Splat.
The crowd, desperately trying to escape, suddenly looked back at the sound.
And when they did—
There was no one.
No Daniel.
No one holding the building up anymore.
Fortunately, most of the people had already escaped far beyond the range of the collapsing structure.
The building slowly leaned to one side.
For a brief moment, it seemed as if it might remain standing.
Then—
The entire building collapsed onto the ground.
The impact shook the streets.
Dust spread across the area.
The roads cracked beneath the weight of the falling structure.
Nearby buildings trembled.
People stood frozen.
Some were crying.
Some were searching for their families.
Others simply stared at the ruins, unable to understand what had happened.
Meanwhile…
Light stared at the place where Daniel had been standing.
He remained completely still.
His eyes were wide.
His body refused to move.
Then—
Tears immediately began pouring from his eyes.
His breathing became uneven.
His body started shaking violently.
A broken sob escaped his throat.
Bosvel quickly grabbed him before he could run toward the ruins.
Light struggled desperately in his grip.
His arms thrashed.
His legs kicked against the ground.
He tried to rush forward.
Toward the ruins.
Toward Daniel.
Toward his father.
Father!
No!
It can't be…
Bosvel tightened his arms around him.
But Light continued struggling.
He wanted to reach the place where Daniel had disappeared.
He wanted to find him beneath the ruins.
He wanted to see him standing again.
Smiling again.
Alive again.
But Daniel did not appear.
Sophia stood nearby.
Her lips trembled as she tried to control her tears.
"Daniel…"
She lowered her head.
"Big brother…"
Memories began flooding into her mind.
Daniel teaching her how to fight.
Daniel scolding her whenever she acted carelessly.
Daniel teasing her whenever she became too serious.
Daniel standing beside her during the difficult moments of her life.
Every memory returned at once.
And every memory hurt.
Sophia covered her mouth.
A tear fell onto the dusty road.
Bosvel did not cry.
He simply held Light in place.
"Please…"
His voice was low.
"Cry, young master."
Light continued sobbing.
"Cry as hard as you can."
Most people would tell someone to stay strong after losing a loved one.
They would tell them not to cry.
They would tell them that everything would eventually be fine.
But Bosvel knew better.
"Don't hold it in."
His eyes remained fixed on Light.
That's right…
Remember every moment you spent with him.
Let everything out.
Don't allow those memories to remain trapped inside you.
For a moment, Bosvel was reminded of himself.
Of a distant time in the past.
A time when he had swallowed his grief and continued living as if nothing had happened.
A time when he had refused to cry.
A time when he had allowed his pain to remain buried inside him.
His expression darkened.
I don't want you to make the same mistake I did.
I don't want you to carry this pain alone.
Light buried his face against Bosvel's chest.
And finally—
He screamed.
Not with words.
Not with anger.
Just grief.
A sound that seemed too large for his small body.
A short distance away…
Rin stood beside his father.
Both of them were covered in dust.
Shinjo looked toward the ruins.
The roads were destroyed.
Several nearby buildings had suffered heavy damage.
The crowd had scattered in every direction.
People were searching for their loved ones.
Some were kneeling on the ground.
Others were crying out names.
But Rin barely noticed any of it.
His mind had stopped functioning.
What just happened…?
Just a moment ago… Daniel-san was alive.
His eyes remained fixed on the ruins.
He was standing there.
He was smiling.
He said he would be there when I needed him.
His fingers slowly curled into fists.
How could you die like that…?
I believed you.
Only you.
Rin's breathing became heavier.
You said you'd be there when I needed you the most.
He lowered his head.
But…
His eyes trembled.
My God…
You're really gone.
For the first time in years, Rin felt completely helpless.
The one person he had admired more than anyone else—
The one person he believed could never disappear—
Was gone.
And there was nothing he could do.
Later that day…
The police sealed off the entire area.
The investigation began immediately.
News channels continued broadcasting the disaster.
According to the initial reports—
326 people had been heavily injured.
219 people were missing.
Most of the missing were presumed dead.
Daniel was among them.
The world had lost a man who had carried an entire building on his shoulders.
But to Light—
He was not a hero.
He was not a miracle.
He was simply his father.
Two weeks later…
Daniel's mansion felt cold.
The rooms were silent.
The furniture remained exactly where it had always been.
Daniel's shoes were still near the entrance.
His jacket still hung inside his room.
His books remained arranged on the shelf.
Everything was still there.
Except Daniel.
Sophia sat in front of the television.
The news was reporting on the mall disaster again.
She immediately turned it off.
For two weeks, the same thought had continued haunting her.
If Daniel had been healthy…
If Daniel hadn't donated his heart to Light…
Would he have survived?
She looked toward the dark television screen.
The question had no answer.
And that made it worse.
Every time she saw the news—
Every time she entered Daniel's room—
Every time she looked at Light—
The thought returned.
Maybe he could have lived.
Maybe we could have saved him.
Sophia lowered her head.
She was tired of thinking.
Tired of remembering.
Tired of waking up every morning and realizing that Daniel was still gone.
Light had isolated himself inside Daniel's room.
He refused to sleep anywhere else.
Sometimes, he sat beside Daniel's bed for hours.
Sometimes, he held one of Daniel's shirts against his chest.
Sometimes, he stared at the door.
Waiting.
Hoping.
Pretending.
Father will come back.
He's just away.
He'll open the door soon.
But the door never opened.
At night, Light sometimes imagined Daniel walking into the room.
He imagined his footsteps.
His voice.
His smile.
He imagined Daniel asking whether he had eaten.
Then the illusion would disappear.
And the room would become silent again.
