The city lights blurred behind the cracked bus window as Yuri Kang rested her head against it, her breath fogging the cold glass. Her worn-out coat couldn’t keep out the bite of the night air, nor could it muffle the exhaustion screaming from her aching bones. The bus rattled, echoing her heartbeat—a steady thump of fatigue, fear, and fragile hope.

Another day of enduring humiliation. Another shift that melted into the next.

But still… another chance.

At 23, Yuri had finally landed her dream: an internship at H&E Corporation, a company she’d admired from the cracked screen of her secondhand phone during long nights of dreaming. She was a topper at university, known for her sharp mind and unbreakable discipline. But no textbook had ever prepared her for this kind of life.

Not for the boss who barked commands like bullets.

Not for the colleagues who laughed behind her back.

Not for the silence she swallowed with every unjust word.

She clutched her bag tighter. Inside it, her mother’s medicine receipts, her younger brother’s half-paid tuition slip, and her resume—creased and reprinted too many times.

“This is your stop,” the driver called.

She got off, bowed politely, and whispered, “Thank you.”

Even if the world was cruel, she wouldn’t be.

---

The H&E lobby was bathed in cold white light and lined with marble floors that clicked beneath her worn shoes. Her badge dangled around her neck: Rookie Intern, Yuri Kang. It should’ve made her proud. Instead, it felt like a chain.

Her manager, Mr. Oh, was already waiting by the elevators with a sneer.

"Late again, Ms. Kang? Or did you spend all night watching dramas and drinking soju with your little friends?" he spat.

She bowed deeply. "I’m sorry, sir. It won’t happen again."

He rolled his eyes. "It better not. Or your sorry little internship ends here."

She didn’t reply. Her fingers curled into her sleeves.

The rest of the day blurred into cruel words, endless copy tasks, and delivering coffee to the very woman who wore her project like a trophy—the manager’s mistress, Miyeon.

It had been Yuri’s presentation. Her research. Her idea.

She had spent sleepless nights perfecting the charts, formatting the reports, aligning everything just right. But Miyeon had walked in, tossed a smile, and presented it as hers. And Mr. Oh? He clapped.

“Brilliant work, Miyeon! This is exactly what we needed.”

Yuri had stood frozen, her mouth open, her eyes burning.

But she said nothing.

---

Until that Friday.

When the company praised Miyeon’s proposal—her proposal—publicly, Yuri finally gathered her courage.

"Mr. Oh," she said quietly. "That project... I worked on it. I think there's a mistake."

His expression changed in a blink. "A mistake? Are you accusing Miyeon of stealing your work?"

Yuri hesitated. "I'm only saying—"

He slammed the report onto the desk. "You're done here. Clean your desk."

Her breath caught. "What? Sir, please—"

"Unless..." he leaned in, eyes narrowing. "You can make me happy enough to forget this."

The implication was poison. Her hands shook. For a moment, the world tilted.

Then—slap.

A gasp echoed through the room. Then another slap. Harder.

Silence.

Mr. Oh held his cheek, stunned. His glasses askew.

Yuri's voice cracked. "I'm not trash. I'm not yours to humiliate."

She stormed out.

People stared.

Some whispered, “Finally.” Others chuckled in awe. One intern clapped discreetly.

But Yuri?

She walked down the stairs in a daze, muttering, "Oh Yuri, why did you do that? What will you do for rent now? How will you pay for Appa’s medicine? And the tuition fees…?"

---

That night, Yuri sat on the floor of her tiny rooftop apartment, a bottle of soju beside her, her laptop open to her favorite drama: Night Sky Blooming Moon.

In the episode, Soojin, a brave police officer, held Soo-Young, the cold-hearted CEO of a fashion empire, in his arms. With his other hand, he aimed a pistol.

Bang!

Hyun Woo, the villain—a legal attorney of a powerful law firm and secret underworld boss—fell. Bleeding.

Yuri’s brows furrowed. She pointed at the screen. “No! Why would you shoot him? Soo-Young, you snake! Hyun Woo was the only one who truly cared! You just... ugh!!”

She screamed into her pillow.

“I hate the heroine! Why does everyone believe what they see? Sometimes people lie! Fabricate! Twisted truths!!”

Frustrated, she turned off the screen, rolled onto the floor, and passed out murmuring,

“Why does the world always side with power? Why can’t anyone see the truth?”

---

When she opened her eyes, something was wrong.

Her ceiling was wooden. The air smelled of perfume and lemon cleaner.

