Chapter 9

If a poor person reincarnates, they become rich - Chapter 9 (9/405)

「▼Detailed Description▼

10,800

→ When applied, the moist texture does not highlight dead skin. A cool, bright pink color without a yellowish tone, it suits cool tones well.

▶Fit Index: 62

Characteristics: Enhances lip color. While it’s not the best match, it’s not terrible either. It has good moisturizing properties but tends to transfer. It needs to be reapplied frequently.

Charm: No stat change.」

‘If I press the arrow above my head, the window changes to show whether the item suits the person…!’

Looking around, the products with a shimmering effect had changed from before. Since I and Nayeon have different tones, the products with a high fit index would naturally differ.

“Nayeon, can you wipe off what you just put on and try this one?”

“Huh? Okay~”

I picked a lip gloss with a golden shimmer from the side and handed it to her.

A fit index of 70-80 is white, 85-95 is pink, but seeing this golden color…

“Sera, does this suit you well?”

It’s certain.

Ding-

「▼Detailed Description▼

☞Perfect Match for You!

10,800

→ When applied, the moist texture does not highlight dead skin. A lovely, light coral color with a lot of white undertones. It suits warm tones well.

▶Fit Index: 100

Characteristics: It’s like turning on a fluorescent light on your face the moment you apply it.

Charm: Your charm stat increases by (+10).」

A fit index of 100. It was the highest number I had ever seen.

* * *

「▶System

【Mission: Normal】

▶Hey! Honey Jum

Your foreign followers have reached (3,000)! Now, let’s move on to a bigger world.

Recruit (500) more foreign followers within (7) days.

Reward

○Increase in fame stat

Do you accept?

‘I should have pressed this yesterday….’

Yesterday, I lost track of time while trying on cosmetics one by one with Nayeon.

After laying out all the cosmetics and tagging them with #koreacosmetics, K-beauty fans who were already interested and following the trend liked and followed my posts.

Thinking that I no longer needed to take winking selfies made my heart race, and I couldn’t help but like the accounts of the foreigners who liked my posts, and then like more. …The number of foreign followers increased by nearly a hundred.

‘It’s gathering faster than I thought.’

Now that I’ve noticed, once you gather followers, the speed at which they increase is quite fast. Even if the reward is a bit boring, I decided to accept it.

Ding-

As soon as I pressed the accept button, the countdown began.

「※Recruit (498) more foreign followers within (6) days.」

‘Two more people must have followed since then. At this rate, I can gather 500 followers before a week….’

Knock knock-

A slow knock came from outside the door. It’s Dad. He returned from a trip last night.

“Sera, can I come in for a moment?”

It was a voice that made me want to cry with joy.

* * *

“…So, Sera, I won’t be able to attend your graduation this time. I’m sorry.”

In the end, Dad had to sell the factory. He tried hard to settle the debts he couldn’t pay off, and he finally came to Seoul just before my graduation.

But he’ll have to go back to the countryside a few days later.

“I was going to take a hundred photos of our princess…. I’ll definitely be at your high school graduation, okay?”

Dad, patting my back to comfort me, has a face I haven’t seen in years, but it’s so different from what I remember….

“Dad, you don’t want to see my face?”

The dad I remember was a respectable businessman. But the dad I see now is sunburned and has rough skin.

Does Dad have such deep wrinkles?

Even trying to bite my lip to hold back, something welled up in my chest. Dad’s messy hair seemed to tell me how hard he must have been.

“Don’t cry…. It’s tearing my heart out….”

“Huh….”

Trying to stop the tears, they still fell and touched my thighs.

“Dad, something terrible happened. I’m going to be so beautiful when I graduate, and you won’t be able to see it….”

The tears wouldn’t stop, like a dam had broken. Sometimes I lived as if I had forgotten about Dad. Repeating the same days, the anniversary of Dad’s death would approach.

