◈ Episode 494. Strange Talks (1)

I wonder when it was.

Hoyeol, our youngest child, became an adult.

I look back on my memories while hurrying my steps.

The youngest son of a wealthy family with only daughters. Hoyeol grew up in a prosperous environment with plenty of love from the adults in the family, and he had no wrinkles or shadows.

Until he entered middle school.

To be precise…….

Okay, I think it was around the second year of middle school.

Hoyeol’s return home was unusually fast.

At first, I thought that the new game he started playing, Arcana Continent Biography, was really that fun, or maybe he was just pretending to play hard to get his dad’s attention.

I laugh now thinking about it.

“…… I really couldn’t do it, Dad.”

It was like a normal family.

I remember my mom complaining that she had to make Hoyeol play a game that wasn’t a game at all, but a money-eating machine, I think? I can still see my dad’s frustration at Mrs. Choi’s stubbornness.

-“What? You said you bought it instead of going around the field?”

-“What about the golf clubs you just bought?”

-“That? Of course, I’m going to sell it!”

What the hell is this Arcana Continent Biography thing?

I wondered if it had made him give up his love of golf.

Dad had added that.

-“It’s a rich man’s hobby, and you like it too, right?”

But Dad’s dream never materialized.

His expanding business began to falter, and of course, with all the fires he had to put out, he didn’t have time to play Arcana Continent Biography.

‘As a result, Hoyeol took it all to himself.’

But it was short-lived.

After a few months, the family situation completely deteriorated, and red scabs appeared all over the house. It was only for a few months that Hoyeol played Arcana Continent Biography.

Probably since then.

A year older, a year younger.

He went to the same middle school as her, and she started to pay attention to him.

Why did he pretend not to notice?

“We were busy treating each other as enemies, but pretending to know each other is nonsense.”

Then, one by one, I got to know him.

Why Hoyeol was returning home unusually fast.

In the process, he unintentionally misled the people around him…….

-“Wow. Was that Lee Hoyeol’s older sister?”

-“I wish I knew so……. ‘Then’……!”

-“Hey, shut up. Just pretend you don’t know, asshole!”

Still, I didn’t feel better.

Maybe, even now, more than a decade later, the sting of that moment is still there.

I wondered if it was still lingering in the back of my mind.

Lee Yerim muttered bitterly.

“You didn’t tell us the whole story, did you?”

Lee Hoyeol.

You’ve definitely grown up since then.

Since then, no matter how hard things have been, you’ve never shown any signs of resentment.

So I pretended not to know.

In the future, to your heavenly sister who helped you knowingly or unknowingly.

I imagined you smugly thanking me properly.

However.

“……I’ve been pretending like an idiot all this time.”

I realize now.

That day will probably never come.

We were born from the same womb.

How could we be so different?

Yerim muttered.

“If you’re having a hard time, spread the word, just like me…….”

Seug.

Lee stared at the shattered phone screen on the asphalt.

She still had months of installments to pay…….

I’m glad it’s still on.

I could see the articles under the cracked screen.

-[Breaking News] Lee Hoyeol’s death rumors were true!

-[Breaking News] The miracle of resurrection? The power of the World Tree? We still have no clue.

-[Breaking News] AAU official says, “Neither resurrection nor death can happen once.”

“…….”

The grip seems to loosen on its own. But Lee Yerim clenched her teeth. Perhaps, she could only hold on because she was guessing.

“It doesn’t make sense that it didn’t happen.”

Even if I don’t know about the Arcana Continent Biography.

I’m familiar with the dangers players are exposed to.

I know that strength is no guarantee of survival.

Dmitry.

Another famous American player.

He passed away not long ago when no one expected it.

Yerim smiled bitterly.

“I knew you weren’t showing it.”

So he pretended not to know and turned away, just like in the past.

If Hoyeol doesn’t want us to know.

He wanted us to pretend we didn’t know.

“But…….”

Not anymore.

If we just stand by and watch.

It seemed like this side would collapse first.

