The restaurant, bustling all day without a moment’s rest, finally found quiet only when the late night arrived.
On the tables, empty dishes left behind by customers were scattered about in a mess, but when Lee Miju thought of them as the hard-earned fruits of today’s labor, her heart filled with pride.
She had endured all these years with fierce determination, solely for the sake of her daughter, Soo-ah.
Raising her daughter alone without a husband and running a small Restaurant was a challenge every single moment, but whenever Soo-ah gave her a bright, innocent smile, all her hardships seemed to melt away like snow.
“Mom!”
Having finished School, Soo-ah tossed her bag down carelessly and came running.
At eighteen, with her bubbly charm, Soo-ah was Lee Miju’s entire world, and the very reason she lived on.
“You’re home, sweetheart? How was your day at School?”
Lee Miju gently stroked her daughter’s soft hair as she asked with affection.
“Mm… Not great. I’ve got a mountain of homework.”
Though Soo-ah grumbled, she stuck close by her mother’s side.
Lee Miju found her daughter’s adorable demeanor so lovable that she patted Soo-ah’s shoulder fondly.
“Tough day? I’ll make you your favorite dinner. What would you like to eat?”
“Kimchi stew!”
At Soo-ah’s shout, Lee Miju smiled and opened the fridge.
A simple yet warm dinner table.
This was the small happiness Lee Miju had guarded more dearly than anything else in the world.
But that happiness began to crack one night, bit by bit, because of an uninvited guest that arrived without warning.
Every night, an unbearable pain would begin, with no known cause.
At first, she thought it was just muscle pain or simple fatigue.
She figured if she put on a Patch or took a Painkiller from the Pharmacy, it would get better.
But as time went on, the pain grew sharper and more severe, to the point where the very thought of sunset and the arrival of night became a terror.
***
One night, Lee Miju curled up on her bed, moaning as the pain washed over her.
It felt as if a sharp knife was stabbing her all over, like her bones were being scraped bare—a terrifying pain wrapped around her entire body.
Cold sweat poured down like rain, and the agony made it hard to even breathe properly.
Until dawn finally broke and the pain subsided, Lee Miju could do nothing but writhe alone in the darkness.
The next morning, dragging her exhausted body, Lee Miju went to the neighborhood Hospital.
The Doctor listened to her story and ran a few tests, but couldn’t find any clear cause.
She sought out Neurology, Orthopedics, even tracked down the Famous Oriental Medicine Clinic she’d heard of, but the answer was always the same.
“Medically, there’s nothing wrong.”
Or,
“It’s probably stress-related pain.”
The despair pressing down on her went beyond mere frustration.
Her body hurt as if it was about to break, so why did no one know the reason?
She began to fear the coming night, and each day turned into an endless cycle of pain, as she struggled not to show her suffering in front of her daughter.
Then one day, a news story she’d seen on the 7 o’clock News flashed through her mind.
‘Unexplained, excruciating pain. If even movement becomes difficult, it could be Dungeon Disease.’
No way… Could it be Dungeon Disease?
She remembered seeing a News report about Dungeon Disease on television.
It was a frightening illness that caused severe pain of unknown origin, sometimes making it impossible to even live or move normally.
She’d never imagined such a thing could happen to her.
She wasn’t a hunter, had never even set foot in a dungeon.
With trembling hands, Lee Miju took out her Smartphone and searched for Dungeon Disease.
The symptoms she found were uncannily similar to the pain she was experiencing.
Deciding she couldn’t delay any longer, she pinned her last hope on it and sought out a Dungeon Disease Specialty Hospital.
After a thorough examination, the cold verdict was handed down.
Lee Miju was diagnosed with Dungeon Disease.
“You’re lucky it’s still the early stage. Most patients are bedridden by the time they come in.”
At the Doctor’s words, tears welled up in Lee Miju’s eyes, but at the same time, a sense of relief rose from deep within her chest.
The pain was enough to make her want to die, but at least it was still early.
Now that she finally knew what the illness was, there was hope that she could get treatment.
For the sake of her daughter Soo-ah, she had to endure, no matter what.
The word ‘give up’ simply didn’t exist in her dictionary.
But reality was harsh.
Treatment for Dungeon Disease was more agonizing than she could have imagined, and the medical bills were ruthless, almost cruel.
Lee Miju poured all the money she’d painstakingly saved running her Restaurant into treatment, but it vanished as quickly as water into a bottomless jar.
If she continued treatment like this, all her remaining assets would disappear into Hospital fees.
‘Should I give up treatment and at least manage the rest of the money well, so I can leave something for Soo-ah…?’
Every night, as the excruciating pain swept over her, such desperate thoughts she could never say out loud would swallow her whole.
But when she thought of Soo-ah’s innocent face, the thought of leaving her daughter and finding peace alone was unthinkable.
No matter what, she had to survive this pain and live on, to protect her beloved daughter until the very end.
Fortunately, as she continued treatment, there was a slow but noticeable improvement.
Each time she felt the knife-like pain of the night grow even the tiniest bit weaker, she kept the embers of hope burning.
But faced with medical bills she could no longer bear, Lee Miju finally decided, with tears in her eyes, to sell her cherished home and Restaurant.
There was no way she could stay here and keep up with the cost of treatment, so she resolved to move near the Dungeon Disease Specialty Hospital.
The problem was Soo-ah.
Her daughter’s School and friends were all here; moving to an unfamiliar place where they knew no one would surely leave a deep scar on young Soo-ah.
