Chapter 18. The Last Goodbye (3)

"After a few minutes, we entered the chapel and greeted a few people. I sat down next to JunKoo and our family.

"JaeMin, Sarang said that if you wanted to and felt comfortable, you could come up and say a few words," they said.

I looked at JunKoo, paying close attention to every word. Then, I glanced at my mother. Her nose was slightly red, evidence of a probable silent cry, but she smiled as she nodded and held Jiwan in her lap.

"Go ahead," she said.

Looking ahead, I noticed for the first time the closed casket next to a beautiful photo of him. It wasn't typical in our country to do it this way, but his wife chose a more intimate ceremony that allowed us a final farewell with his body, so we all agreed.

The chapel was small, with brown tones, and we were seated close to where he lay and where the tributes would take place.

In an impulsive moment, I stood up and took just five steps to stop next to the casket. Uncerta