Chapter 2
“What’s going on?”
“I’m not sure. Tabin asked us to spare a moment, so we came…”
The village was so small that even when everyone gathered, there were only about thirty people from ten households.
“The reason I gathered you all is to prepare for the rainy season.”
I stood in front of the confused villagers and spoke loudly.
“If you keep piling grass and leaves on the roof like you do now, they’ll soak up rainwater and get heavier. The house could actually collapse.”
I explained as clearly as possible how dangerous and inefficient that method was.
“We’ve always done it this way. You’re saying it was dangerous?”
“Yeah. Other villages do the same thing too…”
The villagers didn’t believe me.
It made sense. They’d lived like this their whole lives.
“If we remove all the grass and leaves and the rain overflows during the monsoon, will you take responsibility?”
A man with sharp cheekbones pointed at me and told me to stop acting smart when I didn’t know anything.
For a moment, he reminded me of my old boss, Manager Park.
He acted so similarly that I almost wondered if he had transmigrated too.
So irritating.
“Yes. I’ll take full responsibility.”
“You? A girl who hides inside her house all day? What responsibility can you take?”
The man wouldn’t let it go.
“We’re busy enough as it is. This was a waste of time. Let’s go!”
With a wave of his hand, the villagers quickly dispersed.
I stared at them in disbelief, especially the man who had stirred them up, when Tabin placed a hand on my shoulder.
“Are you alright, Aileen?”
“Ah… I’m fine.”
The resistance was stronger than I expected, but I hadn’t really believed they’d trust me right away.
“Still, I’ll do as you say.”
Tabin held my hand tightly.
“I trust my daughter.”
Unlike his rugged appearance, Tabin was gentle and kind. He loved his daughter dearly.
That was why I couldn’t truly call him Father.
Outwardly, I was his daughter Aileen—but inside, I was someone else.
From what I’d heard, the original Aileen had been timid and stayed home most of the time.
“Alright. Then please get the materials I asked for.”
To prepare for the rainy season, not just our house but the whole village would need repairs.
“First, bring wood that doesn’t rot easily, even when wet.”
Since the villagers opposed me, we decided to fix our house first.
Once they saw results, they might change their minds.
* * *
In my original world, I could have specified the exact type of wood and board I needed. But here, this was the best I could do.
“These are the planks we use to build boats. Will these work?”
“They’re perfect.”
I had worried he might not find what I needed, but thankfully Tabin brought the right boards.
“What are you planning to do with them?”
“I’m going to make this.”
While waiting for the materials, I had drawn a roof design. I showed it to him.
“Oh, Aileen. You can do this too? Amazing.”
It was a rough hand-drawn sketch, but Tabin raised his thumb in admiration.
Being praised for something like this made me a little embarrassed.
“Is there anything I can help with?”
“First, we need to cut the planks to size…”
Instead of explaining in detail, I picked up a saw to demonstrate.
Thanks to my father in my previous life, who had been a carpenter, I was confident in my handiwork.
“Wow… this is what they call a saw?”
The problem was that the tools in this world were terrible.
The teeth were uneven and rusty. I had to use so much force that my wrists hurt just to move it back and forth once.
“If you have animal fat or oil, please bring some.”
Remembering a trick my old father used, I lightly coated the rusty blade with oil.
The saw moved more smoothly after that. The cut surface was still rough, but it was much better.
After four days of work, we completed and installed a triangular roof.
Before that, I repaired the ceiling and dug a small drainage path so rainwater flowing down from the roof could run off.
“The roof looks unusual. Will this really help?”
“Of course. It lets the rainwater flow down instead of pooling.”
“Oh… how interesting.”
Tabin walked around the roof, marveling at it.
“I almost hope it rains soon.”
Then people would have to admit I was right.
As if the sky heard my wish, heavy rain poured down two days later.
* * *
Because of the strong rain, there was damage throughout the village. Roofs leaked, ceilings collapsed.
But our house was completely fine.
Thanks to the triangular roof and drainage path I built.
“…So Aileen was right?”
“Does that strange-looking roof and that hole in the ground really work?”
When word spread that only our house was unharmed, the villagers whispered in shock.
“This is your last chance!”
I raised my voice so everyone could hear.
“If you reject my proposal again, then no matter what problems happen in the future, I won’t help you!”
The word “last” made their eyes waver.
They still hesitated, glancing at each other—until Mr. Hanson from next door suddenly raised his hand.
“Install it on my house too!”
“M-me too! Do mine too!”
“Our house needs it!”
Once one person stepped forward, the others quickly followed.
Even those who had hesitated began raising their hands one by one.
“…”
All except one man.
The same man who had mocked me and stirred up the others.
“Mr. Peter, don’t you need it?”
When I asked directly, Peter flinched and snorted.
“I don’t really need it, but if you insist on doing it, I won’t refuse.”
Still stubborn. Just like Manager Park.
“Oh, you don’t need it?”
But I wasn’t the same person anymore.
There was no longer an Assistant Manager Han Seon-ah who had to watch her boss’s mood.
“Then we’ll proceed without yours, Mr. Peter.”
Peter’s eyes widened in shock.
“Alright, everyone else, follow me.”
Ignoring him completely, I led the others back to the house.
* * *
Peter came to see me again about two days later.
I was busy making more triangular roofs with the villagers.
At first, he hovered around me awkwardly, like a dog that needed to use the bathroom.
“Ahem… what are you making?”
When I ignored him, he coughed loudly or tried talking to Tabin.
But since I refused to even look at him, he finally tapped my shoulder.
“Let’s talk for a moment.”
“What is it? I’m busy. Just say it here.”
I answered coldly without looking at him. His face twisted unpleasantly.
After glaring at me for a while, he finally sighed.
“Install the triangular roof on my house too.”
“Didn’t you say you didn’t need it?”
“That was because you were being annoy—!”
“Mr. Peter.”
I cut him off before he could shout.
“If you’re going to ask me for something from now on, be polite. And apologize for looking down on me last time.”
“What did I even do wrong—!”
“You think you did nothing wrong?”
I lifted the saw I had been using.
Peter’s face turned pale.
After hesitating, he lowered his gaze and shouted,
“Fine! I was wrong! I was irritated because water was leaking into my house, and then you started saying strange things—”
“Strange things?”
“No, I mean… I’m sorry. It was all my fault.”
He said the words, but his face was still full of dissatisfaction.
“I want to see if you’re truly reflecting on your actions. Go over there and shout three times, ‘Aileen is the best!’ with your hands raised.”
I wasn’t about to let this slide easily.
“Y-you want me to do something that embarrassing?”
“If you don’t want to, that’s fine.”
Then I had no intention of making him a roof.
“…”
His face turned red as he trembled, then he slowly walked to the spot I pointed at.
“Aileen is the best! Aileen is the best! Aileen is the best!”
He raised both hands high and shouted loudly.
“Pfft—haha!”
It was so ridiculous that not only I, but the other villagers, burst into laughter.
And then—
[The tutorial has ended.]
A translucent window appeared before my eyes.
