The alarm buzzed again.
Ji-ah didn't move. She just lay there, staring at the ceiling of her apartment—an apartment that felt more like a loop than a home.
Every day felt like a photocopy of the last.
Wake up. Work. Eat. Sleep. Repeat.
It wasn't a life. It was a prison of routine.
She sat up slowly, brushed her teeth like a machine, tied her hair into a low, tired ponytail, and grabbed her coat. Same coffee shop. Same office cubicle. Same lifeless commute with strangers who looked just as lost as she felt.
I'm twenty-five, she thought. Shouldn't I feel alive by now?
---
That weekend, her best friend Da-eun stormed into her apartment with two bubble teas and no patience.
"Okay. You're coming with me," Da-eun said, tossing her a hoodie.
Ji-ah blinked from the couch. "Where?"
"Anywhere but here. We're going on a date."
Ji-ah raised an eyebrow. "With each other?"
"Exactly," Da-eun said, grinning. "We'll eat, laugh, and pretend your life isn't a boring K-drama stuck in episode one."
Ji-ah sighed but stood up. "Fine. I'll humor you."
---
They explored Hongdae, danced to street music, took goofy selfies at a rooftop cafe, and devoured tteokbokki like they hadn't eaten in years.
Ji-ah laughed. Actually laughed. It felt strange in her chest, like a muscle that hadn't been used in ages.
As the sky darkened, Da-eun led her to a quiet restaurant tucked behind a lantern-lit alley. They shared fried chicken and warm soup as the city hummed outside.
Da-eun leaned across the table. "You've been smiling. That's a miracle."
Ji-ah shrugged. "You forced me into it."
"No, seriously," Da-eun said, softening. "What's going on with you lately?"
Ji-ah looked down, fiddling with her chopsticks. "I feel… stuck. Like I'm on a treadmill I can't step off. I don't even feel real most days."
Da-eun reached over and squeezed her hand. "Then maybe it's time to shake things up."
---
As if she had it planned all along, Da-eun hailed a cab and dragged Ji-ah to a small, neon-lit shrine tucked into a backstreet. A wooden sign read:
SHAMAN: Discover Your Fate
"You're kidding," Ji-ah said, eyeing the dreamcatchers and fake flowers.
"She's TikTok famous!" Da-eun insisted. "Just try it. Worst case, we waste ten minutes."
Ji-ah rolled her eyes but followed her inside.
The room smelled like burning herbs. The shaman sat behind a low table, dressed in colorful silks and layers of beads. She looked up as they sat down, giving Ji-ah a long stare.
"You," she said simply. "You're tired of your life."
Ji-ah blinked. "...Yes?"
The shaman studied her palm for a moment, then smiled. "You'll meet someone. His name starts with Kang… and ends with min."
Da-eun gasped. "OH MY GOD. KANG TAE-MIN? Your colleague?!"
Ji-ah blushed. "That's not even that rare of a name."
The shaman smiled again, as if amused. "Sometimes, fate hides in the obvious."
They laughed the whole way out.
---
The next morning at work, Ji-ah bumped into Kang Tae-min—literally. He caught her just before she fell, his hands on her arms, his cologne brushing past her cheek.
He smiled. "Careful, Ji-ah."
She froze. "S-sorry…"
After that, he kept showing up—at her desk, in the elevator, by the coffee machine. Little moments, lingering glances, soft smiles. For the first time in months, Ji-ah felt alive.
When he invited her to a gathering by the Han River with a few office friends, she didn't hesitate.
This is it, she thought. He's going to confess.
She wore her best dress. Called Da-eun to come along. Even invited her colleague-friend who Tae-min occasionally chatted with.
The night was perfect—until it shattered.
He stood under the moonlight. Held up a ring box. Everyone held their breath.
But when he turned and knelt, it wasn't to Ji-ah.
It was to her colleague friend.
"Will you be mine?" he said to someone else.
Ji-ah's world tilted. Her knees buckled. The cold breeze felt like knives.
Da-eun ran to her side, wrapping her arm around her. "Let's go. Please."
Ji-ah couldn't cry. Not yet. She only stared at the glowing river.
---
They stormed back to the shrine that night, fury bubbling in their throats.
"YOU LIED!" Da-eun yelled. "She was humiliated because of you!"
