Eunhye’s reaction was far more dramatic than I’d anticipated. I hadn’t meant to shock her to this extent.

Looking bewildered, she stammered, “Wh-what did you say?”

“Huh? I asked if you are willing to marry me.”

“Wait... Are you drunk?”

“No. I’m completely sober.”

By pushing Eunhye away with rudeness born of my own confusion, I had also left Seola to her own devices. I was determined to take responsibility for what had happened. Objectively, she was far too good for someone like me. I couldn’t bring myself to admit it, but if I didn’t speak up now, I had a feeling I would come to regret it.

“Why didn’t you consult me in the first place?” I asked.

“When we broke up... I promised myself I wouldn’t contact you again.”

“Then why now?”

“Because Seola is more important than my own pride.”

Eunhye and I were both twenty-six, yet she possessed a depth of thought that far exceeded my past self. Perhaps, after countless deliberations, she had made the decision to raise Seola on her own after giving birth.

She finally spoke as though the words had been building up inside her. “I came looking for you mainly because of my circumstances. It’s not like I still have feelings for you.”

“All right, Back then, I was immature. I’m not surprised that you don’t have lingering feelings.”

“But suddenly you want to get married? Honestly, it’s quite bewildering.”

“Right, I understand.”

I couldn’t hold back the words bubbling up from deep within me. I had proposed suddenly, and from Eunhye’s perspective, it must have been disconcerting. After all, we had broken up, and she likely didn’t harbor any strong feelings for me. But I was different. I had spent years regretting and feeling Eunhye’s absence deeply.

“I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable.”

“No, it’s okay.”

“Still, Seola is our child, is she not?”

“Yes, she is.”

“And I believe children need fathers.”

I began to use reason to persuade Eunhye, and she nodded in agreement.

Seola was now five years old, an age when she needed her father’s love and attention the most. Knowing the dreadful future that awaited us only intensified my determination.

“That’s a valid point,” she said.

“It’s true that she’s your child, but she’s also mine. I believe it’s the right thing for me to take responsibility.”

“Seojun, for now, I’m thankful that you’ve decided to let us stay. Let’s talk about this more later.”

“All right. let’s do that.”

I conceded. I knew that words alone wouldn’t fully convince her. A happy home had a positive impact on a child, and for Seola to grow up well, improving my relationship with her was the first step. I had to break free from the perception that I was the same immature boyfriend from the past.

Time was ticking away, nearing noon. It was almost time for lunch.

“Eunhye, have you had lunch?”

“Huh? Not yet.”

“What do you think about eating out today?”

“Eating out?” Seola, who had been quietly engrossed in the smartphone, lifted her head.

Our eyes met, and her’s seemed to sparkle. How did I end up with such a beautiful daughter? I silently praised Eunhye’s genetics.

“Seola, are you ready to go?” I asked.

“Yes!”

* * *

“What’s your favorite food, Seola?”

“I like everything!”

“Really? But what’s your favorite?”

“Ice cream!”

When I asked what she wanted to eat, the answer was ice cream. But I couldn’t let her have ice cream for lunch, so I promised to get it for her later and led her to a nearby restaurant.

I don’t even know what Seola likes. As I was lost in my self-deprecating thoughts, I noticed Seola hesitating. She seemed to be pondering whether to take my hand or not, and after some contemplation, she settled for clutching the leg of my trousers.

“Eh...” she mumbled.

“Are you scared?” I asked gently.

“No.”

It was a perfect straight shot to my heart. Seola was so adorable that words couldn’t quite capture it. Holding the fabric almost imperceptibly, she looked up and studied my face. It seemed like she had quite an affable personality, and she wanted to get to know me better. I had no idea she was so welcoming.

“Seola, would you like to hold my hand?”

“Of course!” She eagerly took my hand.

With one hand holding Eunhye’s and the other holding mine, she looked extremely excited. She glanced back and forth between Eunhye and me, giggling.

It was hard to believe she had once tried to bring about the end of the world. Honestly, it didn’t feel real. It seemed like everything that had happened before the return was nothing but a dream.

“We’re here,” I said, approaching a tteokbokki restaurant.

Eunhye blinked at me, her eyes filled with a mix of emotions. “Don’t you hate tteokbokki?”

“I don’t hate it. I just don’t like it that much.”

“Then why are we here?”

“Because you like it,” I replied.

She had a particular fondness for tteokbokki, which I disliked. This had led to minor arguments when we were together, something I later remembered and regretted after her passing. It was just tteokbokki, and I couldn’t remember why I was so adamant about not eating it with her.

Eunhye looked at me with a hint of suspicion. “Are you really Seojun?”

“Without a doubt. Can Seola eat tteokbokki?”

“I can!”

“Oh really?”

“But Mommy always rinses it for me...” she said, walking into the store.

This was no high-end tteokbokki restaurant with expensive prices. It was the kind of place that used to be found near schools ages ago. But as far as I knew, this modest tteokbokki joint would become a famous hotspot in a few years, despite being forced to relocate due to gentrification. We placed our orders, and it didn’t take long for an old lady to serve the tteokbokki.

“Wow, it looks delicious!” Seola exclaimed, squealing.

“Yes, it does.”

