Choi Sungkyun entered the store.

Unlike last time, he was with his colleagues.

They must be his team members.

“Is today a company dinner?”

Choi Sungkyun glanced at his team members and nodded.

“Yes. And… I’m sorry about last time. I must have been a real nuisance, huh?”

“No. You just slept peacefully.”

“Still, you must have had a hard time escorting me home.”

Seo-jun smiled.

In truth, it was Park Yeon who had a hard time.

It was Park Yeon who took him home.

“It’s fine. And congratulations.”

“Congratulations?”

“I saw you on TV.”

When Seo-jun said this with a smile, Choi Sungkyun scratched his head sheepishly.

“So, you saw it.”

Choi Sungkyun had become one of the few S-rank Awakeners in South Korea.

The media covered him extensively, with headlines calling him a ‘Late-Blooming Awakener.’

Thanks to that, he became a symbol of hope for lower-ranked Awakeners.

“That’s why the team leader is treating us today.”

The person next to Choi Sungkyun added. It was Im Cheonsu.

“I see.”

Seo-jun glanced at Im Cheonsu’s arm.

It looked fine. That was a relief.

“Boss.”

“Yes?”

“Would it be possible to get some gimbap?”

“gimbap?”

“The gimbap I had last time was really delicious. I kept thinking about it, so I asked my wife to make it, but it just didn’t taste the same. Ah, of course, if you don’t have the ingredients, it’s fine.”

“No problem. I can buy the ingredients.”

“If you don’t already have them, I’d feel bad asking you to go out of your way…”

“gimbap tastes good anytime. I can always eat it again tomorrow.”

“Then I’ll go buy the ingredients. Just tell me what I need…”

“No need. Just sit back and relax.”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course. You’re a customer.”

As Sungkyun awkwardly headed to a table with his team members, Seo-jun called for Park Yeon.

Even after several calls, he didn’t come out of his room. In the end, Seo-jun opened the door.

Park Yeon was sitting there, looking dazed.

“Hey.”

“……”

“Park Yeon!”

“Huh? Oh… is it time for the drama?”

“No. I was wondering if you could run an errand.”

“An errand?”

“Remember that customer from before?”

“I’ve had plenty of customers.”

“The one you made a request for.”

“Ah, I remember now.”

“He wants gimbap, but I can’t leave my post.”

“So, you want me to run the errand? Me, a hero?”

When Seo-jun nodded, Park Yeon unexpectedly got up without a fuss.

“I’m not going because of your errand. I just happened to want some fresh air.”

After saying that, he held out his hand. Seo-jun placed a card in his palm.

“No need to buy cola.”

Flinch!

“I am a hero. Unlike you, I don’t deceive others.”

“Good to hear.”

As Park Yeon left for the errand, Seo-jun began seasoning the rice. Just as he finished, Park Yeon returned.

He handed over the shopping bag with a sullen expression. There was no cola inside.

But there was something else missing too.

“Where’s the receipt?”

“Receipt? They didn’t give me one.”

“That can’t be.”

“Really, they didn’t. The store employee must have forgotten. Well, they did seem a bit busy.”

The store was busy at this hour?

That didn’t make sense, but Seo-jun let it slide.

He quickly prepared to make the gimbap.

First, he laid out pickled radish, ham, and imitation crab on a plate.

“Demon King.”

“What is it?”

“In movies, couples often eat gimbap on dates. Is that true?”

“Not always, but… yeah, that happens a lot.”

“I see.”

After nodding, Park Yeon didn’t leave the kitchen even though he had no more reason to stay.

He just stood there silently with his arms crossed, watching Seo-jun make gimbap. Since he wasn’t in the way, Seo-jun didn’t bother to chase him out.

After setting out all the fillings, Seo-jun began making egg omelet strips.

“Why start with the eggs?”

His childhood memory surfaced.

-“Why do you cook the eggs first?”

-“I’ll tell you when you’re older, Seo-jun.”

Seo-jun chuckled and said, “I’ll tell you when you’ve fully adapted to Earth.”

“So secretive. It probably isn’t even anything special.”

Next was the carrots.

Chop chop chop!

He finely sliced the carrots and stir-fried them with a pinch of salt.

“Is that enough?”

Again, his past self came to mind.

-“Just a little salt.”

-“Why?”

-“Too much and it’ll be salty.”

“Too much and it’ll be salty.”

“Really? But since carrots are naturally bitter, maybe a bit more salt would help.”

“This amount is just right.”

Next, Seo-jun removed the seeds from the cucumber and blanched the spinach.

Once all the ingredients were ready, he rolled the gimbap.

Since no one specified how many rolls they wanted, he made ten just to be safe.

‘He liked uncut gimbap better.’

Last time, Choi Sungkyun had preferred whole gimbap over sliced ones. Remembering that, Seo-jun served them uncut.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.”

“Not at all. It came out quicker than I expected.”

“Would you like it sliced?”

“This is better. Right, guys?”

Everyone nodded indifferently.

Choi Sungkyun picked up an entire roll and took a big bite. He chewed heartily.

A smile spread across his face.

“Delicious. It tastes exactly like last time.”

“Wow, you’re right! I wondered why you’d order gimbap at a bar, but this is really good.”

“Yeah. You could sell this… Oh, wait, you already do.”

Leaving Choi Sungkyun and his group to their meal, Seo-jun returned to the kitchen.

Park Yeon greeted him with an awkward smile.

“Haha… This is harder than I thought.”

The ingredients from a burst gimbap lay scattered all over the floor.

