Chapter 22

The man introduced himself as Choi Hyun, but Yunseul didn’t recognize him. Yunseul felt uneasy that a stranger knew his name. The man seemed somewhat familiar, but Yunseul had never heard the name before.

“I’ve never met you before. How do you know my name?” Yunseul asked, feeling certain that this person had the right information since he had blocked Yunseul’s way and mentioned her name.

The man reassured, “I’m not a weirdo, don’t worry.” He smiled friendly and extended his hand. However, seeing Yunseol’s suspicion, she took a step back.

“I’m a friend of Seo Ji-hyuk,” he explained. Yunseol was taken aback by the mention of Ji-hyuk’s name and was about to express her doubt when the man quickly added, “Ji-hyuk is a friend, so don’t get me wrong.”

“You’re friends with…?” Yunseol inquired, puzzled.

Yun-seol was puzzled about why Seo Ji-hyuk’s friend was there and how he knew where Yun-seol worked. “Yes, that’s right, I’m Seo Ji-hyuk’s friend,” the man confirmed.

“But… why?” Yun-seol questioned, feeling confused. After a moment, the man explained.

“Well, we met at the hotel restaurant, but you don’t remember.”

“Oh…” Yun-seol recalled the restaurant and realized that Choi Hyun must have been the person next to Ji-hyuk on that day, he was so focused on Ji-hyok that he didn’t notice the person beside him.

Curious, Yunseol asked, “What are you doing here?”

“I’m your ex-husband’s friend; shouldn’t we be friends too?” said the man.

“Ah… Can we talk somewhere?” Yunseol asked. However, the man insisted on speaking there, which made Yun-seol uncomfortable. Although Yunseol had nothing specific to say, she was concerned about what Choi Hyun could say, especially given Choi Hyun’s unusual expression.

After a brief pause, the man took a deep breath, as if gathering his courage, and began to speak.

“Ji-hyuk doesn’t know I’m here, and he didn’t ask me to. As a close friend, I’m prepared for criticism, and I understand it’s not my place to interfere in other people’s love lives,” he said.

Yun-seol was perplexed and attempted to explain his reluctance by stating, “…I’m not sure what you’re trying to say, but…….”

Despite Yun-seol’s efforts to end the conversation, the stranger insisted on him listening. “Please, just listen. Ji-hyuk is leaving Korea soon,” he revealed. Yun-seol was surprised.

“He’s planning to leave everything behind, go abroad, and never return to Korea,” the man continued.

Yun-seol was taken aback by Ji-hyuk’s decision to quit everything.

The stranger then dropped another bombshell: “The name of Ji-hyuk and Yun-seol’s child is…Dahl, your baby moon.”

“Dahl?” Yunseul’s eyes widened as she heard the word. Despite her want to ask as to how the man knew the child’s name, she was unable to speak.

Did Ji-hyuk tell him? Yun-seol was left in shock.

“Your baby moon is in Bongandang” The man’s words caused Yun-seol’s eyes to dance with confusion. Her heart raced, and she asked. 

“Yes, she’s at Bongandang. Ji-hyuk is…” The man’s statement was left unfinished, creating suspense.

“He brought her to Bongandang right after the moon died” the man disclosed.

“Oh… moon, I didn’t know,” Yun-seol responded, surprised. The idea of Bongandang hadn’t crossed her mind.

She thought she was the only person who knew there was a moon. The maternity book appeared to be proof that the moon existed, but it wasn’t.

The moon, too, had a place in the man’s memory. Yun-seol had saved the moon’s memory, thinking it would go away one day. The man went on to say, “A beautiful child… He brought her to the mausoleum so she wouldn’t be forgotten.”

The moon, too, had a place in the man’s memory. Yun-seol had saved the moon’s memory, thinking it would go away one day. The man went on to say, “A beautiful child… He brought her to the mausoleum so she wouldn’t be forgotten.”

A moment later, a taxi arrived at the Bongandang building. “We’re here,” the driver announced.

However, Yun-seol was lost in her thoughts, and it took a moment for her to realize. “Maam, we’re here. maam?” the driver repeated.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Yun-seol apologized, still caught up in the overwhelming information.

