Epilogue

1 year later

-Honey, where are the diapers?! In-ho shouted from the bedroom.

-Where they should always be!- I shouted and went back to recording reviews on Instagram. It was December 25, 2022, which is the first day of Christmas, and more precisely its evening. All the guests have already left our apartment and we have returned to everyday business, but I will tell you what has happened over the past year. In March we welcomed our first child - it is a boy to whom we gave two names due to our origin Aleksander Min-ho Hwang surname after In-ho because in July also 2022 we got married, so I am already Beverly Olivia Margaret Hwang and not Scoot, although in the papers it is my second surname.

-Get up, we have to go- my husband said suddenly, entering the living room with the little one in his arms, where I was putting on a mask under my eyes.

-What's the reason?- I asked, confused.

-My father is in the hospital and he is slowly dying, we have to go there- he said seriously and I knew that there was no turning back. Since that situation in June, when I unexpectedly met him, I didn't see him again. We invited him over for the holidays, but he didn't come, and we had no contact with him other than that damned game that the two men were in charge.

-Give me 5 minutes and we can go- I replied and quickly put on the first dress clothes I could find and took off the mask from under my eyes to be ready as soon as possible. When I was putting on my boots and coat, because this winter was terribly unpleasant in Seoul, none other than Godfather Min-ho knocked on the door.

-Salesman, it's good that you agreed to come- said In-ho, handing him our son.

-I know everything, so don't be surprised that I dropped everything to help you. The little one is good, in your hands, go to him and hug him goodbye from me-he said, hugging the child to him. I have always been amused by seeing them together. The salesman is always dressed elegantly with a tie, and Min-ho in a gray tracksuit next to him.

-Thank you-I said as I left and kissed my son quickly on the forehead-Mommy and daddy will be back in a moment, we promise-I said and we quickly took the elevator down the block and got into the car where I was sitting behind the wheel. I could see on my husband's face that he was stressed, but he was trying to hide it. He hated to show his feelings, as it was not about me or our son, but now he was clearly terrified by the vision that he would not have contact with his father because he would pass away to the other world.

-What do you think... How much is left?-he asked, holding back his tears. I took my right and wrapped my hand in his left to reassure him.

-Don't think about it now. Look, we're coming-I said and after parking the car we went to the hospital where the receptionist showed us the top floor. We drove to the indicated floor and the room was empty, except for one corner where an old man was lying in bed, looking out the window.

"Father!" my husband shouted and ran to Il-nam while I followed him slowly. Black-haired, he crouched by the bed, holding a weak, wrinkled hand. Tears came out of his beautiful brown eyes, dripping onto the old man's body. I put my hand on my husband's shoulder to encourage him.

-In-ho, Beverly... I'm glad you came-he said in a quiet, hoarse voice and looked at the crying son-Son... don't cry for me. I wasn't a perfect father and you know it, I dragged you into this cruel world that is this game because I didn't have a worthy successor and now I'm dying alone because I cut myself off from my family. My other son is in the hospital and asleep and it is not known if he will survive and your mother is dead. I want you to be a much better father than I am and not make as many mistakes as I did. Constant lies take a toll on us throughout our lives, so please don't fool Beverly or Min-ho, they don't deserve it. I'm sorry that I wasn't at the wedding or at Christmas, I know that you invited me out of obligation, not out of willingness...

-Of course not! We wanted you to participate in the celebration with them and to meet your grandson," I said, massaging In-ho's shoulder.

-That's nice of you, but I know I'd be a step away from your family anyway. Your parents Beverly raised you to be a great woman and I'm glad my son married you and you already have a child. I'm especially proud of you, In-ho. I wasn't a perfect father, but you did everything you could to impress me, just like your brother. Promise me only two things. The first is that you will take care of the game after my death is our legacy.

-I'll do my best to keep it up- promised the man, holding the old man's hand. Of course, I don't like the idea of it still being organized, so I'll raise this topic in the car.

