Tiresome.
The body just wanted to lie down.
That thought had been echoing in my mind for what felt like forever.
If the desire to lie down is so strong, then why not just do it?
Because it can’t be done, and that’s the real problem, isn’t it?
Right now, the feet are planted behind the front desk of a hotel. Not just any hotel, but one drenched in overwhelming luxury.
Dressed in a neat, tidy uniform among the endlessly moving people, the solitude settles in quietly, standing alone in the middle of a crowd.
Dressed in honey-colored pajamas and slouching.
Even the slightest movement drew glances and subtle frowns.
While the gaze was avoided, a sharp flurry of whispers swept through the surroundings.
“What do we do? No matter how hard I try, there are no vacancies.”
“Just pretend you’re still checking.”
“Ugh, seriously. How does someone who’s completed new hire training make a mistake like this?”
“Shh. She’ll hear us.”
Yes… I can hear you well…
Just sitting there, eyes blank and fixed on the floor, when a sudden wave of resentment rose.
Because, in truth, nothing wrong had been done.
What had happened was…
To put it simply, the kind of person standing here could serve as the dictionary definition of “mediocre.”
The appearance is mediocre, the personality is mediocre, the job is mediocre.
The very embodiment of mediocrity.
That is Kim Ji-yoon. And no, that’s not an exaggeration.
Honestly, if the name were changed to Kim Mediocre, no one would even blink.
But then, someone like me ends up as a transmigrator?
Maybe because I got hit by a truck with its headlights on?
Nope.
Or because I was a terminal patient, reading a novel in her final moments?
Nope.
Or perhaps someone who left a comment full of complaints about a web novel’s ending?
Nope…
I finished work as usual. Came home, washed up, lay down, watched some videos on the phone, and fell asleep.
I was tired. It was just an ordinary day, like any other.
If there was anything different, maybe it was the fact that I woke up without the alarm…
When I reached up toward the head of the bed to check the time, the texture wasn’t that of the usual blanket.
Feeling strange, I opened my eyes.
Before me stretched a morning scene I didn’t recognize.
A bed frame gleaming in gold, topped with a canopy like something pulled from a fantasy.
Still thinking it might be a dream, I reached out and pinched my cheek. It hurt.
Large chandeliers and dazzling furniture filled my vision, and just like that, my senses snapped back into place.
No matter how I looked at it, this wasn’t my home.
I wasn’t a sleepwalker, so I needed to figure out what was going on.
When I sat up and stepped on the blanket, I noticed the honey-colored pajamas I had worn last night.
Seeing the luxurious room and my own attire, a thought suddenly popped into my mind.
Anyone would take one look at this and think I’d woken up inside a scene from a romance fantasy novel.
Oh… I’ve been transmigrated.
Suddenly grasping the situation, I fell into deep thought.
No… well, transmigration is practically a common thing these days. It’s the era of mass transmigration, after all…
But me?
Me?
Why me?
As an average office worker, I didn’t possess any particularly useful skills for being a transmigrator.
Of course, I didn’t have any revolutionary business ideas that could change the world like in a novel, either.
I didn’t even have basic knowledge about herbs, I couldn’t even make soap!
My memory wasn’t great, so all the web novels I’d read were now just blurry fragments.
It’s not like I had a brilliant mind for political strategy, nor did I have the kind of personality to win everyone over with charisma.
…Why do I suddenly feel like crying?
No matter how I looked at it, I couldn’t shake the deep discomfort at the idea of being someone actually worthy of transmigration.
And yet, at the same time, a small wave of hope stirred within me.
Maybe I was chosen to be a transmigrator because I am worth it?
As I ran my fingers over the luxurious, soft blanket, I couldn’t help but feel good.
If I really had been transmigrated, then this was the kind of environment I’d be living in.
If I wasn’t going to be dragged into some convoluted novel plot, this might not be such a bad life.
Of course, I’d had the same thought before, while watching characters become protagonists and live out their glamorous lives…
I had a bit of confidence.
Because there was one special skill I could claim.
Even as a mediocre person, if someone asked what my unique talent was,
there was one answer I could give without hesitation.
Lying down.
As the world’s greatest homebody, I possessed a world-class ability to breathe while lying down, a true bedroom specialist.
And now, a chance had come to me.
The dream of every office worker, the opportunity to become rich and jobless.
A smile gradually spread across my lips.
‘Who did I transmigrate as?’
Maybe I’m the only daughter of a powerful duke—so feared that no one dares to approach.
Or a young and fabulously wealthy villainess, with everyone desperately trying to stay in my favor.
Or perhaps… a saintess, blessed with divine power, born once in a generation?
I began to indulge in ridiculously happy fantasies, not something pathetic like being a side villain in a tragic romance novel who bullies the heroine and ends up dying first.
