I Became a Fortune Teller in the Game My Little Sister Made – Chapter 153

Eileen was not in a good mood.

Ever since she gained the common skill <Holy Radiance> through ‘prayer’ during the school vacation, things had been nothing but disheartening.

Eileen, along with the Saint, could only lament the reality they faced.

“In the end…”

‘Looks like it’s come to this, big sis.’

She still remembered the entity that spoke to her while she was striving to obtain <Holy Radiance>.

She could instinctively discern it.

It was surely a god.

Yet, there was no sense of reverence or emotion.

To Eileen and the Saint, the only god was Namgoong Min.

The god that had addressed them was merely a deity of a foreign cult.

Had that god not mentioned anything about Namgoong Min, they would have ignored it entirely.

‘… Goddess.’

She didn’t know the god’s appearance, shape, or identity.

However, the words directed at her were unmistakably feminine.

The goddess and Eileen, along with the Saint, had formed a sort of contract.

The goddess had no intention of subjugating them, nor did they intend to follow the goddess.

Yet, their commonality concerning Namgoong Min had brought them together.

The goddess granted <Holy Radiance> to the Saint and Eileen, and they complied with the goddess’s advice.

After that, they made multiple efforts.

They sought to find a diary and attempted to prevent Namgoong Min from going to the Daehan Empire.

However, all those attempts failed.

Furthermore, the goddess’s voice had ceased to be heard since the day Namgoong Min set off on his journey with the Hero.

Regardless, Eileen and the Saint never found themselves in a state of panic. From the very beginning, they acted solely for Namgoong Min, and the trust they had built meant they wouldn’t waver now.

And now, they had come to understand the goddess’s insistence that they must find the diary.

An object that forcibly revealed their god’s past.

It was naturally something they needed to find, a holy relic.

‘Was that just now a happy memory of Namgoong Min, I wonder?’

‘But now…’

Four observers each observed the past one by one.

The memory viewed by the disbelieving Psychic showed a blissful family, but the atmosphere now was entirely different.

Eileen’s eyes quivered as she watched Namgoong Min’s parents, their heads clasped together at the dining table on a dark night.

“What should we do…?”

“How much debt is there…?”

“…1.2 billion. Damn it, it’s all my fault… I’m sorry…”

“Oh, don’t worry about it. We’re a couple. We need to think about the kids.”

“Yeah… right…”

“First, we need to move. If we sell the house, we can pay off half.”

“But this house…?”

“It’s our parents’ legacy. But a house is just a house. It can’t be more important than family.”

“…I’m sorry for being such a foolish husband.”

“Oh, stop beating yourself up; it won’t erase the debt. If we work hard together, we can manage until the kids grow up.”

“…Right!”

Father’s failure and the enormous debt.

Facing her self-reproaching husband, the mother tried her best to comfort him.

The couple radiated trust and love in each other’s presence.

But the cold reality remained unchanged.

They had to sell the cherished home inherited from their parents and move away.

In the midst of that cruel reality…

‘…Sis, over there.’

‘Huh?’

‘Beyond that door…’

‘…No way.’

As Eileen noticed the presence beyond the door and urged the Saint, she approached the door and peered through the crack.

Children, specifically Namgoong Min and his younger sister’s room.

Unlike the younger sister who was fast asleep, Namgoong Min, who was awake, had pressed his ear against the door, listening intently to every word.

‘…Oh my.’

‘Namgoong Min oppa…’

Even a grade-schooler could catch on to what’s happening, it seems.

After shedding a few tears, young Namgoong Min approached his younger sister, who was sleeping soundly.

He gently tucked the disheveled blanket around his sister and lay down next to her.

“If mom and dad both work…”

“…Ugh.”

Pat, pat.

As young Namgoong Min patted his sleeping sister, he gazed at her with a heavy heart.

What sin did the sleeping child commit?

“I’ll take care of our Jisoo.”

“Ugh…”

“Did you just respond? Haha… Don’t worry, I’m your oppa.”

Without fail, I’ll protect you.

Wiping his tear-streaked face, Namgoong Min fell asleep beside his sister.

‘…………’

‘…Eileen?’

‘I’ve been through… something like that too.’

‘Huh, huh? You had a younger sister?’

