Chapter 1: A Letter Left Behind

『 Life is always a succession of hardships.

It never lets up.

Maybe it will torment you for your entire life.

Still, Changseong, you don’t have to force yourself to keep going so stubbornly.

When it’s hard, it’s okay to take a break, to look around you, to talk with good people.

And then, you start running again—toward the life you want to live.

Life isn’t about results. It’s about the process.

If you ever feel overwhelmed, you can always ask this Grandfather for help.

Whatever it is, this Grandfather will help you.

I love you. 』

I gazed at Grandfather’s Will in my hands.

I’d already read it dozens of times—the edges of the letter had grown frayed—but whenever I read it, it was as if Grandfather’s voice echoed softly in my ear.

“Grandfather.”

Before I knew it, I was 59 years old.

It had truly been a life of struggle.

After countless attempts, I finally got hired as an employee at Capital, and spent my days in fierce competition, barely sleeping at night.

In the end, I won titles people would talk about—Sales King, number one sales record in history, largest sales success, Youngest Executive, and so on.

I even bought a Hangang View Apartment that everyone dreamed of owning.

But in the end, it’s all meaningless.

To those around me, I might seem like a successful man with nothing to envy, but the reality was miserable.

My children, who’d gone overseas for study, only contacted me when they needed something—never even asked how I was.

The wife I met through an arranged marriage used the money I earned to find another man.

And the company I dedicated my whole life to—using a flimsy excuse, they moved my desk into the hallway and let me go.

The humiliation I felt at that moment was beyond words.

All that remained for me was a cold apartment slowly collecting dust.

No friends, no one at all.

“Why did I live like that? For what?”

Did I really struggle and fight so hard just to end up here?

Never taking a single trip like everyone else, just working hard and building a family, thinking that was happiness…

Only now do I understand the words written in Grandfather’s Will.

Life isn’t about results—it’s about the process.

Facing the results, the truth I’d tried so hard to ignore stabbed deep into my chest.

I lived wrong.

“Grandfather.”

Grandfather’s face, long since passed away, was blurry in my memory—even his voice had faded.

But his warm affection was still there, lingering.

The loving hand that used to stroke my head, the gentle voice—today, I missed it all the more.

“I think… I lived wrong.”

Clutching the Will, I barely managed to mumble.

“Grandfather, please help me.”

I lamented my situation, calling out for Grandfather endlessly, until I drifted into sleep without realizing it.

And when I opened my eyes—

“Hey, Changseong Lee! Congrats on getting hired!”

I was back in the summer I joined Capital—29 years old, the year I first entered the company.

***

“Phew.”

I wiped the sweat running down my forehead with my sleeve.

How did I manage to cram so much into this tiny Rooftop Room? It took half a day just to clear it all out.

Staring at the now empty room, memories of the three years I spent here drifted through my mind.

“Changseong, you done moving?”

No time to get sentimental, it seemed.

At Kihyun’s voice—he’d come to help with the move—I turned my back on the Rooftop Room.

Kihyun dusted off his hands after shoving my stuff into the moving truck.

“That’s everything, right?”

“Yeah, all done. There wasn’t much to take anyway. I threw out everything I didn’t need. Told you I didn’t even need the truck.”

“Enough talk. Get in. I’ve got stuff to do this afternoon, so let’s make it quick.”

I climbed into the passenger seat, and Kihyun deftly set the navigation.

Destination: the outskirts of Gyeonggi Province.

Grandfather’s house.

“This is the right address, yeah?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“How long’s it been since you’ve gone down there? And when are you coming back up?”

“It’s not so far I couldn’t if I wanted.”

It might as well be called the countryside, but people still live there.

There’s public transport, and if I set my mind to it, I could always come back.

Kihyun shifted gears and glanced over at me.

“Hey, Changseong.”

“Don’t look at me with those serious eyes. Makes me nervous.”

“You really are something… Just wanted to check, that’s all.”

“So?”

“You’re really going to give up on joining Capital?”

I smiled faintly at his question.

It took me three years to prepare for that job.

When I said I was giving up on joining the company, Kihyun stormed over and shook me by the collar.

He knew exactly how much effort I’d put in, how desperate I’d been those three years.

He’s a good friend.

Letting go of a guy like him is probably one of the mistakes of my life.

“Yeah.”

“You’re not gonna regret throwing away three years like that?”

Three years? Try thirty-three, my friend.

Turning my back on a company like Capital wasn’t easy. But now, with the memories of my previous life and knowledge of the future, maybe there’s more I can do.

Maybe I’ll get promoted faster, maybe I’ll meet better people and build a happier family.

If things go as I hope.

But still.

“I do regret it.”

I pulled Grandfather’s Will from my pocket.

Strangely, after my Return, the contents of the Will had changed.

「 Changseong, I hope this Grandfather’s help is to your liking.

It might not be enough, so I’ll give you the house I used to live in. It’s yours now.

I’ll always support your new life.

I’ve always loved you.

P.S. If you have time, stop by the Tea House too. The House Key will open the door. 」

“Grandfather, thank you.”

It’s just a shame I never told him I loved him more while he was alive.

Running my fingers over the key attached to the end of the Will, I muttered,

“It’s a shame… but not really.”

“What are you babbling about?”

“Just saying. Let’s go. We’ve got a long way.”

“You lunatic.”

The moving truck rattled forward.

Leaning against the window, I blankly watched the scenery pass by.

Today marked exactly one week since my Return.

I’d spent that week as best I could.

A day trying to understand my Return, another day reading Grandfather’s last words and crying.

I planned out how I’d live the remaining five days, and today, I was finally taking action.

“What are you going to do once you get down there? Money?”

