IWYFB Chapter 1
by flowie“I don’t know why the snow keeps falling like there’s no end to it. The house is already desolate without family, and now even those who wished to pay their respects will turn back before they arrive.”2388a87f99f71549
Mr. Kim clicked his 09b046cd05 tongue as he 864b3fa54b cast a fleeting f54a944a55 glance into the f113b3f960 empty funeral hall.9b093a00bd04be42
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That morning, an unannounced blizzard 953c4c8ff8 had descended upon Haeju, blanketing 1754c94875 the town in an unrelenting 30fe7dd29f white shroud.98f71adc5f6828f2
Roads turned to d77e5d3556 sheets of ice, ddb79c9b7b and in places 88d22faa32 where snow plows 5ae0bcf439 could not reach, 4add1360b3 entire stretches had 7448955eb1 become impassable, the 2be9e5abf8 list of closed 66e8523bc1 routes growing by 9f68286095 the hour.d8c2f7b3b246ba23
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News reports repeated ee7b561f4a the same grim 142ac6bf4f update, dozens of 00fd2daaa6 vehicles stranded in 14d9ca023d the snow, their 7d5626cd11 passengers trapped cut 77823386f0 off from the 44a6a64dd2 world.abc833b2173616a9
Inside the funeral hall, 6a626e76a0 silence reigned.2bdf1225cac9b0a1
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A woman, clad 95004ea798 in mourning black, 5fdbbe3c74 rested her head 06998b9671 against the wall, 1b93a1788b her vacant gaze 483a2fe139 locked onto the e9d7063db1 framed portrait of 8c82dd174d the deceased.18dcaa55f8ec497e
The man in the photograph 443a29cd1e wore a neatly pressed charcoal-gray 02e75ac80b suit, the very suit she ea12ecbf07 had bought for him with e243bfb277 her first paycheck.e9f90f487c891685
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She had done 5e03d98b05 so little for 668e744042 him in life, 4c8df2d9a7 yet her father 2514e02761 had found her 6d52f01059 beautiful, even as ba56803fc9 an undeserving daughter.3a52888b35593d77
And now, in the 5860c73d86 photograph he was still e5472aeb16 smiling warmly at her.dc450156e80b6fc6
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At least, she consoled f761eee647 herself, he seemed at f507d3111c peace.dc35bedc05cb0e98
“Ji-woo, there’s nothing I want more than for you to be happy.”0fe06718cc62df10
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Her father had always 508775cd01 been a quiet, steadfast 3e6ebe4b83 man. Yet, on the day 322a1418d7 he shed those heavy, 633bcf8d9a silent tears, something within 2b7bafcbb7 her had shattered.61577766addfb716
She had wanted to show 407e8563a6 him a life where she 97d2131dec thrived, where she smiled, where ddf3014111 she was at peace.f1852c143474ebdb
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Instead, she had failed him 0d4fc15dd4 and made him weep, this d532fbf5ce man who had carried his b1aa111276 burdens alone for so long.b2ed928ca0ccd11e
Haeju had been his 807514fb35 home, his foundation, yet ded1ec8ec1 also his prison, bound f6bd361ca1 by poverty and duty.137fd2d5c99a14b9
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He had often called 3b96dd2b86 this land both his 904daa894e solace and his sorrow. And in the f56ab03ecd end, it was a7d3a4ea63 she who had 561295b5c0 torn him away 331d449f7d from it.ee3b5570dba96bdf
She still remembered the day 3656fb8954 she left, how he had f576ec8a6b stood at the threshold of 9a253fb3c6 their home for the first 854b55170c time in his life, finally 017486e00b turning his back on the f400999bbd place he had never abandoned.0c339363224328a8
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He had told her ce975b7d80 he felt a strange a4a32b6d52 sense of relief, yet 626638cadf she had caught the 20f62ce992 glint of tears in e6ed85b40e his eyes.4d21cf715ffa535e
Though she left with 73a6821142 the weight of guilt 0de274d30e on her shoulders, she 5703931351 had sworn to return e7ef20526d one day with a ff56442c17 smile, to prove to f0ab265fe3 him that it had b1406e9e89 been worth it.a55e16e732472107
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Never, not even in her fd1eaaff67 darkest dreams, had she imagined 7b7b5c0fb8 she would bring him back 4388fe8b36 to Haeju this way.3282890264690595
