Chapter 5
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Those wide, guileless eyes turned toward him from Yewon.
Yeongeo opened his mouth, words forming on his lips.
Everyone runs into people they clash with, even Yewon must have one such playmate, no doubt.
She kept to herself the painful truth of her own friendless existence.
Would anyone choose to share a home with someone they rub the wrong way like that?
Her head swung side to side in firm denial.
Grown-ups face the identical dilemma, avoiding dorm life with bandmates who grate on their nerves.
But why the friction in the first place? You all looked so tight-knit during those broadcasts.
Cold beads formed on Yeongeo’s forehead as her relentless, childlike probing persisted.
Yewon savored the edge her tender age granted her without mercy.
Children at seven embodied unfiltered mischief at heart.
Lee Doha watched her fixedly, his composure visibly rattled.
Our group dynamic resembles a stroke of pure chance.
The optimistic retort nearly escaped her, but awareness of her youth sealed her lips.
Lee Doha’s resolute declaration cut through next.
Vision blurred under a cascade of glowing prompts.
Win a Best Actress award before becoming an adult!
※ Whether it’s movies or dramas, genre doesn’t matter. Any is OK!
Quest Failure Penalty: GLEET disbandment, Lee Doha’s death
This fresh existence promised no smooth path ahead.
Desperation clawed at her for the chance to return tomorrow without fail, demanding every extra hour of work, pleading against any risk of custody charges that could unravel everything, since his downfall meant her own collapse.
Exhaustion overtook her suddenly. She announced bedtime and fled to her quarters, door slamming shut regardless of any pursuit from Lee Doha.
[You are a newly debuted child actor!
Your only role was as an extra playing ! Take one step at a time toward the Best Actress award!]
[It might seem overwhelming, but don’t worry! Your new contractor is destined to help ‘you’! If you complete the Sub Quests one by one, becoming a top actor will be right around the corner!]
These ethereal panels hovered insistently before her gaze.
Composure returned as she refocused on the dire warning.
[Quest Failure Penalty: GLEET disbandment, Lee Doha’s death]
Uncle Lee Doha perishes if she faltered?
Fresh bonds of kinship, severed so abruptly?
Over a single trophy?
Surely this matched the dire consequence Cotton Ball had warned about.
A now-recognizable tone echoed softly.
Her eyes lifted to reveal a plush, snowy creature materializing.
Second chances demand stakes like these to hold true value—did you expect otherwise?
You’ve triumphed in one lifetime already; repeating it should prove simpler.
Circumstances had shifted dramatically already—nothing assured the path ahead stayed fixed.
Unique trials define this existence, yet true kin will bolster you through every storm!
Had the cost targeted only herself, acceptance would come easier, but dragging innocent Uncle Lee Doha into peril felt profoundly unjust.
Simply triumph, then—why complicate it? Such pressure ensures you shun idle comfort.
Glance at your surroundings: lavish shelter, generous and affectionate guardian with deep pockets. Ease like this dulls ambition for stardom, and I refuse to enable complacency. Business demands profit.
Yewon’s forehead creased at Cotton Ball’s sly grin.
She vowed full commitment, given the stakes’ brutality.
Another glance caught the persistent alert nearby.
[Quest Failure Penalty: GLEET disbandment, Lee Doha’s death]
Uncle Lee Doha’s survival hinged on her resolve.
She steeled herself utterly for his sake.
Lee Doha holds unusual weight for you already, despite the brief acquaintance?
Cotton Ball’s gaze sharpened with unexpected curiosity.
Doesn’t he matter deeply to you as well?
Nonsense—he means nothing.
Your fretting over potential collapse betrays that denial.
Irritation flared; Cotton Ball retreated huffily.
Dealing with children complicates everything. Enough fretting, though.
A lazy yawn escaped as it withdrew.
Sub Quests abound to guide you.
Indulging your youth irks me, but obligations persist.
Dissatisfaction warped its features; fur bristled in annoyance before it darted close.
Sub Quests—what do you mean precisely?
Perfect timing—accept one immediately?
Reunite the divided family! ~Every little bit helps GLEET~
Lee Doha’s circle has centered on the group, excluding you and your mother until now.
Joining his family equates to embracing all of GLEET.
Discord plagues kin at times.
Targeted outreach mends fractures.
Tensions simmer among them currently.
Retrieve Hanwon, the ally closest to Lee Doha, back into the fold.
Convince GLEET’s Hanwon to return home.
Quest Success: Maternal grandparents revealed
Quest Failure: Mental breakdown of Lee Doha, who would become your backer and manager
Maternal grandparents unveiled as reward?
Uncle sufficed as family already.
Naturally, ignorance blinds you to their significance.
Emergencies demand such knowledge, especially for an aspiring performer.
Pursuing acting demanded it…?
Perhaps industry powerhouses?
Puzzlement brewed as connections formed.
Abruptly, Cotton Ball gaped and engulfed her in one swift motion.
Panic surged in a sharp cry at the absurdity.
The entrance flew wide; Lee Doha barreled inside.
She jerked awake on the mattress.
A quick scan confirmed her child frame intact, unharmed.
You’re clearly breathing—what’s the panic?
Chest heaving, he exhaled raggedly, shock etching his features.
Pallor drained his complexion; true alarm gripped him.
Regret softened her expression, easing his tension somewhat as he gathered himself.
The tale of a bizarre fluffy beast devouring her in slumber nearly spilled out.
Shadows clouded his face, lost in some private terror.
Moonlight framed him ethereally in the midnight hush.
He radiated that glow perpetually, from their first encounter onward.
In this chance at renewal, safeguarding his light became paramount.
Proximity ensured that protection.
Am I staying here with you from now on? Together forever?
