Chapter 1: Through the Lens of Fate

There’s a rare condition not many people know about.

Glasses Syndrome.

The odds of developing it are one in a billion. The main symptom? Your appearance changes drastically when you wear glasses.
And by “changes,” I don’t just mean a slight difference—it’s like you become an entirely different person.

Take me, for example.

My silky hair sways gently with every turn of my head.
My skin is so fair it’s almost translucent.
My small face holds perfectly harmonious eyes, nose, and lips.

It’s a bit awkward to say this myself, but without glasses, my looks are practically divine.
No exaggeration—I’m twice as beautiful as the celebrities you see on TV. Probably thanks to the TS buff I got.

But what happens when I put on glasses?

“…Ordinary.”

The goddess from moments ago is gone, replaced by some plain girl standing in front of the mirror.
My stunning features, my well-proportioned figure—all vanish. It’s like my very presence gets absorbed by the glasses.

That’s Glasses Syndrome.
When I wear glasses, I become someone else entirely.
It’s a condition I’ve had ever since I became a girl three years ago.

There’s no cure.
Those with this syndrome have only two options:

Find a way to live without glasses, or just accept reality and move on. I chose the latter.

If I wanted, I could live without glasses, but I don’t bother.
Being too beautiful can be exhausting in its own way.

…Though, to be honest, there’s another reason for it.

“Has it gotten this late already?”

It was time to head out. If I dawdled any longer, I’d be late for school.
I quickly grabbed my uniform, put it on, and left the house. As usual, with my glasses on.

It’s about a 25-minute walk from home to school. A bit far to walk, but I always do it anyway.
The reason’s simple: I enjoy listening to music through my earphones while walking.

“Hmm♪”

I hum along to a tune as I walk.
For the record, I never used to care much for music.
But since the TS, I’ve strangely grown to love it—not just listening, but singing too.

“Hm!”
“Oh…”

I was so caught up in singing that I didn’t notice someone behind me.
Oblivious, I’d been humming to myself the whole time. Ugh, how embarrassing.

Mortified, I quickened my pace.
But then, I bumped shoulders with a guy who came around the corner and fell. My glasses fell to the ground too.

“Ugh, what a way to start the morning. Huh?”
“Sorry about that.”
“Hey, wait a sec…”

I apologized quickly and hurried off.
Drawing attention in situations like this is the last thing I want. Besides, if I got caught up here, I might be late for school.

…One more tardy, and I’ll be stuck cleaning the bathrooms.

I’m currently living my second high school life.
Thanks to the TS, I’ve gone back in time.
This second round of school life is very different from my first.

“Phew.”

Thanks to my rushed steps, I avoided being late.
As I entered the classroom, I saw my classmates gathered in small groups, chatting. I quietly took my seat.

“Let’s see, first period is…”

I was pulling out my textbook when a familiar melody caught my ear from nearby.

~♪

A Star.

A rookie girl group that’s just starting to gain traction.
The song is So What?
Their latest release.

It’s the same song I was listening to earlier.
Its unique girl-crush vibe totally hits my taste.

“Isn’t A Star’s new song just amazing?”
“I’m totally a fan after hearing it.”
“You too? Same!”

The girls at the desks next to me were gathered in a circle, chatting excitedly.
On one of their phones, A Star’s music video was playing.

Are they fans too? I couldn’t help but keep glancing over.
Then, my eyes accidentally met those of the girl at the center of the group. We’re not close, so the moment got awkward fast.

“…Got something to say?”
“No, it’s nothing.”

I quickly looked back at my desk, pretending to be uninterested.
My face flushed slightly. The girls didn’t seem to care and went back to their conversation.

As you can see, my school life is generally very low-key. No particular reason.
I just want to keep things quiet. That’s why I’ve never taken off my glasses at school.

With glasses on, my presence is practically nonexistent.
Unless I make direct eye contact, like just now, most people don’t even notice I’m there.

