Chapter 1
Chapter 1
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 1
Chapter Title: The First Friend I Ever Made
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The house was always dark.
There were windows, but no light ever came in.
In the middle of the room, empty liquor bottles and cosmetics lay scattered in a jumbled mess.
Even in the heart of this disaster zone, that woman was humming away carefree.
She was my biological mother.
She was a prostitute.
Not as an insult, but as a profession.
Calling her a prostitute might be a bit harsh, but that's what I wanted to call her.
To be precise, she was a woman who worked at an establishment. And of course, it was illegal.
"Make your own food. And clean up the house a bit."
That was my biological mother's daily morning greeting.
Draped in flashy designer bags, she'd head out and not return until late at night.
Clutching my growling stomach, I opened the fridge. The liquor bottle and snacks from yesterday that she'd left half-finished were still there untouched.
I heated up the cold rice left in the cooker and pulled out the snacks she'd abandoned.
I needed to eat hearty if I wanted to grow tall.
At this rate, I'd be stuck as a shorty forever.
I wished we could at least get milk deliveries, but she would never allow it.
She was never stingy with her booze money, but a single milk carton? She got ridiculously picky about that.
I hadn't been tall in my previous life either.
So I wanted to be tall this time around. Tsk.
If she was just going to raise me like this, she might as well not have bothered giving birth to me.
The only reason my biological mother had me was money.
A huge sum extorted from my biological father under the pretext of child-rearing. And all the various economic aid from the government.
I hadn't known it, but this country offered quite a bit of support to unmarried women who had kids.
What a waste of taxes. Better to give every extra penny to the soldiers defending the nation.
Thanks to that, at least I had cold rice to eat and stay alive.
Anyway, for all her flaws, my biological mother seemed to make decent money.
It was a basement apartment, but still in the capital region. Rent was paid on time, and even to my child's eyes, the cosmetics she bought daily looked luxurious.
It made sense, though.
I didn't know much about her, but her looks were stunning.
It was only natural. If she wasn't pretty, she'd have been kicked out of the establishment long ago.
The one thing she taught me was always the same.
"When you grow up, you'll have to find your own way to eat. Come here."
Whenever she got bored, she'd grab my face with her hands and stand me in front of the mirror.
"See? Now that's more presentable."
She pressed her thumb against my lips, pulling them into a smile.
The girl with pink-tinted hair smiled back in the mirror, following her touch.
"You've got my looks, so your face will serve you well. You'll definitely make good money. How lucky are you to have parents like me?"
How to lower your gaze.
How high to lift the corners of your mouth when smiling.
How to smile without showing teeth.
The right distance to keep from making the other person uncomfortable.
Not averting your eyes immediately upon contact, but glancing shyly instead.
Where to poke to make your eyes water.
How to make tears flow without feeling sad.
The exact angle to tilt your head for a touch of sly charm.
While other kids learned math and English, this girl learned the ways of the establishment.
Her name was Han Sarang.
My name now.
Of course, all that was somewhat distant from me.
Because in my previous life, I had been a man.
An ordinary Korean guy.
A typical unemployed bum scraping by on gaming.
Few friends, sparse social life.
When selling in-game gold wasn't enough, I'd pick up shifts at convenience stores or libraries just to get by.
Still, I was mostly content.
It was a life where I did what I wanted, more or less.
I'd just chosen comfort over the thrill of hard-earned achievements.
Not that it had always been that way.
There was a time when I had dreams. And I chased them with everything I had.
But it was just naive delusions from an ignorant kid who didn't know the world.
Effort had a terrible cost-benefit ratio.
That was the lesson from my previous life.
I thought that was the end of my story, but when I opened my eyes again, I'd reincarnated as a little girl.
No idea why someone like me—who lived for the slow life—got a second chance instead of someone desperate for it.
Anyway, I got another shot at life.
Exactly ten years after my death.
If it'd been a regression to the past, I could've cashed in on stocks or crypto. What a shame.
Childhood flew by surprisingly fast.
Maybe because my body wasn't developed yet—half my memories were just sleep.
I never went to kindergarten. It cost money.
