Chapter 4: Prologue – Park-Min-seo
Park Hyunseo.
29 years old.
Occupation: Lawyer.
For her, life was like riding along pre-laid tracks.
No need to overthink—just follow the path her parents set.
The process wasn’t hard for Hyunseo.
Top of her class.
Student council president.
Admission to a prestigious university.
Top of her department.
Graduated law school and passed the bar exam right away.
After joining a major law firm, she lived buried in work, but Hyunseo found the intensity oddly satisfying.
Whether she was happy or not was secondary; her life was undeniably fulfilling and abundant.
Complaining about it would be immature and ignorant of the ways of the world.
Right.
Unlike her troublesome younger brother, Park Minseo.
‘What does he even want to do?’
Preparing for work a bit later than usual, irritation surged within her.
Hyunseo valued her daily routine and despised when others disrupted it.
That’s why she moved out of her parents’ house as soon as she got a job.
Even her family encroaching on her routine was unwelcome.
Though it was just a leased apartment, this place was her sanctuary.
‘If he weren’t my brother.’
She’d never have let him live in her sanctuary.
At least their schedules were different, which was a small mercy.
Except for weekends, they rarely crossed paths.
His soundproofed room let no noise escape, and Minseo always acted cautiously, mindful of her.
Like a monk living in hushed reverence.
Blood is blood, after all.
Hyunseo planned to let him stay as long as he didn’t get on her nerves.
Yes, as long as he didn’t.
Last night, Minseo knocked on her door, rousing her just as she was falling asleep.
‘Sis— Hey— Can we talk for a sec?’
That alone was infuriating enough, but he was slurring, clearly drunk.
Hyunseo had no intention of wasting her precious time on a drunkard.
Ignoring her staggering brother, she locked the door, put on an eye mask, and stuffed earplugs in.
But the anger simmering in her mind kept her awake for a while.
Her sleep quality suffered as a result.
The morning’s prep feeling heavier than usual was surely because of last night.
‘I need to give him a sharp warning.’
Being family didn’t mean she had to tolerate him.
If this happened one more time, she’d kick Minseo out.
Then, the door creaked open.
Hyunseo turned, ready to snap—only to face an unexpected sight.
A girl, wearing nothing but an oversized T-shirt, stumbled out of Minseo’s room.
Breathing heavily, she glanced around and locked eyes with Hyunseo.
In that moment, Hyunseo knew her brother had blown his last chance to stay.
‘He brought a girl here?’
Living under her roof, and he pulls this?
As her anger hit its peak, Hyunseo’s mind turned ice-cold.
Maybe it was her professional habit.
Being a lawyer meant even emotional appeals had to be constructed rationally.
Park Minseo must’ve gotten lucky and scored.
Drunk out of his mind, he brought her here instead of a motel.
Maybe if she hadn’t shut the door last night, this could’ve been avoided.
No use dwelling on it now.
Regrets could wait.
First, get this girl out.
Then, focus on work.
She’d call Minseo to tell him to move out around lunchtime.
After two breaths, Hyunseo made her decision and spoke slowly.
“Minseo’s girlfriend, I presume?”
As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized they carried unnecessary baggage.
The “I presume” was an unconscious denial.
The girl’s cheeks were flushed.
Her hungover face was pale, making the blush look almost like makeup.
Her short, dark hair was more boyish than feminine, but no one would mistake her gender.
Her petite frame was nearly flat, yet her hips proudly displayed her femininity.
On closer look, she didn’t seem that old.
If she was drinking, she wasn’t a minor—probably just young-looking.
She was beautiful, cute, and somehow lovable.
Hyunseo was quietly shocked at herself for feeling this way.
To think such thoughts about another woman while furious at her brother?
That’s why she said “I presume.”
Her brother, Park Minseo, was just an average Korean guy.
He tried, but even flattery couldn’t call him handsome.
Not because they were family—that was her objective judgment.
There’s no way Minseo could have a girlfriend like her.
It must’ve been a drunken, one-night miracle from some pickup bar.
With that thought, Hyunseo waited for the girl’s response.
She’d surely realize she was intruding and leave quickly after grabbing her things.
Oddly, Hyunseo felt a twinge of regret.
She’d always thought she’d never judge someone by looks, but apparently, she was human after all.
“Uh…?”
The girl’s reaction was off.
Was she still too drunk to grasp the situation?
Her eyes held something close to panic.
‘Wait, could it be—?’
A scene flashed through Hyunseo’s mind.
A noisy club or dimly lit bar.
Minseo and the girl, talking closely.
Minseo’s chatting away, but the girl seems unimpressed.
To break the chilly vibe, he pours her a drink.
But in that glass, there’s a substance that dissolves easily in liquid.
The girl drinks without suspicion, and Minseo flashes a sleazy grin.
Soon, she starts to sway, and he supports her as they leave to catch a taxi.
‘Park Minseo, you crazy b*stard.’
Hyunseo realized her fleeting imagination was a highly plausible theory.
Otherwise, there’s no reason a girl like that would be with her brother.
Her panicked expression must be because her memories were completely wiped.
Of course.
The truth was far beyond her imagination.
*
I expected her to yell, so her words caught me off guard, leaving me stunned.
Girlfriend?
Out of nowhere?
There’s no context for this.
Her formal tone was already weird, but the content made no sense.
There’s clearly a gap in perception between us standing in the early morning living room.
That realization sent a chill down my spine.
But right now, I need to get to the bathroom.
I won’t be able to think straight without splashing cold water on my face.
This doesn’t feel like a normal hangover—the heat in my body is too intense.
The pain starting in my chest has now spread everywhere.
Lowering my head slightly, I avoided her sharp gaze and slipped into the bathroom, shutting the door.
It was like hiding my head in a hole, but I needed to escape somehow—
“Excuse me.”
My sister knocked cautiously.
“It’s okay. I know you’re scared, but please calm down.”
I’m confused.
Specifically, her flustered tone is insanely confusing.
In my mind, my sister was a cold-blooded woman who inherited our father’s iron will—someone who wouldn’t bleed even if you pricked her.
“I’m a practicing lawyer, and I can help you. But it’s best not to open the door. I’ll call the police, so please stay quiet and wait inside until they arrive.”
“What does that—.”
—mean?
I tried to speak, but a chilling sensation stopped me.
My voice.
Something’s wrong with my voice.
It’s not just morning rasp or a hangover.
That voice.
The voice.
It’s not mine.
Stumbling, I turned my head.
Above the sink, in the mirror, someone’s staring back.
This has to be a dream.
A nightmare.
I want to believe that.
Unfortunately, I can clearly distinguish between dream and reality.
No matter how much I deny it, I’m in “reality” right now.
So, the person in the mirror is definitely me.
But that girl is absolutely not me.
My brain feels like it’s melting into mush.
I can’t breathe in this incomprehensible situation.
The pain stabbing through my body grows worse.
Beyond the banging on the bathroom door, my sister’s voice feels distant.
Pop—
My consciousness cuts out.