Chapter 27
[You insane psychopath!]
The scream I let out in unbearable fury became the last memory of that day, at “Go Woo-ri’s funeral.”
Regrettably, despite the emotions that had burst out, we did not dare to step out of the car. It wasn’t because of some rational judgment that no one there would welcome us.
‘How could I possibly walk in there?’
I simply didn’t have the courage to attend my own funeral.
Acknowledging that I was dead was a fearsome, dreadful thing—far worse than I had ever imagined.
I never regretted not going inside. If I had forced myself in, if I had seen my own coffin,
“…I feel sick.”
Just thinking of it made my stomach churn, like I might vomit.
But when Yoon-jae suggested we go, I agreed. Because I couldn’t keep living my entire life with death clinging to me.
She had decided to live as Joo Ae-jung now, and she couldn’t afford to be shaken every time her old name came up.
A full stop.
Choosing to go to the columbarium was an opportunity to place that final period at the end of the sentence.
I clasped both hands tightly on my lap. In the car on the way there, my determination—thinly disguised as calmness—seemed to flow along with the scenery racing past the window.
“Ha Yoon-jae.”
When the tall buildings faded and unfamiliar landscapes stretched long, she finally broke the silence, her noble gaze unshaken until now.
He answered only by glancing at her briefly.
“Should we not go?”
A reasonable change of heart.
“We don’t have to.”
His calm reply carried the sincerity that he would turn the car around immediately if she asked. But then, she quickly shook her head.
“No. We’ve come this far. At least I should step foot at the entrance. Let’s go.”
“As you wish.”
“…No, maybe we should just go home.”
“……”
“But if not today, I’ll never come back. Still… maybe this isn’t right. No, it is. Or maybe not.”
Back and forth. Wavering endlessly.
So quiet I thought she was being solemn, but in truth she had been rolling her thoughts around like an empty can and had simply forgotten to open her mouth.
“…Haa.”
Yoon-jae couldn’t suppress a short sigh.
She knew exactly why he sighed, but only turned back to the window, releasing her clenched hands and fidgeting nervously.
Who else could know what it feels like to go see their own ashes?
This unsettled heart was something no one else could understand unless they faced it themselves.
“Haa…”
Another long sigh spread in the air, just as her dry lips pressed together. The car, which had been driving straight, suddenly turned off.
Soon a large parking lot came into view, and she blinked wide in surprise.
“Why are we here?”
Without answering, Yoon-jae parked the car and stepped out.
“Sort yourself out before we go.”
“……”
It seemed he was giving her one last chance to decide.
“I can’t tell if that’s considerate… or just plain annoying.”
Given what she already knew of Ha Yoon-jae, she really couldn’t tell.
Either way, this final chance made her step out of the car as well. And right before her eyes, a massive building filled her vision.
“…Is this a café, or a botanical garden?”
The building was far too big for an ordinary café, its inside and outside overflowing with lush greenery.
Whether intentional or not, Yoon-jae’s small turn of the wheel had carried her from gray asphalt into a green landscape, and the overwhelming anxiety that couldn’t be contained began to subside a little.
First, a sedative.
“I want something sweet! Extremely, ridiculously sweet!”
She shouted toward him, already walking ahead.
The interior was even larger and higher than expected, filled with plants and trees thick enough to resemble a forest, and even had paths connected outdoors for strolling.
In awe, wondering if it was really a café and not a greenhouse, she sipped her drink through a straw.
Sweet mocha coffee, piled with whipped cream, filled her mouth and slid down her throat.
“Ah… thrilling.”
The sugary flavor was the perfect comfort, lifting her mood with every sip as she walked the garden paths.
The best way to soothe her troubled heart in this moment.
Did he bring me here on purpose?
Perhaps Yoon-jae had turned the wheel out of irritation at her indecisiveness.
“…Stop. Enough useless thoughts.”
She shook her head vigorously, realizing how ridiculous her wandering thoughts had become.
Her emotions were too unstable, making her think strange things.
This isn’t like me.
Times like these demanded sharper focus.
Carrying her coffee alone, she walked the orderly paths, leaving behind Yoon-jae, who had disappeared somewhere with his own drink.
