Chapter 1
【Opportunity Comes to Those Who Act 】
“Hello~ This is Kang Hee-yeon from Rise.”
The moment the live notification popped up, I immediately joined the stream.
And right away, the chat window started filling up with malicious comments.
[RandomGuy: Hello, flop idol~]
[EatThis: You still haven’t let go of Rise? LOL When was that, ancient history?
[CarrotLover: Drop that fake idol already. Aren’t you tired?
[xoxosax6918: When are you doing a stripping stream? I’m waiting for that!]
[SweetBean: Look at the viewer count. All the fangirls must be dead LOL.
The chat, which was usually quiet, was especially noisy today.
It was like someone had posted her location somewhere. The cause was a post on a big online community:
“Latest update on former Rise member.”
The comments there were already full of mockery—saying she’d aged badly and asking if she was still streaming.
But I didn’t expect them to flood in here too.
While blocking trolls one by one, Kang Hee-yeon kept smiling and continued the live.
The fans tried hard to clean up the chat by leaving greetings and supportive messages.
[HeeYeon Best: You look so pretty today~ Always cheering for you!]
[ChickenMukbang: Wow, a permanent resident! LOL]
[CrazyOne: Not a resident, a ghost LOL]
[ZeroCoke: Welcome, loser~]
[KoreanPenguin: Don’t you feel embarrassed following an idol into streaming like this? LOL]
When the mocking comments started targeting the fans too, Kang Hee-yeon’s face stiffened slightly.
That made me angrier, and I blocked even faster.
“Si-a, you’re working hard today. Thank you as always.”
“Si-a” was the fan club nickname I’d used since Rise’s debut.
When Kang Hee-yeon first started streaming, I volunteered to be her chat manager.
It has continued ever since.
In the beginning, a lot of people watched. But the viewer count kept dropping. So a day this busy was unusual.
[CopIsHere: This is why being a fangirl is fun.
[NotATroll00: I vote that Rise failing made me happy LOL.]
[StrawberryRiceCake: With this viewer count, even trolls are better than nothing LOL.]
Take care of your own lives.
I muttered the curse silently instead of typing it.
After blocking enough people, the mocking comments slowly decreased.
Instead, there were subtle sarcastic remarks and questions digging into the past.
Kang Hee-yeon answered with a bitter smile.
“Yeah… Looking back, I do have a lot of regrets. I feel like I could have done better. I wonder why I couldn’t back then…”
Rise had grown quickly and was called the next big K-pop group.
But then came scandals and rumors of internal conflict.
Relentless media attacks. Antis who feared their success. Broadcasting stations turning their backs without loyalty.
And finally, the company’s sudden disbandment notice.
“Do I miss it? Of course I do. I miss the members, the fans… but most of all, I miss the stage. Performing together.”
Most of the scandals were proven false years later.
But by then, it was too late.
It only gave YouTubers more content, like
“The Real Reason Rise Failed!”
“Ahaha, sorry for bringing down the mood. Should I sing a song to lighten things up?”
Her voice, now rougher than during her peak, filled the stream.
When the chat quieted again, someone left one last comment before exiting.
[StreamExpert: Boring as hell.]
***
Ding.
I left the convenience store with a few cans of beer and some snacks.
I opened one can.
Pshhh.
I took a big gulp and walked down the main street.
After fighting trolls for the first time in a while, old memories came back.
Back in the day, I used multiple accounts, changing IPs to fight antis all by myself.
It wasn’t just idols who had their prime.
Fans had their prime too.
If this were back then, I would’ve destroyed them. I went easy on them today.
I swallowed more beer, thinking about the glorious past.
I should be used to this by now.
But it still hurt.
Thud.
I accidentally bumped into a woman.
The beer in my hand spilled onto her coat.
“Oh! I’m so sorry. I know I shouldn’t drink while walking, but I had a rough day…”
I apologized in a panic.
The woman looked at me blankly.
First, I was shocked by how beautiful she was.
Then I was shocked by how lifeless her face looked.
She looked around my age but had the aura of someone at the end of their life.
She ignored me and walked past.
The coat looked expensive. If she didn’t ask for money, that was lucky for me.
But after a few steps, I felt uneasy and turned back.
