Hollywood

Northwest of Los Angeles, Sherman Oaks is a quiet neighborhood, much like its neighbor, Encino, near the San Fernando Mountains. While it’s far from downtown, it offers plenty of high-end shopping centers, boutiques, and a variety of trendy restaurants that cater to the professionals and families living there.

A drive to Los Angeles International Airport takes only 26 minutes, and reaching downtown takes less than an hour.

In this contemporary-style residential area, there is a townhouse that blends in like a twin to its neighbor. As the morning sun filters through the window, the clock quietly ticks to six.

A burst of rock music suddenly fills the room.

"Hey (hey)~"

"What’s the matter with your head? Yeah~"

"Hey (hey)~"

"What’s the matter with your mind and your sign? An-aoh-oh-oh~"

The energetic melody, combined with a deep, magnetic voice, makes Roland, curled up under the covers like a shrimp, tremble. Half-asleep, he stretches out his arm and swings it in the direction of the sound. A loud thud follows, and the world falls silent once more.

Slowly, a head resembling a bird’s nest peeks out from the blankets. Rubbing his sleepy eyes, Roland glances at the calendar.

January 1, 1990.

A mumbling voice escapes his lips, "Two years early? Am I being taken away from Earth?"

That’s right. The Roland lying in bed is no longer the original Roland. His body is now inhabited by a mysterious soul from the East.

With a sigh, he sluggishly rises, throwing on a sweater before heading to the bathroom. Turning on the faucet, he splashes cold water on his face, then gazes into the mirror, taking in his reflection.

Half a month ago, he was an ordinary single man in his late twenties, enduring one of the darkest moments of his life. During his second year of middle school, he pursued his dream by enrolling in a drama academy. After graduating, he spent eight years in the industry, dabbling in acting, production assistance, and post-production. However, having fallen out with influential figures in the industry, his career remained stagnant.

Disheartened, he turned to the internet, starting a film commentary channel. With sharp insights and humorous takes, he gained over two million followers in just two years. However, his success was short-lived. A lawsuit from major studios accused him of unauthorized modifications and copyright infringement, leading to a crushing legal defeat.

On the same day he lost everything, his real identity was exposed. Fans of a leading actress, angered by his harsh critique of a recent sci-fi blockbuster, sought him out. Like an infamous author crushed by online backlash, he found himself in the hospital overnight.

When he woke up, he was no longer in his own world. Instead, he had been transported to Los Angeles, inhabiting the body of a ten-year-old boy named Roland Allen.

At first, he thought his previous life had been miserable enough, but upon learning about the life of the body’s original owner, he realized his own struggles paled in comparison.

Roland Allen came from a wealthy family. His mother was a Broadway actress, best known for playing the heroine in the B-cast of The Phantom of the Opera. His father was a successful real estate developer with substantial holdings in Southern California. However, two and a half months ago, tragedy struck. While attending a ribbon-cutting ceremony in San Francisco, his parents were caught in a devastating 6.9 magnitude earthquake and lost their lives.

Suddenly orphaned, Roland inherited his family’s fortune. But inheriting wealth wasn’t as glamorous as it seemed. The crushing 17% progressive inheritance tax loomed over him.

"I’m just a ten-year-old kid! How am I supposed to pay this?" Roland thought bitterly.

Looking at his youthful reflection, he sighed. If Los Angeles were Scotland, and Sherman Oaks were Loch Lomond, perhaps he could become a noble heir, sipping soup daily while wrapped in a grand legacy.

Yet, despite his complaints, deep down, he knew this was something he had once wished for—to return to childhood, to start over. Now that his wish had come true, he had to make the most of it.

As he brushed his teeth and took a quick morning shower, a sudden, thunderous banging rattled the door.

"Roland! Open up!"

"My mom says it’s time for breakfast!"

The loud voice made Roland sigh. Ever since he arrived in this world, this had been his daily wake-up call.

Opening the door, he found a boy around his age standing there, slightly chubby, wearing a green baseball cap.

Confused, Roland asked, "James, it’s a holiday. Why are you up so early instead of sleeping in?"

James, exasperated, rolled his eyes. "Oh, Roland, you think I want to be up? My sister starts filming today. We have to be there by ten."

Shrugging dramatically, James looked like a man resigned to his fate.

Roland chuckled. Though he found it odd that filming would take place on New Year’s Day, he wasn’t surprised. After all, capitalism never rests.

"Got it. Wait for me, I’ll grab my coat and be right down."

"Hurry up!" James called after him.

James was the son of Roland’s legal guardians. While the two were close friends, they weren’t related by blood. James’ parents, David and Canetti, had taken Roland in after his parents’ passing. Canetti, a retired Broadway dancer, had been a close friend of Roland’s late mother, while David, a real estate businessman, had been Roland’s father’s partner.

The San Francisco real estate project, where Roland’s parents had perished, had originally been David’s responsibility, but due to the recent birth of his youngest daughter, he had stayed behind. The tragic loss of Roland’s parents weighed heavily on him, leading him and Canetti to step forward as Roland’s guardians.

Though Roland still lived in his own home, his inheritance tax had been paid by David, easing his financial burden. Despite being his guardian, David made sure that Roland maintained as much normalcy as possible.

But what truly surprised Roland was the family he now lived with. Aside from James, the household included three younger sisters: twins Ashley and Mary-Kate, and their baby sister, Elizabeth.

That’s right—the family that had adopted him was none other than the Olsen Family