Dad Has Returned
"I'm back~"
The moment I opened the front door, the master bedroom door burst open and someone came rushing out like a whirlwind.
"Our son really has come back to Korea! Did you miss your dad so much that you returned from America?!"
"No way."
"That's so mean! You should at least give some lip service! I wrapped up my business trip and came straight back the second I heard our son was in Korea!"
It was Dad, who still cherished me to an almost terrifying degree.
It would have been perfect if not for the fact that he looked like a complete mess.
A vivid kiss mark on his neck.
Hair that was strangely disheveled even after washing.
And the shirt he wore had its collar stretched out so much it was embarrassing to look at.
'Looks like Mom pounced on him the moment he stepped out of the shower. Poor guy...'
Now I understood why Mom still hadn't come to see me.
The instant she saw Dad walk in, she must have been unable to hold back the accumulated longing and cast her territory expansion (mandatory defense battle) on him.
"Dad, quick—hide behind me. She's about to come down."
"I feel a little guilty toward you, Noah, for how calm you've become. Your mother just can't seem to control herself..."
"Doesn't that just mean your marriage is that passionate~"
Thump. Thump. Thump!
Footsteps echoed from the top of the stairs.
As expected, Mom appeared right after.
She'd hastily straightened her clothes but couldn't hide the look of deep regret on her face.
"Our son's here? You could've at least texted when you were on the way~"
"Why don't you hold out for a few more hours until your son heads off to dreamland."
"But honey... Dad's finally back from his long business trip! As his wife, I naturally have to welcome him with joy!"
"Dear, does it always have to be in that particular way—"
"You stay quiet. And why are you hiding back there? Anyone would think you're about to get devoured."
"Hehe..."
He was utterly powerless.
I knew Mom was basically a predatory carnivore, but moments like this were always awkward.
'Then again, the atmosphere was already like this before my regression, back when I was an adult.'
Since this was an even younger period of their lives, the heat between them must be that much stronger.
"Still, please restrain yourselves a little in front of me. You know I'm technically a teenager."
"Honestly, one look in our son's eyes and you can tell he's an adult. Those are eyes that have already seen everything there is to see!"
As expected of Mom. Her intuition was strangely sharp.
Anyway, as a fellow man, it was my turn to rescue Dad after his long absence.
"Dad! You brought souvenirs from Portugal, right? I'm dying to see what you got!"
"Uh... y-yeah! Of course! I packed the suitcase to the brim for the whole family! Let's open it right now!"
We exchanged desperate father-son glances and synced our timing perfectly.
Then Dad and I hurried over to the living room where the suitcase waited.
Behind us came the sound of Mom letting out a deep sigh followed by a soft chuckle.
For now, I guess this counted as a happy ending?
Of course, once I fell asleep it would probably turn into an adults-only ending.
#
When Dad began spreading out the souvenirs one by one, the living room quickly transformed into something like an exhibition hall.
Chocolates, tableware, bizarre trinkets, and even wine.
"This wine is seriously expensive. Hehe... Shall we do a tasting later? Of course, it'll be in your dad's personal glass ♡"
"Um... please take it easy on me..."
"Mom, I want a glass too!"
The words had barely left my mouth before a sharp flick landed on my forehead.
"Hey! Since when does a kid try to drink alcohol! Drinking and smoking are for after you become an adult, got it?"
She was surprisingly strict about these things.
In that moment, I felt an overwhelming sadness that I had regressed.
I was terrible with soju, but wine and cocktails went down smoothly for me.
Having to sit there and just stare at that delicious-looking wine was pure torture.
"Sigh, I guess kids should just stick to chocolate."
Fortunately he'd brought it in a gift pack, so there was enough to share with Yuri.
'Original for the original personality, milk for Sunny, dark for Cloudy and Americano.'
The remaining hazelnut ones could go to Foggy.
Whether Foggy would show up again before the chocolates expired was another question entirely.
"Noah, I got this for you as well. Think of it as a lucky charm and take it with you."
"This is... a pocket watch?"
It was a keyring shaped like an intricately crafted pocket watch.
It was slightly large, but small enough to hang comfortably from a bag.
When I opened the lid, the hands were actually gliding smoothly across the face.
"I went to an antique shop with my boss. The owner took one look at me and suddenly gave it away for free."
"Honey, how could you just accept something like that!"
"No, listen. He even guessed I had a middle-school-aged son. Said if I gave it to him, the wheel of fate would start turning, or something like that."
"That makes it even more suspicious! As his mother, I absolutely refuse to let anything bad happen to our child!"
Mom pulled me straight into her arms.
The sudden wave of maternal warmth nearly made me dizzy, but I barely managed to snap out of it and rescue the keyring from her.
"Come on, there are no such things as curses in this world. It's fine, Mom."
"That's right, Ruri. Besides, it was given as a kind gesture. It would be rude to refuse."
