“Phone? It should be by the bed, look for it.”

“Since it’s not there, you’re asking me, right? Call with my phone.”

Youngmi immediately called Seyoung. Soon, the ringtone began to ring.

And it wasn’t a ringtone, but an alarm sound, Seyoung realized only after fully waking up from sleep.

Seyoung stared blankly at the ceiling of the sauna.

“Was it another dream…?”

Dreaming inside a dream.

Seyoung closed her eyes again, denying reality, but sleep did not come. It was because of Youngmi’s phone alarm.

“I can’t live like this!”

Seyoung turned off the alarm and burst into tears.

Whether it was a dream of going back to the past or not, reality felt more harsh.

“Mom, get up.”

“Why? Is the owner going out?”

Youngmi, rubbing her eyes, got up.

“No, I’m hungry.”

Seyoung said, touching her swollen belly. Youngmi sighed as if she was tired of it.

????????????

“Nail shop is open. It’s on sale!”

Seyoung and Youngmi worked hard distributing flyers in front of the station.

Because they didn’t even have money to buy a bowl of soup right away.
Seyoung, who used to spend tens of millions of won a day, found it amusing. It was pitiful to have to do this kind of labor just to earn a few tens of thousands of won. Seyoung clenched her hungry stomach and started distributing flyers.

People skillfully avoided the flyers. It was frustrating that they wouldn’t take them, as Seyoung couldn’t secretly throw them away since the employer was on the second floor. Seyoung approached people more persistently.

“Hey, you! Do I look like someone who would do this?”

A thickly tattooed man shoved Seyoung and shouted in annoyance.

“S-Sorry.”

Seyoung hastily apologized. It was surprising that she lowered her head and apologized to a vulgar man whom she wouldn’t have even talked to in the past. Her pride was hurt, and tears came to her eyes.

On the other hand, seeing the man reminded her of her past self. Back then, Seyoung had argued with the woman handing out flyers, and the woman had shoved her over.

Thinking back, she didn’t feel particularly sorry. She was just annoyed with the situation.

“Oh, aren’t you Seyoung?”

At the familiar voice, Seyoung was startled and looked up. It was Juri, a classmate from high school.

Although Seyoung wanted to get close to Juri, who was pretty and slender with wide hips, Juri always ignored Seyoung. They had become enemies, insulting each other, tearing each other down, and even getting into physical fights.

“Must have mistaken someone.”

Seyoung, flipping her hood, altered her voice.

“No, it’s you, right? Seyoung.”

Juri burst into laughter.

“No, really…”

Seyoung wanted to leave this place, away from flyers. However, oblivious Youngmi approached and called Seyoung loudly, mentioning eating pork soup.

Seyoung’s face turned crimson. Embarrassed or not, Youngmi handed Seyoung her share of flyers and stretched, complaining of a sore back.

“Oh, Seyoung, aren’t you Mrs. Seo? Quickly finish this and let’s eat pork soup.”

Seyoung’s face turned bright red. Whether she felt embarrassed or not, Youngmi, without any sense, came over, called her name loudly, and then yawned, complaining of a sore back.

“Oh, Mrs. Seyoung, aren’t you?”

“Do you not remember? I’m Yang Juri. You came to the classroom before and slapped my cheek, saying you fought with Seyoung.”

Juri spoke with a chuckle. Youngmi scratched her cheek, claiming she didn’t remember, and Seyoung’s face turned not just red but dark red.

“But Seyoung, what are you doing here? There’s still something like this these days.”

Juri pointed to the flyers with her hand.

Juri was as beautiful as before. Seyoung quickly scanned what Juri was wearing. All of them were high-end luxury items.

Even a rich guy would ask, right?

Seyoung narrowed her eyes and looked up at Juri.

“You’re rich, but your house is completely ruined, right? Pathetic.”

Juri made a pitiful expression. Seyoung couldn’t help it. Of all times, meeting Yang Juri now. Luck was truly not on her side.

“No, just for exercise. Don’t be interested and go your way.”

“I don’t want to be interested, but your stomach keeps making gurgling sounds, so it bothers me.”

Juri opened her luxury wallet and took out money. It was a 50,000 won bill. Seyoung’s eyes widened.
With that money, Seyoung could have ordered pork soup with bossam. She wouldn’t have to distribute these flyers.

The moment Seyoung tried to receive the money from Juri, Juri dropped the money on the ground.

“Oh, oops.”

Without caring, Seyoung tried to pick up the money, but Juri deliberately stepped on it with her foot and swept it away. Unfortunately, the bill fell into the drainage grate.

After bursting into laughter again, Juri walked away.

Seyoung, looking at the drain with hopeless eyes, exclaimed, “All because of Seo Taein.”

After venting her frustration, Seyoung angrily kicked the flyers on the ground.

“Ugh, what if you throw that on the floor! You should at least get paid!”

“Mom, even if you distribute these a hundred times, we can’t go back to how we were!”

“But we still need to eat! Are you not going to eat? Considering how much she alone eats for two people.”

“I won’t eat! I won’t eat, then!”

“Can’t eat properly, and the weight won’t go down. Why doesn’t it go down even if you don’t eat?”

Youngmi, who scratched Seyoung’s insides, clicked her tongue. If she were pretty like Seji, she could have been sent to a good place and lived comfortably. Youngmi didn’t like it.

“Mom, it won’t work. Let’s go to Unni. Unni might have a solution.”

A few days later, Seyoung emptied her remaining money and went to visit Seji.

The arrogant appearance from the past had disappeared, leaving only a shabby and plain-looking woman.

“Unni, have you been well?”

“Do I look well?”

“But they give you good meals there, right?”

Seyoung said, rubbing her stomach, which made a gurgling sound.

“Why are you here? Do you have something to say?”

If it were usual, Seji would have ignored Seyoung, but this time, she looked at Seyoung with eyes that seemed to hold a bit of hope.

“Unni, do you have any hidden money?”

“Money? What nonsense is this? If you came to say that kind of thing, get out right now!”

Seyoung sighed deeply.

“No, Tae Kang used to be a high-ranking person. He said he didn’t hide any money. What about borrowing money? Is there really nowhere to get money?” Seji, who was frowning at Seyoung’s pestering, opened her mouth as if she had remembered something.

“It seemed like Seo Taein got pregnant? Maybe she’s given birth by now.”