The following afternoon, Joo-Hee stepped out of her apartment, ready to visit Jin-Woo.
Before leaving, she made sure to use two-thirds of her mana to accelerate the growth of the Mindbloom Herb.
Half an hour later, she arrived at Jin-Woo's apartment building.
As she approached, she spotted Jin-Woo standing near the entrance, dressed in a sweatshirt.
He waved at her from afar, and she smiled, waving back before walking up to him.
"Did you wait long?" she asked with a smile.
Jin-Woo shook his head in response as he proceeded to ask, "So, are you okay now? I'm sorry I wasn't able to visit you at the hospital. The Association didn't allow me, and I've been busy leveling up these past few days."
Joo-Hee waved off his concern, "Nah, don't worry about it. I've already fully recovered. I just need some practice with my new abilities—they're still a bit unstable, you see."
"I see..." Jin-Woo nodded as they continued their conversation while heading up to his apartment.
When they reached the door, Joo-Hee was immediately greeted by a tight hug from Jin-Ah.
"Unnieee! Are you okay now?" Jin-Ah asked, her voice full of concern. "Oppa was really worried when he heard about your situation—"
Before she could continue, Jin-Woo coughed and quickly pushed his sister away, looking a bit embarrassed.
"Just focus on cooking already. Our guest is here, and don't spout nonsense," he muttered. "Go!"
Joo-Hee chuckled at the siblings' playful bickering.
Turning to Jin-Woo, she grinned.
"So... you were worried about me, Jin?" she teased. "Don't worry, this big sister here is perfectly fine now."
She playfully patted his back.
Jin-Woo frowned, muttering, "What big sister..."
Then, as if realizing something, he gave her a curious look, "Now that I think about it, Joo-Hee, why do you keep shortening my name? Sometimes you call me 'Woo,' and now you're calling me 'Jin'?"
As they stepped inside and removed their shoes, Joo-Hee smiled and answered, "What do you mean why? It just sounds cute that way."
Jin-Woo blinked, looking utterly baffled, "C-cute...?"
What he didn't realize was that shortening names had always been a habit of hers back in the real world—she always called her friends by nicknames.
But Jin-Woo didn't know this and completely misunderstood.
His face slightly heated up as he covered it with his hand, thinking, 'So… calling me 'Jin' or 'Woo' sounds cute to her? H-how could she say something so bold…?'
When he finally raised his head, he caught sight of Jin-Ah peeking from behind a wall, barely holding in her giggles as she eavesdropped.
Her shoulders trembled as she covered her mouth, whispering excitedly to herself, "Yes! It won't be long now before I have a sister-in-law~!"
Jin-Woo's sharp glare shot straight at her, almost piercing through, making her squeak before dashing back into the kitchen.
Shaking his head, he walked toward the living room with Joo-Hee, sneaking curious glances at her as they chatted about their lives and systems—careful to keep anything too suspicious from Jin-Ah's ears.
...
Before long, Jin-Ah called out, "Oppa, unnie, lunch is ready!"
At those words, Joo-Hee's eyes practically sparkled.
This was her first time having an authentic homemade Korean meal.
Back at her own place, she mostly cooked Filipino dishes—the ones she was familiar with from her past life.
As she stood up to follow them into the kitchen, something caught her attention.
A framed family photo on a nearby shelf.
It showed a younger Jin-Woo and Jin-Ah, standing alongside their mother and father, all of them smiling.
Joo-Hee stared at it for a moment, her gaze lingering on the younger Jin-Woo.
'So this was him as a kid… He looked so scrawny,' she mused with a soft chuckle.
Then, her eyes drifted to the woman standing beside him.
She recalled what she knew from the novel—Jin-Woo would one day create the Elixir of Life to save her.
But a thought nagged at the back of her mind, 'Is that really the only way to wake someone from Eternal Slumber? Wouldn't balancing the mana within one's body help as well? After all, the sickness occurs due to wild mana rampaging inside brought by the dungeons and magical beasts…'
Her fingers unconsciously brushed the edge of the frame as she fell deep into thought.
Soon, she snapped out of her thoughts when she heard Jin-Woo calling her.
"Joo-Hee, are you coming? Lunch is ready."
