"What's this?"
"It's for mom, Miss Hwanae told me to make one for her, even if she isn't here"
"Why does she get to be next to appa?"
"Because she's his wife Ji? Who else is going next to dad?"
She went quiet and turned away, staring at the river. He sighed, sitting in the snow and looking at the grave he'd made for their mom. He likes to think mom would be happy he did it for her, and dad would be happy they're together.
"We should go home"
"Look"
Jieun pointed at the river, and he assumed she was seeing blood again, but she squinted and there was actually something in the water. Not fish for once. So they went to the water, Ji stayed a couple of steps behind but he got onto the ground and leaned forward.
"What is it?"
"Dead bird"
"In the water? Drowned?"
"No, an animal probably got to it"
"What?"
"Wait that doesn't make sense?"
"From up the mountain?"
"..we should go up"
"You go up and get yourself killed, I'm not going"
"Wh-Ji?"
"I'm not going, it's stupid and dangerous, I only went cuz you went"
"It can't be bad if dad wanted to take me?"
"Well appa's not here to take you, okay? If he had to be there to take you, it's dangerous"
"Ji let's just go home, being out here isn't good for us"
"You go, I'll come in a bit"
"You don't know your way home"
"Yes I do"
"No you don't, and even if you think you do, it's dangerous if you don't"
"Fine, let's go, I'll show you that I know"
"Okay, fine"
"It's easy"
It was once she figured it out. Mom and dad's graves, turn around, walk forward. Just walk ahead. They lived by the river so you did need to take a little left, but as long as you walked forward it was alright.
"See?"
"Fine, you know your way"
"Now you go"
"What're you doing?"
"Going back, I know my way there and back so you don't need to worry"
"Ji"
"We need wood by the way"
"Okay I'll come with you, you can visit dad and I'll cut a tree nearby, yeah?"
"Okay"
So they walked back and Gguk looked around for a good tree to cut down, eventually finding one. By time he'd cut it, and then chopped it into smaller pieces and took the branches, he kicked them forward and to the area.
He looked at Ji, frowning, feeling sick to his stomach. She'd done this every day since they got back. She'd come visit dad, and lay in the snow next to his grave, eyes shut and not a care that she was probably freezing.
"Ji, let's go"
"Mm, you go without me"
"Ji please..you can't keep laying here and waiting to die.."
