Most people who win the lottery do one thing first.
Pay off their debts.
It's a bit of a sad story, but in today's world, hardly anyone lives without debt.
There are talks about debt being an asset or whatever.
'In the end, it's money you have to pay back.'
That's what I think.
Anyway.
Once you've paid off your debts and escaped all sorts of financial pressures, the money left over is usually about enough for an apartment in the suburbs.
Meaning, it's impossible to live the rest of your life without working on that amount.
'Even if I'd won the lottery, I probably would've kept going to work.'
The thought sends chills down my spine.
Life would be more leisurely and stable than now, but I'd still have to keep going to the company.
The idea that the lottery—which has the same odds as getting struck by lightning seven times—ends up like that.
Well, at least you'd have your own place. Gotta be grateful for that.
But right now, I'm sitting on 500 billion won in assets (well, 499.8 billion after spending 200,000 earlier).
Even after paying off all debts, it's enough to live off forever without lifting a finger.
All my debts were owed to Choi Min-hoo in the first place.
So, does that mean the debts are gone?
I quickly checked, and sure enough.
Clean slate.
"Haa..."
A sigh slips out, tangled with all sorts of complicated feelings.
Is it a sigh of relief? Or lament over the fact that there's truly no trace of Choi Min-hoo left anywhere?
I don't know.
I scratched my messy head and searched online for how to buy a foreign luxury car.
"...My own car."
The first car I'd ever own in my life.
The car I almost leased out of rage after those hellish commutes.
"Saved some money there."
I muttered to myself and chuckled.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
I roughly searched up the methods.
I'd never bought a car before, so it was hard to understand.
Still, I learned one key fact.
I have to go out.
Of course, it's not just for the car.
I need to do some grocery shopping too, and get a credit card. I can't keep relying on bank transfers forever.
Oh, and I should check the phone registration too.
It should be under Choi Yeon-bi, not Choi Min-hoo, but confirming won't hurt.
"Or is it?"
If it was under Choi Yeon-bi, the Team Leader wouldn't have been able to call so easily.
Maybe this is the only trace of me left?
The sudden thought made my heart race.
"Let's check."
This might really be the last proof that I was once Choi Min-hoo.
With that in mind, I opened the closet.
"...No clothes that fit."
I wasn't the type to buy clothes often.
My life was an endless loop of company, home, company, home—no real reason to care.
Actually, clothes are just too expensive these days.
A scrap of a T-shirt costs 30,000 or 40,000 won. Makes my skin crawl to even think about buying one.
"Guess I need to buy some clothes too."
I stroked my chin and stared at the empty closet for a long while.
What to wear?
I tried on jeans first.
They used to be pretty tight, but now they slide right off.
"...Am I too skinny now?"
I grumbled pointlessly and pulled out other pants.
These don't fit, those don't either.
Even the training pants I thought were my last hope were a bit loose.
I could force them on, but they'd be baggy enough that I'd trip and they'd fall right off.
"Absolutely not."
I took them off and tossed them aside.
None of the clothes in the closet fit me.
"Well, obviously."
All these clothes belonged to Choi Min-hoo, not Choi Yeon-bi.
Even the training pants I could sorta wear to go out were baggy, and the tops were way too big.
"It's not the car that's the problem. I need to buy clothes online first."
No way I can go out like this, no matter how I think about it.
And.
"Underwear too..."
I'd been trying not to think about it, but every time I put on and took off a T-shirt, my chest got in the way.
It's my own body, but my face still heats up.
That's probably why I still can't look at it properly.
Because I'm not really Choi Yeon-bi.
"...Can I even say that?"
I asked myself, staring into the mirror.
Me?
I'm...
Ring ring— ring ring—
"Whoa!"
I'd been seriously studying my face in the mirror when the phone suddenly rang.
Who the hell calls at this hour? I glanced at the screen: 'Idiot' in big letters.
This idiot is my high school friend, Park Ji-min.
Wondering why he'd call now, I remembered we'd talked about the class reunion last time.
I absentmindedly picked up to tell him I couldn't go.
[Hey, Choi Min-hoo. You said you'd come to the reunion, right?]
A cheerful voice.
I sat on the bed and answered casually.
Should I show him the part where I cussed out the Team Leader too?
We could laugh about it.
"Sorry to spring this on you suddenly, but I don't think I can make it to the reunion."
