Chapter 2

Fortunately, there was a house. I couldn’t remember the number, but it didn’t matter since it had fingerprint recognition.

Anyway, when I entered the house, something felt a bit off.

It was as if the house had been waiting just for me. Except for the furniture and appliances, the house was completely empty. There was no trace of human warmth at all.

If there was a god, was this house prepared for me to possess this novel?

There were no family photos or anything you’d expect in a normal home. It was a chillingly barren space.

Still, having a place to call home was comforting. If there hadn’t been a house, it would’ve been a headache.

Finding a house was always a hassle for me. You had to submit all sorts of documents, and even with the help of real estate agents, it was hard to understand.

But now, I didn’t need to worry about any of that. The house was already prepared. I sighed in relief, took off my shoes, and stepped inside.

One room and one living room.

It was a modest house. Maybe because it was a villa, it felt small. But it was more than enough for me and the protagonist to live in. In Seoul, there were far worse places to live.

Sometimes, when I watched YouTube, I’d see houses so bad you’d think they were pigsties. Compared to those, our house was like heaven.

With that, I set the protagonist down.

“Waaah!”

As soon as I put her down, she started crying again. I quickly picked her back up. I’d never raised a baby before…

But with the help of the internet, it wasn’t impossible. In ancient times, raising a baby was tough, but in modern society, with all the facilities and medical advancements, as long as you weren’t a terrible parent, you could raise a child well.

I had that much knowledge at least.

I already had a name in mind for the baby.

“Ha-yeon… Kim Ha-yeon!”

Because the protagonist in the novel was also named Kim Ha-yeon.

When I called her name, the baby smiled brightly and seemed happy. She looked like she was over a year old…

With 200 million won in life insurance money and a house, raising a child wouldn’t be a problem. At least it was better than living in an orphanage and being bullied by other kids.

Of course, it was partly my own selfishness. But since I’d entered the novel, following the protagonist and reaping the benefits wasn’t such a bad thing, right?

The only regret was that I only knew the beginning of the novel, so I didn’t know the exact details. That was a real shame. I only knew it had a happy ending, but not the process.

If only I’d remembered some hidden pieces or useful details from the novel…

But the protagonist’s power was so overpowered that I didn’t worry too much. As long as I raised her normally, her power would be maintained.

I gently rocked Ha-yeon. She soon fell asleep. I carefully placed her on the bed and then looked at myself in the mirror.

I still looked like a young kid, maybe around middle school second grade. A kid raising a baby.

The only saving grace was that I had the memories of an adult. With money and a house, all I had to do was take care of the baby all day. I didn’t need to go to school. I’d already graduated high school in my past life, so I had basic knowledge.

Raising one baby wouldn’t be too hard. Being a homemaker wasn’t easy, but if I didn’t have to work and just focused on raising the baby, it was manageable.

It wasn’t like I had to work and raise the baby at the same time, and I didn’t have any illnesses or lack of a house. With a healthy body, there was no way I couldn’t take care of one child.

And so, five years passed.

—

“Ha-yeon, Ha-yeon. Time to wake up.”

I woke up Ha-yeon, who was still asleep. Today was her first day of kindergarten. I thought about homeschooling her until elementary school, but that didn’t seem right. Even though we’d already strayed from the original plot, I thought it was best to follow the school route.

And going to school was normal. I was the weird one. I’d already taken the high school equivalency exam and graduated.

Shake shake-

When I shook Ha-yeon, she stretched out her arms with her eyes closed, smiling. It was her special charm. I could see why parents smiled so much when raising kids. Little kids were like angels from heaven. Just looking at their faces made you feel better.

“Mommy! Hug me!”

“Okay, okay.”

I picked up Ha-yeon. At six years old, she was full of charm. I carried her to the bathroom. The house was small, less than 15 pyeong, but it wasn’t too cramped for one woman and a child. Having only one room was a bit of a problem, but I was thinking of moving to a house with two rooms later.

Of course, maybe Ha-yeon would earn it for me? After all I’d done to raise her, if she thought of leaving me, I’d turn pale. I hadn’t abused her, so she’d take care of me, right? I’d raised her since she was little.

“Okay, let’s go!”

“Let’s go!”

Ha-yeon was very obedient. And as expected of a novel protagonist, even as a child, she exuded elegance. I could see why the girls at the orphanage bullied her.

With looks like hers, no boy could resist. Even young boys could tell the difference between pretty and plain girls. And other girls would obviously be jealous of her.

“Okay, Ha-yeon, let’s wash your hair~”

“Okay!”

I carefully washed Ha-yeon’s hair and finished getting her ready for school. But Ha-yeon pouted and said,

“Mommy. Can’t I just stay home with you?”

“Ha-yeon. You have to go to kindergarten.”

“But…”

She usually didn’t act so weak, but today Ha-yeon seemed a bit off. She was usually mature, but today she seemed more like a little kid.

“Mommy has to go to her café part-time job, so you’ll have to stay home alone.”

“Ehh…”

Originally, I had 200 million won, but after spending here and there, I’d used up about 80 million won. Raising Ha-yeon without any lack for five years had taken its toll. Of course, for a family of two, spending 20 million won a year wasn’t too much. Some families earned 50-60 million a year and still felt it wasn’t enough to raise a child.

But the subsidies and savings I’d gathered while raising Ha-yeon were set aside for her future. This was emergency money for when Ha-yeon wanted something later. Roughly calculating, it seemed like the money would barely last until Ha-yeon awakened. If I wasn’t careful, it might not be enough.

That’s why I was going to work at a café now. This year, I turned 20, so I could work part-time without any issues. Before, I was a minor and couldn’t work, but now I’d shed that label.

I’d applied to several cafés and got a job at one with decent hours and pay. By the time Ha-yeon reached middle school, she’d awaken, right? By then, money wouldn’t be an issue. I just had to hold out for 10 years.

“Kindergarten has good friends and lots of fun experiences!”

I’d taken Ha-yeon out of selfishness, but I’d raised her with all my heart. She ate well, and I showered her with love, even though she didn’t have a father. Somehow, I seemed to have a talent for parenting. Raising Ha-yeon hadn’t been too hard.

Most importantly, it was possible because I had money. If I hadn’t had money, I wouldn’t have been able to raise Ha-yeon so well. In modern society, money was essential for raising children.

“Let’s go!”

I took Ha-yeon’s hand and left the house. Today was her first day of kindergarten, so I planned to go with her.

“Okay!”

Ha-yeon smiled brightly and held my hand. It was hard to believe such a cute and lovely child had been bullied at the orphanage. Not all kids were kind. There were bad kids too.

This situation was much better.