Family Reunion
Taean Station. He took a taxi straight to his parents' restaurant. It was a modest little Korean eatery tucked away in Taean Market.
"Welcome... Oh! Hyun-su!"
His mother, in the middle of greeting what she thought was a customer, spotted him and lit up with joy. She rushed over in an instant and pulled him into a tight embrace. For her, it had been a whole month since she'd last seen his face—a month without her beloved son, whom she'd always kept close. It must have been torture.
He hugged her back, choking up with sobs. How many nights had he dreamed of this moment, aching to hold her and cry?
"Sniff... Mom... I missed you so much..."
"Huh? My boy's crying? What's wrong, honey?"
He could see her panic. She never imagined he'd break down like this after just a month apart.
"Being away from you... it made me realize how precious you are."
"You big softie. You've still got a long way to grow."
She patted his back gently. Miraculously, his tears subsided, replaced by a warm, comforting glow in his chest.
"Hyun-su's here?"
His father emerged from the kitchen. Hyun-su went straight to him and hugged him too. He'd never been the affectionate type as a son, so his sudden display caught Dad off guard.
"Heh heh... kid..."
There wasn't a hint of displeasure on his face. Hyun-su sat down at the table for the first time in ages and dug into his mother's cooking.
"Mom... this is so good."
Tears threatened to well up again.
"Ho ho, living away from home has turned you into a real crybaby."
"Yeah, tell me about it. What a softie."
Mom's signature pork stir-fry and kimchi stew—his absolute favorites. She was always a great cook, but these dishes were on another level. Lee Eun-joo's skills were impressive too, but nothing beat the taste of home from his childhood.
After eating, he pitched in around the restaurant, serving tables and helping out wherever he could. By 6 p.m., when it was time for Hyun-ah to get home from school, they closed up early. It was a special occasion in honor of his visit—they were going out to eat.
He wanted to treat his family to something nice.
"Oppa!!"
A little while later, Hyun-ah spotted him, waved wildly, and came running. She looked exactly the same as always. He scooped her up lightly as she threw herself at him.
You little rascal... I'll make sure you're happy forever, sis.
The family piled into Dad's car and headed for Seosan. Living in Taean meant they had to drive a bit for a proper night out. Dad's ride was an old Alpha, already past 100,000 kilometers.
Time to get Dad a new car soon. Something sturdy and safe.
He insisted on driving and claimed the wheel.
"Hyun-su, you know how to drive?"
Mom sounded anxious as she climbed into the back.
"I've driven my friends' cars a ton in Seoul. It's fine."
"Alright then. Let's see how my boy handles it."
He drove smoothly toward Seosan.
"Whoa~ Oppa, your cornering's so smooth~"
"Right? Honey, our son's a natural."
"Heh heh. Of course—he takes after me."
Dad... you died in a car accident...
He couldn't bring himself to say it.
The place he took them was a high-end hanwoo beef restaurant in Seosan. The exterior screamed luxury at first glance.
"Oh my! Hyun-su, this place looks way too expensive."
Mom tried to protest. For a family scraping by on modest restaurant earnings, it was a stretch.
"Don't worry about it. It's on me tonight."
"Ahem..."
Dad didn't say anything, but even he felt the place was over the top.
"Whoa! Oppa, we're really eating here?"
"You bet~ Gonna stuff you till you burst, Hyun-ah."
"Eeee! This is awesome!"
Her pure excitement brought a smile to his face. Inside, the menu prices were staggering.
"We'll start with flower sirloin and ribeye, two servings each, please."
Each serving ran into the 30,000-won range. Pocket change for him now.
"Hyun-su, isn't this a bit much?"
"Mom, I've got plenty of money. Seriously, no worries."
"Even if you do, how much could it be? We've felt so bad not helping with your rent and living expenses..."
She was right. From finding his Seoul apartment to daily costs, he'd gotten zero support from his parents. He'd tutored here and there—thanks to decent grades—and scraped by on that.
"I've been trading stocks lately. Made a killing."
"What? Stocks? Hyun-su, you can't mess with that stuff. It's a one-way ticket to ruin."
Conservative Dad thought stocks were a disaster waiting to happen. He tried to talk him out of it right away.
Just then, the meat arrived, and a server came to grill it tableside. Dad held off until the server finished and left. Hyun-su pulled out his laptop from his bag and set it up.
Once they were alone, he showed them his account screen. The balance: 1 billion won.
"How much is that? Ten... hundred... 1 billion??!!"
Mom gawked at the number.
"H-how?!"
"Turns out I've got a knack for stocks. That's what I made in a month."
The family was stunned.
"See? Dad, Mom, Hyun-ah—no need to hold back. Eat up. I've got skills like this."
Only then did they relax and enjoy the meal. They polished off the initial four servings, added premium cuts, and ended up with a whopping ten.
"Ah~ Oppa, I can't eat another bite. My stomach's gonna explode."
Hyun-ah patted her belly dramatically. Adorably so. He reached into his bag again.
"This whiskey and cognac are for you, Dad."
Top-shelf stuff.
"Gasp! Is this... that famous Ballantine?? And Hennessy???"
Dad, usually so reserved, was floored. High praise indeed.
"This cosmetics set's for you, Mom."
"Eek!"
She clapped her hands over her mouth. She'd been worrying about her skin sagging with age, and the luxury set hit just right.
"And this... a 10-session skincare package."
"Oh... my son!!"
Women and their skin—dead serious. She was deeply touched. Hyun-ah eyed him expectantly now.
"Oppa, what about me?? Where's mine?"
"Huh? Yours? Don't have one."
"Whaaat? Why don't I get anything!!"
She whined loudly.
"Haha. Kidding—got yours right here."
He'd teased her on purpose, missing his little sis. He pulled out a box.
"?? What's this?"
"Same model as the laptop I was using earlier. It'll last you through college—I'll upgrade it then. Good for three years easy."
"Waaah... this is too good. You're the best oppa ever..."
She hugged him tight and burst into tears. Tough family finances meant no laptops or phones for her—ever. Sweet as she was, she'd never begged, but she'd wanted one deep down. Getting something way better than her friends' had her over the moon.
"Can't stop there. Tomorrow, let's go match phones."
"Whoa!! For real? I love you, Oppa~"
She bounced in his arms.
"She's all grown up and still gets this excited?"
Mom smiled at the siblings. They were always closer than most, but tonight felt extra warm.
"Hyun-ah, study hard so we can go to the same uni."
"Yeah! I will—I promise."
After dinner, back home, he shared a drink with Dad alone. Dad wanted to crack open the gifts right away, but he refused.
"Save 'em for your friends, Dad. Brag about your son a bit."
"No... but these are so pricey to share with those guys..."
Still, Dad grinned inwardly at the thought.
"Soju with me is enough."
Mom soon brought snacks.
"Sneaking drinks without me? Count me in tonight."
"Whoa! Mom drinking??"
She rarely touched alcohol, but joined anyway. Hyun-ah couldn't drink but sipped juice and chimed in.
"That's how good it feels, huh~"
Mom beamed proudly. No tutoring for him—he'd gotten into Korea University on his own, handled his own rent and life in Seoul. And now, 1 billion in a month? How could she not be?
Seeing his parents and sister so happy stirred something deep in him. A perfect, blissful drinking session.
Yeah. Don't overthink why I came back to this world. As long as I can be happy with the people I love, that's enough.
Spending joyful time with family made him vow to cherish those around him even more.
Ye-rin. Eun-joo. Soo-min. Family... and everyone I'll meet from here on...
The mood couldn't have been better. All thanks to the cozy warmth of family.