Chapter 05
English Translation
“……Phew.”
Having finished my performance, I quietly let out the breath I’d been holding.
I-I think I did well.
The scene I’d just performed was from a drama I’d starred in during my previous life.
It was the scene where my character, having just discovered the secret of her birth—that she wasn’t her parents’ biological daughter—poured out all her resentment toward her stepfather.
They praised me a lot for that performance back then, too…….
But I could feel it.
This time, it was on an entirely different level.
Back then, I’d simply memorized the script and calculated the emotions in my head. They were nothing more than feelings I’d learned to imitate.
But now, I could truly understand those emotions.
After all, they were similar to the sorrow and betrayal I’d felt toward my mom and dad as I lay dying.
……So this is what the adults meant when they said experience was important.
I remembered the older actors and actresses on set in my previous life, gently patting my head as they spoke to me.
“The more experience you gain, the greater an actress our Yujin will become.”
Back then, I hadn’t understood what those words meant.
But after that performance, I was finally beginning to understand the difference.
It was sad.
And yet, at the same time, my heart was pounding with excitement.
I’ll be able to act even better.
Even the painful memories from that time were helping me grow.
And that made me realize something.
I wanted to experience more emotions and have more experiences in the future.
“……”
In this life…… I definitely will.
“Hey, little one.”
It happened then.
“Yes?”
I raised my head to answer, then gasped in surprise.
The man who had been sitting in the center of the judges’ panel had somehow already made his way over to me.
And then—
Oh-ho, what an extraordinary aura this child possesses.
Huh?
The fox’s low voice echoed inside my head. At some point, it had returned.
Such a pure, golden aura! This child must be born under an immensely fortunate destiny. They could become a benefactor to you, Contractee!
You can see things like that, too?
Heh heh heh! Nothing escapes the eyes of the great Fox Deity!
I could still hear its smug voice when the man knelt on one knee, bringing himself closer to my eye level, and carefully took something out to offer me.
“You did wonderfully. Truly, truly excellent work.”
“……”
The way his eyes sparkled as he looked at me—
Those eyes seemed to genuinely tell me that my performance had been wonderful.
I carefully accepted the piece of paper.
It was a business card.
JB Film / Director
Director Yoo Tae-seong
Wow…….
For some reason, I couldn’t help running my fingers over the stiff card.
This was the first time I’d ever received a business card.
Until now, I’d only ever watched adults exchange them with one another.
I’m becoming an adult now, too!
Just as the corners of my mouth began to twitch upward in delight, the man spoke again.
“But Yujin, where is your guardian?”
“……”
Guardian.
I stiffened at that word.
I didn’t have a guardian with me right now……
I quietly averted my eyes and mumbled, “W-why are you asking about my guardian?”
“Haha. Well, I’d like to have a conversation with another adult.”
O-oh.
That wouldn’t do!
I hurriedly lifted my head again and shouted, “P-please talk to me instead!”
“Hm?”
“The contract! You can make the contract with me right now! I can read really well, and I’m good at signing my name, too!”
The moment those words left my mouth, silence fell over the audition room.
And then, a moment later—
“Pfft! Hahahaha!”
“Oh, goodness, how adorable!”
For some reason, laughter burst out from all around me.
“……”
I blinked.
W-why was everyone laughing?
Just then, the director, who was still kneeling in front of me, smiled and gently patted my head.
“Yujin, contracts are something adults handle among themselves.”
“……Pardon?”
“When you grow a little taller and become an adult, you’ll be able to sign one yourself.”
“……”
“And besides, we can’t sign a contract right this very moment. We still need to discuss a few things first.”
H-huh?
I froze on the spot.
I couldn’t…… sign the contract?
Th-then what about the role? What about the money?
F-Fox. What do I do?
W-well, that is…… Um, you know…… Now that you mention it, what do we do?
The fox responded in a rather foolish tone, seemingly just as clueless about the situation as I was.
……Wait a minute. In that case……
I swallowed hard.
My mind began racing.
If I got stuck here, and Mom and Dad found out I was here right now……
Everything would be over!
Having reached that conclusion, I discreetly slipped the business card into my pocket.
First, I need to act natural…….
I blinked once, then put on the most innocent, cheerful smile a little girl could possibly manage.
“Oh! My mommy is waiting in the underground parking lot! I’ll go get her right away!”
Hah—Hup!
At the same time, I heard the fox exerting its power.
Perfect timing!
The director’s eyes wavered slightly before he smiled and nodded.
“Oh, she’s waiting outside? All right, then. Go on and bring her over.”
“Yes!”
I bowed politely, then carefully opened the audition room door and slipped outside.
Thud.
The moment the heavy door closed behind me—
I took off down the hallway without even looking back.
For now, a tactical retreat!
“……”
On the bus ride home, I sat by the window, staring blankly ahead.
