By Zephyria 
A world where everything that appeared after the Day of the Rift vanished along with the System that disappeared with the Doomsday. People gradually adapted to their changed daily lives. Perhaps it would be fitting to say they had returned to before the Day of the Rift. But even if they had returned to before, the over ten years of time and the new life trajectories they had built during that period remained intact.
Some lost precious people, some lost their jobs, and some had their lives completely turned upside down. The System left indelible traces both when it appeared and when it disappeared.
On a day when people were struggling to adapt to their changed lives, the very individuals who had caused the System to vanish were…
“Why insist on washing dishes by hand? I told you I’d get you a dishwasher. A commercial one.”
“No space.”
…in the middle of a squabble at the Hangover Soup Restaurant.
An old wall clock pointed to 10 o’clock. The instigator of the squabble, Lee Sa-young, was wearing pink rubber gloves and scrubbing away at an earthenware pot. Eui-jae retorted while wiping down a table.
“And besides, doing it with my hands is much faster than using a machine like that. It’s just that your skills are still lacking.”
“Hah, what skills do you need to wash an earthenware pot…”
“If it’s hard, hand it over. I wondered what wind was blowing when you said you’d help with the dishes.”
“It’s not hard.”
“Then be quiet and scrub it clean. And can’t you see the kitchen is cramped?”
“You should have remodeled when you took over the shop. I said I’d pay for it.”
“Remodeling, what for? This atmosphere is good.”
Sa-young shook his head as if there was no helping it. Eui-jae glanced at the kitchen while spreading out a dishcloth. The sight of the big guy hunched over in front of the sink washing dishes was pitiful. Eui-jae approached him and said.
“Sa-young-ah, go out and sweep the floor. I’ll finish the dishes.”
“I can do it too.”
“I know, but we need to finish quickly and go home.”
Patting his back, Sa-young took off the rubber gloves with a sullen expression. Eui-jae, about to take the gloves Sa-young handed over, paused. The phone in his apron pocket was ringing.
‘Who would contact me at this hour?’
Eui-jae looked at the screen and let out a small, puzzled “Huh?”
[Director Ham Seok-jeong]
Ham Seok-jeong. She had stepped down from her position as Director and was living in seclusion. She and Eui-jae exchanged occasional contact, but still.
‘Did something happen? Did some weird guys cause trouble or something?’
What on earth could warrant a call this late? Eui-jae answered the phone nervously.
“Yes, hello…”
―Eui-jae.
“Yes, go ahead.”
―By any chance, are you thinking of getting a dog?
“Huh? A dog?”
Eui-jae asked back with a dumbfounded face. And he properly adjusted his grip on the phone. From the other side of the phone, Ham Seok-jeong continued in a calm voice.
―I rescued a stray dog, and when I took it to the vet, they said it was pregnant. It gave birth to six puppies.
Listening closely, the sounds of whimpering puppies mixed in from beyond her voice. Six newborn puppies and one mother dog. Seven in total. Puppies would require a lot of care. Eui-jae scratched his cheek.
“That’s a lot… Can you take care of them all by yourself?”
―That’s why I contacted you. I think it’ll be difficult if they grow up here any longer.
Ham Seok-jeong let out a small sigh.
―I was thinking of taking in the mother dog myself, but taking in all the puppies too seems difficult. My knees aren’t good, you see.
Ham Seok-jeong had used a cane until the moment she stepped down from her Director position. She could walk but couldn’t run or jump. Couldn’t Nam Woo-jin have treated her? He had subtly asked Jung-bin, but only got an answer that he wasn’t sure.
Considering the awkward smile he gave when answering, there must be some circumstances…
‘She said she got injured after the West Sea Rift…’
While lost in thought, he heard the sound of her soothing the puppies from the other side of the phone. She asked.
―Could you ask around if anyone you know wants to adopt? I think it’ll be about another month before I can send them. They say it’s not good to separate them from the mother too early.
“Yes, I’ll ask around.”
―Good, thank you.
Ham Seok-jeong’s voice grew distant as if she was about to hang up. Eui-jae hurriedly stopped her.
“Um, would it be okay if I stopped by once?”
She didn’t answer immediately. Eui-jae rambled on to add.
“Ah, it’s not for anything special. Just… I thought I could see the puppies and maybe help with cleaning.”
―…Huhu, alright. You know the address, right?
“Yes, then I’ll stop by briefly over the weekend.”
