TFIU 05

Chapter 05

“Why?”
Ye-won asked, her eyes as innocent as possible.

“Ye-Ye-won… that’s…”
Just as Young-oh was about to answer,

“It’s because we don’t get along.”
“!”
Do-ha replied bluntly.

“You probably have at least one friend you don’t get along with. That’s what it is.”
…Better not mention that she doesn’t even have a single friend.

Ye-won nodded vaguely.

“Do you want to live with a friend you don’t get along with?”
She shook her head. No, she didn’t.

“Adults are the same. I don’t want to live with members I don’t get along with.”
“Why don’t you get along? On TV, you seemed close…?!”
“!!!!”

Young-oh could feel the cold sweat dripping from his forehead at Ye-won’s blunt questions masked as innocence.
But Ye-won had no intention of giving up the advantage of being seven.
Kids her age were naturally little devils.

“….”
Do-ha looked equally dumbfounded by the question, staring at her.

“My members and I are like a lottery.”
“Lottery?”
Ye-won was about to say that sounded good—but then she remembered she was seven and clamped her mouth shut.

“None of us match at all.”
Do-ha’s firm words followed.

Ding!
A message window popped up before Ye-won’s eyes.

[Tutorial Complete!]
[Main Quest Unlocked!]
[▶Main Quest]
Win Best Actress before you become an adult!
Movies or dramas, any genre is fine. If it’s a “Best Actress” award, it counts!

Quest Failure: Glit disbanded, Lee Do-ha dies

“….”
Damn.
Looks like this second life isn’t going to be easy either.

“‘I’ll come by tomorrow anyway!! Don’t worry. I’ll apply for all the overtime!! Please let me go!! Hey!? I don’t want you to get arrested for child neglect… huh?! If you’re caught, what will I live on?!!’”

…After leaving this sad office worker’s message, Young-oh departed.

“I’m sleepy, so I’m going to sleep!!”
“What? Wait—”
“Good night, Uncle!”
“W-wait—!”

No matter how much Do-ha called from behind, Ye-won quickly used sleepiness as an excuse, went into her room, and closed the door.
Why?

[You are now a newly debuted child actor! Your only appearances so far are as an extra in <Classmate 1 of the Main Character>! Take a step toward winning the Best Actress award!]
[Don’t worry if it seems overwhelming! Your new contractor is destined to help YOU! By completing the side quests one by one, you’ll be a top actor in no time!]

…These message windows were floating right before her eyes!
Ye-won composed herself and looked at the quest window again.

[Quest Failure: Glit disbanded, Lee Do-ha dies]

“…If I fail, Uncle Do-ha dies?”
Ye-won murmured helplessly.
How could she lose her real family just like that?
Just for failing to win an award?
Could it be that the “penalty” the cotton ball mentioned was this?

• Correct.

A familiar voice she had only heard once came through.
“!”
When Ye-won looked up, something fluffy with striking white fur appeared.

“You…!”

-So, you thought getting a second life would be easy? You need a penalty like this to balance the scales.

“…!”
Had the cotton ball read her mind? It grinned slyly.

-You’ve already succeeded once, haven’t you? Second time won’t be that hard.

“!”
That wasn’t wrong.
In her previous life, Ye-won had won Best Actress at fourteen. But…
“Already so many fates have changed. There’s no guarantee the future won’t change too.”
Ye-won thought it unlikely to stay the same.

-Of course, more hardships await you in this life… but with your real family, you can overcome them!

Easier said than done.
Ye-won narrowed her eyes at the cotton ball.

“…If it were a penalty for me, I could accept it. But Uncle Do-ha hasn’t done anything wrong, and he’d be sacrificed just because I failed….”

-Then just succeed. What’s the problem? You’d get too comfortable otherwise, living a cozy life without motivation.

“…….”

-Look around. In a house this luxurious, with a warm and kind uncle—wouldn’t you lose the will to succeed as an actor? I can’t let that happen. I never do business that loses.

Seeing the cotton ball grin wickedly, Ye-won frowned.
“There’s no way this would be easy. The quest penalty is this severe.”
She looked at the still-blinking message window beside her.

[Quest Failure: Glit disbanded, Lee Do-ha dies]

She couldn’t let Uncle Do-ha die.
No way.
Ye-won resolved to do her best to save him.

-…Seems like Do-ha is pretty important to you too, huh? Even though you just met him?

The cotton ball looked at her in surprise.
“So Uncle Do-ha is very important to you, isn’t he?”

-What are you talking about? No, he’s not.

“Yet you’re so worried this mission might fail.”

-No! This tiny thing…

The cotton ball snapped angrily and moved away from Ye-won.

-I didn’t want to contract with kids for this reason. Tch. Anyway, don’t worry too much.

Yawning, it stepped back.

-I’ve prepared countless side quests for you.

“!”
Side quests? What’s that?

-I don’t like having to consider you so much just because you’re a minor… but there’s no choice.

The cotton ball scowled, seemed displeased, and darted close to Ye-won.
“…Side quests? What do you mean?”

-Since you asked, I’ll give you one now.

[▶Side Quest (1) Reunite a Divided Family ~Gather Glit~]
Until now, Lee Do-ha’s family wasn’t you or your mother, but the Glit members.
Becoming part of Lee Do-ha’s family means becoming part of the Glit members’ families.
But families aren’t always harmonious.
Sometimes a “little effort” is necessary.
Right now, the members’ relationships are strained.
You must first bring back the member most friendly to Do-ha, Han Woo-yeon, to the family fold.
Bring Glit member Han Woo-yeon back to this house.

Quest Success: Grandparents revealed
Quest Failure: Lee Do-ha becomes your manager while suffering mental collapse

“Grandparents… revealed?”
Ye-won frowned.
“What kind of reward is this? Uncle alone is enough family for me.”

-Of course, for now. You don’t know who they are yet.

The cotton ball sneered.

-But you need to know their identities just in case. If you want to continue as an actor.

“!”
If she wanted to continue acting… could that mean they were connected to the entertainment industry?
Before Ye-won could deduce further, the cotton ball suddenly opened its mouth wide and swallowed her whole.

“!!”
Startled, she screamed.
“Ahhh!”
“What’s happening?!”
The door flew open, and Do-ha rushed in.

“U-Uncle!!”
Ye-won jumped up from the bed.
She looked at her body—her seven-year-old body was intact, no injuries.

“S-Still alive…”
“Of course I’m alive. What are you talking about…”
Do-ha seemed shaken, clutching his chest and sighing deeply.

“You scared me.”
He really did look scared; his face was pale.

“S-Sorry.”
Ye-won apologized sincerely.

“…Did you have a nightmare?”
Seeing her genuinely sorry, Do-ha’s expression softened, and he asked calmly.

“Yes….”
A reply about the weird cotton ball swallowing her hovered on her tongue.
But Do-ha seemed to be thinking about a different nightmare, his face dark.

Ye-won stared at him.
Perhaps night had fallen while she slept; in the dark room, Do-ha shone softly in the moonlight.
Uncle always shines. From the first time she saw him, and even now.

“…In this life, I want to protect him so he can keep shining like this.”
To do that, I have to stay by his side first.

“Uncle.”
“…Yes?”
“Can I live with you now? Can we stay together?”
“!”