Chapter 42
It hadn’t even been a few hours since sending off Yoon Hye-jeong, and now Sook-hee too…….
He should be happy, he should feel joy—that would be normal…… but Jeongjikhan's heart wasn’t like that.
Perhaps he had grown attached in that short time, as even the sadness of parting left him feeling regretful.
When his emotions showed on his face, Sook-hee gently stroked Jeongjikhan’s cheek as if moved by his sincerity.
“Thank you. For treating me sincerely and truly empathizing with my pain.”
“……You’re going to a good place, right?”
“Of course. Thanks to you, I’m going to a good place. No more nights of loneliness or sorrow from longing. I’m going to a place filled only with happiness.”
Since Sook-hee said so, he couldn’t hold her back any longer.
Jeongjikhan took a deep breath and forced a bright smile.
“Then it’s fine. If you’re going to a good place, I’m happy too.”
“Yes, my husband is waiting for me, so I should go now.”
“Mr. Lee Dong-wook said he’d be in a place where you can see him clearly, so you’ll meet him soon.”
“If he’s hiding again this time, I’ll give him an earful.”
Sook-hee’s smiling face showed no lingering regrets, loneliness, or sorrow.
It seemed she had finally found the courage to let go of all her earthly attachments and leave.
Jeongjikhan swallowed his lingering feelings and showed her the menu.
“I’ll take your last order. What kind of tea would you like?”
“Just like our first meeting, shall I take your recommendation?”
“How about green tea? It suits your hanbok well.”
Sook-hee nodded with a contented smile.
“What about Grandpa Deok-bae?”
“I’ll have barley tea.”
After taking their orders, Jeongjikhan prepared the teacups with care, wishing them peace.
Not long after, he brought out steaming barley tea and green tea. Sook-hee and Kim Deok-bae savored the subtle aroma and looked at Jeongjikhan.
What more needed to be said?
Jeongjikhan, Sook-hee, and Kim Deok-bae sat facing each other, exchanging light smiles and silent nods that conveyed their feelings.
Sip—
The green tea and barley tea flowed gently down their throats as if reminiscing about the past years. Then, their entire bodies transformed into light, shedding all earthly attachments as they ascended gracefully into the sky. Only the falling specks of light remained as a quiet afterglow, signaling that Sook-hee and Kim Deok-bae had once been here.
—Jikhan-ah.
Sook-hee’s voice echoed in Jeongjikhan’s ears.
—I will always cheer for your life.
Jeongjikhan silently gazed into the air, then smiled faintly and prayed in his heart: ‘I pray that Sook-hee walks only on paths of flowers.’
To sincerely wish for someone else’s happiness—how joyful and fulfilling is that? This feeling of inner fullness…… only those who have truly wished for another’s happiness would understand it.
Ding!
[The deceased Kim Sook-hee has achieved enlightenment.]
[Kim Sook-hee, who found peace after 70 years of longing. She has departed to a place where there is no more waiting—a place filled with loved ones.]
[On behalf of everyone at KarMa Entertainment, we extend our gratitude to Mr. Jeongjikhan for dedicating his time without giving up on a soul with slim chances of enlightenment.]
[KarMa Entertainment has awarded Mr. Jeongjikhan for assisting in her enlightenment. 2 Great Fortune (大吉) points have been awarded.]
Ding!
[The deceased Kim Deok-bae has achieved enlightenment.]
[Kim Deok-bae carried the memories of Heungnam Port in his heart all his life; now his guilt has vanished.]
[Thank you for helping Kim Deok-bae, who wandered for five years as a spirit after hearing his sister failed to achieve enlightenment.]
[Happiness Entertainment has sent their thanks to Mr. Jeongjikhan.]
[KarMa Entertainment has awarded 1,000 Good Fortune (吉) points; Happiness Entertainment has awarded 1 Great Fortune (大吉).]
As messages appeared before his eyes, Jeongjikhan couldn’t close his gaping mouth. In an instant, he received 3 Great Fortune points and 1,000 Good Fortune points. Seeing the Good Fortune points reminded him of what Sook-hee had once said: “If you help me achieve enlightenment successfully, you’ll receive many Good Fortune points.” She wasn’t lying after all. But…… how could he describe this feeling? More than receiving Great Fortune points, knowing that Sook-hee left with a happy smile made Jeongjikhan feel even more fulfilled and contented inside.
By the way… Happiness Entertainment? He had always thought “H” stood for Heaven until now… But KarMa Entertainment’s competitor and partner was Happiness Entertainment after all… Happiness wasn’t just about happiness or luck… ‘Satisfaction.’ A place where those who have shed all lingering regrets and resentments finally arrive at contentment… A place that deals only with good deeds (善業). Did Happiness awarding Great Fortune mean that Sook-hee, Kim Deok-bae, and Lee Dong-wook had reached there? Jeongjikhan looked up at the ceiling with a contented smile, his heart swelling with fulfillment.
Clink-clink—
The sound of bells rang with every step. When Sook-hee and Kim Deok-bae turned their heads, a man dressed in pure white robes approached them. His sharp eyes and the resonant bells at his ears made it clear he was no ordinary being.
“Deceased Kim Sook-hee. Deceased Kim Deok-bae.”
“Who… are you?”
