Chapter 1

Finally.

It’s been a long time coming.

All preparations have ended, and now it’s the moment that will mark the biggest turning point in my tedious life.

From the moment I grab that doorknob and open the door, until the point where I throw what I’m holding at them and utter my last words, I feel liberated.

Not from this damn house, of course.

With a sense of liberation, elation, and an indescribable sense of expectation, I opened the door.

Click. The door opened. It had been a week since I last stepped foot here.

Of course, there was no special sentiment about it.

My recently dyed pink wavy hair stood out, making my eyes twitch involuntarily.

“Hey, where have you been for a whole week? You finally came back?”

The first one to greet me was my second sister, standing with her arms crossed, looking like she was ready to explode.

She always finds something to complain about. Even though she’s enjoying the freedom of being a proper college student, she starts causing trouble as soon as I turn into an adult.

Here, ‘second’ means there’s also a ‘first.’ In this family, excluding our parents, the eldest sibling immediately started scolding me.

“Unbelievable. Wasn’t teaching your younger brother some studies too much to ask? With inheriting the family business, you think it’s a loss for the whole family?”

The eldest sister, who has taken over the family business, thinks I’m always in the way, especially since she sees me as the least busy in the family.

And then, there’s the younger brother who needs tutoring.

“Damn it, this is all your fault! What are we going to do when the exams are just days away?!”

The reckless younger brother who only cares about dyeing his hair blonde and playing around.

Even though he’s four years younger than me, he talks to me like we’re equals. He doesn’t even bother with respect, which makes things difficult for me.

Even if I tutor him, he complains about how I explain things and runs to mommy or the eldest or second sister to tattle on me.

Despite not having any intention of studying seriously himself.

“I wonder if there was someone else.”

If they knew I was back, another girl would have appeared right away.

But she seems to be out somewhere.

“It wouldn’t matter even if she wasn’t here.”

It wouldn’t make much difference. They’d figure it out among themselves anyway.

I took a thick envelope out of my pocket and threw it.

“Kim Min-hyuk. You can’t ignore us─”

“Mom?”

“You—!”

*Thud*

The envelope, filled with something heavy, made a dull sound as it hit the floor.

“Kim Min-hyuk. What are you doing? Throwing stones after not hearing from you for a week and then coming home to start with throwing things?”

The eldest sister glared at me first.

“If I got hit by those, what would I do? You’re going to tell mom everything, aren’t you?!”

The third sister warned me, saying she nearly got hit.

“This brat…! Is he doing this on purpose because mom told me not to hit you?”

The second sister looked like she wanted to raise her hand. Her expression clearly showed she was furious.

Regardless, I answered vaguely to the three women’s questions and turned around abruptly.

“I’m done with my business. Figure out the rest yourselves.”

“What?! Hey! Kim Min-hyuk!”

“The eldest sister, why is he acting like this? Is he really sick?”

“Haha. We need to get rid of this first. It’s heavy. I’ll take care of it.”

“Sorry. I’ll listen to what you have to say and give you a good scolding.”

The second sister went to clean up the trash inside, while the eldest started chasing after me again.

“Kim Min-hyuk! Where are you going? Come back quickly. Mom will be home soon.”

“Why should I?”

“Do you think it’s okay to leave trash behind and walk out without a word after making us worry so much?”

Trash. Well, I guess it could be considered as such.

Considering how wealthy this family is, this might seem like trash to them.

If I had known, I would have just said what needed to be said from the beginning.

“There’s no need to chase me. I won’t be coming back this time.”

“What?”

“What do you mean?”

“What do you think I mean? I’m leaving.”

*Gasps*

The youngest sibling, who chased after me in slippers, stopped in their tracks upon hearing that.

“Ha. You’re completely crazy. Wherever you’re going, you didn’t even ask for permission and are going out again?”

“I won’t say anything more. It’s a waste to stop the taxi now.”

“A taxi? That’s ridiculous. You’ll come back soon anyway. Without any experience in society, how long can you last without money? Get ready for it when you come back.”

That’s not true. Even as the eldest sister mocked me, I kept walking toward the taxi.

“Shall we go?”

“Yes. Destination─”

Ah. I wish I hadn’t spent so much on the taxi fare. A few hundred more yuan were added already.

As I got into the taxi, I opened the window and left one last message.

“I’ve already paid for raising me. It’s your fault for not checking.”

*vroom*

The taxi started moving, and I could finally turn my head away from them, the eldest sister still snickering.

