Double Junk - 140

Miss Flower nodded slowly.

“I don’t know. Since I haven’t been there. Didn’t they say the sea is wider than land? Even if it exists, where would be an easy place to find?”

“Well…… Boss lived in Busan with the sea, so wouldn’t he know if there’s a palace or not?”

“If there is, so what. Should we go?”

“What’s the harm in not going? We can go tomorrow. I can drive now. Just go with the ajumma.”

With an excited face, Ajin said intermittently. Although he hadn’t driven a car since coming home from the hospital, he felt strangely confident. If the purpose was to see the sea, it seemed possible to ride all day.

As Miss Flower imagined the sea in Ajin’s stubbornness, she slowly closed her eyes and opened them.

“…The sea.”

“Yeah. The sea. Ajumma, have you ever seen the sea?”

“No, you little… I’ve always been stuck in the kitchen, in front of the stove. How could I see that?”

Miss Flower groaned as she tossed and turned. Ajin pulled a pillow and put it under her head. Miss Flower pulled it and muttered.

“The sea… It must be nice. Whether there’s a palace or not, it must be nice…”

“Since Ajumma lived kindly, wouldn’t the dragon king take care of her like Shim Chung?”

“Nonsense. What’s kind about me? As soon as the dragon king sees me, he’ll kick me out.”

“If he raised a foolish man like you and dressed you, that would be kind.”

The expression disappeared from Miss Flower’s face, which had been slightly twisted. She stared at Ajin and suddenly turned her head.

“Ajin. It’s not that I’m kind, it’s your natural virtue.”

“……”

“You were born to be loved. But I only received average love.”

“… ”

“The dragon king should meet you, not me. I’m not interested.”

As Miss Flower talked hesitantly, she lifted the corners of her mouth as if this conversation was funny.

Ajin spread her hand and rubbed her cheek on Miss Flower’s wrinkled palm. The rough palm, full of calluses, was good. It had been a lifetime of fighting with fire and water and dishes. It was the hand that stroked her forehead, brushed her hair, and rubbed her back.

“Yeah. Let me meet him.”

As Ajin closed his eyes tightly. Miss Flower gently stroked his cheek with her thumb while staring into the distant air with her thumb.

“If you ever meet him, ask him to let you live as your fortune in your next life. No more, no less, just as your fortune.”

“… ”

“Live in a good house, loved by good parents, wearing good things, eating good things. Ask him to let you live like that.”

“… ”

“You can do that.”

Those words made Ajin’s heart flutter for some reason. Next life. Fortune. There was nothing realistic about it. Whether it existed or not. Yeah, like a dragon palace.

Miss Flower, who spoke of it as if it were natural…… It was good. Because there were parents and love in that fantasy. Because she always said this. You were originally born to be loved. You’re just living a little crookedly. Thanks to her saying that, Ajin lived well without a penny, with an uncomfortable leg.

It was all thanks to Miss Flower.

Ajin smiled brightly and looked quietly into Miss Flower’s eyes.

“Ajumma.”

“Why.”

“I’m fine as I am now. I like living with Mom. I like it enough.”

“……”

“Guess I’m destined to be loved. Like this, with Mom. I’m living according to my destiny.”

“……Ajin.”

“When I meet the Dragon King, I’ll ask to meet Mom again in my next life. Living according to destiny doesn’t matter at all. I just want to be with Mom.”

Ajin raised the corners of his lips. His face was very innocent and cute. Miss Flower gently stroked Ajin’s hair. The fine strands scattered between rough fingers.

Ajin was enjoying the gentle touch. He liked being close to Miss Flower. In this world, there was only her and… Seokju. For now, it’s just Miss Flower.

Ajin, who had closed his eyes lazily for a moment, raised his eyelids sharply and asked again. Anticipation was filling his navy blue eyes.

“Anyway, you still want to see the sea, right?”

“……”

“I miss it. Right? You do want to see it. Should we really go see it? Not by car, but by train, huh? Like people these days, you know, traveling. It’s like going on a trip. They say traveling is much fancier than a picnic.”

“Asera… It’s a hassle.”

Miss Flower removed her hand from Ajin’s hair. Then she turned her back, saying, “I’m going to sleep.” Ajin jumped onto the bed like a playful puppy. He snuggled into Miss Flower’s side and whined annoyingly.

“Hey, Mom. Let’s go. Huh? Let’s go… tomorrow. Pack lunch.”

“Quiet down, please.”

“Should we sleep together tonight? Next to Mom? I really feel like it today.”

“Ah, go away. You’re not a dog, why are you clinging like this? Go put out the lights. Go to sleep.”