As a result, I don’t have any friends, let alone anyone who talks to me.
But I’m not lonely or anything. This is exactly what I wanted.

My goal is to graduate high school quietly like this.
So today, like always, I sat silently, like a mouse.

…Or so I thought.

“Kim Siyeon.”

Someone called my name out of the blue.
I turned to see a bold-looking girl standing there.

Was her name Moon Gayoung? She’s the class president of Class 1-7, where I’m enrolled. Smart, friendly, and well-liked by both students and teachers.

And now, she was talking to me.
After school, no less.

I tilted my head and responded.

“What’s up?”
“Don’t you ever check the class group chat?”
“Huh…?”

Wondering what she meant, I quickly opened the class chat.
A pinned message titled “Class Bonding Party” listed a meeting place and time.

“We’re having a party to celebrate the end of midterms. Everyone else is coming. What about you?”

I’m not really into those kinds of events.
Plus, the timing doesn’t work.

“Sorry, I’ve got a part-time job today.”

I politely declined.
Gayoung gave me a frustrated look.

“Again with that excuse? You skipped the last one and the one before that for the same reason.”
“I had work those times too.”
“What kind of job do you even do?”
“Well…”

I hesitated, and Gayoung let out a deep sigh, as if she knew everything.

“You need to work on your social skills. How long are you going to keep to yourself like this?”
“…”
“Fine, if you can’t come, whatever. I’ll make an excuse for you to the others, but you better show up next time.”
“Okay…”

She threw a few blunt words my way before leaving the classroom.
The other students followed her one by one.
Left alone, I puffed out my cheeks.

“It’s not a lie…”

I wasn’t lying about having a job.
It’s just… a bit hard to talk about, so I kept quiet.

I had to head to work now.
As I walked toward the school gate, a black car was waiting for me. I naturally got in.

“Welcome, Siyeon!”

A young woman in the car greeted me warmly.
Her name is Lee Sua, one of my business partners.

“Let’s see your face. Oh, your under-eyes look a bit dark. Didn’t sleep well last night?”
“I’m a little tired.”
“Hmm. Then we’ll go a shade brighter than usual. And we’ll need to pay extra attention to your eye makeup.”

She casually took off my glasses and started applying blush to my cheeks.
I let her work on my face without a word. I’m used to this by now.

After school, I let several people handle me.
Someone adjusts my clothes, someone touches up my makeup, someone else changes my hairstyle every time. That’s how I’m “completed.”

Once I’m all dolled up, I’m whisked away somewhere, like I’m being led to an execution. The location changes daily, but there are always consistent elements.

A vast space too big to take in at a glance, dozens of dazzling lights set up on elaborate structures, seats packed with crowds, and deafening cheers.

It’s a stage.
Every time I step on one, the same thought crosses my mind.

How did it come to this?

It started simply with money.

I was lured by the promise of covering my tuition and living expenses.
It suited me well enough, and I adapted quickly. Before long, I debuted.

That’s right—I’m in a girl group.
A Star.

When I joined, they were an unpopular group, so I didn’t expect much.
Honestly, I planned to make some quick cash and retire. Sorry to my members, but that was the plan.

Then, out of nowhere, the group skyrocketed.
Our new release, So What?, became a hit.
Thanks to that, A Star went from a nobody group to a solid second-tier girl group in no time.

…Second-tier girl group.

What started as a casual gig got way too big. The silver lining? My Glasses Syndrome.
Kim Siyeon, the glasses girl, and Ruti, A Star’s youngest member.
Only a handful of people know they’re the same person. That means my private life is perfectly protected.

A celebrity with a protected private life?
That’s a total jackpot.

For now, I’ll keep performing, but the moment our popularity dips, I’m retiring without hesitation.
Then I’ll “launder” my identity as Kim Siyeon, and everything will be perfect. I’ll have money and privacy.

To make that happen, I need to stay committed to both lives—Kim Siyeon and Ruti.
For now, I’ll focus on the performance ahead.

Let’s get this over with and head home. I’ve got school early tomorrow.