Fortress Construction Begins (1)
“Oppa, gimme some Coins~!”
“Argh, I’ll hand them out all at once later!”
“You have to give them~!”
I coaxed and soothed So-hyun as she whined for Coins, and for now, we all headed home together. It had only been a day, but it felt like ages since I’d last been here. That must mean something huge had gone down in that single day.
The moment we stepped inside, Dad spoke up.
“There’s a lot to talk about, but… you all must be exhausted, so wash up first. Make yourselves at home, just like it’s your own place.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“Yes.”
Dad welcomed Seo-rin and Da-on warmly. I ignored the two of them entirely, just soaking in the joy of being back home. That’s when Mom chimed in.
“Do-hyun, you should show your guests around first.”
“Oh, right… But where are you two gonna sleep…?”
“Anywhere’s fine for me.”
“Same here, as long as I can sleep.”
They were guests, after all—I couldn’t just shove them anywhere. Our house was a two-story detached home with four rooms, but three were already taken, and the last one was being used as a storage shed, not exactly fit for sleeping. I was racking my brain over where to put them when So-hyun stepped up first.
“How about sharing my room? It’s the biggest one!”
I recalled how that room was originally meant to be mine, but So-hyun had thrown a fit and claimed it. Still, what mattered was what the two thought. I looked at them.
“Sounds good to me.”
“Me too.”
“Yeah, a girls’ room would probably be more comfy anyway. Come on, I’ll show you.”
I gave them a tour of the house—where the bathroom was, where they’d be staying from now on. My room and So-hyun’s were upstairs. The four of us headed to the second floor.
“This is my room, and that one’s So-hyun’s.”
“Unnies, come on in!”
At twenty, So-hyun was the youngest. She was all polite and sweet about it, and they seemed to like it. She was like that with everyone, though.
“You two take the bed!”
“Yeah, then… sorry about that…”
“We can’t make our guests sleep on the floor.”
“Right, don’t worry about her—just get comfy. She sleeps like a rock even on dirt floors.”
“Don’t say weird stuff!”
“It’s true!”
A brief squabble broke out, but Da-on stepped in to stop it. That wrapped up the house tour, so the three of us decided to do what we wanted most first: wash up. Our bodies were soaked in sweat, salty and grimy, splattered with monster blood too. This was the first thing I’d wanted to do upon getting home. Luckily, the electricity and water were still running fine.
I showered in the downstairs bathroom while the two of them used the one upstairs together.
“Seo-rin unnie, wanna shower together?”
“Uh, sure…”
They looked different, but somehow like sisters. I finished up quick and came out, chatting with my parents while waiting for them.
“I’m so glad you made it back safe, Do-hyun!”
“You have no idea how worried your mom was…!”
“I’m fine, I told you!”
Mom and Dad sat side by side at the living room table, and I took the seat across from them. We started with checking in on each other, grateful everyone was safe, but suddenly Dad’s eyes sharpened as he crossed his arms firmly. He glanced upstairs, nodded, and turned to me.
“Your dad’s… proud of you! The kid who used to come home crying after girls rejected him, now bringing home two fine young ladies like that!”
“Dad…”
I tried to say that wasn’t it, but one look at Mom’s face and I clamped my mouth shut.
“Honey, did you just say you’re jealous—?!”
“Uh, no… did I say that…?”
We’ll save that talk for later. They do love each other normally… probably? “Hang on, I’ve got something I wanna ask…!” I calmed them down and got to my question.
“Do you know anything about what’s going on right now?”
Dad cleared his throat and continued. “Ahem, news was still on yesterday, but today there’s not a single station broadcasting.”
“The situation’s gotten really serious!”
Nice—they’d cooled off. I was inwardly thrilled as Dad kept going. The last news had reported that most of the nation’s military was wiped out, and even government communications had gone silent. Hard to believe it all happened in just one day, but our country—no, the whole world—was crumbling fast. They’d declared martial law, but no soldiers in sight. Makes sense now… The police and other authorities were probably the same. If the military was decimated, no way the rest held up. I’d seen plenty of cop and firefighter corpses on the streets. Hearing this made even this brief moment of peace feel like a luxury. I hadn’t expected it to move this fast… I needed to push that plan forward, ASAP.
While I was talking with my parents, Seo-rin and Da-on finished showering and changed into clothes So-hyun lent them. So-hyun usually only wore comfy workout gear, so she felt bad about it.
“Sorry… This is all I’ve got to wear…”
“It’s fine—these are perfect for times like this!”
“Yeah, they’re kinda cute!”
Seo-rin might look a bit tough, but she was polite and kind to everyone except me. With them saying it was okay, So-hyun relaxed.
