~*No One's POV*~

In the following days, Sungyeol arranged a funeral in honor of Hye Ri's late parents while Hye Ri mainly stayed cooped up in her house. She refused to go out. Refused to speak. Refused to see anyone. Refused, essentially, to do anything other than cry and stare blankly at the opposite wall while clinging desperately to the teddy bear, her last gift from her parents. If it had not been for Sungyeol who tended for her every need, she might have been granted her wish, meaning she may have been climbing the steps of heaven, just an arm's length of being reunited with her parents.

But it was not so.

Sungyeol would not let it.

He diligently cared for Hye Ri while juggling the funeral preparations at the same time. Even in her unresponsive state, Sungyeol acted as if nothing was out of the ordinary and made it his priority to take care of the shattered girl. Twenty four hours a day, every day, he was beside her, waiting on her hands and feet. He would speak to her, recite stories of faraway places, keep her well fed, provide her his company. He would do anything she desired in a heartbeat.

Knowing she wouldn't want anyone to worry about her, and truthfully, wanting to spend alone time with her, Sungyeol kept silent about her current condition to others, specifically Infinite and L.Joe. Whenever someone asked to see her or how she was doing, he would politely send them off, relaying that Hye Ri was not feeling well. She needed rest and it was suggested that she refrain from having company over.

Without a doubt, his workload was taking a toll on him, and any sane individual would have given up and called it quits, but Sungyeol never once voiced a complaint. As long as it was beneficial for Hye Ri and as long as it appeased her, he was satisfied. All he ever wanted was for the girl he loved to be happy. He didn't want her to hurt any longer.

~*Your/Hye Ri's POV*~

"These two people were beautiful, dedicated souls, and we will miss them dearly. May they rest in peace wherever they may be." The teary eyed woman bowed, backing down from the podium while dabbing at her wet eyes. Sniffles were heard in the audience as they people mourned over the death of the two people I had always taken for granted. I thought I would always have them, but now they're gone. I couldn't even thank them for everything they've done for me. I couldn't say goodbye for the last time. I shut my eyes, drowning in remorse.

It was entirely my own fault that they were gone. If I had it up and stayed strong, if I hadn't made them promise to return for Christmas, they wouldn't have gotten into an accident. I hate myself.

Throughout the course of the day, men and women alike came with their condolences, sharing their grievances with me, sympathizing with my loss. They patted my back, held my hands tightly in their own, pulled me into stiff embraces, yet the whole process passed in a blur for me, I didn't deserve their sympathy. My brain couldn't translate the words being spoken to me --no. It's more like my brain simply didn't want to. It refused to listen because these people wouldn't understand the loss I was experiencing. They would never understand. So the best I could do was blankly stare past them as they spoke, tears continuously rolling down my cheeks without a promise of stopping anytime soon.

Losing a father... Losing a father is like losing the arms that support you, the arms that catch you when you fall. You're left insecure, unbalanced, stripped of a safe haven. There's no longer anyone around to help you up in the hard times, no one to lend a hand when you collapse or hold you to keep you feeling safe.

Losing a mother... Losing a mother is like losing the sun that lights up your skies. You're left lost, without a sense of direction. The being you idolized, revolved around, disappeared in an instant. You're left cold, lonely, no longer caressed by the warmth that radiated from the tender figure.

And losing them both at the same time... you lose your reasoning to live any longer. The world just ceases to exist around you.

I lost both. And now I'm all alone, watching the world collapse around me.

Honestly, I could imagine it. My life. I could imagine it as a flimsy piece of fabric. Fabric is a fragile material, and currently, there was a gaping hole right in the center of mine. A significant chunk had been torn out, an unrepairable gash that left the sheet ruined. I could see it being destroyed; it was tearing, bit by bit at the seams until it was no more. Gone. Leaving me vulnerable to whatever lay in the darkness. As the vulnerability set in, without missing a beat, the birds of loneliness flocked and quickly advanced towards me, circling a few times before landing and laying their eggs of lead in my chest, making my heart heavy. 

A sea of black stretched out before me, engulfing my figure in an overwhelming mass of salty tears. There were so many people surrounding me, mourning for my loss. I should have been comforted, yet in reality, it seems as if their presence has the complete opposite effect. It felt as if the bodies were closing in on me, clutching at my throat and making it hard to breath. It was suffocating. Stifling. And more than anything else, isolating. I have never felt any lonelier.