Leaning back against the b1fe27e4e8 cold wall, she tore 9209ef232b her gaze away from 7aa8b18e88 his portrait and stared 6774f61dd2 up at the ceiling.b8f9ea0a0e8ffaac
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Her mind was empty.843eb1842a8c3f4e
With every slow blink, his a90697c7e4 absence pressed harder against her 4d361d9a97 chest.bfe4443436e8cd0f
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Her father had always 514a50aa22 known when she was bcc9dca65b struggling, always appeared at 1c9550d0de her side before she e764462f1d even called his name.de7e1f55aacdc1b1
But now he would 246b453d75 never come again.444d46cd6f1d0adc
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The thought struck her ff9f326a2d like a wave of a307832e38 ice, sweeping over her, bda988f073 drowning her in a 051addd6d4 fear she could not bff466edef outrun.a39687d132d88016
“Father…”a909e6b41a0897fe
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Before she knew 170e496dac it, tears traced 7df28525e2 silent paths down 423a920692 her face, unstoppable.96a71c6160c83e6a
Somewhere in the depths of 2ed09585fc her grief, she half-expected him a4615a013b to emerge from the shadows, 792aa57421 to tell her it was 1bc4dc918c all a nightmare, that she 318743d776 only needed to wake.7157d6e58ea58905
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“There will be moments when it feels like your world has collapsed. But no matter how many times you fall, endure it. Time will pass, and one day, the pain will become nothing more than a season you once lived through. And just like the seasons, happiness will find its way back to you. Believe that, Ji-woo. The bad endings never last. There will always be a better one waiting.”20771070f4f7ca3a
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30c6ac440c6ee480
She remembered his words, the 3bf555205f way he had reassured her c3d5ecabe0 on the nights she thought 978f0af521 she could bear no more.569365d2bfa054c8
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Ji-woo clutched her arms around eb42c57757 herself, muffling her sobs, but 07beeb6d95 in the end, she could 1f1a21864d not hold them in.a6dedd3baf6540d0
Her sorrow broke free, 4ea576ae7e raw and unrestrained, echoing c93ffdef5e through the empty hall.c43c262e2305bab7
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🥀ce7fd588cd936e5d
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Outside, the funeral wreaths fc828d3b5a stood in silent rows, b835a84fa9 their pristine petals a ea2d984a71 stark contrast to the 883bf9e20c night’s deepening storm.14f3e656a2f2f59b
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The snow had not relented, 8cb859f07c nor had the darkness, the 061f94f45f roads remained impassable, the world f00d6bee68 beyond the funeral home swallowed 498cf4a441 in endless white.e93225aa3fde4b8d
As the hour neared c402aefd82 midnight, the quiet funeral a914dfc74d hall doors swung open.63dce01f8ea36f49
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A tall man stepped inside.c1227f1f24bee19c
Snowflakes clung to the black 86d963ff53 wool of his coat, melting 3334f33983 within moments under the hall’s 4df12ec9e7 warmth.1407a66049728f80
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His polished shoes echoed 3c6b6aca5f down the corridor as 6d58e7cd50 he turned a corner 7da6a277b7 and paused, hesitating before 5dc2797913 the entrance.0aa55c4cb2e636d6
Then, as if deciding 878240a5df against his own reluctance, dfc3bc0eac he strode forward with 9cdf04691e purpose, his gaze falling 6d41bc944c immediately upon the portrait 2284ca45e8 at the altar.9752cd1e8ab2d378
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Without a moment’s hesitation, he pulled a single white chrysanthemum from his grasp and placed it carefully before the photograph.efb70b510727ade1
Then, kneeling, he bowed 93f23fd4e4 low, his forehead touching 76fa380348 the cold floor.3f8f1d7457d571d8
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Ji-woo, startled by the unexpected de5b7d7b49 visitor, rose weakly to her e9eae70e7e feet.e9180e2b0f3898d7