Because I was so short, my feet couldn’t reach the floor. They dangled uselessly in the air, swinging back and forth.
My mind was in turmoil.
Children aren’t allowed to sign contracts on their own?!
If I couldn’t sign a contract, then naturally, I wouldn’t receive a single penny.
My perfect plan had fallen apart before it had even gotten started.
Ahem, ahem.
“……”
I heard the fox clearing its throat inside my head.
Pouting, I asked, You didn’t know either, Fox? That children can’t sign contracts?
Ahem! In the era I lived in, children as young as ten were already getting married and running their own households! The world has become such a strange and inflexible place!
……Huh?
W-wait a second.
Getting married at ten? Running a household?
That was when I realized something was off.
Come to think of it, there was the way the fox spoke, and the way it had reacted when we first got on the bus……
Y-you know, what era are you from?
Let me see…… There were scholars wearing gat hats, and if even the tip of one of my tails brushed past someone on a dark road, an entire village would erupt into a panic, convinced that a nine-tailed fox had appeared……
…….
I was speechless.
You’re from the Joseon Dynasty!
Hundreds of years in the past.
Of course it didn’t know anything about the era I was living in now.
Screeech—
By then, the bus had come to a stop.
It was my stop.
Well, I suppose I should get off…….
I stepped off the bus and trudged along, my head lowered and my steps heavy.
“……”
Going out today in the first place had taken an enormous amount of courage.
But now, it had all been for nothing.
Suddenly, I remembered something my mom used to say to me all the time in my previous life.
“Seo Yujin. Is there anything in this world you can actually manage to do properly on your own?”
“……”
Those were the words Mom used whenever I made a mistake.
For some reason, they hurt more than ever now.
Maybe I really am a child who can’t do anything on her own.
Just as I could no longer hold back and a tear slipped down my cheek—
Lick.
Something rough and warm gently brushed across my cheek.
……Huh?
Startled, I turned my head.
At some point, the fox had appeared on my shoulder and was licking away my tears.
Don’t cry, Contractee!
Its voice rang inside my head, as spirited as ever.
Didn’t I tell you? You were born with a destiny brighter than anyone else’s!
…….
In this life, I won’t let you die so miserably ever again!
Fox…….
Yet I could sense how desperately the fox was trying to comfort me.
Just as something deep in my chest gave a painful throb—
Vroooom—
Skreeech!
“……?”
A massive sedan suddenly pulled up beside me.
Oh dear, there’s someone—
Poof!
The fox vanished in an instant.
But I instinctively raised my head, only to freeze on the spot.
H-huh?
It was a familiar black car.
Isn’t that Grandpa’s car?
Before I could even finish the thought, the rear door swung open with a clunk.
And through the open doorway appeared a familiar face.
“……Hic!”
It was Grandpa.
I was so startled that I let out a hiccup.
Grandpa stepped out of the car and stood there, his back ramrod straight as he stared down at me.
Under his chilly gaze, I couldn’t move a muscle.
“Don’t tell me you’ve been wandering around outside all by yourself?”
“……”
“Where on earth have you been?”
His deep, stern voice made my mind go completely blank.
Grandpa was the scariest person in our household.
He always wore an expressionless face, and even the slightest bit of noise in the house was enough to make him angry.
Even Mom and Dad were always careful around him, so there was no need to say anything more.
And now, I’d been caught by that very Grandpa.
I-I’m dead.
Clutching the hem of my skirt with trembling hands, I finally managed to speak in a tiny, quavering voice.
“I-I was…… at the s-shopping mall.”
“The shopping mall? How did you get there?”
“B-by bus……”
What do I do? What do I do?!
I was going to get into so much trouble.
Maybe I’d be locked in my room starting tomorrow and forbidden from stepping outside ever again.
Tears welled up in my eyes from fear.
And just as I lowered my head even further, unable to do anything at all—
“……?”
My body suddenly rose into the air.
My field of vision lifted, and a moment later, I found myself settled against something.
Grandpa…… had scooped me right up into his arms!
“G-Grandpa?”
I blurted it out without thinking, too flustered to do otherwise.
Grandpa held me in his arms and stared at me for a moment before letting out a faint chuckle.
“Well, I’ll be. I thought you were the sort who never caused trouble, but you’ve managed to cause quite the spectacular incident.”
“……”
For some reason, a faint smile tugged at the corners of Grandpa’s mouth as he said that.
Why…… is he smiling?
Unable to understand, I blinked repeatedly.
And then—
Tap.
A small piece of paper slipped out of my skirt pocket and fell to the ground.
“Hmm? What’s this?”
Grandpa’s gaze naturally followed it down.
The moment I reflexively followed his line of sight—
“……Gasp!”
I sucked in a sharp breath.
I-I’m really done for now.
It was the very business card the director had given me at the audition earlier.
