When the Last Chef posted on the community and analyzed Jinwoo’s cooking, Jinwoo arrived in Andong.
Normally, the constellations, who lived on the community forums, would have seen the Last Chef’s post and invited Jinwoo to broadcast, but now, the constellations did not do so.
No, they couldn’t even think about checking the community.
Anonymous 1 usually watched Jinwoo’s broadcast, the chat window, and even the community all at once, multitasking with multiple system windows open. But now, he was only watching Jinwoo’s broadcast.
Jinwoo, who was headed to Hahoe Village in Andong, met a student. The student was sitting in the park, crying endlessly.
(Anonymous 1): ….
The name of the crying student was Kim Hoyeon.
He was a young man who had just completed his military service and was now going through his college graduation season.
His sorrowful crying was so pitiful that it naturally sparked curiosity about the reason, and the constellations whispered among themselves as they watched.
(Anonymous 1): At that age, it’s awkward to call him a student—he’s a grown man. Why is he crying so sadly…?
(God of Rain and Sunlight): Yeah, I’m curious too.
Jinwoo knew it would be rude to keep staring. He, too, had once sobbed in a park as a high school student.
And when he’d been given a terminal diagnosis, he’d cursed the world with empty eyes while drinking soju.
But he couldn’t easily walk away. That young man looked too much like his former self.
‘Back then, the God of Observation came to me.’
He recalled the time when he’d been terminally ill.
It was then—though he knew he should just pass by, he lingered. Byeol, who had shaken off Jinwoo’s hand, ran toward the young man.
Byeol took a pack of tissues from her pocket, pulled out a few sheets, and handed them to the young man.
“Don’t cry! Please don’t cry!”
Byeol patted Kim Hoyeon’s shoulder, and Hoyeon cried even harder. Jinwoo, too, approached and sat down beside him, placing Byeol on his lap.
“Is something wrong?”
“…”
Thus began Hoyeon’s confession, starting with introductions.
It didn’t make sense to confide in someone he’d met for the first time today.
‘I don’t know.’
Hoyeon continued, thinking himself odd. That’s just how much comfort Jinwoo gave to others.
And right on cue, a quest appeared.
[A Path of the Constellation quest has arrived!]
— Description: Save Hoyeon’s parents.
— Reward: 1 random Constellation Skill.
‘…A Constellation skill?’
An excellent reward.
But the problem was the quest description. Save someone. It meant their lives were at stake.
Jinwoo looked at Hoyeon with a serious expression. Hoyeon continued to explain his situation.
“I don’t really have any memories with my parents. Especially after becoming an adult, I never traveled with them, even when they suggested it. I just liked hanging out with friends. Even more so after my military discharge.”
He spoke through his falling tears.
Jinwoo watched silently, simply listening to his words.
These days, even close friends don’t talk about personal matters. To open up so easily to a stranger—it must mean he’s feeling very suffocated. That’s what Jinwoo thought.
Of course, it wasn’t just frustration; Jinwoo’s presence had a strange effect that made it easy for Hoyeon to open up.
Anyway, what Jinwoo heard was this:
After becoming a college student, Hoyeon started living on his own. The freedom, an adult’s privilege, was unimaginably sweet for him.
Wasn’t it the privilege of adults to make your own choices, not just follow what others decided?
He could make his own class schedule, choose lectures and professors as he wished.
Not only that, living alone was exciting. He loved to hang out, but as a high schooler, he couldn’t.
He’d thought that if he just got into college, everything would be fine, so he studied hard.
“It’s half true and half false. For the first year, it really felt like all my hardships were over and I had fun.”
No one to nag him to come home early or to clean.
“Every day, I drank, went on blind dates… I didn’t even go home during vacation and traveled with friends.”
He fully enjoyed his college life.
After that, he finished his military service and was at the end of his college years.
He’d thought getting into college would solve everything, that happiness would continue, but now realized that wasn’t the case.
He’d only just realized that college wasn’t the destination in life but a stop along the way, seeing his friends graduate one by one and get jobs.
When he realized, beyond friends, family was most important.
When he reached the age his parents had been when they had him.
“My parents were in a car accident. I wanted to treat them to a meal for the first time in a while…”
Come to think of it, the park he was in now was in front of the hospital.
(Anonymous 1): ….
(God of Rain and Sunlight): Damn, how sad.
(Deity of Clear Streams): That’s truly sad…
(The Liberated Swordsman): My heart aches.
(Endless Waiting): …Me too.
(Returnee from the Demon Realm): My situation is very different, but… I can understand how he feels. It’s heartbreaking.
Jinwoo sighed and asked gently,
“Is it critical?”
“Yes, it’s really… bad.”
Hoyeon pulled a crumpled letter from his pocket. Though the paper was soaked in tears and wrinkled here and there, the handwriting was still clear.
“…Today is my parents’ wedding anniversary, so I even wrote a letter. I don’t think I’ve ever celebrated their anniversary since becoming an adult.”
He had gained freedom and enjoyed it.
Naturally, he grew distant from his parents, who had been with him all his life.