Yes. Today, I’m leaving this house. After being away for a week, I did this just to say these words.

Even though they are a wealthy family, I still had concerns. There might be some reason to catch me.

Since it’s not tainted money, and I earned it through part-time jobs, they can’t say anything. I’m sure I’ve done more than enough.

‘Family, permission.’

Suddenly, the eldest sister’s words came back to me.

It’s not regret. It’s just that I’m fed up.

‘Did you ever treat me as family?’

Being rejected just because I’m not a biological child. Hearing the word “family” now makes me angry.

What? Permission?

If they thought of me as family, they wouldn’t ask for permission but discuss it.

You are the worst.

From elementary school to middle and high school, textbooks define family as an unbreakable bond. As close as blood, which is thicker than water.

They are the ones who can help you the most when you’re in trouble. The ones who share happiness within the family until the end.

Defining it like that isn’t enough. It takes paragraphs to fully describe it.

Thinking about it now, I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly.

“That’s ridiculous.”

No matter how idealistic the sentences are, they don’t resonate with me.

I still vividly remember the cold, sharp, and piercing gazes I received when I first entered that house.

Ever since those gazes, filled with contempt and disgust, were directed at me, I’ve never felt comfortable.

In a place that should have been the warmest and coziest—my home.

But that ends today. During my school years, I couldn’t do anything. But now that I’ve finished my final exams, I’m not powerless anymore.

By managing my time between studies and secretly working part-time jobs, I saved enough to pay the deposit for a small studio room.

I gained the strength to live in the world.

Yes. This is escape.

I escaped from the house I despised.

“Of course, I’ll have to work harder at part-time jobs to cover rent, tuition, and living expenses, but…”

I am satisfied with just not seeing them. No, nothing could be more satisfying than that.

As I thought about this, the taxi arrived at its destination.

I shook off my thoughts and went to work, just as I always did.

***

Work flew by in a blur. It felt like the day passed quickly, and I lost track of time.

When I snapped back to reality, I heard the boss telling me it was time to finish.

“Min-hyuk, aren’t you working too hard? Ah, you know. How can you not notice your own quitting time?”

I heard a sigh from a middle-aged woman. It was the boss.

“Already?”

“Quickly wrap up and come out. I have to give you something for working so hard.”

I scratched my head sheepishly and went into the staff room. After finishing up the cleanup, I came out.

The manager was cooking in the kitchen, filling the air with the aroma of spicy-sweet dishes.

The last customer handed me a drink. Specifically, a fatigue recovery drink.

“Have it. I delayed your quitting time because of me. Haha.”

“Not really. It’s not your fault…”

“Still, you look so busy. You should take it.”

I tried to refuse, but the manager, who just finished cleaning up the kitchen, insisted, “Just take it!” So I had no choice.

“Thank you.”

The last customer, smiling, left the shop.

The manager also handed me a bag before closing the shop, signaling that the day’s work was over.

“Time really flies.”

This is the first time I’ve felt time pass so quickly just from working. There were days when time seemed to drag on endlessly, but now, even after finishing the cleanup, I could see the sun had set.

“What’s with this time complaint? Aren’t we the same age?”

“Then we’re the same age. Am I younger than you?”

“I checked the birth certificate. My birthday is earlier. So, you’re my older sister, right?”

“Don’t even joke.”

Ji-eun, a fellow part-timer, approached me, frowning. She claimed to be the boss’s cousin. I didn’t know the details.

Anyway, she was a grateful friend who helped me find a part-time job and taught me kindly in many ways.

“Sniff. Our aunt packed this for you because you’re so diligent. Of course, Min-hyuk, you are very responsible.”

“…That’s an average comment.”

“Ugh. Now I feel like I’m working half-heartedly.”

“You can say that. If you count the break times, you’ve probably wasted a couple of hours.”

“Yaa! You need breaks during work too. And it’s relative. You work so tightly that I look like I’m taking it easy!”

Ji-eun complained about how I worked, explaining how she noticed it after I had been working for a short time.

I hadn’t thought about it that way before, but hearing her made me realize it was true. I hardly ever took breaks.

“Ugh… You’re amazing.”

“What?”

“Nothing.”

Ji-eun made a frustrated face and changed the topic.

“Um. By the way, Min-hyuk, have you tried it? I sent you a message on Tock.”

“Actually, I wanted to ask you about that.”

“No, I was curious about how you approach it. I haven’t made much progress myself… Anyway! I was intrigued. You said you needed money.”

“Yeah, that’s true.”

“Hehe.”

