A Donut for a Warm Heart

"Look at me warmly, please."

"What on earth are you on about?"

Hwang Dongbun couldn't help but be caught completely off guard by the out-of-the-blue request. She tried humoring the kid by staring down at her, but the resulting reaction was far from satisfied.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"Not like that. That's not how you look warmly at someone."

"It's no different from how I always look at you."

"Then what could it be?"

Before they knew it, they had arrived back at the orphanage.

"Whoa! Food!"

Whether caught by the sweet aroma or sheer predatory instinct, Donga was instantly bombarded with an avalanche of attention she had never received before.

Feels like standing in the middle of a sheep pasture clutching a bundle of hay.

The only real difference was that sheep were kept behind fences, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠whereas these kids had no pens holding them back.

Every single one of them was drooling, eyes completely glued to the boxes of donuts. A few of the older kids tried to play it cool and act mature, but even they couldn't stop sneaking greedy peeks.

Well, at that age, anything you eat leaves you starving an hour later.

Still, once they realized just how massive the haul was, they managed to hold themselves back from rioting on the spot.

While the rest of the horde trailed after Madame Hwang toward the dining hall, my roommates stuck right to my side.

"What's that?"

"Donuts."

"Donuts? They don't look like the ones we usually get."

"Just take a bite and see."

These were on a whole different level compared to the greasy red-bean donuts sold on market days or the cheap pastries around this neighborhood.

"They're hard to come by."

There weren't many franchise outlets around, making them nearly impossible to track down in this area. Without wasting another breath, I shoved a donut into each of their waiting mouths.

"Feel that rush of sugar hitting your brain?"

"Whoa! This is crazy good! It's sweet, but not sickly sweet!"

"Whoaaah..."

My roommates inhaled their donuts in the blink of an eye.

Now that's a god-tier reaction.

Had they been starving their entire lives? Every single bite looked breathtakingly delicious.

Back in the day, I used to put away food way better than that.

Ever since my body got swapped into a little girl's, my appetite had plummeted to pathetic levels. I could eat well enough, but my stomach hit maximum capacity in seconds. Despising that feeling, I had taken to nibbling slowly, but before I knew it, my eating speed had become noticeably slower than any of the other kids.

"Donga really eats like a proper little lady!"

"Yeah. She just nibbles away, bit by bit."

"...?"

Excuse me? I'm overflowing with raw, beastly charisma! What nonsense are you two spewing?

I'd definitely have to put on a show of true savagery next time.

The True Bones were staring at me, practically choking on their own drool. It was glaringly obvious they desperately wanted another one, barely managing to restrain themselves.

I know that feeling all too well.

The very first day I tasted a Crispy Milk Donut in my past life, I crushed an entire box of twelve flat with both hands and inhaled it like a giant burger.

Tragic as it is, life is harsh.

"You think looking at me with those pathetic puppy eyes is gonna make me hand them over?"

Save that pitiful gaze for kids who actually have parents. To a ruthless, cold-blooded creature like me, that desperate look was just another savory seasoning to enjoy.

"Time to dig in properly~"

As I munched away, my stomach quickly bloated. Perhaps because I had swallowed down the True Bones' envious gazes alongside the pastry, I felt stuffed even faster than usual. My arms trembled with sheer indignation at my fragile physical limitations.

This is seriously unfair.

If I were just three years older, I would've slaughtered every single donut in this box.

"What kind of bullshit nerf is this?"

I had no choice but to leave the rest behind. And not just crumbs—pristine, untouched donuts resting sacredly in their box. Rather than letting them go stale and rot, feeding them to the True Bones was the only sensible play.

Has giving away freebies always been this hard?

"You two can have one more each."

"Really?!"

The True Bones' eyes widened like saucers. Wiping their drool, they opened their mouths wide for a massive bite—only to freeze in unison.

"Wait, Donga. Did you pass the audition?"

"You're only asking that now?"

Who do you think I am? I'm Hwang Donga.

"Of course I passed."