Yun-seol paid the taxi fare and immediately stepped out of the car. She gazed up at the building.

Behind her, the taxi driver offered her the change, but Yun-seol just closed the door. In front of the mausoleum where the taxi had left, there was nothing but silence.

“I can’t believe it was so close. I thought it was out of reach.” Yunseul thought.

Although she knew she needed to move forward, her feet felt heavy. The desire to run and greet Dahl was strong, but she kept holding himself back.

The deserted surroundings seemed lonely and frightening. Tears welled up in Yun-seol’s eyes, and she quickly wiped them away with the back of her hand. It had been a long time since she had seen Dahl, but she couldn’t let her see that she was crying.

Yun-seol’s face crumbled into a mess as she neared the mausoleum, overcome with emotion. She eventually entered the building after a long period of crying.

Moving towards Dahl’s room on the top floor, a mix of regret and longing surged through her.

Various regrets poured down with each step. She was surprised and couldn’t believe it when she learned Dahl was in Bongandang. Instead of hurrying there, she sat in her workshop and wondered.

Did he go to see Dahl every day? Or did he construct a mausoleum? Why? Hasn’t it all ended already? Wasn’t that why he mentioned that having a child would be challenging?

Didn’t he suggest that she should find happiness? Yun-seol was filled with puzzling questions. She couldn’t stay silent and took a taxi to the mausoleum.

Upon reaching the top floor, Yunseul moved as quietly as she could, adhering to Choi Hyun’s directions. A sinking feeling enveloped her as she realized how near her baby moon was. She pictured the loneliness and fear Dahl must have experienced. If Dahl had known Yunseul was there, she might have come every day.

As I traversed the lengthy hallway, hugging the wall, a peculiar sound suddenly reached my ears, causing me to stop. Curious, I listened intently to discern its origin. Amidst the murmur of conversation, there was also singing. Although the melody seemed vaguely familiar, it took a moment for me to realize it was a nursery rhyme.

And then…

“Dahl, this is too hard!” His voice pierced through the air. I instinctively silenced myself, covering my mouth to stifle any sound.

“They say kids your age like this, but not sure about Dad,” he went on to say. The word “Dad” struck me hard. He was crouched on the floor, talking to the moon.

“I wish you could tell me…” he trailed off, a yearning smile on his face. As he continued to speak, I kept my gaze fixed on the back of his head.

Choi Hyun’s earlier words echoed in my mind.

“Every day, two or three times a day, he’d take time out of his day to go over there. He’d tell her he was lonely. I’m scared.”

Yun-seol bit her lower lip as she processed the words. “I’m not asking you to forgive him. Ji-hyuk is leaving Korea soon. He said he was glad you looked so happy. He said if you knew Dal-i was in Bongandang, you’d be sad again.” She suddenly realized what he was doing.

“He said he was glad I looked so happy?”

“He attempted to tell you initially, but he couldn’t bring himself to say it. So, he… He said he was going to take the moon to America.” Despite her efforts not to cry, a tear rolled down her cheek.

“I’m sorry I’m not intent to hurt you, I just want you to know the truth ,” she said, her eyes welling up with tears. Her entire body felt weak, her vision darkened, and her ears seemed to go deafeningly silent.

“He’s here again.”

“Yeah. Every time he comes back,” voices from behind her murmured.

“He must be bored?”

Tears continued to trickle down her cheeks. Without bothering to wipe them away, Yun-seol shifted her feet. The overwhelming emotions left her questioning, “Why? Why, why…”

“My happiness, while praying for… You are…” The sentence trailed off, leaving an unfinished thought.

“You told me to be happy. You…” Yun-seol walked slowly toward him, toward the moon.

He turned his head when he heard the footsteps, and his sad face came into view. “Yun-seul?” he said, surprised by her presence.

Yun-seol staggered to her feet, standing in front of him. The nursery rhyme playing on his phone made her inexplicably sad.

“When my sister-in-law called me to go to her hotel room, I went there knowing everything. I went in there to be an adulterer because that’s what you wanted,” he confessed, acknowledging and accepting everything and never forgetting Dahl.

