Chapter 42: Barbeque Party

The soft chime of a message notification broke the peaceful morning silence.

Seo-woo stretched lazily on his bed, still a bit drowsy from last night's emotional talk with his father, and it was almost 9 a.m. He glanced at his phone and saw a message from his triplets' homeroom teacher, Mr. Lee.

🔹 Mr. Lee: Good morning, Mr. Ryu. I noticed that Seo-min, Seo-jin, and Seo-jun aren't in school today. Is everything alright?

Seo-woo jolted up. Oh. Right.

With all the chaos of moving and the unexpected family gathering, he had completely forgotten to inform the school! He quickly typed back an apology.

🔹 Seo-woo: I'm really sorry, Mr. Lee! We had to move houses unexpectedly, so we were busy packing. I should've informed you earlier.

Almost immediately, another message popped up.

🔹 Mr. Lee: Ah, I see! I was just a little concerned. Will you be transferring them to a school closer to your new home?

Seo-woo hesitated for a moment. That was a logical suggestion. Their new house was a bit far from the school, and it would take extra effort for the triplets to get there every morning.

Seo-woo said unintentionally, "... transferring them to other schools near our new home? Hmmm..."

But—

"Dad!"

Seo-woo turned to see the three little faces of his children, peeking from the now-open door with suspiciously attentive ears.

"We're not transferring schools, right?!" Seo-jin demanded.

Seo-woo sighed, smiling helplessly. "No, I wasn't planning to—"

Before he could even finish, the triplets ran down the stairs, cheering loudly.

"Yes! I knew Dad wouldn't betray us!" Seo-min pumped his fist in victory.

Seo-woo blinked. "Betray—what?"

Seo-jun crossed his arms, nodding sagely. "Good choice, Dad. We cannot leave our classmates, especially Tae-bin."

"And Jae-hoon too!" Seo-jin added excitedly. "He just became our friend!"

"Right, right!" Seo-min chuckled, then dramatically wiped away a fake tear. "Imagine if we left. Poor Jae-hoon, all alone at the bottom of the rankings..."

Seo-woo burst out laughing. "Seo-min, that's not very nice!"

Seo-min shrugged. "It's the truth. He always gets last place in class. There's no way he'll surpass me, so I don't have to worry."

Seo-woo shook his head, amused. "Still, be nice to your friend."

He turned back to his phone and typed a reply.

🔹 Seo-woo: No, they won't be transferring. The triplets are very attached to their school and friends, especially Tae-bin and Jae-hoon. They also promised not to be late, even if it meant waking up extra early.

🔹 Mr. Lee: That's great to hear! The class will definitely miss them if they leave. It's almost summer break, so I think their classmates will miss them if they are transferring to another school.

Seo-woo put his phone down and smiled to himself. Summer, huh?

That gave him an idea.

A beach trip with his triplets!

It had been a long time since he had seen the ocean, and now that he had a new life, he wanted to make as many precious memories with his children as possible. Their photo album was already growing thick, but the more memories, the better!

He was so lost in thought that he didn't notice three pairs of mischievous eyes staring at him.

"Dad~" Seo-min sang sweetly, creeping closer.

"Why are you smiling like that?" Seo-jin asked, suspicious.

"Are you planning something fun without us?" Seo-jun narrowed his eyes.

Seo-woo chuckled, shaking his head. "Nothing yet, but I was just thinking about summer vacation."

The triplets immediately perked up.

"Are we going somewhere fun?!"

Seo-woo smirked. "Maybe."

Before the triplets could interrogate him further, he quickly changed the subject.

"Oh, by the way, Mr. Lee sent me pictures of the class activities you missed."

At that, the triplets froze.

There was a moment of silence. Then—

"NOOOO! WE MISSED SCHOOLWORK?!"

Like a sudden storm, the triplets sprinted to their room, flinging open their bedroom door.

"Where's my bag?! I need my homework!" Seo-jin panicked.

"I will NOT let Tae-bin get a better score than me!" Seo-jun declared dramatically.

"Hurry! Hurry! No slacking!" Seo-min clapped his hands like a coach at training camp.

Seo-woo just sat there, watching the chaos unfold.

"...They're really competitive, huh?" he muttered to himself, laughing.

It looked like summer vacation would be very interesting.

The morning air was filled with the scent of fresh coffee and the distant sound of cars leaving the Ryu estate. One by one, the family members left for their respective responsibilities.

