It's a busy day for Mina on Wednesday. First, she had a class at Hanyang, she taught Sight Singing and Ear Training for the Voice Department, College of Music. Then she went to JYPE for a weekly meeting, and after that she met the new trainees. By 4 pm, she was done with her things, and feels like today she got no break at all since 8 in the morning. After saying goodbye and finishing her training with the new trainees, she checked her phone, hours since the last time she touched her phone.
There are 10 missed calls from an unknown number. Mina doesn't recognize the number.
She then checked her messenger app, Chaeyoung left her a message.
Wednesday, October 23.
The skies were so clear, even though the cold breeze greeted the moment I opened the window, but the sun still rose above my head. Last night was crazy, it feels like 24 hours wasn't enough to end the day. I showed my mother my piano skills and Jisung was there to sing us a song. It was always the two of us back then, Jisung always helped me whenever I wrote new music, I asked him to sing the guide. Now we performed in front of our family.
Family.
It's funny Minari that I get to pronounce that word and understand it now. I said to you yesterday, that I was afraid that Jisung would lose himself upon seeing our mother, plus I didn't tell him in advance, I told him when he arrived here. But Jisung, he was way more mature than me in responding to this matter. Jisung was 4 years old when our mother left, perhaps he didn't recall anything about her. But Jisung took her with a warm welcome. It was nice to see that Jisung got along with his mother that fast.
This morning I woke up with a happy feeling, everything is good. The weather, the ambiance, the smell of the sea, as the season changed the flowers withered overnight, cause I am pretty sure that I was still seeing them bloom yesterday.
Something was missing. The past 3 days, when I woke up at this hour my mother would greet me, sitting there with her wheelchair looking to the garden from her big window. But she's not there. I saw no sign of my uncle and my aunt as well. We were all drunk after sending mom to the bed last night. It was late at night, mom had enough laughter and she then wanted us to continue, I tucked her in and continued to talk with Jisung, my aunt and my uncle.
I checked her room. The one located just near the living room.
"There she is," I thought. She's still laying down on her bed, sleeping peacefully.
I approached closer and tried to wake her up.
I touched her, tried to wake her up. She never wakes up.
Mina's heart dropped after reading the sentence. She's now hurries up to the parking lot, started the engine.
She's smiling, Minari. She sleeps so peacefully, and she's smiling in her sleep. Did I tell you right? That I remember that my mom was so beautiful, but the day I saw her again I almost didn't recognize her because she was in a very bad condition. But I could see her smile in her sleep, she's so beautiful Mina. She became the mom that I remember. The one that held me tight when I cried, the one that put me to sleep with her piano tunes, the one that laughed with me and played with me.
Today, on 23 October morning, Fall at 17 degrees celsius, my mom died happily and peacefully, with Jisung and me beside her.
Please pray for her, Minari.
Mina is crying in her way thinking about Chaeyoung's last sentence. She's been busy with her work, she didn't even check her phone. Mina drove to the funeral home at Gangneung all by herself.
Mina parked her car and ran towards the main door.
"Eonnie?" Someone greeted her at the front door, Mina didn't recognize the girl as she was wearing sunglasses and a black scarf on her head.
The girl then takes off her glasses and puts them back immediately.
"Oh, Yuna-ssi" Mina greeted her, she doesn't have time for this, but she managed to greet her first.
Yuna then holds Mina's hand.
"I am running away from the dorm, I can't be here Eonnie but Chaeyoung..............."
Yuna started to cry. Mina is understood. Of course, Yuna wanted to be here with Chaeyoung, but she can't. Not when she would have a debut in a month from today.
"Can you please be there for her, Eonnie?"
Mina takes a deep breath.
"Don't worry Yuna-ssi, Chaeyoung is with her family. How's she?"
"I don't know maybe because she barely knows her mother or what, but she seems so fine. I know that she's not fine, Eonnie"
"Okay, okay, calm yourself down as well Yuna-ssi"
"I need to go, please take care of her, will you?"
"Okay, okay, don't worry" Mina assured her.
Yuna hugs Mina and Mina hugs her back. She needs to go back to Seoul immediately.
