Absolute One, First-Time Dad Episode 11

Kim Bong-gu extended an envelope stuffed with cash.

"Here's today's payment for both of you."

Kang-jun immediately pulled out the wad of bills inside and began counting them.

"Hey, did you put in too much?"

At his words, Kim Bong-gu hesitated before adding in an embarrassed tone, "Well... actually I put in a bit more than we agreed. Please just accept it as repayment for saving my life..."

As Kim Bong-gu struggled to explain, Kang-jun gave a short reply.

"Alright, I'll put it to good use."

He lightly patted Kim Bong-gu's shoulder twice before adding:

"Let's meet again if we get the chance."

With those final words, Kang-jun began striding away...

Kim Bong-gu stared at his retreating back before suddenly reaching out urgently.

"W-wait, sir...!"

"Hmm?"

"P-perhaps..."

After a brief silence:

"Could you spare just a little time for me? You saved my life - I'd at least like to treat you to a meal or a drink..."

"Next time. My family's probably waiting for me today."

Kim Bong-gu bit his lower lip hard as he hesitated.

'I can't let this chance slip away!'

Mustering every ounce of courage, he shouted:

"Please! Just one bottle of soju with me? One hour—no, just thirty minutes!"

At this, Kang-jun's brow furrowed deeply.

"Did you just say soju?"

"Huh? Yes..."

"That soju I know?"

"Probably..."

Kang-jun murmured, "Right, of course," before whispering to himself:

"Earth had soju..."

Just a simple two-syllable word.

Soju.

Yet absurdly, upon hearing that short word, his heart pounded as if about to burst.

Memories long submerged in the depths of his mind—'past memories'—began surfacing.

During his reign as Emperor of the Anux continent...

He'd tasted every fine liquor imaginable, yet none could rival soju's supremacy.

He'd summoned master brewers from across the land, ordering them to recreate soju's flavor, but...

'It wasn't enough.'

Though he'd drunk soju nearly every day during his time on Earth, he knew too little about its production process.

After several failed attempts...

Kang-jun resolved to simply forget about soju.

Most things he missed followed this pattern.

No matter how much he longed, it only made him suffer more.

His only family he'd missed so desperately...

Friends whose faces—let alone names—he could no longer remember...

Even the ordinary daily life he'd once taken for granted...

And even...

A mere bottle of soju.

Emerging from his deep reverie, Kang-jun nodded once and replied:

"Alright, let's have that soju."

For the first time, it truly hit him—he was back on Earth.

Not long after...

As they wandered through a nearby bustling district...

"W-what the—?"

Crabsley, who'd been following along, suddenly stopped in his tracks.

"What? What is it?"

Kang-jun turned his head irritably to follow Crabsley's gaze.

"40-Year Grandmother Hangover Soup?"

Crabsley ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was staring at a shabby, worn-out restaurant.

"My liege, I beg forgiveness. The alluring aroma from that establishment compelled me to halt..."

Kang-jun muttered, "Huh?" before asking:

"Is it because of the blood soup?"

Crabsley swallowed the saliva pooling in his mouth and cautiously inquired:

"My liege, I humbly confess my divine knowledge is lacking and crude..."

"It's a dish made with blood as the main ingredient."

Crabsley gasped, "Dear gods..." so shocked he staggered where he stood.

'Cooking... blood?'

As a vampire who'd lived 1,200 years consuming blood...

The idea of cooking blood had never once occurred to him—he'd never even heard of such a thing.

"You want to try it?"

Crabsley nodded carefully.

"Yes, my liege..."

Kang-jun nodded curtly and called ahead to Kim Bong-gu.

"Hey, let's go here."

Spotting the shabby "40-Year Grandmother Hangover Soup" sign, Kim Bong-gu tilted his head slightly.

'More frugal than I expected?'

He immediately replied:

"Then I'll treat you to soup rice!"

Inside the humble soup restaurant sat more patrons than expected, all chatting boisterously...

Clink!

Three small soju glasses met midair with a crisp sound, their contents nearly overflowing.

"Ahh... this is it..."

