Ji-hoon turned on the computer in the study room. Thankfully, it wasn't password protected. As it booted up, Soo-min walked around, checking drawers, bookshelves, and pinboards. She found a small stack of business cards sitting in a tray.
"Look at this," she said, handing one to Ji-hoon.
He squinted at the sleek black card.
Choi Minjae
Senior Financial Consultant
H&Y International Finance Group
Ji-hoon let out a low whistle. "So apparently, I'm not just good-looking—I'm rich too."
Soo-min rolled her eyes. "Calm down, Wall Street."
She kept digging. A few minutes later, she found a small leather planner. Inside, there were dozens of sticky notes, doodles, and appointment reminders. One page in particular caught her attention.
"Here—this is mine, I think?" She held it up.
Seo Yura
Owner & Head Baker
Cloudy Crumbs Bakery
"Huh. A baker?" Soo-min blinked. "That's... actually kind of cute."
Ji-hoon leaned over her shoulder. "Cloudy Crumbs? That's the bakery in Mapo, right? It's pretty famous."
"Wait, you've heard of it?"
"Yeah, their matcha croissants went viral a few months ago."
Soo-min looked down at the name again. Seo Yura. It still didn't feel like hers.
They both spent the next half hour going through the computer. They found folders labeled "Tax Documents," "Wedding Plans," and "Business Expenses." Every file, every piece of data—emails, receipts, schedules—lined up perfectly.
Soo-min sat back with a sigh. "Okay… this is official. We're married. We have jobs. We have a life."
Ji-hoon rubbed his temples. "Yeah, a life that we don't remember living."
There was a long silence between them. Neither knew what to say.
Then Soo-min stood up and said, "I want to see the bakery."
Ji-hoon raised an eyebrow. "What, right now?"
"Yes. If I really own a bakery, I want to see it with my own eyes."
Ji-hoon nodded slowly. "Okay. And maybe we'll pass by my office too."
Soo-min smiled a little. "Minjae."
He gave her a sharp look.
She grinned. "What? Just practicing."
He groaned. "Let's just go before I regret this whole thing."
_____
A bakery named Cloudy Crumbs Bakery, painted in white with warm wooden accents, stood just a few meters away from their apartment.
"Oh, is that the place?" Ji-hoon asked.
"Yeah, I think so."
As soon as they reached the front door, Soo-min tried to open it—but it didn't budge. There was a small key hanging from the door handle, attached to a corgi-shaped keychain.
"Wait… someone locked it from the inside," Soo-min said, puzzled.
While they were trying to figure it out, someone appeared behind the glass from inside the bakery, looking confused. He walked over and unlocked the door for them.
"Wait, Seo Yura? I thought you were taking the week off?" the guy asked, eyes focused on Soo-min.
"O-oh, no… I just wanted to drop by for a bit with Minjae," Soo-min replied nervously.
Especially because standing in front of her was a well-known actor who'd often starred in movies and dramas with Ji-hoon. Being stuck between two handsome actors made this feel even more like a dream.
"Seong-ho…?" Ji-hoon asked, puzzled.
"Yeah?" the man replied casually.
Wait. His name here is Seong-ho too?
"Wait—are you really Seong-ho?" Soo-min asked.
Seong-ho burst out laughing. "What kind of game are you two playing?" he said, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye.
Soo-min let out a nervous laugh and nudged Ji-hoon to play along. Ji-hoon gave her a dry chuckle in return.
They stepped inside Cloudy Crumbs Bakery and were immediately wrapped in a cozy, welcoming atmosphere. There were a few small tables and chairs, perfect for hanging out.
"I'm opening a little late today," Seong-ho said casually. "Had some stuff to deal with this morning. I messaged you, but you didn't read it yet."
"Oh? Sorry, I haven't checked my phone today," Soo-min replied quickly.
As they settled inside the bakery, Ji-hoon couldn't help but lean in a little closer to Seong-ho, his brows furrowed.
"Hey… do you know someone named Ji-hoon?"
Seong-ho looked up from wiping the counter, clearly puzzled. "Ji-hoon? No, I don't think so. Why?"
Ji-hoon raised a brow. "You sure? Not even a little familiar?"
Seong-ho chuckled lightly and looked between Ji-hoon and Soo-min. "Wait… is that supposed to be one of your friends or something?"
Ji-hoon blinked. "No, I mean—he's kind of famous…"
"Famous?" Seong-ho repeated, scratching the back of his head. "Nah, name doesn't ring a bell. Is he a friend of yours? Someone you both know?"
Soo-min coughed awkwardly. "Um… not really. Just… someone we thought you might've heard of."
