The sanctions were lifted faster than expected.
Which ant the country had been relentlessly hamring China nonstop.
[Author: anon]
[Title: Thought I was legit gonna get organ harvested WTF]
[Content: (Photo of Chinese visa and passport with mosaic blur) Holy shit... I’m in wholesale and the police straight up dragged away... Read more]
ㄴ Wait fr?? Bro you’re lucky to be alive lol
ㄴ Author: Yeah well, I only run a ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) small shop so I got off light. The bigger factory heads? They got beat to hell apparently.
ㄴ Yeah saw pics of the guys who got released. Faces looked straight-up wrecked.
The people who’d been detained by Chinese authorities were now rapidly returning to Korea.
And right on cue, the Korean governnt held a press conference to clarify its current stance.
[Illegal Fishing in the West Sea & Chinese Coast Guard Power Abuse — “We’ll Respond Strongly”]
[Korean Governnt Condemns Chinese Historical Revisionism — “Imdiately Cease Northeast Project”]
[Special Healthcare Privileges for Chinese Nationals Revoked — “They’re Foreigners, Not Korean Citizens”]
ㄴ Finally, hell yeah lol
ㄴ Why the hell did it take this long though?
ㄴ Back then we didn’t have the power, rember?
Most reactions were positive.
But tucked among them were a few negative comnts too.
ㄴ Wait isn’t this discrimination against people living in Korea?
ㄴ Bro what? You’ve been freeloading this whole ti, don’t even start.
ㄴ Lmao couldn’t have happened to a better bunch.
But those negative takes? Absolutely buried under downvotes and flaming replies.
Everyone else was partying like this was so kind of national festival.
But not .
This was just reclaiming sothing that should’ve been ours in the first place.
“Why are they celebrating this hard already?”
No one had even brought up compensation yet.
“The good stuff? You gotta simr it low and slow... wait till it’s just right, then squeeze it dry.”
After the year-end party, the country was still in a noisy frenzy inside and out. Ti flew by like nothing.
****
“Co to think of it... it’s almost Lunar New Year.”
“Lunar New Year... Is that like your empire’s founding day or sothing?”
Honestly, I never really knew the full origin of Lunar New Year.
I’d just thought of it as a long holiday. A day off.
“Dunno, really...”
“Wait! Hero, give a sec!”
Right before we went live, Lyla said she had to get sothing ready and dashed into the room.
There was so rustling inside, and a few minutes later the door creaked open.
“How do I look?”
Hanbok.
Lyla wore a blue jeogori top and a red chima skirt. Her hair was pinned with a golden hair ornant.
She held her skirt out and spun in a circle, giggling.
“...”
“Hero? Hellooo? I asked how I looked!”
“Y-You’re... you look great...”
My face got hot for no reason.
Back on Earth, away from the battlefield, I’d had ti to figure out where my heart actually pointed.
I kept checking, afraid I might be mistaken.
And once I ca to a conclusion, I did everything in my power to play it cool around Lyla, who noticed everything.
“Let’s just... start the stream.”
Lyla, now completely used to the stream setup, entered the title and went live.
[zlSuperStrongHero: Blushing Bride in Hanbok]
‘...Huh?’
[SaintessSaintess what are you even saying rn...]
[wtf I was about to drop a 5700-character dono but the second I saw her I forgot everything]
[dude... she’s unreal...]
Lyla in hanbok looked like sothing straight out of a legend.
Like a fox spirit from a fairy tale.
Too beautiful. A siren that could charm anyone.
“S-Sir! Hero, Hero!”
“Whuh!?”
“Why do you keep spacing out, Hero!”
The problem was... I was chard.
She’d always clung to like glue since we were kids.
That hadn’t changed, but now—
Ti passed, she... developed, and now I was the one flustered.
‘...’
I kept glancing sideways at her as she interacted with the chat.
[SaintessFootTowel has donated 10,000 Watts!]
Yo why’s this dude zoning out so hard today lol
The AI donation alert blared and made jump.
I sighed and ran a hand through my hair.
“Ah— Sorry. You know, with everything going on lately, I’ve been kinda all over the place...”
[yeah no kidding]
[makes sense, he’s literally the main guy in all this drama]
Sorry I can’t focus.
It’s not that ss that’s got off. But still—yeah. I’m off.
The stream wrapped up eventually, and right as it ended, Mom ca into the room like she’d been waiting for it.
“We’re heading to your uncle’s place. Get ready.”
“Uncle’s?”
“Yeah. It’s gonna be hella crowded tomorrow. We’re going now to beat traffic.”
“I an, I don’t mind that part, but I haven’t gone for five years—”
“It’s fine. No one’s gonna ask.”
“...”
That was the end of that. Her tone said the discussion was over.
Next to , Lyla hesitantly spoke up.
“Um... I’ll just stay here. Please, go ahead!”
