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Home Town (3)
The interior of the mansion was as splendid as the outside.
The first floor consisted of a living room, kitchen, and rooms for guests, while my parents’ room and mine were on the second floor.
Peculiarly, the third floor had a large study, various business-related rooms, and agricultural research labs spread out.
It seems my parents, being wealthy farmers, had agricultural materials systematically organized even inside the house.
After entering the house, my parents went down to the first floor to finish preparing the meal… While Kang Ju-yeon and I came up to the second floor, touring my room.
Fortunately, since the layout wasn’t too different from my studio apartment in Seoul, I didn’t feel too bewildered in this new room of mine.Kang Ju-yeon slowly ran her hands over various parts of the room, admiring it.
“…It’s huge.”
She would occasionally make such remarks.
“Haha, that’s how parents are. They always want their children’s living spaces to be nice. Isn’t Ju-yeon’s room like that too?”
When I asked her teasingly, Kang Ju-yeon nodded slightly.
Her room was probably even bigger than this, definitely not smaller or cramped.
Compared to Kang Woo-hyun’s love for his daughter, my parents’ love for their son was like child’s play.
Kang Ju-yeon continued touring the spacious room.
Honestly, I’m not too interested in interior design, so there wasn’t much for me to look at in the room…
But she seemed so delighted, touring with a faint smile.
Her expression looked inexplicably happy.
So I didn’t disturb her either.
Kang Ju-yeon toured my room, and I toured Kang Ju-yeon.
There wasn’t much conversation, but that silence was surprisingly comfortable.
Knock knock-
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.
My mother had arrived, having finished the preparations.
“Kids, the meal is ready. I just set it up, so no need to rush if you’re busy. Come down when you’re done with whatever you need to do.”
“No, mom. We’ll go right now.”
I immediately responded to my mother’s cheerful words.
Mother.
What kind of imagination were you having?
What could we possibly be busy with or need to finish in this short time?
Her thoughtful consideration was almost embarrassingly mischievous.
Kang Ju-yeon seemed to have belatedly understood my mother’s implication, as her face had turned red.
“Ahem. Let’s go quickly. The food will get cold.”
“…Yes.”
It felt like she was implying something terrifying like time is… but I tried to ignore it.
In any case, we finished our brief tour of the house and my room, and headed down to the first floor.
The dining room was next to the living room.
It was too large a space to be called just a kitchen.
Inside, there was a dining table that could probably seat around ten people.
And…
A feast that could make the table legs bend awaited us.
“Wow…”
Another exclamation escaped my lips.
There seemed to be over 10 basic side dishes alone, and the appetizers and main courses matched that in number.
The diverse array of dishes spanned land, sea and air, and even at a glance, their quality was apparent. There were also appropriately paired beverages fitting the atmosphere, as well as visually delightful decorations.
This could truly be called a sumptuous feast.
‘Looks like mom is as sincere about cooking as I am.’
The [Cooking] rune might have originally been my innate talent after all.
“Mom, did you make all of this yourself?”
As everyone was exclaiming in admiration, I leaned in and whispered to my mom.
In response, she playfully pushed me away with her arm.
“You know your mom can’t cook that well. I had most of it catered.”
“…Catered?”
I asked back in a puzzled tone.
But how could such dishes be delivered all the way here…
To our rural village, which is even more remote than the end of Haenam county?
“These days, the world has become better. If you pay a generous service fee, they even come and cook on-site. I was surprised the Holders could cook so well too.”
“……”
Ah, she used <Rune Food>.
The same catering service Kim Chae-eun had used before.
It seems she had the Holders from their Gwangju branch make an on-site visit here.
Considering the cost of [Warp Gate] plus the additional distance, she must have spent a considerable amount, but my mother’s smile showed no concern whatsoever.
…Indeed, when my parents spend, they spend lavishly.
“Everyone, please take a seat. Ju-yeon, you too, sit down.”
“Yes, mother.”
We all took our seats at the gorgeously set table.
After a short while, the ‘guest’ my father had mentioned also arrived.
He had a large, almost gigantic stature and short black hair.
His disheveled appearance still exuded a sense of style in his choice of clothing.
He looked like an ordinary middle-aged man you could easily see in Seoul.
“Introduce yourself, Jae-hyun. This is Senior Holder Kim Ji-sung I mentioned earlier.”
My father gestured towards the guest as he spoke to me.
It was a Holder name I had never heard before.
But he seemed to be someone who worked with my father.
I greeted him politely with a bow.
“Hello, senior. I am Do Jae-hyun, a 2nd-year student from the Seoul Holder Academy.”
However, Kim Ji-sung’s reaction was strange.
It was as if he hadn’t expected to see me here.
With a bewildered expression, he looked back and forth between me and my father.
“President Do, was your son perhaps Holder Do Jae-hyun?”
“Ah, did I not mention that?”
“…No, not at all.”
“Haha, yes, that’s right. The Do Jae-hyun, who’s been frequently in the news lately, is my son. Hahaha.”
Watching my father laugh heartily, I realized…
…He deliberately didn’t say anything.
My father was as much a trickster as my mother.
He didn’t mention it at all, probably worried it might burden me, but he seemed to take subtle pride in my name appearing in news and articles.
