Bright sunlight.Mild wind brushes through my hair.
A sleek black suit.
Me stepping out of a car like some main character in a glossy movie opening.Hair perfect. Life perfect. Confidence was leaking out of me like I actually owned it.
Everyone's looking at me with admiration, like I'm some beloved celebrity.Like it's truly a new day… a new life… a new me.
Then
Beep. Beep. Beep.
Dream again.
Reality snapped back in, dull and grey at the edges, like someone had taken the saturation slider and dragged it straight to zero.
"A new day. A new me."
Yeah. Bullshit.
Nothing about my life was new.Just the same old Jiwoo, who was underpaid and over-stressed
I groaned, rubbing my face while still glued to the bed like an overcooked pancake.
Wait… new day… dream…?
My brain went from blank to screaming in one second.
Holy. Moly.
I shot up so fast I almost left my soul behind.
THE DREAM.KANG MINJAE.PROMOTION.
For a moment, I had actually forgotten all of it.Me! Forgetting the identity crisis of a lifetime!I whispered, "Yeah… it is a new life. With a surprise package, apparently."
Then I saw the time.
8:30.
"…Oh crap."
FIRST. DAY.
If Mr. Kim found out I was late on my first day at the new office, after getting promoted, he would bury me alive and then politely send my ghost a termination letter.
I launched myself out of bed like someone had pressed my emergency alarm.
I was running from the Bathroom to the Kitchen.Toothbrush in mouth.Bread between teeth.Water splashing everywhere.Half-suit, half-pajamas.Me screaming internally like a boiling kettle.
The daily opera of a "young man living alone."
Ten minutes later, I was fully dressed.And my room looked like a tornado had walked in, slapped everything around, and then signed a lease to stay long-term.
I glanced at the mess, shrugged, and whispered with a smirk,"Baby, I'll clean you when I get back."
My room, offended, said nothing.
At the door, tying my shoes, a weird feeling hit me.
Why do I feel like I'm forgetting something?
I spun around the apartment dramatically, like a detective scanning a crime scene.
Wallet? Check.Phone? Check.Bag? Check.Tie, ID card, files, clothes that don't look like they came from a clearance bin? All check.
So what's missing…?
Nothing answered. Not the fridge, not the shoes, not even my houseplant — who, frankly, has the personality of a potato.
I shrugged."If it was important, I'd remember."
I locked the door and rushed out.
"Dear God, please bless my day," I muttered, speed-walking toward the bus stop, still chewing the last piece of bread stuck in my molar.
The walk to the bus stop was calm, the weather nice enough to make me hope the day would go smoothly. When the bus arrived, I got on without rushing and even found an empty seat by the window. I let out a small sigh of relief, thinking, Maybe today won't be so bad after all.
"Thank God I arrived on time," I whispered.Honestly, the only reason I survived was because the new office was just twenty minutes away.
The building came into view, and I slowed to a stop.
It looked more like a fancy villa than an office building.The words "Nova Muse Entertainment" shone on the entrance in bright metal letters, like they wanted everyone to notice them.
"Okay, God," I whispered, clutching my bag like a nerdy puppy."Please let me work here for a LONG time."
I straightened my clothes, practiced my shy-nerdy face in the glass door reflection, and walked inside like an innocent, hardworking employee.
Which lasted exactly three seconds because.
The lobby looked insane.
My jaw dropped.
"Is this really an entertainment company…?" I whispered."It looks like a seven-star hotel."
Marble floors so clean I could probably eat off them.Elegant staff in sharp uniforms.Models wearing outfits that cost more than my rent for the next three years.Idols, stylists, photographers.Fans in a neat queue clutching gift bags decorated with cartoon versions of their favorite celebrities.
I stared for ten whole minutes before I remembered I had a job.
I ran to the elevator just as the doors were closing.
"NO, WAIT!"
I dove forward like a budget action hero, slapped a hand between the doors, and tumbled inside like a falling cardboard box.
"Hah… got it," I panted."Nice, Jiwoo. Good stamina. Very athlete. Olympics soon."
And then…
"Good morning, Mr. Han."
That voice.
That low but familiar voice.
I looked up.
Kang Minjae.
In the same elevator.Just the two of us.
The moment I processed that it was him standing right there, I jerked back so hard I stumbled like a malfunctioning robot, nearly smashing my head on the elevator door.
And suddenly.
A warm hand wrapped around my wrist and pulled me forward.
Too close.Way too close.
Close enough to smell his cologne a mix of cedar, something faintly sweet, something expensive, something dangerous to my heart and possibly to public safety.
"Oh?" Minjae murmured, lips curling slightly."Mr. Han… why are you so clumsy this early?"
He leaned in just a little.
"Did I scare you?"
His hand was still on my wrist.His thumb brushed lightly over my skin unintentionally, casually, but it was enough to break me into twelve emotional pieces.
My mouth opened.
Nothing came out.
"...ugh-ugh-"
He blinked."What was that? I can't hear you."
"I-I'm sorry!" I squeaked, practically jumping away."Thank you for saving my-my head! From the door!"
Minjae stared at me for a moment…Then he laughed.
I froze.
In my dreams, Minjae never smiled.His face was always serious, almost heavy.He looked lonely, like someone carrying a weight no one else could see.
But here, he was smiling.
And he looked…Really good.Warm.Real.
Like the one I'd been dreaming of for years was finally right in front of me.
My chest tightened softly, uncomfortably, beautifully.
"Mr. Han?"
His voice snapped me out of it.
"Which floor?"
Oh God. I had zoned out again.
"Y-Yes! Sorry! Fourth floor!"
He pressed the button with a calm, effortless grace that made me want to evaporate.
"There you go."
"T-Thank you," I whispered.
The doors opened, and I hurried out as fast as I could.
For a second, I felt like I might trip, but I managed to stay upright.
I quickly turned around and gave a small, awkward bow before the doors closed.
When he disappeared, I let out the longest, most miserable sigh of my life.
"Why is my chest like this…? Stop. Stop it."
I patted my cheeks repeatedly.
"Okay, Jiwoo. Focus. You're here to work. Not to malfunction because your dream man is suddenly real."
I took a deep breath and walked toward my new office.
New day.
New life.
Same me…
Praying I don't embarrass myself again by lunch.
And hoping that the universe doesn't give me more surprises.
— To be continued