I gazed intently at my reflection in the glass.
White hair, crimson eyes.
Her skin was so remarkably pale and delicate that I found myself stroking her cheek in wonder.
‘Oh, I can feel the soft down.’
While it was certainly astonishing to have become such a beautiful young girl…
Had I ever, in my entire life, wished to be a woman?
Perhaps not, save for the day I enlisted in the military, when the sole thought dominating my mind was how “sweet” (TL Note: A Korean slang term, ‘gaekkureogetda,’ implying something is very easy or a great deal) it would be to avoid service if I were a woman.
Ah.
Just before falling asleep in bed yesterday.
I distinctly recalled pondering Seon-ah’s words about wanting to become a beautiful girl judge.
I had only considered that it wouldn’t be a bad outcome…
So why had it actually happened to me?
Though it was quite sudden and absurd.
Looking at it positively, since I wasn’t a younger version of my male self, there was no chance of having to enlist in the military again, was there?
No, wait… if I truly thought about it, wasn’t this an incredible opportunity?
What if… what if I had traveled back in time?
My body might be someone else’s, but if the current timeline was further in the past than where I used to live—!!
I could finally put into practice all those things I’d brainwashed myself into believing: if I ever went back in time, I absolutely *had* to buy Meatcoin (TL Note: A fictional cryptocurrency), Desla (TL Note: A fictional company, likely inspired by Tesla), and Envidia (TL Note: A fictional company, likely inspired by Nvidia).
I’m set.
Warren Buffett, just you wait (TL Note: A Korean informal expression, ‘ttak dae,’ meaning ‘brace yourself’ or ‘just you wait’).
Alright.
I’ll become Korea’s wealthiest person through crypto and live a life of absolute luxury (TL Note: A Korean idiom, ‘tteongtteonggeorimyeonseo sarabojago,’ meaning to live ostentatiously and flaunt one’s wealth)!
****
I grabbed an older man in a suit who was standing nearby.
“Excuse me, sir, what year is it right now?”
The man chuckled lightly at my question, which was brimming with anticipation, and answered kindly.
“It’s 2025, isn’t it?”
What…?
Ah, so this, too, was nothing more than a fleeting dream.
I had already been mentally deliberating which sports car to buy.
To think I couldn’t fulfill those delightful considerations.
I needed something to soothe my dejected heart.
Right.
Even if I hadn’t traveled back in time.
There were certainly many ways I could utilize this younger body.
Even if my body had become younger, my mind was undoubtedly the same as yesterday’s.
This meant that, at the very least, among children my current age, none possessed more knowledge than me.
‘First, I’ll go to Hankuk University for college…’
What about a career?
With this appearance, couldn’t I become an idol or an actress?
Still, I had no desire to work in the entertainment industry…
Perhaps I should try internet broadcasting.
With these future plans, I regained my vigor.
‘Good.
First, I need to figure out what kind of place this is.’
I walked towards an area with more people.
Setting aside the fact that the world seemed a little bigger due to my height.
I noticed that people’s hair colors were all different shades.
If everyone here had dyed their hair, then before long, only bald people would remain in Korea.
So, it seemed that everyone’s hair color, including mine, was simply natural.
Perhaps this was a parallel world’s Korea.
As I continued to observe the people, I once again saw the strange holographic window that had appeared above the man in sunglasses earlier.
That window wasn’t visible to everyone; it only appeared above a few specific individuals.
The commonality was that under each person’s name, in a section labeled ‘Sins Committed,’ various offenses such as fraud, sexual assault, and drunk driving were listed.
‘Do other people not see this?’
Just to be sure, I casually walked past someone who had the window hovering above them.
I tried to touch the holographic window, but it only seemed visible to my eyes; there was no physical sensation.
Why was I the only one who could see this?
Oh, I don’t care.
I’m going to live an incredibly easy life (TL Note: A Korean slang term, ‘gaekkureunsaeng,’ meaning an easy and comfortable life) with this body anyway.