“Wait! I’ll pay for the coat!”
Not just dry cleaning—pay for the whole coat? That would cost a fortune.
Still, I thought of it as saving a life and followed her.
Looking closely, she was slightly limping.
She suddenly stopped, turned to me, and gave a faint smile.
“…Thank you.”
Why are you thanking me? I spilled beer on you!
Stop acting like this is some death flag!
The moment she moved, I moved too.
Crash—
The beer cans fell and burst open.
And in that moment, I realized—
I’m screwed.
Why did I try to save a stranger?
If I die, who’s going to manage Hee-yeon’s chat?
Even in danger, the only face I thought of was Kang Hee-yeon.
I really gave my life to being a fan.
Then a bright light flashed, and a strange message appeared in front of me.
[requests a life exchange.]
[Do you accept?]
Is that even a question right now?
Of course I accept! I’m about to die!
Whoever Lee Si-a is, whatever “life exchange” means—I just want to live!
Life exchange cannot be canceled, returned, or refunded. All events in the new life are your responsibility …]
I get it! Just save me!
[Exchange confirmed.]
And then I lost consciousness.
***
Beep. Beep. Beep.
Through the haze, I heard a steady machine sound.
When I forced my eyes open, everything looked blurry.
Someone was moving nearby, speaking, but I couldn’t understand.
My body felt stiff and weak. My head spun.
I must be in a hospital…
Maybe that strange message was just a hallucination.
At least I survived.
How long was I unconscious?
If Hee-yeon thinks I quit being a fan and disappeared, that would be bad.
“I…”
A strange voice came out of my mouth.
It was hoarse—but soft.
When I struggled, a doctor in a white coat came into view.
“Ms. Lee Si-a, how are you feeling? Any pain?”
“My mood sucks… but no pain.”
He poked me here and there with a pen.
Then he opened a chart.
“You woke up after being in a coma for a month. You’ll need rehabilitation.”
…Wait. Lee Si-a?
Why does he keep calling me that?
“W-What about the woman who was with me in the accident?”
The doctor looked troubled.
Did she die?
I felt sorry.
But then he said something completely different.
“Your parents, who were with you at the accident site, did not survive. We offer our condolences.”
“…What?”
Parents?
My parents died when I was young.
What is he talking about?
“I’m… not Lee Si-a…”
The doctor looked at me with pity.
“Nurse Kim, schedule another test.”
You quack! Listen to me!
I’m not Lee Si-a!
And then—
A thought flashed.
No way.
I tried to sit up.
But my weak body wouldn’t move.
“Bring me a mirror. Now.”
Soon, a nurse handed me one.
“W-What?”
In the mirror was a teenage girl.
Around 17 or 18.
Pale, but beautiful. Clear skin. Big bright eyes.
Even I, who had seen countless idols, could say she was top-tier.
…Still, our Hee-yeon is prettier.
Forever number one in my heart!
Sorry for wavering.
As I looked closely—
“I—It’s her!”
She looked younger, but it was the same woman.
The one I tried to save.
***
Lee Si-a.
18 years old. Third-year student at Hanseong Arts High School.
No family.
Former trainee at KP Entertainment—a large agency.
Recently expelled.
Typical KP Entertainment. Ruthless.
Even if she hadn’t been expelled, I wouldn’t have wanted to debut there anyway.
The important thing is—
I went back 10 years.
I possessed Lee Si-a’s body from 10 years ago.
And now I was undergoing rehabilitation.
“With this body… being an idol is impossible.”
There were no visible scars except a hidden surgery mark on my head.
But my right leg didn’t move properly.
Even after rehab, it would be hard to perform.
It was Lee Si-a’s dream to debut as an idol.
Not mine.
Still, I felt strangely disappointed.
Maybe it was the influence of her body.
But my dream right now was clear.
Save my favorite idol!
There was only one year left until Rise’s debut.
I had to figure out a way to save them.
I gripped the rehab equipment tightly.
Rehabilitation was harder than expected.
I got tired quickly.
Sometimes I wondered if I even had time for this.
Maybe I should be making plans instead.
Then—
[Complete rehabilitation successfully.]
[Progress: 4%]
[Reward: Healthy body]
The same message I saw before death appeared again.
