“Why?”
Yewon asked with the most innocent eyes she could manage.
“Y-Yewon-ah. That’s….”
Just as Youngoh tried to say something—
“We don’t get along.”
“!”
Doha answered bluntly.
“You probably have at least one friend you don’t get along with too, right? It’s like that.”
…Let’s not mention that I don’t have any friends at all.
Yewon simply nodded.
“Would Yewon want to live with a friend she doesn’t get along with?”
Shake shake.
Yewon shook her head.
Well… not really.
“Adults are the same. I don’t want to live with members I don’t get along with either.”
“Then why do you look close on TV…?!”
“!!!!”
With every straightforward question disguised as childish innocence, sweat visibly poured down Youngoh’s face.
But Yewon had no intention of giving up the advantages that came with being seven years old.
Kids this age were basically pure evil anyway.
“……”
Apparently even Doha found the question absurd, because he stared directly at Yewon.
“My members and I are like the lottery.”
“The lottery?”
Then that means it’s a good thing—Yewon almost said before remembering she was supposed to be seven and quickly shutting her mouth.
“We never match.”
Doha’s firm answer continued.
Ding!
At that moment, message windows flooded Yewon’s vision.
[ Tutorial Complete! ]
[ Main Quest Unlocked! ]
[ ▶ Main Quest ]
Win the Best Actress Award before becoming an adult!
※ Movie or drama, any genre is acceptable. As long as it’s a <Best Actress Award>, it counts!
Quest Failure Penalty: <Glit> disbands, Lee Doha dies
“……”
Damn it.
It looked like her second life wouldn’t be easy either.
“I’ll come again tomorrow at least!! Don’t worry! I’m filing for overtime pay anyway!! Please let me come, okay?! Huh?! I don’t want you arrested for child neglect… okay?! If you get arrested, how am I supposed to make a living?!!”
—leaving behind that sorrowful office worker speech, Youngoh finally left.
“I’m sleepy, so I’m going to bed!!”
“What? Wait—”
“Good night, Uncle!”
“W-Wait—!”
Ignoring Doha calling after her from behind, Yewon hurried into a room and slammed the door shut, pretending she was sleepy.
Why?
Because these message windows were floating right in front of her eyes.
[ You are a newly debuted child actress!
The only thing in your filmography is “Classmate #1 of the Main Character” as an extra! Take one step at a time toward becoming a Best Actress winner! ]
[ It may seem overwhelming, but don’t worry! Your new contractor is destined to help “you”! Clear the sub-quests one by one, and before you know it, becoming a top actress will be right in front of you! ]
“….”
Yewon steadied herself and looked at the quest window again.
[ Quest Failure Penalty: <Glit> disbands, Lee Doha dies ]
“…If I fail, Uncle Doha dies?”
Yewon muttered blankly.
After finally gaining her real family—
She’d lose him like this?
Just because she failed to win an award?
Could it be…
Was this the “penalty” that fluffball thing mentioned?
—Correct.
A voice she had already grown familiar with after hearing it once echoed through the room.
“!”
Yewon looked up.
A fluffy white creature with strikingly soft fur appeared before her.
“You…!”
—Did you really think getting a second life would be easy? There has to be at least this much penalty for the deal to be fair.
“…!”
Had it read her thoughts?
The fluffball grinned slyly.
—Besides, you’ve already succeeded once before, haven’t you? Why would a second time be difficult?
“!”
That wasn’t wrong.
In her previous life, Yewon really had won the Best Actress Award at fourteen.
But—
‘So many things have already changed. Who’s to say the future won’t change too?’
Yewon didn’t believe things would unfold the same way.
—Of course, this life will bring different hardships… but if you’re with your real family, you’ll be able to overcome anything!
Easy for you to say.
Yewon glared at the fluffball.
“…If the penalty only affected me, I could accept it. But Uncle Doha hasn’t done anything wrong. It’s unfair that he’d be sacrificed because of my failure….”