Miss Flower kept pushing Ajin away. She even kicked his thigh with her foot. Ajin slipped under the bed with a sigh. He pursed his lips and sat up.

“Fine… I got it.”

Ajin turned off the light. He put the book titled “Sim Cheong Jeon” back on the shelf. Then he lay on his own bed and looked towards Miss Flower. Under the dim moonlight, he could see her. She had been lying facing the wall just a moment ago, but now she was looking at Ajin.

Ajin greeted her softly before going to sleep.

“Good night, Mom.”

“Yeah.”

“See you tomorrow.”

“Yeah.”

See you tomorrow for sure.

With those words, Ajin closed his eyes. It was the moment when a somewhat fulfilling day came to an end.

And the next morning. Miss Flower didn’t wake up.

* * *

The funeral of Miss Flower held in Seokju’s yard was not quiet. It was natural for dozens of Taeho faction members alone to attend, but many others also came.

The maids and servants from the Gold Hotel, as well as those who had come all the way from Seokju’s house, came. They were people who had eaten meals from Miss Flower at least once. They sincerely mourned and felt regret.

Dressed hastily in a well-fitting suit with a solemn expression, Ajin sat next to Miss Flower’s portrait. He didn’t cry, nor did he look sad. People who knew him well threw a few words here and there about his strange demeanor. Their words mixed with concern and reproach.

“Oh, in this day and age, who dies before their sixties? Mom left too early.”

“But she must have gone to a good place. Even if she was a bit chilly, she was a good person. Everyone here knows that.”

“Ajin, are you okay?”

“But why aren’t you crying? Aren’t you sad? Ever since Mom said you were sick, I kept thinking about you. I thought you’d collapse in tears.”

“Yeah. It’s okay to cry at times like this. If not now, then when?”

“Sitting there all stiff like that, you look just like a man. Huh?”

“Alright, alright. Everyone knew you two were close, like brothers. You seem out of it. But where should we eat?”

“Yeah, I’m hungry.”

“Look over there. Wow, the side dishes look so luxurious.”

“The boss must have put some effort into this.”

“The drinks are good too. Let’s have a drink.”

Ajin watched them move away and subtly raised the corners of his mouth.

Why wasn’t he crying? It was simple. Because that’s what Miss Flower had said. There had been times when a few members of the Taeho faction had died, and they had held funerals. When Ajin had complained that it was strange that no one was sad and everyone was laughing, Miss Flower had said,

“If you think it’s lowly, it becomes lowly.”

“If you cry because it’s unfair, because it’s meaningless, because it’s painful, because it’s pitiful, then the soul can’t leave. Being unfairly angry.”

“If you send off nicely, you go to a good place.”

“When I die, don’t groan and complain, dance instead. Go to a good place.”

Ajin deeply pondered these words again and took a deep breath. Then he looked at Miss Flower’s portrait beyond the faintly emerging fragrance.

On the way home from the hospital, they had stopped at a photo studio with Miss Flower. It was because of Myungjin’s suggestion that they should take a picture. Ajin hadn’t even thought about it. Without him, there almost wouldn’t have been a portrait.

Miss Flower in the photo didn’t look particularly beautiful. After undergoing two surgeries and suffering in the hospital, her face bore clear traces of pain and suffering. There were many wrinkles, and her smile looked awkward.

But that wasn’t bad. It was just her. Because that was how Miss Flower naturally was.

As Ajin stared blankly at the photo, someone standing beside him offered a glass. It was Seokju.

Dressed in a black suit, he had been by Ajin’s side throughout the funeral. He only left occasionally when there were matters to attend to related to the funeral or people he needed to meet. From morning until night, and then again until morning, he steadfastly stayed by Ajin’s side.

Yet he didn’t hastily offer words of comfort or words of concern. “We should eat. You should sleep. You need to rest.” Just that kind of thing. Quietly, from time to time, he would offer a glass like this.

It was truly… appreciated.

If he had been alone, he wouldn’t have been able to focus properly on the funeral, the guests, or the food. He wouldn’t have been able to properly contemplate her death. Thanks to Seokju handling everything, he could solely concentrate on Miss Flower’s death. And he could endure. Because Seokju was a person who was a pillar of support just by his presence.

Whatever Seokju had done to me, whatever kind of person he was, he was just that kind of presence. A reassuring person just by being by my side. His physique, his personality, his steadfastness. It was easy to understand why the members of the Taeho faction trusted and relied on Seokju.

In moments like this, in situations like this, I thought it was fortunate that he was by my side.

“Thank you.”

Ajin accepted it with a brief thank you. But still, I should drink water. Because I want to stay by her side all the way to the end of her journey.