Hello, World!
Woo Dan-wol found the changed world both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. The smartphone devices and companies were familiar. Most facilities and names were the same, but the only difference was the gender of the people. However, that didn't mean the characters had undergone any kind of transformation.
In this new world, women held the upper echelons. A clear reversal of traditional gender roles and values.
Plumbers and jobs requiring physical strength were handled by women. Meanwhile, occupations that were once female-dominated, like nurses and kindergarten teachers, had become male-dominated. The surprising thing was that it wasn't just roles that had swapped.
"This isn't working..."
After possessing the body, Woo Dan-wol realized his physique was very weak. It wasn't because he neglected exercise and lay around all day. On the contrary, his current body was well-maintained and toned. No excess fat?
It felt like his basic strength had weakened. Unlike in his previous life where he could casually lift a pack of 1.5-liter water bottles, in this life he struggled and grunted to lift it.
During his week-long hospital stay, he checked his body. After all, the body is the most important thing no matter what you do.
"This works?"
Woo Dan-wol, who had been checking his face in the mirror, spoke with surprise. His expression changed moment by moment. It was an expression that ordinary people would find hard to replicate. He would look as sorrowful as if the country had collapsed, then smile as if the sky had cleared. His facial muscles twitched, and his eyebrows moved freely.
What surprised Woo Dan-wol was exactly this. If someone who had been working out for twenty years suddenly entered an ordinary person's body, what would happen? Their previous physical capabilities couldn't possibly be realized as is.
But his new body followed his commands well. A smile crept onto Woo Dan-wol's lips after finishing his experiments.
Because emotions he had momentarily forgotten were rising up. Acting. It was his life and everything.
The Woo Dan-wol of this world must have also been someone who immersed himself in acting. Otherwise, his trained facial muscles couldn't be explained. His toned, fat-free body couldn't be explained.
Although he was under 170cm tall with an average weight, it wasn't a spec that prevented him from acting. In other words, he could enter the acting world in this life as well.
Even though it was a world where genders were reversed, that alone wouldn't stop Woo Dan-wol's longing.
"Ah, ah! Ah! Um. Ga! Na! Da!"
He practiced his pronunciation and vocalization. The more he used it, the more mysterious his body felt. It felt like a body that had played in Daehak-ro rather than on TV.
His throat muscles were well-suited for theatrical vocalization. This was an actor's impression, before any medical examination or opinion.
He didn't know what kind of life the Woo Dan-wol of this world had lived or what pain he had endured, but the Woo Dan-wol of South Korea who had newly taken over his body made a decision. Whether by chance or fate, a mind that had devoted everything to acting had entered a body that had lived for acting. His goal was set.
"I want to be discharged."
Thus, Woo Dan-wol decided to leave the hospital. There was concern that he was a patient with amnesia, but aside from gender-related matters, there were no issues with common sense. In other words, the medical staff's opinion was that there would be no hindrance to daily life.
Woo Dan-wol's father sent him a worried gaze. Because he had a history of attempting suicide. His mother encouraged him. Although the gender was different, he felt a similar vibe to his father in his previous life.
"Yes, dear. Let's trust him. He's an adult."
"But... he must have been through a lot."
The family's shock must have been immense. They probably heard the sudden news of a suicide attempt. Of course, Woo Dan-wol had no memories, so it was frustrating.
"It's okay, Mother. Father."
"Sniff sniff..."
Woo Dan-wol's use of honorifics made his father shed even more tears. Anyway, things were resolved well.
The next morning. After completing the discharge procedures, Woo Dan-wol walked down the street. His family had wanted him to come to their hometown and stay together, but he refused. If he went to their hometown in the provinces, it would be hard to be active. Staying in Seoul was better in many ways, whether for work or filming.
"Thank you."
"Be careful on your way."
"Yes. Thank you."
He wasn't the person who had been stuck in the hospital room for a week. He had gone out for walks and had become friendly with an uncle he met in the lounge. He also greeted the man who had warned him to be careful because all the women in this world were wolves.
Pleasant weather. It was May, with a refreshing breeze. Woo Dan-wol, who had left the hospital, felt an inexplicable sense of déjà vu. The feeling of gazes gathering.
He was used to it in his previous life when he was popular, but this was a gaze he shouldn't have felt in this life.
"Um... you're really my type..."
"I'm sorry."
"Ah, yes..."
The woman returned to her friends, muttering "I told you it wouldn't work!" in embarrassment. The face of the possessed body was indeed quite handsome.
Though not like Kang Dong-won or Won Bin from his previous life, it was a cute face full of boyish charm. The unique point was that the lines of his face were thin. Quite far from the pursued male ideal.
In positive terms, a pretty boy. In negative terms, effeminate.
Both are bad, aren't they? The human Woo Dan-wol didn't like his current face. In his previous life, he had been a macho man who even grew a beard.