The shaman looked confused. "I… I don't remember either of you."
Ji-ah frowned. "You told me I'd meet my soulmate. Kang-something-min."
"I say what the energy gives me," the shaman replied, slowly. "But I don't recall saying that."
Then something shifted.
The candles blew out. The room turned icy.
The shaman's head drooped… then lifted slowly.
But it wasn't her anymore.
Her eyes glowed faintly silver. Her voice echoed with something ancient and powerful.
"The one you lost was never yours.
The one you will find was never meant for anyone else."
"You cry for love in a world not written for you.
But when the stars fall in the river…
And you arrive at the gate between endings…
Your true life will begin."
Ji-ah's voice trembled. "What are you?"
The being smiled.
"You wished for a different life.
It will be granted.
But remember—no wish is without cost."
Then—
The lights returned. The shaman collapsed onto the table.
She blinked up at them, dazed. "W-why are you still here?"
Da-eun grabbed Ji-ah's hand. "We need to go. Now."
Ji-ah didn't answer.
She couldn't.
---
After they left the shrine, Ji-ah and Da-eun wandered into a small bar not far from the neighborhood.
Neither of them said much.
They just sat across from each other in a booth, pouring shots of soju and silently refilling whenever the glasses emptied.
Three…
Four…
Five rounds passed.
Ji-ah stared at the tabletop, her voice slurred and flat.
"Why would she say that? Why did she say I'd meet my soulmate and then—nothing?"
Da-eun sipped slowly, trying to stay steady.
"That wasn't the same woman, Ji. I don't think she even knew what was happening."
"She said it like it wasn't even her," Ji-ah murmured. "Like… someone else was inside her."
Da-eun shivered. "Don't say creepy stuff like that when I'm drunk."
They both laughed. A little broken.
By the sixth shot, Ji-ah wasn't laughing anymore. She wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her hoodie.
"I just wanted to feel like the main lead," she whispered. "Is that too much?"
Da-eun leaned over the table, gripping her hand. "You are the main lead. You're just in the wrong story."
---
They staggered down the quiet street, leaning on each other.
As they crossed a pedestrian bridge near the river, Ji-ah stopped in the middle, swaying slightly.
She looked up at the stars, then screamed into the sky:
"WHY CAN'T I BE THE MAIN LEAD?!"
Da-eun blinked at her, stunned.
Ji-ah stepped toward the edge, arms spread wide. "I want a different life! I want everyone to love me! I want to be seen for once!"
A flash of light shot across the sky.
A shooting star.
Then another.
They both gasped.
Da-eun, slurring slightly, pointed upward.
"Wish! Wish now!"
Ji-ah closed her eyes. Her heart felt wide open.
"I wish… I was the lead character in a life that mattered."
Suddenly—
A force pushed her from behind.
Ji-ah fell—
Into the icy river. Into the dark.
---
A glowing gate stood before her. Floating. Breathing. Waiting.
Ji-ah opened her eyes, gasping.
Was she alive?
A familiar voice. "You're awake! Ji-ah! You're alive!"
Da-eun was beside her—in a hospital?
Wait… no.
Something felt off.
Then the door burst open.
A crowd of strangers stormed in, surrounding Ji-ah with flowers, gifts, affection.
"Is she okay?"
"She's awake!"
"She's beautiful in real life too!"
Ji-ah looked at Da-eun, panicked. "What's happening?!"
Da-eun smirked. "You really don't remember?"
She leaned in and whispered:
"You're the most loved woman in this world.
And I'm your personal secretary."
Then a nurse stepped in, smiling warmly.
"Miss Ji-ah, how are you feeling?" she asked gently.
Ji-ah nodded slowly. "I'm... okay, I think."
The nurse checked her vitals, adjusted the IV slightly, and gave a warm, professional smile.
"You're stable. No signs of concussion. That's good news."
She paused, then leaned in a little, lowering her voice with a sheepish grin.
"Sorry to ask this... but would it be okay to get your autograph later? My daughter adores you. She even has your posters."
Da-eun rolled her eyes playfully. "When she gets discharged, she'll sign anything you want."
The nurse laughed and left the room.
Ji-ah stared at the door, wide-eyed.
"This... can't be real."
Da-eun smiled. "It is. Then they both scream "we actually live in our fantasy."
---
[End of Chapter 1]