The hallway felt different after the doctor walked away.
Too quiet.
Too still.
Yerin stood frozen beside the ICU doors, her eyes fixed on the room behind the glass.
Her grandmother was gone.
The words kept repeating in her mind, but somehow they still didn't feel real.
Her mother stood a few steps away, covering her face with trembling hands.
Do-hyun remained beside Yerin.
He didn't know what to say.
There was nothing he could say that could make this hurt less.
Yerin slowly looked toward the ICU one last time.
Her lips trembled.
"Grandma..."
Her voice barely came out.
"I didn't even get to say goodbye properly."
Do-hyun looked at her.
She shook her head.
"No."
A tear slipped down her cheek.
"I should've stayed longer."
"I should've talked to her more."
"Yerin..."
"I should've—"
Her voice broke.
Do-hyun gently placed a hand on her shoulder.
"You couldn't have known."
She closed her eyes.
The message on her phone still sat there.
One place is empty now.
She couldn't bring herself to look at it again.
Her mother finally stepped toward her.
"Yerin..."
Yerin turned and immediately hugged her.
Neither of them said anything.
They simply held each other.
A few hours later, Ji-hoon finally returned.
He had come straight from the airport.
He didn't even change.
The moment he entered the hospital, he looked toward Yerin.
She ran toward him.
"Ji-hoon..."
He didn't ask anything.
He already knew.
His eyes were red.
Yerin hugged him.
For several seconds, neither of them moved.
Then Ji-hoon's shoulders began to shake.
Yerin held him tighter.
"She's gone."
His voice cracked.
"I should've been here."
Yerin pulled back.
"No."
"I should've come sooner."
"You couldn't."
"I should've—"
"Ji-hoon."
He wiped his face quickly.
"I'm her grandson."
Yerin's eyes filled again.
"She would've wanted you to be where you were."
He looked away.
"I wasn't there."
Yerin had no answer.
Later, Ji-hoon stepped away from everyone.
He stood alone near the end of the hallway, staring through a window.
His eyes were still wet.
Do-hyun noticed him.
He walked over but didn't immediately speak.
Ji-hoon sensed him beside him.
"She's really gone."
Do-hyun nodded.
Ji-hoon's jaw tightened.
"I keep thinking someone's going to tell me this was a mistake."
His voice trembled.
"That the doctor got it wrong."
Do-hyun remained silent.
Ji-hoon laughed bitterly through his tears.
"She used to call me every time I travelled."
He wiped his eyes.
"Even when I told her I was perfectly capable of taking care of myself."
A small smile appeared for only a second.
"She'd still say, 'You never know. Take your jacket.'"
His smile disappeared.
"She was like that."
Do-hyun listened.
"She always acted like we were still children."
Ji-hoon's eyes filled again.
"And I hated it sometimes."
He lowered his head.
"Now I'd give anything to hear her complain about me again."
Do-hyun looked at him.
Ji-hoon covered his face with one hand.
"I didn't even say goodbye."
His voice cracked.
"I wasn't here when she needed us."
"You didn't know this would happen."
"That's not the point."
Ji-hoon looked at him.
"I should have been here."
Do-hyun didn't argue.
He simply stood beside him.
Ji-hoon's tears finally fell freely.
"I don't know how I'm supposed to walk back in there."
He gestured toward the hallway.
"Yerin is already falling apart. Mom is trying to be strong. And I'm standing here crying like..."
He stopped.
"Like I don't know what to do."
Do-hyun's voice was quiet.
"You don't have to know what to do."
Ji-hoon looked at him.
"What?"
"You lost someone too."
Ji-hoon looked away.
"I have to be strong for Yerin."
"Not every second."
"But she's my sister."
"And you're her brother."
Do-hyun paused.
"She doesn't need you to fix this."
Ji-hoon's eyes met his.
"She just needs you beside her."
Ji-hoon swallowed.
"What if I can't?"
"Then sit beside her."
"What if I cry?"
"Then cry."
Ji-hoon's eyes filled again.
Do-hyun continued quietly.
"Don't hide your grief from her just because you're afraid she'll see you breaking."
Ji-hoon looked down.
"I feel like I failed everyone."
"You didn't."
"I wasn't here."
"You were somewhere you had to be."
"But—"
"You didn't choose for this to happen."
Ji-hoon remained silent.
Do-hyun placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Don't punish yourself for something you couldn't control."
Ji-hoon closed his eyes.
A tear slipped down his cheek.
After a moment, he asked quietly,
"How are you so calm?"
Do-hyun looked toward the ICU.
"I'm not."
Ji-hoon looked at him.
"I'm just trying not to fall apart before Yerin does."
Ji-hoon's expression softened.
"You're really worried about her."
Do-hyun didn't answer immediately.
Then he said,
"She's hurting."
Ji-hoon nodded.
Do-hyun squeezed his shoulder once.
"Go back to her."
Ji-hoon took a shaky breath.
Before leaving, he stopped.
"Thank you."
Do-hyun looked at him.
"For what?"
"For staying."
Do-hyun's expression remained quiet.
"She's family."
Ji-hoon looked at him for a moment.
Then nodded.
The next day passed in a blur.
Do-hyun took care of the arrangements.
He spoke to the funeral hall.
Handled the necessary details.
Made sure everything was prepared.
Yerin barely noticed any of it.
She simply moved through the day.
Quietly.
Like she was watching someone else live her life.
By the time Do-hyun arrived at the Hwang Mansion, the house was filled with silence.
He walked inside.
Then stopped.
Yerin stood infront of the mirror in her room.
She was dressed completely in black.
Her clothes were simple.
