The last day he had been forcibly transported to the Hwan Continent.
Soo-hyeok still remembered the words he had coldly spat at Yang Seung-bon as he left the house.
"If only you weren't around, we all could've been happy."
That's right.
To say it again—Soo-hyeok was a bad son.
That's why Yang Seung-bon was still walking on eggshells around him, even now.
Worried that his son might lash out.
He was cautiously gauging the situation, trying to quietly back off.
Soo-hyeok's heart ached.
"Bastard."
A curse escaped—aimed at himself.
Yang Seung-bon had tried. Though he hadn't succeeded, he was a father who had done his best to keep the family together while raising a son and a daughter. Yet Soo-hyeok had blamed and cursed him, seeing only the "poverty" they lived in.
"I'm such a bastard."
The emotions that surged when he saw his father turned inward—anger at himself.
And it gave rise to an overwhelming sense of guilt.
He couldn't hold back the tears.
He wanted to be as composed and cool as his younger sister Soo-ah, but the tears fell uncontrollably.
"A-Are you in pain? My son, does it hurt a lot?"
Yang Seung-bon asked in a flustered voice.
Soo-hyeok quickly shook his head.
Looking into those warm, concerned eyes, he tried to speak.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Dad."
But no sound came out.
It was as if the words stuck deep in his chest had been forcefully sealed shut.
He wanted to beat his chest just to let it out, but his father's tightly held hands stopped him.
As Soo-hyeok stared into his son's eyes, tears welled up in Yang Seung-bon's as well.
"It's okay. It's okay. This dad is really okay."
Then he began to comfort Soo-hyeok instead.
Letting go of his gently stroking hands, he carefully opened his arms and embraced the weeping Soo-hyeok.
It was a small but reassuring fatherly hug.
Why hadn't he realized it before?
That his father was human too—that he struggled too. Why hadn't he understood?
"I'm so sorry."
The words stuck in his chest came out through his tears instead.
"You've been through so much, haven't you? My good son. It's all right. Dad's okay."
The firm hand patting his back and the gentle voice brought comfort to Soo-hyeok's heart.
He cried for a long time.
And just as much as Soo-hyeok cried, Seung-bon cried too.
Soo-ah, who returned late to the hospital room, quietly shed another tear unnoticed.
Their mother, Han Jung-hee, who had waited patiently through that ocean of tears, finally approached Soo-hyeok.
Her eyes too were full of warmth.
Her expression showed deep relief.
"Are you hurt anywhere?"
"No."
"Your father's a bit much, isn't he?"
He shook his head silently.
"He was very worried. You know that, right?"
This time, he nodded.
Han Jung-hee carefully embraced Soo-hyeok.
Small shoulders, a soft scent, a gentle embrace.
Mother and father were alike, yet different.
Both had surprisingly strong hearts.
And they deeply respected each other.
They cherished their children and stood as pillars for one another.
Unlike Yang Seung-bon, Han Jung-hee showed her strength outwardly. Perhaps because she had supported the family while cheering on her husband's dreams?
Or maybe that's just how she looked through a mother's lens. After all, in Soo-hyeok's memory, she had never once appeared weak.
Looking back, they truly were a good family.
Though poor, you couldn't say he was born without fortune.
True to her strong nature, even in this emotional moment, Han Jung-hee didn't shed tears.
Instead of tears of joy and relief, she offered a bright smile.
A smile that, to anyone, would look like pure happiness.
With that radiant smile, she spoke to Soo-hyeok.
"Thank you, my son. For waking up healthy like this. I'm sure your dad feels the same, but for me, that alone is enough. I'm so, so happy and grateful. Okay, dear?"
"Y-Yeah…"
A natural childishness slipped out.
Though he was over forty, counting the time he'd spent in the Hwan Continent, he felt a bit ridiculous—but it didn't matter.
It was his mother's embrace.
Even holding back another wave of tears was already difficult.
And like his mother, he showed the brightest smile he could manage.
"My son has such a nice smile."
Han Jung-hee praised him.
"His smile looks just like yours," said Yang Seung-bon, who had been watching the reunion.
Han Jung-hee waved her hand.
"Oh, please. Our son's much more handsome."
"Of course he is. And you're the prettiest of all. Soo-ah still has a long way to go to catch up to you."
"Oh ho ho, such exaggeration. Still… it doesn't feel bad to hear it."
"That's no exaggeration. Have I ever lied to you?"
"Stop, stop. Soo-hyeok just woke up."
"So what? We're family. It's not like we're strangers."
Watching the familiar, dearly missed banter between his parents, Soo-hyeok nodded.
We're family, after all.
Those words filled him with such warmth that his smile grew even bigger.
"Please, go on. Soo-ah might get a little jealous, though."
At Soo-hyeok's words, Yang Seung-bon quickly glanced at Soo-ah with a sheepish look—but it was too late.
"You understand, right, sweetie? You know your dad's always been a sunflower for your mom."
Soo-ah didn't reply.
She only gave a subtle smile.
