Chapter 53: Even the Absolute Being Is a First-Time Dad
Absolute One Is Also New to Fatherhood - Episode 53
The next day.
Having completed all auction schedules and safely returned home, Kang-jun looked at 'Cargon' and spoke in his usual indifferent tone.
"The Elixir."
Cargon, the auction agent who had attended to them throughout the event, carefully handed over a purple case.
"You can have the other winning bids delivered to our place, right?"
"Would there be any issue? Your will shall be done."
Kang-jun nodded in satisfaction before turning to Bong-gu with a casual remark.
"Let's go see your mother now."
At those words, Bong-gu immediately dropped to his knees in a deep bow.
"Hyung-nim, I will never forget this kindness for as long as I live."
Of course, the bidding war with Mayer Rothschild had driven the price far beyond the average market value—several times over, in fact.
But regardless, the final amount Kang-jun had spent to secure the Elixir for him amounted to hundreds of trillions in Korean won.
Had he not crossed paths with Hyung-nim by chance, even a lifetime of desperate effort wouldn't have been enough to obtain the Elixir.
"I will serve you with absolute loyalty, even in death."
Kang-jun made an awkward face at the sentiment and replied gruffly, lowering his voice.
"Enough with the formalities. Let's just go."
"But really—"
"Your mother's been waiting long enough."
Then, after a pause, he added:
"If you're really grateful..."
Kang-jun cut himself short before continuing flatly.
"Pay me back."
Bong-gu nodded vigorously.
"Yes! I'll work myself to the bone to repay you as much as—"
Kang-jun interrupted with a single "No," his tone unusually serious.
"You know I have more money than I could ever spend, right? What good would squeezing pennies out of you do me?"
"Then...?"
"How about this? Instead of money, just drop by from time to time like you do now. Show your face, let me know how you're doing. That'll settle the debt."
With that, Kang-jun lightly patted Bong-gu's shoulder.
"Must've been hell for you."
"......"
"Yeah, must've been."
Kang-jun, too, had briefly imagined what it would be like to watch his own family waste away day by day, unconscious in a hospital bed.
Even the thought alone was exhausting.
Despite being barely in his early twenties, Bong-gu had endured that living hell—and the realization made Kang-jun feel nothing but pride for the kid.
"Turn all that past misery into happiness."
"Yes, Hyung-nim..."
"With interest. Take it all back, ruthlessly."
Something hot and fierce surged violently in Bong-gu's chest.
It felt like the iceberg lodged in his heart had begun to melt.
"Damn brat, crying just makes you uglier."
With those final words, Kang-jun turned and started walking ahead. But Bong-gu could only stare after him, eyes brimming with moisture.
He had always wondered.
For the longest time, he had been curious—what made those who stayed by Hyung-nim's side so fiercely loyal?
Now, he thought he understood.
They, like him, must have been utterly captivated by Kang-jun's overwhelming presence—a dignity no one else could hope to imitate.
Appearances could be deceiving.
No matter how much Hyung-nim tried to act rough or carefree, the depth and wisdom in his occasional words couldn't be hidden.
Hyung-nim...
He was the kind of person who could alter the course of someone's entire life with just a few words.
Hadn't Hyung-nim mentioned that, right before returning to Earth, he had reigned as an emperor in another dimension called Anux?
Though Bong-gu knew next to nothing about how Hyung-nim was recorded in that world's history...
He must have been a wise ruler.
Like most who had spent even a brief moment by Kang-jun's side, Bong-gu silently reaffirmed his vow of eternal loyalty.
Not long after, the two arrived at the Awakener-exclusive hospital where Bong-gu's mother had been admitted.
"Go in."
Kang-jun handed over the case containing the Elixir without ceremony.
He had no intention of intruding on the mother and son's reunion.
He had only come along because the item was priceless—just in case.
Just as Bong-gu nodded and was about to step inside—
"Bong-gu."
Kang-jun spoke cautiously.
"I don't think you know about the Elixir's side effects, so I'll warn you now..."
He trailed off vaguely for a moment.
"Don't be too shocked, alright?"
"Shocked?"
"You might see something you don't want to."
Kang-jun continued in a measured tone.
"Back in Anux, we usually administered the Elixir to those who'd fallen unconscious from severe injuries in war."
"I see."
"And without fail, every single one of them suffered from trauma tied to their last memory upon waking."
Perhaps because most of the Elixir recipients Kang-jun had witnessed were those who had collapsed from unbearable pain?
"I-I don't wanna die!"
"Please, save me!"
"S-Stop it!"
"M-My arm...!"
"I want to live...!"
Most would wake up screaming in terror, their faces twisted with madness as they relived their final moments.
If Bong-gu's mother had also lost consciousness in excruciating pain, he would have to brace himself for a heartbreaking sight.
"For example, she might scream like she's lost her mind or mutter to herself in fear..."
Kang-jun patted Bong-gu's shoulder.
"It'll hurt, but it'll pass."
"I understand..."
"They all recover quickly."
Then he added:
"Think of it like someone waking up from anesthesia—saying things they don't mean because the drugs haven't fully worn off."
"Yes, Hyung-nim..."
"No matter what she says or does, just remember—she must have been in so much pain right before collapsing. Accept it as it is."
Kang-jun finished with a firm "Stay composed," and with Bong-gu's nod...
He opened the door to the room where his mother lay in deep slumber and stepped inside.
Unable to bring himself to leave just yet, Kang-jun leaned against the wall beside the door and closed his eyes.
Bong-gu exhaled deeply as he entered the hospital room.
"Mom."
As always, there was no response.