‘No… I overheard my parents talking once.’

The Saint didn’t know everything about Eileen’s childhood.

Thus, she focused intently as Eileen, seemingly overwhelmed, began to recount.

‘Mom… she’s been so strong… in front of me since forever…’

‘…………’

‘Whenever I whined… she would do anything for me… always putting me first…’

‘…I see.’

‘I heard it, you know? I woke up one night… and heard mom say she wouldn’t live much longer… talking to dad…’

‘…………’

‘I cried so much… but Namgoong Min oppa… he’s so mature…’

‘…………’

Being a personality in a job rather than a living person, the Saint could do nothing but embrace a crying Eileen.

Although they shared a body, the Saint could comfort Eileen’s soul, her only younger sister.

‘I miss you, mom…!’

‘…I miss her too.’

As the guilt-laden older sister, almost replacing ‘Eileen Teddy Bear’, as one singular <Saint>, she held Eileen close.

Until Eileen’s tears stopped flowing.

It took quite a while.

*

“… This time it’s my turn.”

Kim Eun-ha, gazing sadly at her younger sister and little Namgoong Min, realized it was time for her to witness her past.

The surrounding scenery had changed quite a lot.

It wasn’t the warm, cozy home but rather an old, cold single room.

In that small space, which only had a tiny living room and a bathroom, her younger sister was crying.

“Mom, I want to see you! Waaaaaaah!!!”

“Jisoo, just hold on a little longer. Mom will come soon.”

“I want to see dad too… sniff.”

“Mom and dad are working hard for us. Now, let’s eat.”

“…Is it this again?”

“Well, at least we can eat this, right?”

“Okay, oppa.”

Young Namgoong Min coaxed his crying younger sister with a forced smile, putting a bit of kimchi over the dry rice and feeding her one bite at a time.

The sight of a child who just entered elementary school, taking care of his younger sister who was even younger.

Namgoong Min’s stomach let out a rumble.

“Oppa…?”

“Haha, wonder why that happened? Don’t mind me, I’ve had plenty to eat.”

“…This is our last meal, you know. I’m not that clueless.”

“I had lunch at school.”

“…Liar.”

“No way! Your oppa would never lie to Jisoo.”

“…Fine.”

Clutching his empty stomach tight, he determinedly fed all the remaining rice to his younger sister.

Even though it was just a bit of rice and kimchi, his younger sister began to doze off, feeling somewhat full.

Although it was a cold, damp single room without even a boiler, the warmth inside the blanket was comforting.

“If you’re sleepy, sleep, Jisoo.”

“What about you…?”

“I’ll sleep in a bit too.”

“…Okay…”

Snore, snore.

As young Namgoong Min stroked his tired younger sister, he stood up from his spot.

He pulled out a pizza box from the corner of the single room’s wardrobe, folding it deftly with small hands.

It seemed he had done it many times before, as his fingers moved skillfully.

“With this… next time… I could at least make some egg fries…”

Occasionally getting hurt, his cold hands blew on them.

While folding the pizza box, despite being tired and hungry, he still wore a faint smile.

Because there was hope.

He firmly believed that someday he would go out for pork cutlet with his parents and younger sister again.

“…………”

Kim Eun-ha, who had witnessed the whole scene, crouched down and looked at young Namgoong Min.

How much hardship had our Min endured?

Her past had also been quite hard, but still, she couldn’t help but feel sympathy for Namgoong Min during his childhood.

And then…

The surrounding scenery transformed once more.

“……Ah.”

Jisoo, the girl referred to as, and Namgoong Min were sleeping closely, wrapped up in their blankets, while the pizza boxes they had folded lay piled in a corner of the room.

Only a small bulb provided the entirety of the room’s illumination.

Under that light, exhausted parents were counting crumpled bills.

“This is what I earned at the labor office today. If I go out for a driving job afterwards… I made quite a bit.”

“They even gave bonuses at the mart. With this, I could finally buy eggs.”

“….Min folded those pizza boxes.”

“That little kid… sigh.”

“I have no choice but to work harder; you get some rest. I’m going out for the driving job later.”

“………Honey.”

“Huh?”

“I heard at the mart today… that there’s a very skilled fortuneteller…”

‘…Fortuneteller?’

