What's with this manhwa bullshit!!?!

Chapter 5: Back in Her Own Skin (Mostly)

'You got to be FUCKING kidding me!!!?'

The thought echoed in Sowol's mind as a young man stood before him in the clothing store. The boy, who looked no older than nineteen, was smiling brightly up at him.

"Hello, Dr. Huo," the boy began, his voice friendly. "I'm happy we finally meet. I am Yoojin, your cousin (L.Name) (Name) seatmate. She always talks about you, and I want to know how she's doing? Since it's summer break, she must be back in the Philippines?"

'Yeah right, I don't talk to the smart people in my class, deep shit,' Sowol thought, a storm brewing inside him. Yet, on the outside, he remained perfectly calm and stoic.

"Hmm? Well, that's a surprise, she isn't much of a talker..." Sowol said flatly, his voice devoid of emotion. "...but that's good. I don't want her to feel homesick." He paused, then added, "And she's fine. She's probably in her room or hanging out with her friends."

"Oh! I'm glad she's fine. Thank you for your time, Dr. Huo. I just wanted to know if she's doing okay since I don't have her number. Goodbye." Yoojin bowed politely, still smiling, then turned and walked out of the clothing store.

"Hmm, alright," Sowol responded, his gaze blank as he watched Yoojin's back disappear.

"....."

'Fuckkkkkk, why did I have to bump into Yoojin!!?'

Sowol, now back in the apartment, plopped down onto his bed with a heavy sigh. 'It already happened. I shouldn't mope about it.'

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One Month Later

A month had passed. (Name) had spent that time exploring Sowol's life, attending his doctor shifts, and subtly navigating his routines. She found the medical world fascinating, despite Sowol's apparent detachment.

'Hmm, currently I have about 1,000 system points,' she mused, lying on Sowol's bed, staring at the ceiling. The system had been surprisingly generous with its rewards for completing basic, everyday tasks that felt mundane to her but apparently qualified as "missions" for Sowol's avatar. 'Good thing this system has generous rewards. This is more than enough to switch avatars.'

"System, avatar switch!" she commanded.

[Avatar switch requires 300 System points.]
[Do you still wish to switch?]
[YES] [NO]

Her finger hovered mentally over the 'YES' option. The thought of being back in her own body, even if it was just an avatar, filled her with a strange longing.

[YES]
[Then please select the avatar.]
[Kim Ji-woo]
[L/n (Name)]

She quickly chose her desired form.

[>>> (L.Name) (Name)]
[Please close your eyes to start the switch.]

Sowol, or rather (Name) inhabiting Sowol's body, did as he was told. He closed his eyes, and his consciousness slowly began to fade, a familiar pull drawing him away from the male doctor's body.

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"My daughter, it's time to wake up."

A gentle shake roused her. "Ughh, five more minutes, Mom," (Name) groaned, burying her face deeper into her pillow. The familiar scent of her own bedsheets, of home, was overwhelmingly comforting.

"N/n, your flight to Seoul is in three hours from now. You should really wake up," her mother, Aling Nena, insisted, shaking her again, a slight furrow in her brow.

But (Name) didn't budge. Her mother, growing a bit impatient, did the next best thing. She flipped on (Name)'s room lights.

"Ughh, it's too bright!" (Name) whined, throwing an arm over her eyes.

"My child, if you don't wake up right now, you'll be late for your flight!" Aling Nena's voice was firm now, but still gentle.

"Okay! Okay! I'm up!" (Name) finally sat up, blinking against the sudden light.

"Alright, my child, just wash up first before going downstairs," her mom said, then left the room.

'Ahhh,' (Name) sighed, stretching luxuriously. 'It feels good to be in my body again!' She sat up fully, taking in the familiar posters on her wall, her cluttered desk, and the soft morning light filtering through her window in the Philippines.

"Open status!" she whispered.
A translucent screen materialized before her, displaying new information.

[Status]
Strength: lvl 5
Endurance: lvl 5
Awareness: lvl 7
Intelligence: lvl 20
[Skills]
Charmer: lvl 10
Puppeteer: lvl 5
Acting: lvl 20
Deception: lvl 15

"....."

"...I'm not even surprised," (Name) murmured to herself, a knowing smirk playing on her lips. She glanced at her skills again, particularly 'Charmer,' 'Puppeteer,' 'Acting,' and 'Deception.' 'Hmm, that's interesting.'

"Hmm... let's see... since I still have 700 System points, I should level up my skills," she pondered, tapping her chin.

'I really am a bad person,' (Name) thought, lifting one hand to the side of her face, her expression momentarily bitter. But her smile, widening subtly, suggested otherwise.

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Later, (Name) stretched contentedly in the back seat of Sowol's car. Yes, Sowol was driving. And yes, they still had their own consciousness even when (Name) wasn't possessing their body. It was a bizarre, co-existing arrangement.

"Oppa, what happened while I was gone? Did something interesting happen?" (Name) asked, looking at the back of Sowol's head in the driver's seat.

"Hmm, nothing much," Sowol replied, his voice calm. "But your classmate, I did interact with him."

"Hmm? Which classmate, Oppa?" (Name) asked, feigning innocent curiosity. 'I already know who you're talking about, hehe~'

"Your seatmate last school year, Yoojin."
"Ugh! No way!" (Name) exclaimed, making a face. "He looks like a nerd know-it-all, and I only talk to him if it's group projects. He gives me the chills!"

"I figured that's the case," Sowol said.
"Hmm? What do you mean, Oppa?" (Name) played dumb, batting her eyelashes a bit.
"Well, he is the chairman of Workers, but... you probably already know that," Sowol said, glancing at her in the rearview mirror for a second, his expression unreadable.

"Ehhh? What are you talking about, Oppa?" (Name) looked genuinely confused, then burst into giggles. "Oppa, you're really bad at making jokes! Hahaha!"

"Don't feign ignorance, (Name). I know your personality," Sowol replied, his voice flat but firm.

"Wahh! You're no fun, Oppa. Hmm, anyways, why did that Mr. Nerd know-it-all want with me?"
Story: (Name) L/n, a child who always had what she wanted, a girl full of life and happiness. But... when she realized the harsh reality – the cruel, venomous, corrupt world – her very being became hollow. She knew what kind of people always surrounded her, so she faked everything: what she liked, her views, her opinions. Even when both her grandmothers died, she felt hollow; she faked her sadness and crying. Because to everyone, (Name) is the quiet, kind, funny, and lovely girl, a girl who is weak and always cries, a girl whose words are full of lies... is it really just her lies?

To be continued...........