But that was fine by me.
Going back to kindergarten with an adult's memories? Couldn't even imagine it. Pure torture.
I wanted to slack through middle and high school too, but sadly, elementary school was unavoidable.
From then on, it was mandatory by law.
"Mom, I'm off to school."
The day of the entrance ceremony arrived.
I slung on a bag I'd luckily found at the recycling center and greeted my biological mother.
"Don't get me called to school. And stop with that 'mom' crap. It's creepy."
Her response was indifferent as always.
She waved me off lazily, like my going to school was no concern of hers.
Don't worry.
I had no plans to spread around school that my family was in the prostitution business.
Why invite the abuse?
Child of a whore—prime bullying material among kids.
"What're you doing? Go already."
I hadn't expected her to walk me to the ceremony.
She probably wouldn't show much interest until I turned adult.
Then she'd kick me out, she said.
Once I was grown, no more government aid, so no more need for me.
Money-crazed woman, through and through.
Not that I'm much different, probably.
I pondered it all on the way to school, excitement nowhere to be found.
Time to start thinking about how to make money.
The mandatory education ends at middle school.
Even if I made it to high school, she wouldn't cover meals with her personality.
I didn't want her to anyway. Schoolwork and I were distant at best.
I could probably pass as a prodigy through middle and high on reincarnation perks.
But after that? Doubtful. Too many geniuses out there.
For someone like me, learning a trade was way better.
Oh, right. I'm a girl now.
My habit of thinking of myself as a guy still trips me up sometimes.
Back to square one. How to make money.
Following her into the trade? Hard pass.
No amount of cash would make me spread my legs for other men with a guy's memories intact.
Death first.
"Money, huh..."
Actually, I already had it figured out.
Internet broadcasting it is.
Perfect fit for my motto of easy, comfy cash.
I had confidence in my gaming skills from making a living at it before.
Had to admit, I'd inherited decent looks from her too—another advantage.
Cute girl gamer?
If I couldn't succeed with that, it was on me.
Game streamer. Sold.
Lost in thought, I arrived at school before I knew it.
Cars lined up long in front of the gates.
Suit-clad ajusshis and ladies in neat dresses beamed at their kids.
Off to one side of the gate stood a big bulletin board.
Homeroom teachers and class assignments posted there.
Han Sarang. Class 3-1.
I checked and followed the directions to the auditorium.
Turning a corner in the hallway, I bumped into someone.
"Oof!"
A bright, cute voice burst from ahead.
A blonde girl a bit taller than me.
Her black eyes held a faint blue shimmer.
Dyeing her hair at that age? Bold.
Oblivious to my thoughts, she squinted down at me.
Behind her stood a middle-aged parent dressed flashily, like a bodyguard.
"Watch where you're—"
Before she could finish, I bowed my head first.
"Sorry!"
"Huh?"
She blinked wide-eyed at my quick apology.
Clearly hadn't expected it.
No interest in starting trouble over something trivial.
Besides, her bold attitude screamed doting parents behind her.
Only one who'd lose was me.
"My fault. Really... sorry. You okay...?"
I softened my voice.
Eyes drooping low.
Gently brushing her collar with my fingertips, I peeked up.
Her anger melted fast.
The hostility in her round eyes turned to warmth.
Whatever else, the tricks from my biological mother came in handy here.
Skipped right over needless conflict.
"So-yul, you bumped into her too, didn't you? What do you say in these situations?"
A woman with a neat bob patted her daughter's shoulder.
So-yul rolled her eyes around, puffed her cheeks, and glanced at me.
"A-Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine. Totally okay."
"O-Oh, good. Yeah... sorry about that."
She kept sneaking peeks at my face.
Waiting for me to talk first, it seemed.
Despite her sharp first impression, she had a shy side.
"What class are you in?"
Her face lit up when I spoke first.
"M-Me? Class 5!"
"Too bad... I'm in 3."
"R-Really? Well... let's be friends anyway!"
She stuck out her hand confidently.
Feisty, but friendly too.
"Sure, sounds good."
I took her hand.
Her parents watched us fondly.
The first friend I'd made in this life.