Mapo District, Seoul;
The doorbell's tune echoed through the quiet morning.
Kang Saeri, still wrapped in a thick robe, shuffled toward the entrance, rubbing sleep from her eyes. When she pulled open the door, she blinked in surprise. "Jun-ah?"
Han Sungjun stood there in a sweatshirt and joggers. Hands were in his pockets, shoulders relaxed like he had been at her house multiple times. He gave a small, pleasant smile. "Morning, Noona. Sorry for not calling ahead. I was out to jog around the Han River but stopped by, realizing your house is nearby."
A beat passed before she stepped aside, letting him in with a smile. "Not a problem. Come in."
The living room was warm, the scent of freshly brewed coffee lingering in the air very soon. Kang Saeri sat across from him, her husband, Park Mingsu, slouched beside her, still groggy from being woken up.
In the meantime, the bionic eye under his contact lens glowed. Eva scans their bodies and hacks into the citizen database while Neo displays their abilities in Sungjun's head.
Birth name: Han Saeri (Kang Saeri)
Arcane Path: Mage
Age: 41
Status: Married
Profession: Actress/Hunter
Class: Platinum
Arcane Path: Fighter
Ability: One Punch (Current: Tier-3)
One Punch: Gather all strength into one fist and punch the opponent with 100,000 Newtons of Force. Carries a side effect when utilized to maximum potential.
*
Name: Park Mingsu
Age: 45.
Profession: Entertainer
Status: Married (twice)
Kids: 2 daughters (1 from previous marriage)
Arcane Path: Mage
Ability: Gravity Suppression (max: Tier-4)
Current ability rank: Tier-8
Gravity Suppression: Create an invisible dome with a 100-meter radius and control graviton particles within the dome, increasing gravity up to two times for 30 seconds.
*
Sungjun shifted awkwardly on the couch, fingers wrapped around a cup of coffee as the process of ability extraction was going on in the background.
"So, I, uhh... heard that you stayed 15 years in Russia," Mingsu finally said, breaking the silence. "So, what happened out there… if you don't mind answering."
Sungjun exhaled and, in a slow movement, reached up, removing the contact lens from his left eye. In its place, a bionic eye gleamed faintly in the dim light. "To be brief, I was in an accident just before the finals," he explained, altering the events slightly. "I should've died, but a girl saved me. During my recovery period, we fell in love, and I stayed there ever since." After a brief pause, he glanced at his sister and added. "Mingsu-ssi is aware of our terrible relationship with our father. We just want to get away from him as far as possible, all of our lives. So, I, uhh... just took the opportunity to stay back there, living under a new identity as Alexander Han. My late father-in-law helped me forge that new identity."
Before Park Mingsu reacted to his explanation, Sungjun pulled out his smartphone and showed them a picture—a teenage girl with striking green eyes and a mix of Korean and European features. "By the way, this is my daughter, Veronika. You can call her Han Jiyeon. That's her Korean name. And this December, she will turn 15."
Mingsu blinked, staring at the screen. "She's... elder than my daughter, Soojin. If I remember correctly, aren't you only like 33?"
Sungjun gave a small, rueful smile. "Yeah. It was a drunken mistake, but... Hmm…" He was momentarily distracted by a pair of notifications in his head and gave a pause and said, "my wife wanted to keep her."
[Ability: One Punch has been added to Overlord's Authority]
[Ability: Gravity Suppression has been added to Overlord's Authority]
He continued, explaining how he had abandoned music because of his high profile back then, finished high school in Moscow, and attended law school instead. Now, he has resigned from his job and decided to move permanently to South Korea. Then, almost as an afterthought, he added, "Jiyeon's here too, by the way. But she's at the hotel, though. Still hasn't woken up, I guess."
Mingsu leaned back on the couch, arms crossed, still processing Sungjun's words. "So, you're planning to stay here permanently," he pondered. "That's a big change."
Sungjun nodded, swirling the remnants of his coffee in his cup. "Yeah. Kremlin gave me everything, but here... we have family. This is our home. And, of course, my daughter planned to move here after graduating from high school anyway. So, I thought I might as well move things ahead…"
Saeri observed her younger brother carefully. On the surface, Sungjun looked like someone more composed, more deliberate. Like a proper parent who went through much. But at the same time, she felt like he hadn't changed much from the person she remembered, the same old reckless, carefree brat who does things on a whim and lets things fall into place.
