The Damn Family Is Back Again

1 – 1. Is that Karsein me?

Finally.

The long-awaited moment has arrived.

After all the preparations, it’s time for the biggest turning point in my tiresome life.

From the moment I grab that doorknob and open it. From the moment the main door opens and I hand over what I had in my hands and utter the final word. That’s when I will be liberated.

From none other than this damn corner of a house.

A feeling of liberation. A sense of excitement. Along with an indescribable sense of anticipation, I eagerly opened that door.

With a thud, the main door opened. It had only been a week since I set foot here.

Of course, that doesn’t mean there’s any special sentiment.

The pink-dyed wavy hair that I recently colored stands out, making my eyes twitch.

“Hey, where have you been wandering around for a week? Now you come back?”

The first to greet me was my second older sister, arms crossed, with a stern expression as if she were angry.

She’s the one who always tackles me because she doesn’t like anything. Now she enjoys her freedom as a university student, while I, as soon as I become an adult, am forced into this predicament.

By saying she’s the second, it means there’s naturally a first. Apart from our parents, she’s the eldest who has been pushing me around one after another in this household.

“You’re being so annoying. You hated teaching your younger sibling, didn’t you? Don’t you know that me personally getting involved like this in the midst of being busy with inheriting the family business is a loss for our entire family?”

The eldest sister, who took the path of inheriting our parents’ business. She always thinks of me, who always seems relaxed in the household, as an annoyance, saying that family matters come first.

And then, the younger sibling who brings up tutoring.

“Oh my, it’s all because of you! The exams are just a few days away, what are we going to do?!”

The spoiled brat, who used to dye her hair blonde and just go out and play, appeared.

She’s four years younger than me and speaks informally and cheekily. Not to mention the disrespect, I never asked for it in the first place, but she always manages to make me feel uncomfortable with her unique way of speaking.

Even when I’m tutoring, they complain about my explanations. They run to Mom or my older sisters, whining and exaggerating.

But they have no intention of actually studying.

“There was one more person, though.”

If they knew I had come back, there should have been one more person who appeared in a hurry.

Somehow, she must be staying inside now.

“It doesn’t really matter if she’s not here.”

It doesn’t matter if there’s one less person. They can just pass the message among themselves.

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

“Kim Minhyuk, you’re disrespecting our language—”

“Mom?”

“You…!”

Thud.

Inside, something heavy and bulky made a dull sound as it hit the floor.

“Kim Minhyuk, what the hell are you doing? After not hearing anything for a week, the first thing you do when you come home is this illegal trade?”

My older sister was the first to glare at me.

“If you had hit me with that, what would have happened? I’m going to tell Mom about all of this!”

The third sister warned me, throwing it closer to herself.

“This brat…! You’re doing this on purpose, even though Mom told me not to hit you?”

The second sister, well, she clearly wanted to raise her hand. Just by looking at her expression, it’s obvious she’s furious.

Regardless, I quickly turned around, giving a hasty response to the three women’s questions.

“I’ve taken care of everything, so I’m leaving now. Whether you throw it away or keep it is up to you.”

“What?! Hey! Kim Minhyuk!”

“Big sister, why is he acting like that? Did he eat something wrong for real?”

“Sigh. First, I have to get rid of this rock. It’s quite heavy, ugh. I’ll throw it away and come back.”

“Sorry. After hearing why I did such a stupid thing, I’ll scold myself harshly.”

The second one went to clean up the trash that came into the house, while the first one started chasing after me again.

“Kim Minhyuk! Where are you going right now? Come back quickly. Mother will be back soon.”

“Why should I?”

“After causing so much worry, you just plan on throwing some trash in the house and leaving without a word? Are you kidding me?”

Trash, huh. Well, I guess it could be seen as trash.

If it’s such a wealthy household, that would be considered trash.

If it was going to be like this, it would have been better to just get straight to the point from the beginning.

“No need to chase after me like that. I won’t come back this time.”