When Sook-hee asked, the man pointed in one direction.
“This time, do not let go of each other’s hands. Hold them tightly until the end.”
“Are you the Jade Emperor?”
“Questions are unnecessary. The results of your good and bad deeds in life await you. Accept them humbly.”
Seeing Sook-hee hesitate, Kim Deok-bae gripped her hand tightly and smiled kindly.
“This time, I won’t let go.”
“Deok-bae-ya……”
Sook-hee’s eyes trembled with unease—not from fear of karmic judgment, but because someone remained unseen. When she glanced at the robed man again, he stared back impassively, offering no explanation.
A frown creased her brow, and wrinkles formed on her chin as she struggled to hold back tears.
“This time… you said you’d stay somewhere visible. Why can’t I see you now……?”
Her frustration spilled out, followed by tears falling like raindrops. She rubbed her eyes like a child, weeping openly. Beside her, Kim Deok-bae stood helplessly, unsure what to do.
Thud, thud—
The sound of footsteps approached them.
Sook-hee hadn’t noticed yet, but Kim Deok-bae, standing beside her, could sense it.
When Deok-bae’s eyes widened and his lips twitched, the man smiled warmly and whispered, “Shh,” in a hushed voice.
Deok-bae bit his lower lip, tears glistening in his eyes, then nodded and stepped back.
Thump—
A large hand settled atop Sook-hee’s head.
She flinched mid-sob before freezing like a stone statue.
It wasn’t the suddenness of the touch that startled her.
Even after seventy years, she remembered that hand with piercing clarity.
The rough calluses on its palm.
A warmth unmatched by any other.
The sensation of fingers gently carding through her hair, of a broad palm soothing her back.
When Sook-hee lifted her head, eyes wide as lanterns, Lee Dong-wook stood before her in military uniform, smiling brightly.
“Why are you crying here? Did you lose your way again?”
At his words, Sook-hee crumpled into his arms with a tearful grimace.
These weren’t tears of sorrow.
They spilled from the shock of seeing a face she’d ached for, a moment she’d only ever conjured in dreams.
As she wept, Dong-wook patted her back with the care of someone handling porcelain, his touch featherlight.
Sook-hee buried her face in his chest, crying tears of joy until her ribs ached.
Dong-wook, eyes reddening in sympathy, murmured, “I missed you too, dear.”
When he gestured for Deok-bae to join them, the younger man trembled as he embraced them both.
“Our Deok-bae… you’ve outgrown me now?”
“Brother-in-law… brother-in-law…”
“It’s alright now. All’s well.”
Just as they’d once huddled together on mountain ridges, sharing warmth to survive icy nights, they melted the grief lodged in their hearts through shared presence.
Deok-bae’s octogenarian form shrank into the boy who’d trailed after his sister.
Sook-hee and Dong-wook regained the youthful vigor of their相依为命 days.
The man in dobok observing them clasped his hands behind his back.
“More await you still.”
“…Huh?”
At Sook-hee’s puzzled look, he pointed rightward.
“Go. They’ve lingered here too long.”
Hand in hand, the trio followed his direction.
With each step, their travel-worn appearances from mountain wanderings smoothed into clean lines.
Fragmented time coalesced, restoring them to the happiest versions of themselves.
A massive gate loomed ahead.
As it creaked open, a woman in hanbok and a burly man draped in tiger pelts came into view.
Behind them stretched a merchant caravan—carts piled high, preparations buzzing for a distant journey.
Deok-bae’s lips quivered like a carp’s before he sprinted toward the hanbok-clad woman, bawling like a child.
“M-mom!”
The woman beamed at her son’s youthful form, arms spread wide.
The tiger-pelted man approached Sook-hee and Dong-wook, hands heavy on their shoulders.
“You’ll journey with this father again, yes?”
Sook-hee nodded fiercely as she hugged him.
When Dong-wook chuckled at the scene, the man thrust a rifle into his hands.
“You’ll guard our Sook-hee this time.”
“I swear… no matter what, I’ll stay by her side.”
As his father-in-law patted his shoulder, Dong-wook’s gaze hardened with resolve—never again would he leave her.
“Forward march!”
At the shout, the gate began closing behind them as another swung open ahead.
Their long journey commenced—toward laughter, toward light.
When the clock struck 3 a.m., the Hour’s guests rose one by one to leave.
“Thanks for the drinks.”
“Till tomorrow.”
Jeong Ji-han accepted their farewells until the café emptied.
After washing dishes and mopping floors, he filled a glass at the window seat.
Tonight’s moon blazed unusually bright.
Cool water soothed his throat as he reflected on two months since joining the Café for the Departed—the initial bewilderment, the bonds formed with souls bearing endless stories.
A reminder that every life holds scars.
“May they all find peace,” he whispered, draining the glass.
With most familiar spirits now at rest, tomorrow demanded fresh resolve.
Loneliness lingered, but this too was part of the journey.
On a December night, beneath a waning full moon, he steadied his heart.
After rinsing the glass and switching off lights, he prepared to leave today’s burdens at the threshold.
Only then could tomorrow begin.
Should I grab ice cream on the way home?
The thought conjured his sister Soo-hye, who’d devoured cones even in winter.
“Cold treats melt stress,” she’d insist.
True or not, tonight—he’d believe her.
