BURY A FRIEND ♱ squidgame

032. so what now?

𝐃𝐀𝐘𝐒 𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐁𝐘 𝐅𝐀𝐒𝐓 in the hospital. It was only a week that the two had to spend there, before getting permission to leave. Or more likely, they were kicked out. Both of them hated the hospital room, the food they got there, and the ugly gowns. So finally getting out was a big thing for both of them.

Nabi and Sae-byeok held hands as they walked out of the glass doors of the hospital, unsure what to do or say next.

Both of the girls were brutally aware of the upcoming questions. Were they going to move together? Where would they get the money for that? What was going to happen to Cheol? What is happening next?

Nabi rubbed her forehead as she paid for the bus ticket for both of them. She didn't even ask Sae-byeok if she wanted to pay her own. This was the least she could do for the girl after helping her in the games.

Sae-byeok sat down, taking the window seat, and patiently waited for Nabi to sit down next to her. Nabi showed the driver their tickets, before walking to the seats Sae-byeok had picked for them. It turned out, that the hospital was not in the center of the city, so they had to take a bus to get to wherever they were going next.

As the bus started moving, Nabi found herself zoning out,-worrying about the upcoming challenges the two were going to face.

"Hey", Sae-byeok called, taking the girl's hand to her own, and squeezing it gently. Nabi turned to look at the girl with a small frown and a crease between her eyebrows. "Stop overthinking", the taller one said, rubbing the space between the older girl's eyebrows, trying to relax her forehead. "It won't help us in any way", Sae-byeok continued, now caressing the girl's cheek. Nabi nodded in agreement.

"What now?", she asked, still not able to let go of the past few days. "What's gonna happen to us?", the question was a great one and one which Sae-byeok had no answers to.

The younger girl shrugged, pulling the girl closer to her, so Nabi could lean her head to her shoulder. "I'll take care of everything. I promise", Sae-byeok whispered, kissing the top of her head gently. Nabi played with the material of Sae-byeok's jacket, as she felt her eyes water again. She was so scared but so happy that she didn't have to be alone.

Nabi wanted to visit the coroner first, where the nurses had informed her her mother's corpse would be. Nabi had told Sae-byeok that she could go and visit Cheol, while she was in there. But the tall girl had demanded to come with Nabi.

The room felt cold and dismal, as the only thing to hear was the sound of Nabi's heavy steps. Sae-byeok held tightly the girl's hand as the coroner took the corpse out of the cold room.
The pale skin of what used to be her mother's body first spooked the young girl. The blue tint reminded her way too much of the blue skin of her stepfather. Her eyes were closed, which Nabi was thankful for. She didn't need to see her eyes to be sure she was gone. There was no soul in them, the last time she had seen the two brown holes stare at her. So what would be different now that the heart of its owner didn't beat?

"She's already?", Nabi asked, her voice echoing in the room. The question was weird but necessary. The coroner nodded, "The funeral will be arranged by the church she was a member of."

Nabi nodded. She was just glad she didn't have to hold a funeral for the woman who ruined her life. "When?", Nabi asked, tilting her head a little.
"In a few days, I believe. But the pastor will be in touch with you", the coroner said, prepping the corpse back to the cold room. He had a tint of rush in his voice, but Nabi was nowhere near being done with the questions.

"How about-"

"The will is your mother's lawyer's and bank's business. I don't know anything about your mother's inheritance."

Nabi nodded. She turned to look at Sae-byeok, hinting that it was their time to leave. The two said their goodbyes to the man and left the off atmosphere with a sigh of relief.

"I don't know about the house, but I do know that Mom was not poor", Nabi murmured, as the two walked down the alleyway. Sae-byeok glanced down at her girlfriend.

"Should I be worried that you just saw your mother's body, and now you're thinking about what she left you on her testament?", Sae-byeok asked, with a small hint of humor in her normally so dull voice.

Nabi smiled a little, taking her sunglasses from her forehead and placing them on her nose. To an outsider, the duo might have looked like total opposites. Nabi with her heels and stockings, and Sae-byeok with her oversized jeans and worn-out converses. Nabi ignored every person who walked across from them, while Sae-byeok on the other hand, gave everyone a killer-look who even dared to look at the girl next to her. See, a match made in heaven.

"Wanna visit the bank, or the orphanage first?", Nabi asked the taller girl. Sae-byeok looked at the brown-haired girl with a small smile tugging on her lips.

"I want you to meet my brother."