6:00 AM at the gym.

This is the time when many office workers visit for their morning workouts before heading to work.

There was a man who had visited the gym for the first time today. His name was Jung Hyun-woo, a 25-year-old rookie actor.

‘Morning workouts are the best, indeed.’

He had only landed a supporting role in a cable drama once, but as a rookie actor, he always lived with the thought that someone might recognize him. That was Jung Hyun-woo.

Building a strong physique was essential for an actor's work. A "muscular body" was now almost a basic requirement for male actors.

“Wow~, the gym equipment is really clean here.”

Even though it was a gym that had been around for a while, it was well maintained. He chose this gym because it was close to his home, and it turned out to be much cleaner and more satisfactory than he expected.

“Hmm?”

While looking around, something caught his eye.

It was a girl with long black hair tied up high. Or should he say young woman?

She looked to be in her late teens.

‘Wow.’

Hyun-woo was astonished by the girl for two reasons. First, her breathtakingly beautiful appearance. Second, the weight of the barbell and plates in front of her.

‘Whoa, what is this?’

With striking eyes and a calm expression, her beautiful face and slender, delicate physique stood out. Hyun-woo was an actor, after all. He had met many beautiful actresses and idols while filming cable dramas. But this girl was exceptionally stunning, overshadowing them all.

That’s why the barbell in front of her stood out even more. It was a weight unimaginable for a girl of her appearance to lift.

‘That’s about 200kg, isn’t it?’

On the internet, people might boast about deadlifting 200kg, but that’s no easy feat. Even those who work out regularly struggle with that weight. Only those who have made exercise a daily habit and enjoy the challenge of increasing their weight can even consider deadlifting 200kg.

‘Surely not.’

Hyun-woo intended to walk past, not believing that the barbell belonged to the girl. However, as the girl placed her hands on the bar, Hyun-woo instinctively moved forward to tell her to stop for safety reasons.

“Is this your first time here?”

But his movement was halted when someone grabbed his shoulder.

“Yes?” “I thought you were going to stop her because you were surprised.”

Initially, Hyun-woo wondered if the person had recognized him. But he was taken aback by the man’s words.

The man was at least 190cm tall and had a muscular build—a natural-born gym rat.

“Oh, um, shouldn’t I stop her?” “Well, normally, yes. That was my initial reaction too.”

The man gestured towards the girl with a nod.

Then, as if on cue, the girl holding the barbell began her deadlift, exhaling slowly.

“......!”

As soon as she exerted a little force, the barbell lifted smoothly.

It settled back down gently.

Normally, one might release it lightly to avoid injury, but the girl carefully lowered it.

“Her strength is unbelievable.”

“……What? How is that possible?”

“I don’t know either. She’s just that kind of girl.”

The man, Bang Yong-sik, had observed Seoyeon since she first came to the gym. He was a trainer there, keeping an eye on Seoyeon’s workouts.

Yong-sik frowned as Hyun-woo continued to watch Seoyeon in silence.

“Isn’t it a bit much to keep staring like that?”

“Oh? Ah, no, no! I didn’t mean anything strange by it.”

Initially, he had been surprised by her deadlift technique. Her beautiful appearance also took him aback. But there was another reason Hyun-woo kept looking at the girl.

“It’s just that she looks familiar, like I’ve seen her somewhere before….”

Hyun-woo muttered, looking at the girl again. Her long black hair and sharp yet enchanting features seemed familiar, though he couldn’t place her. Where had he seen her before?

“Ah, I see. I don’t know much, but I heard she used to do child acting.”

“Child acting?”

Hearing that she was a child actor was thrilling. Although he was a rookie himself, he was an actor, after all.

‘With a face like that, she’s perfect for acting.’

If she pursued acting, helping her out would be a good thing. Having such a junior would make every day delightful.

I should come to the gym daily from now on, Hyun-woo thought to himself, smiling.

“Hoo, hoo.”

Seoyeon runs. The distance from the gym to the high school is a whopping 3 km. It’s quite far without taking the bus, but Seoyeon ran it every day.

After all, she could cover that distance in under 10 minutes.

Ding-ding, ding-ding!

“Welcome.”

Upon entering the convenience store, the bell rang. The clerk stiffened upon seeing the girl who walked in.

‘She’s here!’

The high school student who came by this time every day. Her long black hair and slightly light brown eyes were striking. Initially, he found it difficult to make eye contact with her.

There was a mysterious aura about her.

Someone too beautiful could be overwhelming to look at directly. But seeing her every day, he gradually got used to it.

To some extent.

“That’ll be 3,000 won.”

Two bottles of vitamin drinks. A rather uncharacteristic choice for a high school girl.

As he put them in a bag and handed it over, he felt her gaze on him.

“Is there something wrong?”

Startled, he bit his tongue while answering. The girl, with her usual expressionless face, spoke.

“No, I just think you’ve gotten used to it now.”

“W-What?”

As he questioned her, she smiled.

“~Just kidding.”