Though she wavered, she knew the conclusion she would eventually come to.
“…I know.”
She sucked air through her teeth as though bracing against cold pain, steeling herself for the inevitable.
Just then—
“Excuse me!”
A gentle-faced man, standing by a photo spot, waved her over.
“If you’re not too busy, could you take a picture for us?”
He politely handed her his phone.
“Ah, sure.”
“Thank you. Honey, over here—”
But when he gestured beside him, he suddenly looked flustered.
“Huh? Where’d she go?”
“Oh, the phone locked…”
“Ah, sorry, it’s a pattern lock.”
As the screen went dark, she handed it back. The man stepped closer, reaching for it—
Clack.
But instead of taking the phone, his hand was intercepted.
Both of her hands—holding the phone—were suddenly clasped firmly by someone else.
The one who had vanished earlier: Yoon-jae.
“…Who is this?”
His eyes carried a faint, displeased edge.
She blinked, startled.
“Ah! There she is, honey!”
The man happily shouted, spotting his wife, oblivious to why her hands were being held.
“……”
As the man hurried back to his wife, clinging to her like glue, Yoon-jae slowly released her hands and stepped back.
What on earth is he doing?
She tilted her head in confusion.
“What are you doing?”
But Yoon-jae didn’t answer, only retreating another step.
He couldn’t very well admit he thought someone was bothering her because he hadn’t heard their conversation from behind.
Though puzzled, she dutifully took photos for the couple, snapping away diligently.
Behind her, Yoon-jae muttered—
“Enough already.”
“Hold on.”
The couple smiled so happily, so brightly, that even she couldn’t help but smile too.
“They look lovely. Almost enviable.”
The warmth they radiated so visibly was another kind of beauty she longed for.
“Thank you!”
Perhaps touched by her effort—she’d taken at least twenty photos—the husband then gestured toward her and Yoon-jae.
“Ah, let us take one for you, too. Stand here.”
Startled, she quickly waved her hands.
“Huh? Oh no, that’s not necessary.”
“This is actually a famous photo spot! Usually there’s a line, but today it’s empty. Please, stand here. May I see your phone?”
“N-no, really, we’re fine.”
“Come on, honey, let’s give them the spot.”
“Right. Over here, quickly.”
Overly enthusiastic, the couple insisted, their eyes sparkling.
And so, swept along, she and Yoon-jae found themselves standing exactly where the couple had been.
“…We really don’t need this.”
The surprising part was that Yoon-jae also stood there quietly, without complaint.
“……”
They stood awkwardly apart, enough room for a third person between them. The couple, passionate in their role as photographers, grew excited.
“Could you stand closer? The background isn’t coming out right.”
“Yes, just a little more. Actually… it would look best if the young man put his arm around her shoulder. Like this, see?”
The husband wrapped an arm around his wife’s waist, demonstrating.
“No! This is fine!”
Startled, she shook her head vigorously.
The husband lowered the phone, suddenly realizing.
“Oh… you’re not… that kind of couple?”
At last, he understood his mistake, looking embarrassed.
The atmosphere grew awkward. She licked her dry lips, unsure what to say.
Then, Yoon-jae spoke.
“We’re married.”
A simple, matter-of-fact reply.
The couple’s faces instantly brightened.
“Ah, you are married!”
“No wonder you looked so shy.”
“Totally understandable. Family don’t usually do that, after all.”
“…What?”
“Nothing.”
Their silly banter made her laugh softly.
That’s right. We are married.
Real or not, they were indeed a married couple.
Suppressing a flicker of emotion rising inside her, she strode closer to the stiff man who only stared straight ahead.
And then—she grabbed onto him.
“…?”
He looked down at her in surprise.
“Just stay close. No need to advertise we’re divorcing.”
She whispered playfully, her mischievous grin working like pantomime.
Yoon-jae looked down at her, at the pale hand resting lightly on his arm.
Then he suddenly pulled her closer.
“…!”
Her arm wrapped around his, their bodies pressed together. Her eyes widened, startled, meeting his.
He smirked.
“What, isn’t this what you meant?”
Click!
The camera flash went off.
