By Zephyria 
Grandfather did not move until the time for the procession. As if that spot were his rightful place, he held his ground and stared endlessly at the portrait.
The portrait was placed in Grandfather’s arms, and the Alpha Father pushed the wheelchair. As they passed in front of me and Kwon Yi-kang, a spark ignited in Grandfather’s eyes, but unable to throw the portrait he was holding, he merely ground his teeth.
The old man’s temper hasn’t died down yet. He’s enduring it now with his tiny shred of patience, but I could guess how much of a fuss he’d make later during the burial or once he got home.
“Why is that fellow here?”
The old man, who hadn’t spoken a word to us, asked Father as if he wanted us to hear.
Why, indeed. Biologically, it’s the funeral of Kwon Yi-kang’s mother, so he came; superficially, it’s the funeral of the family of the person he’s marrying, so he came.
Father’s face turned pitch black; he couldn’t voice the former because there were too many ears listening, and he couldn’t voice the latter for fear that Grandfather would throw a fit. He must be feeling miserable because he had tried to force us out of the funeral hall specifically to avoid being asked such a question, but things didn’t go as planned.
“Father, just ignore him. If you acknowledge him, strange rumors will only spread. You have to think of Hee-ryeon’s reputation. Would it be right for strange rumors to spread at a funeral?”
He is so terrified of rumors. I don’t know why people who aren’t even afraid of the law after killing someone are so frantic about rumors.
Because they’re afraid of rumors, they can’t say what they want; because they’re afraid of rumors, they can’t do what they want; because they’re afraid of rumors, they tear parents and children apart; because they’re afraid of rumors, they commit illegal acts. I’ve never heard of rumors being above the law.
But I feel bad for them. Throughout the funeral, I stayed glued to Kwon Yi-kang and spread the rumor among those who acknowledged us that we were engaged. Still, since other people believe the latter reason rather than the former, it’s probably a relief for the people of this household.
Grandfather and the Fathers got into their cars one by one, and then Lee Kyung-jin stepped out of the following car and opened the back door.
“Let’s take this. Don’t tire yourself out driving.”
“Alright, get in.”
As Kwon Yi-kang and I climbed into the car side by side, Lee Kyung-jin quickly closed the door and got into the driver’s seat. Not knowing the beauty of waiting, he chased after the procession that had already entered the main road, staring at the rear of the black sedan that was gradually getting closer.
“Driver Lee, you’re working hard.”
“Not at all.”
“Who knew we’d have funerals one after another like this. This is your first time experiencing something like this too, right, Driver Lee?”
“……It is indeed an uncommon occurrence.”
“Right, unless it’s a reasonably unlucky family, this doesn’t happen. It would be great if they went in order, but the old man who should have left early stayed until the end. Truly fascinating.”
Lee Kyung-jin cleared his throat at my words. He probably meant for me to be mindful of Kwon Yi-kang’s presence, but since I’ve babbled things far worse when I’m with Kwon Yi-kang, it didn’t really matter.
“Oh, Driver Lee knows Kwon Yi-kang, right? We’re getting married.”
“Yes. Congratulations.”
“Why the sudden congratulations? I’m currently running away from home because of the opposition.”
Ahem. An awkward cough replaced the silence. Lee Kyung-jin’s eyes flickered anxiously as he glanced back. I know, Lee Kyung-jin knows, and Kwon Yi-kang knows that this isn’t a proper household anyway. I don’t know why he’s trying so hard to watch his mouth.
“If I get married, Driver Lee might become unemployed. What will you do? I’m not normal either, but I don’t go around doing trashy things like my Hyungs, so I don’t have any secrets to bury for you. You’ll be completely out of a job. Won’t your marriage be postponed again, Driver Lee?”
Maybe I should have caused a huge scene for Lee Kyung-jin’s sake. I heard he’s currently just waiting in the annex with nothing to do because I ran away; if I marry, there will be no reason to employ Lee Kyung-jin anymore. Wouldn’t it be better to advise him to look for another job in advance?
“Ha, haha. No. Young Master, please just focus on living well without such worries.”
“Contact me when your contract ends. Soo-kyung can’t drive, so I was planning to hire someone soon anyway.”
Kwon Yi-kang took a business card from his wallet and held it out to Lee Kyung-jin in the driver’s seat. The card, held between long fingers, reached Lee Kyung-jin through an elegant flick of the wrist.
“Ah, yes. ……I will consider it then.”
“Give me a call. Soo-kyung won’t be uncomfortable if he’s with someone he knows.”
“I don’t really have a reason to go out. The only time I go out is almost always when I move with you.”
“You’ll have to go to the hospital from now on, and you’ll need to go regularly after the baby is born. I’ll accompany you as much as possible, but it’ll be necessary when I can’t.”
