Chapter 1

Prologue

In 1988, in the Korean-American neighborhood of Los Angeles, a few-month-old baby was lying in his stroller, pondering some very profound questions. This is not a joke. Although he could not yet speak, he could clearly express these questions in his mind:

"Who am I?

Where do I come from?

Where am I going?" However, these questions were heavy for the baby, both psychologically and physiologically, so he quickly fell asleep.

Time passed, and for the one-year-old protagonist, time seemed to pass in sleep and tears, which was more appropriate. Now, he no longer pondered those lofty questions because he seemed to have a clear understanding of them. Just like he knew his English nickname was Wood and his Korean name was Kim Jong-myeong, he also understood some facts: for example, he seemed to have been reborn or transported to this world, he seemed to be a Korean-American, and he seemed to have adapted to life in this time and space. Of course, he also began to think about new questions, such as: "Are my parents from my previous life doing well?"

Chapter 1 - A New Sister

Several years passed, and it was now the fall of 1994 in Los Angeles, which remained as热情 and bustling as ever. Amidst this enthusiasm and bustle, our protagonist was already six years old. Of course, according to the Korean custom of calculating age based on the lunar calendar, Wood could also be considered seven years old.

On October 24th, a Monday, the plump Ms. Susan was enthusiastically and animatedly explaining the mysteries of addition and subtraction within 100 at the front of the classroom. Below, including Wood, a dozen or so elementary school students all had blank expressions and were on the verge of falling asleep. Clearly, the children's minds were not on the blackboard.

"Ring..."

As the bell rang, the classroom suddenly became lively: almost everyone packed their bags within seconds. The girls formed small groups, holding hands and discussing who they would visit after school. The boys, all carrying their backpacks and baseball equipment, were shouting about securing the field. Seeing this familiar scene, Ms. Susan added listlessly, "Alright, kids, be careful, and have a good day."

Of course, no one paid attention to her.

"Wood, let me be the pitcher today, and I'll show those second graders a thing or two!" A tousle-haired, freckled boy stood at the classroom door, waving his arms, clearly very excited.

"No problem, Roldy. You have to show those second-grade brats a thing or two today. It all depends on you!" Wood, with a calm expression, walked to Roldy, patting the freckled boy's shoulder like a grown-up. "But, Roldy, you have to be both the pitcher and the captain today. I have some urgent business at home, so I have to leave now. You have to do your best! Lead our first-grade team to beat the second graders!"

With that, Wood flew out of the classroom like a big bird, rushing towards the school's main road where the parking spots were, leaving Roldy, who was excited about being both the pitcher and the captain.

Wood's father, Kim Young-hee, was already waiting at the parking spot. Seeing his son running towards him, Kim Young-hee immediately opened the car door. Once Wood got in and fastened his seatbelt, the car started immediately.

"Wood, your mother and I are going to the hospital to visit Aunt Jung. You need to take care of Momo at home. We might come back very late tonight or even return tomorrow morning. As soon as I leave, you need to bring Baker inside and lock the front door, understand? I'll definitely be back by the time you go to school tomorrow morning."

Kim Young-hee drove seriously, maintaining a stern expression, as if he was very familiar with these instructions.

"Dad, did Mom teach you all this?" But Wood immediately saw through his father's act.

"Of course not! Do I need your mother to teach me these things?" Kim Young-hee put on a competent air.

"Also, didn't you forget something?" Wood rolled his eyes. His stepfather, while good in many ways, was clueless about the small things in life. He owed his survival to Wood's mother, Kwon Jin-suk.

"Did I forget anything...?" Kim Young-hee immediately showed his weakness.

"Food? Didn't Mom tell you about the food? ... Has Mom already restocked the fridge?"

"Oh, right! Your mother told me that the fridge is well-stocked with food and drinks. Anyway, don't go out, and stay home with Baker and Sica."

"Sure, sure. I've been taking care of her since I was little, so I won't let anything happen to her. Tell Uncle Jung not to worry about us and to stay with Aunt Jung at the hospital. That's where he's needed the most."

Kim Young-hee glanced at Wood, speechless. His son was truly a source of comfort.