But, as if she understood her mother’s worries, Soo-ah said something that touched Lee Miju’s heart.
“Mom. I’m okay. I can always make new friends. So you just focus on your health, okay?”
“Thank you, Soo-ah.”
Bolstered by her daughter’s strong support, Lee Miju began searching for a cheap home near the Dungeon Disease Specialty Hospital.
The closer it was to the Hospital, the more she could save on transportation and other expenses.
While searching for a place, she happened to see an advertisement posted on a Construction not far from the Dungeon Disease Specialty Hospital, looking for a tenant.
‘Best of all, it’s close to the Hospital.’
With trembling hands, Lee Miju dialed the number on the ad.
“Hello.”
“Yes, hello. I saw your ad looking for a tenant, so I’m calling about that.”
“Ah, yes. I am looking for a tenant.”
“I was wondering… would it be possible to come see the house?”
“Of course. You’re welcome anytime.”
“Then, could I visit tomorrow morning?”
“Yes. There’s a Restaurant on the first floor of the building—just come there.”
“Thank you very much. I’ll see you then.”
After hanging up, Lee Miju let out a long breath of relief.
She felt a small sense of hope that finding a home might be easier than she’d thought.
The next morning, Lee Miju went to the Restaurant the landlord had told her about.
As she opened the door and stepped inside, the inviting smell of cooked rice and the vibrant energy of the place enveloped her.
“Welcome.”
“Hello… I called yesterday about the place. I’m here to see the house.”
A young man with a bright smile greeted her.
“Ah, yes. Nice to meet you. I’m the landlord. Shall we go see the place now?”
Lee Miju followed Sang-woong outside.
After seeing the place, she couldn’t hide her surprise at how much better it was than she’d expected.
Since it was a new building, everything was spotless, and the high ceilings meant there was no feeling of stuffiness.
The water ran cold and clear, and the triple-pane windows looked excellent for soundproofing and insulation.
Best of all, the rent was much cheaper than other places in the area.
“Sir, this place is… really wonderful.”
Sang-woong grinned broadly.
“Haha, I built this house myself from the ground up. There’s absolutely no noise between floors, no drafts, nothing like that. You won’t find a better place to live. And since it’s vacant, you can move in as soon as you sign the contract—even tomorrow if you’d like.”
Lee Miju had no reason to hesitate.
Finding such a good home in the midst of such painful circumstances was nothing short of a blessing.
“I’d like to sign the contract for this place. Please take good care of us.”
“Then shall we head back down to the Restaurant on the first floor to do the paperwork?”
Sang-woong led her back to the Restaurant.
“Would you like a cup of coffee?”
“Yes, thank you.”
Sang-woong placed a steaming mug before her.
After Lee Miju took a sip of coffee, she was pleasantly surprised yet again.
She fancied herself a coffee lover who knew a thing or two about good taste, but this coffee was more fragrant and smooth than any she’d ever had.
“Wow, sir, this coffee is amazing! I think you’d hit it big if you opened a coffee shop instead of a Restaurant.”
At Lee Miju’s genuine praise, Sang-woong smiled happily.
“Haha, thank you. Our Restaurant’s food is just as good as this coffee.”
At that moment, Lee Miju remembered the hiring notice posted at the entrance to the Restaurant.
Now that she’d decided to live here, she needed both a place to stay and a job.
She’d found a house, now all that remained was work.
If she could work at this Restaurant, not only would she save on commuting time, but the work would be familiar and easy to adapt to.
“By the way, I saw a sign at the entrance—you’re hiring?”
“Yes, we’re looking for staff.”
Lee Miju seized the opportunity.
“Would I be able to apply? I ran a small Restaurant myself until recently, so I’m confident I’m as qualified as anyone.”
At her words, Sang-woong’s face visibly brightened.
There was no reason to refuse someone with experience.
“Of course! Why wouldn’t I? With your background in Restaurant work, we’d be the ones to be grateful.”
Sang-woong immediately explained the working hours, salary, and other conditions in detail.
“These conditions… they’re really good, sir.”
Lee Miju was surprised at how much better the terms were than she’d expected.
“I’ll work really hard! Please pick me!”
Sang-woong liked her even more for her eager and earnest attitude.
Not only did she have experience, but she seemed hardworking as well.
He almost felt thankful that someone like her wanted to work at his Restaurant.
“So… when would you be able to start?”
At Sang-woong’s question, Lee Miju’s face lit up with a radiant smile.
“Three days! I can start in three days!”
“Alright, then I’ll be counting on you.”
Sang-woong couldn’t help but feel happy at having found such a good staff member.
On the promised day, Lee Miju moved in with Soo-ah.
Life in their new home was incomparably more pleasant than their old city house.
Soo-ah finished her school transfer and quickly adapted to the new environment.
Sang-woong was kind and entrusted Lee Miju with Restaurant work.
Thanks to her outgoing personality, Soo-ah also quickly made friends at her new School.
On top of that, she learned that a popular YouTuber who ran the animal Channel ‘Ttua Leon’ lived in the neighborhood, which made her even more excited.
Soo-ah had always liked animals and, like other kids her age, was interested in YouTube, so it was the perfect environment for her.
“Mom! Mom! I saw the YouTuber who runs the Ttua Leon Channel today! Can you believe he lives in our building?”
One evening, Soo-ah shouted to Lee Miju, her voice bursting with excitement.
“Really? Did you see Minky and Leon too?”
Lee Miju knew the Channel well, since her daughter liked it so much.
These kids will be BFF after they meet, as long not love triangle involved.