She sat up slowly. The bed was soft—too soft. The sheets, unfamiliar. She rubbed her eyes.

Then, a voice echoed from outside the room.

“Min Ji! Get up already!”

She blinked. "Min… Ji?" she whispered.

Before she could gather her thoughts, the door burst open and a woman in her mid-40s stormed in, hair tied in a tight bun, eyes sharp as razors.

"Still lying in bed? Do you want to get fired again?!" the woman shouted.

Yuri scrambled up. "Aunty—wait—who are you?! Why am I here? Did you… did you kidnap me?!"

The woman stared at her, stunned. "What nonsense are you spewing now? Are you drunk again? I'm your mother, you silly girl. Honestly, how much soju did you drink last night?"

Yuri stood frozen.

Mother?

She turned her head toward the tall mirror standing near the window.

Her blood turned cold.

The girl in the mirror… wasn’t her.

The reflection showed a beautiful woman with flawless skin, long lashes, and perfectly curled brown hair. Her eyes were sharper, her figure leaner, and her nightdress laced and expensive. Her face screamed elegance.

But it wasn’t Yuri.

And yet… she moved when Yuri did.

“Wh-what the…” she whispered. "This isn't real."

Her legs gave out and she collapsed onto the bed.

The older woman sighed. “You even forget your own name now? For heaven’s sake, Min Ji, pull yourself together. You’re the youngest creative director at K.A. Cosmetics. If you lose this job too, I’m not bailing you out again.”

K.A. Cosmetics? Creative director?!

Was this some elaborate dream?

Yuri shook her head. “This can’t be happening. I’m… Yuri. Kang Yuri. I live in a rooftop room in Mangwon-dong. I just slapped my boss and got fired yesterday!”

“You must’ve hit your head,” the woman muttered, throwing a designer jacket at her. “Hurry up and get ready. Your driver is waiting.”

Driver?

Yuri stumbled to the closet. Rows of high heels, handbags, and expensive perfumes lined the space like a fashion museum.

This had to be a drama. A simulation. A prank. Something.

But when she looked down at her hands, she saw long, painted nails.

Not hers.

“Min Ji…” she whispered, testing the name on her lips.

Something deep inside her shifted.

Who was Min Ji? Why was she here? And… could she go back?

Or worse… did she even want to?

Yuri stood before the mirror, her breath uneven.

She reached for the phone on the nightstand, sleek and shining like it had never known a cracked screen. As soon as she picked it up, the device lit up with a soft chime and unlocked automatically.

Face ID matched.

Her own heart skipped a beat.

This really isn’t a dream...

She looked at the screen.

The date read: March 15, 2023.

Her mouth dropped open.

2023?!

Her knees weakened as she sat back down. “I was in 2025… Two years. I’ve gone two years back?!”

Hands trembling, she tapped open the browser. Her fingers moved automatically as she searched for H&E Corporation—the company that had made her life miserable.

No results found.

“What?” she whispered. “How’s that possible?”

She tried again. H&E Company Seoul. H&E Intern Program. Nothing.

It was as if the company didn’t exist.

Heart racing, she typed in: K.A. Cosmetics.

In seconds, search results flooded the screen.

> K.A. Cosmetics: South Korea’s Leading Beauty Empire.

Known for its revolutionary skincare, luxury branding, and visionary leadership under CEO Soo Young, K.A. Cosmetics leads the global beauty market with over 270 stores and 5 international branches...

Yuri blinked.

Soo Young? That name…

It hit her like a thunderclap.

“Soo Young… The heroine from Night Sky Blooming Moon

“What is happening…” Yuri whispered.

She felt dizzy. Everything around her blurred for a moment.

“I’m in… that world? In that drama?”

A sudden thrill coursed through her.

Her lips trembled—half in panic, half in awe. “I’m going to meet them… My favorite characters—Soojin… even Hyun Woo!”

Despite the overwhelming confusion, a small smile curled at the corners of her lips.

It was insane. Impossible. Yet here she was, brushing the creases out of an expensive cream blouse that definitely wasn’t hers, pulling on heels she didn’t remember buying, and being chauffeured to a skyscraper that bore the golden name:

K.A. COSMETICS — HEADQUARTERS.

As the car rolled through the city streets, Yuri pressed her forehead to the cool glass.

“Okay,” she muttered to herself. “This is crazy. But… if I’m Min Ji now… who is Min Ji?”

She stared down at her reflection in the tinted window.

Was this a second chance?

Or a trap in disguise?