“You hate me so much… I said I couldn’t leave you in pain… I sincerely wanted you to be happy. I know I’ve crossed the line, but… just once,” he uttered, his voice filled with a mix of regret and longing.

“Ji-hyuk, please look at me.”

“What can I do?” he responded, expressing his sincere desire for her to be happy.

A stupid asshole who doesn’t say it hurts when it does… “Can’t you just take a look at me?” she pondered, realizing he thought he was happy and wanted to take Dahl with him to live in a foreign country.

“I don’t know what to do.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Why, why, why.”

“Why didn’t you tell me… Dahl is here… Why didn’t you tell me?” That’s what you ought to have done. You ought to have. You should have told me even if you were in pain or upset.

A steady stream of tears streaked down his face, and his eyes sank as he looked at himself.

“You should have told me, You should have told me, why, why….”

Her voice split into two, then three.

“Why… Hm…ugh.”

Uncontained tears fell, forming puddles, then oceans. Yun-seol’s shoulders shook uncontrollably. No, her whole body shook.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

His apology weighed on my shoulders.

“But how did you get here?” he asked, sweeping a large hand across his face, his voice cracking as he spoke.

“Does it matter?” Yun-seol glared at him with resentment. Tears poured from her eyes without stopping.

“Does it matter how I knew? I know now… That… Hmph….” Yun-seol couldn’t finish her sentence.

Between his fingers, he felt sadness, sorrow, and guilt. All sorts of emotions leaked out and shook the world. He dropped the toy he had made just a moment ago. As I stared at it on the floor, he reached out to me.

The hand that came to her face, as if to wipe away a tear, eventually fell limply away.

I stood watching him, sobbing, as he stepped back, unable to touch me. He wasn’t crying, but with a look on his face that was more heartbreaking than crying, I approached him as he stepped back.

I move toward him, he moves away, and I move closer, he moves away. I reach out to him, but he continues to move away.

Instead of reaching out, Yun-seol reaches out and grabs his arm.

Her shoulders begin to shake, and then her entire body is shaking. Yun-seol talked slowly yet steadily, sobbing and wailing.

“Thank you for not making me lonely… For not making me scared… For protecting…”

“…”

“Thank you… Thank you…” Yun-seol broke down, body and soul, and sobbed like a child in front of him.

“I can’t… In the end, I can only make you cry.” His heavy voice settled over my head. I couldn’t stop the tears.

“Hm…ugh. Hmph…”

“Don’t cry. Please… Don’t cry.”

She drops her head and begs him not to cry as he kneels in front of her on the floor. His broad shoulders shake up and down.

More than herself, she does not know what to do with the sobbing man. He cries, and he cries, and he cries, and he cries, and he cries, and he cries, and he cries, and he cries.

I took out, opened, and let go of all the sadness that had been building up in the depths of my heart. I let go of the anguish and sadness I had been carrying around with me.

I kept it together for the sake of people who would be upset if I broke down and cried. My mother, aunt, and grandmother. I hid my despair deep within my heart, attempting to appear as happy as possible in order not to worry the people who cared about me.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry…….” Yunseul shook her head vigorously.

“If it hadn’t been for you…… I would never have met Dahl again.” Yun-seol was pleased that she could come to meet Dahl, who didn’t even have a form.

“Thank you…….” She cries because she’s grateful, and he cries because he’s sorry.

Her body and mind feel lighter as she releases the sadness that has been buried deep within him. She cried in his arms for a long time, releasing all the cries she had been holding back.

After a long time of crying, something started to fill her empty heart. She had no idea what it was, but she didn’t mind having something fill her empty heart.

Wiping away my tears, I blushed with embarrassment and stumbled out of his arms. Smoothing my hair, I turned my head and caught sight of the glass doors of the votive chamber. From the inside to the outside of the glass doors, there were all kinds of colorful flowers and toys.

“……”

I spotted the photo taped to the inside of the glass door and stood in front of it.

“This…. Why……. Why is this here?”

