“Oh my, are these your friends, young miss?”
As they stepped inside the mansion, a middle-aged woman greeted Seoyeon and Jiyeon warmly.
Young miss?
Both of them glanced at Seohui, who looked visibly flustered.
“Come on, you’re joking, right? If you say it like that, people might misunderstand,” Seohui protested awkwardly.
“Oh dear.”
The middle-aged woman chuckled softly, her gaze shifting between Seoyeon and Jiyeon.
She clearly knew who they were, having been aware of Seohui’s everyday life.
She already knew about Jiyeon, who had frequently visited the house to help with acting practice, though they hadn’t crossed paths before now.
“My name is Han Seoyoung. I work as a housekeeper here.”
A housekeeper?
Seoyeon was taken aback. She had thought housekeepers only existed in stories.
Then again, she reasoned, it made sense. Wealthy households often had not only housekeepers but also chauffeurs.
‘It’d take a housekeeper to clean a mansion this big.’
Nodding to herself, Seoyeon marveled at the novelty of it.
Wasn’t this essentially the life of a real “young miss”? It even explained why Seohui had such a remarkable presence when acting as “Michiko.”
“Don’t you have a dog?” Seoyeon asked.
“A dog? Why?”
“Houses like this usually have a pet, like a dog.”
“What kind of stereotype is that?”
Grumbling, Seohui seemed a bit embarrassed by the comment.
Han Seoyoung couldn’t help but laugh at her reaction. She had known Seohui for years, but this was the first time she had seen her bring friends home.
To be precise, there had been occasional visits in the past, but none recently.
Even back then, the atmosphere was different.
Seohui had kept more of a wall around herself, but now, she seemed much more relaxed—like a normal girl her age.
Always mindful of her image, Seohui now appeared more like a typical teenager.
‘Maybe it’s because they’re friends who share her work.’
Han Seoyoung wondered if that was why they got along so well.
Still, she couldn’t help but feel a tinge of worry.
Sharing the same profession could also create distance, especially if one friend’s career soared while the other struggled.
‘But there’s no reason to dwell on the worst-case scenario.’
Pushing aside such thoughts, Han Seoyoung led the three girls further into the mansion.
Although Seohui insisted it wasn’t necessary, Seoyoung was genuinely curious.
She had heard about Jiyeon from other house staff but was seeing her in person for the first time.
And though it was unlikely, she couldn’t help but wonder if Seohui might be associating with the wrong crowd.
After all, it was hard not to worry.
Seoyeon was already a well-known actress, and Jiyeon’s profile had risen thanks to her lead role in Kyungsung Lady.
Despite their public images, Seoyoung was struck by their private impressions.
‘They’re not troublemakers... right?’
Surprisingly, troublemakers weren’t uncommon among celebrities.
Delinquents or those running in similar circles often lurked within the industry.
From an adult’s perspective, such kids naturally raised red flags.
Seoyeon exuded a cool, detached aura, while Jiyeon gave off the vibe of someone who might be a little wild.
To top it off, Jiyeon was carrying a bag with beer cans inside!
It was common at pajama parties, but all three were minors, making it hard to ignore.
While she had no intention of stopping their fun, it still weighed on her.
To Han Seoyoung, who had known Seohui since she was a child, she was like a daughter.
Naturally, she couldn’t help but worry.
‘For Seran’s sake as well.’
Baek Seran.
The biological mother of Jo Seohui, who had passed away when Seohui was just five years old.
A tragic figure, once a celebrated actress who had captivated all of Korea.
+++++
To be honest, Seoyeon felt a bit odd.
It had been so long since she had spent time casually hanging out with friends like this—probably not since the middle school retreat.
Even back then, she hadn’t had any real friends.
Because of her reputation—or perhaps notoriety—few dared to approach her.
With her striking looks, people tended to keep their distance, except for Jiyeon.
"Those were my stormy adolescent years."
Seoyeon nodded to herself.
Embarrassingly, she had often been swept away by emotions she didn’t fully understand back then, and she hadn’t yet figured out her physical capabilities.
Thankfully, she had started exercising and gaining better control over her body since then.
Back in the day, she had no idea that her abilities would end up bordering on something out of a fantasy novel.
