Park Su's devotion was something he couldn't quite understand himself. It was more than just a crush; it had evolved into an entanglement that spanned years. When the apocalypse unleashed its fury on the world, if it hadn't been for Park risking his own life to save him, the man he loved might not have lived to see the chaos that followed.

Since he was fifteen, Park knew he was different. Unlike other boys who ogled at girls, especially the pretty ones, Park found no interest in them. His heart was drawn to the sunny, handsome boys instead. At first, he kept this to himself, hiding his true feelings. This secrecy persisted until he turned eighteen and started college, where he quietly fell for his roommate, Sun Muyang. This silent admiration blossomed into a five-year affair, evolving from covert glances to bold declarations of love, to the point where everyone knew Park Su, the young master, was in love with a man.

Once his secret was out, Park saw no reason to hide anymore. Being an illegitimate child, his preference for men might have even eased the minds of those in his family, thinking it a safer bet for their lineage. Indeed, after his sexuality was revealed, the Park family seemed less guarded towards him, allowing him and his mother a semblance of peace.

However, when the world ended, and Park unexpectedly awakened his wood-based powers, his first thought wasn't to find his mother but to ensure Sun Muyang's safety. Exhausting his powers, he fought through hordes of zombies to rescue Sun from his workplace, facing death multiple times.

He brought Sun to the S base, where for years, as Sun lacked any special abilities, Park would venture out to fight zombies to sustain them. Those years were perhaps the happiest of his life, until Sun's powers awakened due to an accident, and everything changed. Park believed that even if Sun's feelings for him waned, he would at least stay by his side out of gratitude for the years of dedication, especially since he hadn't even tried to find his mother in B base, only managing a single phone call during the apocalypse.

When he was torn apart by zombies, Park felt it might be his karma for not being a good son. His mother, despite her relentless efforts to integrate into the Park family, had always shown him care, unlike his own neglect towards her. In his final moments, he wished he had taken Sun to S base instead of staying in B base. Perhaps then, when Sun pushed him into the zombie crowd, there would have been a moment's hesitation, a consideration for his background, even if Sun no longer loved him.

As the pain consumed him, looking through the decayed bodies at the man he adored, Park tried to ask why, but only the sound of gnawing flesh answered. Watching Sun turn away, not with regret or sorrow, but with disdain, was a harsh realization.

In that moment, Park had to admit that his love was nothing but a foolish dream. As his body numbed, he thought perhaps death was a mercy, an end to the endless days of fear and survival. With a mix of regret and bitterness, he wished he had visited his mother or lived for himself in those six years of apocalypse. If he could start over, he decided he would love no one but himself.

Then, a familiar yet strange melody woke him up. Opening his eyes, confused, he wondered if he had died. How was he alive again? Had someone saved him? But this place... it looked like the apartment he bought before the apocalypse.

The music played again, and Park finally turned towards the sound, seeing his smartphone flashing. With a mix of familiarity and strangeness, he picked it up and answered the call.

"Su Su, what are you doing?" The voice on the other end of the line jolted Park Su back to reality, his nose tingling with emotion. It was unmistakably his mother's voice, a sound he hadn't heard in what felt like an eternity—over six years, if he remembered correctly. In the past, hearing his mother call him by that nickname would have made him frown and complain, but now, it only made him nostalgic.

He parted his dry lips, "Mom?"

"Hmm?" Park's mother sensed something off about her son and furrowed her brow, "What's wrong, son? Are you feeling unwell?"

"No, where are you?" Park tried to appear normal, though he was still trying to figure out what was happening.

"I'm at the airport. Didn't I tell you? I booked a ten-day tour to Europe, and today's the departure day. So, I was wondering if you need anything. I can bring it back for you." Park's mother relaxed a bit when she heard her son's voice return to normal, sharing her plans. Park, on the other hand, pieced together a memory from six years ago when she last mentioned this trip.

After returning from Europe, she had come to see him, bringing gifts. But at that time, Park hadn't paid much attention, preoccupied with helping Sun Muyang with a design project, and had sent her back to B city early. He hadn't realized that would be the last time he saw his mother in his previous life.

Now, hearing his mother talk about going to Europe for ten days, Park's heart raced with speculation, though he dared not confirm his thoughts. Swallowing, he checked the date on his phone, his pupils dilating in shock—was he reborn? And a month before the apocalypse, no less. But why?

Seeing Park Su not responding to her question, Park's mother grew more concerned, "What's the matter, are you feeling unwell? Should I cancel my trip and come to be with you?"

Park snapped back to reality, unsure if he had truly been reborn before the apocalypse, woken up in a parallel universe, or if his experiences during the apocalypse were just a dream.

Regardless, he couldn't pretend the apocalypse hadn't happened.

Since fate had given him a month before the apocalypse, he needed to prepare. If he truly had been reborn a month before the end, at least this time he wouldn't be caught off guard.

Preparing for the apocalypse would make his actions seem strange to his mother, but he knew she wouldn't object to anything he did.

To them, as long as he stayed out of trouble and didn't attempt to claim what wasn't his by right, they were willing to support him with a little money. After all, a few hundred thousand yuan was nothing to the Park family.

Moreover, his preference for men was already known, and they had come to terms with it. Since graduating, he had stayed in S city, away from the main power center in B city, so his father and brother had minimal complaints about his sexuality. They never cut off his allowance.

Therefore, to better prepare himself, he couldn't let his mother abandon her plans for a trip to Europe. She would come to see him eventually, and considering the last conversation with his mother from his past life where the man he called father did not abandon her during the apocalypse but instead took her away safely on the same day, he felt reassured about her safety.

Although he never went to the B city base later on, he was aware that his father held a significant position there, and his brother had awakened his powers. While his mother might not have been comfortable in that large family, at least her life was not in danger.

On the other hand, Park had a much tougher time in the S city base. Realizing he couldn't be his mother's protector or offer her a better life than in B city, and with Sun Muyang unwilling to risk the long journey to B city, he decided against stirring up trouble in B city. His own powers wouldn't stand out much in a big city like B, and he didn't want to draw his elder brother's attention, which could potentially endanger his mother.