The ultrasound picture that disappeared from my maternity notebook has reappeared. I found the photo I believed was lost while moving… It got stuck here.

I reached for the ultrasound photo. The corners of my mouth lifted as I caressed the photo.

“…Darling…….” Mommy’s home”

“……”

I thought I was done crying; I didn’t think I had any more tears left to shed. My eyes grew very red when I spoke to Dahl. I quickly closed and opened my eyes, but tears flowed. I only wanted to look good for her, but my eyes would be puffy from crying, and my face would be a mess.

Tomorrow, I’ll show her my pretty face.

“I’ll come here every day from now on.” Just being in a place where I could touch you like this makes me want to come here every day.

“I missed you so much….” Thank you.

Everyone else has pictures, but only my baby moon has an ultrasound picture and hat made me heartbroken all over again. My nose twitched, I sniffled

Without turning my head, my ears remembered whose footsteps it was first. The man who’d been standing behind me walked over and stood beside me. Even without seeing his expression, I knew what to expect. It would be the same as her own.

Yunseol’s eyes traveled to the reflection of his face in the glass door, and there he was, wearing the same expression. A heart full of resentment, a heart full of darkness.

A ray of light shines down and illuminates his heart.

* * *

He got into his car and drove home.

They’re not saying anything to each other, but the silence isn’t strangely awkward, and the atmosphere isn’t as dark as it was before. He’s driving straight ahead, and she’s looking out the window. ‘Ji-hyuk isn’t alive right now,’ Choi Hyun’s words float around in her head.

“……”

She assumed she was the only one suffering, but when he said he wasn’t, she felt relieved. She felt overly soothed when he admitted he was struggling.

Yun-seol was the one who broke the silence.

“Are you really……. “Are you really leaving?”

“Are you thinking of leaving everything behind, going abroad, and never coming back to Korea again.” For the sake of her own happiness, she opened her mouth to confirm the fact that he was going abroad with Dahl.

“…Did Choi Hyun visit you?”

“Are you really leaving?”

“…Yes, I’m going to finish up my work and…….”

He is, in fact, intending to depart. “When… are you going?” she asked, a knot forming in her throat.

“Soon… soon, I’ll be gone.” I felt a lump in my throat again at the mention of his imminent departure.

“Are you sure you’re never coming back to Korea?”

“…Yeah, I’m thinking about it.” I turned my head, wondering at his expression.

I don’t know why his smiling face looks so sad. I don’t know why, when he says he’ll never come to Korea again, I feel weird. I don’t know, really, I don’t know.

“Wait a minute.”

I watch him get out of the car and run off somewhere. He walked into a convenience store and came running back to the car with something.

“Drink.”

As soon as I get in the car, he holds the convenience store item in front of me.

“Your throat hurts.” I stare at his hand as he uncaps the water.

“You’re not drinking?”

“…Thank you.” She accepted the water but didn’t drink it, just fiddled with the bottle. He didn’t offer any more and concentrated on driving.

“…We’re almost there.”

As he drew up in front of the house, she looked at him..

“I didn’t tell you where my house was…….”

When she asked him how he knew that she hadn’t told him where her house was located, he clamped his mouth shut. He looked hurt.

In truth, she wasn’t surprised because she knew he’d driven her home the day she pretended to be drunk, but she tried to feign surprise on purpose.

“Oh…. That’s…….” She’d never seen him look so flustered before.

“I’ll go inside.”

“…Yeah, sleep well.”

“Are you going to go to baby moon tomorrow?”

“Yeah,” he admitted.

Choi Hyun said he went twice or three times a day, so she expected him to.

Yun-seol smiled her eyes clinging to the corners of her mouth.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, then.”

“Oh……. Yeah.”

Yun-seol turned her head as she stepped out of the car and stood at the gate. She made eye contact with the man, who was staring at her. She walked through the gate, pretending not to see the puffy eyes.

Her steps were lighter than ever as she considered going back to meet Dahl.

* * *

“Ah…….”

“Why?” I hadn’t made any promises to him, but I met him every day at Bongan Temple, and every time I went there after work he was talking to her baby.

