You Have Been Defended [EN]: Chapter 425

Beeeep—

A desperate sound echoed.

It felt like the medical team had been trying to revive him for over 40 minutes.

Reflexively turning my head, I saw a single tear running down Kang Min-jae’s face. The medical staff stopped using the defibrillator, recorded something, and then wearily left the intensive care unit.

“At 6:07 PM on October 20, 2011, Kang Kwan-woong passed away.”

The doctor said weakly to Kang Min-jae.

Kang Min-jae collapsed on the spot.

The head of the security team and a bodyguard rushed to Kang Min-jae, who was sitting down, and supported him, helping him to his feet with difficulty.

Kang Soo-il, who had remained calm since the attack, couldn’t hold back his tears and covered his eyes, bowing his head deeply.

“…Can I go in?”

Kang Min-jae asked the doctor, who nodded heavily.

Kang Min-jae slowly entered the room, his trembling hands clasped together.

Kang Soo-il and I followed him.

Kang Min-jae slowly approached the bedside and looked at Kang Kwan-woong, who was motionless with his eyes closed.

“Grandfather.”

There was no response.

But Kang Min-jae looked at Kang Kwan-woong eagerly, as if waiting for his reply.

His lips didn’t move, and Kang Min-jae grabbed Kang Kwan-woong’s hand, urging him as if frustrated.

“Grandfather, I’m calling you. I, I called you…”

Tears welled up at the end of his words.

Kang Soo-il began to sob, and Kang Min-jae became more and more like a child.

“Grandfather, I called you. I called you, but why… Why don’t you answer? Grandfather, Grandfather…”

Kang Min-jae collapsed beside the bed, burying his face in Kang Kwan-woong’s body and began to weep.

“Grandfather, I… I’m sorry. It’s my fault. Grandfather… So please get up. Get up, quickly…”

“Min-jae.”

Kang Soo-il called him in a tearful voice, but Kang Min-jae cried even louder.

“How can you leave like this? What am I supposed to do! You were supposed to live past 100… You said you would… Why didn’t you keep your promise! Why didn’t you keep your promise, Grandfather! This isn’t right. It’s not right!”

Kang Min-jae hugged Kang Kwan-woong and shook his head wildly.

Unable to bear watching, I turned my head away.

The head of the security team, who was standing where I turned, also had red eyes, and the sound of sobbing mixed in from afar.

It seemed that Kang Kwan-woong was respected by the security team as well.

That would be the case.

Kang Kwan-woong was a difficult person to approach, but he wasn’t heartless.

“Grandfather… There are things I didn’t get to say, so many things…”

There was a sound of skin rubbing.

I turned my head towards Kang Min-jae.

“I, hic, I, you know I respect you a lot, right?”

Kang Min-jae said, stroking Kang Kwan-woong’s cheek with a panting voice.

“I love you so much, Grandfather… Thank you for being my grandfather, and… Please, please go to a good place… Rest in peace… And… And… If there’s a next life, hic, then too… Then too, please be my grandfather, hic, my grandfather… Please meet me again… Please, please meet me again… Meet me…”

Kang Min-jae couldn’t finish his words and burst into tears again.

I couldn’t stay there any longer and left the room.

Perhaps because the door was open, Kang Min-jae’s wailing could be heard in the hallway.

I sat down on a bench as if collapsing and짚었다 my forehead.

Kang Kwan-woong wasn’t a special person to me, but he was definitely a great helper.

Above all, he was the person Kang Min-jae, my first colleague in this life, relied on and followed the most.

Even I felt this empty, I couldn’t even begin to imagine the sadness Kang Min-jae must be feeling.

I sighed.

This isn’t right. This isn’t right.

The same thoughts kept swirling in my head.

“Attorney Cha.”

Then, I heard Kang Soo-il’s voice.

I raised my head and saw Kang Soo-il, who seemed to have regained some composure, wiping his reddened eyes as he called me.

The head of the security team was also there.

“A secretary from the Blue House [the South Korean presidential residence] has been here since dawn, but he’s stepped out for a moment. I’m going to bring him back now, so please take care of Min-jae for a bit.”

“Yes.”

Kang Soo-il cleared his throat, composed himself, and disappeared around the corner.

I approached the window and looked at Kang Min-jae through the glass.

The wailing had subsided, but Kang Min-jae was still burying his face in Kang Kwan-woong’s body, his shoulders shaking.

I watched Kang Min-jae’s back without saying a word.

Because I had no words to say or things to do right now.

About 20 minutes passed.

“Min-jae.”

Kang Soo-il returned to the intensive care unit with the Blue House secretary.

“…”

Kang Min-jae raised his red face and looked back.

Then, he slowly got up and bowed to the Blue House secretary.

“Please accept my deepest condolences. Former President Kang Kwan-woong was an example to many politicians and legal professionals.”

At the secretary’s words, Kang Min-jae bowed his head.

“I apologize for asking a sensitive question so soon after your loss, but do you have any thoughts on the funeral arrangements?”

“No, not yet…”

“The principle is to proceed according to the wishes of the bereaved family, and it is also possible to hold a state funeral. The law was recently amended to merge state funerals and national funerals into state funerals, so please consider a state funeral rather than a state or national funeral.”

“…Yes.”

“Could you tell us now how you would like to proceed? If you wish to proceed with a state funeral, the government will need to make preparations. If you need more time, you can take your time to consider and let us know.”

Kang Min-jae seemed to hesitate for a moment, then looked at Kang Soo-il.

Kang Soo-il didn’t say anything, as if he would follow Kang Min-jae’s opinion entirely.

After a long silence, Kang Min-jae finally spoke.