When Wood was still a baby, Kim Young-hee and his colleagues and neighbors would sometimes chat about their children. Others would speak about their infants with a look of exhaustion, but he could never understand their fatigue and helplessness.

This was because Wood was always quiet from birth, not that he never cried or fussed, but he never cried without reason. When he cried, it was either because he needed to be fed or his diaper needed changing. This led him to believe that infants were naturally quiet, and that parenting books and TV shows were exaggerated and misleading.

It wasn't until a year later, when his neighbor and fellow Korean, Mr. Jung's child, Momo, was born, that he realized it wasn't that other children were too noisy, but that his own child was too quiet. As Wood grew older, Kim Young-hee's perception changed again. It wasn't that his child was too quiet, but that he was too mature. Now, thinking back, one-year-old Wood was like a normal two- or three-year-old, and three-year-old Wood was like a five- or six-year-old, already learning English and Korean and even picking up some Chinese from Korean books. When Wood was four, his full-time kindergarten teacher specifically talked to him, telling him that Wood could solve those early childhood arithmetic games in three seconds and warning him not to put too much pressure on the child, leaving Kim Young-hee speechless. Gradually, Kim Young-hee stopped interfering in his son's affairs.

It wasn't that he didn't want to assert his authority as a father; it was simply impossible. His son was academically excellent (of course), athletic, respectful to his parents and elders, and caring towards his younger siblings. He was truly reliable. Well, except for his tendency to be a bit cheeky and not give his father any face.

The Korean-American community where the Woods lived was only three blocks from the school. As Kim Young-hee was lost in thought, the car had already arrived at the house.

As soon as they got out of the car, a large white object pounced on Wood. Wood waved his hand, and the white object immediately jumped to the side, then followed Wood into the house. It was a purebred Great Pyrenees, the Baker that Wood and his father had mentioned.

Following closely, a woman in her early twenties came out of the house. It was Wood's mother, Kim Young-hee's wife, Kwon Jin-suk. She had the most common hairstyle for Asian women in 1994—short, wavy hair, which Wood found rather unremarkable.

"Mom, where's Momo?"

"Momo is sleeping. She played all afternoon at the kindergarten and fell asleep in the car. Has your father told you everything?"

"Yes, don't worry, I'll take care of the house." With that, Wood sauntered into the house.

"That's good."

At the entrance, after giving her son a five-minute lecture of unimportant instructions, Wood's mother finally left. As Wood's parents stood at the door, watching their son lock it, Wood suddenly poked his head out: "Well, Mom and Dad, have a safe trip. And, Dad, do you want to make a bet with me? I bet the baby about to be born is a new sister. If I'm right, you have to give me 100 dollars for pocket money."

Then, with a bang, the door was locked.

Momo, also known as Jessica, was not yet the ice goddess she would become in the future. At five years old, she was just a normal little girl. Jessica was lying on the sofa, sleeping quietly, with a small ponytail covering her head and her special blanket kicked to the side. Wood quietly returned to his room, put down his backpack, and brought out a large blanket, laying it under the sofa. After covering Jessica with the blanket, Wood also lay down.

When Jessica rubbed her eyes and sat up groggily, she found Wood lying in front of her, holding a large, thick book, using Baker as a pillow, and covered with a blanket. She had longed to use Baker as a pillow, and Wood didn't invite her, so she quickly climbed into Wood's blanket, stepping on Baker.

"Momo, we have two options: one is to stay here all night waiting for my parents to come back, and the other is to eat and watch TV, then put you to bed in the big bed in the inner room. Which one do you choose?" Wood turned on the TV and turned to ask Jessica, who was snuggling on his left side.

"Do I even need to choose? I want to use Baker as a pillow. His fur is so comfortable." Jessica rubbed her head against Baker, making him whimper.

Baker's fur is comfortable? Wait until he sheds in two months, and you'll see. Wood thought to himself but said kindly, "Alright, are you hungry? I'll get you something to eat."

"I want cake and strawberry milk."

"No way, your teeth will fall out if you keep this up."

"But I want it..."

"Jung Soo-yeon, no whining!"

"Bad Wood!"

"...Sica, listen to me... Hey! No biting!"