He plays nursery rhymes that he thinks she’ll like, shows her toys, and mumbles about the day’s events.

Today was no different, and he was driving her home.

“Did you forget something?”

“Oh……. I left my design notes at the studio.”

I needed those notes because I have a drawing due tomorrow. How could I have forgotten that? “Stop right there. I’ll take a cab to….”

“Come with me.”

“……Thanks.”

It’s raining so heavily that I can’t see; it’s like we’re talking in a cave. Yun-seol fiddles with her fingers in the car while driving slower than normal. A quick glimpse. She kept her gaze fixed on him as he drove. He felt her sight and hastily averted her gaze.

“…I guess you’re okay now.”

“What?”

“No.” I looked at him wide-eyed as he said something I didn’t understand, but I couldn’t quell my curiosity as he looked straight ahead.

The car was filled with the sound of rain. The rain made a calming noise. Yun-seol put her head on the headrest and shut her eyes.

“Someone called you,” he said, realizing her phone was ringing in her bag. Retrieving it, she promptly answered, “Hello?” She noticed a familiar voice in the distance.

-“Why are you out in the rain?…” The phone’s voice was too loud. I cast a glance at him.

-“Didn’t you forget we were supposed to watch a movie tomorrow?” said the person on the other end of the phone. I couldn’t read his expression as he drove silently.

“Hey, I’ll call you later.”

– “Alright. Call me later.”

-“Yes.” Yun-seol hung up the phone and put it back in her bag.

“You’re almost there. Wait.” He got out of the car and walked around to the front, to the passenger side. He opened the door and slung an umbrella over my head.

“…Thank you.” She lowered her eyes, recalling it wasn’t the first time they’d shared an umbrella.

The rain fell like there was a hole in the sky, and he was wet even with the umbrella. He sped as she did. They arrived at the workshop.

He just stood outside after she entered the code to open the door. Yun-seol looked at his wet shoulders.

“Do you want to come in and have some coffee?” It was too rainy to leave right away. It might be best to wait till everything cooled down.

Yun-seol bit her lower lip when he didn’t respond. She wondered whether she should have said something.

“Do you think so?” he asked, folding his umbrella and entering the workshop.

Yun-seol turned on the lights as he entered the workplace. Yun-seol stared as the darkness faded into light.

His footsteps were heard behind her. They sounded so much like him—cold and icy, yet somehow warm—that Yun-seol brushed a strand of hair out of her face.

“You’re sitting there.”

“Oh, yeah.”

“How do you fine the Coffee?”

“Yeah, it’s fine.” I’m not sure why I can’t look him in the eyes. We’ve been in a tighter car, but the two of us in a workshop feel oddly awkward. Once I realize it’s awkward, the whole workshop seems to have an awkward vibe.

Yun-seol put the capsules into the coffee machine and placed the cup in the opening where the coffee was dispensed. She pressed the button, and the machine began to whirr. She was aware of probing eyes on her back but tried not to notice, focusing on the coffee as it filled her cup.

She couldn’t hide the fact that her fingertips were trembling. She clenched her hands in order to keep her shaking fingers concealed. The rain pattered outside, and the aroma of coffee filled her senses.

“Can I put ice in it?”

“Yeah, put it on,” I told him as I turned on the air conditioner, feeling a small heat in the room that made my cheeks blush.

His ears were turning red from the heat. I wasn’t used to seeing him like that, I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and stared at his open mouth.

“I don’t know if there’s any ice.” His head shifted toward her, as if he sensed her gaze. Yun-seol grumbled to himself and turned to the refrigerator at the same moment.

Fortunately, she avoided making eye contact. She looked at the freezer and found ice. She took the ice and placed it in a huge cup filled with cold water. The iced coffee was ready after She put in the coffee She had brewed earlier.

She placed the cup on a saucer and walked over to him, the ice clinking.

“Enjoy your coffee.”

“Thanks.”

He stood up from his seat at the window table and lifted his cup.

“I’ll drink it.”

“Sure.”

Yun-seol sat down, and he did the same. He fiddled with his cup while staring out the window.

