The soft morning sun crept through the curtains, gently brushing against Ji-ah's face as she stirred awake. Her eyes fluttered open, taking a moment to adjust to the light. The silence of the early hour made everything feel calm — almost peaceful. She sat up, rubbing her eyes, then glanced over at Daeun, still sprawled across the bed like a fallen warrior.
Ji-ah sighed. "Daeun… wake up."
No response.
She nudged her gently. "Hey, if we don't hurry now, Hyun-min or Jun-ha will catch us sneaking out. You want that?"
Still groggy, Daeun mumbled, "Five more minutes… This bed feels too comfortable to leave."
Ji-ah frowned. "Daeun!" she whisper-hissed. "Come on!"
That got her moving. Daeun finally sat up, groaning as she reached for her phone. Ji-ah had already slipped out of bed and into the closet area, scanning through the clothes they had.
Her face twisted in confusion and frustration. "Seriously? Is this all I have to wear? I mean, I wore those dresses you brought yesterday but—what is this? These are way too revealing. Not my style at all."
Daeun stood behind her, still yawning. "I knew you'd say that. Those weren't picked by me — they were sent over by some stylist from the company. I knew you wouldn't wear half of them, so I used Jisoo's card to buy one or two things from a nearby store."
Ji-ah turned, eyes narrowed. "One or two? Daeun! What are we supposed to do? Share a single outfit between us?"
Rolling her eyes, Daeun walked over to Jisoo's travel bag, rummaging through it like a seasoned spy. "Relax, drama queen. Here—this top and jeans should work. Casual and comfy. Better than those runway rejects."
Ji-ah took them with a huff. "Thanks... I guess."
---
Downstairs, the kitchen was still and spotless. Ji-ah stood by the counter, sleeves rolled up and hair tied back. She cracked a couple of eggs into a pan, tossing in some vegetables she found in the fridge.
"You really think they'll eat this?" Daeun asked as she sliced fruit nearby.
"I don't know," Ji-ah shrugged, "but cooking helps me think. Also, if we disappear this morning, the least I can do is make breakfast."
The smell of warm toast and omelets began to fill the space. Ji-ah plated everything with surprising care. Daeun added two cups of coffee to the tray.
"They'll either love this or burn the kitchen down trying to reheat it," Daeun said.
"Let's hope for the first," Ji-ah smiled.
---
Just as they were about to sneak out, they stopped dead in their tracks.
Two figures emerged from their rooms—Hyun-min and Jun-ha—shuffling like sleep-deprived zombies, their eyes barely open and their hair sticking out in all directions.
Startled, Ji-ah and Daeun whipped around, forcing the most awkward, fake smiles imaginable.
"Where are you two going?" Hyun-min asked, voice raspy.
The girls' creepy synchronized smiles turned to full-blown panic, and they screamed in sync.
"AHHHH!"
Jun-ha, now fully awake, flinched. "What the hell was that for?"
"You two scared us!" Daeun gasped.
"You both looked like—like—ghouls!" Ji-ah added, still catching her breath.
Hyun-min glanced at Jun-ha, then blinked at his reflection in the nearby mirror. "Well, we didn't sleep properly last night…"
Jun-ha quickly jumped in, "Yeah, we were just having a small chat out in the lawn. That's all."
Hyun-min nodded. "Anyway… it's a holiday today. Since you're still adjusting to the whole memory thing, we told the agency you'd rest. So we're planning to have a long nap."
"Where are you two heading this early?" Jun-ha asked, finally waking up enough to notice their shoes on.
Ji-ah paused, then Daeun swooped in smoothly. "Well, as you said, Ji-ah—I mean, Jisoo—is still struggling with her memory, so we thought of dropping by the hospital. Just a small check-up."
Hyun-min nodded slowly. "Alright. Be careful. Try not to get caught by paparazzi."
"Oh, and," Ji-ah added, "I made breakfast for you two. It's in the kitchen. Just reheat and eat."
Jun-ha's eyes sparkled. "I like this version of Jisoo a lot."