Her first instinct was 61c83c0ac4 to thank him for 791344fc55 braving the blizzard to e967105ab9 come, but when she 6061f718d6 lifted her eyes and e0631531ab met his gaze, the 01b5b99d6f words faltered on her 033060ab79 tongue.cdce0c19beed71b3
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A ripple of recognition, 3aaf65b30b sharp and sudden, passed 61bfc0a748 through her.ba58f7335160e3a6
She could not speak.b851cff8018436d8
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The silence stretched between them, 7ba73f4e40 heavy and unbroken, until at bcd5021e18 last, he spoke first.411de835b356d5b5
“My deepest condolences.”1a6447e3138cd827
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His voice was db54a0ebc5 low, firm, and 976dba223b devoid of warmth.1a5102e162f304bc
His cold, detached 86a10bf6b0 eyes swept over 8223a4a78d her pale, grief-stricken e7f342ae57 face.27cbd504397f46c0
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Though he stood 92656ca175 so close, he b0cccaeee6 felt impossibly distant.9231b14e40ac5092
Another pause.38ad284e5d2bb2c6
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Then his gaze flickered, tracing 080c2cc97a the strands of her disheveled 02d1f94910 hair, the trembling uncertainty in 1cd889c283 her eyes.169f067c9011faa1
Ji-woo swallowed against the burning 5d97ba1a2b in her throat, forcing down c1bed3fe72 the tears that threatened to 9d43abc0b4 rise again.acb77c68bf73ab4d
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‘Father… he’s here. The man you always wanted to see.’96208cc7568b0ff2
Her gaze drifted from b3c28f2dfe her father’s portrait back 5e765fee77 to the man before 005f0a307f her.ea69e0f1fe9f9fe7
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“You… how did you know?”4142f508372b0c8c
She had never called. She had never intended to. And yet, somehow, 2fd28f3efa he had found 76e02d080f his way here.6f41dd7dc4a09bc4
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His jaw tensed, the c11ea42954 smallest flicker of something 7c9217e150 unreadable passing through his 519734b6e6 features.6118f00f2c7e3b17
“Your father’s old friend reached out to me.”3ef2b77e23d64672
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It must have been Mr. Kim.0beec81918b3e334
Though her father had distanced a1f9b5cdbe himself from friends after she bd34155aa8 left, they had not forgotten 755cd894d4 him. The wreaths at bcb6f2014b the entrance bore e2cd824223 their names.59770a4d7d8954d0
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Five years.c74ab83302444f39
Five years had slipped 50034ca653 through her fingers like 0926e3c69f an arrow that had 3c76f87f80 strayed far from its f1b38112bf mark.c8c8e0b287bd112c
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Ji-woo glanced around a0a151cb55 the empty hall, 99de40ef08 suddenly uneasy.a447f1515179beae
The blizzard had 107d007fd5 left them isolated, 4f129948af with even the cffa88d2c5 attendants gone.2a5b53fd37452073
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She did not 7eea102712 wish to linger 292601023b here with him. Yet, as her father’s f8519231a0 guest, she could not 36da4a9d96 simply send him away.67ed1792e77d9371
“If you would like to sit, I can bring you something, ”6f885bd36e8f899f
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“I’m fine. Have you eaten?”14ed8489454b9d41
The question caught her f1cc878a0d off guard.c2de04b7c6e6f185
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She had no appetite.d02f01d2db8cafa3
How could she, 54545a1c41 when her insides 9199fc897b felt hollow?36dc57bfa81f5702
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Ji-woo exhaled sharply, fixing 06c26643ba him with a cold 15f5703c56 stare.8fc494a0f2f67c6d
“Thank you for coming.”89dd01c77503df35
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She turned, intending 66e50765e0 to put distance 84984bc9a2 between them, when 96a2c1f81e a sudden commotion 515c6b7583 erupted at the d80bbfbbd5 entrance.1e995fcbe164b723
A familiar voice, 9103f0ebbe thick with grief, 366ddf3fcf cried out.f6e07b95fa9afa14
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“Oh, my heavens! What has happened?”13d5df86bbc47262
Ji-woo’s breath caught.5bcfa6c0f3a48870