She had jokingly thought of her TS body as invincible, but she hadn’t expected to be physically strong as well.
Anyway.
“Have you done this kind of thing before, Seohui?”
“Huh?”
Normally, Seoyeon didn’t address Seohui by name.
It wasn’t that she called her “Miss Seohui” or “Lady Seohui,” but she typically avoided using any title altogether.
Lately, though, they’d grown closer, and she started calling her by her name.
"But why not drop the honorifics while you’re at it?"
Although Seohui grumbled about it, she let it slide since the current formality seemed more playful than serious.
“You mean pajama parties?”
“Yes.”
“Hmph. Well, of course! I usually have lots of people around me.”
“As expected.”
Seoyeon nodded in agreement.
It was widely known in the industry that Seohui was incredibly sociable.
People who got to know her generally found her likable, regardless of first impressions.
‘Though, part of that might have to do with something more innate than just her friendly demeanor.’
It was something Seoyeon had only learned about recently.
Like the time actor Kang Seohyuk had visited the set and referred to Seohui as “the daughter who carries on my legacy.”
That comment had triggered a memory for Seoyeon, a vague recollection from her past life.
It wasn’t from a variety show but likely a documentary.
A documentary covering the life of a famous actress.
Her movies and dramas had all been hits, earning her titles like “The Nation’s Little Sister” and “The Nation’s Actress.”
Her career, which spanned about a decade, had left a lasting impact on Korea.
Her sudden death had caused quite a stir.
‘And her daughter was...’
The reason Seoyeon hadn’t immediately connected that actress to Jo Seohui was simple.
In her past life, Jo Seohui had hit a significant setback with her role in The Moon That Hid the Sun.
The failure seemed to have shaken her confidence or maybe caused her to face other struggles, leading to a difficult period.
Though she eventually rebuilt her career, it was much later on.
‘Even then, she never reached the level she’s at now.’
As a result, the documentary hadn’t delved too deeply into her life.
Perhaps Seohui had requested not to be mentioned.
Being entirely overshadowed by her mother’s legacy likely didn’t sit well with her pride.
“What are you thinking about?”
“Me? Oh, nothing.”
“What about your pajamas?”
“Oh, these.”
Seoyeon pulled her pajamas out of her bag.
They were, strictly speaking, just comfortable clothes she wore to sleep.
Naturally, when Seohui saw them—
“...Aren’t those men’s clothes?”
“They’re loose, so they’re comfortable.”
“No, no. Hold on. This isn’t right.”
Sighing, Seohui glanced at Jiyeon for backup, but Jiyeon’s response wasn’t what she expected.
“Men’s clothes are comfortable.”
“That’s not the point!”
Quickly, Seohui checked Jiyeon’s pajamas, relieved to find they were at least women’s clothing.
Still, even Jiyeon’s outfit was notably plain, contrasting her usual effort to dress up and wear makeup.
‘No wonder these two are such close friends.’
Seohui closed her eyes in exasperation.
“...I’ll lend you something.”
“You don’t have to.”
“This kind of thing is all about the vibe. Come on.”
Huffing in mock irritation, Seohui led them to her wardrobe.
Or rather, to one of her wardrobe rooms.
Both Seoyeon and Jiyeon realized with astonishment that there were rooms entirely dedicated to clothes.
"A room just for clothes?"
"I should do this when I start making money."
Their thoughts ran in different directions.
Seoyeon couldn’t fathom the need for such a space, considering all her clothes combined wouldn’t even fill a quarter of this room.
‘I’ll have to invite her when I go clothes shopping next.’
Watching Seoyeon quietly survey the surroundings, Seohui could guess her thoughts.
She knew Seoyeon wasn’t particularly interested in fashion but hadn’t expected her to be this indifferent.
‘What a waste of her looks!’
That was what Seohui genuinely thought.
“Let’s see... this one, and this one.”
She handed a pink pajama set to Seoyeon and a blue one to Jiyeon.
She had carefully chosen colors based on how she imagined the two would look.
“Why am I getting pink?”
“Pink suits you.”
“...Hmm.”
Pink pajamas.
Seoyeon couldn’t shake the odd feeling it gave her.
With her past life memories, pink was firmly ingrained in her mind as a particularly feminine color.
