Sungjin yawned widely as he woke up in the morning. He got out of bed, intending to go to the bathroom to get ready for the prestigious award event in South Korea.
However, he was puzzled when he realized he wasn't in his room.
His spacious room, equipped with luxurious furniture, had turned into a cramped room with just a study desk, a bed, and piles of cardboard boxes. The cream-colored paint was peeling, and the ceiling was about to collapse.
"Where am I? Why am I in this ugly storage room?"
BANG!
Sungjin was startled when a woman slammed the door open. Her face was red with anger, and she was holding a broom.
"YOUNGJAE! Why haven't you showered yet, huh?! Don't you see what time it is?!" The woman hit Sungjin with the broom.
"Stop—"
"Why are you so lazy about going to school lately?! I've worked hard to pay for your education, you idiot!"
"Stop it!" Sungjin pushed the woman until she hit the wall. He would never forgive the old woman for damaging his handsome face, his valuable asset.
"How dare you hit me, old woman!" Sungjin yelled. "Don't you know who I am?! I'm Sungjin, a famous K-Pop star in South Korea and the world!"
The woman gaped in disbelief, making Sungjin smirk arrogantly. The old woman must regret her actions now.
"I'll report you to the police for assault!"
"You..." The woman picked up a glass from the study desk and threw it at Sungjin. "Stupid! Stop daydreaming! You will never be a K-Pop star because you're ugly!"
"Now go shower, or I won't consider you my child anymore!" The woman slammed the door as she left.
"Hey! Wait—" Sungjin growled as the woman walked away.
"Who is she? How dare she call me ugly?" Sungjin growled. "I'll get back to you once I get home!"
"By the way, where's my phone? I need to call my manager to pick me up because I don't have any more time." Sungjin searched the desk and the bed but couldn't find his phone.
"Tsk! Where is my phone? Did that poor woman steal it?"
Sungjin's eyes were fixed on the wardrobe. He approached it to open it but froze when he saw a stranger's face in the mirror.
Sungjin screamed hysterically when his handsome face turned into an ugly, acne-ridden man. Not only his face, but his body had also changed, becoming fat like a middle-aged man with three kids.
"What happened?! Where's my handsome face?!" Sungjin touched his face, hoping the ugly face was just makeup for a movie. But he felt pain when he pinched his cheek.
"This is real? Impossible!" Sungjin was in shock and panic. "Did my haters secretly kidnap me and operate on my face to make me ugly so I can't be a K-Pop star anymore?!"
In the entertainment industry, it was common for fellow artists or entertainers to bring each other down.
"That old woman must be behind this!" Furious, Sungjin stormed out to confront the wretched woman. However, he stopped in his tracks when he accidentally heard the news on television.
[A piece of sad news comes from the artist Sungjin. The multitalented man had a single-car accident on the streets of Seoul, leaving him in a coma. His body and face were burned after his car hit an electric pole and exploded. Preliminary suspicion is that Sungjin was drunk, causing his car to swerve.]
Sungjin was stunned. He felt like he had been struck by thousands of volts of electricity upon hearing the news.
Then the television showed the medical team evacuating his charred body into an ambulance. His condition was appalling. His handsome face was burnt.
He couldn't even recognize himself.
Yoon Ah approached her son and rubbed his shoulder as he stood there in a daze. "You must be in shock."
The 45-year-old woman knew her son idolized Sungjin very much. He even fantasized about being him and dreamed of becoming an idol.
However, Yoon Ah never allowed her son to become an idol because she knew the life of an artists was very tough. Insults, slander, and competition would always color an artist's journey throughout their life.
Every move would be scrutinized by the public. Even the smallest mistake would greatly affect their career and future. It was not uncommon for many artists to choose to end their lives.
Moreover, Yoon Ah didn't have the money to enroll her son as a trainee in one of the top agencies in South Korea. Besides, Youngjae was ugly, even though he had a talent for singing.
Unfortunately, talent alone wasn't enough to become an artist. Handsomeness was an absolute requirement for aspiring artists, K-Pop stars, or otherwise.
Youngjae would be rejected by any agency.
"This can't be. This must be a dream..." Sungjin sat weakly on the floor in shock. He sobbed uncontrollably. His career and future were destroyed in a day. He had worked so hard to become an idol recognized by many people.
"Don't be so dramatic, Youngjae! He's not our relative that you should cry over!" Yoon Ah scolded him, but Sungjin ignored her.
"Hurry up and get ready for school so you can become a rich businessman! Forget about your dream of becoming an idol!"
Yoon Ah was a widow who worked as a cleaning service at a hotel. Her salary was just enough for daily living. Her husband left them for another woman.
Youngjae was her only hope. She didn't want her son's life to end up miserable like hers. Therefore, she would fight hard to provide the best education so Youngjae could become a great businessman.
"Youngjae! Did you hear me?!"
Sungjin stood up and glared at his mother. "Stop calling me Youngjae! I'm not your son!" He stormed out of the apartment in a fit of rage.
"Where are you going, you fool?! Get back here before I kill you!"
Sungjin ignored Yoon Ah's screams. He just wanted to go somewhere quiet and vowed never to return.