Player who Returned 10,000 years Later-Chapter 17Epilogue : Cherry Blossom Ending (3)

After going through several options, Kang-Hyun decided to name the dog Springie. There was no special reason. It just happened to be spring when he found the dog.

“Ehehe. Come here, Springie~!”

“Woof!”

Springie, healed completely thanks to Han Seol-Ah’s healing magic, ran to Kang-Hyun with his tail wagging. Kang-Hyun smiled brightly as he hugged Springie and stroked his back. It was rare to see Kang-Hyun who always maintained a calm demeanor smile so brightly.

“O-Oppa…” Kang-Hee stumbled backward in shock. “Y-You’ve never smiled like that to me…”

“What in the world are you talking about?” Lia sighed and shook her head.

Kang-Hee pulled on Lia’s clothes and pointed at the brown ball of fur being embraced by Kang-Hyun.

“B-But that bitch is—!”

“Why don’t you calm down first?”

Lia dragged the teary-eyed Kang-Hee to their room.

“Do you like him that much, son?”

Cha Yeon-Joo smiled as she approached Kang-Hyun and patted his head.

“Yes. It feels… amazing.”

“That’s how I felt when I gave birth to you.”

“Hmm. Are you saying I’m like a dog to you?”

“A dog would’ve been better. You’re nowhere near as cute as Springie.”

“Ngh.”

Yeon-Joo snickered as she disheveled Kang-Hyun’s hair. “That aside, never forget being responsible for a life has both ups and downs.”

“Yes, Mother. I will keep that in mind.”

“Sheesh, you’re not cute at all. Can’t you be at least half as cute as Springie?”

Yeon-Joo hugged her dignified son and tickled his flank.

“Ngh, M-Mother!”

“You little rascal!”

“S-Stop it!”

“Woof! Woof!”

Their home turned even more rowdy with the addition of Springie.

“It’s almost time to go. Are you sure you want to be fooling around?” said Lilith as she walked out to the living room, dressed beautifully. She approached Kang-Woo and twirled as she smiled seductively. “How do I look, my love?”

“You’re stunning.”

He was not exaggerating; it was genuine praise. She was wearing a light chiffon blouse and a long skirt that reached below her knees. She was so beautiful that Kang-Woo couldn’t take his eyes off her.

“Fufu. I went shopping with Seol-Ah yesterday.”

Lilith smiled in satisfaction after seeing Kang-Woo’s reaction.

“Looks like you’ve been spending more time with Seol-Ah lately,” Kang-Woo remarked.

“Seol-Ah and Yeon-Joo are both my precious little sisters, after all,” she said with a smile.

Kang-Woo couldn’t feel any strange sense of distance between Lilith and his other wives anymore.

“Come to think of it, where’s Darling?”

“She went to the kitchen to make lunch boxes earlier… it’s taking a while.”

“Unnie! Could you help me for a bit?!”

Speak of the Devil, Seol-Ah shouted from the kitchen. Kang-Woo and Lilith headed to the kitchen where they were met with delicious scents.

“Wh-What is all this, Darling?”

They saw a mountain of lunch boxes filled with the staples of picnics— kimbap, tonkatsu, stir-fried Vienna sausage with ketchup, egg rolls, squid salad, and much more. There were easily over thirty lunch boxes.

“Since it’s been a while since we’ve met Si-Hun and Layla… I went all out.”

“Even so, this is…”

“Is it a bit much?”

“A bit wouldn’t be the words I would use.”

‘Not even an elephant could eat all this.’

“We can just bring whatever’s left home. Now, please help me fill these lunch boxes!”

Seol-Ah hummed excitedly because it had been a while since their last family picnic. Kang-Woo and Lilith helped her fill the lunch boxes with the side dishes.

“Alright, let’s get going.”

Kang-Woo, with massive bags filled with lunch boxes in each hand, left the house with his children.

***

Kang-Woo and the others arrived at Yeouido Hangang Park and walked along a path covered in cherry blossom petals. Most of the cherry blossoms had fallen.

“Ah, over here!”

They saw Kim Si-Hun, Layla, and Kim Si-Ah sitting on a mat under a tree.

“Sorry. It took some time to get ready,” Kang-Woo said.

“Haha, it’s alright. We only just arrived as well.”

Si-Hun stood up and smiled widely.

‘Holy shit.’

He was handsome enough to woo even a straight man. If they hadn’t set up a perception-blocking barrier to avoid recognition by others beforehand, there would have been more people around them than the petals on the ground.

‘They would’ve gathered regardless of his looks.’

Si-Hun was the savior of humanity and a legendary hero in the history Kang-Woo had distorted. If rumors that the Martial God appeared in Yeouido Park had spread, this place would be flooded with his fan club army.

“It’s been too long, Kang-Woo,” Layla greeted as she waved to Kang-Woo, sitting elegantly next to Si-Hun.

“How’ve you been, sister-in-law?”

Although subjectively Layla was slightly inferior to Kang-Woo’s wives, she did not look out of place next to Si-Hun because she was also an objective bombshell. And for the finishing touch, Kim Si-Ah stood up and courteously bowed.

“Hello, Uncle Kang-Woo.”

Yeon-Joo excitedly approached Si-Ah and shouted, “Wow~! You’ve grown so much! Do you remember me? I used to change your diapers, you know?”

“Oh, yes. Of course.”

“Hehe. You’re in the same grade as my Kang-Hyun, right? Have you two been getting along?”