“I would like to proceed with a state funeral. I want many people to watch Grandfather’s final journey, and I think there are many people who want to say goodbye to him.”

“I understand. To explain briefly, a state funeral committee will be formed, and the President will appoint the chairman through a cabinet meeting. The committee will oversee all related tasks. We will contact you through the chief of staff for more details.”

“Yes. Thank you.”

“Then, I apologize for bothering you during this difficult time. Once again… I pray for the repose of former President Kang Kwan-woong’s soul. I hope Attorney Kang can also take care of yourself.”

“Yes.”

After the Blue House secretary left, Kang Soo-il put his hand on Kang Min-jae’s shoulder.

Kang Min-jae looked at Kang Kwan-woong with empty eyes.

Losing a family member brings unimaginable pain.

I, too, was filled with the thought of not losing my parents in this life.

I saved my parents, who should have died, but in this irony, Kang Kwan-woong, who should have lived longer, had died, and I was utterly confused.

* * *

That afternoon, the news of Kang Kwan-woong’s death was announced to the world.

The public was shocked by the news, which came shortly after the attack.

Political and business figures, as well as all kinds of celebrities, publicly expressed their condolences for Kang Kwan-woong’s death.

The government quickly organized a state funeral committee, and the burial site was decided to be the Seoul National Cemetery.

Due to the space shortage at the Seoul National Cemetery, there was a conflict with the Daejeon National Cemetery. However, considering Kang Kwan-woong’s symbolism and the fact that his residence after retirement was located in Pyeongchang-dong, it was decided after a cautious inquiry as to whether it was okay for the grave to be cramped.

The funeral was held as a state funeral for five days, and the memorial service was held at the National Assembly.

The wake [a ceremony to honor the deceased] was decided to be held at the Yongin Wooshin Hospital Funeral Home.

Kang Min-jae protested that he couldn’t send his grandfather off from Wooshin Hospital, but Kang Soo-il told him that the procedure of moving the body was complicated and that it was better not to be conspicuous because former presidents had always set up their wakes at the hospital where they died, so he eventually agreed.

Broadcasting stations also ran Kang Kwan-woong’s death as the top news story and broadcast programs honoring him.

And around evening, Yongin Wooshin Hospital held a briefing on Kang Kwan-woong’s death.

Kang Min-jae had no time to be immersed in grief any longer.

Kang Min-jae’s father, who was an only son, had passed away, and Kang Soo-il, Kang Kwan-woong’s second son on the family register, couldn’t act as the chief mourner and passed it on to Kang Min-jae, so Kang Min-jae had to move busily.

Of course, the committee did a lot of work, but it was Kang Min-jae’s job to keep the wake.

Among the people of the Liberty Justice Party, the one who received the most trust from Kang Kwan-woong was the current President Lee Se-hwa, but she couldn’t stay at the wake all the time because of her current position.

The wake was packed with political and business figures who came to pay their respects.

Because of the surrounding attention and the complexity of the wake, Choi Jong-hyun and Jo Bong-joon also visited to pay their respects, but they couldn’t stay for long and returned.

Instead, Oh and I stayed at the wake for five days, looking after Kang Min-jae.

I don’t even remember how the five days passed.

After keeping the wake, taking occasional naps, and spending time, time passed, and I was already at the National Assembly, where the memorial service was being held.

If I was like this, how much more would Kang Min-jae be?

Fortunately, throughout the funeral, Kang Min-jae greeted the mourners in a mature and solemn manner.

But as someone who had seen him crying like a child, I knew that Kang Min-jae was suppressing his emotions, so I couldn’t help but worry.

There wasn’t much I could do as someone who wasn’t in any position or a family member.

I couldn’t enter the National Cemetery, so I went home and watched the memorial service and burial ceremony, only checking Kang Min-jae’s appearance, which was occasionally shown on the screen.

And around 11 PM, Kang Min-jae called.

“Oh, Attorney Cha.”

─I passed out as soon as I got home and fell asleep, so I’m calling you now. I hope I didn’t wake you up?

“No, you didn’t.”

─I feel like I haven’t even thanked you for all your hard work.

“I didn’t do anything.”

─No, you and the manager were a great comfort to me. I was a bit out of it, though.

“You must be tired.”

─Yes, well, I should eat something and sleep again.

“Okay.”

─It feels strange to be home with just Soo-il without Grandfather. I keep going in and out of his study because I feel like he’s there.

“…You’ll get used to it.”

At my words, Kang Min-jae chuckled softly.

─I’m sorry that our investigation was interrupted because of me.

“Don’t think like that. It’s not something to be sorry about. We can resume the investigation, and it’s not that urgent. Sending off the elder is more important.”

─…Yes.

“Take care of yourself, Attorney Kang.”

─The President called me separately and comforted me a lot, and many people joined Grandfather on his final journey, so I feel much better. Since it’s a state funeral, I also think about how much Grandfather was respected… I don’t think he’ll be lonely on his way.

“Okay.”

─Haa… Still, I think it will take time to adjust. But I’ll get used to it someday. It’s something everyone goes through, right?

“That’s right.”

I answered that way, but I know better than anyone that it’s not easy.

Even I felt like an orphan after losing my parents, even though I was over thirty.

─I should call the manager now. There are so many people I’m grateful to, it’ll be dawn by the time I get through everyone. Hehe.

“Just call the manager for now, and finish the rest tomorrow when you wake up. Everyone will understand.”

─Should I do that, then?

“Do that.”

─I’ll go back to work in two more days. I have to sort out Grandfather’s belongings, too…

“Think about that slowly.”

─Still.