Seo-woo's father, Ryu Woo-hyuk, had a strict routine. Even after their emotional conversation last night, he remained the same—a man of discipline and dedication. As the chairman of Ryu Holdings, he had to ensure that everything in their family's diverse businesses ran smoothly. As always, he left early, wearing a suit that screamed authority. His assistant trailed behind him, updating him on the day's schedule.

Meanwhile, Hyun-woo, the eldest brother, was heading straight to his law firm. As the CEO of Ryu & Associates, one of the top corporate law firms in the country, his workload was endless. Legal battles, contract negotiations, and high-profile clients—Hyun-woo thrived in the chaos. But before leaving, he ruffled Seo-woo's hair and gave Ji-woo a meaningful glance, which she completely ignored.

Jung-woo, their younger brother, was the most reluctant to leave. He sat on the couch, sipping his third cup of coffee, clearly stalling.

"I could stay for another day," Jung-woo said, leaning back dramatically.

"No, you can't," Ji-woo deadpanned.

Jung-woo groaned. "But Busan is so far."

Seo-woo chuckled. "That's the point of a 'business trip,' Jung-woo. You can't manage a construction company from the couch."

Jung-woo sighed. As the Vice President of Ryu Engineering & Construction, he was in charge of site inspections, project expansions, and land acquisitions. Their company specializes in high-rise buildings, commercial centers, and smart cities, making them one of the leading firms in the industry. The trip to Busan was to survey a large plot of land for a future eco-friendly residential project.

"Alright, alright, I'm going," Jung-woo finally said, standing up and stretching. "Don't miss me too much."

"Yeah, we'll cry every night," Ji-woo said sarcastically, waving him off.

Jung-woo gave a lazy salute and walked out, leaving the house feeling a little quieter.

Ji-woo plopped down on the couch beside Seo-woo and stretched. "Finally, some peace and quiet."

Before Seo-woo could respond, she suddenly turned to him with narrowed eyes.

"By the way," she said, leaning closer. "What was that message you sent me last night?"

Seo-woo blinked. Oh. That.

He had messaged her something vague like: "Hey, guess what? You're getting married soon. Congrats. 😂"

But last night was chaotic, so she hadn't had the chance to ask, and she thought his oppa had sent a message incorrectly. Now, she became curious and was demanding answers.

Seo-woo grinned mischievously. "Oh, right! It was hilarious."

Ji-woo raised an eyebrow. "...That doesn't sound reassuring."

Seo-woo leaned back against the couch, still grinning. "Remember when I met a client last time?"

Ji-woo nodded. "The one who wanted to call you to meet?"

"Yeah, his mother suddenly barged into the private room while we were talking."

Ji-woo frowned. "Wait, what?"

"And then," Seo-woo continued, biting back laughter, "she suddenly declared that 'a daughter from the Ryu family' would be her son's date."

Ji-woo froze.

"...Excuse me?"

Seo-woo burst out laughing. "She basically volunteered you for a date."

Ji-woo's mouth fell open.

"What kind of 18th-century matchmaking nonsense is that?!" she yelled.

She immediately pulled out her phone and called Hyun-woo. It rang twice before her eldest brother picked up.

🔹 Hyun-woo: "What's wrong? It's early."

🔹 Ji-woo: "Oppa. Explain. Why am I suddenly being offered a date?"

There was silence on the other end.

🔹 Hyun-woo: "...Oh. That."

Ji-woo scowled. "Yes. That."

🔹 Hyun-woo: "I forgot to tell you. Madam Choi visited the company as a guest speaker. She suddenly started talking about her son and asked if you'd meet him."

Ji-woo pressed her fingers to her temple. Madam Choi? That name sounded familiar.

🔹 Ji-woo: "And who is her son?"

🔹 Hyun-woo: "Min-ho."

Ji-woo choked on air.

"CHOI MIN-HO?!" she shouted, making Seo-woo laugh harder.

🔹 Hyun-woo: "Yeah."

Ji-woo wanted to scream. Choi Min-ho was one of the richest heirs in the country, belonging to the Choi Group, which owned luxury hotels, high-end brands, and elite restaurants. He owns one of the top five entertainment industries. He was known for his cold personality, and every tabloid had news about him every month competing with Moon Woo-seok.

🔹 Ji-woo: "Why would Madam Choi think we'd be a good match?!"

🔹 Hyun-woo: "Because you're a Ryu."

🔹 Ji-woo: "That's not a reason!"

🔹 Hyun-woo: "Madam Choi thinks he needs to 'settle down.'"