“My mouth is watering.”

Seola seemed to share her mother’s fondness for tteokbokki. Eunhye, of course, was trying to maintain her composure, though her mouth was watering as well. Honestly, I wasn’t too excited. As she had said, it wasn’t my favorite dish. But that wasn’t the point. Just having the two of them sitting in front of me made me happy.

“Where are the extra plates?”

After we had set the table and got everything ready, we began to eat. Eunhye and I took a forkful of tteokbokki into our mouths simultaneously. Then it hit me.

“It’s spicy!” I realized that this place was renowned for its spicy flavor. My tongue tingled with fiery spiciness, and my mouth involuntarily opened wide to cool it down.

Eunhye, on the other hand, had a subtle smile on her face. “This place is really delicious!” she said.

“Y-yeah, it is...”

It was in fact, delicious, but the spiciness numbed the sensation.

“Can I have some too?” Seola asked.

“Let’s rinse yours in water.”

“No, I don’t want that. Can I try it like this first?” she asked, pouting.

“It’ll be spicy,” Eunhye warned.

“It’s okay!”

Eunhye quietly wiped the sauce off a piece of tteokbokki on the edge of the plate. Even though it would still be spicier than if she had rinsed it, she managed to get most of the sauce off.

Seola, with a piece of tteokbokki on her fork, opened her small mouth as wide as she could. After taking a bite of the tteokbokki and chewing it like a hamster, her mouth automatically opened wide.

“Ahh, s-spwicy.”

“Seola has inherited your wimpiness for spice,” Eunhye teased.

“What do you mean, wimpiness? Woah, this is so spicy!”

* * *

In the end, Seola decided to rinse the tteokbokki with water and eat it. Meanwhile, I had a conversation with Eunhye about her plans for the future.

“I’m going to join a guild,” she said.

“A guild?”

“Yes. I’ve become an Adapted.”

Twenty-five years ago, or ten years ago from this time, an unprecedented natural disaster occurred—a catastrophe known as “the Collapse.” Rifts appeared worldwide, spewing out various monsters and causing significant loss of life.

The fact that conventional weaponry was ineffective made matters worse. At the time, I truly believed humanity would become extinct. But that did not happen. And it was all thanks to those who had adapted to the mana seeping out from the rifts and developed unique powers. They easily defeated the monsters that even entire armies couldn’t handle, and they called themselves “hunters.”

Like myself, Eunhye was also a hunter, but her talents far surpassed mine. I was a failure, and repeatedly received failing grades on the hunter license exam. Eunhye, on the other hand, with her exceptional talent, became a hunter and quickly joined the front lines as a super rookie. It was an understatement to say that her talent exceeded mine.

Just as we were talking, a hunter interview was airing on TV.

“Hello, This is Sung Soohyun.”

The interview of a handsome man showed on the screen, interspersed with footage of him slaying monsters. Sung Soohyun was a hunter who had gained immense popularity due to his good looks and exceptional skills. His fame exceeded that of most singers and actors in that era. He was a front-line hunter and happened to belong to the same guild as Eunhye before the return.

“Hunters make a lot of money, don’t they?” I asked.

A hunter’s annual income was astronomical. Not because they risked their lives battling monsters, but because monsters were surprisingly lucrative. Cores, which were considered the monsters’ hearts, were the driving force behind a revolution in alternative energy and were traded at a high price. Also, materials from powerful monsters fetched exorbitant amounts as these materials were used to craft hunter gear.

“But isn’t it dangerous?” I asked, expressing my concern.

“That’s why I plan to entrust you with Seola.”

“What?”

This was a new development, something that had not happened in the past as I knew it. I wasn’t sure what had occurred to cause this change.

“I was offered a contract from a guild.”

“Wait a second. Have you signed it?”

“Not yet, but I’m considering it.”

“Have you read it thoroughly?”

“Yes. They offered a higher signing bonus than the average one and said they’d help me obtain a license.”

I was familiar with the guild she was in contact with and I knew the tactics they commonly used. They would pay a portion of the signing bonus upfront to bind the contractor. It might not be a large sum for experienced hunters, but it was a significant amount for those like Eunhye who were still financially struggling. Then they would treat the hunters like they were expendable as they continued to rack up debt.

I remember they would force hunters to buy specific equipment and arrange looters at an exorbitant price, taking a commission in the process.

There were still many loopholes in the hunter-related laws and by exploiting them, many fledgling hunters found themselves trapped in a cycle of debt. I had been in the same situation, and Eunhye had experienced it as well. In the past, she had quickly demonstrated her skills, proving herself and escaping the debt trap. But immediately afterward, she’d been involved in an accident and died.

Eunhye’s death is Seola’s misfortune. Seola had faced five misfortunes, and it was likely that her mother’s death was one of them. But I couldn’t stand by and watch such a future repeat itself. Eunhye was a hunter with considerable talent, but due to the oppression of the guild, she died before she could fully spread her wings.

“Eunhye, you know...” In truth, as someone who had failed the hunter license exam seven times, I was something of an expert by now. Not only that, I knew what would happen in the future. If I used this knowledge wisely, I could undoubtedly provide a better environment for her than a guild. “I’ll help you.”