Just like Guan Yu returning with the enemy general's severed head before his warm wine had even cooled, I had claimed the prize in a flash. I wanted to puff out my chest and brag that I had bought these donuts with my own glorious bounty, but I held back, offering only a gentle, magnanimous smile.

At that, Yisol and Eunwoo exchanged nervous glances.

"Congratulations! Here, this is our present!"

A surprise...? To call it that, what the True Bones thrust toward me were the exact same donuts I had handed them two seconds ago.

"I literally just gave you those."

Are these brats the gods of grinding?

Regifting the exact same item back to the giver—what kind of unheard-of footwork was this?

I'm genuinely feeling a wall between our skill levels here.

"Is orphan movement built on a whole different level?"

"No, it's not! It's not the same thing!"

"This is the most precious thing we have right now!"

"This is?"

"Yeah! Unlike toys, once you eat it, it disappears forever, which makes it way more precious! Plus, it's super hard to get!"

Alright, fine, I'll take the loss on this one.

Still, one detail needed addressing.

"Not the same thing, you say?"

Is this how secondhand scalpers justify their hustle? Seeing them slap an emotional markup on it blew my mind.

"That's right! It's totally different!"

"And how, pray tell, is it different?"

"Our feelings are inside it!"

"..."

Checkmate.

If I said something like "feelings don't exist," Madame Hwang would rip me into four pieces for crushing a child's innocent dreams.

"Very well. I accept your... feelings."

I solemnly accepted the tribute donuts from the True Bones. Perhaps because of the lingering warmth of a child's hands, they carried a gentle, lukewarm heat, unlike the cool temperature of the fresh box. The sugar glaze was peeling, and they were dented with tiny fingerprints, noticeably degrading their commercial value compared to the ones in the box—yet somehow, they looked strangely appetizing.

"Understood. I'll eat them well. But why are they so sticky?"

"Oh. I might've drooled a little."

"I-I got some snot on mine."

Ugh... So that's why they felt so warm.

"Hurry up and eat!"

"Yeah, eat before it gets cold!"

"You guys eat it."

I was stuffed, and frankly, I valued my immune system.

"Are you rejecting our feelings?!" they cried in unison.

"Need you even ask?"

Hell yeah I am, dammit.

"I'll take the sentiment. You two eat the donuts."

Look at those cheeky grins spreading across their faces.

"You planned this from the start, didn't you?"

"Did we get caught?"

"Thanks for the food!"

Sly little rascals.

They really lived up to the terrible sevens.

Still... my chest felt oddly warm.

"Early bird waking up."

Without fail, I opened my eyes on the film set.

"Wait, it changed again."

It was distinctly different from before.

The area affected by the campfire expanded?

No doubt about it. The fire had grown larger, casting its light further into the gloom. Even now, the flames continued to swell.

Spaces that had previously been cloaked in pitch-black darkness were slowly unveiling themselves. Sitting right there in the newly revealed zone was a staggering array of cameras—far too many to count at a single glance.

Should be fine to step forward now, right?

Stepping beyond the campfire's reach used to summon an excruciating, unbearable chill. That biting frost had kept me from venturing out, but right now, it seemed perfectly fine.

I made my way toward the cluster of cameras and tripods.

"Good lord... how much is all this worth?"

Cameras categorized by type and purpose were stacked in heaps. The same went for lighting rigs and various other filming gear. If I could just drag this out and sell it, I could live like royalty for decades.

Pity I can't take any of it with me.

None of them looked like cameras meant for personal live streaming, though. I wasn't even hoping for a PC webcam setup; what I really wanted was a handycam good for IRL outdoor broadcasts. Well, technically, a smartphone would be ideal. If I had one, I could walk around, test camera angles, practice talking to chat, and see if the stream was entertaining.

"Is there one somewhere else?"

Maybe.

It might be waiting further out, beyond where the light currently reached.