Ji-woo slumped back against the couch. "Great. So now I'm some kind of 'stabilizing influence' for a chaotic rich heir."

Seo-woo patted her shoulder. "Min-ho's actually not that bad. He's kind of funny sometimes."

Ji-woo shot him a glare. "You're not helping."

Seo-woo just laughed.

Ji-woo sighed deeply. "Ugh. Fine. I'll agree to meet him."

🔹 Hyun-woo: "Really?"

🔹 Ji-woo: "Yeah, but only to tell him in person that I'm not marrying him."

Seo-woo snickered. "Famous last words."

Ji-woo pointed a finger at him. "If this goes wrong, I'm blaming you."

Seo-woo just grinned wider.

This summer was going to be very interesting.

Seo-woo rubbed his eyes, wondering if he was seeing things. But no—the status window floating in front of him was real.

━━ [Status Window: Ryu Ji-woo] ━━

🔹 Age: 20

🔹 Talent Skills: Singing, Business Management, Strategic Thinking, Negotiation

🔹 Health Status: Excellent (but prone to stress when overworked)

🔹 Financial Status: Wealthy (Self-sustaining through investments)

🔹 Weaknesses: Easily flustered when personal matters are involved, Avoids emotional conversations, Struggles with expressing affection

━━ [End of Status Window] ━━

Seo-woo stared at the last part and chuckled. "Struggles with expressing affection? No wonder she was so awkward last night when Dad apologized."

This must be the hidden bonus reward from the system, unlocked after completing the special family quest last night. Now, he could see other people's strengths and weaknesses—a skill that could be extremely useful when dealing with new people, especially once he started working at Min-ho's company.

Just as he was about to check more details, the status window disappeared, and he sighed. So, it only appears when needed? That's fair.

Since it was still early in the day, he decided to wash himself and head to the bathroom. But on his way, he spotted the large swimming pool in the backyard. The water sparkled under the sunlight, almost calling out to him.

His eyes lit up with an idea.

Seo-woo turned on his heel and headed straight to the triplets' room. He knocked twice before peeking inside.

The triplets were sitting at a small table, fully focused on their schoolwork. Their brows were furrowed in determination as they scribbled answers into their workbooks.

Seo-woo smiled proudly. Look at them, so hardworking.

But... that just meant he had to reward them, right?

"Ahem." Seo-woo cleared his throat, gaining their attention.

The triplets looked up at him, pencils still in their hands.

"Since you guys finished your schoolwork early," Seo-woo said, grinning mischievously, "how about we go for a swim?"

The triplets' eyes widened.

"Really?!" Seo-min shouted excitedly.

Seo-woo nodded. "Not just swimming—we'll have a barbecue party too."

"Barbecue?!" Seo-jin and Seo-jun gasped at the same time.

"Yup," Seo-woo confirmed. "Auntie Ji-woo and Auntie Eun-ha will join us (soon), and we'll invite your cousins too."

Seo-woo knew that his kids were a bit shy when it came to interacting with their other family members, especially their cousins. But this could be a perfect chance for them to bond.

The triplets looked at each other, their minds working in sync.

Seo-jun, the most logical one, tapped his chin. "Cousins... means more people to play with."

Seo-min, the most energetic, pumped his fist. "More people means more fun!"

Seo-jin, the most competitive, smirked. "And more people means more chances to show off my swimming skills."

Seo-woo laughed. "So, is that a yes?"

The triplets jumped up from their seats and raced to their closets.

"YES!" they yelled in unison.

Seo-woo shook his head fondly as he watched them excitedly pick out their swimwear.

"Okay, okay, slow down," Seo-woo said, grinning. "We still have to tell Auntie Ji-woo and Auntie Eun-ha."

Seo-min tilted his head. "Will Auntie Ji-woo swim too?"

Seo-jin scoffed. "Auntie Ji-woo? In the pool? She's too serious for that."

Seo-jun smirked. "I bet she won't even get her feet wet."

Seo-woo chuckled. "Wanna bet? If I can make Auntie Ji-woo swim, you three have to wash the dishes tonight."

The triplets gasped dramatically.

"No way! You can't do that!" Seo-min protested.

"You'll never win," Seo-jin crossed his arms.

Seo-jun pointed a finger at him. "Challenge accepted, though."

Seo-woo laughed, feeling lighter than he had in a long time. Spending time with his children like this... It was exactly what he had wished for in this second chance at life.

And now, it was time to make more memories.