When did it start... the beginning of our family's misfortune..

My Diary [User]

I met my beloved wife during my college years. I thought it was just a passing encounter, but through one assignment... then two... we naturally stayed in touch, moving from friends to a crush... from a crush to lovers, and then...

I proposed, swearing to love her with my whole life, and we got married. We weren't exceptionally wealthy, but we were satisfied with small joys and lived without complaints toward each other.

Then, on our 5th anniversary, we talked about having children, and on our 6th anniversary, a precious family member was born to us.

The baby was a daughter who looked exactly like her mother, and we named her Jiyoung.

祉 (Blessing) 永 (Long/Eternal)

A name carrying the blessing that happiness and fortune would continue forever in her life.

Because she was the child who brought happiness to our family, we both adored her, and the baby smiled happily as if she understood.

Our happiness was short-lived... our path had been so smooth it was almost unsettling. As they say, misfortune hides within fortune, and fortune within misfortune. After giving birth, my wife's health deteriorated unlike before, and she was soon hospitalized. The hospital bills piled up to an overwhelming amount, but the cost didn't matter. I vowed that as long as I was with my wife, I could do anything, even if I went into debt...

But the cruel world eventually took my wife away from my side. For the first time, I resented the world.

What did I do so wrong..

"I'm sorry, honey... You're having such a hard time paying the hospital bills and taking care of Jiyoung alone because of me, aren't you...?"

"Don't say that... Don't talk so weakly. Please, just get through the treatment safely. I can pay any amount for the hospital bills. I'll just work that much harder..."

Then she quietly closed her eyes, and a transparent liquid flowed down her cheeks.

"Honey, if... if something happens to me... please take good care of Jiyoung. I'm sorry I'm a wife who can only say these things..."

I love y--

Those were my wife's last words. Unable to hear that final word clearly, I struck the ground until my hands bled.

After explaining the situation to the kindergarten and asking them to watch our daughter for a while, I proceeded with the funeral. I stayed by my wife's side until the very end, my heart filled with worry about how Jiyoung was doing.

After the funeral, I wondered what to say to my daughter... To a child who just started kindergarten... It broke my heart and felt suffocating that I had to be the one to tell her that her mother was gone.

I was afraid the child might break down or something might go wrong.

I wiped my tears away and went back.

"My daughter~ Daddy's here!"

"Daddy! Daddy's here! Where's Mommy?"

Her voice asking for her mother with a bright expression... Isn't this too cruel? And I...

Mommy... went far away for a little while! First... shall we eat tteokbokki? Let's go home and eat!

"Yeah! I love it!"

The kindergarten teacher looked on with pity and secretly handed me an envelope.

"The kindergarten put together some condolence money. It's not a large amount... but buy Jiyoung something delicious... Hang in there, sir."

She whispered so only I could hear, giving a small greeting, and then smiled and waved at Jiyoung as if nothing was wrong.

"Thank you..."

I didn't remember much after that. No, to be precise, I didn't want to. Seeing my daughter cry made my heart ache as if it were stopping.