"I still think adjusting to this place isn't going to be that easy for Jiyeon and you as well," she said, setting her cup down. "Considering the fact that Jiyeon wants to pursue an idol career…"
"Well, being an idol is so much better than becoming a hunter." Sungjun shrugged, placing the phone away. After a brief pause, he further added. "Moreover, she inherited musical talent anyway."
"That's not surprising. Mom was a pansori singer. I'm in the acting field. You were a…"
Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps came from down the hallway. A moment later, a girl's voice rang out. "Mom! Where's my hairbrush? I can't find it."
"Excuse me…" Saeri sighed, already pushing herself off the couch. "Soojin-ah, it's in the bathroom drawer, second row!"
"It's not there… Fetch it for me!"
A few seconds later, a teenage girl appeared in the doorway, her hair half-brushed, her pajamas wrinkled. Her eyes darted to Sungjun, and she froze.
"Who...?"
Sungjun smiled gently. "Hello. You must be Park Soojin." The bionic eye under his contact lens automatically glowed, scanning her and hacking into the citizen database and, later social media. It was as if Eva was accustomed to doing it regularly.
Park Soojin
Age: 14
Current education status: 8th Grade (ongoing)
Relation: Stepdaughter of Kang Saeri
Relationship Status: In a relationship (possibility: 92%)
Awakening Status: Unawakened
*
Soojin subtly narrowed her eyes, then turned to her father. "Dad, who is he?"
Mingsu chuckled. "That, sweetie, is your uncle, your mother's younger brother. Han Sungjun."
Soojin blinked, her lips parting in surprise. "Wait… Mom's brother? The one who disappeared? The musical prodigy from 15 years ago?"
As Sungjun smiled and gave a slight nod, Soojin glanced at her own clothes and hurriedly hid behind Saeri, peeking out shyly. "Uhh… I'm sorry. I'll just be in a minute. Be right back."
Soojin awkwardly bowed before dashing back to her room and shutting the door.
Saeri and Mingsu exchanged glances; the latter looked at Sungjun. "Don't mind her. She is just not good with first meetings."
A few minutes later, she returned, now dressed in proper clothes, her expression carefully composed as she sat beside her father. Taking a graceful bow, she greeted Sungjun once again, "Hello, uncle. I'm Park Soojin."
Mingsu scoffed. "And now you're acting like some graceful lady?"
Soojin shot him a glare before turning to Sungjun with a polite smile. "Uncle, I didn't know you were coming. I never expected to meet you in person."
"Oh?" Sungjun raised a brow.
Soojin nodded eagerly. "You're famous at my school—atleast in our club, you know."
Mingsu blinked. "What club?"
Saeri smiled. "Jun-ah, she is going to YISS, you know (Yongsan International School of Seoul)."
Sungjun was visibly surprised. "Oh, that's my alma mater."
Soojin leaned forward excitedly. "You're really well-known in our Orchestra club. Our instructor always talks about his favorite student. He either uses your name to motivate us or scold us. You're like a legend in the club—the prodigy who never took a break and dominated every competition and the first-ever Korean who reached the semifinals of the ITC (International Tchaikovsky Competition) in the violin category."
"Is Teacher Huang still there?" Sungjun asked, curiosity evident in his eyes. In both of his lives, he respected this music teacher who even took private time to look after his practice.
Saeri and Mingsu then exchanged surprised glances. "Wait... since when are you in the Orchestra club? Aren't you in the Archery Club?" Saeri asked, interrupting them.
Soojin shrugged. "A couple of years now, mom. And our school allows us to sign into multiple clubs anyway."
"Is that why you weren't doing well in Archery competitions lately?" Saeri's eyes narrowed.
"A couple of years..." Park Mingsu looked betrayed but held his tongue, stealing a glance at Sungjun.
Noticing the slight tension, Sungjun took his phone into his hands again. "Ah, Jiyeon seems to have woken up. I need to go."
"Eh? So urgently?" Saeri was taken aback.
Sungjun smiled. "We have a few things to do at the immigration office today, Noona. And it will take more time to reach the hotel if traffic increases." He then got up. "I'll be back later with Vera, I mean Jiyeon."
Mingsu nodded. "Come back for lunch or maybe dinner?"
Sungjun tilted his head. "Don't you both have work? We can visit on the weekend. No rush."
Saeri waved him off. "It's fine. Consider it a welcome home meal." Mingsu added. "And who knows whether one of us will suddenly become busy on the weekend."
Sungjun thought for a bit and nodded. "Alright. Let's have the dinner."