Chapter 2
Chapter 2
“What’s going on?”
“Exactly. Tabin asked us to spare a moment, so we came…”
Since it was an extremely small village with only ten households, even when everyone gathered there were only about thirty people.
“The reason I gathered everyone is to prepare for the monsoon.”
Standing in front of the confused villagers, I spoke loudly.
“If you pile leaves and grass on the roof like you’re doing now, they absorb rainwater and become heavier. That can actually cause the house to collapse.”
I explained as clearly as possible so everyone could understand how dangerous and inefficient this method was.
“We’ve always done it this way until now. Are you saying it’s been dangerous?”
“Yeah. Every other village does it this way too…”
But the villagers did not believe my words.
Well, they had lived like this their whole lives. Of course they wouldn’t accept it easily.
“If we clear away the grass and leaves and the rain overflows during the monsoon, will you take responsibility?”
A man with sharply protruding cheekbones pointed at me and told me not to act smart when I knew nothing.
“If something goes wrong because we followed what Assistant Manager Han said, will you take responsibility? Stop sticking your nose in and just do what you’re told!”
Seeing that, I was reminded of my former direct superior, Manager Park.
The man acted so similarly to Manager Park that it almost felt like that bastard had possessed him.
So damn irritating and unlucky!
“Yes. I’ll take full responsibility.”
“A girl who stays locked inside the house all the time is going to take responsibility for what?”
The man kept nitpicking until the end.
“I’m already busy enough as it is, and this was just a waste of time. Let’s go back!”
When the man gestured with his hand, the villagers quickly left.
I stared in disbelief at the villagers—especially the man who had stirred them up—when Tabin placed his hand on my shoulder.
“Are you alright, Aileen?”
“Ah… I’m fine.”
The resistance was stronger than expected, but I hadn’t expected them to believe me immediately in the first place.
“Still, your father will do as you say.”
Tabin said that as he firmly held my hand.
“Your father believes in his daughter.”
Unlike his rough appearance, Tabin was simple and kind. He was also a father who loved his daughter dearly.
That was why I couldn’t bring myself to call him Dad.
The shell was his daughter, Aileen—but what was inside was a completely different person.
From what Tabin and the villagers had said, it seemed the original Aileen had been timid and mostly stayed inside the house.
“Alright. Then please gather the things I mentioned.”
To prepare for the monsoon, not just our house but the entire village needed to be rebuilt.
“First, please get wood that won’t easily rot even when soaked with water.”
But since the villagers opposed it, I decided to fix our house first.
People’s hearts could only be moved when there were visible results.
In my original world, I would have asked specifically for planks made from a certain type of wood.
But here, I didn’t know enough. This was the best I could do.
“These are planks used to build ferry boats. Will this work?”
“They’re perfect.”
I had worried he might not find them, but fortunately Tabin brought exactly the planks I wanted.
“What are you planning to do with the planks?”
“I’m going to make this.”
While waiting for Tabin to gather the materials, I had drawn a roof design, which I now showed him.
“Oh, Aileen. You can even do something like this? That’s amazing.”
Even though it was quite crude since I drew it by hand, Tabin raised his thumb and admired it.
Being praised for something like this felt a little embarrassing.
“Is there anything your father can help with?”
“Well, first we need to cut the planks according to the measurements…”
It seemed better to show him directly rather than explain endlessly, so I picked up a saw.
Thanks to my father, who had been a carpenter, I had always been confident in my handiwork.
“Wow… so this is a saw.”
The problem was that the tools in this world were all in terrible condition.
The spacing of the saw teeth was uneven, and it was even rusty. I had to exert enough force to make my wrist go numb just to push and pull it once.
“If there’s something like animal fat, please bring it.”
Remembering a method my father used before, I spread a thin layer of oil over the rusty saw blade.
The blade moved more smoothly afterward. The cut surface was still uneven, but it was far better than before.
Four days later, the triangular roof was finally completed and installed.
Of course, before that I had repaired the ceiling and also dug a water channel so rainwater flowing from the roof could drain away.