Ji-hoon leaned back, eyes narrowing slightly. Seong-ho was telling the truth. There wasn't even a flicker of recognition in his face. Either he was a acting real good, or something was seriously wrong with the universe.
After a few more minutes of chatting and pretending everything was fine, Ji-hoon stood up from his seat and dusted off his pants.
"I think I'll head back first," he said, glancing briefly at Soo-min.
Soo-min blinked. "Oh… okay. You sure?"
"Yeah. I need some time to think." His voice was low, almost muttering.
Seong-ho looked up from behind the counter. "You're leaving already? You just got here, Minjae."
Ji-hoon forced a small smile. "Yeah. Just remembered something I have to do at home."
He didn't wait for further questions. With a quick nod, he turned around and walked out of the bakery, the little bell above the door giving a soft ding as he left.
Now it was just Soo-min and Seong-ho in the cozy bakery.
She sat there awkwardly for a second, feeling the silence stretch between them.
"So…" Seong-ho started, placing a cup of hot tea in front of her, "you okay? You two look a little off today."
Soo-min gave him a tired smile. "Yeah. Just… weird day."
Seong-ho raised an eyebrow, watching Soo-min sip her tea with a strange expression.
"Weird day? Why? Did you two have a fight or something after your honeymoon?"
Soo-min nearly choked. "Honeymoon?"
"Uh, yeah?" Seong-ho looked genuinely confused. "Did something happen in Thailand? You guys came back acting super weird."
Thailand? Honeymoon?
Soo-min's brain was spinning. She had no clue about any honeymoon—let alone one in Thailand. How deep did this rabbit hole go?
"Ah… nothing serious, really," she said quickly, brushing a loose hair behind her ear. "Anyway, is there anything I can help with here?"
Seong-ho shook his head, waving her off. "Nah, it's your day off, remember? I'm not gonna make you work today. Go rest or something. You two probably still have jet lag."
Soo-min let out a tiny awkward laugh. "Right… jet lag."
She looked around the bakery, trying to calm her racing thoughts. So now she was not just married, but had apparently been on a honeymoon to Thailand? Soo-min has never even been to Thailand!
What the hell was going on?
_____
Ji-hoon walked back toward the apartment, hands shoved in his pockets, still trying to process everything that had happened that morning. His mind was a total mess—Seo Yura, Choi Minjae, wedding photos, a literal sex sofa… What even was his life right now?
Just as he reached their floor, he spotted the old lady from earlier—the same sweet neighbor who had brought them lasagna.
"Oh, Minjae!" she called out with a warm smile.
Ji-hoon gave her a polite nod. "Ah… hello."
She stepped a little closer, holding a small shopping bag. "Where's your wife? Didn't you two leave together this morning?"
Ji-hoon blinked. Right. Wife. He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "She, uh... stayed at the bakery for a bit. I came home first."
The lady gave a knowing little nod, like she was used to seeing them around. "Newlyweds need their rest too," she chuckled softly.
Ji-hoon just laughed nervously, unsure what else to say.
Just then, a delivery guy came up the stairs, holding a package. "Ah! Mrs. Cha, this one's for you," he said, handing her a slim cardboard box.
Ji-hoon raised an eyebrow. Mrs. Cha?
Finally—he had a name. So the kind old neighbor was Mrs. Cha.
She took the package, thanked the delivery guy, then turned back to Ji-hoon with a smile. "Anyway, if you two need anything, you know where to find me."
"Thanks," Ji-hoon replied, watching her shuffle toward her door.
He stood there for a moment, still trying to piece everything together.
So now he knew one real name in this strange fake life.
One mystery down… a hundred more to go.
_____
Somewhere outside of time and space, beyond the walls of the little bakery, someone was watching.
A figure stood in the shadows—neither light nor darkness could fully define him. His presence rippled subtly through the air, invisible to human eyes.
Through the glass window, he watched as Soo-min awkwardly chatted with Seong-ho. Her laugh was soft, uncertain. There was tension in her shoulders, a flicker of something restless behind her smile.
The god narrowed his eyes.
"Seo Yura… no, Han Soo-min."
He spoke her name with a weight that felt older than the world she stood in.
His gaze then shifted slightly, as if trying to peer beyond the current moment, into something that hadn't happened yet.
"This world… will it fall apart again?" he murmured.
His voice was calm, but beneath it was the hint of something heavy. A hesitation. A fear.
"Will their hearts break all over again?" he whispered to himself. "Or… will this time be different?"
For a while, he stood in silence—watching, waiting.
Then, with a flicker of wind and a sound like a sigh, the god vanished.
Leaving behind only the ticking clock of fate, and two people walking blindly through a story that had already been written once before.