My Songbird's Dream

Fin

July, 1945
Occupied Seoul

Etta returned to the hospital wing. As she approached Ji-tae's room, she noticed Miyoko seated beside him, her head bowed and her shoulders shaking with silent sobs.

Etta paused at the doorway, torn between her desire to be by Ji-tae's side and the knowledge that Miyoko needed this moment of closure. She stepped back, allowing the door to close softly, and waited in the hallway, her arms crossed and her eyes fixed on the floor.

Minutes passed, and finally, Miyoko emerged from the room, her face streaked with tears and her eyes red and puffy. She startled slightly when she saw Etta, but quickly composed herself, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a folded piece of paper.

"I apologize for all the evil I've done on behalf of my family," Miyoko said, her voice trembling as she held out the paper to Etta. "This is the least I could do."

Etta took the paper, unfolding it to reveal divorce certifications. She looked up at Miyoko, her expression unreadable.

"In my eyes, you were never married to begin with," Etta said flatly.

Miyoko's lips trembled as she looked the certifications, her eyes searching Etta's face. "You won't ever like me, would you?" she asked.

Etta's jaw clenched, and she took a deep breath before responding. "Frankly, I think you're getting off too easy," she said, her voice cold and even. "Your abuser gets put away for free, and you don't get the shame of being divorced because you can lie and say anything happened."

Miyoko flinched at Etta's words, her eyes filling with fresh tears. "I'm left with the clothes on my back, my father has been ruined at my own hands. My brother nothing less of a war criminal." she whispered.

Etta's arms were crossed tightly over her chest, her fingers digging into the fabric of her sleeves as she took a step forward. She could feel the pain radiating through her body, her muscles coiled like springs ready to snap at any moment.

"You tried to hurt Daniel," she said, her voice low and steady, but with barely restrained fury. Her eyes bore into Miyoko's, unwavering and intense, as if she could see straight through to the other woman's soul.

Miyoko seemed to wilt under Etta's gaze, her shoulders slumping and her head dropping forward. Her hair fell like a curtain around her face, obscuring her features, but Etta could see the way her hands trembled as she clasped them in front of her. The silence stretched between them, heavy and oppressive, broken only by the sound of Miyoko's shaky breaths.

After what felt like an eternity, Miyoko lifted her head, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. She swallowed hard, her throat bobbing with the effort, before speaking.

"You're a respectable person, Miss Walker," she said, her words coming out in a rush as if she was afraid she would lose her nerve if she didn't say them quickly enough. She extended her hand, her arm shaking slightly as she held it out towards Etta.

Etta's gaze flicked down to Miyoko's outstretched hand, her lip curling slightly in disdain. She could see the way Miyoko's fingers twitched, the way her palm glistened with sweat. It was a gesture of peace, of reconciliation, but Etta had no intention of accepting it.

Instead, she met Miyoko's eyes once more, her own narrowing slightly as she tilted her head to the side. She could feel the heat of her anger simmering just beneath the surface, threatening to boil over at any moment.