Mina then comes to the funeral room, it wasn't that pack, only a few people stay in the dining room.
Mina could see 2 men wearing a suit, one is Chaeyoung's uncle and the other would be Jisung, and there's one with black hanbok, Chaeyoung aunt. She then entered the room and made a bow to the chamber, she then took a flower and put it beside Chaeyoung's mom picture. The picture is so beautiful, her mother in her heyday smiling while playing the piano.
Mina then faces the grieving family and bow to them as well. The family replies with another bow.
Mina then stands up again.
"Chaeyoung?" Mina asks Chaeyoung's aunt and uncle.
"She went to a restroom, but it's been 30 minutes, Mina-ssi, could you please look for us?"
Mina nods, "Of course"
Mina then looks for Chaeyoung to the restroom. She wasn't there. She tried to look at the funeral home. Mina searches in every corner now she gets panicked, Chaeyoung can't be found anywhere. Mina keeps looking and looking, she doesn't even respond when Dahyun and Eunwoo call for her.
Mina went along the alley to another alley to look for Chaeyoung, she ran back and forth, out of breath.
Then she stops, She saw someone from afar at the end of this one alley. She's there with her black hanbok, she is sitting there with her head looking up to the sky. Mina also checks it, the full moon appears above them. Mina then runs towards her while calling her name.
Chaeyoung looks at the source of the voice.
Mina stops, standing just beside her bench, while Chaeyoung is still sitting there.
"Chaeyoung-ah.........." Mina said it out of breath, she's been looking for her everywhere.
Chaeyoung could only see Mina, then tears ran down to her face. Mina then immediately hugs her.
Chaeyoung cried badly in her embrace. Mina also cries but she's holding her tears, Mina strokes Chaeyoung's hair, soothing her and calming her down. Chaeyoung spends crying in Mina's embrace. She can't stop it. Ever since she found out that her mother is gone, Chaeyoung can't feel a thing. She's numb. Her aunt was hysterical and her uncle shed tears, even her brother crying, but Chaeyoung just can't cry.
The minute she saw Mina, she broke down. She's showing her vulnerable side. She's indeed sad and deeply lost her mother, but she can't do anything.
Mina then accompanies Chaeyoung back to the funeral room and Mina meets Dahyun and Eunwoo there. They were there up till late at night. The three of them decided to stay for the night, tomorrow they will also deliver Chaeyoung's mother to her last resort. They also decided to be just there for Chaeyoung.
It must be hard for Chaeyoung. She just arrived in this country 3 months ago, and she met her mom just three-four days ago. And now she's gone. But at least, Chaeyoung and Jisung got a chance to meet her for the last time.
Her uncle told Mina that ever since the cancer is back, the doctors said that she only got 3 months left. That's why they decided to take her home, instead of being sent her to hospital or hospice. But her mother lived for 8 months, far from the prediction. As if her mom knew that she would meet her kids for the last time. As if she waited for that miracle and it happened.
Just like Chaeyoung said to Mina, her mother died peacefully that morning. Knowing that she could finally meet her daughter and son, send her to her last departure in peace.
Eunwoo and Dahyun stayed at the hotel near the funeral home while Mina stayed beside Chaeyoung all night at the funeral home.
The next morning, only family and close friends come and deliver Chaeyoung's mother to her last place. They hold a small ceremony at the cemetery led by a priest then her mother is buried at 11 in the morning. It was quiet and peaceful, and the sun didn't shine too bright. It's a peaceful morning.
Chaeyoung would be back in Seoul tomorrow after sorting her mother's belongings. Her uncle said that her mother left things for both of them.
Mina, Dahyun, and Eunwoo are back in Seoul after the funeral.
Chaeyoung and Jisung take a ride home. Jisung drives the car.
"Noona, you and Yuna are still engaged, right?"
Chaeyoung nods.
"Hem"
"So, what's with Mina?"
"Why did you and Mom have the same question on that?"
"Because it's 'the Mina' for you right?"
"We're friends, Jisung, nothing else and no further question"
Chaeyoung said it while holding Jisung's arms, they both head back to the Chaeyoung's home.