The Long-Awaited Reunion

It hadn't been long after the Cataclysm occurred. An incident took place where 0.1% of the world's population vanished overnight. Those left behind had no way of knowing where they had gone or why. They could only dimly speculate that it was just one of the countless tragedies the Cataclysm had brought.

How much time had passed since then?

"They're... back?"

One day, the people who had disappeared began returning ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠one by one. Just as abruptly as they had vanished without any warning. This time too, they returned suddenly with no forewarning, bearing special techniques and abilities that didn't exist in the modern world. People referred to them as Returnees.

Ten years since the first return. The return of people was still ongoing.

"...So you worked as a butler at the Astrid Marquis household?"

The man who ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠introduced himself as Hans nodded quietly.

"By any chance, did you learn any magic or special skills in that other world?"

"Probably... none. I mostly just did cleaning there."

Not all returnees were former mages or knights. Many had returned from relatively ordinary occupations like chefs or merchants.

"Could you place your hand here?"

Still, hoping for the best, the association staff member held out the magic power meter.

Slide.

'Another miss this time.'

The association employee let out a short sigh.

In the current world, it was no exaggeration to say that the presence of returnees determined a nation's strength. Otherworld grand mages or high priests possessed powers literally on a different dimension from modern awakeners. However, there were almost no such cases among Korean returnees. Most were ordinary people like Hans who had lived normal lives.

"Please wait a moment."

With a face full of disappointment, the employee entered Hans' data into the returnee database.

"Finally...."

The association employee slid several contract documents forward. It was paperwork stating that to prevent returnees from concealing their abilities and moving to other countries, they would be placed under the association's management for a certain period. The clause that stood out first was that they must obtain the association's approval if they wished to naturalize in another country or stay for an extended period.

Of course, it was largely a formality. After all, the country rarely showed much interest in returnees without special abilities like Hans.

"Sign here and here. And on the last page as well, please."

"Ah, yes."

Hans wrote his name with an awkward hand. The Hangul he hadn't used for over ten years felt surprisingly unfamiliar. The employee, looking at the crooked letters, cleared his throat awkwardly.

"...I'll issue you a temporary ID for now. You can visit the association separately after next Wednesday to pick up your official ID."

"Yes, yes. Thank you."

The employee nodded with a dry expression and then accessed the family information for the final confirmation procedure.

And.

"Huh...?"

The employee's hand froze momentarily. His eyes widened as he checked the name on the monitor over and over. The employee looked back and forth between Hans and the monitor with a disbelieving expression and asked.

"Um, by any chance, is your older sister's name Yoo Jinah? Born on March 9, 1980?"

"Yes. That's right. But why do you ask...."

Yoo Jinah. One of Korea's S-class hunters. Hans was the younger brother of that very Yoo Jinah.

Yoo Jinah had received a call from the association just moments ago informing her that a returnee claiming to be her younger brother had appeared.

"I'll head over right away."

Yoo Jinah spun around even before the call had fully ended. She rushed to the Hunter Association with more urgency than ever before.

"Sihyun!"

As she burst through the door, she saw a young man with brown hair.

"Sister...?"

Hearing his real name for the first time in ages, Sihyun turned his head and could only stare with wide eyes. It was understandable. The sister he was meeting after twenty years had a face that resembled their mother more than the one in his memories. His heart ached at the realization.

'I thought I'd be fine with it....'

The face of their mother, whom he believed he'd never see again. And it was his sister who now wore that face.

"Sister...."

His voice broke into a sob, and Yoo Sihyun's shoulders shook slightly.

Yoo Jinah couldn't speak for a moment. The man before her looked nothing like the brother she remembered. He had the foreign, exotic appearance typical of returnees. But those eyes, on the verge of spilling tears, were exactly the same as she remembered.

With trembling hands, Yoo Jinah cupped his cheek. The warmth transmitted to her fingertips was so vivid it almost felt unreal.

"Is it really... you? Is it truly you?"

At those words, Yoo Sihyun could no longer hold back his tears.

"Yes... sister...."

In the next instant, Yoo Jinah pulled him into a tight embrace. Yoo Sihyun wrapped his trembling arms around her back in return. The warmth he felt in her embrace was so comforting it felt almost alien. Only then did it truly sink in. That he had really come back. And that he had reunited with the family he thought he'd never see again.

