The angel stared at the hologram blankly.
“Did you see it?” Giant Fist said proudly while crossing his arms. “See? Not a collateral relative but a direct descendant. Moreover, he is Sir Choi Chi-Hyun’s biological brother!”
The angel looked stunned as he shifted his eyes to Chi-Woo and back to the hologram.
“Why…” the angel stuttered as he looked back at Chi-Woo. “Why is he… finally here now…?”
He looked like he couldn’t believe his eyes. Yet, there was no way the information on the hologram was lying.
“I thought you would react like this, so I sent you a message beforehand. Didn’t you get it?”
“Well…I thought you were just asking us to open the door for you like…last time…”
“Ha, seriously?” Giant Fist looked baffled, but he also looked slightly apologetic. “Anyways, are you satisfied now? Can’t you just let us pass considering Sir Choi Chi-Woo’s background?” Giant Fist sounded understanding of the angel’s reaction, but then he shouted, “Did you hear me? Hey!”
The angel finally regained his senses. Chi-Woo stared at him while being smothered by a group of sorebreks, and the angel blinked a couple of times. “That is…” The angel seemed conflicted by the difficult dilemma. “I don’t think I would dare to make a decision in a situation like this.”
“What? Are you saying you won’t open the door for us even after checking Sir Choi Chi-Woo’s identity?”
“No! I am not saying that I won’t open the door!” The angel shook his head nervously; he seemed more concerned about Chi-Woo than he was about Giant Fist and took furtive glances at him. “I lack the authority to make the decision. I will have to report to the higher-ups.”
“But last time…”
“Last time, we received prior notice from our side. But for Sir Choi Chi-Woo…” The angel trailed off, and Giant Fist sighed and glanced sideways at Chi-Woo. “I don’t want to place Sir Choi Chi-Woo in a troublesome situation because of me.”
Chi-Woo didn’t know what was going on, but he made some educated guesses and responded, “It’s okay. Don’t worry about it.”
Hearing Chi-Woo’s response, Giant Fist dropped the issue and said, “Okay, do whatever you need to do. But you have to skip over Laguel.”
“Excuse me?” the angel asked.
“Skip the middle management and notify the very top. If you do that, I’ll wait patiently without complaint. I will also promise to follow the conditions they give.”
At Giant Fist’s reply, the angel tilted his head. “But Angel Laguel is the one in charge of Sir Choi Chi-Hyun’s cases. How could I not notify Angel Laguel when Sir Choi Chi-Hyun’s brother came …?”
“Although Laguel is Sir Choi Chi-Hyun’s personal case manager, she doesn’t manage all cases belonging to the S-3-E’s Choi family. Besides, didn’t you say for yourself that you didn’t receive any prior notice for Sir Choi Chi-Woo, but one for Sir Choi Chi-Hyun? If you are going to make a distinction like that between them, stick to it properly.”
“Hm…I suppose that’s reasonable. I understand. As you say, I’ll send the notice straight to the top. However, you must keep the promise you just made.” The angel relented, thinking that Giant Fist had a point.
“I said I would. Hurry and come back. We’ll be waiting for you.” Giant Fist waved the angel away, but the angel didn’t look at him.
“I apologize, sir.” The angel deeply bowed towards Chi-Woo. “I sincerely apologize for my previous rude behavior. I deserve punishment for the offense I showed you, but…”
“No, it’s fine,” Chi-Woo replied quickly to the angel’s sincere apology. “I would have responded in the same way. I didn’t know anything either.”
Giant Fist puffed out his chest at Chi-Woo’s response, squaring his shoulders evenly while his face gleamed with pride, as if he wanted to show off. ‘See! He is Sir Choi Chi-Hyun’s brother! I brought him here!”
“Ah! As expected…! What an honor, sir! I won’t forget this generosity!” The angel’s face instantly brightened. Then he deeply bowed and said, “I’m very sorry to keep you waiting. I’ll be back with a response as quickly as possible.” Then he hurriedly disappeared into the portal he came out of.