It seemed to be raining heavier than usual. Taking a break from the workshop was definitely a good idea, but the rain was not going away. Yun-seol placed his cup on the table after sipping his coffee.

“What were we talking about earlier?” he asked, staring out the window without seeing her in the eyes.

“Earlier? What?” I asked, looking him in the eyes through the window glass.

“What are you talking about?” she said, her eyes wide. Yun-seol fiddled with the ice, which clinked on the cup.

“Are you okay now?” I’d been wondering since she stumbled on those words. I wondered whether or not to ask on the way home.

I didn’t know how long the rain would last, and now that we were seated next to each other, staring in the same direction, the question I had swallowed so many times slipped out.

“Ah…….”

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, but I’m curious.”

In the reflection of the window glass, I could feel my eyelids flickering slightly.

“It’s okey…….”

“I’ll tell you.”

She turned to face him as he interrupted her mid-sentence. He wasn’t gazing at her; he was glancing out the window. His jet-black eyes appeared to be soaked from the rain.

“You said you were curious.”

“That’s …….”

“I used to have a hard time when it rained.”

“Oh…….” I realized he was referring to the day it rained like it does today.

“Now…. I just wanted to make sure you’re okay,” he whispered, his guilt-ridden voice cutting through my ears.

Yun-seol was silent for a brief moment. There was no sound in the workplace, not even breathing.

Thud, thud, thud—exactly as on that day. As a bolt of lightning struck her shoulder, she sprung to her feet, wincing.

“Are you okay?” He inquired, shocked but not as terrified as previously. He appeared to be much better now.

“…Why do you want to know?” Yun-seol’s fingers turned white as she gripped the cup tighter.

“It’s just that I don’t understand, no matter how much I think about it.”

“……”

“You said Ji-hyuk is a terrible kid.” He sucked in a breath, but Yun-seol didn’t stop talking.

“But why… the moon in… in the Bongan Hall? Why, why do you have to do this?”

He said he would take her to a foreign country and never return to Korea. Even if I tried, I couldn’t understand.

 He slowly placed the cup down on the table, then turned his head to look her in the eye. He stared for a moment, and then he moved, surprising Yun-seol with his behavior.

“What… what are you doing?” He knelt down on the floor and hung his head like a sinner.

“Ji-hyuk, what are you doing….”

“I wanted to apologize properly,” he said, his sagging shoulders visible.

“I’m sorry, I was really wrong.” I’m not sure why I’m so irritated. There’s no justification for my annoyance; I’m just irritated.

Why are his shoulders so slumped? Why is he like this? Why is he acting this way when he used to despise the world? Yun-seol bit her lower lip.

“I shouldn’t have done that. I didn’t know what I was feeling until I heard you had a miscarriage, and then I picked on you, not knowing what I was feeling.”

“……”

All I could see were his saggy shoulders.

“I knew you were hurting, I knew you were struggling, but I neglected you. I tormented you, no, I poured salt in your wounds, not knowing you were carrying a child……. I didn’t know our baby moon was in your belly…….” He was clenching his fists.

He cautiously raised his head after a brief interval of silence. Yun-seol’s jaw trembled, his face flushed with anguish.

“I… I thought I was terrible,” he sobbed, his lips jerking upward. He wasn’t crying, but Yun-seol could sense his anguish.

“It’s what I’ve always heard since I was a kid. I’m terrible. I’d rather die. Why was I born…” Yun-seol’s eyes opened for the first time she heard this.

“I grew up hearing that I ruined their life, but after hearing that, I actually felt like I ruined my mother’s life.” His smile was wistful.

“My father died in an accident, my mother never came home, and I was living alone, trying to figure out how to survive, trying not to die, and then she came back, and the first thing she said to me was… I’m worthless, I’d rather be dead, why are you alive and trying to ruin my life again….…”

“Was it?” The pain in his voice was palpable.

“That’s when I met my step father.”

“Ah…….”

“When the chairman found out that my mother was going to remarry and send me to an orphanage, he came to to visit me. He offered to be my father.”

