"Gyeoul, do you see the upload button here?"
"Yes."
"If you press this, the picture will be uploaded to my SNS."
"Oh…"
The way to use the device was similar to my previous life. Even though I was familiar with it, I nodded like someone seeing it for the first time.
"You can upload the picture yourself, or if it's too difficult, you can just let me handle the upload."
"Okay. I'll just try taking some pictures for now."
"Sure."
I hung the smartphone I got from Yeoreum around my neck like a necklace. Knowing I had something worth over a million won hanging on my chest made me nervous.
Wasn't this the most expensive thing I'd owned in this life? I hugged the smartphone tightly against my chest, treating it like a treasure. I planned to protect it as if it were more valuable than my own life.
"Don’t be too nervous. You really just have to take any picture you like."
"Okay…"
I held the smartphone and looked around. I was unsure what to take a picture of first, but then I decided to take one of the showerhead, which provided warm water. It might seem strange to take a picture of something like that, but it had brought me the greatest pleasure recently. It was perfect for a casual daily life photo.
*Click—*
After taking a picture of the showerhead, spraying out warm water, I stood there blankly. I wasn’t sure what to take a picture of next.
'...Maybe I should go outside for now.'
The photos I could take inside the house were limited. It seemed like I'd need to step outside for more freedom. After all, this was a mission to clear up the guild's misunderstandings.
But before that, I decided to look around the house a little more.
---
Yeoreum and Sophia sat on the sofa, watching Gyeoul as she wandered around the house with a serious expression. The small, cute child moving around so energetically was quite adorable.
"Sophia."
"What is it?"
"Look at Gyeoul's face."
"Hmm..."
Sophia's gaze followed Gyeoul. She seemed to be trying to look serious, but to an adult watching, it was just endearing. Like a child trying to mimic an adult focused on something. Sophia nodded as if she understood what Yeoreum was pointing out.
"It's not just because she's ours, but Gyeoul really is much more well-behaved and lovable compared to other kids."
"...There is some truth to that."
Her exceptional appearance certainly played a role too, though Sophia kept that thought to herself. There was no need to say it out loud.
"Lately, I've been really happy with all these cute kids around."
"...Are you excluding yourself from that?"
"Um… yeah, I guess?"
Actually, she was included, but it was probably better not to say that. To avoid Sophia’s gaze, Yeoreum pulled out her phone. It was a spare phone she used for work.
"Huh?"
Yeoreum's eyes widened as she checked her personal SNS through the phone. Gyeoul must have uploaded something, as a live broadcast for influencers was showing up.
'Wait, that's my ID.'
Who had started a broadcast using her ID? Yeoreum quickly realized who it was by looking at the shadow cast on the ground.
"Gyeoul?"
The triangular ears sticking up from her head gave her away. The low angle of the broadcast made it seem like the phone was hanging around her neck.
'When did she go outside?'
Had she been too caught up in the conversation? Yeoreum hadn’t noticed Gyeoul sneaking out. She checked the front door and saw it wasn’t properly closed.
'Ah.'
The kids must not have shut the door completely when they came in. Yeoreum didn’t think much of it and continued to watch Gyeoul’s broadcast. As long as she stayed near the guild, Gyeoul should be safe.
'...It looks like she accidentally started the broadcast.'
She must have pressed something while trying to upload a photo. The broadcast icon was right next to the upload button, so it was an easy mistake to make for someone unfamiliar with phones. Yeoreum chuckled without realizing it.
"Why are you laughing?"
"It seems like Gyeoul accidentally started a broadcast. Do you want to see?"
"Hmm..."
On the screen, Gyeoul was walking around near a pond. The camera wasn't showing her face because it was pointed straight ahead, but the occasional glimpse of her small, white hands confirmed it was her.
- Twenty mackerels... fifteen sardines...
Smack. Gyeoul clicked her tongue while watching the fish, then walked over to a nearby bench. She picked up some trash from the bench and threw it in the garbage can.
"Oh, how sweet."
Who would have thought Gyeoul would clean up the park? People watching the broadcast seemed to feel the same, as the chat began to buzz.
- From the shadow, I know who this is. Isn't it that beast-kin kid living in Yeomyeong Park?
- I think you're right. Sometimes they help clean up the park.
- How responsible, picking up trash like that.
- Honestly, it’s like watching a cat-cam, haha.
- Look at the shadow of her tail wagging, haha.