However, the actor Woo Dan-wol liked it. Thin facial lines and looking pale meant makeup applied well. He had the talent to portray a wider variety of roles. After all, a man with an uncle's face couldn't play a high school girl.
"Huh? You're really handsome. You hear that a lot, right? So..."
"I'm sorry..."
Getting asked for his number wasn't something that happened once or twice. Woo Dan-wol's mood was gradually becoming uncomfortable. There was a woman asking for his number every ten minutes or so. He felt like he was going crazy.
What was a bit surprising was that the average appearance in this world was quite high. From Woo Dan-wol's perspective, there were almost no ugly women. Most were average or pretty enough to be considered attractive.
Their clothing could be seen as somewhat revealing, but he decided to understand since it was a reversed world.
While taking the subway and walking home, Woo Dan-wol, exhausted from countless number requests, decided to act. In professional terms, to put on airs.
He exuded a scary and cold atmosphere at a glance. Not a single woman approached him to talk.
Then he saw a crowd blocking the road. As he tilted his head wondering what was going on, a woman grabbed him.
"Come quickly! We need to get the scene started."
"Yes, yes?"
Before he could say anything, a staff member dragged him along. The professional way she grabbed his sleeve instead of his body and led him through the crowd was impressive. It was a series of surprises, but Woo Dan-wol's eyes gradually became serious.
It turned out this was a filming set. From the murmuring, he could tell it was a romance drama. Mistaken for an extra, Woo Dan-wol sat where the staff led him.
A cafe terrace. His role was to sit at an ordinary chair and table. An extra, background for the main actors.
Though it was an extra with not a single line of dialogue, Woo Dan-wol felt a pleasant sense of elation just from being on a filming set. The murmuring died down, and filming began.
Suddenly, Woo Dan-wol's eyes widened. Countless pieces of information flooding into his mind. It was a power he had never felt before, not even in this life, let alone his previous one.
It was close to instinct. Like breathing without having to learn how. Countless characters and lines entered Woo Dan-wol's mind. As if he knew this drama.
'Min-kyung-ssi.'
"Min-kyung-ssi."
'Ah, Seo-woo-ssi. What brings you here?'
"Seo-woo-ssi. What brings you here?"
The lines Woo Dan-wol had muttered inwardly flowed out exactly through the actors' mouths. Though surprised, he focused on his role as an extra. He was a professional, so on a filming set, he displayed maximum concentration.
"Ah, cut, cut!"
The ongoing scene was halted. As the director signaled, filming stopped, and the reason came out.
"There, the part-timer in the back seems too nervous. Switch places!"
A staff member sighed and hurriedly moved. The assistant who couldn't manage even one extra part-timer would be thoroughly scolded. A small smile spread across Woo Dan-wol's lips.
Even as a part-timer, once on a filming set, you're an actor. Everyone found the sight of a nervous beginner cute. He was no exception.
Was it a coincidence? The extra who caused an NG due to nervousness ended up in the seat in front of Woo Dan-wol. Though the camera would capture their expression clearly, the viewers' attention would be drawn to the main actors. It wasn't something to worry about.
The PD gave the cue, and filming began. The actors delivering their lines. Woo Dan-wol decided to follow his instincts. As if selecting a game character, the roles for this scene floated in his mind.
It was similar to a game, but there was no hologram or anything to express it. He simply moved instinctively.
The role he chose was an extra. A minor role without even a name in the script.
"Is this your first time filming?"
"Ah, ah! Yes."
He was acting as an extra. This was a thorough performance to avoid being captured on camera.
To not ruin the filming. Woo Dan-wol spoke to the frozen, nervous woman.
"What's your name?"
"Shin Ah-young..."
"I see. You don't need to be so nervous. If they edit it, it probably won't even show on screen?"
"B-but... is it okay to talk like this?"
"Yes. We're extras anyway."
As they conversed, Shin Ah-young's expression gradually relaxed. She had been drawn into his acting. Woo Dan-wol's atmosphere, expression, and dialogue. He portrayed the role without any tension, like a character in the drama. Thanks to that, Shin Ah-young was also able to continue the conversation without showing signs of nervousness.
"You seem quite used to this."
"Of course. Are you here as a part-timer, Ah-young-ssi?"
"No, it's my dream..."
"I'll cheer for you."
Woo Dan-wol smiled and clenched his fist. Seeing his face and smile, Shin Ah-young's face turned red. She hadn't even realized they were filming until the OK sign came and she came to her senses.
"Good work."
"Ah, what? Already, already?"
"Yes. The actors did well."
Woo Dan-wol stood up from his seat. Shin Ah-young stared blankly with an entranced expression. It felt like she had encountered something untouchable.
Though she had done extra minor roles as part-time work a few times, she had never experienced anything like this. It was as if she had been bewitched by a fox. Woo Dan-wol's smile would surely not be easily forgotten.