The streetlights brightly illuminated the surroundings.
Inside the streetlights, golden lights were shining.
It seemed that the theme color of this year’s birth festival was gold—the same color as my eyes, horns, and tail.
When I asked where my older sister and elder sister had gone, Mom glanced at them once before speaking again.
“Purple and gray lights aren’t very pretty, are they?”
“Right, right.”
“Yeah, they’re not pretty.”
Since Mom, my older sister, and my elder sister nodded in agreement and told me so, I just kind of accepted it.
Recalling that memory, I sat down with a plop on the bench beside the fountain.
But as soon as I sat down, I felt like lying down.
Unable to resist, I sprawled out on the white bench and gazed up at the night sky.
Maybe because the surroundings were so bright, I couldn’t see any stars.
But the sounds of crickets chirping and people chatting here and there weren’t unpleasant.
“Minho, your clothes will get dirty.”
“It’s fine.”
“M-Minho…”
It seemed like Emila wanted to act like a responsible older sister, so she approached me to stop me.
Lying down on the bench was definitely not the most appropriate thing to do, but I was too tired to care, so I just let her words go in one ear and out the other.
Seeing that, Emila puffed up her cheeks in disapproval and suddenly started ruffling my hair.
“Ahhh!”
“How’s that? Don’t you feel like getting up now?”
“I’m sleepy. But Emila, you’re so kind.”
For a moment, Emila looked at me with a touched expression before quickly returning to her usual blank face.
“…I’ll lend you my lap.”
“Huh? But didn’t you say it’s dirty?”
“It’s fine if it’s Minho.”
She seemed a little embarrassed, her face even turning red, but she sat down on the bench and gently patted my head.
The bench was quite large, so even with me lying down and her sitting, there was still some space left.
My tail, feeling excited, wagged happily.
Had it been about five minutes?
“Sis~ where are Mom and Dad?”
My older sister, the only one standing and looking out for Mom and Dad, suddenly looked around in confusion.
“Huh? What’s going on? Mom and Dad are running a bit late.”
Saying that, she turned toward our bench, then furrowed her brows as if annoyed.
“What are you two doing right now?”
“…Bonding with Minho.”
“Mmm, Emila is warm, so it feels nice to be close.”
My older sister walked over to us, glanced at Emila once, then turned away with a huff.
“…Yuri?”
“…Hmph!”
—Glance.
Then she stole another glance at Emila.
Emila only tilted her head in confusion and smiled brightly.
I could only stare at my sister in shock—was she acting cute?
She was beautiful, sure… but we had lived together for so long.
And for a third of that time, she had taken care of me like a mother, so I just couldn’t picture her acting this way.
My sister briefly flinched when she noticed me staring, but she quickly puffed up her cheeks again.
“Yuri, what’s wrong?”
“…Ahem! Ahem!”
When Emila asked her, Yuri pointed to her head.
“Ah. Sorry, I wasn’t paying attention.”
“…Heheh.”
Realizing late, Emila apologized and patted Yuri’s head.
Only then did my sister make a satisfied expression and flash a victorious V-sign at me.
Seeing her like that, I couldn’t help but chuckle.
It was refreshing to see a side of her I hadn’t witnessed since childhood.
“…I miss Mom.”
As old memories surfaced, those words slipped out without me realizing.
Emila smiled, saying we’d see her soon, but I could only return a hesitant smile in response.
Only my sister, the only one who truly understood the meaning behind my words, gave a bittersweet smile.
And at that moment—
“Kids! I’m so sorry, I made you wait too long.”
From a distance, Mom came running toward us, her hair slightly disheveled.
Behind her, Dad stood, watching us with a warm gaze.
I looked at her and thought to myself—
‘…I miss them, but… I have a new life now…’
‘Is it really right for me to keep holding on to Mom and Dad like this?’
I closed my eyes and reflected.
They would surely want me to be happy.
They were like my real parents.
But now, it was time to stop searching for them in reality.
I wasn’t forgetting them.
They would always be my saviors.
But now, I had real parents—ones who shared my blood, ones who never left me.
Mom and Dad would surely be happy for me.
Finishing that thought, I opened my eyes and looked ahead.
“Our youngest!”
“Mom!”
Right in front of me was a mother who loved me.
Beside her was a father who cherished me.
And at my sides, two strong and dependable sisters stood.
‘…Minho, it’s time to let go.’
Goodbye, Lee Minho. Goodbye, Han Minho.
I had gained a new life and a new family.
But up until now, I felt like my past self had never fully accepted them.
The remnants of my past self lingered too strongly, unconsciously rejecting my new reality.
