Chapter 105: Arctic Fox (Knock Knock)

Even when storms rage from every direction, the eye of the hurricane remains calm.

Right now, that was Sua.

While chaos swirled all around her, Sua alone remained composed. But that didn’t mean she had grown lazy.

It was just that—

—Sua, please get some rest.

—Things are hectic with all the media plays about you. I’ll call when it settles down.

—Oh, and spend more time bonding with the fox while you can. Variety shows featuring pets are trending these days. With how fast you’re rising, it wouldn’t be strange if offers start rolling in soon.

Starting with Kim Iseo—

—Ms. Sua, just take a moment to breathe.

—We’ll be pushing media about Mr. Su-an soon. You won’t have any teaser shoots for now. We’re purposely leaving Kim Yuhan out.

Even the Special Forces Unit 808 production team.

‘Well, I am an actor. My job ends with acting.’

Sua’s work ended with filming.

Now it was everyone else’s turn to get busy. The media war was being fought across all fronts, but Sua had no reason to step in.

There was no need to feel guilty for not helping.

So, Sua was currently on break.

‘But it’s not like before!’

She wasn’t blowing up at video games, or playing pretend with stuffed animals, or lying around like a corpse wasting time. In fact, she was even busier than usual.

Because right now, she was brimming with passion.

“Giiiit…!”

(Success!)

Surprisingly, the sound came from Sua, not the fox.

She had just finished experiencing a script related to animals.

“Awooong. Awoong.”

(Can you hear me?)

The baby fox whipped its head around and stared straight at her. That was the moment Sua felt it—success.

‘Yes! It worked!’

The script she had just experienced was from a show called Paradise for Animals.

It was an animated world where a fox and a rabbit became friends. Naturally, Sua had chosen to experience the fox’s perspective.

There was no need to wait for Kim Iseo to bring anything.

It was a well-known work targeting younger viewers, so she was able to download the script right after joining the fan café.

And the result?

“Awoooool.”

(Hello, we’re finally talking.)

“Kiing…?”

(Mother…?)

The baby fox, Sumi, blinked its eyes brightly.

‘We’re speaking the same language!’

Sua shivered.

For Sumi, it was a happy moment—and for Sua, a great relief. Once the show began airing, she would be incredibly busy, but now she had a chance to fully bond with Sumi before sending her to the care center.

And another thing—

‘Aaaah, my heart hurts…’

Sua unconsciously clutched her left chest.

That tiny, adorable creature had just called her “Mother.”

With eyes growing misty, Sua asked gently,

“Yes, my daughter. Is there anything bothering you? Anything you need?”

“I’m satisfied with life right now, Mother. But if I must choose something, it would be knowledge. There are so many things I fear, and so many I want to understand.”

Sua was taken aback.

‘Huh?’

Sumi was smarter than she expected.

No, was “smart” even the right word?

It felt like she had transcended something entirely…

Still trying to mask her surprise, Sua asked,

“I-I see. What kinds of things are you afraid of?”

She could more or less guess Sumi’s answer.

After all, Sumi was just a three-week-old fox.

Everything was unfamiliar at that age, and she’d suddenly gone through a huge change in environment. Of course she’d be scared of all the new, strange things around her.

That’s when Sumi looked straight into Sua’s eyes.

“Time.”

“Huh?”

Sua reacted instinctively.

That was definitely not the answer she was expecting.

“I’m afraid of time—because no matter how hard I try to hold on to it, I can never grasp it. And when I look back, I realize I did nothing. That terrifies me.”

“U-uh…?”

“And so, I’m curious. How should I spend my time if I want to grow into a proud beast like you, Mother? I want to be your pride, not your regret.”

“….”

Sweat was pouring down Sua’s back.

What the heck?

Are foxes supposed to be this smart?

Well, sure—it was admirable.

After all, Sumi was earnestly contemplating how to better herself. But the real problem was that Sua had already run out of words.

‘…How the heck am I supposed to answer that?’

It was like someone asking her to tutor them in geometry and vectors when she herself only knew basic arithmetic. I don’t know either!

Sua cleared her throat awkwardly.

“Uh, more importantly, what do you mean by predator?”

“Aren’t we predators?”

“What?”

“Back when I was caged, I saw many others my age. But they all seemed weak. Mother, you’re different.”

“Well, I mean, pretty… or cute… maybe…”

“Hmm. I always thought those things were utterly useless. After all, you, a perfect being, possess none of them.”

Sua felt like a boulder had just slammed into her chest.

This emotion… it had to be despair.

SuaDespair. SuaDefeat. SuaOblivion…

“….”

Yeah, it was time to face the facts.