So was her jewelry.
There was no makeup on her face.
Her eyes were swollen.
Her cheeks were still marked by tears.
She looked nothing like the confident woman he had known.
She looked exhausted.
Broken.
Do-hyun stared at her for a moment.
He wanted to say something.
He couldn't.
So he walked toward her.
Yerin looked up.
Before she could speak, he wrapped his arms around her.
She froze.
Then her face crumpled.
She buried it against his chest.
And cried.
Do-hyun didn't say anything.
He simply held her.
One hand rested gently against her back.
The other remained around her shoulders.
Yerin's fingers tightened around his shirt.
"I don't want to go."
"I don't want to see everyone."
"I don't want to believe this."
Do-hyun lowered his head slightly.
"You don't have to pretend."
She cried harder.
He stayed.
The funeral hall was filled with people.
Yerin's mother stood quietly near the front.
Do-hyun remained beside Yerin.
His mother arrived soon after, having come as quickly as she could.
She immediately went toward Yerin's mother.
The two women stood together in silence.
Ji-hoon stood beside Yerin and Do-hyun.
For the first time in days, the three of them stood together.
Not as three separate people carrying different burdens.
But as family.
People came one after another.
Relatives.
Family friends.
People who had known Grandmother for years.
They bowed.
They offered their condolences.
Yerin and Ji-hoon quietly returned each bow.
Neither had the strength for conversation.
Do-hyun stayed close to Yerin throughout.
Whenever the crowd became too much, his presence was enough to remind her that she wasn't standing there alone.
After the funeral, Yerin, Ji-hoon, and Do-hyun went to Grandmother's grave.
The wind was cold.
Yerin stood silently for several moments.
Then she slowly crouched down.
Her fingers trembled as she touched the edge of the grave.
"Grandma..."
Her voice broke.
Ji-hoon looked away.
Yerin wiped her tears.
"I don't know what I'm supposed to say."
She took a breath.
"You always knew what to say to me."
Another tear fell.
"You'd tell me to eat."
A weak smile appeared through her tears.
"Then you'd tell me I was too stubborn."
Ji-hoon smiled faintly.
Yerin continued.
"You were always there."
Her voice became quieter.
"And I thought you always would be."
She lowered her head.
"I'm sorry."
Ji-hoon stepped closer.
Yerin shook her head.
"I should've visited more."
"Yerin..."
"I should've called more."
Ji-hoon crouched beside her.
"She knew you loved her."
Yerin looked at him.
"How?"
"Because she told me."
Yerin's eyes filled.
Ji-hoon gave her a small smile.
"She talked about you all the time."
Yerin covered her mouth as she cried.
Do-hyun stood a short distance away, quietly giving them the moment.
Eventually, Yerin whispered,
"Goodbye, Grandma."
She stayed there a little longer.
Then slowly stood.
When they returned to the mansion, everyone eventually went to their rooms.
Yerin's mother stopped Do-hyun before he left.
"Do-hyun."
He turned.
"Yes?"
"Stay with her tonight."
He nodded immediately.
"I will."
Yerin was sitting near the window when he entered her room.
She hadn't changed.
She hadn't eaten.
She hadn't even taken off her jewelry.
Do-hyun looked at her.
"Have you eaten?"
She didn't answer.
He already knew.
He called the servant.
"Bring something simple."
A few minutes later, a bowl of rice and some side dishes were placed on the table.
The servant left.
Do-hyun picked up the bowl.
"Eat."
Yerin shook her head.
"I'm not hungry."
"You don't have to be hungry."
She looked toward the window.
"I can't."
"You need something."
She didn't respond.
Do-hyun sat beside her.
For a while, he said nothing.
Then his eyes moved to her earrings.
"You've been wearing those all day."
Yerin looked at them.
She seemed to have forgotten.
Do-hyun slowly lifted his hand toward one.
He stopped before touching it.
He waited.
Yerin didn't move away.
Only then did he gently remove it.
Then the other.
He placed both safely on the table.
His hand moved toward the necklace around her neck.
Again, he paused.
Yerin remained still.
He carefully unclasped it and placed it beside the earrings.
Then he picked up the bowl.
"One spoon."
She shook her head.
"Yerin."
"No."
"Just one."
She looked at him.
"I'm tired."
"I know."
"I don't want anything."
"I know."
He held the spoon out.
"But I'm still asking."
She stared at him for a few seconds.
Finally, she opened her mouth.
He gave her one spoonful.
Then another.
And another.
Not because she suddenly wanted food.
Because Do-hyun refused to let grief make her forget herself completely.
When she had eaten enough, he placed the bowl aside.
"You can stop now."
Yerin nodded.
She finally changed into something comfortable.
When she returned, Do-hyun pulled the blanket back for her.
"Sleep."
She quietly climbed into bed.
He tucked the blanket around her.
Usually, there would have been a clear distance between them.
Tonight, there wasn't.
Do-hyun stayed beside her.
Yerin turned toward him.
Neither spoke.
After a few minutes, her eyes slowly closed.
Do-hyun watched her breathing settle.
He stayed awake.
The room was silent.
Then, sometime later, Yerin shifted in her sleep.
Her hand lightly caught the sleeve of his shirt.
Do-hyun looked down.
He didn't move it away.
He simply stayed.
For the first time since the hospital, Yerin's expression became peaceful.
And eventually—
Do-hyun closed his eyes too.
Outside the window, the city continued moving.
But inside the room, everything was still.
For one night, there were no messages.
No threats.
No questions.
Only silence.
And two people trying to survive a loss neither of them had been prepared for.
...To Be Continued...