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. 🍃

💮🍃

Like every other day, she woke up before dawn.

It was a habit she had never been able to break. No matter how late she slept, her eyes would always open with the first light of morning. Still half-asleep, she slowly opened her eyes.

Something felt... wrong.

The ceiling above her wasn't familiar. The room wasn't familiar. Yoon Seo-ah sat up abruptly.

Her heart began to race.

Her small, cozy room was gone. Instead, she found herself in a luxurious bedroom that looked like something out of a magazine. The enormous bed. The expensive furniture. The elegant decorations. None of it belonged to her.

Confused and uneasy, she threw off the blanket and hurried toward the bathroom. But before she could enter, something caught her eye. The mirror.

Seo-ah froze.

Her entire body went still. The woman staring back at her wasn't her. She slowly stepped closer. The reflection copied every movement. But the face... It wasn't Yoon Seo-ah's face.

Her breathing became uneven. She touched her cheek. The woman in the mirror did the same. Long hair, Sharp features, Perfect skin. A face she had never seen before.

Her hands began to tremble.

Unable to think clearly, Seo-ah pushed open the bathroom door and rushed inside, desperately trying to calm herself. But no matter how many times she looked at her reflection... The stranger in the mirror remained the same.

🛁🚿

Seo-ah stayed in the bathroom for a long time. She splashed cold water on her face again and again, hoping she would wake up from this nightmare. But nothing changed. The reflection in the mirror was still a stranger. Her hands trembled as countless thoughts raced through her mind.

Suddenly—

Knock. Knock.

Someone knocked on the bathroom door. Seo-ah jumped in surprise. Her heart nearly stopped.

??? "..."

There was no voice from the other side.

Only silence.

Swallowing nervously, she slowly reached for the doorknob and opened the door. The moment the door opened, she froze. A man stood there. Tall, Broad shoulders, dark hair slightly messy from sleep.

Even without saying a word, his presence filled the hallway. This was Kang Ji-hoon. The husband of the woman whose body she was now wearing. For a brief moment, their eyes met. Seo-ah instinctively lowered her gaze. There was something in his eyes.

Just exhaustion and anger. A quiet, restrained anger. He looked at her for only a second before stepping aside. Not a single word left his mouth.

The atmosphere between them felt unbearably heavy. As if something terrible had happened before she woke up. Seo-ah didn't know what to say. She wasn't even supposed to be here. So she simply walked past him. Ji-hoon entered the bathroom without looking back.

The door closed behind him.

Click.

The sound echoed strangely in the silent house.

Seo-ah slowly made her way downstairs. The house was enormous. Far bigger than anything she had ever lived in. Every corner looked expensive. Every piece of furniture seemed carefully chosen. Yet despite its beauty, the house felt cold and Lonely. She eventually reached the living room.

A large sofa stood near the windows. Seo-ah sat down heavily. Her mind was a mess. She clasped her trembling hands together.

The questions wouldn't stop. The more she thought about it, the more anxious she became. Her chest felt tight. She wanted answers. She wanted to go home.

Most of all—

She wanted to know what had happened to her own body. Seo-ah lowered her head and stared at the floor.

🪻🏺

The living room was silent.

Seo-ah sat motionless on the sofa, her hands tightly clasped together. The luxurious house around her felt unfamiliar. And that thought made her heart ache. Slowly, her thoughts drifted back to her old life. Her real life.

The small apartment. The kitchen where she spent hours cooking. Things that had once seemed ordinary suddenly felt precious. Then her thoughts stopped on one person.

Her son.

A lump formed in her throat.

The image of his smiling face appeared in her mind. The way he would run toward her. The way he would cling to her after waking up. The way he called her "Mom." Her chest tightened painfully.

Countless worries flooded her mind.

The thought was unbearable. Seo-ah covered her mouth as tears gathered in her eyes. She tried to stop them. But she couldn't. A single tear slipped down her cheek. Then another. Soon, tears were quietly falling one after another.

At that moment, she only wanted one thing. To go home, To her child.

And as the morning sunlight filled the room, Seo-ah sat alone on the sofa, silently crying for the little boy who had no idea where his mother had gone.

. 🍃

After getting ready, Kang Ji-hoon came downstairs. As usual, he was dressed neatly for work. His chef's uniform was spotless, and his expression was calm. At least on the surface. The argument from the previous night was still fresh in his mind. As he walked into the living room, his steps slowed. Han Soo-jin was sitting on the sofa. Her head was lowered. Her shoulders were trembling slightly. And... She was crying.

Ji-hoon frowned. For a moment, he thought he was imagining things.

He stood there silently. Watching. The woman he knew would never cry over him. Never cry over their marriage. If anything, she should have been relieved. That was what he had expected. Yet there she was, quietly wiping away tears.

But Ji-hoon quickly pushed the thought away.

His heart had already been hurt enough. Without saying a word, he picked up his car keys. Seo-ah didn't even notice him. She was too lost in thoughts of her son. Too lost in her own grief. Ji-hoon looked at her one last time. A brief glance. Then he turned away.