“How could anyone do such a thing to a child?” Yun-seol’s mind was unable to comprehend it.

“That’s how I met my brother. I relied on him a lot.”

For a brief while, his face softened as he remembered his late brother.

“I wanted to be like him, but……” He gulped dryly, as if finding the words was difficult.

“My brother died, traveling with the woman he loved.”

“Ji-hyuk…….” I tried to stop him from talking.

“When I married you, you seemed unhappy, but I pretended not to notice. Just because you saved my life, I told you that you were a good person, that you should be happy… I didn’t realize until after our baby moon died that I was pushing you into your misery. But you know what’s funny?” She didn’t say anything.

“They laughed at my brother’s death with his mistress and my sister-in-law was pregnant? They were angry at him for having a woman he loved, and then trying to have a child with someone he didn’t love?”

“……”

“But…. That’s it, it’s all a lie,” he grumbled.

“It’s all…. a lie,” he said as I walked towards him, who seemed to be in tears.  I wiped my palm across his tear-stained face, he seemed to melt into the rain.

“I… I thought if I had a child, it would be like me. I thought it would make me unhappy, like I experienced with my mother. No, it was just……. It was terrible, a child who would live like me.” He let out a sigh.

“Seol……. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for the loss of our baby Moon. The day you lost her, I came to my senses. I don’t know what I did… It’s all because of me. It’s all because of me that you lost her.”

I squeezed his hand as he apologized sincerely. Yun-seol made a shaky motion with her head.

“That day, I had a headache for days.”

He knew he had to tell her the truth for some reason. He wanted to tell her that he would never return to Korea and that it wasn’t all her fault.

“I thought about going to the hospital, but the next day was my doctor’s appointment anyway, so I decided to wait it out. It’s not like I’m sick all the time; it’s just that I feel fine, and then sometimes I get sick.”

In fear, I grabbed his hand and went on to tell him something I hadn’t told anyone else.

“Junhyuk said he was going to apologize, so I went up the stairs, and he was standing at the end of the stairs.”

“……”

“…Jun hyuk was about to jump down the stairs, so I ran up to stop him…….”

Yun-seol paused for a moment, remembering what happened that day.

“I went upstairs……. Jun-hyuk pushed me,” she breathed. I looked at his pale face and wondered if I shouldn’t have said it, but I didn’t regret the end result.

“Why did you say it now, why you didn’t say it before?…….”He was correct in questioning why I didn’t tell him then. I should have told him when they were in the hospital, but……

“It was too much trouble at the time, and even if I told you the truth, they could never bring my baby moon back.” That’s why I didn’t tell him. I’m telling him this now to make him feel less guilty. I didn’t want him to blame himself for everything that went wrong.

“What happened to Jun-hyuk and you?”

The articles about the Seoju group’s daughter-in-law lying about it disappeared without explanation. She looked everywhere but couldn’t find it.

“Hyung-soo was in an accident when Jun-hyuk tried to run away with her,” I heard it for the first time.

Yun-seol’s eyes shook as he said, “Jun-hyuk was in that accident…….he’s dead.”

He clamped his hands over his gaping mouth.

“Hyungsoo is in the hospital and paralyzed.”

Knowing what it was like to lose a child, Yun-seol had a vague idea of what her sister-in-law would be going through.

“Every day, he asks me to bring the dead Jun-hyuk to her,she cries and begs, loses her mind, can’t eat, and collapses. She can’t believe that her son is dead.”

“…I see, I had no idea.”

“I’ve taken down the article, and there will be no mention of the two anywhere.” Now that they are no longer linked with the Seoju Group, there will be no mention of them in any article.

“Look…. I’m surprised, Seo Jun-hyuk is dead…….”

His eyes went dark.

“…It’s still my fault; if I hadn’t treated you so badly, you would have told me you were pregnant, and our baby moon would still be alive,” he said, leaving Yun-seol speechless.

“…Shall we go?”

His harsh voice echoes in my ears.

“The rain has stopped.”

He lurched to his feet, stating they should leave right away because it might rain again. Yun-seol quickly supports him. His eyelids flicked open, and he stretched his arm away from her.