The Pope Who Returned After Having Three Children
Seoyun held her head as it throbbed painfully.
Stress was said to be the root of all illness, wasn’t it?
She hadn’t realized it until now, but the words were undeniably true.
God, I’m losing it.
Her head felt chaotic from absorbing too much information all at once—the first time this had happened since she was a college entrance exam student.
“Haa… First, let me organize everything I’ve heard so far.”
Seoyun tried to sound calm as she carefully studied the eyes of the person sitting opposite her.
“……”
It was impossible to tell whether the lack of reaction was good or bad.
The expression hadn’t changed at all, only the faintest smile appearing here and there.
This had only deepened the distance Seoyun had already felt since the start.
She kept her tone neutral and opened her mouth anyway.
“So the person you’re talking about is our missing brother from seven years ago?”
Seoyun nodded.
A small head tilt replaced the voice in answer.
Ever since, that was all she’d done.
Only short answers or a few words at most.
Extremely taciturn.
Nothing like the brother she remembered.
That personality definitely wasn’t it.
Her brother Park Si-woo, who had vanished suddenly seven years ago, hadn’t been quiet like this.
At least, that was what Seoyun had believed.
Still, she couldn’t be certain.
She hadn’t seen him every day, only when she had spare time.
Okay, so maybe the personality was different.
But it wasn’t just that.
Seoyun’s true confusion stemmed from the appearance, not the personality.
It’s… so different.
Long pink-tinged hair, dazzling eyes, an immaculately white robe that looked far too noble, and a chest noticeably larger—and fuller—than Seoyun’s own.
If it were just “unnie,” maybe.
But no matter how you looked at it, it wasn’t “oppa.”
Every detail was completely different from the Si-woo brother in her memories.
That was why Seoyun wanted to confirm the identity before she could even enjoy the joy of a reunion.
“There’s something I need to confirm first.”
Why did you come looking for me?
She asked the question to verify her own identity.
She also hoped the long silence would finally break.
If they kept talking, she might figure out whether this was really Park Si-woo or not.
“……”
The woman claiming to be her brother sipped her Americano leisurely, as if she had all the time in the world.
Seoyun couldn’t help the sigh of admiration that escaped her.
The mannerisms were so refined and elegant.
Whispers started spreading among the other customers in the café.
They had been murmuring since the moment she walked in, but now the tone had grown even sharper.
It was openly talking about the “pink-tinted woman’s beauty.”
Why did I come to a café?
For Seoyun, who had lived as a normal office worker and never once been the center of attention, this was pure torture.
She stared down at her cup and began slurping the Americano in long, quiet gulps.
Then a beautiful voice drifted to her ear.
A short remark.
“It’s bitter.”
“……?”
Seoyun froze for a second, confused by the meaning.
Then she realized the coffee was bitter and narrowed her eyes.
“Excuse me. Why did you come looking for me?”
“I’ve been drinking only good-smelling tea for a while, so coffee just doesn’t sit right in my mouth.”
“If I had known this, I would have ordered tea instead.”
The first time the woman had spoken at any length, but the entire statement was just deflection.
Was she trying to change the subject so Seoyun wouldn’t realize she wasn’t Park Si-woo?
It was possible.
Is she a scammer?
She’d heard stories of returnee impersonation scams before, but she shook her head.
The tone was too calm for that.
“If you keep ignoring me, I’m leaving.”
Seoyun finally took a firm stance.
The pink-tinted woman finally answered.
“The reason I came to see you is simple.”
“Because you’re my only friend.”
“More precisely, the one I grew up with in the orphanage.”
“……”
At that moment, the doubt lingering in her chest melted away like snow in sunlight.
And another wave of emotions rose to fill the space.
Homesickness, regret, joy, happiness.
Among all the feelings that surged between them, Seoyun picked the one that had risen from the deepest part of her heart.
“You… really are my brother Si-woo?”
A tear slid down her cheek.
The emotion she had felt the day her brother suddenly disappeared, even though he had stayed inside the house for so long.
She had honestly given up on hope by now.
There were people who vanished due to possession or other reasons, but she hadn’t expected much.
She had already found a will on an old used laptop.
“…… Did I miss you that much?”
The pink-haired woman’s beautiful face looked slightly furrowed in the tear-blurred vision.
“I thought you must hate me as well.”
“You really are my brother… Even back then you were always so full of self-doubt.”
“…… Nothing’s changed at all.”
“Don’t dig into my dark past, please.”
Park Si-woo turned his head away, looking embarrassed, and took another sip of the bitter Americano.
Seoyun watched him and finally relaxed.
She asked in a much calmer tone than before.
“But why do you use honorifics with me?”
There were so many things she wanted to ask, but this was the most urgent.
They had lived like real siblings—why this strange politeness?
“I don’t want to either, but I have no choice.”
Park Si-woo let out a small sigh and tapped his fingers on the table as he continued.
“Actually, my speech pattern is being forcibly corrected.”
“I never thought it would even apply to Korean.”
“My speech is being corrected.”
It sounded like she’d gone through an intense experience.
“Is there anything else you’re curious about?”
“Oh, the thing I just said was actually casual speech.”
“Amazing.”
What was the principle behind it?
Seoyun felt curiosity but asked anyway.
“Brother Si-woo, what did you introduce yourself as in the beginning?”
“Clitia Eluke.”
With a gentle smile that warmed the heart of anyone watching, Park Si-woo said.
