27th Death - Funeral

"We have gathered here today..." The pastor spoke, his voice blending into the background as Eunhee stood beside the seated Ji-yeon. Her gaze remained fixed on Jiho's grave marker.

[Here lies a loving Son and Friend, Jiho An.]

'You're really dead, aren't you, Jiho?' Eunhee thought, as if expecting an answer. Her eyes flicked briefly to Daniel, who stood silently nearby, his hands clenched.

'You know... I... I just wanted you to know,' she began, bowing her head slightly. 

'I know you d—' Her chest twisted sharply, cutting off the thought. Her lips pressed into a thin line as though sealing the words inside.

'... I know you. The real you. Despite what you did to us,' she corrected herself, her grip tightening on her bag. She lifted her head slightly, as if the weight on her chest had shifted elsewhere.

'Both me and Daniel,' she continued, the words slipping out faster now, 'we will remember you for the person you were. Not the one you became. Always... forever.' A faint exhale escaped her, but the taste of those words felt bitter on her tongue.

'We do miss you, in case you wondered,' she added, managing a faint, hollow smile. Her gaze softened as she pictured him standing beside his mother, ever the dutiful son.

'You'd never miss the chance to be there for her,' she mused, warmth stirring for a fleeting moment before she forced her eyes to stay on the grave marker. She couldn't look at Ji-yeon. She couldn't risk it.

'And neither could Daniel.'

'Because we know we won't see you there,' she admitted, her breath shallow. 

'And then I'll cry. Which will ruin my makeup.' A bitter laugh bubbled up, shaky and weak. 

'Daniel says I draw unnecessary attention when I let myself go. Whether it's people I care about or strangers we meet.'

Her lips quivered. 

'But,' she hesitated, as though searching for the right words. 

'In case... just in the slightest chance you do see me. Actually see me from somewhere...'

Her hands brushed against her chest, trembling slightly. 

'P-please... forgive me. Please,' The words cracked, almost inaudible. 

'I didn't mean to break your heart. Miss Ji-yeon means well.' She swallowed hard, her throat dry, her voice quickening. 

'But you're probably more than just mad right now. And... I can't blame you for that.'

The tension in her chest grew heavier, pulling her gaze downward. 

'She's your mother. She'll always be your precious mother. But I know you, Jiho. I do. Just as much, if not more.' Her fingers twitched as she drew a shallow breath, her thoughts spiraling. 

'If there's one thing you couldn't forgive, it was betrayal. You always said so. And that's what I...'

Her thoughts wavered, a beat of silence stretching before they shifted.

'So... please, forgive me.'

She blinked quickly, pressing her lips together as her chest tightened.

Her mind stuttered, an image flashing unbidden: Jiho's pale face, his hurt expression, his voice cracking as he called her name. Her hands clamped together, nails digging into her palms.

'Whenever you can,' she added, the words almost fragile in her mind's eye as she pictured him.

'I'll wait this time. As much as you need, okay...?' she thought, and despite her best efforts, tears streaked down her cheeks, silently tracing the curve of her face before falling.

In that moment, Daniel raised his gaze, catching the subtle tremble in Eunhee's expression. His chest tightened as her earlier confession resurfaced in his mind, unbidden.

"NO, he ROMANTICALLY loved—" Daniel began, his voice sharp, almost explosive. But before he could continue, Eunhee placed her gentle palm on his arm, grounding him.

"Daniel..." she murmured, her head bowing slightly, a somber smile curving her lips. 

"Can I tell you something?" Her voice was soft, almost hesitant, like she was treading on fragile ground.

"...?" He looked at her, his tension easing slightly as confusion crossed his face.

"I... don't have any female friends, you know?" she admitted, her tone wavering. 

"Both my parents treat me like a dog... something to feed and care for until it dies or runs off." Her lips tightened briefly.

Daniel's strength faltered, his shoulders loosening as he frowned.

"W-What are you saying, Eunhee?" he murmured, his voice shaky, uneven.

"I can't really act as naturally as I do next to anyone besides you two," she elaborated, her voice fragile yet steady enough to reach him. 

"I never could." She paused, inhaling shakily. 

"You two... you two are everything that I have. And with Jiho gone..."

She took another unsteady breath, her gaze locking onto his, her eyes wide, flaring with something close to desperation.

"... You're my everything," she finished, her voice a whisper yet carrying the weight of her emotions.

"Do you understand what I'm trying to say?" she asked, her voice trembling as she looked up at him, her weary gaze meeting his own.

"I can't lose you too... So. Please..." Her voice cracked, her grip on his arm tightening.

Daniel's breath hitched, his eyes widening. "Eunhee... You can't possibly mean that you—"

"Please, just stop talking," she cut him off, her voice sharper now, trembling with barely restrained emotion. Her nails pressed into his skin as though anchoring herself to him, her gaze dropping to the ground.

----------------

Daniel awoke from the memory, his gaze shifting to Jiho's grave marker.

'In the end, all I got from what I did was you in the ground.'

A bitter chuckle escaped his lips. 'Right. You liked digging holes. Now you're in one. Well... at least your coffin is. In a way, you owe me one.'

The laugh died quickly as the sound of Jiho's empty coffin being lowered six feet under filled the silence.

'... Though I kinda wish I tried it with ya' back then. Maybe I'd understand why you liked it so much,' he thought, imagining himself striking a conversation, almost waiting for Jiho to reply.

'Jiho,' Daniel continued in his mind, 'since this'll be the last time we talk, know this: the reason I did what I did... driving a wedge between you and Eunhee, wasn't because I wanted her, exactly.'

He lowered his gaze, his shoulders tense. 'That's just what I told myself.'

He shook his head, his throat tightening. 'I've thought about it a fuck ton. Felt like an airplane running over me a few times. Hell, I preferred it.'

'But... the truth is, I get what relationships are. It may sound like a joke coming from me, but I do. Like Eunhee, you two were... my best friends. I had other buddies, sure, but they just sucked up to me. None of it was real.'

He inhaled sharply, his gaze drifting skyward. 'When I caught on that you two were inches from becoming a couple, I realized... you'd forget about me eventually.'

His voice faltered in his mind. 'You'd see each other more often. You already knew everything about each other. And it would've worked out—probably perfectly. Hell, you'd have married in no time.'

He sniffed, swallowing hard. 'But I didn't want to be alone. So I made sure you were. So you wouldn't leave.'

His fists clenched at his sides. 'The truth is, that was just me being a pussy. I had no idea if you'd actually leave me once you two got together. And now...' He let out a dry, hollow laugh. 

'Now, I'll never know.'

Daniel's gaze returned to Jiho's grave, his voice in his head breaking. 'I'll never know how you would've proved me wrong. Just like you did the day we met, ten years ago. You always did that. Breaking my stupid expectations about people.'

'So... at least, I'm happy for you, man,' he thought, his throat tight, the weight of his words pressing on his chest.

'You're in that hole you always loved digging, at least.'

His eyes flicked to Eunhee, standing a few paces away. 'And I'm in the one I dug for myself.'

He swallowed thickly, looking away. 'But that's on me. I owe it to her to man-up and stay with her. And to you.'

Another bitter chuckle escaped him. 'Man, I just can't stop sounding pretentious, can I? I can almost hear you yelling in my face, "How can you even complain when now she's all yours?! You backstabber."'

He sighed, his chest tightening further. 'After all, you had so few friends because even the smallest betrayals you couldn't excuse.'

'That's why you're definitely not listening to me. Even if you could hear my thoughts from somewhere...'

His lips twitched in a weak, humorless smile. 

'But... just on the off chance you'll get it someday, somehow—'

'I'm so sorry, man.'