The manager asked me after letting a bit of time pass.

“How do you want to handle this? I’m bringing it up because you previously said to let you know if they contacted us, but if you’ve changed your mind, we’ll cut them off on our end.”

“No. I have some business to settle with them, so I was thinking I needed to see them once anyway. Since you have their contact information, can I contact them?”

“Hm, I did write down their number, but...”

After hesitating for a moment, the manager continued, choosing his words carefully.

“Would you consider communicating through the company instead?”

“The company, communicating with my family elders?”

“I know it’s meddling, so I didn’t want to push... but I thought it might be better than you contacting them personally.”

After hearing a brief explanation of the situation, I understood. It seemed they had gotten into an argument with the company over the phone regarding me.

“Considering they didn’t come to the hospital when you had surgery, and beyond just not acting like guardians, we’re worried they might try to harm you. If you have to meet them, I’d prefer it to be inside the company building. I can reserve a conference room for you anytime.”

“Ah...”

“Sorry. Is this talk uncomfortable for you? Still, I felt like I had to at least suggest it.”

“It’s not uncomfortable. You’re doing it because you care about me.”

It was decided that Ms. Jukyung would act as the bridge between my parents and me. I wanted to at least buy Ms. Jukyung a drink, but the manager declined on her behalf, saying, “Ms. Jukyung has already strictly warned us not to let Iwol buy her anything,” so I could only offer my gratitude.

A few days later.

Min Jukyung (UA-Spark Dedicated Team)

[Iwol, let’s meet this Saturday at 2 PM in the 2nd-floor conference room!]

[If you change your mind before then, let me know anytime! Even late at night is fine!]

[Cheer up today~]

For the very first time in a long while—essentially years, regardless of whether it was before or after my regression—a setting was arranged for me to see those two people.

After the date was set, my mind was half-checked out.

I burned one side of the bread while baking it, and once I even brought along a tablet that hadn’t been charged at all. Lee Cheonghyeon scolded me with worry, saying my behavior was strange lately, but after being called in by the manager, he shut his mouth tight and just kept watching my mood. I told him there was no need for that, but the others’ attitudes toward me stayed the same.

“Two, three... and turn!”

“Uh?”

It got to the point where I started tripping over my own feet during practice. If Park Joowoo hadn’t caught me, I would have rolled right onto the floor.

“Wow, almost sprained it.”

“Are you okay...?”

“I’m okay. Joowoo’s reflexes are amazing. You saved me.”

“I don’t think this is something to joke about.”

Kang Giyeon approached with a frown. He sat me down on the floor and touched my ankle as familiarly as he would his own.

“Does it hurt?”

“Not at all. I just messed up the step.”

As I dusted myself off and stood up, all the members’ gazes fixed on me.

I knew what they meant without them having to say it. They wanted me to go back.

“Um...”

I felt a bit awkward. I scratched the back of my head for no reason and asked.

“Do I look that out of it?”

“Totally.”

Lee Cheonghyeon said with a gloomy face.

“Relax your face. You’ll get wrinkles.”

“Okay.”

Normally, he’d have joked, “Yeah, I should ease my hyung’s worries!”—but this time he answered without a trace of playfulness.

“...Are you meeting just the three of you?”

Lee Cheonghyeon hesitated before asking. He seemed to be referring to me and my parents.

“Why, you want to come?”

“Can I?”

“It’s just someone else’s family, why would you come?”

“You went to a cafe with my dad, just the two of you.”

“Your father was gentle, though.”

Lee Cheonghyeon immediately understood the hidden meaning in my words and raised his voice.

“What if you get hit again?”

Silence flowed once more.

This atmosphere was heavy. Maybe I shouldn’t have told them at all.

“We decided to meet at the company, so that won’t happen. They don’t do that when there are eyes watching.”

“That’s even creepier. That’s the worst.”

“Then what should I do? Should I bring Choi Jeho or something?”

I threw it out as a joke, but Lee Cheonghyeon rubbed his eyes hard and said,

“Yeah.”

“Huh?”

“Take him and stand him outside the door. There’s no better visual deterrent for preventing crimes than Jeho hyung. You’re not even considering me or Kang Giyeon as candidates, right?”

“What about Choi Jeho’s opinion?”

“Have you ever asked for my opinion?”

Despite his sarcastic remark, Choi Jeho didn’t say he wouldn’t go.

Was it because I had been stressing about it too much?

On the night before the meeting, I dreamed of the past again.

Standing alone in the hospital hallway, I was snapped back to reality by my sister’s vibrating phone.

Through the screen, which was shattered with parts missing, I saw her friend’s name.

“...Hello?”

“— ...Isn’t this Wonjoo’s phone?”

Through the unfamiliar woman’s voice, I heard a name I couldn’t recall no matter how hard I tried. My eyes squeezed shut on their own.

“— Hello, I’m a friend of the phone’s owner. Did you happen to pick up a lost phone?”

“It’s... Kim Iwol... speaking.”

“— Oh, Iwol! I’ve heard a lot about you! I’m Wonjoo’s friend. She said she was going to meet you, did she leave her phone behind?”

I could feel her cheerful energy even over the phone.

I had no choice but to drag that bright atmosphere down.

“— This won’t do, I should hang up quickly. Your sister might borrow someone’s phone to call—”

“No.”

Cold sweat broke out on my palms. The hand that had been brushing against my pants ended up gripping my collar without me realizing it. I had nothing else to hold on to.