"It must've been hard."
His rough hands opened the case containing the Elixir.
"Honestly... I had it hard too."
Carefully, he uncorked the crystal vial...
"It's time for us to go home now."
His gaze lingered on his mother's face, gaunt from years of illness.
"Just hold on a little longer."
It felt like they were finally stepping into the time Hyung-nim had spoken of—where past suffering would be repaid with happiness, with interest.
"Just a little..."
Gently, he tipped the Elixir into the gap between her parched lips.
He was happy.
And at the same time...
Afraid.
Because of Hyung-nim's warning—that he might witness the raw pain his mother had felt before losing consciousness.
Mom...
He had heard she collapsed in the middle of Seoul after being poisoned by the massive mana released from a nearby Gate.
For hours, she had lain on the cold concrete in the heart of the city, now a scene of utter chaos...
How scared and cold she must have been...
Bong-gu steeled himself.
No matter what she said...
He wouldn't falter.
Then—
A faint twitch.
The slightest movement from fingers that had lain limp for years.
"Uh..."
His mother's eyes fluttered open, bleary...
"M-Mom...?"
Her cracked, dried lips parted.
"My son..."
Tears welled in Bong-gu's eyes as he nodded repeatedly.
Now, he thought, he would witness the last memory she had before losing consciousness.
But then—
Her lips moved with difficulty...
And words he never expected slipped out.
"D-Did you... eat?"
Of all things—food?
"I... marinated the ribs you kids like... in the fridge..."
"Yeah..."
"D-Don't skip meals... make sure you and Ju-hee..."
Bong-gu bit his lip and nodded.
His mother's last memory hurt too much.
In her final moments before losing consciousness, her last worry had been...
Whether he and his sister had eaten.
"Yeah, we ate..."
Then, with effort, he added:
"They were... really good..."
It was a lie.
"So delicious..."
The marinated ribs she had prepared still sat untouched in the depths of the freezer.
He couldn't bring himself to eat them—not when they were the last thing his mother had made.
Tears like chicken droppings fell as Bong-gu clutched her hand, sobbing quietly.
"Are you the guardian of Ms. Shin Hye-won?"
When his mother first collapsed, Bong-gu had spent days wide-eyed at her bedside.
It felt like someone had placed an unbearable weight on his shoulders—a burden no one should have to carry.
But he had to live.
For his sister.
He had to endure.
So he forced himself to return home—only to be met by the marinated ribs sitting in a plastic container in the fridge.
That day.
The Bong-gu who had seemed so steadfast in facing reality finally broke down—over nothing more than a container of ribs.
Hugging the cold dish to his chest, he wailed until his voice gave out.
The image of his mother carefully seasoning the ribs, her back turned as she worked, kept surfacing—and he couldn't stop crying.
Yeah.
Looking back now, his mother had always been like this.
Someone who worried about her children's meals until the very end.
Someone who treated her own sacrifices as a given.
Just...
Someone who struggled her whole life—all because she had brought him into this world.
Leaning against the wall outside the room, Kang-jun listened to the conversation inside before slowly making his way out of the hospital.
"Food, huh..."
He had administered the Elixir to countless people, but never once had he seen this kind of reaction upon waking.
It was confusing.
And sad.
Yes—sadness.
For the longest time, Kang-jun had dismissed sadness as a weak, fragile emotion.
Perhaps he had even feared it.
Because once sadness took hold, it dragged him down to places unknown.
But Bong-gu was just someone else, wasn't he?
No matter how close, he was still just another person.
So why was he being shaken by another's sorrow?
"I'm getting stranger by the day."
Since returning to Earth, he had realized—he was changing.
He was easily swayed by fragile emotions.
The old him would never have helped in the first place.
Life here was transforming him.
"Is this... alright?"
Lost in thought, he walked until he found himself standing in front of his own home.
Beep, beep, beep—
As he pressed the door lock, lively noises spilled out from inside.
"Dada! Dada!"
Seol's voice.
The moment he opened the door—
"Dadaaa!"
—Seol came into view, plastered against the glass of the entryway door, staring at him.
"My daughter..."
In that instant, the texture and value of every word he knew seemed to shift.
Home. Daughter. Family. Parents.
No.
The entire world had changed.
Kang-jun immediately opened the inner door, stepped into the living room, and scooped Seol into his arms, studying her intently.
"Seol missed Dada lots!"
"I missed you too."
"Five sleeps! You promised!"
"That's right, I did."
Then Lee Soo-bin appeared, wearing an apron.
"Have you eaten?"
At that question, Kang-jun's eyes wavered violently.
Her first words, too, were about his meal.
Just like Bong-gu's mother.
"Not yet."
Soo-bin smiled brightly.
"Perfect timing—I was just making dinner. Wash up and play with Seol for a bit. I'll have it ready soon."
Kang-jun nodded, a smile tugging at his lips.
Only then did he realize—he liked this change in himself.
Not long ago, he had wanted to die. Now, he wanted to live.
His moods shifted like boiling porridge—and now, he wanted to live weakly.
"Seol give Dada present!"
"What is it?"
"Pretty stickers for Dada!"
Laughing and crying with those precious to him.
Sharing joy, sorrow, and everything in between.
He wanted to live immersed in tender emotions.
Ordinary, like everyone else.
And yet...
A little special.
"Here! Seol give Dada stickers!"
"Cat stickers, huh?"
"Seol love Dada, so give!"
Yes—loving.
That's how he wanted to live.
And if—just if—
If this change wasn't meant for this world...
Then he would simply change the world, as he always had.
So it was okay to change.
He thought so now.