Darkness. That was the last thing I remembered before I woke up in this unfamiliar place. My head felt heavy, like I had just come out of a deep sleep, but something was… different. The moment I opened my eyes, I knew I wasn't in my usual apartment in Seoul.
Instead, I was in a luxurious room, far too elegant and vintage for modern times. The walls were covered in wooden panels, the furniture looked antique, and the television in the corner wasn't a sleek LED but a boxy CRT TV—the kind I had only seen in history documentaries.
A deep breath in, and I felt an odd sensation in my body. Smaller hands. A lighter frame. I sat up quickly, my heart pounding, and walked toward a mirror hanging on the wall. The reflection staring back at me wasn't mine.
It was a child.
A sharp gasp left my mouth as I stumbled backward, my mind racing. The boy in the mirror had short, neatly combed hair, soft facial features, and expensive-looking clothes. He couldn't have been more than ten years old. But the real shock came when memories started flooding in—memories that didn't belong to me.
I was Jin Do-jun.
The youngest grandson of Jin Yang-cheol, the founder of Sunyang Group.
I froze, my brain refusing to process what was happening. I had seen this face before. I knew this character. Because I had watched Reborn Rich, the drama about a loyal Sunyang employee, Yoon Hyun-woo, who was betrayed and killed, only to be reborn as Jin Do-jun and seek revenge against Sunyang.
But I wasn't Yoon Hyun-woo.
I was me.
A man from 2024, an Indian in Korea, who had nothing to do with Sunyang or the chaotic power struggles of chaebols. Yet, somehow, I had taken over Jin Do-jun's body in 1987.
My Past Life
Before this bizarre situation, I had been an ordinary person in modern-day Korea. Well, maybe not too ordinary—I had worked in the finance sector, had a decent understanding of investments, and spent my free time watching dramas and movies. That's how I stumbled upon Reborn Rich.
At first, I had been hooked. The idea of being reincarnated with future knowledge and taking over a powerful family empire was exciting. Who wouldn't want to see an underdog outsmart greedy chaebols and rise to power?
But as the episodes progressed, I started getting frustrated.
Jin Do-jun—or rather, Yoon Hyun-woo in his body—wasted so much time trying to win over his grandfather.
Why? Why did he care so much about gaining Jin Yang-cheol's approval?
He had future knowledge! He could have simply started his own business, invested in tech companies before they exploded, and built an empire ten times bigger than Sunyang. But no, instead, he spent years fighting his family members for Sunyang's inheritance.
And don't even get me started on Episode 16.
That ending? Garbage.
Do-jun died for nothing, only for the story to reset and return to the original timeline, where Yoon Hyun-woo was still alive. What was the point of everything he had done? It felt like a complete waste of potential.
That was my last memory before waking up here.
And now, I was Jin Do-jun.
Adapting to My New Life
I exhaled slowly, trying to calm my thoughts. Panicking wouldn't help. Whether this was a dream, a second chance, or some strange twist of fate, I needed to adapt.
Thankfully, Do-jun's childhood memories were coming to me. They weren't as detailed as my own memories, but I knew enough.
I was currently 10 years old.The year was 1987.And today was my grandfather's birthday.
As tradition dictated, the entire Jin family was gathering at a luxury venue to celebrate Jin Yang-cheol's birthday.
I glanced at the mirror once more. I was now a child, but my mind was still that of an adult.
A smirk formed on my lips.
This was going to be interesting.
The Car Ride to the Banquet
Dressed in an expensive suit, I stepped into the backseat of a black luxury sedan. My mother, Lee Hae-in, sat beside me, while my father, Jin Yoon-ki, sat in the front seat.
My mother was a gentle woman, the least aggressive among the Sunyang wives. She looked down at me with a kind smile. "Are you excited to see Grandfather?" she asked.
I almost laughed. Excited? Not really. But curious? Absolutely.
This was my first major interaction with the Sunyang family since I transmigrated. I needed to observe them carefully, understand their personalities, and decide how to navigate this world.
The car smoothly pulled out of our estate and onto the road. The streets of 1987 Seoul looked different from what I was used to—no skyscrapers, no modern technology, just a growing economy still recovering from military dictatorship.
I glanced out the window, my mind racing.
I had a new life, a powerful family name, and knowledge of the future.