NOVEL WEB “Just give me some time to think.”
Seo-yoon’s long deliberation resulted in an answer that was neither a yes nor a no.
Judgment withheld.
It seemed she found it hard to make a decision just yet.
I could understand her feelings.
If it were just me, I would have given permission right away, but five mouths to feed was a bit much.
Honestly, I was getting anxious. What if Seo-yoon ended up refusing?
The calmness I had practiced as a Pope always shone in these moments.
“Take your time to think it over.”
My expression and gestures, which looked calm, hardly ever faltered.
Hiding my true feelings wasn’t difficult for me. The moment I found out I was pregnant, though—I couldn’t help myself.
“I’m sorry. It’s just so sudden.”
Was I too nonchalant, perhaps?
Seo-yoon apologized to me with a somewhat uncomfortable expression.
“It’s okay. I realize it’s a big request.”
I acted like it didn’t bother me, but honestly, it did.
If even Seo-yoon declined, where would I go?
No solutions were coming to mind. I’d really have to end up living on the streets.
‘…That can’t happen.’
If it were just Liam and me, I could manage without a home for a while. After all, I used to be a Saint and a Hero.
We were accustomed to sleeping outdoors, and it wouldn’t be a problem to go a few days without rest.
But the kids were different.
Five-year-old twins and a baby not even one yet. They all needed warm space and a stable living environment at their age.
And I couldn’t raise my precious children outdoors.
“Seo-yoon, I’ll earn my living expenses. I’m quite capable.”
“…I get it.”
Her lukewarm response suggested she wasn’t fully aware of how remarkable the title of ‘Pope’ really was.
Should I demonstrate my power directly?
While I was contemplating this, Seo-yoon suddenly opened her eyes wide.
“Ah, by the way… did you eat yet?”
Now that she mentioned it, I was starting to feel hungry. My last meal had been a simple one half a day ago.
I glanced back and asked the twins.
[“Are you all hungry?”]
Erina and Ibailla, who had been messing around with Liam, nodded vigorously at the same time.
“Yeah, it’s about that time, isn’t it?”
Then Liam answered with his usual laid-back attitude.
It was in Korean.
A bit awkward, but it was understandable.
“…What did you do?”
“I just analyzed what you and your sister were saying and applied translation magic. Pretty neat, huh?”
No wonder it felt unusually quiet. He had been secretly using magic.
Well, at least he had the talent for it, like a true Hero.
“It’s not bad.”
To be honest, it was really impressive, but I said it nonchalantly. If I praised him too much, he’d get cocky again.
“So you know Korean?”
Seo-yoon, who had been listening to the conversation, suddenly spoke to Liam. Typical of the thoughtful Seo-yoon.
“I just picked it up. Amazing, right?”
Liam, true to his nature, crossed his legs cockily as he talked to someone he had just met.
Unfortunately, that pest had a chronic inability to be humble.
“Liam, shut up and take care of the kids.”
“Why? Let me join in.”
“……”
“…Alright.”
Just a little scolding and he quickly wilted. That was one of the few advantages of being a former Hero.
Soon, Liam took on his long-practiced role of ‘entertaining the children.’
He looked affectionately at Erina, who was giggling in his arms, then turned back.
“It’s time for everyone to eat.”
“Right? Let me order something.”
Seo-yoon pulled something out of her pocket. It was a smartphone with an apple design on the back.
Is that still the best technology around? I watched her thumbs busy sliding on the screen before speaking up.
“Why are you suddenly fiddling with your phone?”
“I’m ordering chicken through a delivery app.”
“Delivery app?”
“Oh, you don’t know? These days everyone orders through this.”
Thinking back, I remembered there were similar apps before I was reincarnated. I had never used one, though.
“I ordered two. One fried and one seasoned.”
“Thank you. It’s been a while since I could feast.”
It had been twenty years since I last had chicken. I had forgotten it while getting used to a diet of plants, and now I was curious how much it had improved.
I was lost in thoughts of chicken memories when I got up from the couch.
“Seo-yoon, can I go check inside the room for a moment?”
“Why all of a sudden?”
“Rohan isn’t old enough to eat chicken yet.”
“…Ah.”
Seo-yoon jumped up from her chair and led me to the inner room. She whispered as we walked.
“Is it what I’m thinking it is?”
“Exactly. Breastfeeding.”
“……”
With a somewhat complicated expression, Seo-yoon sat me on her bed and smiled awkwardly.
“Who would have thought I’d be feeding breast milk to the son that Siwoo oppa gave birth to?”
“…It’s Eluke unnie’s son.”
“I still can’t adjust. For now, I’ll just call you oppa.”
It was a reasonable suggestion on her part, so I agreed.
‘How absurd would this be?’
Seo-yoon quickly closed the door as she left. I said it was okay to stay, but she insisted it would be uncomfortable.
The homeowner is outside, and the guest is in the master bedroom. It felt weird, and I wanted to feed Rohan and get out as soon as possible, but for some reason, he wasn’t waking up today.
Usually, he’d start crying and whining around this time, but now he was blissfully asleep, oblivious to the world.
