alone, being greeted by people… people who in my life I’ve never met… they hold my hand and offer comfort, saying they know what I feel… but do they? Do they know that my heart aches? Do they know how I feel such regret? Do they know that I yearn for a chance to travel back in time for my father? My thoughts were instantly blank; I found myself pathetic and did not realize the tears falling to my bare knees that are shown from my skirt… I bit my lip as I stare a bunch of people shaking their heads as they approach my father’s coffin… that feeling---- the time at my mom’s wake, the same feeling I hated, now I feel it again… A hand rested on my shoulder, as I turn my head to that person… my brother’s face welcomed me, then----

“Hae Jin-ah, you have not eaten nor slept a bit since yesterday”- Oppa’s face was different not the usual care-free, but replaced of a face of regret and loneliness… I pulled him immediately into a hug…

“Oppa…. *sniff2x* he’s really gone…”-I sob in his arms letting go everything, I felt him look up to the other’s who were about to approach us but he stopped them…

“I’ll take you to your room okay?”-Oppa pulled away and holds my hand, pulling me up away from the  sofa, as I walk… I saw bunch of black suited men carrying boxes, I instantly realized it was fathers’ when I saw a picture frame of us when we were young…

“Jammkamman… what are you doing?”-I approached them gaining curiosity

“Uhmmm… that’s classified for now milady, I’m so sorry but we---…”-One of the guys spoke

“Andwae! Return it, it’s my fathers’ things… you cannot touch! ---.”-My voice echoed and everyone heard my raising my voice….

“Hae Jin-ah, they asked for my permission… I agreed, since father’s secretary ordered it”-Oppa grab my shoulders…

“What?”-I turn around at Oppa, and the suited guys continued to take the boxes out

“He said it was father’s wishes”-Oppa looks at his feet; I dropped the subject and didn’t bother about it…

AT HAE JIN’S ROOM…

I lie in my bed face staring at the ceiling, head blank… I’m not doing anything and yet I’m sighing so much, wanted to sleep but I can’t…. so I decided to get and grab a robe and wore it…

I slip my head out of the room, looking side to side if someone’s there

“No one”-I whispered to myself, I hurried my steps, tip-toeing myself to my father’s room and same time his personal office…

I stand in front of his room frozen, it took courage out of me to hold the handle. The cold metal touched my hand, I slowly turn the knob and peeks inside first to ensure no one’s inside…

After confirming no one’s inside, I let myself in… I inhaled his after scent; I saw some scented candles beside his desk… I remember when I was young mother would light a candle for father, so he can relax every after work…

I approach his desk and sat on his chair, the fact that he will never be able to sit on this chair again dawned to me… my heart sank again, I touch my chest bit my lip and got teary-eyed again..

“Wheww… Hae Jin-ah pull it together…”-I tried to convince myself, I realize that all of the drawers we opened except one… I tried to open the drawer but realized there’s a combination.. I tried multiple combinations, Oppa’s birth date, father’s birth date, Omma’s birth date, my birth date but no success

“What could be the combination?”-I said to myself then it struck me, I entered a combination then

*Click*Combination granted

I got teary-eyed again…

“It’s you and mom’s wedding anniversary date…”-I whispered to no one, I slowly opened the drawer, and I thought something classified was there… but it was a small photo album only... entitled “My Precious Treasures”

I flipped the pages and gasp on the photos, photos I have not seen for such a long time… when me and oppa were still kids and mom’s picture was there…. The pictures still contain father’s smile on it… some pictures:

A picture of me and oppa playing bubbles at a picnic, another picture of me and oppa on a restaurant; oppa kissing my cheeks… then another photo when I was a bit older, with Yi Jeong-oppa teaching my pottery, is that every photo he writes notes on it……

"Good thing the weather today was good, i brought our camera and adjusted it's effects...

it turned out beautiful, here are my most treasured possesions playing"

"My Precious Hae Jin cried because we missed the show, so we decided to go to a restaurant

her thoughtful brother landed a chaste kiss on her cheeks to cheer her up"-

never cry my precious, appa is always here

"Little Yi Jeong here taught our Hae Jin pottery, i know in the future this brilliant kid will be a good friend of my daughter"

-doing good Hae Jin-ah

I closed the photo book sobbing and wipes the tears again then---- I saw a cabinet near his desk and open it, I saw bunch of medicines… I don’t know what for, then I immediately search them using father’s computer…

“Wait... father’s not asthmatic… I think”- I said to myself, didn’t realize that someone was standing few meters away…

“Hae Jin-ah… why are you here?”- Ji Hoo-Oppa’s face full of worries

“Oppa… do you know someone, that can pull up my father’s medical charts?”-I asked

“Why?”-He asked while walking towards me and stand beside me in front of the computer

“it’s just… I saw these…”-I gave him the bunch of bottles from the cabinet

“Wait… these are medications for asthma and for a pulmonary infection…”-He said while reading the bottles

“We’ll have a problem, a privacy between the doctor and patient will take effect”-Ji Hoo says as he stares at me but fishes his phone and dials someone

“Yobeoseyo? Uhmm… Good Evening Doctor Min, I know that you’re the doctor who attended for Mr. Song… can I ask for his medical chart?... I know, I know… but there’s something her daughter wants to know… please, she deserves to know…chinja? Thanks so much… please send it on my email now please thank you…”

After few minutes of waiting, the email arrived and we examined the chart

“Your father has been diagnosed COPD known as Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, its cause is mainly smoking or air pollution…”-Ji Hoo-oppa says out loud as he reads the chart

“But I heard father stopped smoking 5 years ago…”-I said

“Yes, but you see this illness is progressive, he could have been diagnosed by that time but when he stopped… it didn’t help… it progressed…”-he said

“So you mean, he’s been suffering this whole time? Why… why didn’t he---…”-I said hugging the photo book to my chest… Ji Hoo-oppa’s arms wrapped me in his embrace… securing me…

AFTER 3 DAYS OF WAKE: AT THE CEMETERY…

Everyone was present, everyone was there, one by one they speak at the podium…. Last farewells…

I sat between Ji Hoo-Oppa on the right and Jae Hyun on my left, both have been very helpful to get me through this… after everyone spoke their piece. The funeral continued, after father was buried, after everyone left…. I just stood there in front of his tombstone…

A few silence then---

“Hae Jin-ah… we need to return to the mansion immediately…”-Woo Bin-Oppa approaches me

“Huh? Why?”-I asked

“Father’s secretary called for a emergency meet there… he’s gonna read father’s last will and testament”-Woo Bin-oppa says as I go wide-eyed

TO BE CONTINUED…

Trivia:

“Any questions you ask I immediately provide you an answer,

I store each memories and thoughts whatsoever.

I can be on top, portable or even large enough to fit a whole room,

I’m always updated and I can assure you I won’t be replaced anytime soon.

Almost everything I control,

I’m a superhuman without a soul.”

What am i?

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Hello guys! 2^nd update!

P.S. from now on, I’ll post trivia’s and if it just so happens that someone will be able to answer that… more than 4 people… I’ll update, if I have the chap ready…

Staying as Humble-Goody2shoes ♥