Falling For The Park Brothers' Sister ⚊ Nishimura Riki

Chapter Fifty Nine

I stood still at the entrance of the graveyard, feeling a heavy weight in my chest as I gazed at the familiar rows of tombstones. The air was cool, with a quiet stillness hanging over everything, as though the world itself was holding its breath. 

Today, I had come here for one reason, to visit my mother.

Ni-ki stood beside me, his hand resting gently on my back. He didn't say anything, just offering his presence, his warmth, as I braced myself for the flood of emotions I knew would come. I had brought him here, not for the usual reasons, but because I needed to share this moment with him.

I had never brought anyone here before—certainly not a boyfriend. But today felt different. I wanted to introduce him to the woman who gave me life, the woman who had shaped me even though she had never really been there to guide me.

"This is her," I said quietly, nodding toward the gravestone ahead.

Ni-ki followed my gaze, standing quietly beside me. I could feel his attention, his quiet respect. He didn't press me to talk or rush me through the moment. He just stood by me, steady, as if waiting for me to find my own words.

I took a slow breath, stepping toward the gravestone with him following behind me. The stone was engraved with her name: Park Jisoo, and the dates of her life, the dash in the middle holding everything that mattered—her life, the love she gave, and the life she had to leave too soon. 

I could feel my throat tighten, and I brushed my fingers over the stone, my voice barely above a whisper. "I'm here, Mom. It's me."

I let the silence stretch between us for a few moments, gathering my thoughts. Ni-ki's presence was calming, like an anchor in the storm that was swirling inside me. When I finally spoke again, I felt my voice crack just a little.

"I've never really had anyone to introduce you to... not like this." I looked up at him, and he gave me a soft smile, understanding the weight of what I was saying. "But this is Ni-ki... my first real boyfriend. The one who's made it past all of my brothers', all of your sons'... overprotective antics."

Ni-ki chuckled softly, a little awkwardly. "I don't think I could ever fully pass the test, but I've made it this far."

I let out a small laugh, the tension in my shoulders easing slightly. My heart felt lighter just having him here, sharing this piece of my life. He wasn't perfect—neither of us were—but he was here, with me, and that was enough.

My fingers lightly traced the letters of my mother's name, and a quiet sob caught in my throat. My chest tightened as the words I had been holding back for so long finally came tumbling out. 

"I actually had a dream about her," I whispered, the words thick with emotion. "Before I woke up from that coma... I dreamed about her. She was there, waiting for me. She told me I need to come back."

Tears began to slip down my cheeks, and I wiped them away quickly, not wanting to lose control completely. But it was hard to hold back now, to suppress the grief I had been carrying for so many years. "I only saw her in my dreams. Because of how she died... giving birth to me, that was the only time I got to see her. And now... now I have to live the rest of my life without her, without hearing her voice, without feeling her touch."

I took a shaky breath, and I could feel the weight of Ni-ki's gaze, soft and gentle. He said nothing, but the way his hand found mine, the way he squeezed it just a little, spoke volumes. His silent support was enough to keep me grounded, to keep me from falling apart entirely.

"She told me to live." I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to collect myself, but the tears kept coming, falling freely now. "To live for both of us. To live for my brothers. I never got the chance to ask her for anything—anything I needed as a daughter—before she passed. But... I promised her, in that dream, that I would live, that I wouldn't forget her. Even when everything felt impossible."