The thought crossed his mind before he could stop it. And for some reason, it left a bitter feeling in his chest. He opened the front door.

Click.

A moment later, the door closed behind him. And he left for work. Leaving Seo-ah alone in the silent house. Neither of them knew it yet. But the woman crying on that sofa... Was not your wife and not Han Soo-jin.

...

...

🚗🍃

As Kang Ji-hoon drove through the city streets, his phone suddenly rang through the car's speakers. The caller ID made him sigh. It was one of his old friends. Ji-hoon answered the call.

The call ended shortly afterward. The inside of the car became quiet again. But Ji-hoon's thoughts weren't. His mind immediately drifted back to the previous night.

. 🍃

Flashback 🥀

Han Soo-jin's phone had been lying on the table. A call suddenly appeared on the screen.

💞 Baby Calling...📱

Ji-hoon's eyes froze on the display. For a moment, he thought he was mistaken. Then the call came again. There was no denying it. The atmosphere in the room had instantly turned cold.

Soo-jin's expression changed. The argument started there. And quickly spiraled out of control.

The dining room became a battlefield. Plates crashed onto the floor. Flower vases shattered. Accusations flew back and forth. Months of frustration finally exploded. Then came the final blow.

The room fell silent. For a brief moment, even Soo-jin looked surprised. Then her expression hardened.

Without another word, she stormed upstairs and slammed the bedroom door shut. That was the last conversation they had.

. 🍃

Present 🚗🍃

Ji-hoon tightened his grip on the steering wheel.

Something about this morning felt strange. The image of Soo-jin sitting on the sofa replayed in his mind. Her trembling shoulders. Her tears and the sadness in her eyes.

He couldn't understand it. Han Soo-jin was many things. But she wasn't someone who cried over him. Or over their marriage. The thought lingered in his mind as he drove.

✨💎

A short while later, Ji-hoon's car entered the parking lot of the city's most prestigious luxury restaurant. The place was famous throughout the country. And at its heart stood one of its greatest assets— Senior Chef Kang Ji-hoon.

The moment he entered the building, the staff greeted him respectfully. #1 Staff: "Good morning, Chef Kang." #2 Staff: "Good morning, Chef." Ji-hoon greeted them back with a polite nod.

Despite his reputation, he never treated his coworkers poorly. The younger chefs respected him. The older chefs trusted him. And the restaurant's customers adored him. Every dish he created carried warmth. Many customers claimed that eating his food felt comforting. Like being welcomed home. It wasn't unusual for VIP guests to wait weeks just to taste one of his signature dishes. Other luxury restaurants constantly tried to recruit him. The offers grew larger every year. Higher salaries, better positions and more fame. But Ji-hoon always refused. This restaurant was where everything began. His first job and his first opportunity. The place where he built his career from nothing. Leaving it had never crossed his mind.

Professionally...

His life was a success. People admired him, respected him. Envied him.

Yet none of that brought him peace. Because the one area of his life that truly mattered... Was falling apart.

His marriage.

As Ji-hoon tied his apron and stepped into the kitchen, the familiar sounds of cooking filled the air around him. Usually, it was enough to clear his mind.

Today, it wasn't.

Because no matter how hard he tried... He couldn't stop thinking about the woman who had cried on his sofa that morning.

. 🍃

Meanwhile, at home 🏠

After sitting alone for a while, Seo-ah finally stood up. She couldn't just stay on the sofa all day. Taking a deep breath, she began walking around the house. The mansion was enormous. Every room looked elegant and expensive. Yet the more she looked around, the more uncomfortable she felt. Nothing here belonged to her. Nothing here felt like home.

As she wandered through the hallways, she eventually reached the dining area. The moment she stepped inside, she stopped. Broken plates were scattered across the floor. Pieces of a flower vase lay shattered near the table. Some decorations had been knocked over as well. Seo-ah looked around silently.

The scene made it obvious. Something serious had happened here. Most likely between Soo-jin and her husband. Remembering the cold look in Ji-hoon's eyes that morning, Seo-ah felt a heaviness settle in her chest. Without thinking much about it, she bent down and started gathering the broken pieces.

Just then—

Seo-ah looked up.

One of the house servants hurried over, clearly shocked.

Seo-ah blinked.

Seo-ah smiled gently. The kind that instantly put people at ease.

She carefully picked up another broken piece.

The servant froze.

For a moment, she wondered if she had heard wrong.

The memory of a recent incident flashed through her mind.

Just a few days ago 🍃

Soo-jin had accidentally dropped her foundation box. It hadn't been the servant's fault at all. Yet Soo-jin had blamed her and punished her anyway. The servant still remembered how unfair it had felt.

And now...

That same woman was cleaning broken dishes herself. The servant stood there speechless. Meanwhile, Seo-ah looked around.

The servant immediately snapped back to reality.