“What?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Well, I’m saying I’m leaving home.”

“Hmph.”

The youngest, who had chased after me in slippers, closed their mouth upon hearing that.

“Hah, you’ve really gone crazy. I don’t know where you’re going, but you’re going outside without permission from your family again?”

“I won’t say anything more. I called a taxi, and it would be a waste to cancel it.”

“The guy who complains about wasting taxi fare is saying he’s leaving the house? Yeah, right. Even if he goes, he won’t get far. He hasn’t experienced society and how long can he endure without money? When he comes back, be prepared.”

As if. Without stopping, I walked towards the taxi, ignoring the first one who was laughing at me.

“Shall we depart?”

“Yes. The destination is-“

Oh my. It’s a waste of taxi fare. I just made a few hundred won in the meantime.

As I got into the taxi, I opened the window one last time and left a remark.

“I’ve already paid the price for raising you. You just didn’t confirm it.”

Vroom-

The taxi started, and until the end, I could completely turn my head away from them, looking at the first one who was laughing.

Yeah. Today, I’m leaving this house. I stayed outside the house for a week just to deliver this one word.

Anyway, it’s a wealthy household, so there will be plenty of money. But still. What if something insignificant gets caught?

It’s not money I borrowed, but money I earned by working part-time. I can confidently say that I’ve given more than the price for raising you.

“To my family, as permission.”

Suddenly, the first one’s words came to mind.

It’s not lingering attachment. It’s just that bile rose up from above.

“Did you treat me like family?”

They rejected and tormented me just because I wasn’t their biological child. Hearing the word “family” now, I couldn’t help but get angry.

And what? Permission?

If they considered me family, they would have discussed it with me instead of asking for permission.

In the end, you are the worst.

From elementary school to middle school and high school, textbooks all define “family” in the same way.

They say that family is an unbreakable bond. It’s like blood, thicker than water. It’s the closest and deepest relationship.

There’s more to it. People who can help you when you’re struggling the most. People who stay with you, sharing happiness within the family, until the last breath.

It couldn’t be simply defined like that. It needed to be written in paragraphs, not just a few sentences.

As I thought about it outside of my home, I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly.

“It’s not even funny.”

No matter how many idealistic sentences I throw in and attach flowery phrases, it doesn’t resonate with me.

I still vividly remember it. The gazes that poured down on me when I stepped into that house were cold, sharp, and chilling.

Since those contemptuous and hateful gazes were fixed on me, I have never felt comfortable for a single moment.

Even in a place that should have been the coziest and warmest, called “home.”

But even that is over now. In my school days, I had no power, so I had to rely on this house to some extent, but now that I have finished the college entrance exam, I am not powerless.

By sparing some time and devoting myself to my studies while secretly working part-time, I managed to save enough money for a small studio apartment deposit.

I have gained the strength to live my own life.

Yes. Escape, so to speak.

I escaped from the suffocating corners of that house.

“Of course, I have to work even harder to cover the rent, tuition, and living expenses… but that’s okay.”

I’m satisfied just by not seeing those women. No, it’s the kind of happiness that can’t be compared to anything else.

As I had these thoughts, I suddenly found myself at the destination in the taxi.

Leaving behind all the miscellaneous thoughts, I went to work as I had done all this time.

The part-time job hours flew by in a blur. Whether it was because today felt long or because I didn’t even realize how time was passing, I couldn’t tell.

I snapped back to reality when I heard that it was time to leave.

“Minhyuk, aren’t you working too hard? Ugh. Seriously. How can you not even care that it’s time to go home?”

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

“Already?”

“Finish up quickly and come out. I have to give you something since you’ve been working so hard.”

I scratched my head awkwardly and went into the staff room, and after finishing up some tidying, I came out.

In the meantime, the boss was cooking food in the kitchen, filled with a spicy and sweet aroma.

Meanwhile, the last remaining customer handed me a drink. More precisely, it was a fatigue recovery drink.