“Are you pregnant?”
Lee Kyung-jin’s eyes, visible in the rearview mirror, shook violently as if an earthquake had hit. His face looked as if he doubted his own ears, wondering if what he just heard was real.
“No.”
“Yes.”
My answer and Kwon Yi-kang’s answer came simultaneously. What is this certainty? I turned my head and stared intently at Kwon Yi-kang.
“He is pregnant.”
“Are you a shaman?”
“Can’t we just go to the hospital to check?”
“That’s true, but I’m just baffled because you’re so sure.”
How can you be so sure about the existence of something in my belly? I don’t even know what’s in my own belly. Did Kwon Yi-kang sense some sign that I didn’t?
“I couldn’t make time because things were chaotic, but let’s actually go to the hospital within this week. Because you keep saying that, I’m scared that something is growing in my belly. Like an alien life form. A parasite, a worm. An Alien. Whatever it is.”
“What a lovely compliment for a child to hear. An alien life form.”
“If it turns out to be a pregnancy, I’ll apologize later.”
No, even if it is a pregnancy, it’s someone who trespassed into my belly to live, so they should be prepared to hear that much. Whether it’s a baby or a parasite, the idea of something being in my belly isn’t a pleasant imagination, so I needed to check at a hospital.
∞ ∞ ∞
Perhaps because I had experience with the Big One and the Small One, the funeral proceedings were familiar; the only difference was that it felt sadder and more solemn than back then.
The commotion occurred during the mound-making ceremony. Upon seeing me and Kwon Yi-kang standing side by side and bowing, Grandfather began to rave.
“How dare you show your face here! Kick that fellow out this instant!”
Even if his strength had faded, his voice hadn’t; he stomped his feet and screamed at the top of his lungs. The Omega Father, unaware of the situation, just watched blankly, while the Alpha Father hovered around Grandfather, flustered and trying to calm him down.
Regardless, we leisurely finished our bows and stood up. An old man in a wheelchair wasn’t threatening in the slightest. Every kind of curse flew toward us as we looked back blankly.
“Grandfather, please calm down. What if you completely pass out? I’m exhausted from having funerals back-to-back. I hope the next funeral happens at least half a year from now.”
“Soo-kyung’s manners are getting even worse! There are things you can say, and things you cannot!”
“No, why? You look like you might pass away right now, so I was giving you a blessing to live for at least another half year.”
“Can’t you shut that mouth? You should be grateful that I even let you follow us this far. You’re running wild and reckless.”
“Oh, is that so. I should have been grateful. I just thought I should fulfill my duty as a family member. Well, I don’t know whose turn the next funeral will be, but I just won’t come. Father and Grandfather can just take turns handling each other’s funerals like a labor exchange.”
The burial was finished and the ancestral rites were done; there was nothing left to do anyway. Remembering the dead is something each person does quietly, and I had nothing in particular to remember my dead aunt by.
While brushing off the knees of my wrinkled pants, a thought suddenly occurred to me, and I dragged Kwon Yi-kang toward Grandfather. I maintained a reasonable distance, as the old man might be weak, but he could spring up and grab me by the collar at any moment.
“Oh, Grandfather. Since I’m seeing you, I’ll introduce him. As you may know, this is Kwon Yi-kang. To start with the background that you and Father like, he’s the only son of the Hwang Seong Group.”
“Cha Soo-kyung. Stop right there.”
Predicting what was about to be said, Father approached and blocked my path. With a stiff face, he shook his head, saying these weren’t the words to utter in this situation, but I peeked my head around Father and spat out the remaining words.
“I’m going to marry him.”
“……What?”
Looking at Grandfather’s face, frozen with his jaw dropped like a fool, I spoke clearly once more to confirm.
“We’re getting married. For now, we’re living together.”
“This…… what is the meaning of this. Right now, this…….”
“Ah, Father…….”
“What does this mean? Is what I just heard true?”
“I guess you didn’t mention it because the family atmosphere is so bad. But in times like this, good news should be delivered.”
He probably intended to make it as if it never happened by never bringing it up. I had absolutely no intention of meeting Father’s thoughts or expectations. Watching Grandfather nearly faint was quite a bit of fun, so I couldn’t miss it.
“How, how could you marry that fellow……. It’s not like you don’t know, you know everything and yet with that fellow…….”
“Don’t worry. Grandfather, you know well that his family register is clean. It’s so clean that there’s absolutely nothing to be a problem.”
“You, you…… how can you wear a human face and be such a beast…….”
Oh, he’s introducing himself. The ones who wore human faces while committing beastly acts were the people in front of me, yet he’s introducing himself so confidently. Even without an introduction, I know everything now. He’s wasting his precious remaining strength on unnecessary things.