‘……My mom, dad, and sisters would have found out.’

What Hoyeol has been going through.

Through someone else’s mouth, not his own.

Different from what I had guessed.

The shock may be indescribable.

So Lee Yerim hurried her steps.

Maybe she was shocked.

Toward her parents’ shop, which had probably closed early.

As expected.

Yerim swallowed a sigh.

“Really…….”

──────

Reconciliation Dumpling.

──────

There were no lights on the sign. Even the blinds were down, so I couldn’t see inside. I suddenly felt a rush of worry. Normally, I would have called my mom or dad first…….

Knock-knock.

“Mom, Dad!”

I rushed over and knocked on the closed door.

Then I felt a shuffle from inside.

But something was wrong.

Beyond the blinds.

A shadow in the corner of my eye.

It looked like someone had gotten up from a chair…….

‘……What is it?’

There was no droning, chair-dragging sound.

No, it goes beyond that.

The size and shape of the shadow gave me an eerie feeling.

It looked familiar as if I’d seen it many times……?

“Welcome, sister.”

……Hey!

The door opened, and the face of the one person she’d been thinking about all this time, her brother, was in front of her. And in that moment, Lee Yerim was surprised by her own emotional change.

She thought it would be lonely. It would be impossible for Hoyeol to confide his concerns to anyone, given his personality of not sharing everything with his family.

As the saying goes, he must be carrying a heavy burden alone.

After all that, he died on the Arcana continent, just like they say in the news…….

But why?

“You……?”

The moment I saw Hoyeol.

All my worries melted away like snow.

Was it because of his imposing posture?

No, it wasn’t that.

I couldn’t express it in words, but…….

“I apologize for causing you worry.”

There were still no wrinkles or shadows on Hoyeol’s face.

As if he wasn’t alone.

Then Lee Yerim’s eyes caught up with him.

“What?”

A face that no Korean citizen could fail to recognize.

Gaon, the signature guild of Korea.

Nam Taemin, the guildmaster of Gaon.

He politely raises his hand and says

“Mother, could you just give me all the leftover dumplings?”

……What, this situation?

Lee Yerim caught up to the situation.

“So this is……?

Did our Hoyeol bring a friend, no, a coworker?!!

*

Nam Cheolmin broke out in a cold sweat.

“No, Mother, we didn’t come here for this……! No, we’ll take it and eat it ourselves, isn’t it all self-service these days? No, really, we don’t want you to get a bone disease from this!”

As if that wasn’t enough.

They scramble to their feet and grab Mrs. Choi’s tray.

Maybe it’s noticeable.

I look away and stare at the pile of plates on the table. Me and Nam Cheolmin had put down our chopsticks earlier, so I don’t have to tell you whose stomach all those dumplings have gone to.

“This taste……!!”

It was Nam Taemin.

How did the Nam siblings end up here?

If you ask me if I came looking for my parents’ [Reconciliation Dumplings].

It was because I couldn’t refuse.

‘You guys are too formal, aren’t you?’

They asked me so politely that I couldn’t refuse.

“Sit down, Mr. Cheolmin. I’m still fresh.”

Mrs. Choi made Nam Cheolmin feel even more uncomfortable.

At this point, I’m sure you have a question for me. Where is the filial son who posts letters every day at dawn, and is still troubling his parents?

But I’m not the one who didn’t ask.

Mrs. Choi cheerfully puts down her plate.

“We’re still here because of our useless stubbornness. If we get Mr. Cheolmin’s help, won’t Hoyeol have nothing to say, so why don’t you sit down for Hoyeol’s sake?”

“Oh, mother……!”

Is it because my name came up?

Nam Cheolmin sat down, and even as he sat down, he gave his brother and Nam Taemin a resentful glance. The more he inhaled the dumplings, the more work Mrs. Choi had to do.

“What? If you don’t eat, I’ll eat the whole thing?”

Of course, Nam Taemin, who had lost his temper, did not notice.