“Rohan, are you trying to annoy me like your dad?”
Maybe I should just wait for him to wake up. As I was pondering this, the inner door suddenly opened.
It was Liam.
“Why are you coming in? Go take care of the kids.”
“My sister is watching them for a bit. Erina got along surprisingly fast. Ibailla is just the same as usual.”
Liam slyly approached and sat next to me.
Then he wrapped an arm around my waist with a dreamy gaze and a subtle smile.
It was a familiar situation I had gone through many times before.
“…No, you can’t. What do you think you’re doing in someone else’s house?”
“What? I just meant to share a kiss. What on earth were you imagining?”
“……”
This was a well-worn tactic I had faced many times. He would set the mood first and leave me looking like the lewd one.
It was always the same pattern, and I couldn’t help but fall for it each time.
“Don’t you want to kiss me? Should I just leave?”
“…I didn’t say I didn’t want to.”
Having fallen head over heels for that idiot, I had no chances left.
*
After all the twists and turns, lunch finally arrived.
The chicken, which I hadn’t had in ages, was surprisingly disappointing.
“Salty, greasy, and way too much.”
Maybe I had gotten used to a diet of tasteless but healthy food. Korean people’s favorite food no longer suited my taste.
But it seemed to match the taste buds of the girls. Seeing them both munching on their food nicely was reassuring.
I didn’t check Liam’s reaction. He likely ate well on his own. He could go a month without a scratch on him anyway.
“Oppa, I’ve made a decision.”
After we finished eating, Seo-yoon finally delivered her answer regarding my request.
“Let’s live together for now. Just until I save enough money to be independent.”
“…Thank you.”
“But there’s a condition.”
Seo-yoon’s condition was simple. I had to organize my future plans and goals and report back.
So, I sat at the table and started looking at the laptop.
Fortunately, thanks to Seo-yoon’s guidance and a half-hour struggle, I was able to grasp the basics relatively quickly.
I brought up a blank document on the monitor and placed my hands on the keyboard. Up to this point, everything was going smoothly.
But that was where the problem started.
‘…How do I make money?’
I had said I’d earn my living expenses myself, but when I thought about how to do that, I felt utterly lost.
Having spent twenty years in an unpaid position as a Pope, my sense of making money had completely vanished.
[“Mom, what are you doing?”]
[“Play with me.”]
In the middle of all this, the twins clung to me, doubling the trouble.
I had left them with Liam… but he was currently asleep on the couch with Rohan. He must have been exhausted from crossing dimensions, so I didn’t want to wake him.
And Seo-yoon had gone out due to a prior engagement. I thought about asking her to stay, but I refrained. I had some pride too.
Ultimately, the burden of childcare fell completely on me.
[“Erina, Ibailla. Please be quiet. I have work to do.”]
I set the twins on my lap and fell into deep thought.
‘What do I do?’
No matter how much I thought, nothing clever came to mind. I lacked basic knowledge and information, making it impossible to plan anything.
In times like this, I had to rely on the power of the internet. I typed the name of a website I used to visit a long time ago into the search bar.
[Green Wiki]
A fun website to browse when I had free time. It seemed I needed to gather some basic information here.
The first thing I searched for was the name of the organization Seo-yoon told me about.
[World Returnee Association]
An ominous name. I had my suspicions due to the word ‘returnee,’ and it turned out I was right.
‘There are others besides me.’
Returnees were not just me alone.
It was an unexpected situation but not too surprising.
I had already experienced reincarnation and dimension crossing. Given that I had gone through even more incredible experiences, I had an inkling that there could be others like me.
However, it seemed there weren’t any returnees in Korea.
‘Thank goodness.’
At least I had a rarity going for me. I had to think of a way to monetize this.
Once again, I relied on the Green Wiki. What were the other returnees doing for a living?
[“Mom, I’m bored.”]
[“Play with me.”]
As my daughters kept pestering me, I gently patted their heads while thoroughly reading the wiki’s articles.
While organizing potential livelihood options in my head, one job stood out.
‘Streamer….’
According to the info on the wiki, the job most returnees chose was none other than becoming an internet broadcaster.
They were said to leverage their appealing looks and unique skills.
It seemed to be a solid way to make a living that truly showcased the characteristics of returnees. There was some truth to that.
To me, the idea of being an internet broadcaster was of someone pouring soy sauce or cola on themselves for money, but it seemed not everyone fit that mold.
Unlike before, the perception seemed to be decent, and with the right approach, one could earn quite a lot.
If I broadcasted from home, I could juggle childcare and work simultaneously.
Plus, it was a profession that I could really showcase my looks in.
‘There aren’t many people as pretty as me.’
Honestly, wouldn’t I attract attention just based on my looks alone?
If I could just become famous, everything else would be a breeze. I could be rolling in cash just sitting at home.
The more I thought about it, the more appealing the idea became.
I soon firmed up my resolve.
‘Pope-turned-beautiful working mom streamer. Sounds good.’
My goal? To earn more than 100 million within half a year.
After all, when setting goals, one should always aim high.