She placed the family photo back on the shelf and replied, "I'm coming, Jin-Woo."
As she walked toward the dining table, her mind drifted again.
'Sung Suho... At this point, if I keep interfering with how this worldview works, will I even get to see his son? Or will the chance of him being born vanish like the wind?'
A twinge of guilt crept in as she thought, 'I mean, do I really need the protagonist to continue living in this world? If I keep altering things, won't I end up changing everything?'
'Not that I care, but that photo really made me realize there's more to their life. After all, I'm just an extra in this world, someone destined to disappear when the story ends.'
Her eyes soon landed on the dishes spread before her—kimchi stew, japchae, and a variety of side dishes.
It was a sight she had only ever seen on television before.
She then let out a small sigh, pushing the thoughts aside, and instead smiled warmly. "The food looks amazing~ Thank you, Jin-Ah, for inviting me!"
The moment she took her first bite, her eyes sparkled with delight.
The rich, savory kimchi stew burst with flavor, the spice perfectly balanced.
"What's with this? It tastes incredible!" she exclaimed.
Jin-Ah grinned, puffing out her chest proudly, "See, Oppa? Didn't I tell you unnie would love my cooking? Now, why don't you praise me too?"
She turned to Jin-Woo expectantly.
Jin-Woo, unimpressed, scoffed. "Joo-Hee, don't compliment her too much, or her head will get even bigger."
"How can you say that right in front of me?!" Jin-Ah pouted dramatically.
Joo-Hee chuckled at their antics. "Haha, you two are really close. I'm a little jealous."
She was reminded of her past life—when she was still Jake Garcia.
She used to bicker with her own siblings over the smallest things, just like this.
It was a memory worth cherishing.
The meal continued, filled with warmth and laughter.
Once they finished eating, Joo-Hee insisted on washing the dishes as a way to thank them for the meal.
It took a long time to convince both Jin-Woo and Jin-Ah to let her help, but eventually, they relented.
As she stood at the sink, scrubbing the plates, Jin-Woo suddenly appeared beside her.
"Joo-Hee, I'll help. You really don't have to do this. You're a guest today."
Joo-Hee laughed lightly. "It's okay, really. This is nothing compared to your sister cooking the entire meal. I'm just grateful you both took the time to invite me into your home."
Jin-Woo paused for a moment before nodding, then grabbed a dish towel to help dry the plates.
A comfortable silence settled between them as they worked together in quiet harmony.
Breaking the silence, Joo-Hee spoke up. "Jin-Woo?"
"Hmm?" Jin-Woo responded without looking up.
She hesitated for a moment before continuing. "This might sound sudden, but… what do you think about fate?"
Jin-Woo glanced at her, slightly caught off guard. "Fate?"
"I mean, we've been through a lot these past few months, and there's a good chance we'll experience even more. Do you think… you have what it takes to defy a predestined fate?"
Jin-Woo mulled over her words before answering.
"Well, I can't say for sure. Fate hasn't exactly been kind to me either. But if you ask me… I'll just keep moving forward and destroy anything that stands in my way."
He shrugged. "It's not like we get to live peacefully every day. Our systems—they're an opportunity, but they come at a cost. Maybe even that is predestined by the world itself. The price of power is having to fight for it."
Joo-Hee stared down at the spoon she was washing. 'Already predestined by the world, huh...?'
She let out a quiet sigh as she pondered. 'But what about me? Was this fate too? Was my arrival in this world something dictated by the laws of my real world? This is needlessly confusing…'
She turned back to Jin-Woo with a small smile. "I see... You know what? I really envy you, Jin-Woo. Your willpower is incredible. I wish I could be like that someday."
Jin-Woo scoffed lightly. "Well... I have a lot to protect. I don't really have a choice but to move forward."
Joo-Hee paused at his words. 'Things to protect…?'
Ever since she arrived in this world, she had been so obsessed with staying close to Jin-Woo like it was an instinct, an unshakable command imprinted in her mind.
But was that really the right thing to do? Was it even worth it?
'What I need now is a reason, a real reason, to move forward.'
For Jin-Woo, it was his family.
For her… it was going home.
To see her family again.
She exhaled softly, setting the last dish aside. 'Alright, that's enough thinking for today. I still need to visit the Association later.'