Ah.
[...Is this Choi Min-hoo's phone?]
The idiot was me.
I hung up in a panic.
I set the phone on the bed and sat there motionless, feeling my heart pounding for a long time.
In front of me was the full-length mirror.
The one I always checked my outfit in before heading to work.
I walked over slowly and gripped the frame.
"Who are you?"
The woman in the mirror had no answer to my question.
"Who the hell are you?!"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
I opened my eyes to find myself slumped in front of the mirror.
My clothes were damp. I'd been crying without realizing it.
I looked up into the mirror.
A beautiful black-haired woman with puffy eyes stared back at me.
I sniffled, and she sniffled too.
I wiped my tears, and she did the same.
The woman in the mirror.
She's glaring at me now with eyes that say I'm the weird one.
'I'm you.'
That's what it feels like she's saying.
"..."
I don't get it.
Why am I so sad?
I have 500 billion won—an absurd amount that an ordinary office worker couldn't earn even in 4,000 years—just sitting there casually.
Why am I so sad?
"Mom."
Suddenly, I missed my mom.
Dad, who left when I was too young.
And Mom, who raised me alone until she suddenly vanished one day.
What would Mom say if she saw me now?
'I told you not to keep wandering in and out of the kitchen! You really think your peppers are gonna fall off~!'
Maybe she'd laugh and smack my back.
Or perhaps she'd be thrilled to have a daughter and we'd stroll around the city together.
"...I'm tired."
I felt exhausted again, just like when I first woke up.
I trudged to the bed and buried my face in the soft blanket.
Tears seemed to flow again for some reason.
I squeezed my eyes shut.
Tried not to think of anything.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Ding-dong— ding-dong—
The doorbell rang along with my phone vibrating.
A delivery had arrived.
'I told them not to ring the doorbell.'
I got up, annoyed for no reason.
Delivery? Did I order something?
Yawning lazily, I opened the front door to find a large box.
"...Ah, the monitor."
The package I'd ordered to check if the money in my account was real.
They said same-day shipping, and damn, it really came fast.
Still, ordering at dawn and it arriving already?
I looked up at the clock—it was past 3 p.m.
"I slept a long time."
I'd had a good long sleep and a dream too.
A dream where I kicked the Team Leader's knee with my dress shoe.
No wonder I felt refreshed compared to earlier.
"Ugh... so heavy..."
In my refreshed mood, I tried to lift the monitor box, but holy crap, it was insanely heavy.
"Why is it so heavy?"
As I said that, I noticed my thin, slender wrists.
I knew the reason.
I let out a light sigh.
"Argh... whatever."
I dragged the box inside by the corner.
After a short struggle, I sliced open the tape with a cutter and finally unpacked it.
"Ooh..."
Inside the box gleamed a beautiful 144Hz gaming monitor.
"I really wanted this one."
I stared at it blankly.
Then one thought hit me.
"Wait, then I have to carry this over there too..."
I didn't realize moving it would be this tough.
Maybe I should start working out.
Still, my mood was definitely better than before.
Time is medicine.
And money is power.
The power that lets you get back up even after falling.
"...Feels good."
I glanced at the mirror, and the woman inside had the corners of her mouth slightly upturned.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
These days, you can verify your identity with your phone.
So I checked, and yep, this phone is mine.
Meaning, it's Choi Yeon-bi's phone.
Choi Min-hoo's records are all still there, but the owner is Choi Yeon-bi.
Feels kinda weird.
"...Guess it's fine to just keep using it."
Even if I cussed out the Team Leader, no big deal.
It's not like I'm some VIP or anything.
And even if he tries something, I'm Choi Yeon-bi now, not Choi Min-hoo—what's he gonna do?
"Worst case, sue him for stalking?"
I chuckled and looked at my shiny new 144Hz monitor.
All sorts of thoughts came to mind.
It's definitely bigger than the old one.
The picture quality is sharper, and running a game made the improvement even more obvious.
And on top of that.
"...I could buy an even bigger one."
I was reminded once more of the power my money held.
"Gotta go out first to do anything... Let's buy some clothes."
That night, I spent time adding clothes and various sundries to my shopping cart.
'Tomorrow, really buy a car. Maybe check out real estate too? No deposit needed... Start prepping to move right away...'
Even lying in bed, my thoughts didn't stop.