Ring ring ring— ring ring ring—.
The dreadful alarm blared at 5:40 a.m.
The start time they'd mentioned during the interview was 9:00.
But once I actually started, the real start time was 8:20.
The commute to the office took a bit over an hour each way.
So, to safely make it in, I had to catch the 6:30 train at the earliest.
"Ugh..."
It was still dark out, the sun nowhere in sight.
Eyes closed, I reached out toward the sound of the alarm.
For some reason, my hand couldn't find it.
Annoyed, I sat up and grabbed my phone.
Sitting there, my body felt heavy.
My shoulders and neck ached a little, like they'd stiffened up.
Must've slept wrong.
I let out a short sigh and stretched, a groan escaping naturally.
"Ugh... I'm dying..."
What was that?
Something was off about my voice just now.
"Ah. Huh?"
The voice coming from my throat wasn't my usual thick, low baritone.
It was the husky mid-tone of a woman fresh from sleep.
A voice so alluring it almost tickled.
"Wha... what the hell?"
Even this panicked tone didn't sound like me.
Was I dreaming? Confused, I bolted to the bathroom.
And when I saw myself in the mirror...
"Holy shit..."
The curse slipped out on its own.
"Better than most actresses..."
A stunning beauty that didn't suit a single rough word.
Her eyes were sharp, but she'd probably look gorgeous smiling.
Just a white tee and men's boxers, but her poised figure made it look elegant, not awkward at all.
How to describe it?
Like the quintessential student council president, maybe.
"Height's shrunk a bit, huh."
I could feel I'd gotten shorter. I was mid-170s before, so probably late 160s now.
Turning to check myself out, long black hair swayed lightly down to my waist.
And as I turned, I felt one particular part.
"Boobs..."
They had some serious presence.
Never been with a woman, so no clue on cup size, but they were big enough to draw the eye.
Which made it hard to look properly.
I kept averting my gaze, embarrassed.
Averting my eyes kept pulling them back to my face.
The woman in the mirror mimicked my every move, but this wasn't me.
I pinched my cheek.
Always wondered why movie and comic characters did that.
"Thith ith tho thupid."
Muttering through the pinch confirmed it: no dream.
"Haa..."
I slumped back onto the bed.
They say too many thoughts turn your mind blank. Mine was exactly that right now.
A lifetime as a man.
Born male, lived male. Obvious.
Could a person's gender just change like this?
If so, why had I spent all those years as a guy?
Thoughts spiraled endlessly.
Until they hit a conclusion.
"Why... did I turn into a woman...?"
I muttered, placing both hands on my face.
Soft, squishy sensation.
So alien, I yanked them away instinctively.
No clue on the cause. But right now, work was the bigger worry.
What do I even say at the office?
Suddenly woke up as a woman?
No, wait—was work even the priority here?
My head filled with question marks.
Who'd believe this body was a guy?
"Ah, ID."
I fumbled for my wallet in a panic.
At least my ID should prove who I was...
"...Gone."
The name on the ID wasn't Choi Min-hoo anymore.
It was Choi Yeon-bi.
"..."
Checked my driver's license too, just in case. Same deal: Choi Yeon-bi in bold letters.
"Who the hell is Yeon-bi..."
What happened in one night?
I racked my brain to figure it out.
Grabbed dinner at the convenience store, subway home, stripped, crashed.
That was it. Nothing out of the ordinary.
Phone checked before bed, same as always.
Then it hit me.
"No way..."
Remembered hammering that red button on the community post last night.
Heart pounding, I checked my bank account on my phone.
Quick auth code, then...
"One, ten, hundred... ten billion, hundred billion..."
And then.
"Five hundred billion..."
An amount I'd never seen, never imagined, sat there in my account.
Shaking hands barely steady, I set the phone down.
The red button.
It was real.
Deep breath in, out.
In, out, repeating for a while.
Once my chest settled, I grabbed the phone again.
Is this real?
It is.
Mirror shows a woman.
No sign of Choi Min-hoo anywhere.
Memories intact, clothes from yesterday too, but I wasn't me.
Messenger app confirmed it.
Texts with coworkers, friends—all there.
"So... just the person changed for real..."
No idea how.
But traces of Choi Min-hoo in this world? That's all there was.
Scream it outside? I'd still be Choi Yeon-bi.
So.
"...Completely gone."
Choi Min-hoo no longer existed.
My entire life—erased.
"..."
A bit bitter.
All those years grinding to survive—meaningless now?
Thinking that, I tapped the bank app again.
The amount made my heart race anew.
Money was still there.
Five hundred billion.
Checked the account holder: Choi Yeon-bi.
Not some deposit—legit money, taxes paid.
Really usable? Doubting, I added that monitor I'd always wanted from an online shop and bought it.
Auth steps done.
Account transfer went through.
"...It actually went."
Of course it did—it's money.
I muttered, staring blankly at the 200,000 won deduction.
"Five hundred billion..."
Staring for a while, an annoying name popped up on screen.
'Team Leader Bastard'
"...Screw it, I'm out."
No reason to go to that job anymore.
Hung up immediately. A text came from him.
[?]
Just a question mark.
Time check: I should've been at the office by now.
Though the contract said something else entirely, so technically, I wasn't late.
That mark pissed me off.
And now I could vent freely.
[Team Leader, the company's such trash I can't do it anymore. Have fun there forever.]
Read receipt popped up instantly.
[Choi Min-hoo. You nuts? Don't seem drunk, so what, pissed from yesterday's chewing out?]
Panicked reply came right away.
He still thought I was Choi Min-hoo. Guess the guy's traces lingered in memories.
"Good."
Relieved he hadn't forgotten me.
[Nah, wasn't drunk. Oh, but Team Leader, stop wearing those clothes. You look like such a dad. Bet you're heading in wearing that today too, huh?]
[Hey, you little shit? Took in a dropout like you and this is how you act?]
[You went to some pay-for-degree college too lol. And you act dumber than any grad—think you're in a position to judge education?]
Not stopping, I fired off more before he could reply, youth my weapon.
[All family members, huh? Huddling together running that shitty little operation—impressive credentials holding it together~]
[You fucking brat piㅅece of shㅣt]
Pissed bad—typos everywhere.
[Oh, and that task you dumped on me saying do it by today? I have it. Tossing the USB, so redo it yourself ^^]
Phone rang again.
Like I'd pick up?
Voice wasn't mine anyway.
"Blocked~"
Blocked clean, stood up refreshed.
Glanced at threats of lawsuits before blocking—zero fear.
Choi Min-hoo didn't exist anymore.
Or rather, the one he remembered didn't.
"...Sue all you want."
Felt amazing.
Years of grudges vanished in one go.
Dead tired earlier, craving three more minutes of sleep—now wide awake.
"Time to think about what's next."
Clear-headed, poured coffee from home, set it on the desk.
An exhilarating morning I'd never known.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"Hmm... this should do."
Chewing on the paper cup, I eyed the monitor.
Excel list of items and rough prices.
"Can't blow it all on stupid shit..."
World's full of idiots who kick away fortune themselves.
I wasn't gonna be one.
So, carefully. Systematically.
"First up, snag a car?"
Decided to splurge big.