TDOCD Chapter 1

Chapter 1 - The accident

At the age of 19, I was brimming with confidence.

And why wouldn't I be? I had never failed in whatever I set my mind to.

Nineteen..

That's when I became an idol, in a time when everything I did was met with praise -

"You're so pretty," "You're so talented."

'I shouldn't have done that.'

I’ve been in the industry for seven years.

I had an intense passion for dance, singing, and performing, and people said I had real talent.

But in this cutthroat world, potential isn't enough.

Though we jokingly called ourselves "The Bean Sprout Squad," we still had our own fanbase,

So I endured and persevered., thinking that if I would exert more effort, it would eventually pay off.

But it never did.

If I had known my life would be thrown onto the streets with a sudden disbandment notice...

My vision turned red. This wasn't a metaphor - everything around me really was red.

“Ugh…Ugh….”

The pain grew deeper until finally, I couldn't feel anything at all.

That's when I truly realized I was dying.

'How come...'

Just moments ago, I felt miserable enough to want to die, but I didn't actually want to die.

I want to live.

I could see my blood slowly staining the asphalt.

I really did my best. So how come, how come I was dying like this?

"Oh miss. Please open your eyes. I've just called an ambulance. Please wake up! Don't die. I'll be a -"

"- murderer if you die!"

The man whispered those last few words.

He continued screaming and shaking my body.

But I could not feel or hear anything anymore.

In my mind, all the misfortunes I'd experienced flashed by like a film reel

I saw myself as a rookie idol, debuting from a small company without proper costumes.

Back then, I at least received a bit of attention, but was the minor fame really the problem?

"You just need to come and show your face. They are good people. Just say hello and this people will take care of you.”

Refusing the sponsorship offer that came through the company was the beginning of my misfortune.

Our comeback preparations that took two years were suddenly canceled, and all our schedules vanished.

It was useless begging them to give us any schedules, anything at all.

In those days, live broadcasts became my only connection to fans who stayed by my side.

By the fifth year of our debut, we can only perform our self-made songs and choreographies on the streets.

The retaliation for rejecting that sponsorship was severe, but what choice did we have?

We were young, and we had no company to protect us, no power, no popularity, no money.

Today, everything changed.

A sudden disbandment notice shattered my world.

My life's work discarded so easily.

As soon as I heard about the disbandment, I ran out of the company building.

Some of the members who felt trapped in the useless contract were happy, while others, including myself, got angry and stormed out. I ran outside and wandered the streets aimlessly.

That's when I collided head-on with the motorcycle, leading to this situation.

"Ah..."

My unshed tears started to fall.

Now, as my life slips away, I'm overwhelmed by emotions I've long suppressed.

Tears stream down my face, mixing with the blood on the pavement.

I desperately want to live. If I die, my life will be a letdown.

It's funny that even when I'm just a minute away from death, I still think of my dreams.

I've dedicated my entire life in dancing and singing.

It was all I knew, it was all I was.

I endured, believing there was no other options.

But now, facing death, I question everything.

Was there another way? Or am I just making excuses?

Despite it all, a familiar thought surfaces:

"It's okay. Everything's fine, even with the challenges ahead. It's okay."

I realize I still love performing.

I still cling to my dreams.

"I want to have our own concert too..."

"I promised our fans we would make a comeback..."

But these thoughts can't stop my fading consciousness.

As my breath slows, a final, bitter realization hits me:

"Even at this moment, no one recognizes me."

I could feel my tears slowly flowing along my temples.

My breath slowly fading as I close my eyes.

With my last breath, I make a wish.

"In my next life, I hope to be born as a rich and powerful chaebol..."

As darkness envelops, I wonder if, given the chance, will I choose this path again?

The stage lights, the cheers, the music—they were my world.

But was the price too high?

In my final moments, I'm left with only questions and the fading echo of a dream unfulfilled.

---

The strong smell of disinfectant stung my nose.

“….Huh?” I thought, realizing I was still alive.

An excruciating pain throbbed in my head and throughout my body, as if my bones had been crushed.

Yes, I was definitely alive.

A mix of unrecognizable emotions surged within me.

With my eyes closed, I tried to grasp the memories, to remember where I was or what could have happened after the incident.

Just then,

"Ugh... This idiot."

My senses were on full alert upon hearing an unfamiliar man's voice.

Come to think of it, someone had been holding my hand?

'W-who! Who is he?!' I thought, panic rising.

My eyes flew open. I hurriedly turned my head to see the man holding my hand.

...Who is he?

A young man in a suit I'd never seen before was holding my hand, both of his hands grasping mine, his head bowed down as if he was praying.

It was a frightening situation. I wanted to scream and immediately pull my hand away, but my body felt as heavy as a rock—I couldn't move.

With all the strength I could muster, I managed to croak out two words:

"Excuse me..."

What I really wanted to say was,

‘You crazy bastard, get your hands off me,’ but my extremely hoarse voice wouldn't cooperate.