The name that was Namgoong Min’s job caught Kim Eun-ha’s attention before she could dwell on it.

Her father took her mother’s hand.

“Honey, why are you suddenly worrying about that kind of cultist?”

“Well… some aunties said… they made money in stocks by listening to the fortuneteller…”

“What do you mean…?”

“Can’t we try it, just a little… just a tiny bit?”

“………”

“Please, honey. If we could earn just a little… we could treat the kids to something nice.”

“………Alright, you’re smart.”

“Thank you, dear!”

Under the bright smile of the mother and the grumbling acceptance of the father, the bulb went dark.

Click.

The next scene began.

When the light returned to the bulb, the landscape was exactly the same as before. Sleeping Jisoo and Namgoong Min, and parents counting their money under the light.

But the parents’ expressions had changed completely.

“This… is all money?”

“R-right?! We started with just ten thousand won, and we earned three million!”

“T-three… Haha.”

“This is an opportunity, dear, you know?”

“……It’s not good to get too carried away.”

“I understand that well. But… look at Min and Jisoo. Those kids can hardly even snack and don’t have any toys, yet they’re getting by without complaint.”

“…………”

“It’s for the kids, honey.”

“………Fine.”

Click.

The light went dark once more.

And soon, it turned back on.

“Whoa… Mom! What’s this pork cutlet…?”

“Our son and daughter… I’m sorry it’s not as good as what we had last time.”

“No, it’s so delicious! Jisoo, what about you?”

“It’s super yummy, oppa! Thank you, Mom and Dad!”

“…Right, eat up.”

“….What about Mom and Dad?”

“We already ate, so we’re full.”

“…Let’s share.”

“Min, Mom and Dad are already…”

“Let’s share.”

“………You?”

“…Thank you, Min.”

“Thanking me? Hehe.”

Though it was just cheap frozen pork cutlet, and the whole family couldn’t even get their fill, they were happily laughing together.

Despite becoming poor and going through hardships, the family still maintained their warmth and joy.

But…

Why was it?

“……No.”

Kim Eun-ha shivered with an ominous feeling.

This warm scene, this past…

Her gut told her it would be utterly shattered.

Unintentionally, Kim Eun-ha stumbled back and sat down.

And then…

Click.

The bulb went dark, and then lit up again.

The parents were kneeling, begging someone.

“Please, Master, give us information…!”

“Master, please, we beg you!”

“Five hundred won is simply too little. Get lost.”

“Please! Please, I beg you!”

“This is my savings book. Please just take this!”

“Hmm… twenty million? You’ve certainly saved quite well considering your circumstances.”

“That’s all we have! Please, we beg you for just that much information!”

“We beg you!”

“Hahaha, with how much you’ve satisfied me, how could I ignore your suffering?”

“Master…!”

“There will be good news soon. Come back here in three days.”

“Thank you, thank you so much!”

The entity called Master vanished.

The parents, who had been begging eagerly, looked at each other.

“….Honey, was the savings too much? That’s….”

“But… we have no choice but to do this. We have to take the opportunity we have in front of us.”

“Using savings for a big hit…?”

“Twenty million has its limits. We need to go back to that house. If the Master doubles our money, everything will be okay…!”

“Is that right? It must be the Master! We have to trust the Master!”

“Of course! Now we’re going back home!”

“Honey! You’ve worked so hard!”

“You too!”

The couple embraced each other, eyes brimming with hope.

The joy of returning to their beloved home, concern for their children, and the thrill of leaving the single room.

And the absolute trust in the Master.

“……….”

Suddenly, Kim Eun-ha remembered what Namgoong Min had said.

—Don’t trust fortunetellers.

“…No way.”

Recalling those words spoken with such conviction, Kim Eun-ha closed her eyes involuntarily.

She was terrified of the bulb flickering, moving to the next scene.

But even with her eyes closed, she could still see ahead slowly.

The bulb…

“…Ah.”

Click.

The bulb went dark.

Click.

And then it turned on again.

“Um… uh, honey. This must be the right place…?”

“Y-yes, this is definitely the Master’s place…?”

Staring blankly at the fortuneteller’s house with ‘Closed’ written on it, the couple collapsed.

Hope was crumbling.