Systemism

Hyeonwoo (Epilogue)

???: "You kids did it right bringing her here..."

Her voice was soft, but it couldn't mask the weight of her concern. Her eyes, aged and weary, traced the delicate features of the sleeping infant nestled in her arms. The lines etched into her face deepened as she gazed down at the baby, her fingers trembling with a gentleness that came from years of experience and sorrow. She stroked the baby's head, her touch tender, as though the child might break under the harshness of the world outside.

???: "What a poor child..."

She whispered, her words laced with sadness as if she already understood the magnitude of the storm this child had been born into. Her gaze flickered toward Evan and Kwang Sun, the two standing silently, drenched from the rain, their faces taut with exhaustion and grief.

???: "She's so small... barely had a chance to start her life, and already..."

She trailed off, shaking her head. The unsaid words hung heavy in the air as if even Ahjumma didn't have the heart to finish that thought. She glanced at the infant's tiny hands, now curled into little fists, unaware of the tragedy that had unfolded.

???: "The world's already been too cruel to her... her mother gone, and her father..."

Her voice broke for a moment, and she swallowed hard, the gravity of the situation pulling her down. She took a deep breath before continuing, her eyes glassy but determined.

???: "She's going to need all the love she can get now."

As the baby stirred slightly in her arms, ??? Hummed softly, a tune that spoke of old memories and quiet resilience, a lullaby passed down through generations. She wasn't just trying to soothe the baby; she was trying to ground herself in the face of the storm that was to come, knowing all too well the weight of what had been lost.

She looked back at the two young teenagers standing before her, eyes filled with more questions than they could answer.

??? (quietly): "You boys did well... but this child's going to need more than what any of us can give alone."

Her gaze softened as she held the baby close to her chest, rocking her gently.

???: "The poor thing... she doesn't even know yet what she's lost."

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Just minutes after Kwang Sun and Evan had found Hyeonwoo and Hae-in...

The rain outside had turned into a relentless storm, drenching the streets and soaking every layer of clothing on Kwang Sun and Evan as they pounded on Jung Oksan's door. Thunder rumbled in the distance, but nothing compared to the storm brewing within them.

Evan: "Open the door!"

The door swung open with a creak, revealing Oksan, her expression instantly shifting from confusion to concern. The two teenagers stood before her, drenched to the bone, their faces pale and haunted by what they had just witnessed.

Jung Oksan: "What happened?! Did Hae-in break her arm again?"

There was an edge of panic in her voice, her eyes scanning the area behind them for any sign of Hae-in. But instead of the familiar face of the girl she had helped raise, Oksan's eyes fell upon the bundle in Evan's arms. Wrapped in layers of cloth, barely visible, was a baby—small, fragile, and shivering in the cold.