If I hadn’t been intrigued, it would have been a lie. Especially since the game promised a prize of fifty million yuan to whoever cleared it first.

With that kind of money, I could move out of the house, pay for university tuition, and delay paying rent for a while.

But there was a reason behind the prize.

“I couldn’t crack it.”

“Wow, you couldn’t either?”

“You couldn’t? How overrated is this game?”

There are games that are notoriously difficult, like fighting games or rhythm games, which require extreme play.

But the game Ji-eun introduced wasn’t like that.

It was a game made with Alman Tool, an old tool, requiring no skill or practice. Even tricks didn’t work.

“It wasn’t just a simple text-based game. I thought the choices were fixed, but even changing the time you wake up and sleep affects the outcome. Each tiny change makes a difference.”

“Wow… Doesn’t that make the range of choices too broad?”

“It does. But it’s not impossible to narrow down the options. The game gives hints along the way.”

“Hmm. You seem so confident. Did you find something?”

“…Yeah, I did.”

“I knew you would. I figured you’d solve it.”

She urged me to answer, asking how far I had gotten.

Recalling the game, a bitter smile crept onto my face.

“Of course.”

It wasn’t meant to be cleared.

“Just give up. It’s just designed to annoy people─cough, cough!”

Occasionally, my coughs were unusually harsh today. They were so intense that I even spat phlegm.

After spitting several times and coughing violently, the coughing subsided. Ji-eun, looking worried, offered me a handkerchief, but I refused.

“Are you sure you’re okay? It’s not too late to go to the emergency room, right?”

“…It’s not that serious. I’m just a bit tired today.”

“Still…”

“I’ll go in and rest. I don’t feel like eating, so take this.”

“Huh? Oh, Min-hyuk!”

Behind me, a weak voice echoed, but I didn’t notice.

Along with my rough coughing, the conversation about the game naturally ended.

Back at my place, I felt a rare calm. Despite washing with cold water instead of hot and lying on a hard mat instead of a soft bed, the silence was incredibly satisfying.

My own little nest. A peaceful space free from disturbance.

Having my own home felt wonderful.

But the silence didn’t last long.

*beep beep*

Curious, I looked at my phone. It was a call from an unknown number. I answered without thinking.

“Hey, you picked up…! Min-hyuk, is that you? Wait, wait, let me talk to your sister. Okay?”

*click*

“What?”

I knew who it was as soon as I heard the voice. It was my second sister.

Even though I blocked her number, my phone was flooded with messages, chats, and missed calls from unknown numbers.

The blocked number remained the same. It hasn’t been unblocked. Seeing a new number suggests that this person keeps borrowing her phone.

These people, whose names I don’t even remember, why are they trying to reach me?

“After all, we’re not even real relatives.”

…That’s why the game is so vividly remembered. When I got a hint and confirmed the protagonist’s background, I felt a strange feeling.

“Tomorrow, I don’t have any plans.”

*thud*

I took the fatigue recovery drink given by the customer. With this, I could work a few more hours.

I ignored the buzzing phone and turned on the computer, starting the game again.

[New Game]

[Continue] <—

[Exit]

A simple menu appeared, and I clicked on Continue.

The episode I left unfinished yesterday appeared. Looking at the choices, I had a vague idea of the correct answer, but unlike before, I felt an overwhelming sense of frustration.

"Why does it have to be this? If it were me, I would just leave it alone."

"...Sigh. If I want to clear it, I have no choice. If I die, what else can I do?"

I chose the option, and it was confirmed as the right answer. I didn't die.

The game seemed to proceed to the next episode, showing a message that I had cleared it.

But at that moment,

The screen started to blur slightly.

"I took the fatigue recovery drink. Why am I so sleepy...?"

Maybe I was just too tired today. Sleep overwhelmed me.

***

*Knock knock.*

Hmm?

Why is there a knocking sound?

It must be from another house. Our house wouldn't have a knock like this. And there’s no one who would come here.

So, I assumed it was from another house and ignored it.

*Knock knock.*

But the knocking continued. This time, it was definitely calling me.

"Damn... What could it be? Not time to pay rent, right..."

Annoyed, I scratched my messy hair and got up.

Only then did I understand why the knocking sounded different.

"What?"

I was shocked. There was a spacious room, not my studio.

Instead of a hard mat, I felt the comfort of a soft bed.

Yet, the background looked entirely different, alien.

"What's this? Am I dreaming?"

I opened and closed my eyes, bewildered, and realized my eyes weren't deceiving me.