The Way I Loved You

Tug Of War

Seeing the feared chairman of Queens being wheeled lifelessly on a stretcher had not been on Hyunwoo's list of expected findings today. Documents which would incriminate Moh Seulhee, the slush fund, that he'd hoped to find, but not this. When the blanket fell aside to reveal his pale face, he'd felt Haein tense immediately beside him. Instinctively, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, holding her steady.

Haein had a special relationship with her grandfather. He was the only one who recognised her talents even though she was young and a woman. Unlike her parents, he didn't cast her away after the accident and supported her endeavours with pride. They had been very much alike in their intelligence and ruthlessness, and Haein was willing to do whatever it took to make him proud.

Hyunwoo didn't know for sure, but suspected that he was the reason why they'd been able to get married in the first place. Seonhwa had clearly expressed her disapproval, so the only person who could've had the power to allow their marriage was the chairman, the head of the household. Hyunwoo wasn't sure why he'd agreed to let his precious granddaughter marry a commoner, but he was grateful nonetheless. It was jarring to see the man that everyone had looked up to lying still and silent. He'd accomplished so much in his life and commanded the attention of thousands, yet he had died alone, a prisoner in his own house after having all his assets stripped from him. It made Hyunwoo want to reconsider his priorities in life.

Feeling Haein's frail body trembling in his arms, he tightened his grip, reminding her that he was there to support her if she needed it. He wanted to ask if she was okay, but that was a stupid question. How could she be okay when the grandfather she'd looked up to all her life was dead?

His blank eyes were seared into her brain, hauntingly soulless after his spirit left his body. Was this what she would look like when her time was up? It terrified her to think about it. Having been distant from her extended family due to all the wealth disputes, Haein had only ever been to one funeral prior to this which was that of her grandmother. Even then, she had been so young that she barely remembered any of it. Somehow, she'd never expected death to be this harrowing.

Everything after that had been a complete blur, her aunt's gut wrenching wails ringing loudly in her ears. She had been completely running on autopilot, until Hyunwoo reached out and held her hand in the back of the car, the warmth of his skin grounding her to reality.

And as they lowered his coffin into the ground, the broken cries from her family members who had presented themselves as nothing but strong and unmoving unnerved her. It was like the great pillar of the family had fallen, and now they all didn't know what to do with themselves without him. Her family had always been a source of strength to her. Perhaps not emotionally, but her family name gave her the courage to stand on her two feet and face the challenges head on. To see the proud family crumble right before her eyes was a jarring reminder that they were all human at the end of the day, prone to weakness and death.

At the same time, she couldn't help but wonder how long it would be before she joined her grandfather in the ground. Would they cry over her and mourn her loss like they did her grandfather? Wasn't it too cruel for fate to rob them of two family members so close to one another? Oh, her poor aunt. She knew that her dear Aunt Beomja had a soft spot for her, would it break her heart again when she left this world? Even if she had no control over when she was going to die, Haein felt responsible for the aftermath that would follow. As such, she had maintained a stoic composure throughout the rites, not wanting to be an additional burden to her family.

As each shovel of dirt fell upon the coffin, further finalising the fact that he was truly gone, his last words echoed in her mind, and she could have sworn that he was right next to her speaking.