[241] When the Sky Falls, Part 2
In this life, my grandfather was the person I spent the most time with since being reborn.
He had high hopes for me, and I never let him down. In return, I received so much.
Even his last words before he passed were meant for me. This meant more to me than controlling shares in the group.
After he spoke those words, he lost consciousness again, and I could only stand there, watching him.
I remembered the first time we met, how he lifted me up with a bright smile.
He was just like any other grandfather, boasting to the whole neighborhood about my top ten national exam scores.
I recalled his joy when he handed me ten billion dollars.
And the pride he couldn’t contain when I took control of the Ajin Group.
These memories overlapped with the image of him now, on the brink of death, making my vision blur.
But I had to pull myself together.
The ward was filled with noise. People were rushing in.
I needed to leave before they arrived. After all, the ones who should be closest to him at the end are his children, not his grandchild.
Standing in the hallway, I bowed my head as my uncles hurried towards me.
But they didn’t even glance my way, rushing straight into the room.
“Father!”
Their cries were audible even from outside. He wasn’t even gone yet… I found myself wishing that the shock might bring him back to consciousness, as I made my way to the café at the end of the corridor.
The hospital director, sweating nervously, explained Chairman Jin’s condition to the fierce siblings once more.
“You should all prepare yourselves. There isn’t much time left.”
“Is there no chance of recovery?”
”…No.”
The director worried they might start shouting again, but they didn’t.
Vice Chairman Jin Young-gi closed his eyes and lowered his head.
“Since everyone is here, I have something to say. In this state, the chairman won’t last more than 48 hours. We could use more aggressive medical interventions if you wish, but…”
“You mean intubation and such?”
Vice Chairman Jin Dong-gi grimaced as he asked.
“Yes. But the chairman always expressed his wish to avoid such measures…”
“Don’t. Let him go naturally and peacefully.”
Jin Young-gi spoke firmly.
Even without the director’s advice, everyone remembered their father’s wish not to prolong his departure artificially.
“Understood.”
The director quietly left the room, and the attending physician waited silently in the corner.
“But what about Mother? Still no contact?”
Jin Seo-yoon asked her three brothers, but no one answered.
“What on earth is going on? If you can’t reach Mother, what about her aides?”
“Even her aides are out of contact. The last call she took was when Father was admitted.”
Jin Dong-gi sighed, and Jin Seo-yoon glared at Jin Young-gi.
“Big brother, can’t you send someone from the secretariat to find her? And what about Hye-kyung? Isn’t she always by Mother’s side? Can’t reach her either?”
“We confirmed she left the Swiss villa. After that, she hasn’t answered. Mother must have blocked her.”
“How can you say that?! What if she misses Father’s final moments?”
Jin Young-gi glared at Jin Seo-yoon, who was shouting sharply.
“Don’t you get it? She’s avoiding calls to miss the end. And you? What kind of daughter doesn’t even know her mother’s phone number? Where do you get off shouting like that?”
“Lower your voices. Is this really the time for such noise?”
Jin Dong-gi sighed at the two of them. Their mother, who harbored extreme hatred and contempt for their father, clearly didn’t care about his impending death.
It didn’t matter if she missed the end. They just hoped she would appear before the funeral. The funeral wouldn’t be just family; cameras might be there, and the whole nation could be watching.
If their mother was absent, who knew what rumors might spread, bringing shame to the family.
They could only hope she returned soon. The only reason they weren’t overly worried was that their mother valued appearances. At least at the funeral, she would show the face of a grieving wife.
“Excuse me, doctor.”
“Ah, yes?”
The attending physician, startled, approached Vice Chairman Jin Dong-gi.
“Is it okay if we step out for a bit?”
“Sorry?”
“I’m asking if anything major will happen in an hour or two. Is it okay?”
“Yes.”
The question was pointless, and the physician answered dryly.
In this unconscious state, the chances of waking up were almost nonexistent. The remaining time was just breathing. There was no reason to witness the final moment.
After confirming the physician’s answer, Jin Dong-gi signaled to his brother Jin Young-gi.
The two stepped out of the room and lit cigarettes.
“Is there really no contact with Mother?”
“I’m going crazy too.”
Jin Young-gi took a few puffs before tossing his cigarette away.
“Why? Did you talk to her?”
“You?”
“She doesn’t answer my calls at all. But she listens to you, the eldest.”
“She answered a few times. But she always says the same thing. That old man is too stubborn to die easily. She’ll come when it’s time, so don’t bother her.”
“She has to come this time…”
Understanding his brother’s feelings, Jin Young-gi sighed.
“I sent a message when I got the call. Since they said he wouldn’t last a day, she must have boarded a plane. She has that much sense.”
“She has to come… If not, it would be a real disgrace…”
“Father’s death might be overshadowed.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
Jin Dong-gi’s eyes widened at his brother’s unexpected words.
“Things are noisy these days, because of the president.”
