Payback AU: What If

Act 3.7 - Epilogue: The Last Revenge

The walk to the columbarium was a gradual slope. It made Yoohan question the purpose of such a design. People visiting the building probably already carried a heavy feeling within their hearts and mind. What was the purpose of making the body feel heavy too? And then it dawn on him as he walked through the canopy of green leaves; it slowed them down.

As the gravel road gradually went uphill, people's steps would be slowed. And then they could use the time to think, or just calm their heart down. The exercise also served to make them too exhausted to feel sad. Or it was just the slight sense of relief when they finally stepped into the cool building that ended their walk, creating a little cheering sensation that lighten the heavy feeling they had had.

Yoohan didn't really come with a heavy feeling, but the sense of slowing down within the slope was quite nice. It created a serene atmosphere that made his heart even more at ease.

He had only visited the place twice; when delivering Jay's mother's remains, and then his own mother. He never visited since, nor did Jay. And the older man didn't actually have any desire to visit, he was just a driver, in a sense. And that driver was getting a quite serious phone call just as they arrived, so now Yoohan stood alone in front of Madam Yoon's shelf.

"It's been a while," well, it was almost a decade already. He wasn't really sure what to do now that he was here. This wasn't even his own mother, anyway. So he just said whatever came up in his mind. "I still keep my promise," he said, hand fidgeting awkwardly inside his pocket. "I still stay by his side, like you wanted. And I still have no intention to leave him. No, I won't leave him, he won't let me anyway."

Yoohan stared at the photograph—the woman inside seemed like she was smiling and staring playfully at him. "I'm not doing it just because you asked me to, by the way. I do want this, to be together with him, so you don't have to worry. I won't let him hurt himself again."

And then he was silent, feeling awkward and slightly embarrassed to be so talkative. But it was a fortunate thing that Jay wasn't there with him, because there was no way Yoohan could say all of those things—sweet and adorable things—in front of the older man. After saying his goodbye, and a vague promise that he 'probably' would drag Jay here next time, Yoohan moved to another section, where his mother's remain was placed.

Unlike Jay's mother, who had a photograph of herself, the picture on Yoohan's mother's shelf was of the three of them, the same one that was placed on his mother's vanity table. It was Hansoo's idea, because his mother looked the happiest in that photograph, hugging her two sons with the biggest smile on her face. She looked younger, and more beautiful, as if she never had any hardship. Hansoo liked that picture, but Yoohan couldn't say the same.

The picture, however much it radiates happiness, only made Yoohan think about his failure. He had wanted for his mother to be able to live easily, being pampered by her sons, just lounging around watching drama and gossiping with the neighborhood ahjumma, bragging about her beautiful sons, without the need to think about money or future.

But he soon erased the negative thought. He didn't have much of them nowadays. He was being scolded so much by Jay and Hansoo every time he did to the point that when such a thought popped out, he would immediately shut them down.

He also had insurance now, in his hand.

"Sorry for not visiting sooner," Yoohan started. "But I think you will just tell us not to visit, anyway, and tell us to just do whatever it is we have to do. You know, you always said I'm too stubborn and never take care of myself, but who do you think I got it from?" Yoohan chuckled, feeling funny that he just realized it now. "I'm here to tell you something, but for now, I'll just give some report."