It's already been four years since I was born as a girl.
I've turned five years old.
It seems this place is a parallel world, not the Earth of my previous life.
Reading history books, I confirmed that while the broad strokes are similar, the details are different.
“Is our princess awake?”
“Yeah.”
At first, I tried to forcibly ignore being called “princess,” but since Mom and Dad always call me that, I've somewhat resigned myself to it and adapted.
“Dad already left for work. Our princess needs to eat too, right?”
“What are we eating today?”
“Omurice~”
I tried to sit in the dining chair to eat, but I was too short and struggled. Not only did Mom not lift me up and seat me, but she started taking pictures saying I was cute. Looking at her, I sighed and said,
“Hurry up and sit me down.”
“Wait a minute, Mom just needs to take a picture to upload on SNS.”
Mom smiled as if she found me adorable, and only after taking all the pictures did she lift me and seat me in the chair.
Sitting in the chair and trying to eat, even swallowing was hard under Mom's overwhelming gaze and her taking pictures with every spoonful. I felt like I would choke.
Having to go through this every meal was exhausting.
“Stop taking pictures.”
“Who did our daughter take after to be so pretty?”
“Hoo...”
“Our princess, why are you sulking again? Mom is sad. *Sniff sniff*.”
Mom was pretending to be hurt, imitating crying.
“Sigh. I'm pretty because I take after Mom.”
“Oh my, really? Hehe.”
Only then did Mom smile and feed me.
Mom and Dad were definitely beauties, so I was born pretty.
I was prettier than any of the cute babies I'd seen in my previous life. Although I was born a girl, being born with good looks—there was no reason to hate it, even if I didn't necessarily love it.
“Mom, I want to learn piano.”
“Piano?”
Upon being reborn, the first thought that came to mind wasn't about my gender or anything like that.
The biggest goal was to no longer have regrets about the things I regretted in my previous life.
And the last thought I'd had before dying—becoming a perfect person that others would envy.
One of those things was being someone who played an instrument well.
How many times had I thought the kids who played instruments well in school were cool?
I tried to learn an instrument even in my late twenties, but because of work, I hadn't so much as looked at a musical score, let alone an instrument.
Truthfully, it probably wasn't too late even then, but that's how it had felt.
“Yeah.”
“You're too young to go to an academy, hmm... Should I look for a private tutor...”
Thankfully, Dad works at a large corporation, so we have enough money that learning shouldn't be a problem.
“Then you'll start piano next week, but instead, you have to go on an outing with Mom today, okay?”
I didn't like going out with Mom, but I reluctantly agreed.
“Okay, got it.”
I needed to get ready to go out after finishing my meal.
The first reason I hate going out with Mom: I get dragged off and bathed by her.
I wish she would just wash me simply, but even while washing me, Mom's antics don't stop.
Her teasing touches.
Second, Mom's fashion show that starts after we're all washed up.
“Should our princess wear this one or this one?”
An endless cycle of taking off and putting on clothes.
At first, I kept expressing that I hated cute clothes, but due to Mom's stubbornness, I've now given up and wear whatever she gives me.
“Our princess looks pretty in everything, so it's hard to choose.”
The hour-long fashion show only ended after I was dressed in a pink t-shirt, denim overalls, and even a headband. It seemed Mom's preparations were finally done.
Finally, the outing begins.
“Where are we going today?”
“Today, Mom's friend moved nearby, so we're going to meet her. She's been close with Mom since high school. Make sure to greet her politely when you meet her, okay?”
“Okay.”
“Oh right, and Mom's friend has a kid the same age as you. Want to be friends?”
“Yeah.”
The scenery outside the car window looked exactly like the nostalgic streets that brought back memories of my previous life.
If I had to place it in terms of my previous life, it was like the early 2010s.
Mom's friend's house was a detached house that looked expensive at a glance.
A detached house in Seoul.
When I rang the doorbell, a woman who appeared to be Mom's friend came out.
Birds of a feather flock together—Mom's friend was a beauty too.
“Juhee, you're here?”
“Minha, it's been so long.”
“Hello.”
When I greeted her, the woman's eyes widened in surprise and she tried to hug me.
Being hugged was annoying, so I hid behind Mom.
“What is this doll? She's even prettier in person. This kid is crazy pretty.”
“She's pretty because she takes after me. Hah.”
“Let me hug her just once~”
“Our kid hates being held; she doesn't even let her own dad hold her.”
“Hmph... Alright, you must have had a hard time getting here. Come on in~”
The inside of the house was clearly that of a wealthy family to anyone who saw it.
“Really, how can she get cuter the more I look at her? She looks more like a doll in person than in photos.”
“'Like bean sprouts from planted beans,' but our daughter is just too cute, adorable, pretty, like a fairy, like an angel, right?”
People seeing me for the first time might react like that, but Mom's fussing has never stopped since I was born.
“Want to be my daughter? Dohee? Auntie will raise you pretty.”
Ah, by the way, my name in this life is Lee Dohee.
They say they made it by taking the “Hee” from Mom's name, Kwon Juhee, and the “Do” from Dad's name, Lee Dohyeok.
“No.”
“Our daughter is a momma's girl, so not a chance~”
“That's not it.”
“Then you'll have to be my daughter-in-law? Auntie has a son the same age as you. Want me to wake him up and bring him?”
Then she went to get her son who was sleeping.
'Daughter-in-law, my foot. Even if I've accepted being a girl, I'm not marrying a man.'
The boy that Auntie Minha brought out—he clearly took after his mom, and even at four years old, you could tell he was handsome.