I tried to shrug my shoulders and check my hair color,
but it was tied up, so I couldn’t see it.
‘Ah, could it be pink hair and pink eyes? That would be a perfect match for the prettiest lady… Or maybe sparkling blue eyes like jewels?’
The urge to look in the mirror hit me immediately.
But I forced myself to stay calm.
Because I needed to assess the situation and figure out the proper route to take in this new life.
I thought that unless a maid came in the morning and called me ‘Young Miss’, I couldn’t be sure this was real.
So I rested my head back on the pillow and raised my hand.
A beautifully maintained, pale hand, without a single flaw…
“Huh?”
There was none.
This… this is just my hand?
Something felt off.
Squeak.
Just as I was about to examine it more closely, I heard the sound of a door opening.
I quickly turned my head toward the sound and shut my eyes.
They’ll come closer and call me now, right?
They’re going to say, “Young Miss, it’s time to wake up,” right?
…What was my name?
“…Aack!”
There’s no way someone’s name is “Aack”, clearly, the other person was just startled.
I opened my eyes, which I had briefly shut.
“Who… who are you?”
“Pardon?”
In front of me stood a woman in a maid outfit, holding cleaning tools and wearing a surprised expression.
“This room was supposed to be empty…?”
She checked the door again, then looked back at me, her eyes narrowing.
Ah, that look.
The one people give when they catch a trespasser red-handed at an all-you-can-eat buffet.
I quickly explained.
“No, I… I just woke up and found myself here? I didn’t sneak in or anything? I’m also really confused right now?”
Upon hearing that, the maid’s expression softened.
“Oh! You’re a guest? It seems your information was lost. I apologize. Could you follow me this way?”
‘Guest? Lost? What even happened to me?’
I staggered to my feet and followed the maid.
I was reluctant to part with the cozy blanket, but I had no choice.
Outside, I saw a neatly cleaned hallway.
The long corridor was impeccably clean and decorated in a luxurious European-style interior.
As I walked around in awe, I caught a glimpse of myself in the glass window—
and froze.
‘Huh?’
What… I’m still the same?
Where did the pink hair go?
Where were the plump, glossy lips on porcelain-clear skin?
What about the eyes that sparkled like polished gemstones?
‘That’s just 100% me.’
I felt like something had gone terribly wrong and walked briskly with that thought in mind.
When I arrived at the front desk, a maid whispered something to an employee.
The employee, who looked surprised, immediately put on a business smile and addressed me.
“Sorry for the inconvenience. Let me check your reservation. What is your name?”
“It’s… Kim Ji-yoon.”
“Ah, just a moment. Miss Kim Ji-yoon… Kim Ji-yoon… Um… hmm…?”
The employee flipped through the papers behind the counter a few times, then looked back at me and said,
“Miss Kim Ji-yoon, I’m afraid your name isn’t on the reservation list…”
I awkwardly clenched my fists.
Well, that made sense. I never made a reservation…
I asked the question I had been curious about this whole time.
“But… where is this place?”
There are all kinds of places in the world. In my 26 years of life, I had never experienced anything like this before.
According to the explanation, this was a world between reality and fiction, a place that connects the two.
It’s called the Transmigrator Hotel, where countless souls of the future change their outfits and appearances to prepare for their transmigration.
Because of the recent surge in transmigration, the system requires organized and efficient management.
Guests who are set to reincarnate are listed on the reservation schedule, and the place is booked out for several years in advance.
I was told that it seemed I had arrived here because of an error where a name not on the list got in.
And the employee, who appeared to have caused that error, was now standing next to me, sweating nervously.
‘No wonder… How could someone like me be transmigrated?’
Trying to soothe my frustration, I opened my mouth.
“Then can I just go home? How do I return?”
The employee responded with an awkward expression.
“I’m really sorry, but…”
“Yes?”
“Once you’re here, there’s no way to leave…”
“What?”
I stood frozen as the employee stammered through an explanation.
“There’s no way to return… except by transmigrating through a novel…”
…What do you mean?
“But didn’t you just say the schedule is fully booked?”
“Yes, you’ll have to wait until a spot opens up for your transmigration.”
“Ah… so I can’t leave unless I transmigrate, but I can’t transmigrate because it’s fully booked?”
“Yes.”
“So, I have to stay here until a spot opens up, whenever that may be?”
“Yes.”
Are you kidding me?
While I stood there stunned, the employee avoided eye contact and, like an insurance agent, quickly listed some disclaimers.
“Entering as a transmigrator may lead to disconnection from the real world, and in some cases, guests may experience side effects or involuntary transfer due to underdeveloped abilities. While food and lodging are currently provided free of charge, those who delay transmigration for extended periods may be subject to additional fees to cover administrative processing.”
“What?”
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