I get it, my dad’s a pretty good cook.

Plus, he probably didn’t eat enough during the repeated battles.

Eventually, after giving up, Nam Cheolmin whispered to me.

“Suddenly. I’m really sorry, I don’t have a face, Mr. Hoyeol…….”

I replied.

“You don’t need to apologize.”

“No. No matter what……!”

“Because this is also pride.”

……Yes, it is pride.

──────

Reconciliation Dumpling

──────

This ordinary dumpling shop is the pride of our father and mother, Mr. Lee Junwook and Mrs. Choi Kanghee. They made dumplings here to rebuild their fallen family and raise our four siblings.

That’s why I’ve never been able to look down on them.

But.

‘……Can we please keep the deep talk inside?’

Parents’ pride.

Did they cringe at my words?

I hear you snorting in the kitchen.

In fact, that’s the only thing I didn’t say.

Lee Yerim, the unwelcome visitor.

Wensu was staring at me from the next table.

Because I said something embarrassing in this situation.

‘…… This is a different kind of porridge, really.’

I had a lot to say to my mom and dad.

The world had literally gone crazy, hadn’t it?

With the news of my resurrection.

That’s right.

That’s why I headed straight home as soon as I finished my schedule.

‘What the hell is this about?’

However, as I said, Brother Nam requested to accompany me.

First, I had to hear their story and send them back.

I looked at Taemin.

‘And how much I miss the taste of handmade.’

Hey, isn’t this your fifth bowl of dumpling soup?

Of course, it wasn’t an unreasonable amount of food for a man of his size.

He showed no sign of putting down his cutlery, so I opened my mouth.

“Formalness must also change depending on the time and place.”

In other words, in Rome, you have to follow Roman law.

“Feel free to talk.”

There’s no rule in our “Reconciliation Dumpling” that says you can’t talk during meals.

Nam Cheolmin was at a loss for words.

He swallowed a sigh and opened his mouth.

“Maybe it’s because he can’t eat his usual home-cooked food……. Once again, I apologize for everything, but I don’t know if I should tell you this story here.”

Nam Cheolmin said that and took out a name stone.

“Jeong Hantaek…….”

At that moment, the kitchen was silent, and a sound of wudangtang! rang out.

“……Jeong Hantaek? President Jeong Hantaek?!”

“Honey, please be quiet!”

“I’m sorry, I’m so surprised.”

Nam Cheolmin said he didn’t need to apologize to Dad.

He quickly threw up his hands.

Then he said seriously.

“No, This is a story that your father and mother must know.”

“……Ah, really?”

“Hoho, then I’m glad.”

It’s a story our parents should know.

I’m guessing it doesn’t involve the Arcana continent.

If so, I needed to listen even more closely.

‘It’s a perspective that neither I nor Grandfell are used to.’

President of the Republic of Korea, Jeong Hantaek.

So much for his name.

There was a high probability that this was a story about reality.

It was.

The capital of the Republic of Korea.

Now that Seoul has been fused with the Arcana continent, it has become a land of Anomaly.

“Chief Commander, there will be turbulence in Seoul from now on.”

The pride of Korea.

The Guildmaster and the Brain of Gaon, as of this hour.

They were going to discuss the fate of me and Seoul.

They were also talking about my parents, the owners of the ‘Reconciliation Dumpling’, who would naturally be caught up in the turbulence since they had settled in Seoul.

Nam Cheolmin continued.

“That’s right. Maybe Seoul…….”

I mulled over his likely scenario.

It’s certainly human nature as I’ve seen it.

Maybe the world will survive such a thing.

But I don’t have to worry about it.

For me, Seoul is home, nothing more, nothing less.

It is the pride of my parents, not anything else.

As long as there is ‘Reconciliation Dumpling’.

I, Lee Hoyeol.

And he has a more terrible sense of filial piety than I do.

Grandfell’s opinion is bound to agree.

“Simple.”

I blurted out nonchalantly.

“I will become the owner of Seoul.”

“……?!!”