Sometime near midnight, Ga Eun fell asleep again. Ki Jun had pulled a chair and sat beside the bed, watching her like a trusted hawk.
When she woke up, dawn was approaching.
"Hey," she greeted.
"Yo," he answered, patting her forehead, before getting up and reaching the intercom.
"They told me to call them when you wake up."
"Who?"
"Your precious doryeonnim and his mother."
"Oh."
She lay quietly for a while before her thoughts attacked her again.
If Appa were here, at this time of day he would be supervising the chef to prepare the family's breakfast...I would be laying the dishes in the dining room and we would stand together accompanying them while they eat.
Now.....
The door opened slowly and Kim Ae Mi entered, followed by Myung Hwan.
"Good morning, Ga Eun" Kim Ae Mi said softly, "How are you feeling?"
Saying "I'm fine" would be a lie she couldn't manage at the moment, so she tried a weak smile.
Ki Jun said nothing, only moving from his seat to the couch.
Kim Ae Mi sat in his previous place and held Ga Eun's hand.
"I—his funeral....." Ga Eun began, though the word 'funeral' felt thick and disgusting in her mouth.
"Will be arranged by Abeoji. You don't have to think about anything."
"G—gamsahamnida..."
"No need to thank us. Kim Sang Ok has dedicated his life for our family. He means a lot to all of us. We'll send him off respectably."
The idea of sending her father off respectably tore her apart again. Drown in her sadness, she began to cry again. Tears dropped as she tried not to be noisy and make too much sound, restraining herself to sob out loud.
"I think she needs to rest again," Ki Jun uttered sharply, standing up to position himself near her once more.
He spoke with so much firmness that Kim Ae Mi turned to him in genuine surprise, not used to hearing that kind of tone spoken to her.
Ki Jun looked back at Kim Ae Mi with a steady gaze, very close to animosity.
In the end, Kim Ae Mi just smiled at him and uttered, "Thank you for being here."
Ki Jun bowed a little before putting a hand around Ga Eun's shoulder.
Kim Ae Mi left the room.
Myung Hwan was staring silently at Go Eun.
She bowed low to him, as if begging him to leave the room.
The last thing he saw before he closed the door was Ga Eun covering her eyes with her hand as she started to cry once more, and how Ki Jun's face laden with concern as he leaned closer and mumbled comforting words to her.
********************************
"I hope she is going to be alright," Kim Ae Mi said, walking at the hallway with her son.
"I hope so too. I'm afraid she will be sick....."
"Well. That is possible. This is a big shock for her."
"She will still, um....stay here, right?"
For a moment, Kim Ae Mi was speechless, before she snapped, "What do you expect? That we'll kick her out, now that her father has died? Lee Myung Hwan, you—"
"Ommoni, I was only asking—"
"She'll live here as long as she likes. I've seen her grew up. I am not going to send her to live alone. Ever. Unless she asked that herself. I'm never going to let anything hurt her," Ae Mi said emotionally.
"I know, Ommoni. Calm down," he patted his mother's shoulder, "Are you alright, yourself?"
"I'm okay, Myung Hwan-ah" she sighed heavily. "It's just that—this is hard for us all. And your father—"
"How is he?"
"Shutting himself alone in his study."
He nodded in understanding.
"Help your father's secretary to arrange the funeral, will you?"
"Ne, Ommoni."
She smiled a bit and squeezed his hand, before they parted to the different directions of the hallway.
************************************
The death of the founder and CEO of The Lee Company was the magnet of media attention. The press covered the news for weeks, papers put it on the front page, and the internet reported everything to the smallest details.
The funeral was grand, attended by various social classes, thousands of people from the President to all the employees working for the company. There were no bodies to bury, only pictures to respect and bow at, and prayers to be said.
Kim Sang Ok's funeral was held together with Lee Dong Sun, resulting in everybody who prayed for the late CEO to pray for him too. Myung Hwan, his parents, Ga Eun and Ki Jun, all stood together in a line receiving the people who paid their last respects.
Ga Eun didn't remember most of it, as the funeral blurred away. She only remembered people speaking to her in a hushed tone, the smell of flowers at the ceremony, bowing a lot to the people who came, as her vision faded while her tears kept on flowing, and Ki Jun. Ki Jun who was always beside her, always within reach, holding her steady on the ground.
Often, she would feel lost and turn to him, saying nothing.
He would then pat her head or shoulder. With that, she would find the strength to pass another hour.
There was a conversation with Lee Chung Ho, just before she and the whole family drove to the funeral that was more vivid to her memory than the actual occasion.
Ga Eun was ready and was sitting on the porch, as he approached.
"Ga Eun....."
"Sajangnim," she stood up.
"These are the days of sadness....."
"Ne...."
"There's something I need to say to you, Child. It may be heavy to say, but I think I will never have peace if I don't say it to you."
"What is it, Sajangnim?"
At that moment, Myung Hwan entered the porch.
"Abeoji?"
"Just a minute," he said, before he turned back to Ga Eun.
"Ga Eun, I can't forget the fact that Abeoji wanted me to come with him. And that Sang Ok had to go because I couldn't...I feel that...he died in my place."
"No....." Ga Eun began to deny.
"But....the very selfish side of me is grateful that when the father I really love died, he was not alone. You see, I know Abeoji really cared for Sang Ok too."
She couldn't avoid the pain and sadness, tears starting to fall for she didn't know how many times already.
"Sang Ok has always been a very good friend for me.....For his dedication to my family, for his friendship, I am and will always be very grateful," he bowed low to her.
"Sajangnim! What are you—"
"Like Sang Ok has always cared for us, we will always take care of you, Child. You have a home here. And we will give you everything you need. If you ever need help, anything at all, tell me, or my wife and my son."
She felt she couldn't breathe. But she managed to say, "Gamsahamnida, Sajangnim. I know only one thing, Appa would have no regrets."
Hearing it, Lee Chung Ho's eyes watered. He nodded and excused himself, saying he needed to check the preparation of the funeral before they all went.
Myung Hwan and Ga Eun were left alone on the porch.
They stared at each other. His face was filled with grief and sympathy while hers were wet.
She was sobbing again, so he walked to her and guided her to sit down.
"I'm so sorry, Ga Eun...This must be really hard for you."
"I—Doryeonnim, I keep wishing that this is only a nightmare....."
"Time will heal you, Ga Eun. At least, I hope it will," he said, reaching her hands and holding it, wishing he could transfer some strength to her to get through this dark time of her life.
************************************
Author's Note:
Basically the whole Cruel Oppa is an emotional book.
This one too. I hope you could handle it.
Thank you for reading this one. Hopefully I could update this one next week.