“Just call me Eluke.”
***
Oh no, it’s bitter.
Reuniting over coffee for the first time in forever was the worst idea.
Whatever the name was—Americano?
The aroma was vague, and the taste was only bitter.
Each sip felt like her tongue was rotting.
She couldn’t even remember whether coffee had existed in the previous world.
From what Seoyun said, seven years had passed here, but she had lived twenty years in the other world.
Because of that, most past events had faded from memory.
Of course, if that were all, she wouldn’t have lost basic common sense to senility.
I went through hell.
She had become a saint, defeated the Demon King with the hero party.
She had thought all the hardship was over.
Then another crisis had struck.
She had thought even that was finished.
Yet more problems kept piling up.
Thanks to it, her perfectly planned retirement life had been completely destroyed.
She had planned to live in the other world forever, but here she was, forced to return.
I’m so angry.
Just thinking about it made her feel worse, but she quickly pushed the thoughts away.
At just the right moment, Seoyun asked her question.
“Eluke? Then should I call you Eluke oppa?”
“Hmm.”
Eluke oppa?
English felt so out of place.
She shook her head.
“Call me Eluke unnie.”
“…… Unnie?”
“Yes. That would be easier for you.”
“……”
Seoyun’s expression suddenly looked strange.
Why?
Was asking to be called “unnie” that difficult?
“Why are you like that?”
“You don’t mean you hate this coffee, do you?”
“No, it’s not that.”
“I just can’t get used to it.”
“Calling you oppa… unnie?”
“Then think like this.”
She lifted the corner of her mouth and gently took Seoyun’s hand on the table.
Seoyun flinched, but she ignored it and continued.
“Park Si-woo died seven years ago.”
“And a new sister named Clitia Eluke was born.”
“It would be easier this way.”
This was advice she was giving Seoyun—and her own resolve.
She didn’t want to go back to the past.
Only after living the new life had she finally found true happiness and burning love.
Clitia Eluke.
The current her was so good and lovable.
She wanted to keep living like this.
“I understand.”
“Unnie… well, um…”
Seoyun hesitated, the words feeling awkward.
Well, she understood.
She hadn’t been used to this life from the beginning either.
“Are there no more questions right now?”
“None for now.”
“Good.”
“Then let’s get up and go.”
“We have to go somewhere?”
“It’s not a specific place, just somewhere with few people around.”
“If possible, your house would be best.”
“Our house?”
Seoyun’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Are you planning to do something dangerous?”
“Of course not.”
She wasn’t lying.
It would be a bit annoying and noisy, but—
“…Okay, let’s go.”
Seoyun finally followed her out of the café and straight toward her own house.
Since the café was in the city center, they naturally walked the streets of Korea for the first time in twenty years.
The feeling was fresh because it had been a long time.
But the novelty faded quickly.
There’s nothing special about it.
The roads were just roads.
No trace of the old hometown’s charm.
It was inevitable.
After all, the old her had lived an isolated life, rarely stepping outside the house.
At least the Korean signs felt a little familiar.
They didn’t move her heart the way they used to, but still.
By the time the disappointment and boredom had worn off, they had reached Seoyun’s apartment.
A ten-minute walk from the café, in the city.
Twenty stories high, conveniently located near a subway station, apparently good for living.
“Let’s go in.”
Seoyun’s apartment was on the fifteenth floor.
Pip pip pip.
The sound of pressing the elevator buttons quickly was surprisingly strange.
That mechanical noise itself felt unfamiliar after so many years.
But the security felt a little loose.
It was probably because she was used to the thorough security system made with magic.
That’s just a job hazard.
She shook her head slightly and stepped into Seoyun’s home.
A fairly spacious living room.
Seoyun tossed her handbag onto the sofa and asked with a tense face.
“Is that all?”
“Yes.”
“Thank you for listening to my sudden unreasonable demands.”
Seoyun was kind, as always.
She was fortunate that the only friend she had in this world was like this.
“Seoyun.”
“To be honest, I’d like to stay with you for a while.”
“Is that okay?”
She asked politely, seeking permission.
In moments like this, the speech correction was convenient.
She could speak however she wanted and it would automatically become polite.
“Live here?”
“I’m fine with that… but…”
Seoyun trailed off and stared at her intently.
“There’s more to it, right?”
“……”
She had already seen through her sinister plans.
Seoyun was sharp.
She tried to brush it off, but it seemed hopeless.
Sorry.
She had to be bold in situations like this.
She decided in an instant and looked away from Seoyun’s gaze before finally speaking.
“First, I’ll introduce myself.”
“…… Introduce?”
“Come out.”
The moment she said “come out,”
Crack.
The air split open, and a man who looked bright and handsome walked out from within.
He held a baby in his arms and had two adorable little girls—one on each side.
“Allow me to introduce.”
She kept her eyes on Seoyun and said.
“This is my husband.”
“……”
Dead silence.
Seoyun, who had been frozen in place, suddenly stepped forward and placed both hands on her shoulders.
“Then the kids with you—”
“My children.”
“The first and second are twins, and the third was born just recently.”
“……”
Again, silence.
After a longer pause than before, Seoyun finally shouted.
“Brother! You had three kids?!”
“…… That’s right.”
“How did that even happen?”
She just laughed instead of giving a long answer.
“Let’s just say… I got really lucky.”
She had somehow become the mother of three kids.
That was the sentence that best described her current self.