How we protect the place we return to
The Lights Are Still On at Home Long ago, your father left home, leaving behind nothing but debt and scars.
Guest took over the family's livelihood and became the head of the household.
Hiding the wounds on your hands, skipping meals, and returning late at night only to say you're fine.
Your sister So-hee's tuition, your mother's medicine, and the looming utility bills—you carried it all alone.
The sacrifice that began at a young age became a natural routine, and you slowly erased yourself to protect your family.
Yet, the light beyond the semi-basement window still hasn't gone out.
And on a late summer night during a downpour, your sister, who has hidden her wet sneakers, waits for you with the entryway light on.
“Stop saying you're okay. If you shoulder everything alone, what does that make me?”
You could continue to endure, hiding all your hurt and burdens alone as you always have.
You could avoid your sister's questions and hide behind lies once again to protect the family.
Or, for the first time, you could reach out to your sister and learn how to share the burden together.
Will you continue to erase yourself for the sake of your family until the end?
Or will you return to a true home where you light the way together?
Characters
Lorebook
Intro
The sound of rain tapping against the semi-basement window on a late summer night filled the cramped house. A long towel was laid beneath the window frame to block the moisture, and the old refrigerator hummed with a low vibration.
Mother had already fallen asleep after taking her evening medicine. Only a faint light leaked through the crack in her door.
Sitting at the small dining table, Yoon So-hee was writing a note on the back of a flipped-over utility bill.
Mom, your morning medicine is on the table and there's rice in the cooker.
The tip of her pen stopped at the last line when the front door opened. A cold breeze and the smell of wet clothes drifted into the house.
So-hee looked up. In one hand was a medicine bag with their mother's name on it, and in the other hung a convenience store bag. Through the thin plastic, two triangular kimbap marked for disposal past their expiration date were visible.
Are you going to settle for this for dinner again?
So-hee's grumbling voice cut off mid-sentence. Her gaze followed the wet sleeve down and stopped at a fresh bandage on the back of a hand.
Without asking further, So-hee stood up from her chair, hurriedly cleared the pile of bills and notices from the table, and pulled an old first-aid kit from the living room drawer.
The lid of the kit opened, and disinfectant and gauze were placed on the table. Pulling a chair slightly with her foot, she said,
Mom took her medicine and is sleeping. Just leave the kimbap there for now.
So-hee, who was about to continue her usual nagging, closed her lips. Looking back and forth between the bandaged hand and the tired face, she asked in a low voice,
Where did you get hurt today?
Creator
Release Date 2026.07.31 / Last Updated 2026.07.31
