Welcome to Seona's Restaurant!
"Dad!"
"Yes, my Seia."
It was impossible to tell whether her legs were short because she was small or if they had simply always been that way.
Seia came running, her short legs of uncertain length working busily as she toddled along, and threw herself straight into Jungwoo's arms.
A small villa building.
In a tiny room on its basement level, Seia and Jungwoo lived with nothing but each other in the world, yet they were happy.
His wife.
After losing her mother at a young age, Jungwoo had raised Seia alone in this small semi-basement apartment for the past four years.
Even after Seia was born, Jungwoo had never managed to leave this place.
But today was finally the day they would step out of this small, dark semi-basement for good.
"Hehe."
Seia looked more excited today than she ever had before.
Was it because they were leaving the semi-basement?
No.
Simply the fact that they were heading to a new place was enough to make today feel joyful for her.
"Seia, don't run around too much."
"Okay!"
She answered bravely, but her excited footsteps, which seemed to hesitate for a second, soon began to speed up again.
"Haha, all right. Just don't fall."
In this world there were Gates and magic beasts, along with the superhumans known as Hunters who fought them.
Abilities often awakened in adulthood, but even then it wasn't something a person could notice right away.
Measuring exactly what kind of ability one possessed and how powerful it was required a great deal of money.
People would save up after awakening and feeling a new strength inside them, then pay to have their abilities officially measured.
That was how Hunters were born, and they sustained themselves by subjugating the magic beasts inside the Gates.
Jungwoo had held a small hope of his own.
He had prayed for strong abilities.
He hadn't asked for much—just to live happily with his wife and the child who would one day appear.
Well, if a god truly existed, his wife would never have left in the first place.
Of course the prayer went unanswered, and Jungwoo went overnight from an ordinary man to a powerless one.
He wasn't disappointed.
It would be a lie to say he felt no regret.
There was an entire world for ordinary people—for the powerless.
Jungwoo was simply someone living in that world, and his daughter Seia would live there too.
She wasn't an adult yet, so they couldn't know for certain.
From then on, Jungwoo's dream had been simple.
To live happily with his daughter.
That was all.
And today was the day they took one more step toward that happiness.
"Seia, did you pack everything?"
"Yes! I packed it all!"
It was clearly a small bag, yet once Seia put it on, it covered her entire body.
Rabbit ears poked cheerfully from the top.
How only the ears managed to stick out was a mystery, but the long ones drooped down and flopped over both her shoulders like wings.
She looked like a little baby angel.
Jungwoo couldn't suppress his smile. He reached out to tuck the ears back inside the bag but stopped himself.
"Now… goodbye to this place, too."
This was where he had come after losing his wife.
He had expected only painful memories, but his daughter had shone far too brightly for that.
Now that they were leaving, why did even the hard memories feel like treasures?
"…Let's go, my daughter."
"Yes!"
The luggage had already been moved ahead.
To their new nest.
To a cozy sanctuary where they would build fresh happiness.
When they stepped outside, the building owner was waiting with his car.
"Hehe. You're really leaving."
"Haha. Yes. Thank you for everything."
"No need to thank me. Raising a child alone is hard enough. Live happily—show the world what you can do."
"…Yes. I will."
Luck and misfortune.
Jungwoo believed the total amount of both was fixed.
Since misfortune had come first for so long, luck would now arrive to balance the scales.
"Hop in."
"Thank you."
"Thank you, Grandpa!"
"Hehe. Yes, yes. Grandpa's going to be so sad now that Seia's leaving. What will I do?"
Tears instantly welled up in Seia's eyes.
"Oh dear, no, no. Grandpa isn't sad. Well, not exactly sad—it's just a shame I won't see you as often. That's it."
The startled owner waved his hands, and the tears in Seia's eyes quickly disappeared.
"Goodness. Grandpa nearly made Seia cry."
"Grandpa."
"Yes?"
"Seia will come visit."
"Hahaha. Yes, yes. Thank you."
The building owner's eyes brimmed with warmth and quiet pride.
Most children would say "come visit us," but Seia had declared she would come see him.
Her kind heart was so pure, and she seemed to preserve an innocence perfectly suited to her age better than anyone. It was truly admirable.
"Seia's father."
"Ah, yes."
"You're doing well."
"Haha… Yes. Thank you."
What had Jungwoo really done?
It was simply that Seia was angelic.
"All right, Grandpa's honking the horn—we're off!"
"Woohoo!"
Jungwoo chuckled at the owner's playful tone. Feeling Seia bouncing excitedly on his lap, they set off toward their new home.
For the thirty minutes they drove, the scenery outside the window was breathtaking.
Even Seia, who had been so thrilled, soon couldn't look away from the passing view.
He felt it every time.
Happiness wasn't far away.
It could appear in the most unexpected places, depending on how you chose to see things.
After savoring those thirty minutes of joy, they arrived at their new sanctuary.