The angel had been wary to let them in, but changed his attitude immediately after checking Chi-Woo’s identity. This made Chi-Woo wonder, “Who exactly am I?” He had an inkling, but it still puzzled him.
“That guy just has a high sense of responsibility,” Giant Fist muttered while letting out a sigh. “Although he’s rigid, he isn’t completely inflexible…so please, don’t think too badly of him, sir.” Giant Fist defended the angel; although they argued, it seemed that their relationship wasn’t so bad.
“Like I said before, it’s fine,” Chi-Woo said, unconcerned. “He responded like a soldier on guard duty if a division commander appeared without prior notice in civilian clothes. I would’ve responded like him in the same circumstance.”
“The situation is almost exactly like how you described, except for one caveat, sir.” Giant Fist smirked. “I rank higher than a division commander.”
Chi-Woo smiled weakly, “But well, I guess I know one thing for sure now.”
“What is it, sir?”
“If everything you said is true…” Chi-Woo stared at Giant Fist. “I feel like I could be an unwelcome existence in the Celestial Realm.”
“That’s certainly not the case,” Giant Fist immediately denied his words. “You simply didn’t know, sir. Since you were neither well-known or actively working, it can’t be helped. Even I wonder why you’ve just been living like a normal person.” Giant Fist continued while clenching his fist. “But it’s not that no one knows of your existence.”
Chi-Woo looked hard at Giant Fist and thought, ‘That’s not what I wanted to ask though.’ What Chi-Woo wanted to ask was why Giant Fist had told the angel to skip over an angel named Laguel—who apparently managed his brother’s case—when notifying about his arrival. It also bothered him that Giant Fist had asked if there was a force threatening him at the café. There were many questions Chi-Woo wanted to ask, but he kept his mouth sealed for now. Although he appeared calm, everything was too new and bizarre, and his head was still in a mess.
“I’ve returned!” They heard an excited cry. After coming out of a portal, the angel recollected his breath and made a bright smile. Then he shouted proudly, “I received permission for your entrance, sir!”
Giant Fist was surprised. “What, already?”
“Yes! When I told them of Sir Choi Chi-Woo’s identity, the issue was handled in an instant!”
“As expected, everything gets solved quickly without that woman’s meddling. Damn, how easy was that…?” Giant Fist murmured. Then he said, “Open the door now. We have a lot to do.”
“Please wait.”
“What? What is it this time?” Giant Fist said angrily, and the angel stretched out his hand without answering. Then another portal like the one the angel had come out from was formed.
“What is that?”
“It’s a portal leading straight to the Celestial Road,” the angel spoke with a smile on his face. “Archangel Raphael wanted to prepare a way for you both to enter without having to pass through all the gates.”
“Raphael? Not Laguel?”
“Yes. Archangel Raphael personally gave me the order.”
“Ha, even the archangel came out of his way to help?” Giant Fist whistled. “Ha ha. They are finally realizing the gravity of the situation. Good. With Raphael, it’s all set in stone now. Thank you for keeping your word.”
“Of course. It’s my honor, sir.” The angel said the last part to Chi-Woo. Overwhelmed by the angel’s sparkling eyes, Chi-Woo gave him a nod before following Giant Fist in. Intense light struck him head on and lit up the surroundings, but it didn’t hurt his eyes. It felt as if he was peacefully walking inside the light. Then, suddenly, he felt a pulling sensation on his belly button.
“Have you arrived?” Simultaneously, he heard Giant Fist’s voice, and the surrounding lights cleared as if they were washing away.
Chi-Woo gasped when he saw the new world before him. A castle erupted upwards without an end in sight. There was a wide path of pure light that led to the center of the castle. Chi-Woo felt an indescribable sense of pressure from the overwhelming sight.
“Well, why don’t we talk a bit while waiting here?” Giant Fist told Chi-Woo.
“Talk?”
“Yes. Even if the higher-ups gave their permission, it takes some time for those below them to get the notice. I bet they are in quite a shock too.” Giant Fist laughed. “So, let’s just kill time by talking. I’m sure you are curious about many things, sir.”