"Sigh... You're too naive for your own good, honey. Still... it does look like it might have some kind of spiritual power."
I wasn't the type to believe in the occult or superstitions, but the watch definitely gave off a unique aura.
'Is this really something meant for me?'
"Did they tell you anything about how to use it?"
"No. Just said to carry it around. Since it's a keyring, maybe just hang it somewhere convenient?"
"That's a very go-with-the-flow attitude~ Anyway, thank you, Dad. I'll share the chocolates with Yuri."
"Good. Now head to your room. You have school tomorrow, don't you?"
At those words Mom checked the clock and ushered me upstairs.
"It's midnight. Time to get ready for bed, son."
"Okay. Good night to both of you!"
I returned to my room carrying the bundle of souvenirs.
I tucked away the chocolates for Yuri in my bag first, then sat at my desk and examined the watch again.
"Huh? There's writing on the inside of the lid."
The mysterious inscription engraved on the inner lid.
"Deus... ex... machina?"
It sounded like the kind of name an edgy middle-schooler would come up with.
I felt like I'd heard it somewhere before.
I thought about turning on my phone to look it up, but I was too sleepy.
'I'll search for it tomorrow on the way to school.'
I let out a long yawn and pulled the blanket over myself.
As I drifted off between nods.
I thought I heard the faint sound of gears turning somewhere.
#
I opened my eyes.
Standing in front of a house shrouded in thick fog.
"Wait. In front of the house?"
My mind snapped awake instantly and I looked around.
No matter how I examined it, this was clearly not the room where I'd fallen asleep.
"Wow... what's going on? Have I finally started sleepwalking?"
Gray fog swayed and brushed against my toes while the outlines of the alley blurred and melted away.
"....."
After a moment of hesitation, I turned and headed toward the house.
I was in my pajamas, and I wanted to get back quickly so I could catch up on sleep.
Judging by the heavy fog and cold air, it was probably still dawn.
'Whether this is sleepwalking or not, I'll figure it out when I wake up again.'
With that thought, I reached for the front door.
"Huh? What the—why isn't this working?"
I couldn't grab the doorknob.
It was visible, but it had no substance.
It felt exactly like encountering a non-interactive object in a game.
I'd never experienced anything like this before, so I was genuinely panicked.
"Mom! Dad! Please open the door!"
Pounding on the door and shouting did nothing.
In my desperation I tried to head toward the first-floor veranda, but for some reason I couldn't get there.
Every time I tried to walk forward, I felt like I was looping in place, as if the space itself was gently pushing me away.
'This isn't some half-finished open-world game.'
In the end I let out a deep sigh and slumped against the door.
I crouched down and stared blankly past the fog.
An alien silence.
A strangely peaceful dawn.
I had definitely said goodnight to my parents and fallen asleep in my bed, so...
'The only thing that stands out is that pocket watch.'
Could it have sent me to another world?
That would be bad. A foggy village was practically a staple cliché in horror games.
I'd regressed so I could flirt with my childhood friend, not to star in some weird horror story—which I would refuse with every fiber of my being.
Just as I was sinking deeper into those thoughts.
"....!"
With impeccable timing, the sound of footsteps came from outside the house.
Tap. Tap.
Faint but unmistakably clear.
They were steadily drawing closer to our house.
A monster? Or someone like me who got dragged in while sleeping?
Whatever it was, I needed to protect myself first.
I grabbed the potted plant we kept by the entrance and braced myself.
Splash. Splash.
"Here it comes...!"
Finally, whatever it was broke through the fog and revealed its shape.
"Deja vu—have you felt it before? Doesn't this feel like a similar situation, Noah?"
"Yuri...?"
Sky-blue hair and eyes that seemed to hold entire galaxies.
And bare feet.
The foggy personality—Yuri—had appeared before me.
#
The girl standing in front of me was definitely the foggy personality I'd seen before.
But given the circumstances, I still couldn't lower the potted plant in my hands as I asked her.
"Yuri, is it really you? Not a monster in disguise or anything?"
"Fufu, that would be romantic in its own way, but sadly no. I'm the childhood friend who went on an early-morning adventure (walk) with you and even obtained loot (shaved ice)."
Even in this bizarre situation she remained perfectly composed.
It made me wonder if I was the only one taking things too seriously.
Still, knowing it was the Yuri I was familiar with was a relief.
"Noah, is it okay if I ask a question this time? Put the pot down. It's honestly a little scary."
"Oh, ah... sorry. I was pretty freaked out myself..."
When I set the pot down, she approached with her hands clasped behind her back.
Step. Step.
Her bare feet carefully tread upon the carpet of fog.
Before I knew it she was right in front of me, looking up as she whispered.
"So, Noah. How did you get into my dream?"
"What?"
"This is a world that belongs only to me. Even the other personalities can't enter it—so why are you here?"