As the campfire brightly illuminated the stage, a previously invisible corridor came into view. Of course, the passage itself was still shrouded in shadow, making it impossible to see what lay ahead. Right in front of that corridor, a solitary document folder lay on the ground.

"Now, what could that be?"

I muttered aloud in my streaming persona. The sudden shift in scenery was a little creepy, to be honest. Besides, it doubled as good practice for talking on stream.

Some might say I was overreacting, but in horror games, you know the drill. A toy doll suddenly lunges out from a pitch-dark hallway. Or the eerie laughter of an unidentified little girl echoes in your ears. Common sense dictated that one should tread lightly in situations like this.

After mentally preparing myself so I could wake up at any second, I picked up the folder and flipped it open. Written inside was information about this place.

The place I had casually dubbed the Dreamland Set actually had a proper title.

The Dream Theater.

Looking through the description, only one thought crossed my mind.

"What a trash-tier spawn point."

If I had spawned just a few meters to the side, I could've read the guide, finished the tutorial, and known what I was doing from day one! Instead, without a single manual, how much time had I flushed down the drain bashing my head against the wall?

If I'd spent all that time practicing, I'd already be an elite streaming prodigy.

Swallowing my frustration, I kept reading. The likelihood of this guide being ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a lie seemed low. When compared against the knowledge I'd gathered through sheer trial and error, none of it contradicted what I already knew.

Starting with how to exit, the manual laid out various details about this space. For now, I skimmed straight to the core points.

"What even is Warmth?"

The manual had described it as a 'warm heart,' but how was anyone supposed to know what that meant in practice? As if responding to my question, fresh words materialized on one side of the page, only to dissolve once I finished reading them.

"Bloody pedantic, isn't it?"

Still, now I understood why the campfire had surged. It was thanks to the congratulations from the True Bones when I gave them the donuts.

"So basically, I just need to get hit with a gratitude punch?"

"Not bad."

Much like a streamer reaping donations from viewers, all I had to do was farm good vibes from the people around me.

"My practice time was running short anyway, so this works out great."

The more Warmth I accumulated, not only would the usable space expand, but the safe duration I could remain here would increase as well. I inspected the hourglass. A portion of the sand that had previously been frozen solid like ice had melted under the campfire's heat.

"The time really went up."

Judging by the volume, it looked like about an hour had been added.

"Does that make it roughly four hours in total now?"

Having extra time to practice my streaming by playing imaginary games was a huge win.

"Wait, what happens if I exceed four hours?"

The manual stated that gathering Warmth extended the time one could safely remain in this place. Which meant there was a way to linger here even when it wasn't safe.

"What's the danger?"

The document ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠provided the answer.

Yeah, I was definitely logging out early.

"Gotta be careful."

Guess they don't hand out bonus service minutes like a karaoke room.

"Cheapskates."

Our orphanage took a genuinely deep interest in the children's futures. Limited as our means were, the goal was to provide as diverse a range of experiences as possible.

Waking kids up with a military bugle call—kids who didn't even have to enlist in the army—could be considered part of that holistic education.

"Rise and shine, you True Bone slackers!"

As the reveille bugle blared, everyone dragged themselves out of bed, scowling with utter disgust.

"Ugh... why do I get so mad every time I hear this? What's wrong with me?"

"Why did you even suggest this, Donga?"

"Because it pisses me off that I was the only one who had to go through it."

Now that I thought about it, in this lifetime, I'd never have to go back to the military anyway.

Still, at least I don't have to serve again. That's a massive relief.

"What's on the menu today, Eunwoo?"

"Bean sprout soup and stir-fried sausage and veggies."

"Not bad."

Our living standards had noticeably improved lately. Was it thanks to Director Lee Changseop donating dairy products?

Lee Changseop dropped by the orphanage on a regular basis to deliver scripts, show me filming locations, and occasionally check in on my acting. Word was that pre-production was finally wrapping up and filming was slated to begin soon.

Did he say we'd dive in for real once his commercial side gig wrapped up?

Either way, I had plenty of time to practice.