Since he had been waiting for this chance, Chi-Woo took the offer. Like Giant Fist said, the place they were currently at was where heroes from all over the galaxy gathered. Among the heroes, there were very few whose parents were also heroes. The reasons were manifold. In the first place, one had to go through tremendous turmoil and adversities that most couldn’t even imagine to be a hero. Thus, it was unlikely they survived long enough to have children and, more so, for these children to also take the same path as them. Furthermore, even if they were related by blood, there was no guarantee that the children would inherit their parent’s talents and gifts; and as time passed, bloodlines naturally thinned out. Yet there were always rare exceptions, whether by the force of miracles, prophecies, genetics, bloodlines, or other special cases.
Across the galaxy, there were special cases where heroes consistently passed down their traits to their family. The exemplary case was the twelve families lighting up the Celestial Realm. Children belonging to these families were raised as heroes since their birth, and they dedicated their lives to the galaxy’s well-being. Considering their sacrifice and deeds, these twelve families received special treatment in the Celestial Realm.
“Of course, all twelve families deserve all the reverence they get, but there are ranks even among them. Sir Choi Chi-Woo, your family is at the top. They have protected the galaxy for more than a thousand years by dedicating their mind and body to the work and are the elites among the elites. They are definitely not some merchant family.”
“I guess that’s why you were so enraged at the café.”
“As I should! Your family is one that has sacrificed so much for the galaxy for more than a thousand years. If anyone who knew of your family spoke in such a manner, I would have cracked their heads.”
Even after hearing this explanation, Chi-Woo didn’t know what to think. What in the world? To Think that not only his older brother, but his parents, grandparents, great grandparents, great-great grandparents, and generations upon generations before them were all members of a greatly revered family of heroes…
‘This is crazy.’ However, he couldn’t deny it since the scenery in front of him told him otherwise. If all this was the truth, though, Chi-Woo couldn’t understand why he had been the only one to grow up without knowing anything.
Giant Fist glanced at Chi-Woo, who was clutching his head while frowning, and looked forward while raising his hand. He shouted, “Hey!”
Chi-Woo soon saw an angel running towards them. The angel’s white hair was tightly tied back with a round hat that resembled what an ancient Korean official might wear. The monocle on his left eye fit his intelligent appearance and made him look like a scholar. Another notable part about the angel was that he had not just one or two, but three pairs of wings on his back.
“Wow, it’s my first time seeing you running so fast,” Giant Fist addressed the angel rather brashly. “What do you have your wings for? Are you saving them to make some wing soup later?”
“I was in such a hurry that I forgot to. And don’t you know, sir? It’s strictly forbidden for us to fly when welcoming a member of the twelve families anyways.”
The angel began walking as he got closer to Chi-Woo and Giant Fist, a soft smile tugging his lips.
“Huff. Strict ban, my ass! Is there anyone except the Ho Lactea Family that care about such a nonsensical rule? Ain’t I right? Periel?”
The angel named Periel quickly scanned their surroundings. “What do you mean by nonsensical, sir? That’s out of bounds.”
“Out of bounds, how are they out of bounds? Do you think it makes sense to ban you guys from flying, saying that it was unpleasant to have angels looking down on them?”
“They sacrificed so much for this universe. They had done more than enough to make such a small request.”
“Is that so? Then did you come running so frantically because you were trained by the Ho Lactea Family’s greatness?”
Periel made a bitter smile without saying anything, and Giant Fist gave up on making any further sarcastic remarks. “Honestly, I just wanted to see you get frazzled and frantically come here.”
“If that was your intention, sir, you’ve succeeded.”
“It’s regrettable that I couldn’t see it with my own eyes. Anyways, greet him.” Giant Fist let out a low laugh and introduced Chi-Woo. “I was the one who brought him here! He’s Sir Chi-Hyun’s younger brother.” Giant Fist greatly emphasized the ‘I’ part in his sentence.
“Is that so? That person is…” Periel raised his monocle and his eyes glistened. He looked at Chi-Woo like he was looking at a newly discovered ancient ruin.
“You’re well aware of him, right?”
