Handsome since birth, road to stardom chapter 13

* * *

I blinked. I couldn’t find words to say.

‘Sister, I know.’

A small smile crept onto my face.

‘There aren’t many good people in this world.’

At least, it was hard to find them in my life.

‘Even though people volunteered and supported us, those caring for the children weren’t always kind.’

I looked back at Sister Teresa. Her earnest prayer continued.

“…Please protect these little lambs from harm.”

Sister, you are truly a good person.

‘If there were more people like you, how many children would be happy?’

But I know there aren’t many like you.

‘So, you must stay healthy for a long time.’

I shouted immediately.

“Byupapapa!”

Love and Peace Coin, activate!

[How would you like to use the Love and Peace Coin?]

“Bpyayaya!”

Make Sister Teresa healthy!

[It will cost 1,000 coins for the kind Sister Teresa to become healthy. Would you like to proceed?]

“Kyupah!”

[Everything comes with a price]

[As a side effect, you will fall once every ten steps for the next year]

[Total coins: 330]

Oh dear.

‘Fall once every ten steps?’

I protested to the subtitles.

“Byupa, bapapa!”

Come on. Isn’t that too harsh?

The topmost subtitle moved down.

[Everything comes with a price]

How inflexible.

‘Well, children are inherently like that.’

Ensuring Sister Teresa, who saved my life, is healthy was more important.

‘Besides, it’s only for a year.’

I clenched and unclenched my short fingers.

‘A year passes quickly for a baby.’

I sighed automatically.

“Byupa…”

Good grief.

Now I need to practice walking, but how will I manage if I stumble every time?

‘Maybe if I strengthen my legs a bit.’

I wiggled my legs.

‘Let’s just be careful for a year.’

Sister Teresa finished her prayer and hugged me tightly once more.

‘The smell of baby formula…’

Sister Teresa patted my back before handing me over to Ma Soo-jung.

“Let’s go now.”

“Yes.”

I was carried by Ma Soo-jung as we left the orphanage.

Thinking back, it was both the first and last time I left that place.

‘Thank you.’

Sister Teresa came all the way to the car to see me off. I bowed my short head in a gesture of farewell.

“Bye-bye!”

Goodbye, Sister.

‘Even though I have no religion, I think gods thrive because of people like you.’

Please, stay healthy.

“Kongja, are you sad?”

“Byupawoo.”

A little bit.

“I see. Kongja, look at this.”

Ma Soo-jung lifted me up and pointed to the car with her finger.

‘Wow!’

Honestly, I was a bit surprised.

‘You must be rich.’

Is it because she’s the third daughter of the Sungjin Group? Or because she’s a successful actress?

“Bpyubpya.”

It’s fantastic.

I flailed my arms and legs.

‘How much does this cost?’

It was obviously an expensive foreign car.

The most amazing part was yet to come.

There was a car seat in the back.

‘Actress Ma, you’ve prepared well.’

Oh, I shouldn’t call her ‘Actress Ma’ anymore.

‘Mom, or should I say Mother…’

A bitter smile came to my face for a moment.

‘What is it like to have a mother?’

Maybe because I didn’t have one in my previous life, it didn’t feel real.

Ma Soo-jung—no, Mom—placed me in the car seat.

Then, as she grabbed the steering wheel, she said,

“Kongja, did you know Mom has a lot of money?”

“Bpyu, byupa. Bpuabpu.”

I can see that, Mother.

“I will always give you the best food and sleep. I will be a good mom.”

I couldn’t help but smile.

‘You already are a good mom.’

Just then, a subtitle appeared.

[Because of you, Mom Ma Soo-jung is happy]

[Love and Peace Coin +1]

[Total coins: 331]

‘Because of me, she’s happy…’

Is this what a mother’s love feels like?

‘It’s both uplifting and a bit heavy.’

Is a mother’s love always this unconditional?

‘I wouldn’t know since I haven’t experienced it…’

I stared at the back of Mom’s head. Even from behind, she was beautiful.

‘Filial piety.’

How does one do that?

I recalled a photo. I definitely wanted to prevent that incident.

‘First, I need to be healthy.’

That’s where it starts.

‘How is Mom’s health? Is it worse than Sister’s?’

I had to use a coin first.

“Bpyubyu byabya!”

Love and Peace Coin, activate!

[How would you like to use the Love and Peace Coin?]