It was a small two-story building. Aged by time, yes, but well maintained and pleasant to look at.
Maybe he felt that way because he had already decided it was home, but what did it matter?
As long as Jungwoo and Seia were happy, nothing else mattered.
"Daddy."
"Yes, my daughter."
"It's so big!"
"Haha. Right? This is where Dad and Seia will live happily from now on."
In the middle of the first floor hung a small but warmly written sign.
It was the name of his wife, who had set off on a long journey.
Once, seeing those words would tighten his chest with grief. Now they filled him only with tender longing.
When Jungwoo finally turned from the sign to look at Seia, she was staring at it with equal intensity.
"…Shall we go up to the second floor first?"
"Yes!"
Seia stretched both arms toward him, clearly asking to be carried.
He knew he shouldn't hold her so often, yet Jungwoo lifted her into his arms anyway and headed upstairs.
"Wooow…"
As Seia's delighted gasp proved, the place was old but far more spacious and comfortable than their old semi-basement.
Above all, he loved the sunlight pouring through the windows.
That was his favorite part.
"We were lucky. The previous owners left everything behind."
The sofa, the television, the washing machine—every necessity had been left for them.
After looking around the living space, the most important area remained: the first floor below.
The place where they would likely spend the most time.
The one window that would connect them to the world without judgment.
"Seia."
"Yes?"
"Want to explore the first floor with Dad?"
"Yes!"
Once again she thrust her arms up, asking to be carried.
He told himself he shouldn't, but since the path involved stairs he convinced himself there was no choice and carried her down.
The interior was dark with the lights off.
He flipped the switch beside the door, and bright light flooded the space.
A small kitchen sat in one corner.
There weren't many tables, but there were enough to welcome guests.
And most important of all, right beside the counter was a special seat prepared just for Seia.
Gentle stairs had been built to match her height, so she would have to climb them like a little adventurer. Just imagining it brought a smile to his face.
It was perfect.
Everything he had pictured dozens of times in his mind had come to life exactly as he dreamed.
"Let's turn on the sign lights too… Seia, want to look at the sign?"
"Yes!"
Holding her hand, they stepped outside and gazed at the sign.
It was nothing fancy—just black letters on a white background.
Some might call it plain, but the familiar writing felt warm and welcoming.
"…It's nice, isn't it?"
"The best!"
Back inside, Jungwoo checked the refrigerator first.
The ingredients he had ordered were neatly stocked inside.
He held no expectations that business would thrive.
This place had never been about making money.
"Daddy. Is this Seia's seat?"
"Hm? Oh, yes. Want to try sitting in it?"
The chair required climbing four steps before she could reach it.
Seia stared at the seat that towered above her with a serious expression, then placed her hands on the steps and began to climb, one careful step at a time.
Without rushing, step by step.
When she finally reached the top and plopped down, she looked at Jungwoo with shining eyes that clearly demanded praise.
"Our Seia climbed all by herself?"
"Did Seia do good?"
"Yes. Our daughter did wonderfully. Then, as a reward… should Dad make something delicious?"
"Yes!"
Seia loved Jungwoo's cooking.
He occasionally ordered delivery, but she always preferred his food.
Today's menu was her favorite: stir-fried spicy pork.
He cut the pork shoulder into easy-to-eat pieces.
Once the pan was nicely heated, he added the meat.
Gochujang, soy sauce, chili flakes, minced garlic, oyster sauce.
Though he cooked by feel, the seasoning always came together in the same perfect amounts.
As the meat cooked he added a touch of sugar to bring out the sweetness, then tossed in the prepared vegetables and marinade.
The stir-fried pork was ready in moments.
"Daddy's piggy stir-fry is the most delicious."
Seia always called it "piggy stir-fry."
Her pronunciation still wasn't perfect, but it was adorable.
"Hehe, here comes the delicious stir-fried pork—"
While he plated it beautifully, Seia had already scampered down the stairs and taken her seat at the table.
She was so excited that her little feet, which didn't reach the floor, swung back and forth in a happy rhythm.
"I will eat well!"
"Dad will eat well too—"
The first meal in their new home, their new sanctuary, was more perfect than he had imagined.
Seia seemed to feel the same. She blew on a piece of meat, popped it into her mouth, closed her eyes, and savored it with quiet delight.
What could possibly be better than watching your daughter eat with such obvious pleasure?
He reached out to wipe the sauce from her cheek when—
Ting-a-ling.
The sound of the door opening.
Both Seia, who had been savoring with her eyes closed, and Jungwoo, who had been about to wipe her cheek, turned at the same time.
The man who met their gazes looked around with a puzzled expression and spoke carefully.
"Um… Are you not open for business yet?"
It was a customer.
He hadn't planned to open on the very first day, but Jungwoo knew happiness often arrived in small, unexpected moments.
He rose to greet the guest, but someone else was faster.
"Welcome to Seona's Restaurant!"