And yet, here she was, being told it suited her.
The design itself was undeniably luxurious.
Wait—wasn’t this a famous brand?
Curious, she asked about the price.
“Huh? I don’t know. I don’t look at price tags.”
Ah, so she didn’t check prices when shopping?
Seoyeon was quietly impressed by yet another display of Seohui’s wealth.
‘I’m going to use that line someday.’
It had such an air of nonchalance.
With that, she began changing into the pajamas.
“These are tight in the chest.”
“...Wow. You’re... something else. Well, considering your mom...”
Seohui had seen Golden Duckling, where Seoyeon’s mother, Sua, had appeared.
Honestly, from Seohui’s perspective, Sua’s appearance left her wondering, “Why isn’t she a celebrity?”
Her beauty easily surpassed most actresses, paired with a figure unlike any Seohui had ever seen.
Especially... well, the chest.
‘I thought she’d be more slender.’
Like herself.
Unconsciously, Seohui compared her own chest to Seoyeon’s.
“What are you looking at?”
“Nothing. Just checking the fit.”
Startled, she raised her arms, awkwardly covering her chest.
Her reaction made it seem like Seohui had done something inappropriate.
She had only been considering how tight the pajamas looked.
“And Jiyeon’s are loose.”
“...”
Jiyeon’s eyes narrowed dangerously, and for a moment, Seohui flinched.
‘Why does she look so scary when she does that?’
She regretted not bringing a fan to hide her face.
In any case, there were multiple sizes available.
The sourc𝗲 of this content is freēwēbηovel.c૦m.
Believing in her own growth potential, Seohui had stocked up on everything from small to large.
Seoyeon found this way of thinking odd but was glad for it now.
‘I wouldn’t want to damage something so expensive.’
Given how tight the fit was, it felt like a single flex might tear the fabric.
“What exactly do you do at a pajama party?”
“Just chat. Want to watch a movie? Or maybe some of the scenes we shot? I begged for the footage.”
“...Maybe just the beginning.”
“Why? You did great in the scenes with Jiyeon.”
There were, of course, scenes with Seohui too.
Both involved romance.
She considered suggesting those but stopped when Seoyeon quickly raised her hand to object.
“I’m not ready to watch those yet.”
Despite her newfound confidence in romance acting, Seoyeon couldn’t bring herself to watch those scenes.
Whenever she did, her face flushed involuntarily.
‘How will I manage scenes with male leads in the future?’
It was inevitable as an actor.
She couldn’t only appear in action films or as a villain forever.
“Ju Seoyeon, are you embarrassed?”
Reading her thoughts, Jiyeon smirked, holding a can of beer she had somehow retrieved.
“It’s just unfamiliar.”
“You used to be so bold about it when you were younger...”
“When I was younger? Oh, during that play?”
“You were so shameless back then.”
Was that true?
Thinking back to the Snow White play, she recalled getting very close to someone’s face as if to kiss them.
She hadn’t given it a second thought at the time.
‘Is this just something that changed as I grew up?’
It was puzzling.
As she progressed through middle school, her emotions had grown sharper, more nuanced.
She wasn’t entirely sure what shape her feelings had taken now.
“...Are you really drinking that already?”
“If I leave it, it’ll get warm.”
“Well, that’s true, but...”
Beer cans.
It felt strange to even hold one in this mansion.
Seohui had never touched alcohol before—not even the fine wines her father collected.
“Oh, by the way, have you ever tried real alcohol, not non-alcoholic?”
“Huh? Have you?”
“With a guardian. I had some during the holidays.”
Jiyeon lied smoothly.
In truth, her first time drinking had been on a school trip with friends.
But seeing Seoyeon and Seohui watching her with innocent curiosity, she couldn’t say that.
‘What are they, actual princesses?’
“Well, why don’t you try it? The taste is similar.”
Determined to draw them in, Jiyeon slyly offered the cans.
Drinking while chatting would make the evening more fun, after all.
“...Alright.”
Seoyeon accepted the can.
‘It should be fine, right?’
She couldn’t deny her curiosity.
She’d heard that alcohol heightened emotions, and as someone fascinated by the complexity of feelings, she wanted to understand.
Even if it was non-alcoholic, it still had trace amounts.
And that was where it all began.