One evening, Bosvel approached Sophia in the hallway.
She was standing near the window, staring outside.
"Madam Sophia."
Sophia did not respond.
Bosvel looked toward the mansion.
Then he spoke.
"We should leave Japan."
Sophia slowly turned toward him.
"Leave Japan?"
"Yes."
Bosvel's expression remained calm, but his voice was tired.
"This place has become too painful for all of us."
Sophia looked away.
Bosvel continued.
"We should move somewhere else. Somewhere far from this city."
"Where?"
"Korea."
Sophia remained silent.
Bosvel looked toward Daniel's room.
"I suggested Korea because Daniel once mentioned staying there for a while during his martial arts journey."
Sophia's expression changed slightly.
The moment she heard Daniel's name, the memories returned.
The mall.
The ruins.
His final moments.
Bosvel noticed her reaction.
He immediately continued.
"He also mentioned owning a house there."
Sophia lowered her eyes.
Bosvel spoke gently.
"Madam Sophia, I know you're disturbed."
He paused.
"That's why I'm suggesting this."
"Let's forget this place and give young master a new life."
Sophia remained silent.
"He's still young," Bosvel said. "He'll adapt."
For a while, neither of them spoke.
Then Sophia closed her eyes.
"Fine…"
Her voice was weak.
"I can't stand this place anymore either."
Bosvel lowered his head.
"Then it's decided."
They would leave Japan.
Meanwhile…
The Yamai Residence
Rin still couldn't accept Daniel's death.
His idol was gone.
The person he had believed in more than anyone else was gone.
Daniel's final words continued echoing inside his mind.
I'll be there when you need me.
Rin sat alone in his room.
He did not cry.
He did not grieve like the others.
He only thought about himself.
His hope.
His future.
His own suffering.
Why did you sacrifice yourself?
Were those people's lives really more valuable than yours?
If I had a body as perfect as yours…
I would never do that.
Rin stared at his hands.
His fingers trembled.
I wouldn't waste it.
I wouldn't throw it away for strangers.
I would use it to become someone nobody could hurt.
His thoughts became darker.
He kept imagining what he would have done if he had possessed Daniel's strength.
Just like any other person who watched a hero from a distance—
Rin imagined himself in Daniel's place.
But unlike the people watching the news…
Rin had actually spoken to Daniel.
He had stood before him.
He had received his promise.
And now that promise was gone.
The door opened.
Shinjo entered the room.
"Son."
Rin looked up.
"We're moving out."
Rin's eyes widened.
"Where?"
"Korea."
Shinjo calmly adjusted his glasses.
"I've been transferred."
Rin stared at him.
"There is a long-term project I must take part in."
Rin opened his mouth to protest.
"But…"
Shinjo looked at him.
Rin stopped.
He wanted to refuse.
He wanted to remain in Japan.
He wanted to stay near the place where Daniel had died.
But there was nothing left for him there.
After a long silence, Rin lowered his head.
"…Fine."
January 1, 2026
Both families packed their belongings.
Neither family knew that the other was leaving Japan.
Neither family knew that they would be taking the same flight.
And neither family noticed the other during the journey.
The flight continued through the clouds.
Two families.
Two different forms of grief.
Both heading toward the same country.
When they finally arrived in Korea, Rin stepped out of the airport beside his father.
He looked around.
Then—
He noticed a familiar figure.
Light.
He was standing beside Sophia and Bosvel.
Their luggage was gathered around them.
Rin froze.
That's Daniel's son…
His eyes narrowed.
He looked toward the heavy luggage in Bosvel's hands.
Have they moved here too?
Light remained silent.
He did not notice Rin.
Or perhaps—
He simply did not look in his direction.
Rin stared at him from a distance.
For a moment, he remembered Daniel.
The smile.
The promise.
The strength.
Then he looked back at Light.
His expression slowly hardened.
Meanwhile…
The entire world had been shaken by the recent disaster.
A single man had carried an entire building.
Clips of Daniel holding the structure spread across the internet.
News channels replayed the footage.
Conspiracy theories appeared everywhere.
People questioned his strength.
Some believed the footage was fake.
Others believed Daniel was not human.
Online forums were filled with arguments.
Theories spread across every platform.
But time continued moving.
And as the years passed—
The world slowly forgot.
The disaster became another event in history.
A tragedy people remembered only when his name appeared in the news.
The videos stopped trending.
The theories disappeared.
The world moved on.
But Light did not.
Eight years later…
Light found his voice after the incident.
At first, only weak sounds came from his throat.
Sophia and Bosvel patiently taught him how to speak.
They helped him pronounce words.
They corrected his breathing.
They waited whenever he struggled.
Eventually—
Light learned to speak properly.
But every time he used his voice, one thought remained inside his mind.
I wish Father could hear me.
Not that scream.
Not the desperate sound he heard before he died.
I wish he could hear my words.
Life in Korea continued.
Light and Rin coincidentally attended the same school during junior high and high school.
They crossed paths many times.
In hallways.
During school events.
In classrooms.
On the way home.
But they barely interacted.
Light's life went surprisingly well.
He was popular among his classmates.
He behaved well.
He studied hard.
Teachers liked him.
Students trusted him.
He was known as a smart and disciplined boy.
He rarely caused trouble.
And whenever someone needed help
Light was usually there.
Meanwhile…
Rin's life continued getting worse.
Bullying.
Teasing.
Ragging.
Being treated differently for being Japanese.
Being looked down on.
Being ignored.
Every day became another struggle.
He lived in constant despair.
He had no miracle.
No hope.
No one to save him.
He simply continued living
Waiting for something to change.
Waiting for a miracle.
Until…