“Here, have it. I made you late until your closing time despite being busy, didn’t I? hahahaha.”

“It’s not really late. It’s not because of the customer…”

“Still. You were so busy, so you should have it while you eat.”

I tried to refuse, but the boss, who had finished up in the kitchen, said, “Just take it!” with an unyielding tone, so I had no choice but to accept it.

“Take care~.”

The last customer who handed me the fatigue recovery drink left with a bright smile.

After the boss also handed me a bag and closed the store, the day’s work finally came to an end.

“Time really flies.”

Even though I only worked part-time, it felt like the first time time passed by so quickly. There were even days when I thought time was passing incredibly slowly. But now, after finishing up the cleaning, I could see that the sun had completely set.

“Why are you talking about time like that? Aren’t we the same age?”

“Then we’re the same age, am I your younger sibling or something?”

“When I checked my family register, it turned out that my birthday came earlier than yours, right? So, in that case, I’m your older sister, right?”

“That’s bullsh*t that won’t fly.”

Ji-eun, another part-timer like me, approached with a tic-tic sound. To be precise, she was the boss’s relative or something. I didn’t know the details.

Anyway, she was a grateful acquaintance who helped me find a part-time job and a friend who kindly taught me various things.

“Sigh. Looks like our aunt is giving you a hard time again. Well, Min-hyuk, you’re diligent, so it’s understandable.”

“…Isn’t that just average?”

“Ugh. The way you say it makes it seem like I’m working with a dry attitude.”

“You say that while being right. You should subtract an hour or two from the total time spent playing.”

“Hey! You need breaks while working part-time. And it’s relative. You work so intensely that it looks like I’m playing!”

Ji-eun complained while explaining a story from when I first started working part-time.

Until now, I hadn’t really thought about it. But listening to her, it seemed like that might be the case. I rarely took breaks.

“Uh… You’re really amazing in many ways, seriously.”

“What?”

“Oh, it’s nothing.”

An indifferent response made Ji-eun make a frustrated expression and change the subject.

“Ahem. Anyway, Min-hyuk, have you tried that? I sent you a message about it.”

“To be honest, is that what you want to ask?”

“Well, um… I was curious about how you handle it. My method doesn’t really show any progress… Anyway! It was true that it was intriguing, right? You said you needed money.”

“Well, that’s true.”

“Right? hehehe.”

If it hadn’t been enticing, it would have been a lie. I was even more drawn to it when I heard that they were offering a whopping prize of 50 million won to the first person to clear the game.

With that amount of money, I could easily leave my house and live separately, and I could put off worrying about college tuition or monthly rent for a long time.

However, there was a reason behind putting up such a prize.

“I couldn’t break through it no matter what.”

“Wow, you too?”

“You too… How far did they go with overestimation?”

Even in games, there are genres that are exceptionally difficult. For example, fighting games, rhythm games, and bullet hell games, which pursue extreme gameplay.

But the game introduced by Ji-eun was not like that.

It was a game made with an extremely outdated tool called Almantool, and it was a genre where no technique, skill, or even tricks worked.

“It didn’t seem like a simple puzzle game. I thought the choices were fixed, but even the time of sleeping and waking up changed. Each of these subtle changes had an impact.”

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

“Well, that’s true. But the range wasn’t always so wide. The game gives hints little by little.”

“Hmm. Judging by how confidently you’re saying that, you must have figured something out.”

“…Well, I did.”

“As I expected, right? I knew you would find it.”

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

When I recall the game I played carefully… a bitter laugh comes out.

“How obvious.”

It wasn’t made to be cleared in the first place.

“Don’t waste your time and give up. It was just made to mess with people─ gulp, gulp!”

Sometimes, the coughs that come out are unusually harsh today. As if that wasn’t enough, there was even saliva mixed in with the coughs.

After the wet saliva was scattered on the floor, the coughs finally subsided after a few rough voices. The author looked at me with a worried expression and handed me a handkerchief. I shook my head and refused.

