episode_0006

At that moment, Mira’s younger sister, Yoonju, who had briefly gone outside, came in.

She heard a commotion from the funeral hall, and feeling uneasy, she rushed inside, witnessing the scene.

Yoonju looked to see who her mother was glaring at and shouting at, and was surprised to realize it was Mira.

Furthermore, Mira was in a state of severe panic. As if out of her mind, her eyes trembled subtly as she clutched her head.

Her mother, incessantly blaming Mira in her agitation, was also not in a normal state.

Yoonju hugged her mother from behind and said:

Yoonju looked at Mira, but Mira had no strength left to even notice the gaze.

Mira, trembling so violently she couldn’t control her own body, eventually collapsed in front of the entrance.

Then, with an empty, doll-like expression, she began to mumble.

Mira had braced herself to be called a murderer because Yunyoung died because of her, but Yunyoung’s mother’s continuous accusations mixed with her ugly past school days, causing her to lose her mind.

Her mother poured out her words on the crouching Mira. Yunyoung’s younger sister, Yoonju, desperately tried to stop her mother.

As Yoonju said that through her tears, the madness that had enveloped her mother began to fade, and a bit of reason returned.

Finally, perhaps deciding to stop verbally abusing Mira, her mother, supported by Yoonju, disappeared into the funeral hall’s lounge.

Even after Yunyoung’s accusatory mother disappeared, Mira was already deeply broken mentally.

She continued to mumble, as if whispering softly.

Mourners arriving stared at Mira, who was slumped in front of the entrance, with strange eyes.

Some tried to speak to her out of concern, but Mira’s refusal to answer and her continued muttering to herself frightened them, making them back away.

How much time had passed? A glimmer of light finally returned to Mira’s eyes.

She barely managed to recall where she was and why she had come. Stumbling, Mira rose from the floor and entered Yunyoung’s funeral hall.

Unlike before, it was possible because Yunyoung’s mother was no longer blocking the entrance.

At this time, only Yoonju had come out of the lounge, greeting the mourners. Yunyoung’s father was not present because he had already passed away years ago in an accident.

Thus, Yunyoung’s only remaining immediate family and bereaved were his mother and younger sister, making a total of two.

While they were still grieving the death of their patriarch, Yunyoung’s death came as another crushing blow, so it went without saying how much sorrow and pain they must have endured.

Yoonju was surprised to see Mira, despite being treated so poorly, not leave but instead enter the funeral hall, yet she acted as if she hadn’t seen her.

Mira knew she wasn’t invited, but she continuously reminded herself not to be swayed by the glances of others, and proceeded to do what she needed to do.

Yunyoung’s photo placed on the altar caught her eye. Seeing his smiling face, Mira’s eyes welled up and became moist.

She knew the photo well, as it was taken for a job application. He had even messaged Mira asking if he looked handsomer than usual in it.

Who would have thought that photo would become his funeral portrait?

Why did it come to this?

Just a few days ago, she couldn’t have imagined this happening even in her dreams. The happiness that seemed eternal had crumbled so fleetingly.

All that remained were unhealed scars, left behind in the wake of what had swept through.

The first funeral she ever attended turned out to be her lover’s funeral.

She thought it was a ridiculous story.

Mira couldn’t stop her tears. They poured down continuously as if her tear ducts were broken. They fell endlessly, dripping down her cheeks.

She missed Yunyoung terribly.

She wished and wished he would appear before her, comfort her as she cried, and hug her, but such a thing wouldn’t happen.

She wanted to forget everything, but the harsh reality and a pain as if being torn apart wouldn’t let her escape.

She felt lost about how to live now. It was as if she was trapped in a darkness where nothing could be seen. She had never imagined a future without Yunyoung.

Biting her lip, she tried her best to suppress the sobs that threatened to burst forth. But while she could hold back her crying, she couldn’t control the trembling of her shoulders.

Mira bowed to the deceased.

After bowing, Mira, despite likely feeling uncomfortable under the glares of the chief mourners, did not leave the hall and sat in a corner. She intended to stay until the very end.

