Wonderwall • ℍ𝕒𝕖𝕤𝕠𝕠

𝟞𝟡

There's a saying that a righteous man can build a home anywhere, while a deceitful man remains a wanderer. Wooshik had found this to be true throughout his life. He had always been a principled man, which is why Taehoon relied on him so heavily, viewing him as his trusted confidant. For over fifty years, he had served the Jung family with unwavering honesty and dedication as the butler of the Taehoon estate.

"I am a man of integrity," he reflected.

"I have strived to live my life according to the right path."

"A tranquil and humble existence."

"But now, in my twilight years, the future feels grim and isolating."

"I have never felt ashamed of my identity, yet... I carry shame for the role I played in her life," he whispered, standing before the gravestone.

"I... am truthful with everyone around me... except for you!"

"You are the only one who holds my deepest secrets, and you know I was far from virtuous in my past."

"Minji... you understood my heart like no other!"

"What we shared for so long could very well be deemed sinful in the eyes of the divine!"

"I still remember how miserable you were in your marriage."

"It was foolish of him to betray you when you were such an extraordinary woman!"

"But your husband's betrayal opened your eyes to me in a different light."

"I was fortunate because, from that point on, I discovered what love truly meant," Wooshik said, his eyes sparkling with a distant joy as he gazed upward.

"Minji, I know I once vowed not to intrude in my daughter's life..."

"That I would never disrupt her reality as Baek Hyeon's daughter... but I can't uphold that promise any longer!"

"I refuse to face death alone!"

"I can't bear this loneliness anymore!"

"I need her in my life... I want her to see me for who I really am!"

"I am her father... and I long for her presence."

"Watching from a distance is no longer sufficient for me, as it once was!"

"I want to be an integral part of her life," Wooshik said, a tear rolling down his cheek. He recognized that he had promised Minji, even before she passed, that he would keep the truth hidden from everyone. But some promises are meant to be broken.

"I yearned for the moment when I could gaze into your eyes through hers," he murmured, a tear tracing a path down his cheek.

"Minji... she's back, and I've just learned from Taehoon that she recently became a mother!"

"I now have a granddaughter..." he chuckled, a childlike smile illuminating his face. Just as he was about to speak again, a sudden crackling of branches interrupted him.

"Huh??"

"Miss?" he said in confusion. Jisoo stumbled, gasping for breath as she dropped to her knees.

"Mom!!"

"Get up! We need to move further!"

"This isn't a safe place to linger..."

"Grandmother's grave isn't the best hiding spot!" JongSuk complained, looking exasperated at his mother. Jisoo raised her head and noticed Haein's butler standing there, eyes wide with surprise.

"Wooshik? What... what are you doing here at my mother's grave?" she asked, beads of sweat forming on her forehead.

"Miss... I... I simply came to leave some roses for your beloved mother," he stammered.