But I realized that those feelings were not blurred or dulled; they were just stored inside, and I had been trying to ignore them.

“Brat, if you cry more, you’ll become ugly, stop.”

“Dad’s face… snif. This beauty is a miracle… snif….”

At the door, Mom called out to eat breakfast, and Dad handed me a tissue to wipe my nose.

Mom laughed, saying to look at my runny nose, and thanks to that, laughter filled the house for the first time in a long while.

Ding-

「※Recruit (495) more foreign followers within (6) days.」

Good, the followers are increasing smoothly! Foreigners, wait and see. I’ll make you fall in love with the taste of Korea.

* * *

Jang Maeran’s mornings were always simple and honest.

Sweep, sweep-

When she opened her eyes, she would brush her hair in the morning, and before the morning birds sang, she would steep chrysanthemum tea in hot water. Then she would sweep the yard again. It was a typical Tuesday.

‘So peaceful….’

“Screeech!!!”

‘A crow…? A voice that could be a leader.’

Maeran, who was about to dismiss it, heard the scream again. It was a young girl’s voice.

The young voice was so clear, as if it was being shouted right in her ear, so she threw down the broom and quickly opened the door.

There was a girl clutching something in her hands and covering her mouth.

“Why are you making such a fuss?”

Seeing that nothing serious had happened, she spoke gruffly. Her heart, which had been startled by the scream, pounded for the first time in a long while.

“I’m sorry…. I just got my paycheck.”

The girl’s face, which was still wearing a school uniform, was clearly young, but a paycheck?

Maeran suddenly wondered about the girl’s age.

‘She must not be an adult yet.’

“Are you a student?”

“Yes, but…. I’m going to build my family from now on! I have to earn my paycheck.”

Maeran was curious to hear more of the bold answer from the innocent face. The girl, dressed in a bright but thin outfit that didn’t match the weather, had a red nose and fingertips.

‘How much chrysanthemum tea is left….’

Maeran held the door handle and opened the door wide enough for one more person to enter.

“It’s cold outside, come in.”

It was her long-standing habit to speak bluntly without preamble.

The girl, looking flustered, waved her hands, saying it was okay, but Maeran, who hadn’t spoken to anyone in a long time, silently beckoned her in with a nod.

* * *

Seventeen years old. A self-made father and a housewife mother, a factory sold due to unpaid business funds from overseas, a house about to be auctioned off, and a family that suddenly fell into hard times.

If she told such a story, one might expect her to be depressed or cry, or fall into self-pity, but the girl in front of her seemed more spirited. She seemed determined to rebuild her family.

Maeran liked that spirit. The determination not to stay down even when hitting rock bottom, and the unique thinking.

“So, you’re going to rebuild your family.”

“Yes….”

She seemed a bit embarrassed, as if she had said it out of bravado earlier. Maeran smiled, feeling like she was looking at a young puppy.

“How do you plan to rebuild it? You’re young, so there’s not much you can do.”

“I’m young, but….”

The determination in her eyes, holding the teacup, was a mix of unknown confidence. She was bold for a kid. Still sniffling with a red nose, the girl continued.

“It also means I can see the future better.”

“You’re going to gather people online?”

“Yes. In the future, more people will use the internet actively and for longer periods. Now, almost everyone has a smartphone. And since I can earn money even while I sleep, it’s better for a student to make money.”

Maeran, with her years of experience, had an eye for people like a tiger. She could clearly distinguish between good and bad seeds.

Raising people, filtering people, and finding the right person among the many who came and went in a prestigious family was a difficult task.

There were many who talked big but few who acted. Many who schemed but few who were consistently diligent.

“So, where do you live?”

“Apgujeong.”

‘Not far from here.’

They say a rolling stone gathers no moss, but Maeran felt like a stone covered in moss, waiting to die in a corner, unable to roll anymore.

In a large, quiet house, she lived alone… like she was neither dead nor alive.