With that, the girls exchanged a quick glance and walked out the door.
---
They got into the car, heartbeats quickening.
"Are we really doing this?" Daeun whispered.
Ji-ah nodded. "Let's just say… if that shaman exists here too, we might finally get some answers."
They didn't say another word. But somewhere deep inside, they both knew — this wasn't just a memory trip.
It could change everything.
---
The sun was high by the time Ji-ah and Daeun reached the familiar street. It felt surreal—the same path, same people, same buildings… yet a different world altogether. Ji-ah looked around and whispered, "It's exactly like our world. The same bakery, the same café… even that grumpy old man yelling at kids."
Daeun nodded slowly. "Yeah… but some faces are new. The restaurant owner there—wasn't it someone else before?"
They exchanged glances, realizing that this world wasn't entirely a mirror. Something deeper was at play.
Finally, they stopped at the place they remembered as the shaman's shrine in their world. But instead of a shrine, a quaint little jewelry shop now stood there. Its name shimmered on the golden signboard: "Where Fates Meet."
Daeun folded her arms. "See? Told you. We probably wasted our time."
Just as she turned to walk away, a soft voice floated from inside the shop. "Is there a problem here?"
Ji-ah's eyes widened. Standing behind the counter was a young woman—with the same face as the elderly shaman they had met in their world. But here, she looked barely in her 30s—elegant, calm, glowing.
"You're… the shaman?" Ji-ah asked, stepping forward slowly.
The woman tilted her head slightly, offering a graceful smile. "Please, come inside. Have some herbal tea to ease your nerves."
Though hesitant, the girls entered the cozy shop and sat across from her. Ji-ah looked at her curiously. "Are you the shaman?"
The woman chuckled softly and shook her head. "No, dear. I'm not a shaman. Not in this life."
Daeun leaned over to Ji-ah and whispered, "I told you this wouldn't work…"
But the woman caught her words. "My ancestors were shamans," she said, taking a sip of tea. "And perhaps I still carry some of their gifts."
Ji-ah leaned in, intrigued. "Then why didn't you choose to be one?"
The woman set her teacup down gently and looked directly at Ji-ah. "Because I chose a normal life. Just like you must choose yours. Our lives are not written by someone else—we shape them. Every moment, every choice, writes our story."
Ji-ah's eyes widened. Her mind raced back to everything she had questioned since waking up in this world. Could this be her chance… to live a new story?
"But," Daeun spoke, trying to grasp the depth of the woman's words, "how did you know we don't belong here?"
The woman smiled knowingly. "I don't know how you came here, but the one who sent you might have seen something special in you. Maybe… this world is not a mistake. Maybe it's your opportunity."
Ji-ah sat still for a moment, her heart racing. The pieces were starting to make sense. Maybe she wasn't trapped. Maybe this was her second chance.
Daeun, on the other hand, just smiled politely and sipped her tea, not quite following the depth of the moment.
As they stood up to leave, the woman reached under the counter and brought out a beautiful wooden box.
"A gift," she said.
Ji-ah shook her head. "No, thank you. We didn't even buy anything—"
"It's free," the woman said gently.
Daeun nudged Ji-ah. "If it's free, let's just take it."
Ji-ah sighed. "Fine. But we'll pay."
The woman opened the box, revealing a collection of vintage, antique jewelry. "Choose one each. Whichever calls to you."
Ji-ah's eyes were drawn to a delicate bracelet made of blue and green marbled stones. "This one," she said, mesmerized.
Daeun picked up a simple yet elegant ring with a small emerald-like gem in the center. "I like this."
The woman smiled. "Beautiful choices. The bracelet will protect you from misfortune. The ring will help you find your other half."
They both looked up at her, puzzled. "What do you mean?" Ji-ah asked.
The woman gave nothing more than a mysterious smile. "Just wear them. Every day."
Ji-ah reached into her purse and paid for the jewelry. As they stepped out of the shop, the sunlight hit their faces—and for a moment, everything felt lighter… as if fate had just shifted in their favor.
---
To be continue
[End of the chapter 9]