That moment, as if reading my thoughts, the smartwatch spoke.
[Before we continue, there is something you must be aware of. Because your soul now resides in someone else's body, one specific restriction applies to you.]
A restriction? Things were going smoothly, so why this again?
'What kind of restriction?'
[The original owner of this body, Lee Do-hoon, was supposed to die today. But with your soul entering him, he has been granted new life.]
'And?'
[Although your soul is Lee Jung-woo, you must live out the rest of your life as Lee Do-hoon. That means maintaining his relationships with family and friends, and carrying on his dreams. In short, you must act as though you are Lee Do-hoon, not Lee Jung-woo.]
'Why should I? Do-hoon is dead, and I'm the one living in this body now.'
[Because that is the proper order. If you defy it…]
'If I defy it?'
[…your soul may be reclaimed. Simply by existing, you already disrupt the natural order.]
What the—was this a threat? Even after being reborn, I wasn't allowed to live as I pleased? No matter how many times I asked, the answer stayed the same.
A soul not recorded in the ledger of the dead is said to attract misfortune.
In other words, sudden accidents or disasters—what people often call a cursed fate—happen because the soul no longer aligns with the celestial records.
[Also, you must never speak of reincarnation or the afterlife to anyone. And you must never contact anyone you knew in your past life. Any act that disturbs the order will incur divine punishment.]
So basically, keep my head down and live quietly.
Act like I'm Lee Do-hoon, not Lee Jung-woo.
"Fine. Got it. What a ridiculously complicated restriction. I don't want to die again, so I'll follow it. But what kind of guy was he anyway? I need to know that much before I pretend to be him."
[Lee Do-hoon was a college student.]
The watch began explaining the body's original owner in detail.
Name: Lee Do-hoon.
Age: Twenty-three.
Second-year student in the Physical Education Department at Gukseong University.
He had completed his freshman year, served in the military, and was preparing to return to school.
'Physical Education? No wonder this body is built…'
[And his family is currently living in the United States.]
'The U.S.? Is he some kind of Korean-American?'
[No. He has a younger sister, five years his junior. The family moved together for her studies. There should be a family photo in the wallet.]
I opened the wallet lying on the desk. Inside was Do-hoon's family photo—mom, dad, younger sister, and Do-hoon in the center. They all looked quite good-looking. He seemed to take his height from his father and his face from his mother. But one person stood out…
'Wow, his sister is gorgeous. This family really hit the genetic jackpot.'
[Her name is Lee Hye-eun. She's a second-year in an American high school and hopes to become a cellist.]
'A cellist? So she's into music?'
[The family moved to support her exceptional talent. They're planning for her to enter Juilliard.]
'Pretty and talented, huh? But if everyone's in the U.S., who makes the money?'
[Do-hoon's father is a famous novelist. Lee Chan-myung.]
'What? Seriously? I've read several of his books!'
[His mother is Kang Jung-hee, a homemaker. You must remember all this to avoid any mistakes. Even slight suspicion may draw a reaper to you.]
'I'll keep that in mind. Still, with everyone in the U.S., I won't have to see them anytime soon, right?'
[Yes. Occasionally they call to check in, and your sister sometimes video-calls using FaceTime.]
Hearing about Do-hoon's family made me think of my own parents. How devastated must they have been…
I shook off the gloomy thoughts.
'So how did Do-hoon die? He looks perfectly healthy.'
[He died this morning from acute myocardial infarction.]
'Damn… a young guy dying like that. And alone, too.'
[That was his fate. There is nothing to pity.]
'Fate again? Seriously… Wait, does that mean he had heart issues?'
[His health was reset during reincarnation. There are no issues now.]
'You can reset health too?'
[Of course. Also, due to your stat redistribution, his height increased by about 0.9 cm, and his IQ decreased by about 12.]
'And… down there?'
[That is his original—]
'Damn, he was blessed already? Then he must've had tons of girlfriends, right?'
[Before enlisting, he briefly dated an older upperclassman for three months. After returning from the military, he has no girlfriend.]
'Right, he served. Then when does he go back to school?'
[In March.]
I checked the date on his phone.
'Early February… so less than a month left.'
[Correct.]
'Reincarnated and already a returning student… At least I don't have to serve in the army again.'
Suddenly, the phone vibrated in my hand.
—Boss—
"Boss? Who's this?"
I answered.
"Hello?"
—Ah, Do-hoon. Sorry to bother you while you're resting. The morning part-timer had something come up and wants to leave two hours early. If you're free, could you come in two hours sooner? I'll pay you for three hours. Is that okay?
A middle-aged woman's voice—she sounded gentle and kind.
'Wage? Is he working part-time?'
"Yes, ma'am. One moment."
I covered the receiver and thought. It seemed Do-hoon had been working part-time before returning to school. Kind of ridiculous at this age, but if I wanted to maintain his life properly, I had no choice.
"What time should I come in?"
—Can you make it by four? I feel so bad… I even called my daughter, but she refuses because she's hanging out with a friend.
"Okay. I'll be there."
"Thank you, Do-hoon!"
After hanging up, I checked the time—still about an hour left.
"Oh right. I didn't even ask where it is."
The smartwatch answered.
[A convenience store called Eight-to-Twenty, a twenty-minute walk from here.]
'A convenience store? He worked there?'
[Yes. From 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. Weekends off every other week.]
'Reincarnated only to become a convenience store worker…'
I was never suited for physical labor. Back in college, I collapsed for a whole day after swinging a sickle for just one hour during volunteer farming.
Still, it's not like I've never worked. I always had full scholarships, but I tutored to earn pocket money. With my university's name, tutoring three students paid as much as a full-time salary.
'But if his family lives in the U.S., they must be well-off. Why the cheap part-time job?'
[Because of his parents' educational philosophy.]
'Educational philosophy?'
[His father wanted him to develop independence. Aside from tuition and housing fees, he receives no allowance.]
'Damn. Harsh parenting.'
But perhaps a good mindset. Paying for college already counted as doing more than enough.
'So how long does he have to keep doing this job?'
[He's worked for about three months since discharge, so he should have enough saved for the upcoming semester.]
'Good. After this, I'm switching to tutoring. Physical labor is such a waste of time.'
[That is your decision.]
Time to get ready. I scanned the clothes hanging neatly on the rack—his wardrobe was still sparse after returning from the army.
I put on a fleece-lined sweatshirt, jeans, and a dark brown padded jacket.
One glance in the mirror made my jaw drop.
"Wow… this kid looks like a model no matter what he wears."
Unbelievable. Just jeans and a T-shirt, yet he practically glowed.
Truly, the final piece of fashion is the face.
I grabbed the phone and stepped out of the studio apartment.