"Hey, don't tease your dad," Yang Seung-bon blurted out in mock sternness, flustered.
Still, Soo-ah said nothing.
With sweat forming on his forehead, Yang Seung-bon glanced nervously at both Han Jung-hee and Soo-ah and cautiously said:
"Then… how about you're both the most beautiful?"
"That's the worst answer," Soo-ah replied, deadpan.
Han Jeong-hee burst out laughing and teased Yang Seung-bon.
"Women's hearts are just so hard to understand."
"Oh my, I think you're even more sensitive than I am. It's just hard for you to think that way, that's all."
"Dad's just being a bit silly sometimes."
Faced with the combined attack from the two women, Yang Seung-bon looked stunned and his shoulders slumped.
"I'm on Dad's side. Honestly, no matter who he agrees with, you'd both pretend to be upset anyway."
Soo-hyeok jumped in to support Yang Seung-bon.
The two women looked at him with wide, shocked eyes.
This was something they could never have imagined before Soo-hyeok lost consciousness—such father-son solidarity had been unheard of.
"Why are you looking at me like that? I mean it."
"Well, I guess…"
Soo-ah looked flustered, and Soo-hyeok smiled warmly again.
"A son siding with his father—of course that's natural."
"Of course it is."
Yang Seung-bon, who had been somewhat deflated, straightened his shoulders proudly.
The mother and daughter exchanged glances and smiled.
"Okay, we lose this time."
"Honestly, I think I was too harsh.
Of course, for Dad, Mom is number one. I'll settle for second place."
For a brief moment, the whole family shared a joyful reconciliation and burst into laughter.
"Puhaha!"
"Ooh!"
"Mom, Dad—this is a hospital room, remember."
Soo-ah gently reminded them.
"Hehe."
The loud laughter gradually faded, and their eyes toward each other were full of trust.
Soo-hyeok could feel it with certainty.
'Yes, I was right to come back.'
For Soo-hyeok, nothing could be more valuable than this.
***
After that tearful and joyful family reunion, several things happened over the following days. First and foremost was his physical recovery. The results of his inner energy cultivation were astounding—even the hospital was shocked. His movement was so natural that he didn't even need separate rehabilitation.
Second, many people came to visit Soo-hyeok.
Unfortunately, they weren't friends or a lover. His few friends hadn't yet heard of his condition, and it wasn't worth worrying about his ex-girlfriend, whom he'd broken up with shortly before being dragged to the Hwan Continent.
Even his extended family didn't visit. They merely called to check in. They claimed they were too busy, but it was a flimsy excuse.
At the very least, the relatives who lived in Seoul could have shown their faces. But Soo-hyeok wasn't particularly hurt by their behavior. He was used to it. For some reason, his family had always been somewhat estranged from both paternal and maternal relatives.
Rumor had it that both families had strongly opposed his parents' marriage—almost like a modern-day Romeo and Juliet.
In any case, those who came to see him weren't exactly close.
If anything, they were people he wanted to avoid.
Journalists.
After the incident on the Portal Impact, Soo-hyeok was one of the few survivors, and reporters wanted to interview him. It was a hassle, but he responded to a few of them.
He filled his answers with textbook-sounding responses: He suddenly got dizzy, lost consciousness, and sometimes heard his family's voices while he was out.
Now, he said, he was determined to live well.
He knew better than to reject reporters outright—it would only make them cling harder. His polite and generic answers helped reduce their visits quickly.
***
One week later.
Soo-hyeok was discharged without any issues.
The hospital requested to draw some blood and run a few tests before he left.
Given the unprecedented nature of his case, their curiosity was understandable.
It was a bothersome suggestion, but when they offered to refund half his hospital bill, he agreed immediately.
'Let's be honest, it's not like they'll find anything.'
While staying there, he had learned that modern medical technology couldn't detect energy, or qi, or internal force. It would only bring him inconvenience and turn him into a research subject—but if it could ease his family's financial burden, he saw no reason to refuse.
The hospital bill wasn't small, and getting half of it back would give his family a solid foundation for a while.
***
"This is really amazing. You seem like a completely normal person."
On the way home after the discharge, Soo-ah looked at Soo-hyeok as if he were some kind of rare animal.
It was understandable.
He had been bedridden for five years.
A normal person wouldn't even be able to walk properly.
Even the hospital had resorted to offering a partial refund and asking to study him—proof enough of how extraordinary it was.
"I've always said I'm useless except for being healthy."
Soo-hyeok hummed a tune as he walked, swinging his arms with energy.
Soo-ah quickly caught up, smiling brightly.
After all, seeing her older brother healthy again was the best thing that had happened in a long time.
Yang Seung-bon and Han Jeong-hee couldn't join them for the discharge process.
They had rushed to the hospital the day he woke up, but they couldn't keep doing that. Even with the hospital refund, their financial situation was still tight.
***
"How much debt does our family have?"
Suddenly curious, Soo-hyeok asked Soo-ah.
Looking flustered for a moment, she shook her head as if she didn't know.