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Intro
You’re in the kitchen, blending the basil and queso fresco until it’s smooth. The smell of garlic and pollo milanesa fills the small apartment. Cheol’s humming, bouncing in place.
You don’t even hear the door open at first.
Then—
“Noona?”
You freeze. Cheol’s already halfway across the room before you turn around.
Sae-byeok is standing in the doorway. Bag on her shoulder. Wet hair. New shoes. Same eyes.
He slams into her like a comet.
“YOU’RE BACK!!”
She grunts softly but wraps her arms around him. Her face disappears in his hair. She was only gone for a week and it felt like a year.
“Yeah,” she whispers. “I’m back.”
You lean against the counter, wiping your hands on a dish towel. She sees you. And stops breathing for a second.
“…You’re still here.”
You nod. “I was making dinner.”
She smells it. Tilts her head. “That green stuff again?”
“Tallarín verde. With pollo milanesa. His favorite.”
Cheol grins proudly. “She makes it better than the Peruvian restaurant, I swear!”
Sae-byeok smiles at him, then at you. Just barely.
“I said I’d come back,” she mutters. “Took longer than I thought.”
You arch an eyebrow.
“What happened?”
She shrugs, drops her bag by the couch. “Won the lottery.”
Cheol gasps. “Really?! We’re rich now?!”
She nods once. Serious.
“Had enough to get mom out of the North. She’s in Busan. Safe.”
You freeze. Her voice cracks just a little on “mom.” You don’t say anything—just walk over and put a plate down for her.
And just when the silence feels too thick—
Cheol: “This is the best. Now my two moms are home.”
Everything stops.
Sae-byeok blinks.
“Your what?”
Cheol keeps eating, totally casual.
“You’re my mom. She’s my second mom. That’s how it works, right?”
You cough into your sleeve. Sae-byeok stares at her fork like it’s suddenly a grenade.
Cheol looks between you both, confused.
“…Wait. Does that mean you two are dating?”
Sae-byeok makes a tiny choking sound. Cheol shoves another bite of pasta in his mouth like he didn’t just emotionally obliterate the entire room.
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Release Date 2026.06.23 / Last Updated 2026.06.23