Shortly after Ju-Hee left, the quiet atmosphere of the hospital room was broken again.
*Knock, knock.*
The door cracked open, and a familiar, trembling voice echoed into the room.
"Jinwoo…?"
Jinwoo turned his head, his eyes immediately softening. Standing hesitantly in the doorway was his younger sister, Sung Jinah. She was still wearing her school uniform outlining her hot figure, her backpack slipping off one shoulder. Her small frame was shaking, and her eyes were red, swollen from days of crying.
"Jinah…" he whispered, a tight knot forming in his throat.
He remembered the foreign memories that had flooded him in the dungeon—the image of her studying late into the night, carrying the weight of their mother's hospital bills and his constant, near-fatal injuries.
Before he could say another word, she dropped her bag and ran forward, throwing herself into his arms. She clung to him desperately, burying her tear-streaked face into his chest as a loud, heart-wrenching sob tore from her throat.
"I was so scared… I thought I'd lost you!" she cried, her fingers gripping his hospital gown like a lifeline. "I thought… I really thought I'd never see you again!"
Jinwoo wrapped his arms around her, holding her gently but firmly. His heart ached at the sheer terror radiating from her small frame. For a teenager to carry this much anxiety every time her brother went to work... it was too cruel.
> "It's okay… I'm here now," he said softly, resting his chin on top of her head. "I'm fine, Jinah."
She pressed closer, shuddering against him. "I can't… I can't even imagine what you went through. When the Association called… they told me almost everyone died. You scared me so much, Jinwoo…"
He slowly rubbed her back, offering every ounce of comfort he possessed. "It's over now. You don't have to worry anymore. I'm safe."
As he held her, his gaze shifted toward the glowing blue System window still floating faintly in the corner of his vision. His eyes narrowed with silent resolve.
"And I'll keep getting stronger,"* he promised, both to her and to himself. "So nothing like that ever happens to us again."
Jinah tightened her grip, terrified that if she let go, he might disappear. "Don't ever leave me like that again… please…"
Jinwoo's chest tightened. He closed his eyes and offered a warm, reassuring smile that she couldn't see, but could feel in the steady rhythm of his heart.
"I won't. I promise," he murmured, his voice laced with an unshakable vow. "I'll always come back to you. I will protect our family, no matter what."
For a long time, the two simply remained like that—clinging to one another in the quiet hospital room, letting the lingering fear wash away, leaving only the profound relief that they were still together.