—Then just succeed. What’s the problem? You need at least this much motivation, or you’ll end up satisfied living a comfortable, cozy life.
“……”
—Look around you. An absurdly luxurious house, a kind and warm rich uncle. If you keep living in a place like this, won’t your determination to become successful again slowly fade away? I can’t allow that. Absolutely not. I don’t make deals that lose money.
Watching the fluffball smile wickedly, Yewon frowned.
“As if I’d slack off when the failure penalty is this insane.”
She turned to the blinking message window still floating beside her.
[ Quest Failure Penalty: <Glit> disbands, Lee Doha dies ]
I can’t let Uncle Doha die.
Never.
Yewon fully intended to do everything possible to save him.
—…Looks like Lee Doha is already pretty important to you. Even though you just met him?
The fluffball stared at Yewon in surprise.
“Isn’t he important to you too?”
—What nonsense. He’s not.
“Then why do you seem so desperate about this mission failing?”
—I said no! You tiny brat!
The fluffball snapped angrily and floated farther away from her.
—This is why I didn’t want to make contracts with children. Tsk. Anyway, don’t worry too much.
Yawning, the fluffball drifted backward.
—I prepared plenty of “sub-quests” for you.
“!”
Sub-quests?
What was that?
—Honestly, I’m not thrilled that I have to accommodate you this much just because you’re a minor… but it can’t be helped.
The fluffball’s mouth twisted unhappily.
Its fur puffed up irritably as it zipped right in front of Yewon’s nose.
“…Sub-quests? What do you mean?”
—Since we’re talking about it, should I give you one now?
[ ▶ Sub Quest (1)
Reunite the Broken Family! ~Gathering Glit Piece by Piece~
Until now, Lee Doha’s family was not you or your mother—it was the members of <Glit>.
Becoming Lee Doha’s family means becoming the family of the <Glit> members as well.
But families are not always close.
Sometimes, they require “a little effort.”
Because the relationship between the members is currently very unstable.
First, you must bring back the member most friendly toward Lee Doha, “Han Wooyeon,” into the family’s embrace.
Bring Glit member Han Wooyeon back to this house.
Quest Success Reward: Reveal maternal grandparents
Quest Failure Penalty: Mental collapse of Lee Doha, who would have become your supporter and manager ]
“Reveal… maternal grandparents?”
Yewon frowned.
“What kind of reward is that? Uncle alone is enough family for me.”
—Of course you’d say that. You still don’t know who they are.
The fluffball sneered.
—But you need to know their identities in case something happens. Especially if you want to continue being an actress.
“!”
If she wanted to continue acting…?
Then could it be… were they connected to the entertainment industry somehow?
Just as Yewon tried piecing things together—
The fluffball suddenly opened its mouth wide.
Then—
Chomp.
It swallowed Yewon whole.
“!!”
Startled, Yewon screamed.
“KYAAAAAA!”
“What happened?!”
Bang!
The door flew open and Doha rushed in.
“U-Uncle!!”
Yewon shot upright in bed.
At the same time, she looked down at herself.
She was completely unharmed—still in the body of a seven-year-old.
“I-I’m alive….”
“Well obviously you’re alive. What are you talking about…?”
Apparently truly startled, Doha grabbed his chest and let out a long sigh.
“You scared me.”
He really was shocked. His face is pale.
“S-Sorry.”
Yewon apologized sincerely.
“…Did you have a nightmare?”
Seeing how genuinely apologetic she looked, Doha finally calmed down enough to ask gently.
“Yes….”
The answer I dreamed a weird fluffball swallowed me rose all the way to her throat.
But Doha seemed to be imagining a different kind of nightmare, because his face darkened.
Yewon stared at him quietly.
At some point while she slept, night had fallen.
Standing against the moonlight in the dark room, Doha seemed to glow.
Uncle always shines.
The first time I saw him, and even now.
‘…In this life, I want to protect that light.’
But to do that, she needed to stay by his side first.
“Uncle.”
“…Yeah.”
“Am I… going to live with you now? Can we keep living together?”
“!”