Kang-jun grimaced at soju's characteristic bitter first taste, then sighed in satisfaction after a spoonful of hot broth.

"Ahh... perfect..."

Kim Bong-gu watched Kang-jun completely absorbed in the combination of soup and soju, then glanced at Crabsley.

"H-hot... s-so hot..."

"Choi Dol-soi" was equally enthralled by the soup.

Like a man possessed, he shoveled steaming blood soup into his mouth with alarming vigor.

Yet strangely...

Both men had suspiciously moist eyes.

'What's going on...?'

Kim Bong-gu silently observed them before asking:

"Should we order more?"

They nodded in perfect unison.

"Grandma—!"

At Kim Bong-gu's call, the grandmother wiping ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a nearby table warmly replied, "Coming," and shuffled over...

"Could we get another bottle of soju and one more soup rice?"

Crabsley looked up at the elderly proprietress and said:

"Listen, grandmother."

As she stared at him...

Crabsley suddenly seized her wrinkled hand tightly!

"What could possibly matter more than health? Please remember to rest between tasks."

"Ya crazy old man, why you grabbing my hand and spouting nonsense..."

"I swear never to take lightly or waste this noble food embodying your sublime sacrifice."

As the grandmother shook free and marched back to the kitchen...

Crabsley discreetly wiped a tear, thinking:

'That woman is a saint incarnate...'

He'd mistakenly assumed the soup's blood came from the grandmother herself.

Not only was the restaurant named "40-Year Grandmother Hangover Soup"...

But elderly human blood and animal blood tasted so similar it was hard to distinguish.

Moreover, mixed with other ingredients and strong seasonings, it became nearly impossible to tell.

Unaware of this, Kim Bong-gu asked curiously:

"Sir, are you... crying?"

"Certainly not..."

"Hey, looks like you are."

"I said no..."

"Did you bite your tongue or something?"

Crabsley's eyebrow twitched.

Suddenly setting down his spoon, he leaned forward and whispered ominously in Kim Bong-gu's ear:

[Translation ends at the cliffhanger as per the original text]

"If you dare reveal that I shed tears, I regret to inform you that I'll have to boil this blood soup with your own blood."

At those words, Kim Bong-gu muttered softly, "N-no, I was just worried—" when Kang-jun, who had been slurping down his pork soup and soju while side-eyeing him, interrupted.

"Bong-sik, why aren't you eating?"

"Sir, I'm sorry, but it's Bong-gu."

"Is that important?"

"...Then just call me Bong-sik."

Kang-jun pressed again. "Why are you just watching instead of eating?"

"I am eating... slowly."

Given that he hadn't even broached the main topic, there was no way food or drink could go down properly. Bong-gu hesitantly picked up the soju bottle.

"Sir, would it be alright if I poured you a drink?"

"Why do you keep calling me 'sir'? What did I even teach you?"

Kang-jun accepted the glass with a blank expression.

"Just call me 'hyung-nim' (big bro)."

"Yes, hyung-nim."

As Kang-jun downed the refilled glass in one go, Bong-gu seized the moment.

"Hyung-nim, could I... make one difficult request?"

"What is it?"

"Please, take me as your disciple."

Kang-jun paused. "Disciple?"

He let out a short, dry laugh before answering flatly.

"No."

Bong-gu nodded as if he'd expected that response.

"Of course, becoming the disciple of someone as incredible as you wouldn't be easy. But I won't give up."

With that, he suddenly downed his entire glass of soju in one gulp and continued.

"Hyung-nim, the truth is... I used to be an F-rank Hunter."

Kang-jun stared at him.

'Ugh, sob stories are the worst...'

Still, he reluctantly indulged him—considering it payment for the meal.

"And?"

Bong-gu's expression darkened as he spoke.

"But I could never give up being a Hunter. My younger sister's tuition, living expenses, my mother's hospital bills... There's no other job that pays like this."

He trailed off before adding,

"To cure my mother's illness... I need an Elixir."

"Elixir?"

"Yes. A panacea that can cure any disease."

Kang-jun tsked.

Back in the Anux Continent, the imperial vault had at least a dozen bottles of that very 'Elixir.'

