The Funeral

"EUNSU! EUNSU! Wake up. Please. Wake up. Eunsu . . ." Ae Rin shouted.

His eyes were closed.

No longer moving.

No longer speaking.

No.

"Miss, we have to ask you to move back a bit. We have to carry the body," a medical staff said.

Behind him was an ambulance and more medical staff with an ambulance bed ready.

"He's not a body," Ae Rin muttered.

"Miss?"

"He's alive! He's a patient! He's not a body! Da*n you!" Ae Rin screamed.

"Um yes. Sorry, Miss. Please step back. We have to carry the bo- ahem the patient."

Ae Rin watched as they carried Eunsu inside the ambulance.

"Are you his wife? Relative?"

"I'm his . . ." Ae Rin trailed off.

Boss. Co-worker. But they were more than colleagues.

"I'm his best friend," Ae Rin said.

"Sorry, Miss. We only allow spouse or relative inside. You can come see him in the hospital later," the medical staff said and the ambulance drove off with Eunsu inside.

Ae Rin was left all alone.

Alone.

*

*

*

Everything that happened next felt like a blur. Ae Rin felt like a glass bottle being tossed around by the waves of the sea. She didn't know where she was going nor could she control where she would be drifted away. She felt helpless.

"I'm sorry, Miss. There was nothing he could do . . ."

"No. You must revive him! He's not dead! He can't be dead!" Ae Rin screamed.

"Miss, we tried our best but we can't revive his heart anymore. We're really sorry."

The doctor went away and Ae Rin stood there in the hospital corridor in a daze. She crumpled up on the ground.

A nurse tried to get her up from the floor but she could no longer hear anything else but her own crying.

She could no longer hold his hand.

She could no longer hug him.

She could no longer see his smile.

Eunsu was gone and all that was left was a gaping hole in her heart.

*

*

*

Ae Rin arranged the funeral for Eunsu. His family, if you could even call them a family, didn't even bother to show up. Ae Rin used her money and connections to find them and she was able to get their contact details but they didn't return her calls or messages.

They didn't care. Eunsu really had no one. He only had Ae Rin. So Ae Rin did her best in doing the duties of what a family member should do for their loved one who passed away.

Ae Rin wore a black hanbok and a white ribbon on her hair. She greeted the guests and bowed. This was supposed to be done by the male head of the family and the female was supposed to serve the guests but Eunsu's family members didn't even bother to come. The guests were mostly from the company. The others were classmates of Eunsu back in high school and college. Several of them thought that she was Eunsu's girlfriend or wife.

She didn't bother correcting them.

It was all useless anyway.

They could assume whatever they wanted about her and it wouldn't bring back Eunsu.

Then Ae Rin's father arrived.

Song Tae-won.

He had the kind of aura that made people feel scared. He had thick gray hair, a face that seemed to be permanently frowning, and he was wearing a gray suit.

"You shouldn't be here," he said.

"Please pay your respects to Eunsu," Ae Rin said.

Tae-won made a displeased expression but he turned to the portrait of Eunsu which was perched on hundreds of flowers and bowed slightly.

"Let's leave," Tae-won said

"No," Ae Rin said.

"Ae Rin, you're the CEO. Not his wife. You're not even dating. Stop this nonsense now and let's leave. You've done enough," Tae-won said.

"No. I don't want to," Ae Rin said standing firmly beside Eunsu's altar.

"Or did you really date? Was he your boyfriend?" Tae-won asked.

"No. He's my best friend," Ae Rin said.

Tae-won let out an amused sound like a mix of laughter and mockery.

"Best friend. Men and women can't be best friends. Look, Ae Rin. You're embarrassing yourself. You're doing too much for an employee," Tae-won said.

"You can leave. I'm not going anywhere," Ae Rin said.

Tae-won let out a frustrated sound.

"Your mother was the same. Stubborn until the end. Fine. Suit yourself. Just expect for rumors about you to be circulating in the company with you looking like his mourning wife," Tae-won said and left.

Ae Rin's mother had died after giving birth to Ae Rin. All Ae Rin knew about her mother was that she was very stubborn and she always fought with Tae-won.

She wanted to do this for Eunsu. It was the least she could do for him.

More guests came in and she received their condolences.

"I'm sorry for your loss."

Loss.

Yes.

She lost the only person who was always there for her.

Eunsu, I miss you.

Where are you?

Can you see me now?

I'm here. Alive. Living the life you saved.

I hope you're in a good place.

*

*

*

Meanwhile, in a place that did not exist in any time or space where there was no solid ground but only water as clear as mirror reflecting the clouds above, a young man had just arrived.

"Song Ae Rin! Rejoice! You're going to reincarnate in a different world!"

The young man gritted his teeth and glared at the child in front of him. He had prominent cheekbones, a straight nose, and full lips. He had an authoritive air about him and despite his murderous glare, he was still so very handsome with his dark eyes and long dark lashes.

A young boy who had the form of a child but was not a child looked confused.

"Hm? You don't look like Song Ae Rin? Who are you?" The young boy asked.

"I'm Min Eunsu. Who the hell are you? Why were you expecting Ae Rin?"

"Um..." The child who was not a child now looked like a terrified child.

"DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE TRUCK THAT ALMOST HIT HER?!"