LET ME GO- C. SANG-WOO

TWENTY-TWO

☀︎︎𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 TWENTY-TWO☀︎︎
"Take care my beautiful Ji-Hye..."
1989
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Exactly at 3:30 AM, Kwang-Sun was taken to the hospital. A few hours before Kwang-Sun was feeling very malice, he couldn't do anything about it. Even if you do so many things to help with illnesses, Cancer is one of the illnesses that can't be cured. The old man knew that he wouldn't win this battle, he tried to think positively about it but the battle had come to an end, he knew that death was upon him. It wasn't death that scared him, leaving his wife and only daughter is what haunted him more. Ji-Hye was just now developing in her early teen years and she'll have to live the rest without him, Kwang-Sun will never see her grow into a woman, see her turn her adult years, accept the guys she brings to the house, walk her down the aisle when she gets married. He would miss all of that.

"Appa!" Ji-Hye ran inside the hospital to find her father. "Appa, I missed you!" She smiled and gave him a big hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"Hey sweetie, how are you?" He tried to force his voice to seem like he was strong, he didn't want to be weak for her.

"I'm good! Today I got a good score on my math test! I beat every other kid and that made me feel good— I don't mean it in a bad way but, I just have to brag about how well I did!" Kwang-Sun smiled weakly at her ranting. "Anyways, how are you feeling Appa?"

"I could do better, but since you're here now, I feel better."

"Sorry I couldn't come to see you earlier, me and Bon-Hwa decided to mess with the guys who were making fun of a girl, we taught them their lesson."

"There's the Ji-Hye I know, being fearless and strong. Keep that attitude with you everyday, we don't want people to know your weak spot."

"I did learn from the best person. That'll never be a problem to keep that attitude."

"Aish, you credit me so much. Some of the sassiness in you, that's credit to your mother. She is one sassy woman, remember when she got irritated with us since we stayed up watching films all night."

"Yeah, I remember! It wasn't the fact that we stayed up watching films all night. It was on a school night." They both laughed at the memory. "Also that time when you trusted me that I could ride on my own so you let go, which ended up with my face kissing the grass."

"I remember the conversation of that night, your mother never trusted us doing activities together."

"Not even arts and crafts, it was that bad."

"You were a trouble maker, you knew that eating a stick wasn't healthy."

"I know, I know. Who knows what I used to think back then."

Ji-Hye and Kwang-Sun spent the last couple of minutes talking, remembering all their activities together, the special memories that will always mean something special in Ji-Hye's heart. Whilst Ji-Hye was talking, Kwang-Sun felt her voice fading away, as if he was far away from her. Kwang-Sun tried to keep his eyes open, not wanting this moment to end. All of a sudden he began to gasp for air, the heart monitor began to make a loud beep sound.

"Appa! Appa!" Ji-Hye got up from her seat "Appa! What's going on? What should I do?" He didn't say a word. "Appa!" Ji-Hye yelled "Doctors!, Doctors! Help him, I-I don't know what's going on." She was about to walk off before her father grabbed her hand gently.

She turned around, seeing that her father had a few tears running down his cheeks. He squeezed her hand softly, he tried to take a deep breath but suffered a bit to do so.

"Take care my beautiful Ji-Hye...." He stopped for a moment, trying to gather his words.
"H-H-Help your amma get stronger." More tears came down his cheeks, tears began to form in Ji-Hye's eyes.

"Appa, no. You have to see me grow up, you can't leave yet."

"Don-Don't be sad about me....." His eyes began to slowly close. "I will always and forever love you." Were his last words before closing his eyes. The heart monitor began to beep in a low beeping noise, motioning a straight vertical line, meaning his pulse is no longer available.

"Appa!" Ji-Hye screamed before breaking down into pieces. She hugged her father tightly "Appa no, you were supposed to help me through my early teen years. I won't be able to do this without you." She sniffed, holding on to her dad, wanting to stay here forever. "I love you, I will never forget you.

This was the day that Ji-Hye had lost her best friend, the other side of her heart. Every happiness that Ji-Hye has ever felt just dissolved, like if it was never there. Her fathers death made her feel she lost herself and her soul.

AUTHOR- I actually cried while writing this chapter. I can't imagine being in Ji-Hye's shoes. Losing her father at a very young age, my baby deserves better :(