Satisfied with the 20-star coin she earned from eating spicy food and winning a chance to appear on a public show, Yuri busied herself with various tasks. She carefully sorted through her new body's belongings, trying to get accustomed to her new self.
Once the important tasks were handled, she finally had a quiet moment to look at herself closely. She sat in front of the vanity mirror, her heart beating fast as she stared at her reflection. The woman looking back was very different from the ordinary Filipina she used to be. Her face presented an exquisite and delicate harmony of features. Her skin was smooth and pale like porcelain, and her black hair flowed down her back like a shiny waterfall.
Yuri's hands trembled slightly as she reached up to touch her face, tracing the curve of her cheekbones and the line of her jaw. The original Yuri's beauty was otherworldly and striking. Her most captivating features were her large, almond-shaped eyes, which possessed an intense, deep emerald green color. They were framed by a generous length of natural dark lashes and softly arched, full black eyebrows. Her nose was slender and perfectly formed, leading down to a pair of naturally full, beautifully sculpted lips with soft, clear definition.
She had always been proud of her Filipino roots, but this new face was something completely different. It was a perfect mix of Western and Asian features that made her look both exotic and familiar at the same time.
"Goddamn! I'm pretty! Too pretty!" she whispered in disbelief. She knew the original owner's look from all the photos scattered around the house, but seeing it in person was a completely different experience. The impact was overwhelming.
"This is a face blessed by heaven and earth," she said with playful exaggeration while going through the skincare products lined up on her desk.
"Let Momma take care of your pretty face, and make sure to stun them ordinary peps tomorrow," she joked, applying a face mask with a smile.
Humming softly with a face mask on, she walked to the closet to check her outfit and style for tomorrow. Again, she was stunned by the luxurious and outrageous display of wealth and expensive items arranged in the massive room. Still, she needed to focus on making sure everything was perfect for her first appearance, leaving no room for mistakes.
Suddenly, her phone rang. Without looking at the screen, she answered, thinking it was Sister Dan.
"What's with your screen? Why is it black?" asked an anxious voice on the other end. Confused, Yuri looked at her phone and realized it was a video call from the original owner's aunt. She froze. She wasn't ready to face the family yet and didn't know how to act around them, but knowing it was only a matter of time, she decided to turn on the camera.
When the camera turned on, a beautiful middle-aged woman appeared on the screen. She smiled brightly and waved.
"Juhyun, come here! Your niece finally answered the phone!" the woman shouted, glancing behind her before turning back to face Yuri.
Juhyun? That's Yuri's uncle.
"Juhyun, I think she's okay; she still has time for skin care!" the original owner's aunt added, relief clear in her voice.
Yuri suddenly felt embarrassed and had the urge to hang up, but she stayed silent, waiting for the woman to speak again. In the background, she could hear some noise, knowing it was the original owner's uncle moving around.
Theresa Solidad, the woman on screen, was Yuri's aunt on her mother's side. She was a migrant worker, just like Yuri's mother. By coincidence, they each married a pair of siblings: Yuri's father and Uncle Lee Juhyun. Before Yuri's parents passed away, Aunt Theresa and Uncle Juhyun weren't married yet; they called each other sister and brother-in-law.
Aunt Theresa was supposed to return to the Philippines, but tragedy struck, so she stayed to help take care of the siblings. During that time, both she and Uncle Juhyun shared the responsibility of raising the three children. Through these shared duties and frequent meetings, they gradually fell in love and decided to marry, creating a loving home for the siblings.
They did not have children of their own, and sometimes the original owner felt guilty about this. Just as she was about to dive deeper into her memories, her aunt called her attention again.
"Yuri, we haven't heard from you in months. You're not answering your phone. Do you still think of this family?" Aunt Theresa asked with a reprimanding voice.
"You should come home for now, or better yet, let me come to your place and take care of you. I know it feels like the world is against you right now, but all this will pass someday. We both know you did nothing wrong. And you should have told us the first time you encountered all this."
"That's right! Woah...!"
Suddenly, another face popped onto the screen, pushing Aunt Theresa aside. It was Uncle Juhyun, grabbing the phone with exaggerated wide eyes. Calm and gentle-looking, his glasses gave him a wise, kind presence.
"Who's this undead creature?" he teased, lightening the mood.
Aunt Theresa slapped him lightly on the back of his head and snatched the phone back.
"Don't say that to your niece, you dimwit."
"Your uncle is right though, Yuri. You're all skin and bones. Are you even eating properly?" Aunt Theresa asked, her voice full of worry.
"My crankybee, is being this skinny some new trend? It honestly doesn't look good," Uncle Juhyun added, his worried expression matching hers.
Yuri sat there, stunned and helpless under the flood of care and questions from her new family.
"Auntie, I'm all good. I'm really sorry for only answering your calls now. I've been super busy making songs and completely lost track of time," she said reassuringly.
"Also, don't mind the ongoing issue right now. My company is helping me with a plan to stop all the rumors and come up with proof to end it. Soon, I'll be back in action again," she lied to ease their worries. Technically, it was half the truth since she'd return with a bang with the help of the system.
"Okay, but you look like a starving ghost. Don't you have any food?" Aunt Theresa said bluntly, not sugarcoating her words.
"I do eat," Yuri said helplessly, stunned by her aunt's comment.
"When? Once a day? Every other day?" her uncle added, his voice laced with sarcasm.
Yuri was once again stunned speechless. She tried to ask how they had been instead, hoping to change the subject, when suddenly loud voices caught all their attention.