What did it matter if I saw strange windows?
I couldn’t remember the last time I had freely roamed outside like this, having spent all my time on theses and research.
The refreshing breeze and the pleasant white noise from my surroundings were delightful.
Above all else, I was incredibly pleased that I didn’t have to see the Professor.
Now that I thought about it.
What kind of being was my current body?
I didn’t know its name, nor its age.
No matter how much I searched my pockets, there was no phone, no money.
Did I have parents?
To achieve my plans, I needed a safe period of growth.
For that, I would naturally need normal parents…
Thinking I should at least go to a police station, I stopped a random person nearby.
“Excuse me, ma’am, where’s the nearest police station from here?”
The woman, who was carrying a shopping basket, lowered her gaze and stared at me intently.
“Oh dear, it looks like our pretty little lady has lost her parents.”
“Yes, I think so.”
“Then come with me, I’ll take you to the police station.”
“Thank you, ma’am.”
The woman looked at me with a pleased expression, then began to walk ahead.
In truth, I had just grabbed a random person nearby.
As luck would have it, a holographic window was visible above the woman.
Seizing the opportunity to ask directly, I posed a question to her.
“Ma’am, I have a question, can I ask it?”
“Of course, you can ask anything you like.”
I shifted my gaze to the side of the kind woman who was responding to me.
[Name: Kim In-ja]
Sins Committed: Jeonse Scam (TL Note: A type of rental scam common in Korea where a tenant pays a large lump-sum deposit (jeonse) instead of monthly rent, which is then defrauded by the landlord), Adultery
???: ??
“Ma’am, what is a jeonse scam?”
“Huh?”
Perhaps thinking it was an unexpected question, the woman blinked her eyes widely.
Her reaction confirmed my suspicion.
It seemed that the ‘Sins Committed’ displayed in that window were indeed the actual sins this person had committed.
To think that someone who appeared so kind on the outside could have two such serious sins.
“W-well, you’ll understand when you’re older. Hoho…”
What a terrifying thing to say.
Was she implying that I might fall victim to a jeonse scam later?
I recalled the painful memory of not receiving my jeonse deposit when I first signed a housing contract, only getting it much later.
‘How outrageous.’
I looked around.
There seemed to be quite a few people.
“But why does the ma’am meet other men when she has a husband?”
At my words, the gazes of the surrounding adults all turned towards the woman.
“Oh my, oh my.
What is this child saying?”
The woman, her face bright red, noticed the stares from the people around her and quickly struggled with her shopping basket as she hurried away.
Hmm.
If this holographic window truly was an ability to see people’s sins… there would be many ways to use it.
‘Should I become a police officer when I’m older?’
No.
There was no need to do such difficult work.
Just by threatening to reveal their affairs to their spouses, like I just did, I could probably earn a fortune.
‘That’s a sweet deal (TL Note: A Korean slang term, ‘gaekkul,’ meaning something is very advantageous or easy)!’
I was walking along the sidewalk, deeply contemplating what else I could do.
Suddenly, a black van stopped right in front of me.
-Screech!
‘What is it?’
Until that moment, I hadn’t thought much of it.
But suddenly, people in black suits rushed out of the van and began to approach me.
‘Uh oh?’
When I was little, my grandmother had told me stories.
About adults suddenly getting out of vans and indiscriminately snatching children.
So, she always told me to be careful if I saw a van.
At the time, I hadn’t taken it seriously, thinking that kidnapping was unheard of in an age overflowing with CCTV.
However, now that such a situation was upon me, my legs moved faster than anyone else’s.
“Hey, hey!
Ha-yeon, where are you going?!”
As I scurried away, I heard a familiar voice from behind me, which made me stop in my tracks and turn around in surprise.
“Today’s your first hearing.
What do you mean by just disappearing without a word?”
I looked up at the face of the woman who was speaking to me with a frown, and I was shocked.
