Heavenly Yuah’s flair was undeniably destructive.
And it was neat.
“This building is in better condition than I thought. The interior is somewhat monotonous, but it doesn’t need much work. Let’s start by replacing the old appliances, though.”
After carefully inspecting the building, that was her choice: to start by replacing the aging electronics.
And not long after, a truck loaded with items like a washing machine, refrigerator, and TV arrived.
Of course, the lineup included two computers for the children as well.
“Wow, this is too much…”
“This is where Yuli was raised so properly. You absolutely deserve this treatment.”
“Onee-sama…”
In front of the surprised director, boosting Yang Yuli’s dignity was just a bonus.
As they say, if you see one, you can infer ten. If this place would receive such gratitude simply because Yang Yuli grew up here, it was clear how well she had been treated.
Heavenly Yuah, a superstar, coming here herself showed this was a fairly trustworthy workplace.
It seemed the director had now decided to relax, gently stroking Yang Yuli’s hair.
Yang Yuli?
Hmm, her eyes were glazed over.
Because they were so full of loyalty that they practically sparkled.
In my opinion, this kid would never escape Flame from here on out.
“But this is really a good place.”
While Heavenly Yuah was expanding (?) her influence, I looked around more at this place.
There were many corners that showed signs of aging, but thanks to how meticulously they had been maintained, there wasn’t a strong sense of lack.
Looking at the people who worked here, there were only the director and a nun, but they were incredibly diligent.
In that sense, wasn’t Yang Yuli lucky too?
Not every facility could run this cleanly.
“Onee-sama!”
“Wow, is that Heavenly Yuah? Heavenly Yuah!”
“Che~ Heavenly Yuah, is she your friend?”
“Ah, it’s the ghost of instant fame!”
“Oi, that’s really… If you don’t rush here and kneel down now, there won’t be any Shining S-9 for you.”
“…Ah…madam.”
I returned after checking around and found chaos had broken out.
There were kids who recognized Heavenly Yuah rushing over, and Yang Yuli trying to stop them.
Especially for the kids who acted insolently toward Heavenly Yuah, Yang Yuli’s retribution followed.
She was using the new S&M smartphones personally brought by Heavenly Yuah as leverage to maintain discipline.
Even though their lips pouted, they quickly ran over to kneel, proving anew the power of smartphones.
Well, who can resist a new phone model?
After all, a man’s knees tend to bend easily in front of a gaming console or a new phone model, right?
“However, that child…”
I was casually enjoying the nice commotion when a child particularly caught my eye.
A cute girl, probably around 6 to 8 years old.
Of course, it wasn’t because of her appearance she stood out.
After all, once you reach my age, children of that age look adorable and cute regardless of their looks.
The reason why this child stood out so much was that she was circling around Heavenly Yuah’s side as if with some purpose.
Even her smile and coquettish behavior felt rather peculiar.
“That’s acting.”
So, that’s acting.
She definitely liked Heavenly Yuah, but this overt coquettish clinging was clearly an act.
I could guarantee it with my thirty years of survival acting experience.
“An interesting one.”
“Who?”
“Oh, Miss Yuli.”
“Sorry, but I suddenly felt my neck heat up. Exactly who were you looking at so intently?”
“Ah, that kid over there.”
“Let me see… Miju?”
“Miju?”
“Yes, the girl leaning her head on Onee-sama’s shoulder. Correct, right? She’s the ace of our facility.”
“Ace? What kind of ace is that?”
As I observed the behavior of the child with much interest, Yang Yuli approached me.
I had been too focused on observing the child.
Now that things were like this, I decided to ask what this kid was all about, and I got an unexpected answer.
The facility’s ace? For what exactly?
“Well, not much. You see, there are some people who make various requests in return for their support — like photos and such.”
“Ah, I see. But then?”
“Those sorts of people are usually managed mainly by Miju. Other kids sometimes end up hurt by such interactions.”
“Ah…”
“Of course, the director tells her not to, but Miju never compromises. We had an incident where Mi-yeong was quite down for a while. So…”
“An age where they get hurt easily. Anyway…”
Receiving support is a really grateful thing, but there are often people who approach with certain motives.
And these people usually try to leave their mark in some way.
Sometimes, though rarely, there are people who lack character and end up hurting the children.
To prepare for these situations, the child with the strongest mentality handles external guest relations, and that’s this kid, Miju.
So, she’s been a child with exceptional aptitude from the start.
“Our Miju is incredibly clever. She’s been constantly reading my scripts, giving me advice and all.”
“Scripts? How old is this kid?”
“She’s about 7 now. Not entirely sure, but around that age.”
“Not entirely sure… Ah.”
“Yes, her birthday… well, you get it.”
“To read scripts at an age when it’s not even easy to read…”
This is surprising.
The fact that she reads and offers advice on the scripts written by Yang Yuli means she understands them to an impressive degree.