I hate being alone.

It's frightening. When you are alone, you're isolated, left in the dark with no one by your side. No one to lean on. No one to depend on. In the darkness, you try to call out. You beg for someone to hear you voice, your pleas that are crying for help. You want someone to hear you, you want someone to save you from the darkness, but that's the thing. No one hears. No one comes to help. Whether it's because they can't hear you or they simply don't want to, it doesn't make a difference. In the end, you're still left alone, shattered, sacrificed to the darkness.

I might as well give up. I know no one is coming for me. No one is coming because no one cares. It's inevitable, so why should I cling on any longer? The outcome will always be the same; I'll be left behind while everyone moves on. It's always like that. I want to be saved, but no one is willing to come to my aid.

As if acting simply to prove me wrong, a hand shot out and slender fingers entangled themselves with my own, pulling me out of the dark with a gentle squeeze. Looking up, I was shocked to be greeted by L.Joe's shock of pink hair. He was dressed in casual clothing, as if he wasn't meant to be here. Maybe he wasn't really here..? I blinked a few times, getting my eyes to adjust, yet the image of L.Joe stayed imprinted in front of me. He had me facing him and I couldn't stop myself from being captured by his gentle gaze. He really was standing in front of me.

I wanted to ask why he was here, how he got here, how he found me. There were so many questions swimming in my mind, begging for answers, but I decided not to voice them. 

For the first time in weeks, I could think straight. I was no longer held captive by pessimistic thoughts, and it was all thanks to L.Joe. Right now, trivial things like why he was here or how he got here didn't matter. Without speaking a word, he gently tugged on my arm, motioning for me to follow him and proceeded to tow me away. I gave little resistance, letting him save me from the depressing funeral.

For the moment, all that mattered was that he was beside me. All I cared about was staying close and not being separated from my pink-haired knight.

~*Sungyeol's POV*~

As each guest came and went I respectfully bowed. I tried my best to keep my attention on what they were saying, but the only thing that occupied my mind was Hye Ri. My gaze constantly strayed towards her, hoping that she would at least look at me for a moment, acknowledge I was there, but all she did was stare into the distance, her mind lost in another world completely. She had a lost look in her eyes. I did whatever I could in attempt to make that look go away, but to no avail. She wouldn't respond to me at all. If anything, it felt as if she were drifting further and further away.

Against my better judgment, I dialed L.Joe's cell phone, feeling as if it was the right thing to do. Excusing myself for a moment, I placed the phone next to my ear, waiting for the pink haired boy to pick up while stealing glances at Hye Ri to make sure she was okay.

"Hello?" He picked up on the first ring as if he had been stationed next to his phone, waiting for my call the whole time. "How is Hye Ri doing? Is she better now?" He interrogated me before I could squeeze in a greeting.

"..." I stayed quiet for a moment, contemplating whether it had been a good idea to call him. With one final glance at Hye Ri and a heavy sigh I decided to trust L.Joe. "Don't ask any questions... just come to the cemetary. Hye Ri needs you, and I can't do anything to help her." I closed my eyes, painfully, and ended the call.

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I watched from afar as he approached her, anticipation making my skin tingle. Did I make the right choice in asking him to come? My eyebrows met and pinched together, the frown on my face growing deeper with every step he advanced towards Hye Ri. By the time he was an arm's length away from her, frown marks were permenantly etched into my expression, and I held my breath, waiting for the verdict.

Slowly, his hand reached for hers, tangling their fingers together. My stomach knotted at the sight. I wanted to look away, I wanted to spare myself from the pain, but I forced myself to watch, gauging her reaction.

Almost immediately, she responded to his touch. Her eyes flickered to life and her attention was focused on him, a feat I was unable to accomplish no matter how hard I tried, yet he completed it in a matter of seconds. My stomach turned, and the tight feeling returned in my chest, making it hard for me to breath.

The two held each other's gazes for a moment longer before L.Joe led her away; away from me. I watched her petite retreating figure until she was swallowed up in the crowd, a sad smile lingering on my lips.

Goodbye Hye Ri-yah... Saranghae.