Just then, two more servants entered the dining room. They stopped in their tracks. Their eyes widened. There stood Han Soo-jin... Holding a dustpan and speaking politely. The sight was so unbelievable that neither of them could say a word. Seo-ah noticed them staring. She tilted her head slightly. Then she gave them a small, friendly smile. A smile that made all three servants freeze.

The three servants exchanged stunned looks.

Completely unaware of their confusion, Seo-ah simply smiled once more and walked away. Leaving three speechless servants behind.

...

...

🪻🍃

The rest of the morning passed in a way that surprised everyone in the house. Instead of spending hours in her room.

When Seo-ah stayed downstairs. She talked with the servants. She helped organize things. She even assisted with small household tasks whenever she could. The staff could hardly believe what they were seeing. Every time they expected Han Soo-jin to complain, she thanked them instead. Every time they expected an order, she offered help. The difference was so shocking that several of them secretly wondered.

But Seo-ah had no idea why they were reacting that way. She didn't know that the real Han Soo-jin had never treated the staff kindly.

As noon approached, Seo-ah found herself standing in the kitchen. The house kitchen was almost as large as a restaurant kitchen. For a moment, she simply stared at it. Then a small smile appeared on her face. Cooking had always calmed her. Even on difficult days. And right now, she needed something to distract her from the endless worries in her mind. So she began preparing food.

The servants watched nervously from the doorway. None of them had ever seen Han Soo-jin cook before. In fact, they weren't entirely convinced she even knew how. Yet there she was. Moving naturally around the kitchen. Chopping vegetables, Preparing ingredients, Cooking with practiced hands. It looked like someone who genuinely loved cooking.

While stirring the soup, Seo-ah's thoughts drifted elsewhere. Back to the same place they always returned. Her son.

A painful ache spread through her chest.

She couldn't imagine staying in this body forever. She couldn't imagine a life away from her child. There had to be a way. Then another thought crossed her mind. The husband.

Kang Ji-hoon.

He was the closest person to Han Soo-jin. If anyone could help her understand what was happening, it might be him.

Or perhaps...

Perhaps she needed to tell him the truth. The thought frightened her.

The spoon in her hand slowed. Her eyes lowered.

The food was nearly finished. A delicious aroma filled the kitchen. The servants exchanged surprised looks. It smelled wonderful. One of them cautiously tasted a small spoonful. Her eyes widened immediately.

Another servant tasted it. Then another. The result was the same. Shock. Because for the first time in years, the kitchen felt warm. It because of the woman standing in it. The woman they knew as Han Soo-jin.

Yet somehow...

Wasn't acting like Han Soo-jin at all. And completely unaware of their confusion, Seo-ah continued cooking. Thinking only of two things.

Finding her son.

. 🍃

At evening 🌆✨

That evening, Seo-ah couldn't sit still. She kept glancing at the clock again and again. The food she had prepared was already cold. The servants had finished their work and gone to rest. Yet Kang Ji-hoon still hadn't returned home. Seo-ah sat alone in the living room, nervously rehearsing what she wanted to say.

She buried her face in her hands.

Just then—

Click.

The front door opened. Seo-ah immediately stood up. A moment later, Ji-hoon stepped inside. His tie was loose. His hair was slightly messy. And the moment he walked forward, Seo-ah noticed it. He was drunk. Not completely out of control. But he had definitely been drinking. Quite a lot.

He shut the door and slowly removed his jacket. Seo-ah hesitated before approaching him.

Before she could finish— Ji-hoon laughed bitterly.

Seo-ah froze.

The hostility in his voice caught her off guard.

He looked at her. His eyes were filled with exhaustion.

Seo-ah didn't know how to respond. Because he wasn't talking to her. He was talking to Han Soo-jin. The woman he believed she was. Ji-hoon loosened his collar.

Seo-ah's eyes widened.

His voice remained calm. That somehow made it hurt more. There was no anger left in him. Only disappointment.

Seo-ah lowered her gaze. Her chest tightened. Not because of what he was saying. But because she could hear how deeply he had been hurt.

He let out another bitter laugh.

The living room fell silent. Seo-ah clenched her hands. She wanted to tell him the truth.

No matter how many times she rehearsed it in her mind, it sounded impossible. Ji-hoon rubbed his forehead. The alcohol was making his emotions harder to control. For a moment, he looked at her. Then his expression changed slightly. Confusion flickered across his face. Because instead of anger... The woman standing before him looked sad, genuinely sad.

Almost like she was carrying a burden much heavier than their divorce. The thought vanished as quickly as it came. Ji-hoon looked away.

His voice was quieter now.

With that, he started walking toward the stairs. Seo-ah watched him go. Her heart pounded. If she let him leave now, she might lose her chance.

His footsteps stopped. For some reason, it sounded different. Ji-hoon slowly turned around. And for a brief moment, neither of them spoke. One was desperately searching for a way home. The other was standing in the ruins of a marriage he thought was already over.

...

...