“What does that have to do with us? The election fund issue has mostly settled.”
“He might be impeached.”
“What? Impeached?”
“Yes. It seems they’re well-prepared on the other side. They’ve been waiting for an opportunity and found a pretext.”
“Really? Impeachment for that? Is it possible?”
Jin Dong-gi frowned, shaking his head as if it were nonsense.
“They’re confident about passing the impeachment bill in the National Assembly. The ruling party is divided, and the opposition has an overwhelming number of seats.”
Jin Dong-gi felt uneasy about Jin Young-gi’s growing influence.
No one shared such high-level information with him. Despite having several lawmakers in Yeouido, crucial information only reached the eldest son of Sunyang.
As his brother said, after the funeral, Jin Young-gi’s position would likely become more solid, making him increasingly anxious.
“Even if it happens, it might just end with the president’s suspension. The regime won’t end just like that.”
Seeing Jin Young-gi smile at his words, Jin Dong-gi realized he had missed something.
His brother had a different plan, and he couldn’t read it. He would have to watch as his brother looked down on him with that smug expression again.
“Do you have someone in mind? To completely change the regime?”
Jin Dong-gi asked, surprised, and Jin Young-gi shook his head.
“I’m not interested in that. I found out that if the impeachment bill passes the National Assembly, the Constitutional Court can drag it out for a maximum of six months.”
Only then did Jin Dong-gi understand his brother’s intention.
“It’ll be six months of chaos.”
“Exactly. It’s an unprecedented presidential impeachment. There’s a general election coming up too. The world’s attention will be on the Blue House and Yeouido, not on Father’s death. We must seize this opportunity and execute our plans swiftly.”
“Six months where no one will care what we do?”
“That’s right. We can’t miss this chance.”
“Father is giving us a gift even in death?”
“Most of the people we need will come to the funeral. We must finalize things then.”
The brothers exchanged brief smiles but quickly erased them. Wasn’t this a time to hide their laughter?
“Let’s go back in. We should be by his side.”
People were arriving at the hospital one after another.
The daughters-in-law entered the room with tense faces, followed by a few company presidents.
They checked on Grandfather’s condition and then stepped outside to find Director Lee Hak-jae. The final moments were for the family.
The grandchildren began to appear.
The first to arrive was the eldest grandson, Jin Young-jun.
“Ah, brother.”
“Oh? Do-jun. You came early, as expected.”
I shook his outstretched hand.
In the time we hadn’t seen each other, his demeanor had changed significantly.
Perhaps it was his age, now in his mid-thirties, or his position in the company, but the childishness was gone.
“How’s Grandfather?”
I shook my head slightly, and a low groan escaped his lips.
“Hmm… Today…?”
“Probably.”
“Let’s go.”
We walked shoulder to shoulder into the room.
The spacious private room was packed, and I found a spot in the corner.
Jin Young-jun made his way through the crowd to the bedside.
As more cousins arrived, the room became cramped, and only the children remained while the rest moved to the hallway.
The sorrow of not being able to share Grandfather’s final breath weighed heavily on my heart. No matter how much I wiped them away, the tears wouldn’t stop.
I didn’t even check how much time had passed. I wished this time would stretch on, but my wish wasn’t granted.
“Father!!”
“Father! Sob, sob.”
As cries and laments erupted from the room, I ran in a frenzy.
When the doctor removed the oxygen mask, Grandfather’s expression was laid bare. A perfectly blank face.
I couldn’t bring myself to touch that face.
My aunt clung to Grandfather’s neck, wailing, and I struggled to keep my half-dazed mind together as I dragged my feet to his side.
I pushed my way through the crowd gathered around the bed and grasped my grandfather’s hand, still warm to the touch.
I hoped his passing had been peaceful.
That not a single moment of regret had marred his life.
That in over eighty years, there wasn’t a second he’d wish to erase.
I prayed and prayed for that.
For a while, the room was filled with the echoes of sobs and wails.
Then, a sound that didn’t belong broke through, and the cries began to subside.
“Gr-Grandma.”
One of the grandchildren had spotted her standing at the entrance, and his voice was almost a scream.
“Mother!”
“Mom! Why are you so late? You should have been here for Dad’s last moments!”
“I’m not late. I arrived just in time.”
Unlike my aunt, who was shouting through her tears, my grandmother’s expression was cold and unyielding.
“Mother! What are you saying?”
“Mom! Is that really what you want to say right now?”
My uncle and aunt looked at her in disbelief, but my grandmother remained unfazed.
“I didn’t want to breathe the same air as that man. So I came at the right time.”
I couldn’t believe my ears.
I knew she despised my grandfather, but to say such things in front of his body… with his children and grandchildren watching?
But that wasn’t the end of it.
Spotting me, she pointed a trembling finger in my direction.
“What are you doing here?”
It seemed seeing me was harder for her to bear than my grandfather’s death.