“U-Umm…” Si-Ah flinched and glanced at Kang-Hyun. She clenched the hems of her long skirt and answered, “W-We don’t see each other often… because we’re in d-different classes.”

“Oh, is that so? Makes sense. You don’t get to meet people often if you’re in different classes, especially in elementary school.”

In elementary school, being in different classes was no different from being in different countries.

“But you guys have been childhood friends since you were babies, so get along with him, okay?”

“Umm… I-I’ll try.”

“Sheesh. You’re just as uncute as Kang-Hyun. You guys aren’t even ten yet, so why are you so unsociable? When I was your age, I used to play Pokémon ddakji[1]with kids I met for the first time.”

“Ddakji…?” Si-Ah was confused by a word she had never heard. “I know what Pokémon is, but… what is ddakji?”

“Y-You don’t know what ddakji is…?” Yeon-Joo stumbled backward as if she had come across an alien creature. She pulled on Kang-Woo’s clothes and vented the fear taking over her mind, “H-Hubby! Si-Ah doesn’t know what ddakji is! How is that possible?”

“Yeon-Joo…”

“I-I’m not the weird one, right? H-How can an elementary schooler not know what ddakji is? Huh? There must be something wrong with the world, right?”

“Kurgh! You have to face reality, Yeon-Joo! We’re old!”

“N-No… I-I… I can’t be old!!”

Yeon-Joo collapsed on the mat in despair. She only looked to be in her early twenties but was now in her forties.

“It’s okay. No matter how old you get, I will always love you.”

“Sniff. Hubby…”

Kang-Woo and Yeon-Joo embraced each other, bound by the cruel clutches of time. Seol-Ah left them be and placed the lunch boxes on the mat. Si-Hun was left dumbfounded by the sudden mountain of lunchboxes.

“What is all this…?” he asked.

“Did I make too much?”

“W-We’ll try to finish all of it.”

“Fufu. You don’t have to push yourself.”

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They sat in a circle after short greetings and began to eat the lunch boxes Seol-Ah prepared.

“I-It’s delicious!” Si-Hun shouted as he devoured the food as if he had never been surprised by the mountain of lunch boxes. He dipped the cheese egg roll in ketchup and expressed his amazement. “I could never imagine food like this from Layl— Argh!”

Layla pinched Si-Hun’s flank with a smile.

“My sweet doggy… what were you about to say?”

“N-Nothing.”

Si-Hun turned his head away, covered in cold sweats. Kang-Woo could easily tell who held all the power in Si-Hun’s household.

“That aside, doggy…? Are you still living your life whipped by your wife?”

“I-I could say the same to you, hyung-nim!”

“My wives at least treat me like their master, bro.”

“It’s not like Layla has complete control over me either!”

The married men argued with with other.

“Kang-Woo, pour us some water from the Thermos.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Doggy, stop saying pointless things and tend to Si-Ah and the other kids.”

“O-Okay.”

The married men’s battle of pride ended as anticlimactic as the petals on the ground.

“That aside, what a shame.” Lilith clicked her tongue as she looked at the few cherry blossoms on the trees. “We should’ve visited a week earlier.”

“Well, we had no choice since Darling was busy last week.”

“Hmm. You were busy decorating that room, right?”

“U-Unnie!”

Seol-Ah quickly covered Lilith’s mouth as Lilith giggled.

“If you’re disappointed, how about this?”

Layla smiled as they viewed the few cherry blossoms and placed her hand on the ground underneath the mat.

Whoooom!

A green light spread from her and smeared into the nearby cherry blossom trees, causing the wilted flowers to bloom again.

“W-Wow!”

“Father, look! Look!”

Kang-Hee and Lia shouted as they watched the fully bloomed cherry blossoms. Even the usually calm Kang-Hyun and Si-Ah restlessly looked around at the cherry blossoms.

“Dayum. Impressive, sister-in-law.”

“It doesn’t hold much meaning anymore but I’m still Gaia’s incarnation.” Layla smiled as she looked around at the cherry blossoms. “They’ll last about three hours.”

“More than enough time to eat and drink to our heart’s content!” Yeon-Joo snickered excitedly as she placed an ice box in the middle of the mat. “Ta-dah~! Attention, please! I, Cha Yeon-Joo, have a special gift for you all!”

She took out cold beers from the ice box.

Kang-Woo chuckled and asked, “Beer is your special gift?”

“Huhu. Of course, it’s not just any beer.”

“Then what is—”

“Do you remember the nectar we drank way~ back when? You know, the drink that can intoxicate even those with Deific Essence.”

“You mean…”

“I’m saying this beer is mixed with nectar!” Yeon-Joo shouted as she pounded on the ice box.

“Drink…?”

Nightmarish memories flashed past Kang-Woo’s head.

- Oppa~! I’m soooo drunk~

- Ehehe. Kang-Woo… Would you like to touch my boobs?

- Fufu. That’s my queen to you.

Kang-Woo remembered the drunk disaster that had occurred. He reached for the ice box in pallor.

“W-Wait a second…!”

“There’s no time to wait on a day like this! Now, now, cheers, everyone!”

Tsss, crack!

A sweet scent filled the park covered in cherry blossom petals.

1. Ddakji (딱지) is a game in which players try to flip the tile, usually made of paper, of another player with their own tile. If you watched Squid Game, it’s the game that was played in the first episode in the subway station. As for Pokémon ddakji, they are made of rubber. I remember playing with them… now I feel old too LMAO ☜

erigiii’s Thoughts

I thought Seol-Ah couldn’t use healing magic anymore…