Side Story 45: New Year(1) - Chief Mourner Kim Jin-Cheol

Seong-Il woke up late after watching tv shows all night. It was well past 9 AM, the time when the Korean stock market opened as always.

Lost again today.

The market crash that started on December 5th continued to hold valid. However, he had now grown indifferent to it as he had gone downhill for almost a month. Yet, it wasn’t exactly resignation he felt.

At first, it seemed like a significant issue as if the world had collapsed. However, the shock was momentary. After all, it was just money. As long as he had enough to live on, nothing else mattered. It wasn’t as if his loved ones were in danger, nor had Doom Kaos' corps get resurrected.

Therefore, it wasn’t a big deal to lose some money. It wasn’t the end of the world if he had to sell his fist to Hera. Perhaps that was why Hera lent him such a tremendous amount of money. Considering the interests vested in the planet Saint Dragorin, which was larger than Earth, five billion dollars was a bargain for buying his fist.

Seong-Il suddenly noticed the quietness in the house. There was no sound of gaming from Ki-Cheol's room, which was unusual. He didn't hear the voice of Ki-Cheol’s best friend, Yong-Joo, who usually came over early in the morning.

Still, there were signs of life in Ki-Cheol's room. Ki-Cheol was undoubtedly in his room, but he wasn’t gaming. There was only one explanation that would make sense.

The boy must be bursting with energy this morning. It’s a good time.

Seong-Il smiled contentedly and started seriously considering whether he had stocked enough tissues in Ki-Cheol’s room. The tissues were more critical than the money he was losing in the stock market, and for a good reason.

Ki-Cheol had grown so much that he could lock himself in his room all day, but his size was only relative to when he was a baby. He still needed his parents. The boy might be hurting because of the discord between his parents.

Currently, Ki-Cheol was living apart from his mother. Seong-Il had to take care of the things that Ki-Cheol’s mother should have been doing, and he also needed to set an example as a father. This was why Seong-Il shaved every day and tried to maintain a tidy appearance, making careful considerations for Ki-Cheol's puberty.

He knew that the influence of friends slowly became more substantial than that of parents at Ki-Cheol's age. In that sense, Yong-Joo, Ki-Cheol’s best friend, was a decent kid.

The sun must be rising in the west, not seeing that kid today.

Seong-Il came out after taking a shower. Ki-Cheol was standing in the living room, waiting for him.

“Good morning. How did you sleep?”

“Not bad. Is Yong-Joo not coming over today?”

“Yong-Joo’s grandfather passed away. I think I should go to the funeral, but... What should I do there?”

“Hmm? When?”

“He said he passed away early this morning.”

Seong-Il responded after clicking his tongue, “Ah, starting the new year like that, huh? How old was he? Did he pass away from a chronic illness?”

“I don’t know the details. I wasn’t asked to come, but I should go, right?”

“He’s your best friend. Of course, you should go. Ask where the funeral is, and get ready.”

“Huh? Are you going too, Dad?”

***

「Room 303

Deceased: Kim Seung-Dae

Chief Mourner: Kim Jin-Cheol

Son: Kim Yong-Joo」

Room 303 looked relatively modest compared to the adjacent, which were using rooms 301 and 302 combined. The fact that Room 303 had fewer condolence visitors and was not filled with all sorts of floral wreaths like the hallway of the next room contributed to its humble appearance. There were only a few wreaths sent from the company Kim Jin-Cheol was affiliated with before retirement, related businesses, and a neighborhood community where his wife was active.

The hallway of Room 303 seemed vacant compared to the adjacent hallway, where dozens of wreaths were delivered.

Indeed, some visitors to Room 303 pitied Chief Mourner Kim Jin-Cheol simply for the emptiness, especially in comparison to the next room. Of course, Jin-Cheol wasn't bothered. Without any siblings and being retired, it was natural to have fewer visitors. He even appreciated the quietness as it allowed him to silently send off his father.

However, this cherished silence didn’t last long. It was shattered when someone from the next room approached with an unreasonable request.

“When the current group leaves, could you please move the room?”

“Move the room, you said?”

“As you see, we have too many guests. If it’s okay with your chief mourner, the funeral hall agreed to it.”

“I don’t understand what you are saying.”

“We would like to use Room 303 as well.”

Move the mourning room? Kim Jin-Cheol had never heard of such a thing. He was dumbfounded and lost for words. In the meantime, several more men from the next room approached, insisting on the same. Their entitled attitude was even more problematic.

Kim Jin-Cheol suppressed his emotions and spoke up. It was a place where raising one’s voice was inappropriate.

“Why don't you move? It’s absurd to ask someone to move a place where the deceased’s portrait is already enshrined. And you’re asking me for such an unreasonable thing.”

“We thought that since your house is receiving guests on a smaller scale, you might move.”

“A house receiving guests on a smaller scale?”

Kim Jin-Cheol felt his blood boil. “What did you just say?”

Even though he tried to control his anger and lower his voice, he couldn’t stop his words from trembling. The volume of the voice on the other side increased.