‘…I should appear in the news more often then.’
While I tried to avoid fame as much as possible, finding it bothersome, for the sake of being a filial son, I might need to change my approach.
In any case, Kim Ji-sung scratched his head in perplexity.
I could well understand his feelings.
If he knew me, he would probably recognize Kang Ju-yeon too, so stumbling upon the <Judgment of Fire>’s only daughter and me in this rural setting must have been quite startling.
But it didn’t seem like our fame was the reason for his surprise.
“Holder Do Jae-hyun, may I speak to you a bit casually?”
“Ah, yes of course. You’re my father’s guest.”
“Then…”
After a moment’s hesitation, he asked me.
“Then by any chance, do you know the name Park Jin-woo?”
The unexpected name Park Jin-woo came from Kim Ji-sung’s mouth.
Park Jin-woo?
Why is he being brought up here?
I blinked my eyes blankly as I looked at him.
“Jin-woo?”
“Yes, he’s in the same grade with you.”
“Yes, he’s my friend, Jin-woo. But how do you…”
How do you know him?
I trailed off, not completing that question as I gazed at him.
But Kim Ji-sung’s face had already shifted from surprise to delight.
My answer that Jin-woo is my friend…
Seemed to have resolved whatever was bothering him.
And soon after…
Kim Ji-sung dropped a shocking statement.
“Nice to meet you. I’m the one who will become Jin-woo’s father.”
“…Pardon?!”
My stunned voice filled the dining room.
Jin-woo’s father?
What is this all about….
***
Ippotranslation
***
After the storm of a lunch was over, my parents briefly excused themselves.
They said they needed to check on the fields for a bit, but it was clear they were giving us some space to talk comfortably.
They probably wanted to catch up with their son after so long too, but showed thoughtful consideration for what seemed like an important matter for us.
“So… Are you really Jin-woo’s father?”
That’s how Kang Ju-yeon, Kim Ji-sung, and I were left in the living room.
I asked the biggest question that had been lingering since earlier.
Park Jin-woo’s father.
This was definitely content that did not appear in the original work.
‘Ah, was it briefly mentioned?’
While his father’s name or appearance was never described, there was a passing mention about his traces.
That his father was such a wanderer that he traveled all over the country.
So like an absentee father, he would only occasionally visit home.
But that was the extent of the brief mention.
The most that was elaborated about Park Jin-woo’s family was regarding his kidnapped younger sister Park Yoon-seo during the ‘Academy Invasion Incident.’
In response to my question, Kim Ji-sung let out a laugh.
“Haha, well I could be Jin-woo’s real father, or a fake one.”
…You seem like a fake father though?
The words almost slipped out.
Well, they really didn’t resemble each other at all.
From their facial features to speech, demeanor, and gestures…
Nothing about him was similar to Park Jin-woo.
Not to mention his name is Kim Ji-sung to begin with.
Is that like an alias then…?
Various doubts filled my expression.
Seeing that, Kim Ji-sung nodded his head.
“I understand. There are probably a lot of disconnected parts. Hmm… Where should I start explaining from?”
After briefly pondering, he snapped his fingers.
“Ah right, it’ll be faster to show than tell.”
“…!!”
The moment those words ended, Kang Ju-yeon and I flinched reflexively.
There was a sudden shift in the surrounding air.
An intense magic began emanating from Kim Ji-sung’s body.
The magic originating from his fingertips and feet slowly traveled up, eventually enveloping his entire body.
The speed of manifestation and delicate control were astounding.
His [Magic Control] exuded a deep level of mastery.
High-ranking Holders could roughly gauge someone’s level just by seeing them wield magic.
Kim Ji-sung was one such case.
He demonstrated magic utilization so impressive that even Kang Ju-yeon and I were left admiring, clearly marking him as an advanced Holder.
‘What’s going on?’
And then came his next physical transformation.
I watched the sight with a stunned expression.
“How’s this? Do I look more like Jin-woo’s dad now?”
What is this?
A [Polymorph] ability?
While his initially disheveled attire remained the same, his face had completely changed.
With distinct facial features and bright eyes, an aura that seemed to exude passion and vibrancy.
It was an appearance that made one instantly accept him as Park Jin-woo’s father.
“This face goes by the name Park Ji-hwan. It’s effectively my real name too.”
“Your real… name?”
“Yeah. I can’t give my wife and son a fake name. Hmm, and this is…”
Once again,
The magic at his fingertips flared up intensely.
It seemed he was about to demonstrate that perfect disguise ability again.
And…
“This face goes by the name Ryu Ji-hyuk. It might even be a face you two are most familiar with.”
A man with a considerably sharper appearance than Kim Ji-sung or Park Ji-hwan appeared before us.
And as he said…
It was indeed a face Kang Ju-yeon and I knew very well.
“Holder Ryu Ji-hyuk…”
A Holder whose name and face had appeared in articles numerous times.
One of the five Holders that Koreans took pride in.
The Holder with the nickname ‘Mystic Holder’ for rarely showing himself in public.
Another unaffiliated S-grade Holder after Yoo Eun-seol.
It is Holder Ryu Ji-hyuk.
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