Chapter 11
Chapter 11
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: First Family Breakfast
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“Son! Get up and eat breakfast!”
The next morning, Lee Jae-hyun naturally opened his eyes to the voice coming from outside his door.
He stretched as he rose from bed, sitting on the edge and looking around the room.
A familiar yet strangely foreign sight.
Bookshelves packed with civil service exam prep books for police officers and criminal law texts.
It was exactly how Lee Jae-hyun’s room had looked just a few years ago.
“Ah, I’m back.”
He muttered to himself as he got out of bed.
The room’s scenery, the familiar bounce of the mattress he hadn’t felt in ages—everything was just as it had been in the past.
A sensation he hadn’t experienced since his father’s death in his previous life.
Now, finally, it felt like he had truly returned ‘home.’
A faint smile crept onto his lips without him realizing.
“Son, you still asleep?”
“I’m up!”
His mother’s voice called from outside the door again.
A familiar voice, one he hadn’t heard easily since she was hospitalized.
‘No... it was even before that.’
To be precise, it started after his father passed away.
Plunged into grief, his mother gradually spoke less.
And Lee Jae-hyun, blaming himself, rarely came home.
Why else had he been called ‘Mad Dog’?
He’d thrown himself into detective work with blind fury, as if he had no home.
Naturally, he spent few nights at home, and looking back now, it had been incredibly foolish.
‘From now on... I’ll change things, little by little.’
He carefully opened the door and stepped into the living room.
The moment he did, the aroma of soybean paste stew hit his nose, growing stronger as he headed toward the kitchen.
“I made stew. Eat up quick and head to work.”
His mother said as she set the soybean paste stew on the table.
Wearing an apron, smiling warmly as she prepared breakfast—it was exactly the image of his mother from his memories.
He fought back his surging emotions and spoke.
“I can head in a bit late today.”
“Oh? What’s that about?”
“Team Leader said I did good and to come in after lunch, no exceptions.”
Lee Jae-hyun nodded as he explained.
Perhaps it was because he’d found evidence on serial killer Myeong Jin-han even after exceeding his shift.
Team Leader Oh Cheol-jin hadn’t disciplined him; instead, he’d handled the substation chief himself and adjusted the duty roster to give him a break.
Yesterday, he’d brushed it off without much thought.
But thanks to Team Leader Oh Cheol-jin’s firm insistence on resting, he now had time for a leisurely meal with his parents. Gratitude welled up inside him.
His mother smiled lightly at his words.
“What a nice guy. He must’ve known you weren’t feeling well yesterday.”
“......”
Her words brought back yesterday’s events, and Lee Jae-hyun clamped his mouth shut.
Last night, when he got home from work.
Unlike the image of her lying in a hospital bed in his memories, his mother had greeted him with a bright smile.
Seeing her like that, he couldn’t hold back the boiling emotions and hugged her tight, sobbing for a long while.
A full-grown adult who hadn’t shed a tear even in the military.
But regressing through life made the tears flow.
It had been the same when he saw his father, already home after wrapping up witness statements.
His father had ended his taxi shift early, come home first, and waited. The moment Lee Jae-hyun saw him, indescribable emotions exploded.
In his previous life, Lee Jae-hyun had been ferocious enough to earn the ‘Mad Dog’ moniker.
But now, with the relief of finally saving his deceased father, he reacted not like a mad dog, but like a gentle lamb.
Lee Jae-hyun sat at the table with an awkward expression, just as his father emerged from the master bedroom into the living room.
His father took a seat at the table, glanced cautiously at his mother, and winked at Lee Jae-hyun.
Seeing that, Lee Jae-hyun recalled the promise he’d made with his father last night.
‘Don’t worry your mom, so let’s keep this between us.’
His father had been shocked too, but he’d suggested keeping it secret for her sake.
Lee Jae-hyun had agreed.
“Sleep well?”
Having lived ten years as a detective, Lee Jae-hyun was used to such situations, but his father wasn’t.
It was natural to worry about him.
He wanted to ask if he was okay after the shock.
But since they’d agreed to keep last night’s events from his mother, Lee Jae-hyun could only ask that much.
The answer came from an unexpected source.
“Good grief, don’t ask. Yesterday, out of nowhere, he came home early from his shift and went on forever before bed about how much you look like him when he was young. Couldn’t sleep because of it.”
“......”
At his mother’s response, his father just shut his mouth and rubbed his face.
Lee Jae-hyun let out a chuckle and picked up his spoon.
His father hurriedly changed the subject.
“Alright, let’s eat. Thanks for the meal, honey.”
“Thanks for the meal.”
And so breakfast began.
Tasting his mother’s cooking after so long.
Lee Jae-hyun raised his spoon, swallowing unconsciously.
‘First... a bite of the soybean paste stew.’
He scooped some broth over his white rice and took it in. A rich aroma filled his mouth, followed by deep umami.
A bit milder than store-bought, but that’s what made it soothing.
The side dishes were the same.
Mostly lightly seasoned or easy-to-digest foods.
Made with consideration for his taxi-driver father and police officer son, who couldn’t always take bathroom breaks.
Feeling his throat tighten again, Lee Jae-hyun shoved rice down.
Or else the tears would burst out again.
‘There must be a side effect of crying more after regressing.’
How else to explain bursting into tears so easily?
His colleagues, who’d matched breaths with the Mad Dog for years, had never seen him cry. Yet here he was, on the verge multiple times right after returning.
As expected of a demon—Serhen must’ve conveniently skipped mentioning the side effects.