“What are you...!”

If his son Yong-Joo did not come into view, Kim Jin-Cheol would have forgotten where he was.

“You, don’t speak. This is adults’ business.”

Kim Jin-Cheol signaled his wife to take Yong-Joo away. The hallway became noisy with guests from both rooms and even the funeral hall staff joined in to mediate, but the commotion spread to guests from both sides.

There was shouting and finger-pointing. In the midst of this, even as the staff took Kim Jin-Cheol aside, the shouting continued, “You might have noticed, but there’s someone influential among the mourners next door.”

The staff gestured to the wreaths in the hallway, bearing names of congress members, corporate CEOs, and committee chairpersons. Kim Jin-Cheol recognized some of them.

“So what? I can’t move. Make sure you tell them clearly. Is this reasonable?”

“We are just suggesting this because we don’t want any trouble for you, the chief mourner. If that’s your decision, we’ll deliver your message.”

Although Kim Jin-Cheol had more to say, he swallowed his words. Continuing the uproar would only be disrespectful to his deceased father.

Nonetheless, his eyes reddened with anger surging up to his head, so he had to rush to the restroom. After washing his face with cold water, he looked at his reflection in the mirror.

He had never looked worse. What good was mourning after the person had passed? He believed it was a child’s duty to visit and treat their parents well while they were alive.

If he had known that such an absurd incident would happen to him, then he would have used all his connections, whether strong or weak, to avoid causing any distress to his deceased father.

He thought of the father of Ki-Cheol. He was one of the last heroes personally recognized by Him, the famous Caliber. He was a hero for the entire world and humanity and the most beloved individual of his time. Merely asking such a hero for a single wreath could have prevented the unimaginable humiliation that he, his family, and his deceased father had to go through.

Kim Jin-Cheol was deep in thought, contemplating whether to ask for help even now. With just one wreath from Caliber, he could show those rude and disrespectful people a lesson. If the name of humanity’s hero, Caliber, was associated with them, wouldn’t his father be able to rest more peacefully?

Kim Jin-Cheol pondered to this extent and let out a hollow laugh. “Desperation really knows no shame.”

He continued to laugh, thinking he had sunk to having the same thoughts as the ruthless people next door.

But something strange happened. The commotion outside was transforming in an unusual way. What was a moment of potential chaos had suddenly changed into a noise where no voices were attacking each other. The murmuring sounds were converging into one place.

Kim Jin-Cheol came out from the washroom as he was curious about the situation outside. Then, he found the commotion had moved towards the elevator.

One of his guests approached him, “It’s hard to say this, but...it seems like the family next door is more influential than we thought. Look over there.”

Kim Jin-Cheol noticed where everyone’s attention was focused. A new wreath and condolence money had arrived, but the people bringing them weren’t ordinary delivery men but serious-looking men.

A wreath that was placed in the hallway had texts written on it.

「Our condolences. Kwon Seong-Il」

「World Awakened Association」

Kim Jin-Cheol realized what was happening. Then, he stammered in unknown embarrassment, “That's not for the next room. It’s from Yong-Joo’s friend.”

Then another person approached. The solemn figure was the chief mourner from the next room and the same person who had initiated the commotion. He walked up to Kim Jin-Cheol cautiously and bowed his head.

“I... I apologize. Our family was rude. How can we make it up to you? Please just let us know...”

“Dad,” Yong-Joo interrupted, holding a phone. “Ki-Cheol’s father is asking if you can talk for a moment. Ki-Cheol’s father. Caliber!”

Yong-Joo emphasized the name Caliber deliberately. The chief mourner from the next room’s face turned ghastly pale as Kim Jin-Cheol took the phone.

“Hello, Mr. Caliber. Yes, yes. No, it's not rude. Please don’t say that. Yes. No, did Yong-Joo say that? There was a bit of chaos, but it’s fine now.”

Kim Jin-Cheol gestured for the chief mourner to leave, but he couldn’t move, just swallowing nervously.

“Oh, yes...yes? You’ve arrived? Why didn’t you come in? Yes. No, it’s fine. We are in Room 303 on the third floor. Yes, I'll see you shortly.”

The call ended. Silence filled the previously noisy hallway. Everyone’s gaze was fixed on the elevator doors, anticipating the arrival of humanity’s hero. Kim Jin-Cheol hurriedly moved to the room to greet the guest.

Soon, the elevator doors opened, revealing the awaited hero. Many wanted to speak to him, but he looked different from his media appearances. Of course, he wasn't smiling. With a stoic expression, he emitted an unapproachable aura. When he nodded for people to make way, it felt like a solemn command.

Names of famous politicians and entrepreneurs on the wreaths didn’t catch his attention as they scattered behind him. People who wanted to speak to him were left staring at his broad back.

“Bow twice in front of the deceased's portrait and get up, then bow halfway. After that, greet the chief mourner. Ki-Cheol, if you don’t know what to do, just watch and follow me.”

“Okay.”