“I’ve got some saved up. Enough to get by for a while.”

“Will that be enough for long? You’ve got to do something.”

“Grandfather ran a Tea House, you know? You remember it? That cozy, atmospheric place.”

“Ah, the Yangjibareun Tea House? Isn’t that the Friend Room where everyone used to gather?”

“Grandfather left that to me.”

It’s a countryside Tea House, so it probably won’t bring in much, but that’s not important.

With my knowledge of the future, I’m basically an investment god.

I’ve already put money into a few stocks.

It’s just pocket change for now, but in a few months, that money will come back tenfold.

“You think the Tea House will earn you anything?”

“Grandfather lived on just that, so why not?”

“What about other plans?”

“I’ll write. Take a break, meet friends, meet people.”

I’ll fill my life with good people and good times.

That’s the biggest goal I set for myself after my Return.

“I’ll come up from time to time. Don’t be too lonely without me.”

“You lunatic.”

“Birds of a feather, you know?”

“Yeah, I’m a lunatic too.”

We glanced at each other and burst out laughing.

We talked about this and that for the next two hours as we headed down.

He’s someone I’ve known since high school, even came up to Seoul with me—there was no end to what we could talk about.

Thanks to our early start, it was still lunchtime when we arrived at our destination.

“…Is this the place?”

“Of course.”

“Damn. Your grandfather owned a house like this?”

The house we’d arrived at was a three-story mansion.

A spacious yard, even a parking lot—a real mansion.

The impression I got at first glance was majestic and sophisticated. You could compare it to the high-end houses in Cheongdam, and it wouldn’t fall short.

…It actually looks better than the Hangang View Apartment I spent thirty years saving for.

“Your grandfather was rich, huh? Look at you, born with a silver spoon. You had a mansion like this and still studied in a Rooftop Room? You’re crazy!”

“I’m seeing it for the first time too! It didn’t used to look like this.”

In my memory, Grandfather’s house was just a small, country home.

Not this kind of grand mansion.

“Wait.”

I took out the key attached to the Will.

When I slid it into the lock, it fit perfectly, like it was meant for it.

So, this really is the place.

It’s a bit complicated… but I get it.

If he could make my Return possible, he clearly wasn’t an ordinary person.

What kind of man was Grandfather, really?

“Can I go in now?”

“Yeah. Park over there.”

Once inside, it was even more majestic and beautiful than it appeared from the outside.

They say good architecture moves the soul—maybe that’s true.

Kihyun stared in awe at the central living room.

“Hey, can’t I work here as your housekeeper? Just let me live here once.”

“If you’re fine with five hundred won an hour, sure. Otherwise, come visit next time. Let’s check out the other rooms.”

I followed the hallway, peeking into the rooms, and each one was reminiscent of a luxury hotel.

The biggest room was basically a hotel suite.

“This is like something out of a fantasy novel. A duke’s mansion.”

“So does that make me the duke?”

“If you’re the duke, the country’s doomed.”

“Let’s move the stuff in. You said you have to go soon, right?”

“Yeah, right.”

I patted Kihyun on the shoulder as we carried in the boxes.

Just bringing in the boxes of clothes, books, and other belongings and leaving them at the entrance, we were done in no time.

“What about lunch? Want to eat before you go? Take a look around your hometown?”

“I’d like to, but next time. I’m short on time.”

Even though he already had plans, he’d made time to help me out—so I felt bad I couldn’t treat him.

“Come by when you get a break. I’ll cook you a steak or something.”

“I’ll come even if you tell me not to. I’ve got to sleep here at least once. I’ll come down next holiday. Save me a room.”

“You got it?”

“Yeah, yeah.”

He waved carelessly and left without looking back.

I heard work was especially busy these days—who knows when he’ll actually get a break.

Best to have a room ready for him just in case.

“Well, then.”

Before unpacking, there was a place I wanted to see.

The place where Grandfather spent most of his time.

The Tea House filled with memories of Grandfather—Yangjibareun Tea House.

It was within walking distance, so I strolled leisurely over.

“It’s been a long time.”

After spending more than thirty years in the city, the peaceful scenery of the countryside was soothing.

It was that very tranquility I’d once wanted to escape from—yet now, I’d returned, longing for it.

I walked past rice fields, and before long, I arrived at Grandfather’s Tea House.

“Grandfather.”

I hadn’t opened the Tea House even once since Grandfather passed away.

Dust had settled thickly, and weeds grew all around.

It gave off the feeling of an abandoned house, but with a little care, there was no warmer place in the world.

“When I’d drink tea Grandfather brewed and read a book here, all my worries faded away.”

Clatter. Ding.

As I opened the door and stepped inside, I was greeted by a haze of dust.

It had been left alone for about a year, with no one to care for it—no surprise, really.

I wiped dust from the bar table with my hand and looked around the Tea House.

“Grandfather really kept this place in order.”

Despite a year’s neglect, it only needed a good sweep and some light cleaning to shine again.

Especially the tea leaves stored in the warehouse—they weren’t shriveled or moldy at all.

You’d expect at least some to have gotten moldy, but there wasn’t a spot.

“But if I use these, I’ll get in trouble for food safety laws…”

I was fiddling with the tea leaves and coffee beans when—

Ding.

The bell at the Tea House entrance rang.

“Who’s that? Someone here to explore an abandoned house?”

Curious, I stepped out of the warehouse to find a little girl standing at the entrance.

Five years old? Four? At most, a first grader in elementary school.

Wearing a yellow dress, she looked at me with big, round eyes.

“Huh?”

“Huh?”

I hadn’t even opened yet, but my first guest—a little visitor—had arrived.