what mom and dad don’t know despite everything they’ve been through together and apart, is how lonely one can be even with others’ help and support. or do they, and simply just have too much pride to admit emotional sin? or any sin, really.
what “dad” doesn’t know, probably, and never will because there just isn’t such thing as the afterlife or soulmates or anything that offers peace to one’s mind when someone dies: how they’d been faring up to now, and how they still will.
haekyun pinches his nose bridge, allowing the silence to pace itself between his sister and him. the kitchen table does not leave much space to have another, as if it had always intended. “it’s just... a lot of information all at once. you know?”
he imagines it wasn’t easy, haewon having to hear it first, but doesn’t wonder how. as far as he knew, she didn’t have anyone in her life like that, her eyes endlessly riddled with fatigue, herself almost passing as a set of walking bones had she not been one of virility, woman as she seems. demons also weren’t their thing. words of wisdom either, yet all she’d have to say about said lassitude, if asked, is that it’s proof of life. tired eyes, and a phenomenal, kind younger brother.
...and son? maybe not now. but, “how do you feel about it?”
she blows raspberry, quick to grin, smug. “christ, it wasn’t like he was the love of my life.” her hands are clasped together, her eyes scanning haekyun’s face for what could be remorse, confusion, anger, something. “his parents didn’t want anything to do with it, either. it typically falls on ye old childbearer to do all the grunt work anyway, but,” she sighs, “i’m thankful, still.” haewon pays due remembrance to her youth there, takes a swig of her kloud, and, with haekyun sitting next to her in all his patience, finds some peace after the matter-of-fact even then.
he bears it for her, and with her. “me too.”