She must be a really smart kid.
“Onee-sama.”
As I marveled at the existence of such clever children, this kid approached us.
While moving toward Yang Yuli, she glanced at me subtly, suggesting I was her next target.
She must’ve already won Heavenly Yuah’s favor, so now she’s coming after me.
I would probably do the same thing.
The guards dressed similarly were clearly (?) lackeys, so I’m one of the core members of the group with Heavenly Yuah and Yang Yuli, and it seems she’s decided to charm me since she already knows Yang Yuli.
“Kid.”
“Not a kid! It’s Miju. Miju!”
“Alright, Miju, what brings you here?”
“Hee~ I just came because there’s such a cool oppa here, and there’s our Onee-sama too.”
“Come on, really? You don’t need to force that smile in front of this oppa. Naturally, naturally. Ok?”
“…So, you’re a quick one, Oppa?”
The kid’s cheerful smile gradually stiffened and then became sulky.
Her expression changes were truly exceptional.
Realizing her playful coquetting wouldn’t work on me, she showed her real face.
Already saw through my character, huh?
She complains that I’m sharp, but it feels like her instincts are sharper.
“So, what’s the matter, Miss Miju?”
“Hmm… Well…”
“Yup?”
“Oppa is an actor too, right?”
“Yes, though much less talented compared to that Onee-sama over there.”
“In that case, can you teach me how to become an actor?”
“…Huh? An actor?”
“Yes, Onee-sama also joined that company, right? By any chance, are they not recruiting child actors?”
Indeed, that was her intention.
A child actor. Thinking about it, it’s a fitting position for her.
She’s sharp, mature beyond her age, and seems to embody acting.
Still, if she’s aiming for this, it would be better to target the leader of our group, Heavenly Yuah.
When I asked about this, the child answered while avoiding eye contact.
“Because Onee-sama is just too intimidating… I might get a real scolding.”
“So you think I’m more approachable?”
“To be honest, yes. Oppa’s supposed to cherish cute kiddos, aren’t they?”
“…Not wrong, but aren’t you a bit too cunning?”
“Oppa said we should be honest, didn’t you?”
Hmm, Lady Heavenly Demon does have a commanding presence.
Like a true survival acting professional, she seems to adjust her tactics based on her opponent.
She might’ve felt like things were going too far with the coquetry earlier.
This kid is really amusing.
What kind of environment could raise such a child?
Well, children do vary widely depending on their circumstances, but she’s extraordinary.
“Anyway, did Miss Yuli know Miju wanted to become an actress?”
“Yes, I did. I was planning to show her off to Onee Yua eventually. I didn’t expect her to take the initiative like this, though.”
“It’s because Onee-sama has been too slow, duh.”
“Ah! You really…”
She showed interest in Miss Yang’s scripts, which makes this more natural perhaps.
Still, why does she want to be an actress in the first place?
“Being an actress? Of course, it’s for the money.”
“Money?”
“Well, what ways are there for kids to earn money? I’ve heard about kid YouTubers, but doesn’t that usually require a solid foundation? And competition is fierce, they say.”
“That’s true. So, what will you do with the money if you earn it?”
“Oppa, you really don’t seem to understand the world much, do you? Money can do a lot. I won’t have to see the director mommy trembling and afraid anymore. I can even buy meat for those fools over there.”
“Is it really…?”
As she says, money can solve many problems.
Mostly the issues she mentioned would be solvable.
Wanting to earn money not for herself but for the facility, the director, and her friends — she’s far too mature.
Maybe this kid doesn’t fully understand her age, or something.
It’d be a bit funny if she were actually 10, but she’s 7.
She surely looks 6 or 7 years old, though.
“What are you talking about?”
“Oh, Senior Yuah.”
“Your expression looks somewhat serious.”
“Oh, about this…”
“Alright, tell me frankly.”
“No need for ‘telling frankly.’ This kid apparently wants to become a child actor.”
As the conversation with the kid lengthened, Heavenly Yuah joined in as well.
The other kids who rushed to Heavenly Yuah earlier were busy doing something on their smartphones after receiving gift cards from her.
Always one step ahead, Heavenly Yuah flexed again with the gift cards.
Since we’re at this stage, I frankly told Heavenly Yuah.
Because if she wants to achieve her goal, she ultimately needs Heavenly Yuah’s approval.
When the kid mentioned wanting to become a child actor, the look in Heavenly Yuah’s eyes changed slightly.
Instead of just viewing the seemingly adorable kid, she began seeing the young actress aspirant.
“An actress. Has Miss Miju acted before?”
And then, an impromptu audition was about to happen.
Facing Heavenly Yuah’s stern gaze, our kid didn’t flinch at all.
She’s genuinely something.
Of course, that doesn’t mean I think she would necessarily sign a contract with our company.