It was time to acknowledge and embrace my new life.
Goodbye, Han Minho.
With that decision made, I ran into my mother’s embrace.
“…I love you!”
“…!!”
Thinking back, I had never truly said those words to my mother here.
Before, whenever I said ‘I love you,’ it was always without emotion, just words spoken out of habit.
But running into her arms and saying it with sincerity—
That took more courage than I expected.
Since I had decided to say goodbye to my past self, I took a big step forward.
“…Mom loves you too…!”
Did my feelings reach her?
Noticing something different, Mom hesitated for a moment before pulling me into a tight hug, her voice filled with emotion.
As warmth spread through my heart—
“Ah, look!”
Next to me, my excited sister—no, Yuri—pointed up at the sky.
—BOOM!!!
A burst of fireworks lit up the night sky, reflecting the figures of me, Emila, and Yuri.
Even the darkness and scattered stars were pushed away by the dazzling light.
And as the fireworks faded, glowing words appeared in the sky—
—BOOM!!!
[Thank you for becoming my family.]
As the three of us stood there, dumbfounded by the glowing words in the sky, Mom and Dad pulled us into a tight embrace and spoke.
“This is what we’ve always wanted to say to you.”
“…Truly, thank you…”
One after another, Dad and Mom expressed their gratitude, and the three of us couldn’t help but giggle.
“Uuuu….”
“El?!”
But then, Mom suddenly burst into tears.
“I’m just… too happy.”
Seeing her like that, we all hugged her tightly.
She must have gone through so much—pushing her weakened body to prepare for the festival while also worrying about us.
Holding her close, I once again told her, from the bottom of my heart, that I loved her.
It was meant to calm her down, but instead, she got even more emotional and cried even harder.
And then, after finally managing to soothe Mom, Dad started whining that he wanted the same treatment, so we had to go through it all over again.
After telling Dad I loved him too, our family stood together, watching the brilliant fireworks explode in the sky.
Gray, red, blue, purple, gold.
The colors representing our family burst in vibrant, dazzling displays, marking the festival’s grand finale.
Everyone stood still, gazing up at the glowing fireworks, cherishing the moment with their loved ones.
Some embraced their partners.
A child, complaining about not being able to see, was lifted onto his father’s shoulders.
Beside them, a mother smiled warmly as she fed her child a snack.
Young couples, dressed in academy uniforms, shyly held hands.
A woman nervously confessed her feelings to a man.
A man, in turn, confessed to a woman.
Rather than focusing on the beautiful fireworks, Minho found himself observing the people and how they reacted to the spectacle.
Laughter and joy filled the air as everyone gazed up at the sky together.
And right beside him, his beloved family was doing the same—watching, smiling, and even shedding tears.
—BOOM!
—BANG!
The fireworks were so loud that all other sounds faded into the background.
At that moment, Minho finally turned his gaze toward the sky.
“Minho—”
“?!”
Somehow, Yuri had snuck up behind him and covered his ears, whispering something.
But Minho had no idea what she had said.
After finishing her words, Yuri flashed a mischievous grin before pulling her hands away.
The rest of their family, who had apparently heard everything, were now watching them with fond smiles.
“What did you say?!”
“Se~cret!”
Yuri playfully pressed her index finger against her lips and smirked.
Still confused, Minho simply grabbed her outstretched hand with his small fingers and held it tightly.
Seeing that, Yuri’s expression softened, and she leaned in to whisper in his ear.
“…Just, thank you.”
“…?”
The sudden words left Minho puzzled.
Blushing, Yuri quickly hid behind Elsess.
Watching the whole scene unfold, Minho couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
Looking at the joyful people around him, he realized something—
He had been searching for happiness in far-off places, when in reality, it had been right beside him all along.
Turning to his family, he declared,
“I am the happiest person—no! The happiest dragon in the world today!”
And at that very moment—
—Fwoooosh!
—BOOM!!!
The final firework soared into the sky and exploded into a heart shape, marking the end of the festival.
As the crowds slowly dispersed to clean up after the festivities, Minho watched the scene.
Some might have found it a little lonely.
But not Minho.
Even this moment felt warm to him.
Still grinning, he climbed onto Dad’s shoulders as they headed home.
After all, today, Minho had been the happiest dragon in the world.
‘…Today is the day I was reborn.’
Later that night, just before falling asleep, Minho changed into his pajamas and clenched his small fist, pressing it to his chest as if holding onto something precious.
[Congratulations, Minho.]
[Sorry for making you go through so much, Minho.]
Under the blessings of gold and the moon, Minho drifted off to sleep with a peaceful, happy smile.
Awesome chapter