Im Cheonsu stepped into the elevator, pleasantly tipsy from the drinks.

In his hand was a black plastic bag.

Cheonsu checked the gimbap inside the bag once again and smiled.

The gimbap he had eaten at Have a Drink was incredibly delicious. It felt like a waste to eat it alone.

So, he had asked for it to be packed.

His steps were light. When he arrived home, his wife greeted him.

“Did you drink again? Ugh… You reek of alcohol.”

At his wife's complaint, Cheonsu held out the bag.

“Here, a gift.”

“What kind of person brings home a gift stuffed in a plastic bag like this?”

“Your husband?”

“You should just keep your mouth shut… Oh, it's gimbap?”

“I had it during the team dinner today, and it was really good. So I bought some. Se-yeon loves gimbap, after all.”

“So it’s not for me, but for Se-yeon, huh?”

“Your gift is right here.”

Cheonsu pointed at himself, making his wife frown.

“That’s gross.”

“But where is Se-yeon?”

“Look at the time. She's sleeping, of course.”

Nodding, Cheonsu staggered toward his daughter’s room and opened the door.

“You're going to wake her up.”

“I just want to see her face.”

On tiptoe, Cheonsu carefully entered the room and gazed at his sleeping daughter.

To any parent, their child is always beautiful and precious.

Cheonsu was no different.

As he looked at his daughter, he recalled the terrifying events of the past few days.

When Leo Wolf had lunged at him.

He had thought he was going to die.

At that moment, he feared he would never see his daughter again.

Though he had miraculously survived, relief was not the emotion that came first—worry was.

Because he thought he would never be able to hold his daughter again.

But then… the nerves that had been torn apart regenerated.

The nerves in his arm, which even the doctors had given up on, had come back to life.

Not just the doctors, but even his teammates had all said the same thing.

That it was a miracle. That there was no other way to explain it.

But Cheonsu was certain.

This was no miracle.

That day.

The day he had hovered between life and death.

Cheonsu had faintly heard an unknown presence murmuring to him.

—Someone once said that good people tend to have short lives.

—Seems about right. Most good people don’t live long. Or if they do, they don’t end well, like you.

—That same person also said people watch dramas for this reason. Because even if reality doesn’t change, in dramas, people like you can thrive. It’s their way of wishing for a better outcome.

—I feel the same way. I want people like you to do well.

That was all he remembered.

Of course, it could have been just a hallucination from his near-death state.

Or maybe a side effect of the anesthesia.

But whatever it was, he knew one thing for certain.

This was no miracle.

Thank you… for letting me hold my daughter again.

Seo-jun dug into his ear.

For some reason, it felt itchy.

Is someone talking about me?

He had a hunch.

Park Yeon, who was probably in the bathroom.

It was most likely him.

Shaking his head, Seo-jun focused again on the conversation between the customers.

“So, are you free that day or not?”

“I am, but why the sudden trip to the beach?”

“We haven’t gone on a summer trip together since we all got jobs. This is the perfect time.”

“That’s true.”

“So, Hyung-seok, are you in?”

“Of course, I’m in.”

The customers were making some last-minute vacation plans.

The beach, huh…

Seo-jun tried to recall the beach.

The waves crashing, the seagulls crying, the sandy shore packed with vacationers and parasols.

What did the ocean smell like again?

But the distinct scent of the sea, something only found there, wouldn't come to mind.

It’s been too long.

After a moment of thought, Seo-jun approached Yeon-jun, who was clearing a table.

“Yeon-jun.”

“Yeah?”

“When was the last time you took a break?”

“Why do you ask all of a sudden?”

“Just answer. When was the last time you really took a break?”

“I get Mondays off. So, just a few days ago.”

“No, not that. I mean a vacation.”

“A vacation?”

“Yeah. Like a summer trip to the valley or the beach, or a winter trip to a ski resort. When was the last time you did that?”

“Hmm… six years ago?”

“What? Six years?”

“Yeah.”

Seeing how unfazed Yeon-jun was, Seo-jun could already guess why he hadn’t taken a vacation.

It was probably for financial reasons. Taking several days off must have been unimaginable.

He said he only started closing the restaurant on Mondays two years ago…

Which meant that before that, he had worked every single day.

Seo-jun felt a pang of sympathy. Thinking about how hard Yeon-jun had worked all these years made his heart ache.

“Let’s go on a trip this time.”

“A trip? All of a sudden?”

“If we wait too long, we won’t be able to go even if we want to.”

“What about the restaurant?”

“We’ll close it for a few days.”

Yeon-jun hesitated. The idea of taking several days off felt unfamiliar to him. Ever since the great upheaval, he hadn’t taken a break that lasted longer than a day.

By now, work had become second nature.

Even on his rare days off, he had never truly rested. It was almost like an obsession.

“Wouldn’t it be a problem to close for so many days?”

Yeon-jun asked cautiously.

“Haven’t the restaurant’s earnings gone up several times compared to before?”

“Well, yeah, but…”

“If you’re still unsure, think about Seo-woo.”

“Seo-woo?”

“He’s never been to the beach, right?”

“…Did Seo-woo tell you that?”

“Yeah. He asked me if I’ve ever been to the beach and said he wanted to go with me if he ever got the chance.”

“…”

“I don’t have kids, but I’ve heard they grow up in the blink of an eye. If you don’t make memories now, when will you?”

That was the final push.

Seo-jun was right.

Yeon-jun had never once made any real memories with Seo-woo.

“You’re right. Let’s do it. Let’s take a few days off.”

“Good call.”

“So, how are we going to plan the trip?”

“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of everything.”