'I should have been born a handsome man like that kid. He looks like a total gigolo. Sigh.'
“This is our son, Baek Hwi. Hwi, say hello to Dohee.”
“Hello...”
The little guy kept stealing glances at me, looking shy.
“Isn't she really pretty? You have to charm her and make her Mom's daughter-in-law, okay?”
“Yeah!”
'Who keeps deciding I'll be their daughter-in-law?'
“I'm going to live with Mom forever.”
“Gasp, I never thought our daughter would say such a thing. Mom is totally moved. *Sniff sniff*.”
“No, I'm going to live alone forever.”
“Aww, why~ Our princess is going to live with Mom forever~”
I pushed away Mom who was clinging to me annoyingly, left the moms to hang out, and went into the little guy's room.
“I'm going to sleep, so play by yourself.”
“ Okay... ”
Seeing the little guy about to cry made me feel sorry for no reason.
As a senior in life, I should give him some advice.
“Hey, little guy.”
“I'm not a little guy! I'm Baek Hwi.”
“Okay, got it. What do you want to do when you grow up?”
Then the little guy looked at me strangely and blushed.
“Hmm... I want to get married.”
'Sigh, he's going to make so many women cry. Why the hell is he looking at me like that, of all people.'
I pinched both of the little guy's cheeks and said to him,
“Hey, I'm going to give you advice that'll become your flesh and blood, so listen carefully. People have to be cool first and foremost. It's not simply about having a cool appearance. You have to find what you want to do and become world-class in that field, got it? Don't regret not working hard later, so take this to heart.”
Not like the little guy who knows nothing would understand anyway, but sigh—I should have been born a man and lived as an alpha male.
“And while doing that, studying is basic. And it'd be good to know several foreign languages, and you have to play at least one instrument well. Also, exercise hard and take care of your body. That's how you can marry the woman you want later. If you understand, answer me.”
“Okay... I'll work hard.”
Even though he's just a young five-year-old kid, I'm jealous of this little guy who was born a handsome boy in a wealthy family.
He's just a little guy, and here I am feeling jealous...
“Sigh, I'm going to sleep now, so leave me alone.”
And I lay down on the sofa and fell asleep.
When I opened my eyes, I was already in the car going home.
“Dohee is awake? Let's hurry home, Dad will be waiting.”
“Yeah. Why didn't you wake me when we were going home?”
“How could I wake our princess when she was snoring away~ Mom carried you without waking you up. Did you have fun with Hwi?”
“Yeah, I gave him some advice that'll become his flesh and blood.”
Then Mom, looking at me in the back seat, made a puzzled expression.
“Dad should be here now, so let's hurry and eat.”
“Yeah.”
When we arrived home, Dad's shoes were there, so he must have already gotten off work and come home first.
“Our daughter is home~?”
Dad ran brightly to the front door and hugged me.
“Let go, it hurts.”
“Awww, give Dad a kiss.”
Dad clings to me annoyingly.
If I don't give him a kiss at times like this, he won't let go until the end, which is annoying.
I'll just give him a quick kiss...
“Muah. Satisfied? Now let go quickly.”
Only then does Dad let go.
This time, Mom hugs me.
“Why won't you do it for Mom? Hurry up and do it for Mom too.”
Sigh, my body is five years old but my mind is in its thirties; this is just annoying.
“Muah. Now let go, quickly.”
Now Mom and Dad let go of me and kiss each other.
It's nice that they're harmoniously affectionate, but I wish they would do it over there instead.
“Daughter, hurry up and wash your hands and feet so we can eat.”
“Yeah, okay. I'll wash myself.”
Even though I said that, Dad picked me up and stubbornly insisted on washing me himself. Ugh, I said put me down.
Escaping from Dad's annoying hands, I watch YouTube for a bit before eating.
For a brief moment, it's time I can enjoy comfortably by myself.
First, I watch stories of successful people.
Finance, management, stocks, entertainment, sports, professional occupations—regardless of field, there's a common thread in their stories.
They have been consistently doing something since at least their teens.
Didn't even Warren Buffett study and invest in stocks since he was eleven?
Watching their stories, I came to admire them.
In this life, I won't have the regrets of my previous life again.
First, it starts with self-management.
And finding what I want to do is second.
After roughly finishing watching, the food was ready, so I went to the dining table.
Sigh... Again, instead of seating me in the dining chair right away, Mom was taking pictures.
“Hurry up and put me up, it's annoying.”
“Okay~ Our princess, hehe.”
After sitting at the table, what I see is the meal.
Dakgalbi, spinach salad, and white rice.
“Mom, make me brown rice starting tomorrow. They say brown rice makes you grow tall.”
'I need to grow taller so I don't lose to men. I have to exceed 170cm...'
“Oh my, our daughter is asking for brown rice? Okay~ Now, let's hurry and eat.”
Ignoring Mom and Dad's hands that kept teasing me even while eating, I quickly wolfed down my meal and ran away to my room.
Going to my room and closing the door, I study what I'll need to learn in school in the future.
My goal is to be in the top ten of the entire school from elementary to high school.
After studying, I exercise.
Jump rope to grow taller and stretching to maintain my body.
Since I've been able to control my body to some extent, it's a routine I always do after eating and before bed.
After finishing exercise too, I get washed by Mom's annoying hands and then sleep.
It's a bit annoying, but if I'm consistent, I'll be rewarded someday.
Since I've decided to learn an instrument starting next week...
Let's sleep quickly. You have to sleep early to grow taller, after all.