“Yes, of course. I know him very well. After all, he was the only person born in the G-S-3-E’s Choi Family in 10 years, after Sir Chi-Hyun,” Periel murmured in a daze and, after composing himself, deeply bowed. “Sir, I apologize for my late greeting. My name is Periel.”
“Hello,” Chi-Woo greeted the angel back and felt intense pressure because he didn’t know the exact reason why Periel was being so polite to him.
“I’m Choi Chi-Woo.” Even though Chi-Woo said his name several seconds later, Periel did not seem to mind at all; instead, Periel looked extremely touched.
“Sir, now that I look at you like this, it feels very strange. It seems just like yesterday when the entire Celestial Realm held their breaths when you were born…”
They saw him getting born? This instantly piqued his interest, but Periel looked completely immersed in the past, so he couldn’t even think about asking.
“How is it going inside?” At Giant Fist’s question, Periel came back to reality. Unlike before, Periel’s face looked slightly stiff. “It’s not very good.”
“Not very good? Did she intervene or something?”
“Sir, it would be strange for her to not know about his presence when you caused such a scene.”
“Damn it. Did I cause too much of a scene? I should have just quietly gone in.”
“It can’t be helped,” Periel quietly added. “She would have known as soon as you two entered.”
Words that Chi-Woo couldn’t understand at all passed between them.
“So. What should I do?”
“Sir, wait…” Periel lowered his voice and came closer to Giant Fist. They seemed to be whispering something to each other, but Chi-Woo couldn’t hear what they were saying. If everything so far had been real, there was something Giant Fist desperately wanted from him—
which was to help his older brother. There were angels like Periel who were supportive of Chi-Woo entering the Celestial Realm, and there were angels who did not want him to enter. When the conversation between Periel and Giant Fist seemed to be ending, Giant Fist pondered for a bit and turned to Chi-Woo.
Giant Fist asked Chi-Woo, “Sir, would you be able to wait here for a bit? There’s just one thing I need to take care of.”
‘As expected, are things not working out?’ Clearly there were complications preventing things from turning out as Giant Fist hoped. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to cooperate with Giant Fist for now, since it was better for both of them if he quietly watched the situation unfold.
Chi-Woo answered, “Yes. But do I have to wait here?”
“Of course not.”
“Sir, there’s a waiting room.” Periel immediately added onto Giant Fist’s words. With just a flick of his hand, Perial created a portal in the air. After seeing this multiple times, Chi-Woo was now less surprised.
Periel continued, “Sir, since we prepared the waiting room to match the conditions on Earth as much as possible, you should find it comfortable. Sir Gripping Giant Fist and Rising will be coming with me…”
“No. I’ll go with Sir Chi-Woo first. I have something to tell him separately. It won’t take long.”
“Sir, if you’re going to come back soon, I’ll be waiting for you here.”
“I’ll be back soon. Let’s go in, Sir Chi-Woo”
With Giant Fist’s guidance, Chi-Woo pushed his body towards the portal. He was still not used to the feeling of the portal passing through his whole body as lights flickered.
After a while.
“Woah.” Chi-Woo let out his admiration. He admitted that the place he was in was somewhere you could possibly see on Earth.
‘But this is a bit…’ It was the first time he saw such a luxurious penthouse. It would be inadequate to simply describe it as amazing. The penthouse was bigger than most stadiums. After he looked around, Chi-Woo moved towards the terrace to check the outside scenery. He could only see clouds outside the windows.
“Sir, you just have to wait here.” Chi-Woo heard Giant Fist say. “It’s also the exclusive waiting room for the Choi family.”
“An exclusive waiting room?”
“Yes, it’s a special privilege. Only people from the Choi family can use it, but people who are invited can also enter it.” Giant Fist seemed to be suggesting that he had come here several times before, and then he intently looked at Chi-Woo. “Sir, you promised to give me a chance to convince you.” Giant Fist continued as if he was waiting to say this all along. “It’s time for me to keep this promise.”
Giant Fist slowly glanced around their surroundings and let out a deep sigh. “Without further ado, please look around this place,” Giant Fist spoke with slight melancholy in his voice.