Now, when he was just beginning to understand his parents, their lives were in jeopardy, so he couldn’t help but cry.
Hoyeon laid his letter out for Jinwoo and the constellations to read. Though long, its contents were simple.
The first sentence began, “Hello, Mom and Dad?”
He wrote about his college life in detail. Very detailed. When he dated, how and when he broke up, how his friends consoled him.
All the little things that happened while living alone, details only friends he met every day would know—he’d filled the letter with them.
Almost like an autobiography.
‘He hadn’t talked much with his parents, so he’s using this letter to explain how he lived.’
Jinwoo’s guess was right. Even on the phone, Hoyeon would claim he was too busy with friends or assignments to answer his parents’ questions.
His parents, who’d be most curious about how their son was doing and if he was well—and having ignored that, Hoyeon regretted it, so he poured it all into the letter.
(Anonymous 1): This is interesting.
(God of Rain and Sunlight): He really enjoyed his youth. I’m jealous.
(Father of Crops): …I wish I could’ve experienced such times, in such an era.
(Deity of Clear Streams): Tsk, that’s nice.
(Returnee from the Demon Realm): It’s youth. I like it.
He wrote well, so it was entertaining—like watching a movie.
After the story of his early college years, the story of the army and returning to school was brief.
He must’ve started talking to his parents more after returning to college.
‘After coming back, he got close to his parents again, and today he wanted to treat them to a meal.’
(Anonymous 1): On a day like that, his parents got into an accident. No wonder he’s sad.
(God of Rain and Sunlight): We’re all self-reliant constellations, so it’s hard to relate, but after reading the letter, I get it. I’d be sad too.
Jinwoo nodded.
Near the end of the letter, there was this passage:
— You had me at twenty-six, and now that I’m twenty-six… At my age, you had me, right? I still don’t feel like an adult. It’s hard to take full responsibility, and I don’t know if I can do well at work… I don’t even know if I can get a job. Can I do it?
Jinwoo smiled. He’d worried about those things, too. Before he became a hunter, he was always uncertain about getting a job or whether he was truly an adult.
— After my discharge, I wandered, lost money trying to start a business… I’ve had all sorts of experiences, but I still don’t know. I thought college was the destination, but it isn’t. I don’t even know if I’ll get married, or if I can raise a child well. I received so much love—even though I moved out as soon as I became an adult and hardly contacted you, you always came to clean my room and make me side dishes… You even gave me plenty of allowance.
Jinwoo read the letter with warmth. It seemed like a harmonious family.
— I’m telling you this for the first time, but I don’t think I could be a dad like you, Dad. I don’t know if I’ll ever meet a woman like you, Mom. I must’ve been lucky to be born into such a loving family. Could I give my own child the same unconditional love I received? Could I dedicate everything to my family? I still don’t know.
(Anonymous 1): …
(God of Rain and Sunlight): Unconditional love… what a blessing.
— Even at an age where there’s so much I don’t know, I’m always grateful to the parents who brought me into this world. I always felt it in my heart, but never said it because it was embarrassing. Thank you, and I love you. In my next life, please be born as my children—though I can’t be sure… Next time, I’ll give you back all the love you gave me. Always grateful, always sorry. I love you.
— From your son —
The constellations wept in their own stars. Even if they were alone now, they’d once had families.
Some had known unconditional love, some not—but that didn’t mean they couldn’t understand the love of family. Hoyeon’s letter was filled with all the love he’d received.
They all looked at Hoyeon with pity.
Jinwoo, too, sincerely wanted to help Hoyeon.
Wasn’t Hoyeon someone who received the family love Jinwoo never had?
That’s why he wanted to help. Maybe, if he was honest, it was vicarious satisfaction…
‘But now, I am loved.’
Now, Jinwoo considered the constellations, spirits, and Byeol to be his family. That’s all a family is, after all.
In that sense, he was receiving unconditional love now.
‘Maybe that’s why I want to help Hoyeon—because I’ve learned what happiness is.’
Jinwoo glanced at the constellations.
At that moment—
(Last Chef): Are you the owner of Kim Byeol’s Restaurant? My title is Last Chef, and my homeland is the H Continent. I was renowned as the best chef there. What’s your title? Where are you from?
(Anonymous 1): Can’t you read the room? Shut up.
(God of Rain and Sunlight): …Newcomer, just shut up for now—no, I’ll explain what’s going on.
God of Rain and Sunlight, Yuto, explained in detail about Jinwoo’s circumstances and what was happening with Hoyeon. From Jinwoo being human to the situation of Hoyeon, a human of Earth.
(Last Chef): I see I was being tactless. But I can help with that. I’m a constellation specialized in such matters.
(Anonymous 1): What?
(God of Rain and Sunlight): Are you serious?
(Father of Crops): …It’s tough for even me. How can you?
(The Liberated Swordsman): …Heh, impressive fellow.
(Endless Waiting): A fated encounter.
(Deity of Clear Streams): Good, good!
(Returnee from the Demon Realm): How are you going to help?
(Last Chef): I can imbue healing magic into cooking. The story is touching, so I’ll help.
‘…!’
(Last Chef): But, there’s a condition!