Mira remained in her seat, unmoving, until night fell. Yunyoung’s family and relatives were gathered in one corner, talking, but Mira was isolated.

It was natural, as she was an uninvited guest who had come on her own. Yunyoung’s mother was also out, but now she was ignoring Mira, pretending not to see her.

-1-

Minho, who arrived at Yunyoung’s funeral in the evening, couldn’t bear to see Mira unmoving in the corner and carefully approached her.

The bereaved family had told him to ignore “that girl,” but Minho, who knew Mira, couldn’t do so.

It was only after her name was called a few times that Mira regained her senses.

Mira, as she replied, looked extremely tired. She must have been very exhausted both mentally and physically, and it was evident in her expression.

Minho asked worriedly.

Minho had been Yunyoung’s friend for a long time, so he was close with his family as well.

He explained that they were not bad people by nature, merely highly strung due to the sensitive issue of Yunyoung’s death.

Mira looked distraught, but her words conveyed a strong resolve. Seeing this, Minho seemed to give up on trying to persuade her and said:

-2-

Watching the scene through the video, Yunyoung was tormented to the core.

He had expected Mira wouldn’t have escaped her self-blame in such a short time, as the funeral would have been held immediately after his death.

But seeing it with his own eyes was truly painful and distressing. Just Mira’s pathetic expression conveyed the suffering she bore. He could feel all the emotions she must be holding.

The reality of being able to only watch Mira, who carried such intense guilt, believing his death was her responsibility, felt utterly miserable.

“Aargh…”

Yunyoung’s tightly clenched fists trembled. Thoughts of Mira, hated by his own family and relatives, cowering in a corner, made resentment surge within him.

It was hard to accept that the woman he truly loved was being treated that way. He even started to resent his own family.

Of course, he knew it was because his family cherished him so much.

Nevertheless, his boiling heart would not easily cool. This was the woman he loved. He could not tolerate her being treated like that.

“Why can’t I do anything…?”

Severe resentment was evident in Yunyoung’s trembling voice.

He wanted to tell Mira that if this was how it was going to be, she should rather go home and rest comfortably instead of being at his funeral.

However, the current situation didn’t even allow him to utter a single word. It was a reality where he couldn’t bear to watch Mira suffer with his eyes open.

How much must Mira, with her tender heart, have been hurt by his family’s cold and aggressive attitude today?

He should be comforting her, but he couldn’t do anything. He hated his powerless self so much. He wanted to hold Mira’s hand. He wanted to hug her.

He wanted to tell her that he didn’t regret saving her. And that even if he went back in time multiple times, he would save her again.

But there was nothing he could do except bite his lip and grieve over his helpless situation and his own powerlessness. The Grim Reaper spoke to Yunyoung, who was steeped in sorrow.

“Would you like to stop watching if it’s too difficult? You don’t have to keep watching.”

“No, I will continue to watch. And please don’t mind my anger. It’s just that I can’t simply watch without reacting. Please understand now.”

“Understood. However, if I deem it too severe, I will cut the video.”

“Yes.”

“Time has passed, and it is December 15th of the following year. It is the first anniversary of Yunyoung-ssi’s death.”

-3-

The screen showed a certain columbarium—.

Sitting forlornly on an outdoor bench was Mira, dressed in a suit. Today was Yunyoung’s death anniversary, so she had come to this place where his ashes were enshrined.

It was the dead of winter.

Mira, not even wearing a proper coat, looked cold. Her shoulders shivered each time a cold gust of wind swept past, but she showed no intention of going inside the building.

Especially her lower body beneath her skirt was covered only by black stockings, leaving her exposed to the cold winter chill.

The weather was gloomy, with dark clouds hanging low, suggesting rain could fall at any moment.

As Mira stared blankly at the somber sky, tears suddenly streamed down her cheeks. She missed Yunyoung so terribly that she couldn’t bear it.

“I miss you, Yunyoung-ah.”

In that single word, uttered in a choked voice, Mira’s desperate emotions were dissolved.