The thought made me want to cry, but I couldn't, as if something was holding my tears back from rolling and sinking into a pain that was serious enough like a thousand razor blades slashing my fragile heart mercilessly at once.

But, no matter how excruciating this feeling was, I still couldn't cry for it.

It was mental torture that almost made me lose my mind.

At that moment, Daehyun took out his cell phone from his pocket and started calling someone. He talked on the phone for a few minutes before hanging up.

After that, Daehyun looked at me with a complicated smile on his face, and said, "Chunghee, just wait a little more, okay?"

Looking into his eyes, there was a complexity in them that was difficult to describe in words. The deeper I looked at them, the cold darkness at the edge of his eyes that had no end, allowing me to see the big depiction of our current situation.

It pierced my heart even more. Seeing him, I felt even more troubled. Besides my selfish desire to run away, I also have to think about Daehyun who was also in a difficult situation.

He helped me too much; wasted too much time on me; and also loved me too much — even now I sometimes wondered whether he was a fool or just being too kind.

"Daehyun, what's wrong?"

Finally, curiosity and impatience pushed the question out of my slightly trembling lips even though I said it in a weak tone.

Hearing my question, there was a sudden sadness in his eyes, so deep and cold that they didn't spare the pleasant spring warmth of before.

The corners of his lips slowly lifted. He smiled but it didn't reach his eyes. It confirmed that he was not in good shape and smiled with pretense; pushed all the sweet things out of his face, but ended up in a bitter smile that couldn't be disguised.

At first, I thought — even I always thought — that Daehyun always covered his feelings perfectly. However, this time, he lost himself and became fragile.

He couldn't hide his feelings this time.

A person like Daehyun, with all his goodness in this world, was like gold with a high value. Everyone wanted it, but not everyone could get it.

Am I one of the lucky ones?

I didn't know if I should feel 'deserved'. He was high and noble, the one who was deserving of the happiness he deserved as his family name was so well-known.

While me? I was like someone who had just sunk into the mud.

Suddenly someone knocked on the car window from outside. I immediately turned around and saw a big man in a black suit standing outside, bowing slightly.

Daehyun rolled down the car window and asked, "Are people still gathering inside?"

"No sir. Just a few," the man in black replied respectfully.

"Who are they?"

"Um, I don't know them, sir."

Daehyun paused for a moment, then asked again, "What about my father? Is he in there too?"

"Big Master is still there, sir, but he will be leaving soon." The man in black glanced at his watch for a moment, then continued, "Maybe a few more minutes later."

Daehyun paused again then glanced at me for a moment before he spoke again in a commanding tone to the big man, "Ah, alright. Go back then."

Seconds after the man left, he smiled at me. As if he knew what was in my head now, he spoke very calmly, as if the worry in his heart had been thrown into a hidden place and replaced by a strong determination, "Don't worry. We'll go there for now."

Finishing the words, he immediately turned the car around carefully and drove it towards the building across the street where we were currently at.

Surprisingly, the closer we got to the building, the more anxiety made my hands tremble and slowly felt cold. My heart was beating harder and harder while I was struggling to catch my breath caught in my throat.

It felt cramped and got more and more suffocating.

There was a reluctance to accept all this, but my mind had a strong desire to know the truth and to have a more powerful right.

It seemed to make my whole body shiver to the bone.

Arriving at this place, Daehyun parked his car next to several rows of luxury sedans in the parking of the building.

At this very moment, I froze in silence. In my ears, there was only the sound of rumbling breathing and the sound of a loud beating heart. My gaze was locked at one point and it was a huge tall building in front of me, which radiated an aura of sorrow and sadness, without a trace of joy. It made my heart beat faster and almost explode.

Then, without realizing it, Daehyun opened his car door, smiling gently and saying while holding out his hand, "Come on, we'll go inside."

I felt dazed for a while. I even forgot how I got back to Seoul and ended up in this place; how could Daehyun be with me now?; and what did I do here — even for the pain?

This memory was lost for a moment, and the afterlife returned when remembering that the news of the death of a person I had always wanted to avoid just heard today consciously.

Instantly everything became clear again and the pain was like something that suddenly appeared in my chest. It was like the loud bang of a meteor falling to the earth. All of them stung my heart suddenly at the same time.

Weakly, I lifted my gaze, looked at Daehyun in front of me, then took his hand and slowly stood up.

Having been sitting for several hours, my knees became stiff. I almost fell, but Daehyun immediately held my body, "Chunghee, be careful."

Hearing the words, a weak smile appeared on my face. I turned to him and spoke in a low voice, "Daehyun, I don't want to embarrass you inside. Let me go — I can walk on my own."