“Bpyu byabyabyu!”

Make Mom healthy!

[To make Ma Soo-jung healthy, it will cost 30,000 coins. Would you like to proceed?]

A groan escaped my lips.

“Bpyua…”

Mom, what’s wrong with your body? What kind of life have you led?

‘30,000 coins? Mom, even though you have a lot of money, haven’t you done any health checkups?’

What’s going to be wrong?

‘This sounds serious.’

If Mom’s not here, how can I live?

‘We’re a family now!’

I couldn’t stop sighing.

“Bwaaah.”

What should I do?

I squirmed in the car seat, desperately trying to find a solution.

‘The solution is simple.’

Let’s collect coins!

‘But how?’

I looked out the window. The best way to collect coins was through cuteness.

‘I need an audience first.’

I needed people to appreciate my cuteness.

‘Mom, does our new house have a lot of people?’

I heard the house was big, so hopefully there would be many helpers.

‘It’s complicated.’

I flapped my arms and legs, looking out the window. Because the car was expensive, it moved very smoothly.

***

“Mother, you said you’d bring her eventually?”

The second daughter-in-law of the president of Sungjin Group offered a cup of coffee. Noh Hwa-jin took a sip of the coffee her daughter-in-law had given her and frowned.

“You’re always the same.”

The second daughter-in-law, Lee Yoo-gyeong, shrank back. She cautiously started talking again, eyeing her mother-in-law.

“It’s really funny. How could she adopt a child she has no blood relation to just because she likes him?”

Noh Hwa-jin remained silent. She read the English newspaper on her tablet PC.

“She is too reckless. How sad will Marie be if she finds out later? Really, the third daughter has no sense. Do you think our family is ordinary? We’re the owners of Sungjin Group.”

Noh Hwa-jin sighed.

“Yoo-gyeong.”

“Yes, Mother.”

“You’re so noisy.”

Noh Hwa-jin didn’t drink the coffee.

“Mother, even if I’m noisy, I have to talk about the third daughter. What’s she thinking? I heard the child might even get shares if this goes wrong.”

Noh Hwa-jin narrowed her eyes.

“So, the shares are what you’re concerned about?”

“Mother!”

“Well, that’s important too.”

Noh Hwa-jin said as she scanned the screen.

“The shares given to Soo-jung belong to Marie. If she gets married and has a child, they could belong to that child.”

“She has another mouth to feed now, how can she marry again? She needs to marry again while she’s still young.”

With that, Noh Hwa-jin closed the tablet. There wasn’t much to see.

“The only thing consistent about you, Yoo-gyeong, is your foolishness.”

“Oh, Mother.”

“You’re always foolish.”

Noh Hwa-jin stood up.

“How did you even get into this family…”

She shook her head and walked away. Once she was out of the second daughter-in-law’s sight, Noh Hwa-jin patted her legs.

‘These legs.’

Chairs were placed all over the house for her weak legs. She sat on a nearby chair, lost in thought.

‘I never thought she’d actually adopt.’

Her third daughter, Ma Soo-jung, could be reckless but wasn’t usually fickle. However, this time even Noh Hwa-jin found it unexpected.

‘That’s the third time she’s bulldozed her way through something.’

Ma Soo-jung had pushed through without looking back exactly three times in her life.

The first was to become an actress, the second was to get married.

The first was a huge success, the second a huge failure.

A stark contrast.

‘What’s the third?’

Ma Soo-jung, feeling a sense of fate, had recklessly gone through the adoption process.

Honestly, I thought she’d give up halfway.

‘What kind of dirty bloodline did she bring in?’

A child raised in such an environment would obviously be a mess. Noh Hwa-jin looked out the window. Her dogs were running around energetically in the yard.

‘Those dogs are all purebreds.’

She always raised only the most genetically superior and well-selected ones. She clicked her tongue.

“What are we going to do with a mutt?”

How dirty could the child be? Just thinking about it made the house feel filthy.

“I hope she doesn’t stain our Family Name.”

She knew well that it was impossible to rehabilitate those born with lowly origins.

‘Should I look into reversing the adoption process now?’

Clicking her tongue, she stood up again. It was annoying.

She thought of her third daughter, still causing trouble despite her age, pathetic.

* * *

The second daughter-in-law, Lee Yoo-gyeong, stood up. She had just gulped down the coffee her mother-in-law left behind.

“It tastes good, though.”