“The roof looks quite unusual. Will it really help?”
“Of course. It lets the rainwater flow down instead of pooling.”
“Ohh, how fascinating.”
Tabin repeatedly expressed his admiration as he examined the triangular roof from every angle.
“I hope it rains soon.”
That way, people would have to admit that I was right.
As if the heavens had heard my wish, two days later a heavy rainstorm poured down.
Because the rain fell so violently, there was major and minor damage everywhere—leaks, collapsing ceilings, and more.
But our house suffered no damage at all.
Thanks to the triangular roof and water channel I had made.
“…Aileen was right?”
“That strange-looking roof and those holes in the ground really work?”
When the news spread that only our house remained fine, the villagers whispered among themselves in shock.
“This is your last chance!”
I seized the opportunity and shouted loudly.
“If you reject my method again, then even if problems arise later, I will absolutely not help you!”
The word last made their eyes tremble.
Still, no one stepped forward immediately, everyone just watching each other—until Uncle Hanson, who lived next door, suddenly raised his hand.
“Install that at my house too!”
“M-me too! Do mine too!”
“Our house needs it as well!”
Once one person broke the ice, the others who had been hesitating quickly raised their hands as well.
Even those who had been reluctant slowly began raising their hands.
“….”
Except for one person.
The man who had nitpicked and incited the villagers earlier.
“Uncle Peter, you don’t need it?”
When I asked directly, the man—Peter—flinched and snorted.
“I don’t particularly need it, but if you insist on doing it, I won’t refuse.”
He was just as stubborn as Manager Park.
“Ah, so you don’t need it.”
But I wasn’t the same person as before.
Assistant Manager Han Seona, who used to watch Manager Park’s mood constantly, no longer existed.
“Then we’ll proceed without Uncle Peter.”
Peter’s eyes widened like lanterns, clearly shocked by my words.
“Alright then, everyone else please follow me.”
Ignoring him completely, I led the people who had raised their hands to my house.
Peter came looking for me again about two days later.
I was busy building triangular roofs with the villagers.
At first, he hovered around me like a dog that urgently needed the bathroom.
“Ahem… what are you making?”
When I continued to ignore him, he cleared his throat and tried speaking to Tabin instead.
But when I still refused to look at him, he finally tapped my shoulder.
“Let’s talk for a moment.”
“What is it? I’m busy, so just say it here.”
When I replied curtly without even looking at him, Peter’s face twisted unpleasantly.
After glaring at me for quite a while, he finally let out a deep sigh.
“Install a triangular roof on my house too.”
“I thought you said you didn’t need it.”
“That was because you were being so annoying—!”
“Uncle Peter.”
When Peter raised his voice, I cut him off.
“From now on, when you ask me for something, please be polite. And apologize for looking down on me last time.”
“What did I even do wrong—!”
“You think you did nothing wrong?”
When I asked while holding the saw I had been using to cut planks, Peter’s face turned pale.
He hesitated awkwardly before finally lowering his gaze and shouting.
“Fine, alright! I was wrong back then! My house was leaking and I was annoyed, and then you started talking nonsense—”
“Nonsense?”
“No, I mean… sorry. I was wrong about everything.”
Even though he admitted fault with his words, dissatisfaction still clung all over his face.
“I want to make sure Uncle Peter is sincerely reflecting on his actions. How about going over there and shouting three times, ‘Aileen is the best!’ with both arms raised?”
But I wasn’t going to let him off that easily.
“Y-you want me to do something that embarrassing?”
Peter shouted in disgust.
“If you don’t want to, then forget it.”
Then I had no intention of building him a triangular roof.
“….”
Peter trembled with a flushed face before slowly trudging to the place I pointed.
“Aileen is the best! Aileen is the best! Aileen is the best!”
He raised both arms high into the air and shouted loudly.
“Pwahaha!”
The sight was so ridiculous that not only I but the villagers burst into laughter.
At that moment—
[The tutorial has ended.]
A translucent window appeared before my eyes.