She was usually expressionless, so her bright smile caught him off guard. It was a smile that could be described as “blooming like a flower.”

Ding-ding.

The bell rang as she left, and the clerk slid down into the chair behind the counter.

Unintentionally, his legs gave way.

“Wow…. She’s something else….”

It was a day of realizing that a face could indeed be a weapon.

It's a typical trope in gender-bender stories to stop by a convenience store. Though, I’m probably one of the few who stops by every day.

Since the clerk was always on duty at this time, I remembered him well. He was always surprised to see me, so I decided to play a small prank today.

‘He seemed quite uncomfortable….’

Maybe I should avoid that place for a while and go to another convenience store.

Looking back, it was rather embarrassing.

“Joo Seoyeon.”

While thinking this, someone called me near the school gate.

From the same kindergarten.

The same elementary school.

Then the same middle school.

And now, we ended up at the same high school.

It was Lee Ji-yeon, who called me.

She hadn’t changed in over ten years.

“You pulled something weird at the convenience store again, didn’t you?”

“I didn’t.”

“What do you mean? I saw it.”

When did she see that? If she was there, she should’ve said something sooner instead of waiting at the gate.

“You pretend you don’t like the attention, but you do. Don’t you?”

“N-No, I don’t.”

I denied it, avoiding her gaze. Ji-yeon clicked her tongue dismissively.

It was a reaction that reminded me of my mom.

‘Our Seoyeon, do you like being praised by others?’

Mom had said that before. It seemed that these traits didn’t change over time.

It couldn’t be helped.

In my past life, I didn’t understand these “feelings.” I was very vulnerable to emotions like happiness or the thrill of being praised.

Conversely, I was also heavily affected by negative emotions like sadness or despair. But I could withstand them with my resilient spirit.

In other words, I was vulnerable to pleasure but strong against pain.

That was the seventeen-year-old Joo Seoyeon.

“Then you should start acting again. Adolescence is over, after all.”

“I will.”

I said, habitually reaching for my glasses in my bag… but then I put them back. I hadn’t used them much in high school, but habits die hard. The glasses were meant to obscure my appearance.

‘My middle school years were quite eventful….’

From elementary school to the early days of middle school, many people recognized me despite trying to hide that I was the child actor from The Sun Hidden by the Moon.

If I had been an ordinary child, and if Ji-yeon hadn’t been there, my school life would have been quite difficult.

“You don’t wear them anymore, I see.”

“Well, there aren’t many who recognize me.”

Or rather, none at all.

After all, it had been ten years.

My appearance had changed significantly from my childhood.

I had grown prettier, more beautiful.

Entering the school, I felt eyes on me. This wasn’t just because of my appearance.

Having Ji-yeon, who had recently appeared in a drama, had its effects.

Though it was a cable drama, cable dramas had become more daring, and their ratings had risen.

“Hmph.”

Realizing my gaze, Ji-yeon smirked annoyingly, looking smug. Her demeanor didn’t sit well with me, not at all.

‘She’s definitely going to continue acting.’

While that was certainly a good thing, it was also unsettling for me. But there was nothing I could do about it.

A rather complex feeling of mine….

“Joo Seoyeon.”

Seeing how I reacted, Ji-yeon patted my shoulder.

“If you’re envious, start acting again.”

“……I will.”

After entering high school, I thought it was time to resume activities.

Broadcasting stations, OTT platforms, and various internet programs were becoming more popular.

And there were VTubers too.

My determination to become a VTuber hadn’t wavered.

‘However.’

I was still unsure about what to do.

A comeback project.

Numerous ideas flitted through my mind.

“It comes down to two, I guess….”

There weren’t many places where I could get an audition right now.

It was different from when I was a child actor. Now, I had to compete with adult actors. To land a role, I needed the right career background.

As a child actor in The Sun Hidden by the Moon, I had a good career, but the hiatus was too long.

Rather, it was a title I could use after making a comeback.

“Two?”

“Yes, I need to audition first.”

A child actor who took a long hiatus.

There weren’t many auditions for someone like me.

I needed to show something to climb the ladder.

“Just ask the head of the KMB drama department.”

“No, that’s….”

I had no intention of stirring controversy.

Nowadays, even trivial matters could spark controversy. Doing that would only make me unpopular with senior actors.

“Fine.”

Ji-yeon nodded.

“So, what are those two things you mentioned?”

“Oh, that….”

Just as I was about to answer Ji-yeon’s question.

Ring-ring, ring-ring!!

The bell signaled the start of the first period.

Students around us quickened their pace.

“Ah, I’ll tell you after school.”

“What?”

Ji-yeon tried to grab my clothes, but I was faster.

I was already late once before, and I knew I’d get scolded if I was late again.

“Hey, Joo Seoyeon!!!”

Ignoring Ji-yeon’s loud voice, I quickly entered the classroom.

I waved at Ji-yeon through the back door of the classroom.

She shouldn’t have teased me about the convenience store.