The door creaked open a second time that day.
Kim Byeol-ha turned his head and saw her — Kim Eo-ra.
She stood silently in the doorway, thinner than he remembered, hair longer, a blindfold of old cloth tied loosely around her forehead.But the way she stood — straight-backed, stubborn — hadn't changed a bit.
Byeol-ha smiled faintly.
Typical Eo-ra. You could knock her down, but you couldn't keep her down.
She didn't cry.Neither did he.
Instead, she crossed the room in a few steps and wrapped her arms around him tightly.
Byeol-ha patted her back, a little awkward, a little relieved.
"I'm back," he said simply.
She said nothing, just squeezed him harder, like she was afraid he'd vanish if she let go.
After a long moment, she stepped back, wiping her face roughly.
Their neighbor — the scruffy man who had helped Byeol-ha find his way back — awkwardly shuffled his feet.
"I'll head back now," he said, clearing his throat. "You're... you're home now."
Byeol-ha glanced over, finally remembering.
"Thanks, ahjussi," he said, grinning a little.
"Name's Park Jun-ho," the man muttered, embarrassed, before disappearing out the door.
Byeol-ha made a mental note to sneak some supplies to the guy later. Maybe a golden apple or two. Or ten.
Inside, Bit-na was bustling around the tiny kitchen space, pulling out what little food they had left — some instant ramen packs, a few wilted vegetables.
"We'll eat soon!" she called over her shoulder brightly, her voice still thick with lingering tears.
Eo-ra, meanwhile, stayed close to Byeol-ha, as if reassuring herself he was real.
She tilted her head slightly, sensing the changes in him — the difference in his breathing, his energy.
"Where were you, Oppa?" she asked quietly. "How have you been?"
Byeol-ha gave her a crooked, lazy smile.Not the cocky kind he showed strangers — the soft kind he saved only for family.
"Long story," he said.
He looked at her eyes — or rather, the empty way they pointed toward him.
His smile faded slightly.
Without speaking, he lifted his hand and gently placed his palm over her eyes.
"Oppa...?" Eo-ra murmured, confused.
"Just stay still," he said softly.
A gentle current of energy flowed from his palm into her — warm, soothing, like sunlight through fresh spring leaves.
Eo-ra stiffened, a gasp catching in her throat as she felt the warmth seep into her broken nerves, through her eyes, up into her mind.
Byeol-ha worked carefully, methodically, mending what he could without overwhelming her fragile system.
He pulled his hand away after a few minutes, smiling bittersweetly as he saw fresh tears dripping down her cheeks.
Slowly, trembling, Eo-ra opened her eyes.
And blinked.
Light — real light — poured in for the first time in nearly nine years.
The cracked ceiling. The rough floor. The tired but smiling faces of her family.
Everything.
Eo-ra burst into silent tears, covering her face with her hands.
Byeol-ha knelt down, gently tying a strip of soft white cloth over her eyes again.
"You can't look too much yet," he said lightly. "Take it slow. Otherwise, your brain's gonna short-circuit, and then I'll have to fix that too."
Eo-ra nodded furiously, hiccuping as she tried to stop crying.
He ruffled her hair gently.
"You're still my Eo-ra," he said. "Tough as nails."
Bit-na finally arrived, holding a steaming pot of ramen triumphantly.
"Food's ready!" she declared, setting it down on their battered table.
The two little boys, Kim Hee-chan and Kim Hwa-jin, perked up instantly, scampering over like puppies.
Byeol-ha smiled and sat down cross-legged, stretching lazily.
"Guess it's story time, huh?" he said, twirling a cheap spoon between his fingers.
He kept it simple, because honestly, even he barely believed half of it.
"I didn't die," he said between slurps of ramen."I got sucked into another world. You know, regular Tuesday stuff."
Bit-na and Eo-ra stared at him wide-eyed.
Byeol-ha continued, voice light:
"Two gods thought I was their son — don't ask — and made me their heir. Which meant lots of weird training, fighting in god wars, nearly dying, making enemies, making... uh, 'strategic exits' from kingdoms."
He shrugged.
"Spent about a thousand years surviving. No big deal."
Hee-chan's spoon dropped into his bowl with a clatter.
Hwa-jin gawked at him like he'd just said he'd fought dinosaurs.
Byeol-ha leaned back against the wall, grinning.
"And then one day, I found a way back home," he said simply. "Because no matter how many worlds there are... there's only one place I actually wanted to return to."
Bit-na opened her mouth, trembling slightly.
"So... Oppa's a Returnee?" she said in awe.
Eo-ra immediately smacked her arm lightly.
"Bit-na! Don't say it like that!"
Byeol-ha waved a hand lazily.
"It's fine," he said. "Technically, yeah. I 'returned.' But I'm not interested in playing hero."
He scooped up another spoonful of noodles, chewing thoughtfully.
"I didn't come back to become the world's savior," he said, smiling slightly."I came back because I wanted my family. That's it."
Bit-na lowered her head, tears brimming again.
"I don't want Oppa to do anything," she whispered. "I just want you to stay safe."
Byeol-ha snorted, half-laughing, half-sighing.
"Good," he said, flashing a real smile."Because honestly, I'm too lazy to save the world anyway."
He reached into the air casually and plucked twenty glowing apples from thin air, stacking them like golden treasures on the table.
"Here," he said. "Cut these up. Feed the kids. Feed yourselves."
Bit-na stared at the mountain of apples like he'd just handed her a chest of gold.
Meanwhile, the two little boys cheered, grabbing the fruits with shining eyes.
Byeol-ha sat back, slurping ramen peacefully, content for the first time in centuries.
For now...this broken, tired little home was the entire universe he needed.
And he wasn't going anywhere.