“……”
The air was still a little awkward. We’d only known each other less than a day—just names and ages. Couldn’t be helped. To break the ice, So-hyun went straight for the question burning in her mind.
“Unnies, can I ask you something…?”
“Sure, what is it?”
“What’s the deal between you two… and my oppa?”
“Wh-what…?! *Cough cough*?!”
Seo-rin choked in surprise at the question. So-hyun pressed on.
“Honestly, my brother’s never really chased girls, and he’s never had a girlfriend. Oh, don’t tell him I said he’s great! Anyway, that’s why it’s weird seeing him bring home pretty unnies like you.”
“Heehee, thanks for calling us pretty! As for what we are with Do-hyun oppa… we’re not dating or anything…”
Da-on was a bit flustered at first but answered So-hyun honestly.
“Oh, so you’re not dating…”
“Maybe they just slept together! All three, including Seo-rin unnie!”
“Oh my—?!”
“Y-you… What kind of nonsense is that…?!”
Da-on’s bombshell had both listeners reeling. Da-on just sat there while Seo-rin frantically explained to So-hyun.
“S-So-hyun, it’s not like that! Okay, we did sleep together, but not in the way you’re thinking—absolutely not!”
“You really slept with him? Oppa was always so slow before… he’s gotten fast!”
“N-no—!”
“Seo-rin unnie, you totally slept with your head on his lap.”
“You… saw that…? …Why didn’t you wake me?!”
“You looked comfy.”
“Hey—!”
She tried explaining, but it only made the misunderstanding worse. As Seo-rin and Da-on bickered, So-hyun muttered to herself.
“Oppa… you finally did it… with two beauties like that… You’ve really grown up!”
Right then, the man in question burst in, flinging the door open.
“What’s with all the noise? You’ll attract every monster outside!”
“K-Kang Do-hyun—?!”
“Do-hyun oppa?”
“Oppa, you can’t just barge into a girls’ room like that!”
“Oh, sorry—habit…”
Seo-rin’s already flushed face turned even redder at the sight of me; she froze, speechless. Da-on asked what was up.
“Oppa, what’s going on?”
“Aren’t you hungry? Mom set out some food—come down and eat.”
“Auntie did?”
“Food! Let’s go eat! Mom’s cooking is the best! Hurry!”
I headed down first, with So-hyun dragging the two along.
We usually ate at the dining table as a family, but with six of us, we squeezed around the living room table instead. It was a feast fit to break the table—Mom had gone all out, thinking of our hardships and maybe that it was our last.
“It looks so delicious!”
“Heehee, thank you!”
She said not to hold back, and seeing real home cooking, I couldn’t. If food runs low, we’ll use Coins; later, when we have room, we can try farming or raising livestock. The Coin Shop sells everything for that—even live animals. Anyway!
“Let’s dig in!”
It wasn’t the last, but I devoured it like it was. Nothing beats food like this! Mom’s cooking is so good we rarely eat out.
“There’s more rice if you need it—just say so!”
Seo-rin and Da-on, who’d seemed reserved, polished off two bowls each, so they got the idea. So-hyun’s baseline was three… and she doesn’t even gain weight. Must be all that moving around. But that much?
“Auntie, that was amazing—thank you!”
“Thanks for the meal!”
They loved it, so Mom beamed. Beaming so much she went into overdrive.
“You girls should be our daughters-in-law! You’re too pretty!”
“M-Mom—?!”
“Guh—?”
“I’d love a mother-in-law like you, Auntie!”
“Oh, and so well-mannered too~!”
“J-Jeong Da-on…?”
We calmed Mom’s sudden acceleration, then had dessert while I laid out my plans for everyone. First, before explaining, I shared the details of the Quest I’d received.
“Building a house is a Quest
“I’ve got a Skill for it, so yeah! I was gonna take it slow, but we need to get strong fast!”
My plan wasn’t just building a house. I’d level up my Skill quick, grab more, and this time build a true fortress. Not that crude thing to fend off goblins—a perfect bastion, iron walls to protect everyone precious.
“Dad, you’ll help, right?”
“Of course I will!”
Dad used to work at a big corporate architecture firm; now he runs a small interior company. He’s the one who influenced me most. With him backing me, it felt like I’d gained an army.
“I’ll help as much as I can, with unnie too!”
“Uh…? I-I’ll help too…!”
“Oppa, leave the heavy lifting to me!”
Everyone pitching in was a relief. I’d repay them for it! First step: solid. Next up… designs, blueprints!
Luckily, I already had it all mapped out in my head. This is getting me pumped!