"Sis, why don't you go outside for a bit and buy us some kimchi? The convenience store nearby probably has some. You've been glued to your phone all day! Gosh, how are you ever going to get a boyfriend if you're like this? You're almost out of the calendar—come on! Go outside and find a boyfriend!" Her sister's nagging crawled into Mari's mind, and with a groan, she sat up against her will and shot an annoyed look at her.
"I don't want a boyfriend! I want to stay single my whole life! Look at my co-workers who ended up being cheated on, crying in the office!"
"Come on, if you had a boyfriend, your life would probably be happier too! You're pretty, smart and even athletic, that you still do taekwondo at your age!"
"Are you complimenting me or insulting me?"
"Of course I'm complimenting you! Now go, buy us some kimchi, or snacks, or whatever. Just get something to eat!"
"You probably just want me to run an errand for you," Mari muttered, and the two continued their lighthearted bickering.
The rain had started to fall harder by the time Mari finally stepped out. The streets glistened under the dim glow of streetlights, slick and slippery from the downpour. She then pulled her jacket tighter around her as she hurried toward the convenience store a block away, trying to ignore the drizzle.
"Take the umbrella with you, sis!" her younger sister called from the kitchen, but Mari had already adjusted her hood and was halfway out the door.
"Fine, fine! What else?" Mari replied, rolling her eyes while one hand on the doorknob, and the other still scrolling through her favorite manhwa.
"Then get me some strawberry juice too. I'll pay you later, okay?"
"Tsk, pay later? I'll probably wait a year before you pay me," Mari teased, and they shared a soft laugh before her sister returned to the dishes.
Inside, the convenience store was quiet. Fluorescent lights cast harsh reflections on the rain-darkened streets outside as Mari picked up her usual snacks and a cold kimchi, humming softly.
Everything felt perfectly normal… until she stepped out.
Two men suddenly approached her, and all she could feel was the searing pain tore through her chest at that time. She didn't know what exactly happen because it was so fast and dark, too.
She gasped, dropping her bag and kimchi as the warm, sticky blood splashed across her soaked shoes. The world then tilted violently while her vision swimming and blurring, and she crumpled onto the wet pavement. Rain mixed with the crimson spread across the ground and the cold drops mingling with the burning warmth of her own blood.
Screams also pierced the night, sharp and chaotic. Red and blue lights flashed, cutting through the darkness and momentarily blinding her. Until her sister appeared when she was called by the neighbors with terrified face appeared in the chaos, running toward her and tears streaked down her cheeks.
"S-sis, oh my god, what happened? Oh, g-god… let me call Mom, okay? You'll be fine, don't close your eyes, please!"
Mari's hands trembled violently as she tried to push herself up, reaching toward her sister, who was now crying, phone pressed to her ear. But her body refused to obey. Amidst the chaos, Mari noticed with a sharp, eerie clarity that her sister hadn't even had time to slip on her sandals.
"M-Mary…" That was all she could manage to whisper before… darkness swallowed her completely.
When she opened her eyes again, she sat up immediately while chest rising and falling in panic. She then reached down to check the wound but there was no pain where the knife had struck.
Something was… wrong.
"I was so sure that I died so what the hell is happening?"
She looked around.
The room was strange yet the air carried a faint smell of flowers. The ceiling was also high, with gold trim along the edges. Crystal chandeliers hung from above, reflecting light across the marble floor. The walls were lined with large tapestries showing battles and landscapes, and the colors are bright and clear.
"Woah, is this my room in heaven?"
Tall windows were also covered with thick red velvet curtains, slightly open to show the rainy night outside. A large canopy bed stood in one corner and its silk sheets and many pillows were neatly arranged. Several pieces of carved furniture like tables, cabinets and a writing desk were placed around the room.
Everything was clean, polished and in perfect order.
Even her own body felt different. Her hands, her arms, her chest—
"Oh… where are my big breasts?!" she shouted, the sound echoing through the room and spilling into the hallway that the noise was enough to draw the attention of others, and soon, footsteps approached as people came in to check on him.
The servants glanced at each another, with their expressions a mixture of confusion and disbelief. Whispers passed silently between them as they tried to make sense of their young prince's sudden outburst.
Some raised eyebrows, others exchanged small and nervous nods but no one spoke at first, unsure how to address such unexpected behavior.
"Your Highness, are you feeling some discomfort?" a man stepped forward, wearing unfamiliar clothing and a faint look of irritation on his face.
"Are you one of the guardians here, or something like that?" Mari asked, still grappling with the strangeness of his own body and the room around him.
"Ah… yes, Your Highness. Are you, by chance, experiencing any pain?" the man asked again, his tone careful now, trying to mask the irritation he and the other servants felt.
"Pain? Forget about the pain! Just give me my breasts back—they are my assets!" Rowan shouted, frustration lacing his voice.
The man's eyes widened. "Y-your Highness… you may be an omega, but you originally have no breasts to begin with."
"What? What did you just call me?" Rowan demanded, his voice sharp, a mix of shock and anger.
"Your Highness…" the man stammered, glancing briefly at his fellow servants, who were all exchanging uneasy looks, still trying to comprehend the prince's erratic behavior.
Then, suddenly, Mari—or rather, Rowan—decided to ask the man directly.
"What's my name?" he blurted out.
"It's Rowan Ashford, Your Highness," the man replied respectfully.
"Rowan Ashford…" he murmured, eyes narrowing in thought. "That sounds familiar… but where did I hear it?"
A moment later, realization hit him. The name—the face and the story.
"The BL manhwa that I was reading have the protagonist named Rowan Ashford… before I was stabbed…"
His heart then raced as the pieces fell into place. Without thinking, he strode toward the mirror where his movements careful but urgent. And the servants' eyes followed him, a mix of concern and unease on their faces.
"No way…" he whispered.
The reflection staring back at him was unmistakably himself… but not as he remembered. Long, dark hair framed a delicate face, ocean-blue eyes stared back and a slender, almost feminine body mirrored his movements.
Shock overtook him, and he gaped, then shouted.
"Why am I in a BL story?! And… wait… I'm an omega prince! But I'm a womaaaaan!"
His outburst sent the servants into a flurry of murmurs and panic as well as confusion then one stepped forward cautiously.
"W-we should probably call a doctor now, Your Highness…"