“If you’re going to rebuild your family, why don’t you make a contract with me?”

“Huh…!”

“Once a week, for two hours. Come to this house. I want you to be a companion for an old woman.”

“…What?”

“I’ll pay you well for the time you take away from your studies and work.”

When Maeran spoke again, the girl’s expression changed from surprise to shock.

* * *

What is this? Is this the hidden reward?

But the status window wasn’t open.

‘Did this old lady really offer me this much money just to be a companion…?’

After reaching the hanok village and refreshing her bank app out of habit, it took only a second to scream.

The meager balance suddenly had a lot of zeros. The thrill of the deposit hitting her throat was hard to swallow.

I thought it was the old lady who came out to check the scream, but….

‘She wants to make a contract with me?’

Honestly, I didn’t lose anything. In fact, the amount was so large that I felt a bit lightheaded. But.

“To be honest, I don’t think I’m worth that much. It’s too much for a simple companion, and it’s a bit overwhelming.”

A blessing in disguise, I guess…. Swallow.

I swallowed hard, along with my conscience. It was a tempting offer, but I had to decline.

“I think you want to help because you heard about my family’s difficulties. I’ll come by to take photos occasionally, so I’ll accept your offer.”

Lifting the steaming chrysanthemum tea elegantly.

“I’ve been dealing with people for a long time.”

The old lady sipped the tea calmly and added,

“So I know how to value people. You don’t buy jade at the price of a pebble.”

‘And I don’t pity people.’

She spoke bluntly again and took another sip of the remaining tea.

“I want to hear about the world from you. As you can see, I live alone, and it’s been a while since I’ve had a good conversation.”

The deep loneliness on the old lady’s face made me hesitate for a moment.

“If the amount is overwhelming, think about it until next time. Don’t regret it later. If you’re going to rebuild your family, you can’t be so timid.”

After checking the dates in my head, I picked a good day.

“Then… I’ll come on Monday.”

A faint smile bloomed on the old lady’s wrinkled face, like the chrysanthemum petals left in the teacup.

* * *

Ding-

「▶System

【Mission: Hidden】

▷Take more than ‘100’ photos a day

You have diligently practiced taking photos.

○Hidden Reward

▶ +1

▶ +1」

It was worth taking photos in the cold winter in thin spring clothes.

While walking around the hanok village, I took portrait photos with a tripod and captured the scenery for the next content. The hidden reward status window appeared in front of me.

‘Today, I received a deposit and a hidden reward. It’s a lucky day.’

A person’s heart is filled by their bank balance. Checking the now solid balance made me feel more accomplished. The world looked beautiful.

Whew-

…Cancel. Ah, it’s really cold. I sniffled and rubbed my cold hands. I need to go back to the subway station.

It’s much colder coming out of a warm place. The chrysanthemum tea was subtly delicious. Maybe I’ll buy something warm to drink on the way home….

“Oh, right.”

Thinking along, I realized I didn’t have the old lady’s phone number. If something happened and I couldn’t come, I imagined her waiting endlessly in that large hanok house.

‘I walked a bit from the house, but I should go back and check.’

* * *

Knock knock knock-

“Grandma!”

This is the third time I’ve knocked on the hanok door. No matter how much I knock, there’s no response from the intercom, and the door doesn’t open.

‘Did she go out somewhere?’

Sigh, I came back for nothing. I was about to turn and go home when a very small sound caught my attention.

“Ugh….”

I heard a faint groan from an old lady.

‘If she’s lying outside on such a cold day, and if she’s been there for a while….’

I looked around. There was nothing to step on.

“Grandma, wait! Just a moment!”

I called 119, but I had to get over the wall. She couldn’t wait in this weather until the ambulance arrived.

‘I have to do something, at least this.’

I firmly set the tripod I was holding and put my foot on the top without putting my full weight on it.

As I stepped on the tripod with one foot and reached the tiles of the high wall, the tripod I used as a support collapsed.