-And the other one, sir?- I asked, crouching next to my husband.

-The second one is like my other son- Joon-ho is waking up from a coma, please take care of him. He's a good boy, I know he saw you on the island without masks, but he won't betray you. He loves you In-ho and wouldn't put you or Beverly in jail.

-We promise- we both said, and the scary man slowly closed his eyes, which meant one thing. He is slowly leaving.

-Son...- he began.

-Yes, father?- asked the black-haired man quickly.

-I've never hugged you since you were 5 years old. It's been 36 years since the last time, will you do me the honor of hugging this last time?-he asked, and my husband got up slowly and hugged his father and my father-in-law. When he let go of his frail body, it sank to the pillows, it was the final end of Il-nama Oha. The silence in the room was inexorable, I stood in the corner waiting for the man to be ready to leave, and so it happened a few minutes later. We walked side by side without speaking to each other. He wanted to think everything over and I understood that. When we wished the receptionist a nice night, we went to the car, where I looked ahead, not knowing whether to start the engine or not.

-Are we going home?- I asked quietly, looking at the boy, who burst into tears. I had never seen him in such a state. I unbuckled my belt and hugged him, letting him cry into my shoulder. He needed the support that only I could give him.

-No... let's drive up to Dunkin Donuts. It was my father's favorite café, where he used to take me and the salesman when we got good grades. Let's take something to take away and give it to him – as he said, we did so and after midnight we were already in the apartment. The salesman was standing on a balloon in the living room, talking to someone on the phone and smoking a cigarette. When he noticed us, he quickly hung up and extinguished the poisonous substance and entered the apartment taking off his jacket.

"I'm so sorry In-ho," he said and hugged my husband. He never hugged anyone else but me, but their bond was strong. They were like brothers who gave support to another.

-Thanks man. On our way back, we drove up to Dunkin Donuts and took the old set we ate. We took you too, do you want to eat with us or do you prefer to come back?

-I s-Nothing to do, I'll always be happy to sit with Min-ho - he said putting on the scarf.ould go, but I'll stay for another half an hour. "For you," he said, and we went to the kitchen island and ate some sweets from Dunkin Donuts.

We talked about Min-ho, shopping, about everything but the memories that are associated with my husband's father. He suffered, but he tried to pretend, he wanted to be strong, but he couldn't. In-ho fell asleep on the counter as we talked about my work and looked at each other with his friend. He helped me with carrying him to the bedroom and changing him into looser clothes for sleeping. I closed the bedroom door as quietly as possible so as not to wake up my beloved boys and went to escort the salesman to the main door.

-Thank you for your help. I don't know what I would do without you," I said, leaning against the wall, watching the boy put on his coat.

-Nothing to do, I'll always be happy to sit with Min-ho - he said putting on the scarf.

-I thank you not only for him, although you have done us a great favor. I don't know how I would behave with In-ho because I don't know... ehh what his life was like in front of me. He didn't tell me anything about you or your childhood.

-He is like a brother to me, I will always help him and his family. Let me give you one piece of advice for the future. Don't ask him about the past, he takes it badly and will shut down. Once he ran away and did not speak to anyone for a week. It will be hard at first, but you will see that on New Year's Eve it will already forget and it will be like before.

-Yes, I will, thank you for the advice.

-Clear. I'm already going, thanks for dinner. Take care and good luck with it.

-Thanks for everything. Goodnight-I said and hugged the boy, which he reciprocated, and when we broke away, he brushed my hair.

"Good night," he said, and I closed the door behind the boy. I pulled myself up to sleep and lay down next to my already sleeping husband. I looked at his sleeping face and didn't fall asleep until 4 a.m.

***

Hello reader. I'm glad you got to this point and are reading this. I would like to thank you, because if it wasn't for you, this book could end quickly. Today we close the story from season 1 and tomorrow we start the prologue of season 2. Hold on tight because there will be more twists and deeper relationships. See you!