“What are you talking about, Lyla? You’re family too. Of course you’re coming.”
****
Compared to other families, ours wasn’t that big.
Mom was an only child. Dad had just one older brother.
Grandma and Grandpa... both passed away a long ti ago.
Before I disappeared, we’d usually just et up at Uncle’s, have a light al, and call it a day.
— Ding-dong!
“Hyungnim, we’re here.”
The door opened, and I saw my uncle’s face—just like I rembered.
“Oh hey, sister-in-law! You made it!”
He greeted Mom and Dad, then his gaze settled on for a while.
It looked like he had a lot to say, but in the end, he just smiled.
“You look healthy.”
Then, he finally noticed Lyla, still dressed in hanbok, and his eyes widened.
“W-Who’s this...?”
“I’ll explain everything inside, don’t worry.”
“Ah, sure...”
Inside, my aunt had already laid out a full feast.
She too looked like she had a lot on her mind, but just echoed Uncle’s words—glad I looked well.
Thankfully, dinner was relaxed and cheerful.
Eventually, as the adults sat drinking, Uncle cleared his throat and gave Lyla another glance.
“So, is this your girlfriend? She looks stunning in hanbok.”
“N-No, she’s just a comrade.”
“Hmm, that so?”
If a viewer had said that, I’d have roasted them with a sword in a heartbeat, but when it’s an elder relative? I had no idea how to handle it.
Sensing my growing discomfort, Mom smoothly changed the subject.
“Lyla, want to co with to the market?”
“The market?”
“Gonna grab so snacks and sides.”
She took Lyla by the wrist and headed for the door.
“Wait, sis-in-law, we’ve still got plenty of—”
“We’ll be back soon, okay?”
“A-Ah... sure.”
****
Once Mom and Lyla stepped out together, I felt Dad’s gaze land on as he sipped his drink.
“...?”
“Lyla’d make a fine daughter-in-law.”
“W-What are you even saying...?!”
“It’s ti you moved out.”
My uncle and aunt were both watching us with amused expressions like they were watching the best drama of the night.
“Son, have you never thought of Lyla as a woman?”
“...”
“Seriously, where’d you inherit this complete lack of awareness... tsk tsk...”
That comnt made Uncle burst out laughing while Aunt stifled giggles behind her hand.
“Pffft— I can’t believe you’re the one saying that... If it weren’t for your mom dragging my wife into it, you never would’ve married her in the first place!”
“Hyung, co on, that was forever ago—!”
“Excuse ? You’re really gonna say that in front of ?”
“...”
Apparently, back when Dad and Uncle were dating Mom and Aunt, the two of them were so oblivious it drove everyone insane.
It got so bad, my mom had to drag Aunt along and confront Grandma directly just to move things forward.
“She literally grabbed my hand and marched us up to your grandma.”
“...Huh?”
“Straight up asked her, ‘Do you want a grandson or a granddaughter?’ Your aunt had no idea it was coming.”
“My mom said that?!”
No way.
And I’m not just saying that because I’m her son—Mom was always the hyper-competent career woman type.
You’re telling that sa woman just waltzed up to Grandma with that kind of question?
“Sigh... All the n in the Song family are hopeless when it cos to this stuff.”
Auntie, please... that’s a little harsh on us Song n, don’t you think?
“Ahem... anyway, once we got married and started watching the younger generation, it beca pretty obvious.”
“Obvious... how?”
“Like, whether the two of you would make a good couple. Whether you’d be happy.”
Uncle’s comnt was followed by Aunt’s gentle laugh as she picked up the thread.
“Lyla, was it? One thing’s for sure—she’s definitely the sa kind of woman as your mom.”
****
Just as I was stamring my way through the barrage from Dad, Uncle, and Aunt, the front door opened and in ca Mom and Lyla.
“What were you all talking about in here? Sounded pretty lively.”
“Oh, welco back, sis-in-law. You know, the usual elder holiday nagging.”
The drinking went on late into the night.
Eventually, Uncle and Aunt kindly suggested we head ho first.
“Is that okay?”
“Go on. Grown-up talk’s boring anyway, and don’t you two have a stream tomorrow?”
“Yeah...”
“Then you should head out early.”
We said our goodbyes to the elders and stepped out into the night.
Honestly, I’d had more than a few drinks.
Enough that the buzz was settling in heavy.
I tried using mana to burn the alcohol out of my system—
“Hero, maybe you should just sleep it off tonight?”
“Huh? Uh... yeah?”
“You’ll feel much better if you get a good night’s sleep first, won’t you?”
“Maybe you’re right...”
I must’ve been drunker than I thought, because my brain was barely functioning by that point.
Once we got ho, I only half-heartedly washed up, tossed on so fresh clothes, and flopped into bed.
Squeeeak...
“Hero? Are you asleep...?”
Peeking into the room, Lyla slowly opened the door and tiptoed inside.
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