In the eyes of this innocent little fox, Sua was nothing more than a majestic, fearsome beast.

She wanted to cry.

This tiny, unbearably adorable creature somehow saw her as a formidable predator, no matter what she did.

The cute one dreamed of ferocity, and the fierce one dreamed of cuteness.

Sua felt like she was living through one of the great literary tragedies.

Have you read Shakespeare? No! I haven’t!

A clash of fates!

Ah! What cruel jest is this from the heavens?!

“Mother.”

Just then, Sumi nuzzled her face into Sua’s hand.

Nuzzle, nuzzle. Warm and soft.

“I really want to be just like you.”

“Ah—no. Don’t be like me.”

It was the last sliver of conscience Sua had left.

At the very least, she didn’t want to screw up raising her kid.

“Why not? I’m your child, aren’t I?”

“You’re you. You need your own path.”

“Then, Mother… would you tell me about your life? I want to use it as a guidepost. I don’t want to wander.”

Sua thought about it. Her life?

A path of failure where she never stood out, until she miraculously reversed everything thanks to unlocking some freak talent?

In other words, a life that only began after obtaining her Special Perk?

There wasn’t really anything she could share.

Sua quietly patted Sumi’s back.

Then she tried—tried—to force a gentle smile.

The secret Sua Technique: SuaGentle.

“…When the time comes, you’ll come to understand.”

Inwardly, she thought, Oh crap, I’m in trouble.

Meanwhile, Sumi’s eyes only sparkled brighter than before.

.

.

.

.

.

Vrooooom—!

“I’ll come visit twice a week, no matter what!”

Watching the vehicle carrying Sumi off to the care center, Sua waved with a heavy heart.

There were no tearful goodbyes.

Probably because Sumi didn’t seem all that sad in the first place.

In fact, she had given Sua a look of fierce determination. Something like, “Mother, I will achieve something and return.”

…Achieve what, exactly? That’s kind of terrifying.

And Sua thought—Wait, is this okay?

“…I need to try harder. I need to get smarter faster.”

She didn’t want to be the dumb parent.

Sure, watching your child grow up smart was rewarding, but falling behind a 3-week-old fox? That stung a little.

…Besides, what if they ended up on a variety show together?

She didn’t want to look like a clueless owner next to her pet. Honestly.

So after reaffirming her resolve with fierce determination,

Sua pulled out her phone and started making calls. Not many—just to Kim Iseo and PD Choi Heewon.

But the responses were mostly the same.

“Sua, hang tight. We’ll call you soon.”

“With the show airing any moment now, you just need to stay ready. Actually, should I recommend a few exercises? Actors need stamina too. Not that you’re lacking.”

It seemed things were ridiculously busy as Special Forces Unit 808 neared its broadcast.

There wasn’t much Sua could do right now—best to use the time for self-improvement.

So—

“Time for some training, for real.”

Sua picked up the script for Crescendo, Starting Tomorrow.

Since she’d already signed the contract, she figured she’d better start getting familiar with it.

The more she used her Special Perk, the more she could feel herself growing smarter.

Flaaaash—!

She dove straight into the SpecialPerk hotel.

The new look of the door was quite satisfying.

[ Crescendo, Starting Tomorrow ]
▶ Sufficient implementation factors
▶ Grade 1.4

The rating had already risen to 1.4.

Probably thanks to Ham A-yoon accepting the role of Park Minseo.

‘The grade’s gone up, and with Ham A-yoon onboard, the script might’ve changed too. I should experience it in more detail this time.’

Sua stepped into a phone booth and lifted the receiver.

She punched in 001 with her fingers: Lead Role, Kim Sohee.

A piano prodigy with savant syndrome.

But then—what the heck?

The call didn’t go through.

Sua tapped the phone a few times.

[ Brilliant Blessing questions the necessity of this experience. ]
[ It claims there is little difference between you and Kim Sohee. ]

“What the—what’s with that tone now?”

The SpecialPerk had recently been scouring online communities to learn different speech styles, and apparently had even dipped into web novels.

It was now using some “Constellation” tone it thought was cool.

Probably thought it sounded cool itself. It’s insane.

“I’ve grown a lot, okay? I don’t just blurt out nonsense anymore when talking to people. I try to answer coherently now.”

Sua narrowed her eyes.

“I’ve leveled up. That’s why I need to experience Kim Sohee.”

[ Brilliant Blessing reluctantly understands after much deliberation. ]
[ It encourages you to continue your efforts. ]

“And seriously, who names themselves ‘Brilliant Blessing’? Who gives themselves their own fancy title…?”

FWOOOOOSH—!

Sua couldn’t even finish her sentence.

Her vision flipped.

The experience had begun.