The rain had stopped.
But the house still felt like it hadn't.
Everything inside remained heavy.
Damp.
Unfinished.
⸻
Three Days Later
The funeral was quiet.
Too quiet for someone like Park Jang Mi.
People came dressed in black, their voices lowered out of respect—but their whispers carried weight.
"Such a tragedy…"
"I heard she was under a lot of stress…"
"No one really knows what happens inside a marriage…"
Kang Min stood beside his father, his small hands clenched into fists at his sides.
He didn't cry.
Not anymore.
He had already cried everything out that night.
Now—
There was only silence.
⸻
A Familiar Face
"Jang Mi…"
The voice broke as a woman stepped forward.
Seo Eun Sang.
Her eyes were red.
Tearful.
Her grief looked real.
Too real.
She knelt in front of the portrait, her shoulders trembling.
"I'm so sorry…" she whispered.
"I should have been there…"
Kang Min watched her from a distance.
Something about her presence felt… strong.
Like she belonged here.
Like she had always been close.
She turned slightly—
And their eyes met.
Her expression softened instantly.
"Kang Min…"
She approached him slowly, carefully, as if he might break.
"I'm so sorry," she said gently, placing a hand on his shoulder.
Her touch was warm.
Comforting.
But Kang Min didn't respond.
He just stared at her.
Quiet.
Observing.
The same way he had been since that night.
Eun Sang's brows knit together slightly.
"He hasn't spoken much," she said softly to Min Jae.
Min Jae sighed, his face pale with exhaustion.
"He's in shock."
⸻
The Official Conclusion
Near the back of the hall, two men spoke in low voices.
"The case is being closed," one said.
"Cause of death: suicide."
The other nodded. "Prosecutor approved it this morning."
Clean.
Simple.
Final.
No investigation.
No questions.
No truth.
⸻
The Man in the Distance
Standing apart from the crowd was Lee Tae Jun.
Composed as ever.
Watching.
Not grieving.
Not reacting.
Just… observing.
His gaze shifted briefly toward Kang Min.
The boy stood unnaturally still.
Too still for his age.
Their eyes almost met—
But Kang Min looked away first.
And just like that, the moment passed.
⸻
After the Funeral
The house felt different now.
Empty in a way that echoed.
The flowers.
The silence.
The absence.
Everything reminded Kang Min of what was gone.
Eun Sang moved quietly through the kitchen, preparing food no one would eat.
"You should try to rest," she told Min Jae softly.
"You haven't slept."
Min Jae rubbed his temples. "I will… later."
She nodded, then glanced toward the hallway.
"Kang Min hasn't eaten anything."
"I'll talk to him."
⸻
The Room
Kang Min sat on the floor again.
Same spot.
Same silence.
The door opened slowly.
"Hey…" Min Jae's voice came carefully.
No response.
He stepped inside, crouching slightly.
"You need to eat something."
Nothing.
Kang Min didn't even look at him.
Min Jae hesitated.
Then—
"Do you remember anything from that night?"
A pause.
Long.
Heavy.
Kang Min's fingers tightened slightly.
That was all.
Min Jae watched him closely.
Waiting.
But nothing came.
No words.
No reaction.
Just silence.
After a while, Min Jae exhaled quietly.
"…okay."
He stood up slowly.
"We won't talk about it anymore."
And just like that—
The question disappeared.
⸻
A New Presence
That evening, Eun Sang stood at Kang Min's doorway.
She didn't enter immediately.
Just watched.
"You look just like her," she said softly.
Kang Min didn't respond.
"She was strong, you know," Eun Sang continued. "Stronger than she looked."
A pause.
Then she stepped inside, placing a small plate beside him.
"You don't have to talk," she said gently.
"But you shouldn't stay alone forever."
Her voice was calm.
Kind.
Safe.
The kind of voice people trust.
She turned to leave—
Then stopped.
"And Kang Min…"
He didn't look up.
But he listened.
"Whatever happened that night… it's okay to forget."
A subtle statement.
Soft.
Almost comforting.
But something about it lingered.
⸻
That Night
Kang Min lay in bed, staring into the dark.
The house was quiet again.
Just like before.
But now—
The silence meant something else.
It wasn't peace.
It wasn't calm.
It was… weight.
Pressure.
A secret.
His eyes slowly closed.
And once again—
He saw them.
Those eyes.
Cold.
Empty.
Watching him.
"You're a quiet one."
His eyes snapped open.
His breathing uneven.
And in that moment—
A thought formed.
Small.
But sharp.
If I speak…
I might die too.
So he didn't.