Chi-Woo scratched his head. “Are you saying that you’ll be keeping your promise by having me look around this place?”
“Sir, what did I say this place was?”
“The Choi Family’s exclusive waiting room…Ah.”
“The only person who recently used this room was Sir Chi-Hyun. If you’re his family, you would definitely find traces of his presence.”
“…I’ll try looking around.”
“Yes, please do so. I’ll come back as soon as possible, so please just wait a bit.”
“I think you can come back slowly since this place is so big. It’ll take me a while to look everywhere.”
“Thank you. Then, please excuse me.” At Chi-Woo’s reply, Giant Fist made a relieved face and turned away.
Once Giant Fist disappeared into the portal, Chi-Woo began looking around the large waiting room, which he wondered if he should even call it a ‘room’. Then something caught his eyes. The shape of the door knob looked familiar.
‘Should I try going in?’
When Chi-Woo carefully turned the door knob and went into the room, his eyes opened wide.
‘This is…’ The room looked familiar to him. The bed, pillow, blanket, books, and many more were all things he had seen before. Even though Chi-Woo only saw a fraction of the room, he felt a strange sense of déjà vu. When he saw the various pictures posted on the wall, Chi-Woo realized the reason for his déjà vu. The child smiling brightly in the pictures was none other than Chi-Woo himself. Most of the pictures were of Chi-Hyun and Chi-Woo, and there were some pictures of their parents as well. From the left, he saw his brother’s childhood pictures from kindergarten and elementary school. He also saw his baby picture. His brother’s pictures ended after he graduated from elementary school, and from then on, there were only pictures of him.
Chi-Woo stared at the pictures for a while and let out a small sigh. He could finally understand who had used this room. ‘Father… Mother…’
After standing in the room for a while, Chi-Woo turned and left the room. He went around opening doors and exploring the different rooms, coming to a complete halt at one of them. The only thing he saw was a bed, a closet, and one desk. The room was desolate and empty, and it could even be described as bleak. There was only one person who he knew that had only the most necessary items in their personal room.
‘Chi-Hyun.’
Chi-Woo took a few steps inside and opened the closet. There weren’t a lot of clothes; it was instead filled with snacks. Snacks that could be bought in the convenience store were piled up together.
“…” Chi-Woo recalled an old memory as he saw the snacks. It was probably when he was around seven or eight years old. His brother had returned home for a short while, but he said he had to leave soon and made preparations to leave, one of which was to buy snacks he enjoyed eating and fill his closet with snacks without eating them. When Chi-Woo saw the snacks, he had childishly pestered his brother to give him some.
Surprisingly, his brother had firmly refused, saying he could never give them away and told Chi-Woo to not even think about touching the snacks while he was gone. In the end, their parents had thrown Chi-Woo a few snacks after he kept crying and harassing them.
[So stingy. He has so much. Why can’t he share?]
And then, what had his brother said in reply?
[It’s not because I can’t share them. It’s because I want to come back.]
[I can’t eat snacks like this over there.]
[When I get tired sometimes, I think of these snacks and gain strength.]
[It’s because I want to eat them. I know; it’s ridiculous.]
And Chi-Woo recalled the last words his brother had said.
[You’re able to eat them whenever you want to.]
Why did he suddenly think of these words? When he was young, he couldn’t understand his brother’s words. When he got older, he had thought that his brother had gone to a very strict dormitory. He had believed his parents’ explanation. But if all he saw today were true…
Chi-Woo closed the closet. He didn’t know why but…he didn’t want to look at the snacks anymore. Anyway, he now understood Giant Fist’s words. He could definitely find traces of his family in this room and his parent’s room. Chi-Woo still had been partly skeptical of this whole situation, but it was slowly becoming more real. It was at that moment.
—Hey…! Wait…!
He heard a sound from far away. Chi-Woo pricked his ears up, but the sound was quickly getting louder. It was when he realized that the sound was of a woman and a man—
Slam!
The door flung open. A foot covered by white robes stepped inside.