Ch- 22

Flashback

The news came in rushing like a storm in the silence. Together, Jungwon and his mother did everything they could to save his father, yet they couldn't make it.

Jungwon held onto her the whole time during the funeral function. Employees, co-workers and a few of his father's friends came, exchanging a few reassuring words, offering condolences.

They returned home, weary.. everything felt lost and empty. Jungwon could only imagine what his mother may be going through.

The house felt colder and emptier, but as problems seemed to increase, the peace didn't last long. The company his father built, the shares, the documents. The trustees were pressing for a successor before the business fell apart.

"You have to take his place"

His mother said, sitting across the dining table, her tone firm even through her tears.

"I can't, I have to go back, someone's waiting for me"

Jungwon replied immediately, shaking his head as he looked up at her.

"Your father's legacy is waiting for you too, if no one steps in, everything he built will collapse. You think he worked all his life for it to be stolen?"

She responded sharply, her voice breaking. He rubbed a hand on his forehead, frustrated.

"Mom! I can't just stay here forever. I promised her, I'd come back"

"I've already spoken with the trustee. The paperwork's being arranged."

Her mother cut him off, voice firmer than it has ever been.

"What? You did what?"

He stared at her, disbelief flashing across his face. She didn't answer immediately, but after a moment.

"It's for your own good."

"Mom!! I'm not staying. You can't make this decision for me."

Jungwon said, standing up. His voice firm now, but despite that he was losing this battle.

The morning his last call with Sora took place, his heart was already heavy. He could still remember her voice... soft, excited, full of hope. Then suddenly, after that, everything shattered.

He stepped out of his room to find his mother crying again, before he could even react, she snatched his phone from him and threw it across the floor, breaking the display.

"What are you doing?!"

He shouted slightly, rushing forward, a frown on his face.

"You're not going anywhere"

Her mother spoke, everything about her expression screamed she wasn't going to let him go.

"If you leave me now, I'll have nothing left. I'll-"

She stopped midway, her breathing sharp, eyes wild with something he'd never seen before.

"I'll end it, Jungwon!"

He froze, the words hit harder than he expected.

"Mom.. don't say that."

He grabbed her wrist, trying to calm her down, but she only sobbed harder.

"You think I can live alone? After losing your father, you'll leave me too?"

He couldn't find words to respond with anymore. He felt trapped, and that was the moment his world split in two.

With a heavy heart, Jungwon decided to stay. He couldn't take the risk of leaving his mother alone. He took over his father's position, diving into the chaos his father's death had left behind.

Days turned into months, business took over his time, and sorrow took over his home.

He got a new phone, but no matter how much he tried, he couldn't find Sora's number again. He searched, called Yeji's number, but it was gone too. He hired someone to trace Sora's address.. only to find her old apartment empty, gone.

He'd lost her completely.

End of flashback

The quiet hum of the air-conditioner filled the silence of the living room. Jungwon sat on the couch, his hands loosely clasped in front of him. Across from him were sitting, Sora and Yeji.

Yeji’s gaze was sharp but calm, a faint understanding lingering behind her eyes. Sora, however, sat still, her head slightly lowered, her fingers tightening around each other.

"I tried everything"

Jungwon finally said, voice quiet and weary, but filled with guilt.

Silence followed.

Yeji’s eyes softened as she looked at him, then shifted to Sora, trying to catch even the smallest reaction. Sora didn’t move, her expression hard to read.

Yeji had been furious earlier, seeing him suddenly appear, seeing Sora’s pain resurface... but after hearing his story, something in her shifted. She couldn’t justify everything he did, but she could see the pieces now.

The grief, the helplessness, the years wasted. Still, it wasn’t her decision to make.

"Before you decide.. whether you want to forgive me or not-"

Jungwon took a breath and spoke, his voice low but steady, his gaze flicked toward Sora.

"I want to take you somewhere. Just once.. for the last time. Trust me."

He wanted to reach for her hand but stopped midway, pulling back, respecting her silence.

Yeji turned to Sora again, quietly placing her palm over Sora’s hand in reassurance.

Sora stayed quiet for a while, her eyes fixed somewhere distant. She knew deep down she couldn’t stay silent forever. As much as the wounds hurt, she could see that he wasn’t the same man anymore.

Finally, she looked up, meeting Jungwon’s gaze, then Yeji's.

Giving a small, almost hesitant nod.

And in that moment, the air shifted... now it would either be their chance to heal, or their very last goodbye.

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