One thing I know about funerals, is that if you don't cry, people notice.
Even acquaintances that had only met Joon-ki once or twice, managed to muster some wet eyes and the odd tear or two whilst bowing at his alter.
As I stood there, bored out of my mind, I noticed a few strange looks being thrown my way, as if they were silently saying "How can the chief mourner be so composed?" so I summoned some tears and wept silently for a while.
The moment Madame Kang saw this she hugged me, holding on to my chest tightly, she wailed "Why is God so cruel to us! Bring him back, bring him back!" her tears soaked my shoulder and her hug was so tight that my chest hurt. On the other hand, Kang Seung was much more composed.
His expression was like steel and he greeted the guests calmly...however I could see his shoulders tremble every once and a while. He was fighting to keep himself together.
Disappointing...
Seeing him act like this, once again I felt disillusioned by him.
A veil lifted from my eyes. Kang Seung had never been a tall man, but in just a few hours he had shrunk, his usual intense aura was now gone and he was just...so small. No, he had always been small. I was finally seeing the true man behind the facade. He wasn't someone that could see through me, he wasn't a mind reader or a genius, he wasn't the parental figure I had dreamt of in my past life. He was just a man, albeit a rich, powerful, and slightly nasty man, but still a man.
Why had I thought any differently?
For the eight years that I had become Kang Ho, I had felt sluggish, like my mind was buried and barely there. My thoughts and actions had become childish; I had even started to feel fondness and connections for people that Daniel never would have experienced.
I had excused these developments, claiming it was youth, the body impacting the mind...but that wasn't it.
This mortal shell was slowly stripping away what made me Daniel Slade, it was rejecting me and replacing me with something much more...like the original Kang Ho.
The sudden realisation made me shiver.
I looked around the room at all the insignificant wealthy people. Daniel would never have cared for them, Daniel wouldn't have wanted to be the heir to a rich conglomerate family. Daniel didn't care about power amongst humans, because humans were beneath him, he was a predator. He would have left this life behind for one that was more covert and swathed in darkness. Getting a small cabin in a secluded area to have fun playing with his mortal toys.
I had unironically forgotten that I was a wolf and had started grazing with the sheep...
The sensation that I had been ignoring for so long suddenly in this moment it became clear to me...this life wasn't truly mine. Something was controlling me and the events around me and making me docile and dumb...
Why did I accept it so easily? This situation, reincarnating in the book of my last victim. Why did I accept the circumstances without hesitation?
I felt a lump in my throat, like something was lodged in there, a pain filled me like I couldn't breathe.
Cold sweat fell from my brow as I realised that someone was staring at me from above, I glanced up and large yellow eyes were gazing into mine. Large black wings...the span of the room covered everything in darkness and an unbelievable sense of helplessness consumed me.
"Stop thinking Slade" the bird croaked.
"Ho-ah, are you okay, you went really pale, maybe you should sit down." Madame Kang was looking at me with concern.
The eyes, the wings, it was all gone...and a second later it was gone from my memory.
Why were my fists clenched?
I opened my palms and was surprised by how clammy my fingers were. I had the bizarre feeling like I was forgetting something...but I couldn't for the life of me, figure out what.
"I was so close."
"So close to what dear" Madame Kang asked as she checked my temperature.
"I have no idea" why did I say that?
Something felt off...something had always felt off...and yet again I was left feeling unsettled.
...
Hundreds of people came to Joon-Ki's funeral, only a handful knew him personally, most just came for appearances and connections. A regular funeral hall would have been overwhelmed by the sheer amount of visitors, but it was manageable because the Kang Family Funeral Hall was large enough to rival most amateur stadiums.
The visitors were separated by sections; one area for direct Kang Mung members (tables were separated by Clan and affiliation), then an area for the distant or branch family relatives, and another area for unrelated visitors (of course all were significant figures from various industries). In a way the networking at the Fundraiser was only being continued at the Funeral.
Parched and bored, I excused myself from welcoming mourners to get some water. Instantly, as if they had been waiting for me to leave Seung's side, a flurry of investors from the Unrelated Visitors table approached me. They said the generic lines, "I'm so sorry for your loss" before introducing themselves and waving their business cards in my face.
I gave them a gentle polite smile, "thank you" while Min Ho took their cards and put some space between us and them.
That was when Ms Ha Rin walked in, I watched as she greeted Seung and Madame Kang and bowed to Joon-ki's alter. Following my gaze the investors also saw Ha Rin, and they began to gossip, "That's her, the only witness to Kang Joon-ki's accident."
"I heard she was drinking with Joon-ki when he supposedly fell."
"Who is she?"
"The wife of Sakit Day, he's an oil tycoon, but a little rumour going around claims that he also operates a Cartel group across South America and the Caribbean."
"I heard he's a Loan Shark as well, pretty nasty guy."
"I'm not surprised Kang Joon-ki was associated with someone like that, I heard he was doing some very disturbing business over the last eight years."
"Shhhh, we shouldn't say these things in front of the child."
They all turned to look at me. Seeing my bright smile they quickly said their goodbyes, running back to their seats. I barely registered them leave because my mind was buzzing with the new information. This changed everything...
...
As the funeral continued I met many family members for the first time; from the distant to the estranged.
None of the guests surprised me until Joon-ki's older brother, the son who had disowned the Kang family, walked in.
The moment he, his wife and son appeared at the door, everyone; hundreds of people, went quiet. In that quietness, they walked up to the podium, bowed towards me, Madame Kang and Seung, and then bowed three times before Joon ki's alter.
As they did this people began to whisper, "I can't believe Kang Hun Bin actually showed up."
"You mean Song Hun Bin, he hasn't been a Kang since his wedding day fifteen years ago."
"Whatever, I'm shocked he showed up."
"Joon-ki was his younger brother even if he left the family, it would be weirder if he didn't come to his funeral."
"Look at Kang Seung's face."
I glanced up to see Seung turning purple, he was so angry that he seemed to have forgotten how to breathe. Yet in that anger he seemed unbearably sad, his hands were shaking and his lips firmly pressed together, all he could do was glare.
Hun Bin seemed to be unfazed by his Father's appearance, when he straightened up after bowing he simply nodded at him and then glanced at me. He gave me a gentle smile that felt like a warm summer breeze, "I'm ashamed to only be meeting my nephew now, I wish we could have met under nicer circumstances."
"Hmph" Madame Kang snorted, "Who are you calling nephew? You gave up your rights as my Son so you're not his Uncle, you're not Joon-ki's brother either. You're a stranger here."
Hun Bin sighed, "Yes yes...I know," he gave a tired laugh.
"Since we're strangers, we should sit in the unrelated visitor area, right Dad" his teenage Son gave a bright and confident grin. He bowed to us and then again to Joon-ki's alter. "Let's go sit, Mum, Dad" he grabbed their hands, "the strangers are getting out of your face" he announced.
As they left to sit at the far end of the hall Madame Kang tsked, "How impudent, that brat Song He is as rude as ever. Just as rude as his Father, how dare he show up here?"
"Just leave it, let them stay" Seung croaked.