'If only I could've brought one back, I'd have given it to him without a second thought. What a shame.'

He motioned for Bong-gu to continue.

"Right now, an Elixir is literally worth whatever price you name. There are countless buyers, but no sellers—so they trade for hundreds of billions, even trillions."

Kang-jun, mid-sip of his soup, suddenly choked.

"Cough! Hack—!"

Wincing, he glared.

"Hey, why the hell is it so expensive?"

"Well... because it's a 'panacea.'"

"Tch. Should've brought some with me..."

"Huh? I didn't catch that."

Kang-jun waved it off. "Never mind. So?"

Bong-gu pressed on.

"Anyway, since there's no other way to get it, I had no choice but to keep raiding Gates."

"With that weak body of yours?"

"Yeah. I've nearly died multiple times. There were months I spent bedridden from injuries."

He downed another shot.

"But in the end, I always had to go back. I barely scraped by like that... until somehow, I clawed my way up to C-rank."

"Wow, sounds like some protagonist's backstory."

"Really? Before the Gates appeared, we were all happy. So I'll keep struggling until I die if it means getting that happiness back."

His voice cracked as he wiped his brimming tears.

"Sniff... Hic..."

It was all so familiar.

The sight of his mother's back as she stood in the kitchen at dusk, the bubbling stew filling the house with its savory aroma.

His sister's bright, playful smile, teasing him like wildflowers in spring.

Or his father, grinning after a school fight, asking, "Hey, did you win?" instead of scolding him.

"Hngk... Ugh..."

The flood of memories finally broke him.

When he turned twenty—barely an adult—Gates began appearing worldwide.

His father, once so strong, was brutally killed by a monster that emerged from one.

Not long after, his mother fell ill to an incurable disease that surfaced post-Gate.

His once-cheerful little sister stopped smiling and grew quiet.

It was too much.

But he couldn't collapse.

He endured, believing that if he held on, he could reclaim that lost happiness.

But...

Would he ever?

"Hyung-nim."

Kang-jun studied his tear-streaked face impassively.

"I need to get stronger. As fast as possible. Because... maybe, just maybe..."

Bong-gu's head dropped.

"...I might not have much time left."

His mother had been in a coma for years. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

Machines kept her alive, but her body withered, her complexion sallow.

Watching her was agony.

But worse was the fear that his time was running out too.

Bong-gu bowed deeply, voice thick.

"Hyung-nim, if you take me as your disciple, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I'll do anything you ask. Please... just one chance."

Kang-jun sighed despite himself.

"Hey, Bong-hwan."

"...It's Bong-gu."

A sharp glare made him backtrack.

"J-just call me whatever you like..."

Kang-jun exhaled, lecturing.

"Man up. Why're you crying in front of everyone?"

"Sorry..."

"Wipe those tears, straighten your back, and act like a man, damn it."

Bong-gu hastily adjusted his posture.

"You really think you can do anything I ask?"

"Huh? Y-yes, of course!"

"You don't even know what I'll say."

Bong-gu flinched but repeated,

"I'll do anything."

"It won't be easy."

Kang-jun's tone turned grave.

"Cleaning, laundry, cooking, childcare, walking the dog—you can handle all that?"

Bong-gu blinked.

'Wait, those tasks seem... odd?'

Still, he nodded eagerly.

"Y-yes! I can do it all!"

Kang-jun seemed pleased, nodding.

"Good. Then my noona (older sister) can rest easier."

"Huh?"

"She's been working too hard."

He refilled his glass casually.

"Now, the most important part."

"Yes?"

"Can I borrow your name?"

Bong-gu froze.

"M-my name?"

Kang-jun nodded.

"You know."

"...Know what?"

"Awakener registration."

If he took "Bong-tae" (another misname) as his disciple, he could save all the fees for the registration process.

He'd just book Gates under Bong-gu's name, tag along as a "porter," and clear everything himself.

Plus...

Using Bong-gu's identity meant avoiding the spotlight—no fame, no attention after raiding high-rank Gates.

'If he gets famous instead of me, problem solved.'