Eui-jae nodded his head, even though she couldn’t see it, and hung up. Phew, he let out a sigh and put the phone back in his pocket. Sa-young, who had been sweeping the floor with a broom, straightened his back.
“Director Ham Seok-jeong?”
“Yeah.”
“Puppies?”
“Yeah. You heard everything, right? Want to go together tomorrow?”
Sa-young wiggled his black-tipped finger.
“Not until the Poison is gone. The puppies could die.”
Ah, right. Eui-jae smacked his lips in disappointment. Sa-young spun the broom around once and asked.
“Hyung, have you ever raised a dog before?”
“No, never.”
“Hmm… That’s unexpected.”
“Why, did you think I had?”
“Somehow, I thought you might have.”
“My parents didn’t allow it. Said they shed hair. Instead, I often went to a friend’s house who had a dog.”
Suddenly, he felt a gaze staring intently. Eui-jae paused while putting on the rubber gloves and asked.
“Why?”
“No… It’s just, I think it’s the first time I’m hearing about Hyung’s life before your Awakening.”
“…Is that so?”
Eui-jae rubbed the back of his neck. Well, there was no opportunity or reason to talk about it. Sa-young spoke while sweeping the floor.
“Tell me more. I’m curious.”
“What, stories from the old days?”
“Yeah. Stories from before your Awakening.”
Before his Awakening. Eui-jae struggled to recall memories that had sunk deep into the past. Over ten years had passed since the Day of the Rift, and he had deliberately buried his old memories. Longing was Poison, and he thought recalling an irretrievable past was useless.
But…
“What are you curious about?”
“Just, anything is fine. Whether you had this kind of personality back then, what you did for fun, things like that.”
The fact that they could face each other and talk like this in the Hangover Soup Restaurant was all thanks to the help of the past. Memories that, while failures, became the foundation for success.
So, Eui-jae could recall old memories without complicated feelings for the first time in a long while. The young Cha Eui-jae from a time without Rifts, Monsters, or Systems, who was with family and friends.
“Me… I was a kid who liked running around. When I was little, my parents tried to make me a soccer player. Because I kept running around.”
“Youth soccer club? Did you join something like that?”
“Yeah. It was fun. But I quit after elementary school.”
“Why?”
“They said to focus on studying from middle school onwards. Well, I didn’t plan on becoming a pro anyway, so I understood.”
Sa-young narrowed his eyes and went “Hmm.” He looked quite interested.
“Then, in middle school?”
“Played soccer with friends every day, bought ice cream on the way home after, made bets, went to the school store during breaks. I liked hanging out with friends more than studying. Isn’t that natural?”
“Tardiness? Didn’t you do that?”
“Didn’t. I got perfect attendance awards every time I graduated. Never left early once either.”
Eui-jae proudly made a V-sign with two fingers as if to show off. Sa-young chuckled.
“Aha, you were diligent even back then…”
“What about you?”
He had briefly seen memories of the young Lee Sa-young while wandering the desert, but if possible, he wanted to hear it directly from his mouth. Sa-young answered briefly.
“Just, I traveled overseas continuously with my parents. Thanks to that, I don’t really have any memories to speak of… Never stayed anywhere long. One year here, half a year there, one year somewhere else, like that.”
“Hey, what’s that. I blabbered on about everything.”
“It’s the truth.”
“We need a 50:50 split. Talk more.”
“Anyone would think you’re interrogating me. …Ah, I remembered one thing.”
Sa-young tapped his lips and then lifted the corners of his mouth into a smile.
“I was a child model when I was little, apparently. Was on magazine covers, did children’s clothing ads. I don’t remember, though.”
“…Really?”
“If my parents said so, it must be true. But apparently I didn’t last long because my expression was too serious… Child models have to smile brightly, you know. So I got cut.”
Damn, I’m so curious. Eui-jae tightly gripped the earthenware pot and asked.
“…Would it come up if I searched online? Do you remember what magazine? Was it in Korea?”
“No idea. I had even forgotten the fact that I was a child model. Probably Korea.”
Sa-young answered indifferently and went outside the Hangover Soup Restaurant with a dustpan. Eui-jae clutched his head. Damn it, Desert. Why didn’t you show me memories like this instead of memories of that crazy brat beating people up!
…Wait, hold on. He took out his phone. Fortunately, he had connections. The masters of information gathering, the Mackerel Brothers. Eui-jae took off the rubber gloves and rapidly moved his fingers.
: Can you find Sa-young’s past child model photos? Willing to pay any price you name