“Im… Im Seon-ah…?”
Im Seon-ah, the very person I had been drinking with just yesterday.
She was looking at me with the exact same appearance I knew.
“Ha-yeon… I’m much older than you.
How can you call my name so casually?”
Seon-ah chided me, speaking as if to a young child.
Seeing the face of my friend, whom I was so glad to see, filled me with immense joy.
“Is it really you, Seon-ah?
The Im Seon-ah I know…?”
“Did she eat something wrong?
Usually, you’re the one who always acts so stiff around me, Ha-yeon.”
“No, that’s not it.
I’m Joon-hyeok, Seon-ah.”
At my expectant words, Seon-ah’s expression grew somewhat puzzled.
“Joon-hyeok…? What do you mean?”
“Um? Seo Joon-hyeok.
Your best bu—”
Oh.
Could it be…
“You do know Seo Joon-hyeok, right?”
“I… I don’t really understand what you’re saying.
Who is Joon-hyeok, and when did you learn that ‘best bu’ word?”
‘Who is Joon-hyeok?’ she asked.
Ah… right…
…Perhaps it was only natural.
Since Seo Joon-hyeok was currently in this little girl’s body.
It was only logical that a person named Seo Joon-hyeok didn’t exist here.
Still, somehow…
It pained me a little to see my friend Im Seon-ah, who knew me better than anyone, not remember my original self.
“Are you listening, Ha-yeon?
I asked where you learned that word.”
“I’m not telling you, silly.”
“Oh, really?
Did you really eat something wrong today?
Where’s the usually stiff child gone?”
“I’m right here.
Can’t you see?”
Seon-ah looked down at me with an exasperated gaze.
I felt like I had always been the one looking down, but looking up at the adult Im Seon-ah in this small body didn’t sit well with me.
It felt a little strange.
“Haa… let’s talk later.
For now, we don’t have much time until the trial, so get in the car quickly.”
Trial?
A word that didn’t seem to fit me echoed clearly in my ears.
Trials were for prosecutors like her; what did they have to do with me?
“Why do you need me for a trial?”
I hoped I wasn’t the defendant.
Well, I looked like a juvenile offender (TL Note: A legal category for minors under a certain age in Korea who are not subject to criminal punishment but rather protective measures) anyway, but still, getting a criminal record (TL Note: A Korean idiom, ‘ppalganjul,’ referring to getting a criminal record) wasn’t ideal in life.
“What do you mean?
It’s *your* trial, Ha-yeon.
Why wouldn’t you be needed, Ha-yeon?”
Was I really a criminal?
This was a bit unfair.
It wasn’t a crime I committed, so why should I bear the consequences?
“No, I don’t want to go!
I’m not going!
It’s unfair!”
“You disappeared without a word because you didn’t want to go to trial, didn’t you?”
Given the atmosphere, I gave a small nod.
“Hmm… what should we do?
But Ha-yeon, this is your first trial, you know.”
First *trial*?
What was I ‘taking on’?
I certainly wouldn’t be ‘smelling’ anything in court.
“First, I’ll speak to the Chief Justice.
Since everyone nationwide is so interested in you, you must feel burdened.”
Why was I of nationwide interest?
Ah.
Was I already an actress or an idol?
But what kind of trouble did I get into that I had to go to trial?
Haa… this wasn’t going to be easy…
“You don’t have to worry so much.
Everyone gets nervous during their first trial.
Anyway, I’ll be there as an associate judge, so let’s trust me and do this, Judge Lee Ha-yeon.”
Uh… Ju-Judge?
‘Wait.
No way…’
At the word ‘judge’ coming from Seon-ah’s lips.
Suddenly, Seon-ah’s drunken words from earlier flashed through my mind once more.
“My wish is to become a beautiful girl and be a judge.”
Ah…
So it wasn’t just about becoming a beautiful girl; I had to become a judge too?