"Why did you take so long to come back...."

Twenty years. A full twenty years had passed since Yoo Sihyun had disappeared. Every single day had been hellish. Parents whose funeral they couldn't even hold. A younger brother whose fate was unknown. In that turmoil, she who had awakened as a hunter had to throw herself into battle day after day. It was an excessively cruel time for a young woman who had been only twenty-three. Yet time flowed on without mercy.... The ordinary college student in her twenties had become a middle-aged woman with the marks of time etched on her face.

However, Yoo Jinah had never once forgotten her family. She had believed without a shred of doubt that her brother would return one day. Whenever news broke of a returnee being found, she would rush to the association herself. Just in case. Just in case it was Sihyun.

And at last. The woman had recovered her lost family.

Yoo Jinah's voice cracked with raw emotion. The employee watching the scene quietly looked away. An S-class hunter. The strongest awakener in South Korea. It felt strange to see her, who always appeared cool and flawless, break down like this.

"Sister too.... Thank you... for still being alive.... Really, truly thank you......"

The two of them held each other in silence for a long time.

On the way home in my sister's car.

"What? You got married, sis?"

The two of us chatted about this and that, sharing updates on our lives.

"Of course I did. I'm already forty-three, after all."

The most surprising news was my sister's marriage. And not only had she married, but she also had a daughter who was now a first-year high school student.

"Wow..."

It felt incredibly strange to think that the sister who used to nag me constantly now had a high school-aged daughter. This must be what they mean by the passage of time.

"So, about that...."

While talking about her daughter, my sister smiled awkwardly.

"Could you be a little careful with her? She might be a late bloomer when it comes to puberty, but she's been really sensitive lately."

Seeing my sister who had fully stepped into the role of a mother, I let out a small laugh.

"Well, high schoolers are at that sensitive age, after all."

"I really don't know who she takes after to be like that."

"Hey. No matter how bad it is, it can't be worse than when you were young, right sis?"

"Want me to drop you off here so you can walk the rest of the way?"

"I'm sorry...."

It seems her fiery temper hasn't changed one bit from the past to now.

Surprisingly, my sister was still living in the same house our family had lived in before. When I asked why, she said she hadn't moved in case I ever came back.

"Sis.... I'm so touched...."

"I'll talk with Dohee for a bit, so wait here a moment."

Perhaps embarrassed by my praise, my sister flushed and quickly went inside the house.

"Can't even take a compliment properly...."

I waited for her with a faint smile.

'Her daughter's name is Dohee, right?'

My niece, whose face I'd never even seen, was already seventeen....

"Hmm. What would be good..."

It wouldn't be proper to show up for our first meeting empty-handed. I opened the subspace bag I kept hidden and rummaged through it for a suitable gift for her.

"I wonder if kids these days like jewels too?"

I took out two jewels that had been popular among young noble ladies in the other world. I intended to give one to my sister and one to my niece.

Creak.

Right then, my sister opened the door and stepped out.

"Hm? Sis? Why do you look like that?"

My sister was biting her lip, forcing a smile. It was the expression she often made when trying to hold back her anger.

"It's just.... Sigh.... Come inside first."

She looked like she had a lot to say.

"Uh, okay...."

As soon as I sat down on the sofa, my sister explained what had happened. To summarize....

"My daughter is against us living together?"

Upon hearing ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠her mother's announcement that I would be staying with them for the time being, Dohee had apparently opposed it vehemently.

'What? No! Why should I have to live ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠with some uncle I've never even met!'

The reason was that she didn't want to live with a stranger—an uncle who was already over forty, at that.

"Pfft."

I knew it wasn't a situation to laugh in, but this ordinary, everyday scenario was so delightful that I couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?"

"It's just.... Being like this makes me really feel like I've come home."

I asked with a bright smile.

"Anyway, do you two fight this much usually?"

"Occasionally? About three times a week."

"Isn't that more than occasionally?"

"It's actually a lot less than before. At one point, we were fighting almost every day."

"Surprising. I thought the sister I knew would run a strict household, controlling her child completely."

"Just what kind of person do you think I am?"

My sister let out a small sigh.

"You'll understand when you have kids of your own. Really.... Nothing goes the way you want.... They don't listen to a word you say...."

My sister wore an exasperated expression.

"Huh? But I do have a kid."

"What?"

"I have a child. I got married last year, too."