Part 1Scales and Whispers

When the parents of the Male Lead came to the orphanage to adopt, they had a choice.

Between the chatty, golden-retriever-energy Female Lead and the quiet, reserved me.

They chose me.

Suddenly, floating text—like a live stream chat—drifted across my vision.

[They picked the mute, fragile side character because she seems easier? Little do they know the Heroine is the only one who can truly save the Male Lead!]

[The Male Lead is actually a snake-shifter. He was hurt by humans as a kid, so he became dark and withdrawn. Doesn't even speak.]

[This side character is useless. She tried to suck up to him, but the moment she saw his true form, she cried like a baby.]

[Just wait. Once the parents return her for being defective, our cute, chatty Heroine will take the stage!]

Snake?

I am terrified of snakes.

Urged by his parents, the Male Lead hugged me with a blank expression.

I was trembling so hard I blurted out, "N-no..."

His eyes suddenly lit up.

He put on a heartbroken act. "Do you hate me too? Figures. Once people see what I really am, no one likes me..."

I squeezed my eyes shut and hugged him back, shaking. "N-no, I... I really like Big Brother."

The floating chat exploded.

[Why isn't he acting all depressed and emo?]

[OMG the side character baby is so scared it's cute! She was literally frightened into speaking!]

[The Male Lead has said more words in the last minute than in his entire life just to coax her into talking.]

* * *

When the prospective parents came to the orphanage, I was quietly massaging the Director's back.

At the Director's signal, I poured two cups of hot tea and handed them over.

Before they could speak, I shyly hid behind the Director.

The Mom’s eyes lit up. She started hitting the Dad’s shoulder excitedly. "She’s so good! So well-behaved! This is exactly the daughter I imagined!"

The Dad patted her hand soothingly. "Okay, okay, I know. But we have to ask her first."

He looked at me kindly. "Sweetie, how old are you?"

My face turned red, and I twisted the hem of my shirt helplessly.

The Mom started hitting the Dad again, suppressing a squeal. "So cute~"

The Director stepped in to save me. "To be honest, Penny is a good child. Everyone here loves her. It's just... she can't speak."

The parents looked at each other, surprised.

My heart sank. I lowered my head.

Many people had wanted to adopt me before. But once they found out I was mute, they all gave up.

This time would be the same.

Just then, a commotion erupted in the hallway.

The door banged open. A teacher rushed in, trying to catch a girl with twin ponytails. "Mia! You little rascal! Give Charlie his hearing aid back!"

The girl stuck out her tongue and grinned. "Hi Auntie, hi Uncle, hi Director!"

Then she zoomed off again.

Rows of text floated across my vision.

[Our cute little demon spawn Heroine is here!]

[The parents still prefer the quiet mute girl, but the Heroine is the real soulmate who can save the Male Lead.]

[The Heroine gets the Male Lead to talk using just a stinky sock! The parents were so happy.]

[Hurry up and ditch the useless side character! Take our baby Heroine home!]

Reading the text, a sour feeling spread in my chest.

These "comments" started appearing about two weeks ago. I was slowly understanding what they meant.

Apparently, I was in a story where everyone loved the main character, and I was just cannon fodder.

The comments loved comparing me to Mia. Using her liveliness to highlight my dullness.

The Director spoke up. "If your son is withdrawn, it might be better to choose a livelier girl to keep him company. I worry Penny might not meet your expectations."

The parents fell silent.

I stared at my toes. I was used to this.

The Director was just worried I'd be returned if I didn't fit in, which would only hurt more.

The parents huddled together and whispered.

Then the Mom made a decision. "So what if she can't speak? My son doesn't speak either."

"Exactly. Like father, like son. If we like Penny this much, our son won't be too bad."

"Worst case, the whole family learns sign language! It's a new skill!"

The Director paused, a look of relief in his eyes.

He bent down to look at me, smiling kindly. "So, Penny, would you like to go home with this Auntie and Uncle?"

The parents looked nervous.

I looked at them, eyes red, and nodded.