Fortunately, there weren’t any malicious comments. As much as Yeoreum wanted to keep watching this cute scene, she knew it would be better to stop the broadcast for Gyeoul's safety.
"Sophia, I should probably go check on Gyeoul. I think she accidentally started a broadcast."
"Go ahead. I’ll keep enjoying this high-rise building."
"Okay, you do that."
It must have been Sophia’s first time in a high-rise building too. Yeoreum giggled as she headed out to find Gyeoul.
---
As I snapped a picture of the showerhead, an idea came to me. Video footage would feel much more lively than still photos.
I wasn’t sure how things worked in this world, but smartphones had editing features. If I trimmed the videos into shorter clips, it might turn out even better.
That’s how my daily life filming started. I recorded the pond, picked up empty bottles, and filmed the lettuce I had grown so carefully.
I had filmed plenty of things by now. Surely there would be at least one or two good clips.
I hoped the videos would help the guild. As I was thinking that, a grasshopper suddenly leapt out from the grass in front of me.
"Wow."
That brought back memories. It reminded me of when I first came to this world. Back then, I was so hungry that I caught and roasted them for food.
Now I could eat all the fish I wanted. Life sure had its unexpected turns.
'I don't have fond memories of that time, but somehow it feels nostalgic.'
Feeling a bit sentimental, I started chasing after the grasshopper. Every time it jumped, I ran after it, though it was a pointless game.
"Hmm..."
They say that people who were once poor sometimes eat cheap food for nostalgia, even after becoming rich. Maybe I should eat a grasshopper again for old times' sake?
I stretched my hand out to catch it before it could jump away. With a quick motion, I pounced toward the grasshopper resting on the lawn.
*Grab—!* I yanked the grasshopper out along with the grass it clung to. The sensation of the insect wriggling in my hand felt strange.
Where should I store it? As I looked around, I spotted Yeoreum approaching from a distance.
"Gyeoul."
"Yes?"
"What did you just catch?"
"This, I caught this."
I held up the plump grasshopper to show Yeoreum, who watched as it kicked its legs in an attempt to escape.
"Were you playing with bugs?"
Playing? No. This was an important food hunt. Maybe because she came from a wealthy family, her way of thinking was quite different.
"I caught it to eat."
"Eat... it?"
Yeoreum's eyes shifted down to the smartphone hanging around my neck. She swallowed hard, though I couldn’t tell if it was because she wanted to try eating it or if she was just nervous.
"If you grill it well, it tastes pretty good. Do you want to try?"
"Th-that... do we really need to eat bugs...?"
"Yes. When there's no food, you eat whatever you can to survive."
"Uh..."
Yeoreum's pupils shook. She really didn’t seem like she wanted to eat a bug. Since I didn’t want to force her, I quietly tucked the grasshopper away.
"Gyeoul, how about this: I'll buy you something really tasty, so you don’t have to eat bugs, okay?"
"...Bugs might look gross, but you know, they're actually called the food of the future. They're amazing creatures."
I had once seen a news report about it. In the distant future, insects might be used as food for space travel. They were rich in protein and nutrients. But despite my explanation, Yeoreum still had a pale expression.
"Yeah, I know bugs are amazing, but we have so much food around now."
"Yes, that’s true."
"Right. So, let’s not eat bugs anymore. You also need to think about hygiene."
Yeoreum glanced at her phone again, her eyes moving slightly as if she were reading something.
"Should I let this one go then?"
"Yes, let it go, let it go."
"L-let it go…?"
Let it go? That sounded like something you'd say to a child. It felt odd, but I decided to follow her advice. After all, I agreed that insects living in the wild could be dirty.
"Shall I let it go now?"
"Yes…"
As I released
my grip, the grass I'd torn scattered in the wind, and the grasshopper leapt away into the distance. Somehow, it felt like I was letting go of my poor past.
'It's about time I let go, huh…'
Goodbye, my poverty. Feeling sentimental, I couldn’t help but wave both hands at the grasshopper as it hopped away.
"Did you let it go?"
"Yes."
Yeoreum looked relieved, probably happy that I didn’t have to eat bugs anymore. She smiled as she gently tapped the smartphone hanging around my neck.
"Shall we turn off the broadcast now?"
"Broadcast?"
"Yes. You accidentally started a broadcast on my account."
"What?"
Did I really start a broadcast? Had people seen everything I’d been doing up until now? I looked up at Yeoreum in shock, my mouth hanging open.
Suddenly, everything I had done outside flashed through my mind like a reel.