Blaming the absent Serhen, he busily worked his spoon.
Clink clink.
He ate quietly, spoon moving steadily, when his father looked at him and blinked.
“Something good happen?”
“Hm?”
Before Lee Jae-hyun could tilt his head at the sudden question.
He instinctively touched his mouth, feeling his lips unknowingly curved up.
“Just... the food’s delicious.”
“Your mom’s got magic hands.”
“Only her cooking?”
His father laughed as Lee Jae-hyun deflected.
His mother playfully narrowed her eyes.
Watching his family chat warmly filled him with fresh emotion.
He’d make time like this more often from now on.
In his previous life, after his father died, he’d chased criminals like mad, pulling all-nighters like meals, missing his mother’s cooking.
This time, he’d live a bit differently.
And...
‘I’ll change other things too.’
Lee Jae-hyun’s gaze turned to his mother.
In his previous life, she’d ended up in the hospital with cancer.
Later, while he investigated Hyeonmin Group’s second generation, she’d even been used as leverage against him.
This time, he’d prevent that.
Not just Hyeonmin Group—he’d ensure she never needed a hospital bed.
Noticing his prolonged stare, his mother blinked and spoke.
“Why stare like that? More rice?”
She asked, and Lee Jae-hyun smiled, shaking his head.
“Let’s go to the hospital together.”
“Hospital? You hurt?”
His mother scanned him worriedly.
She always called to check on him whenever news reported injured cops.
Worried now that her always-healthy son mentioned a hospital.
Of course, unscathed Lee Jae-hyun shook his head lightly.
“No, for your checkup.”
“Sudden checkup? I’m fine.”
“Still, let’s go.”
She gave him an odd look but soon nodded.
“Fine, whatever. If my son insists, it’d be weird to refuse. We can get a free one this year anyway, so let’s go.”
“I’ll book the earliest slot.”
“Jeez, what’s with you since yesterday?”
She said it, but she didn’t seem displeased.
A small smile played on her lips.
“......What about me?”
“You too, of course, Dad.”
His father, watching from the side, asked in a sulky tone.
Realizing he’d forgotten, Lee Jae-hyun hurriedly added, but it was too late.
“Oh? You jealous?”
“Jealous? Sigh, worked hard to raise him, and now he only cares for his mom... Should’ve had a daughter.”
“You and your nonsense.”
His father kept sighing and grumbling.
He denied it, but anyone could see he was pouting.
The whining stopped only after his mother smacked his back.
Lee Jae-hyun smiled, watching them.
Did his father know?
How Lee Jae-hyun had run around last night to save him?
‘That was pretty loud, though.’
His father’s praise of his mother’s ‘magic hands’ rang true in more ways than one.
Thus, his first family meal since regressing ended in a warm, harmonious atmosphere.
* * *
Lee Jae-hyun arrived at Hanseong Police Substation well past lunch, as the sun hung high.
“Good day!”
Entering with a spirited greeting, Park Dae-hyung welcomed him.
“Yeah, you’re here.”
“Yes, sir, reporting for duty.”
After saluting Park Dae-hyung, Lee Jae-hyun greeted Inspector Kim Seok-hyun at the next desk.
They’d missed each other yesterday due to timing, but Inspector Kim Seok-hyun was one of the team’s pillars.
“Inspector Kim Seok-hyun, good day, sir.”
“Hey, kid. Heard you closed a big one last night?”
Inspector Kim Seok-hyun smiled back at the greeting.
The oldest in the team, he seemed like a kindly neighborhood grandpa.
What was it?
The type you’d see at the local convenience store counter.
A warm man.
He rarely swore, spoke softly, and had always been good to Lee Jae-hyun.
In his previous life, he’d had no time to notice.
Inspector Kim Seok-hyun continued with his trademark gentle smile.
“Our Team Leader Oh seemed in a great mood. Station chief called this morning praising you guys.”
Lee Jae-hyun tilted his head at that.
Team Leader Oh Cheol-jin being pleased was no surprise from last night.
But the station chief calling personally? That was unexpected.
He’d been worried, frankly.
No evidence left, sure... but anyone could see they’d roughed up Myeong Jin-han inside the station.
Team Leader Oh Cheol-jin had been ready to take the blame, so worry was natural.
Far from blame, a personal call from the chief?
“The station chief called?”
“Yeah, even dropped a cash bonus. Dinner’s on tonight—beef.”
“Whoa.”
Lee Jae-hyun couldn’t help exclaiming at ‘beef.’
Maybe nothing to others, but to cops, ‘beef dinner’ carried weight.
No matter the hardship, it was usually pork belly—and even that often required chipping in.
It meant recognition for catching Myeong Jin-han last night.
‘Well, a serial killer.’
Anyway, relief.
Team Leader Oh Cheol-jin wouldn’t face undue blame or discipline.
Lee Jae-hyun sat, thinking it over.
Dinner aside, time to organize next steps.
Unlike yesterday’s frenzy, today his mind was crystal clear, so more to consider.
Spin.
He rolled a pen between his fingers to calm himself.
Time to plan ahead calmly.
He knew some major violent crimes coming up.
At least the ones he’d handled stuck in his memory...
Even others, he recalled the outlines.
‘Write them all down before I forget.’
Gripping the pen, he opened his notebook.
He’d become a detective in about two years from now.
Didn’t know everything before then, but he’d jot down what he could.
‘I’ll stop them all.’
As he listed future incidents one by one.
That was his resolve.