Upon hearing my voice, the man suddenly lifted his head and began examining my face with disbelief.

"Y-you! You're alive...!" he exclaimed relief evident in his voice.

His expression quickly changed, and he frowned deeply.

"Haa... Ryu Ji-ye, you! Hey, you idiot! Please get your act together and live properly! I knew you were crazy, but jeez, really..."

What the hell? Who was he to come into someone else's hospital room and call them crazy?

Wait... was this even a hospital room?

I looked around, suddenly feeling that something was off.

The bandages wrapped around my body, the IV drip, and the smell of disinfectant all pointed to a hospital, but the room was far too large. The interior looked more like a hotel suite than a hospital room.

'Where am I?'

The man's presence drew my attention back as he paced back and forth , muttering to himself alone as if trying to cool down his anger. When his frustration seemed to peak, he sat down in the chair next to the bed and glared at me.

"Ryu Ji-ye, if you're going to cause trouble, at least do it without getting yourself hurt." he said in a low voice.

"...Huh?"

Ryu Ji-ye? Who is that?

My name is Hong Yeoeun, not Ryu Ji-ye.

As I stared at the man with an astonished expression, his frown deepened even further.

"I can help clean up after your mishaps, but oppa can't follow you around taking care of you getting hurt."

Oppa?

At that moment, my gaze unconsciously shifted to the window behind the man's shoulder.

'Huh?'

The reflection in the window was not me.

A young, pretty woman with a chic expression stared back at me.

Unlike my short hair, hers was black, long, and wavy.

She sat exactly in my position. We had the same expression but definitely not the same face.

Who is she?

I got goosebumps all over my body.

I realized late that something was wrong.

The headache that had persisted since I woke up vanished, and new memories began to fill the void. Fragments of information and memories of the person this man had called "Ryu Ji-ye" flooded my mind.

'What is this...'

Ryu Ji-ye, twenty years old. The youngest granddaughter of Hong Jin's Group CEO, one of South Korea's leading conglomerates.

The man in front of me is Ryu Jaegeum, Ryu Ji-ye's older brother. Despite being busy with important duties in Hong Jin's subsidiary, he still acted as Ryu Ji-ye's guardian.

'And I...'

My reflection in the window confirmed it: I had become Ryu Ji-ye, the youngest granddaughter of one of Korea's leading companies.

"Ji-ye? Are you okay? Should I call the doctor?"

As I stared blankly at the window, dumbfounded by the situation, Ryu Jae-geum, who had been lecturing non-stop, paused and worriedly examined my complexion.

I answered with a half-whispered voice.

"No..."

"...Why are you suddenly speaking formally? No, you don't look well. I'm calling the doctor."

"I said no..." I insisted.

When I earnestly shook my head, Ryu Jae-geum, who had been about to press the call button, spoke through gritted teeth.

"They told me to call when you woke up."

His voice somehow seemed to be suppressing anger.

"But let me say what I need to say before calling them. Please stop acting with your emotions. Look at what just happened? Why did you skip school...... no, we'll talk about that when you're better. Keep this up and you'll really get kicked out of the house."

"I..." I began, but he cut me off.

"Grandfather nearly fainted when he heard about you. Anyway, you're in big trouble when you get discharged. If you don't have dreams, at least live normally, please."

My mouth clamped shut. All I could do was listen to his reprimands. It wasn't my fault, but if I had really become Ryu Ji-ye, then it meant I—or rather, she—had done something wrong.

Ryu Ji-ye indeed deserved to be scolded.

In my newly acquired memories, Ryu Ji-ye was a complicated person.

No matter how you looked at it, no one could like her; she'd been raised too indulgently.

Even though she had family who said they would support her in whatever she wanted to do, this spoiled young lady had thrown away all those good opportunities and actively caused trouble.

While there were no illegal or over-the-line incidents, her style was to do things that would get her in trouble in small ways.

Today, too, she had been caught skipping school, got scolded by her mother, rebelled, and ended up falling down the stairs alone, resulting in this sorry state.

'What is this, really...' I thought. Why had I become Ryu Ji-ye?

"Hey, listen. You must really be in a lot of pain, huh? Seeing how you're not saying anything. Haa, fine. What more can I say to someone who's sick."

As I was getting a headache from the confusion, Ryu Jaegeum's phone rang. He let out a deep sigh, pressed the call button, and then left the room to answer the phone.

"What is this..." I muttered, finally alone and trying my best to understand the situation.

Suddenly, something strange appeared before my eyes.

Ding!

· ✦•·····················•✦•·····················•✦·  ​

Have your earnest wishes reached someone?

 You've been selected as a new player due to matching interests with '

 Unfortunate Idol'!

You've been reborn as an absolute heiress, just as you wanted!

Now you have power, money, and experience.

Will your earnest dream come true?

✦✧✦✧

 Your first mission will arrive in 10 minutes. 

· ✦•·····················•✦•·····················•✦·  

​Something strange appeared before my eyes.

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