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A woman she knew 7969c007c9 well, a neighbor who cd391faffb had once been like c14b837777 a sister to her ff4e634036 mother, entered followed by c083e886b6 others.3f39bd0a7a4946f6
Several others followed behind her. All were neighbors Jiwoo 28a942c564 knew well. Despite the blocked roads, 692ee71ecf it seemed they had a7d56f6563 braved the storm to 8b7d4d082b come.9d9cec5df1bb6959
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Seeing them kneeling on 8552482420 the floor, silently weeping, 92bbd77b3a made Jiwoo’s chest tighten 4f9eb7a684 with pain.49885e645c4fbed2
“No news is good news, they say. I thought you all must be doing well… but like this? Oh, heavens!”a7d959b1613338b3
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Trying to hold back 65bcb1f6e0 her tears, Jiwoo felt 41ba49db31 a sharp sting in 6d23a519c2 her throat. She knew if she 636998b07b broke down now, she 4fc5cedf5b wouldn’t be able to e103dbcb71 stop.0b5a4a88a6383b18
The woman paid her respects 58f71b6915 before the portrait of Jiwoo’s b4bc9ff2eb father, then walked up and 443cdcd38b took Jiwoo’s hand firmly.4e88739d4a941829
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“So it was an accident? And your mother? You’re here all alone?”54cc644c6d8efe6d
“She’s in the hospital.”63fe609272a75af9
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At Jiwoo’s response, the woman 613ed2cdbc burst into tears again.e161a9b54eb7edcf
“They were so good, so kind they could live without laws. Why did this tragedy fall on them? So, where’s the hospital? Is your mother badly hurt?”4f384c4ae9b6eb94
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Jiwoo hesitated, unable to answer a75721d3f9 right away. The woman wiped her 54f0ec02a2 tears and gently patted 092f8860ff Jiwoo’s back.e46c732fd5d99546
“Alright, you don’t have to say anything more. I know you must be hurting too. But you have to stay strong and send your father off with a steady heart.”3cc509983b811b78
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One of the people ce5299ebcc who had come with df19e16cde the woman offered a f8a200e9ae bow before the portrait, 2aba0c4ab2 then turned to glance 504d07e31a behind. Her eyes widened in 84ae23f272 surprise when she saw 309618bf40 the man.6e7b9a4fff979ea8
“Well, look who it is. Isn’t that Taemu? It is you, right?”6016f802baebef27
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The man gave a b88606d039 slight bow.68598bf09e5f297c
“It’s been a long time.”5b6eb33bd2bc4ccf
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“To think we’d run into you here. You must have come in your father’s stead.”9d0527b67b0ed4ae
Taemu’s father and Jiwoo’s father 80da301306 had been best friends since 7f85bcdc39 childhood, known by all in 64c7b1749d the neighborhood for their bond.dc0f09db3186cfdf
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“With weather like this, the house of mourning should be full of noise, but it’s so quiet. Since we planned to stay through the night anyway, we’ll keep watch. Taemu, you should sit too. You won’t be able to go anywhere in this storm.”8c983b314d0e35f2
In place of 42b2a70392 the absent attendant, 5523b4945f the woman began 8813ce857d arranging food on 38d0618baf a tray.cfab8f4a7fbd9324
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As the village elders took 0429567852 their seats at the table, 9336c21856 Taemu silently moved to stand 99dd09a619 beside Jiwoo.8db4fc16fe088f82
Jiwoo was not the only c498edbf0d one startled. Others around the c41fe4b425 table paused and d4ced024d3 glanced his way.08d6e3db3c9e61f0
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Taemu, taking the place beside 0e4584e137 Jiwoo, the chief mourner, drew a7d0bf8736 curious glances.a366ee8f7e6f7468
“What do you think you’re doing?”032ab16acc7e837c
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Ignoring Jiwoo’s sharp 69b88abad3 stare, Taemu looked 7f7447c2f4 straight ahead.2d25c89fc03c70e0
His high-bridged nose was 4a2195c324 striking, almost sculpted. His tightly closed lips 779fa78ccd looked as frigid as ca472daede the midwinter air.4cb298b555c3b150
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“I told you. I’m here in my father’s place.”.ed085c39fcba978f