The tension had been building for weeks. His phone had buzzed relentlessly with texts, missed calls, and voicemail messages from his father. For three years, Jae-Min had ignored them all—had let the messages pile up like an unspoken accusation. But now, after years of running from his past, the day had come when he could no longer ignore it.

It was a rare Saturday evening in New York, and Jae-Min was finishing up a proposal for an upcoming investment meeting. His mind was sharp, the fatigue a familiar weight he had long since embraced. But as his phone lit up on the desk—yet another missed call from Seung-Hyun—he couldn’t help but feel a shift in the air, a nagging presence he could no longer avoid.

He had been preparing for this day in the back of his mind for some time. His father had made it clear that this was no longer a matter of choice. If Jae-Min refused to return on his own, Seung-Hyun would drag him back to Korea by any means necessary. The threat was subtle at first, but then it escalated—texts, calls, even a few lawyers who had reached out, subtly advising him that his return was imminent.

Jae-Min’s fingers hovered over the screen of his phone, his jaw tightening. He had changed. He had worked for everything he had built in these three years. He had rebuilt himself into someone entirely different, someone who could never be defined by the man who had left Korea so long ago.

But even as his reflection in the glass told him he had become someone unrecognizable, the weight of his family’s expectations remained. He had refused to bend to them for so long, but the time had come to face the truth—his father’s pressure was undeniable. And no matter how much he had changed, there was still that deep-seated feeling that he could never escape his family.

He unlocked the phone, scrolling to his father’s latest message.

"Jae-Min, this is your last warning. Come back now, or I will send someone for you. Your behavior has cost us enough."

Jae-Min’s lips curled into a bitter smile. The same man who had written him off as a failure, the same man who had pushed him aside when he had nothing to offer—was now demanding his return. For what? To continue the same cycle of expectations, disappointments, and cold indifference?

He stared at the message for a few seconds longer before typing his response.

"I’ll come back myself. But not for you. Not for your approval. Just… to stop this game. See you soon, Father."

His fingers hovered over the screen for a moment, as if doubting himself. But he pressed ‘send’ before he could change his mind.

He had done this on his own terms, not for his family, not for their wealth or expectations. He had learned everything he could, achieved everything he had ever wanted, and now—he would return. On his own terms.

Three years had passed since he left, and in those years, Jae-Min had completely shed the persona of the playboy heir. There was no more drinking, no more partying, no more distractions. He was a man of purpose now.

But in his heart, there remained the quiet ache of his past. His ex-fiancé, Soo-Ah, had married someone else. Her absence was a constant reminder of everything he had failed to be. He could feel the weight of that failure press on him more than any family obligation ever could.

But this—this return to Korea—wasn’t about her. This was about him. About showing his father, his family, and the world that he was no longer the failure they had once dismissed. He had risen above their expectations.

Jae-Min packed his things with methodical precision. His passport, his wallet, his phone—everything he needed to begin this next chapter was in his bag.

And as he stepped out of his apartment and made his way to the airport, the reality of his return settled in. There was no going back. There was no escaping what was coming.

As the plane soared into the sky, he closed his eyes, the roar of the engines a soothing reminder of the strength he had built. He was 25 now. A different person than the one who had left Seoul in shame.

He had no idea what awaited him back home. But he was ready to face it. Ready to confront the ghosts of his past and the family who had abandoned him in their own way.