Absolute Dweller

Darkness.

In the darkness, where nothing could be seen or felt, I felt as if I had lost my way.

Then a faint light flashed...

♪♬♩♬♬

A soft and sweet melody tickled my ears.

A warm warmth embraced my body.

“Hmm.”

With my eyes half-closed, I turned off my phone alarm and drifted back into a light sleep.

How many minutes had passed?

The sunlight that had entered from beyond the window forced me to get up.

“Yawn.”

I stretched and gazed at the ceiling, lost in thought.

‘It feels like I had a dream…’

But I couldn’t recall anything at all.

Lying lazily in bed, I finally noticed the smell drifting in from outside my room.

‘This smell…’

Seaweed soup.

And my favorite grilled fish.

Was it Akamochi?

It sounded like a Japanese name for fish, but I wasn’t sure of its exact Korean name.

Grandmother, grandfather, mom, dad—everyone used to call that red fish by that name.

So I remembered it as Akamochi.

Mesmerized, I opened the door and walked out to find my mom and dad sitting at the island table.

Mom saw me and greeted me cheerfully.

“Son! You woke up just in time. Come and eat.”

“...What’s today?”

It was rare for my parents to come over without saying anything, so I asked.

Mom pointed at the seaweed soup on the table and said.

“It’s your birthday today.”

“Oh.”

Has it already been like that?

“Happy birthday, son.”

Right.

Today was my birthday.

I’d been so busy that I had forgotten about it… wait, why was I busy?

What busy work did a jobless person have?

The only "busy" things I had were appointments related to games.

‘Was the raid with the legion commander yesterday?’

I couldn’t remember.

Strangely, yesterday was a blur.

It had surely been an ordinary day, but only a hazy feeling remained.

“Son. Are you okay? Not feeling well?”

Mom approached worriedly and placed her hand on my forehead.

“I’m fine. I just had a bit of a rough dream…”

...What kind of dream was it?

I had been uneasy about it ever since.

‘I feel like I’m forgetting something important.’

It was as though I had forgotten something I shouldn’t.

But.

“Come sit down. After you eat something delicious, you’ll feel better.”

Led by mom’s hand, I sat at the table, and all those little worries flew away.

“It’s Akamochi.”

“Of course. I got it for you, the biggest one, just like you like.”

Dad, who had been sitting at the table, tore off a piece of the fish and placed it on top of the fluffy rice.

As I took a bite, it felt like heaven.

The warm rice and the tender fish on top.

Exactly the taste I had been expecting.

“It’s delicious.”

“Right? Grandma got the biggest one for you.”

Naturally, we ate together, chatting and enjoying the meal.

“Oh, son. How about going to the house today? Grandma misses you.”

It had been quite a while since I visited the family home.

It was about time I went.

“Shall we?”

“Really? That’s great!”

The day passed quickly.

I went to visit my grandparents, greeted them, and had dinner together, talking about various things.

I spent the night at the family home and decided to go to my house in Seomyeon tomorrow.

It was a warm day, meeting all my family after such a long time.

I hoped days like this would continue.

‘It’s not so bad visiting the family home sometimes.’

The usual days went on.

I played games, read novels, watched YouTube and dramas.

In those ordinary days, the feeling that I had forgotten something precious slowly faded away.

• The epilogue follows -