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

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

“But still…”

“I’ll go inside and rest first. I have no appetite, so you eat this.”

“Huh? Oh. Min, Minhyuk!”

A weak voice called out from behind, but I didn’t notice at all.

With the occasional rough cough, the conversation about the game naturally came to an end.

When I returned home, I was momentarily immersed in a different tranquility than usual. Even though I washed my body with cold water instead of warm water and lay down on a hard mattress instead of a soft bed, the serene silence was incredibly satisfying.

My own sanctuary. A space for rest undisturbed by anyone.

The fact that I had my own home was so heartwarming.

But the tranquility didn’t last long.

Ring-ring- Ring-ring-

I wondered who was calling as my phone rang with an unknown number. Without much thought, I answered the call.

-Oh, you picked up…! Is it Minhyuk? Hold on, let me talk to Nuna for a bit. Okay?

Click.

“What is it, Nuna?”

As soon as I heard the voice, I knew who it was. It was my second sibling.

Even though I had blocked their number, my phone was filled with all sorts of messages, texts, and missed calls from an unknown person.

The blocked number remained the same. There shouldn’t be any reason, but the block has never been lifted. It seems like that person is still borrowing the phone, considering it’s an unfamiliar number.

Now, even though they don’t have a saved name, their number is still vividly remembered. I don’t understand why they are looking for me.

“They’re not even a close family member anyway.”

…Maybe that’s why the game started to come back to me so clearly. When I got a hint about the background of the protagonist I had never seen before, I felt strange.

“Tomorrow… Wasn’t there anything scheduled?”

Tak-

I took out the fatigue recovery medicine I received from the guest. With this, I can work a few more hours.

Without paying attention to the buzzing phone, I turned on the computer and started playing the game again.

[Start New]

[Continue] ←

[Quit]

A simple window popped up, and I pressed the “Continue” button to proceed.

Yesterday’s unfinished episode appeared. Looking at the choices, I vaguely guessed what the correct answer might be, but unlike the strange feeling I had before, I felt incredibly frustrated.

“I can’t believe this is what comes up. I don’t understand.”

If it were me, I would have left it alone, whether I said it or not.

“…Sigh. There’s no other way but to wake up. I can’t die, so what can I do.”

As I made a choice, it was confirmed that it was the right answer and I didn’t die.

The game showed a message saying the episode was cleared and seemed to move on to the next progression.

But right at that moment.

The monitor screen started to blur little by little.

“Surely, I took the fatigue recovery medicine. Why am I so sleepy…?”

Perhaps I was just too tired today. Sleep poured out like madness.

***

-Knock, knock.

Hmm…?

I hear a knocking sound.

It must be from another house. There’s no way it could be our house’s knocking sound. Besides, there’s no one who would come looking for me so blatantly.

So, I didn’t react, thinking it must be from another house.

-Knock, knock.

But the knocking sound came again. This must be someone calling for me.

“Oh my… What is it? It’s not time to pay rent…”

With annoyance filling me, I got up, scratching my disheveled head.

And then, I finally understood why the knocking sound was different.

“Huh?”

I was astonished. There was a spacious room, not just a small studio.

I could feel the softness of a bed, not the hardness of a mattress.

Yet, I was looking at a completely different, unfamiliar background.

“What is this place? Am I dreaming or something?”

Even though I opened my mouth like a fool and rubbed my eyes, I realized that my eyes were not mistaken.

Then, I heard a woman’s voice from outside.

“Mr. Karsen, if you’re any later, it’ll be a problem.”

As soon as I heard those words, a chill ran down my spine.

“What? Karsein?”

That’s the name of the game character I was playing.

Is it possible that I, who was just a no-name college student from South Korea named Kim Minhyuk, am actually that Karsein, who was nothing more than a useless fish in the game?

The mirror in front of me showed a faint but pixelated depiction of Karsein’s face, as if it were personified.

And it was my face.