“My sister was in an accident.”

I stammered as I continued.

“My sister died... but. Since this is the first time something like this has happened, and I have no one around to ask, so... I... I received the death certificate but...”

My hands were shaking. Afraid I would drop the phone, I grabbed the wrist of the hand holding the phone with my other hand and asked.

“Where should I start announcing the obituary?”

“— Oh my god.”

I heard the sound of clothes rustling and someone collapsing.

“— Oh my god, our Wonjoo. What should we do.”

The sound of sobbing, the funeral home staff looking for Kim Wonjoo’s bereaved family, the ringing in my ears.

Everything was overwhelmingly too much to handle. To the point where I didn’t even have the mind to shed tears.

My sister’s friend ran to the funeral home in a heartbeat.

I, wearing a borrowed mourning suit, and she, wearing a black dress, recognized each other. Only the redness under our eyes allowed us to guess the sorrow of losing a loved one.

“...You must be Iwol.”

“.......”

“I didn’t expect to see you like this.”

If we were destined to meet like this, it would have been better never to meet at all. Silence slowly crossed between us, embracing the same emotion.

While my sister’s friends, who arrived one after another, handled various tasks, all I could do was answer questions. About what was needed, what I would do after the funeral, and so on.

“You don’t have... any relatives to guard the condolence money box, do you?”

“Ah... I will.”

“The bereaved family isn’t supposed to worry about things like that. If you’re okay with it, us classmates will take turns doing it. You can just contact Wonjoo’s company.”

Everyone stepped up to help with my sister’s affairs. It wasn’t just because it was the last time with her. They all knew very well that we had no one else to ask for help.

For reasons I didn’t quite understand, at the time I found myself thinking that my sister really had been a brave person.

Even in a place like this, it struck me that her way of living was different from mine, who never revealed my weaknesses to the outside world.

I imagined how she would never have been ashamed of, nor tried to hide, things that weren’t her fault.

After my sister’s company, I had to send the obituary to my own company. Assistant Manager Hwang answered nervously since it was the weekend. But that was brief; after hearing my story, he said he would come right away. I heard the sound of a closet opening over the phone.

“You don’t have to do that. Please just pass the message to the company.”

“— Still.”

“Even if you come, I don’t think I’ll be able to attend to you properly. I’ll accept your condolences in spirit.”

I barely managed to dissuade him from coming and hung up.

Other than that, there was nowhere else to contact. My shallow human connections were laid bare.

As I was staring blankly at my sister’s photo, which had become her funeral portrait, someone approached me. It was one of my sister’s high school classmates.

“Iwol, take this.”

A white envelope was held out. It was a familiar condolence envelope, the kind I kept in my cabinet at work for when a representative had to attend a funeral.

“We classmates put in a little each. Don’t record it in the guestbook or put it in the box; you keep it separately.”

It was only my first time being the chief mourner, but I knew basic condolence etiquette. And I knew that the current situation was not normal.

“Your parents might come, you never know.”

That remark cut deep.

“Funerals cost a lot of money. Absolutely do not get it taken away... keep it safe and use it when you need it.”

Everyone tried their best to keep their composure. To ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) send my sister off well. To reduce the threats that might suddenly befall me, who couldn’t seem to return to reality.

Even amidst the unfamiliar warmth, I saw traces of my sister. The kindness strangers showed me resembled my sister’s attitude toward me.

Maybe that was why I didn’t want to accept it even more. Because I couldn’t imagine a world where this warmth had completely disappeared.

Around the time I had sent off a wave of mourners who were reluctant to leave, guests arrived. It was Assistant Manager Hwang and Supervisor Song.

“Assistant Manager, have you eaten?”

Assistant Manager Hwang asked as soon as he finished his bow.

“Why are you here...”

“Why? Is it wrong for team members to come?”

“Still.”

“I know your situation... how could I not come? Supervisor Song said she would come today too, so we came together.”

Supervisor Song bowed her head beside him. She looked more ready to cry than I was.

Assistant Manager Hwang, who managed HR cards, had once asked me if it was correct that I listed my sister’s number as my emergency contact. It seemed he remembered that trivial detail.

Unable to win against Assistant Manager Hwang’s insistence, I ate a late dinner with the two of them. My mouth was moving, but I couldn’t distinguish if there was food inside or if I had already swallowed it all.

After emptying a glass of soju, Assistant Manager Hwang spoke.

“Assistant Manager Kim.”

“Yes.”

“If the company calls, don’t answer.”

Supervisor Song silently nodded beside him.

“I’m going to tell the Team Leader and the Manager not to contact you... Since they are such unreasonable people, I’m saying this just in case.”

“.......”

“Even if they call, ignore it. I’m saying this because I know your personality, Assistant Manager.”

Assistant Manager Hwang wiped his face with both hands.

“The only thing you need to do is send your sister off properly. Don’t worry about the company. Got it?”

Assistant Manager Hwang and Supervisor Song only left after finally getting an answer from me. Since I had no one to guard the memorial altar, I couldn’t see them off far. Their retreating figures, after they squeezed my hand tight telling me not to come out, kept lingering in my eyes.

And very late at night

People I had only met once came to visit.

“.......”

A young couple dressed in black suits, whom I had encountered in the hospital hallway.

The parents of the young child whom my sister had thrown herself to protect—the child who might have been in the chief mourner’s spot instead of me if not for that sacrifice.