“…It’s my first time here since the funeral. I just couldn’t gather the courage until now.” Yi-soo’s voice carried a mix of vulnerability and determination as they stood before the gates of the cemetery in Gimpo, just an hour and a half’s drive from the courthouse. Behind the glass, countless urns held the remains of the departed.
Among them stood one labeled ‘Baek Su-jeong’. Whether it bore the touch of her biological parents or not, the resting place was adorned with offerings of flowers and miniature tokens of remembrance. Yi-soo approached it slowly, her steps weighted with emotion.
Leaning into the comforting presence of Hyun-seong, she rested her head on his shoulder, finding solace in his embrace, while his arm wrapped around her shoulders.
“I thought I might break down seeing Unni here… But somehow, I don’t feel as overwhelmed as I anticipated. Maybe it’s because Kang Jin-won received the death penalty.”
“Baek Su-jeong must have been watching the trial too,” Hyun-seong murmured softly.
“Probably… Unni… she couldn’t abide injustice. That man got what he deserved. Maybe she’s feeling the same,” Yi-soo whispered, a faint glimmer of peace flickering within her heart.
As a tear traced its path down Yi-soo’s cheek, Hyun-seong tenderly wiped it away with a gentle touch. Her skin bore the traces of emotional turmoil endured over the past few days.
Yet, amidst the fragile sense of closure, a lingering uncertainty lingered. The possibility of Jin-won accepting his fate seemed remote. The road ahead, fraught with legal battles up to the highest court, stretched out ominously before them. Each trial, each appeal, threatened to reopen wounds not yet fully healed.
They yearned to move forward, to find peace beyond the shadows of the past. Yet, the specter of unresolved justice loomed large, a burden they carried unwillingly but resolutely.
Hyun-seong made a silent promise to stand steadfastly beside Seo Yi-soo for as long as necessary.
Seo Yi-soo, he vowed, ‘I’ll be your unwavering support, like a sturdy oak tree you can always lean on. When rain falls, I wish to shield you from its cold touch with my own body, and in scorching heat, provide you refuge.
Then, his curiosity stirred, he asked about Baek Su-jeong, Yi-soo’s only biological relative, whom he’d never inquired about before, only learning of her existence upon her passing.
“Were Baek Su-jeong and Prosecutor Seo alike, either in looks or temperament?”
As he spoke, Hyun-seong’s gaze drifted to a framed photograph on the wall, capturing a moment of radiant happiness shared by three individuals.
Yi-soo reflected on her sister, five years her senior, recalling how, despite her tender age, Su-jeong always seemed a model of maturity. She never complained, even in hardship, always bearing burdens with a silent strength that inspired admiration.
“My sister,” Yi-soo began, her tone nostalgic, “she didn’t cry easily, not like most people. Even when life knocked her down, she rose again without a tear. She shielded her emotions, especially from me, perhaps believing she couldn’t show weakness in front of her younger sister.”
Hyun-seong nodded, “She had her share of stubbornness.”
“She did.” Yi-soo’s voice softened, her thoughts drifting back to memories long buried.
“Actually… When our sister went to be adopted alone, I resented her while crying. She told me it was okay, that I could handle it on my own now that I was in elementary school too.” Yi-soo shook her head, a sad smile tugging at her lips. “It was all lies. Actually, I think I hated my sister. She promised to stay with me forever, but she went far away…”
Mixed emotions flickered in Yi-soo’s dark eyes. Her expression wavered between a smile that seemed on the verge of tears and a laugh tinged with sorrow. “She promised never to leave me, but she left me alone like this…”
Despite the turmoil within her, hatred seemed to be the least prominent emotion. Yet, Yi-soo couldn’t help but wear a bitter smile as she gazed into the distance for what felt like an eternity.
Finally, she retrieved a purple envelope from her bag. It held a letter she had penned alone in the office before the trial commenced. “I can’t encapsulate everything in this, but… I’ve poured out all I wished to convey. It ended up spanning about five pages as I wrote. I hope Unni can come down and read it whenever she feels lonely.”
“Let’s place it beside the frame so she can access it anytime.”
With a soft sigh, Yi-soo murmured, “Take care, Unni. I’ll come to see you again.”
“I love you,” she whispered, the three words laden with deep sentiment that had long dwelled in her heart. Beyond the cemetery’s gates, the crimson sunset had already descended, casting a longing hue over the cloudless sky. The silhouette of her beloved figure seemed to etch itself upon the fading light.