Gwangalli Beach. Once again, the scene was set for a bustling day of social mingling.
And to top it off, the weather was perfect today. Ideal for love to bloom—and for one-night stands, if that’s what you’re into.
A group of women, who had laid out a blanket and settled in, politely waved off an approaching man.
“I’m sorry, but we’re here to enjoy ourselves just among ourselves.”
“Aha, understood.”
In response, the group of men who had suggested joining them retreated quietly, careful not to reveal any awkwardness.
A short while later, the three men heaved a collective sigh.
“What are we going to do now?”
“It’s strange. Usually by this point, we’d have had at least some success.”
“Should we try heading to Haeundae? I’ve heard it’s better there.”
Just as they were discussing their next move—
“…!”
One of the men suddenly widened his eyes, pointing a finger in a particular direction.
“Hey, hey, look over there. Isn’t she pretty?”
The others’ heads whipped around like meerkats spotting something in the distance.
“….”
And in that next moment, no one responded. Not that they needed to.
A woman with snow-white hair was running, her movements so elegant it was as if a masterfully crafted sculpture had come to life. From her face to her body proportions, the men knew immediately why she was so enchanting. Of all the people at the beach today, she was undoubtedly the star.
“…She’s beautiful.”
“Hey, we have to talk to her. Absolutely.”
“Yeah. Even if it fails, we have to try. Otherwise, we’ll regret it.”
Though all failures may hurt, there are moments where just attempting something is enough to make it significant. For them, asking for her number—or even just her name—felt like one of those moments.
Let’s just try to strike up a conversation, at the very least.
Because her figure was truly captivating.
But…
“…?”
Something was off.
This woman was running directly toward them. As she got closer, her expression looked increasingly urgent—more so than they initially expected. It was actually quite frightening.
“What… what is that?”
“Why is she running this way?”
“Shit! We gotta run!”
In less than a moment, their composure crumbled. Her desperate look was akin to that of a serial killer.
A peaceful seaside atmosphere persisted, with the waves gently lapping the shore and tall buildings and the Guangyeong Bridge visible in the distance. Yet, amidst this serene setting, a chase was unfolding.
“Hey! You! Don’t stand there!”
It was almost like a wildlife documentary.
Da-da-da-da—!
The Arctic fox was frantically fleeing, chased by a group of ferocious predators. One thing was certain—both the hunters and the hunted were running for their lives.
“Who the hell are you? Where’s our Sua?”
“You’ll die the second we catch you!”
As if dying after being caught was an option! Not a chance!
“Our Sua can’t even do multiplication tables!”
Oh no? That’s not true!
“Huff… Huff… Huff…”
There was no time for explanations. Sua was already struggling to breathe properly while she ran for her life, driven only by her primal instinct to not get caught.
Da-da-da-da-da—!
The uneven sandy beach didn’t make things easier. Thanks to her frantic escape, the pursuers hadn’t been able to catch up yet.
Some bystanders observed the strange chase curiously.
But does it matter right now? What matters is not being caught!
Da-da-da-da—!
After running a few more minutes…
At last, the chase began to wind down.
“Huff… Huff… Huff…”
“You crazy woman!”
“Hey, stop for a second!”
One by one, those chasing Sua came to a halt, and she stopped, maintaining a short distance between them.
Thankfully, Sua was also reaching her limits.
A deer filled with menace finally spoke up.
“Hey! You! Answer me!”
“What, what?”
“Come here for a moment. Let’s have a conversation.”
“Talk from where I am! I can hear you just fine from here.”
At this, the deer wiped the sweat from his face with his sleeve, preparing to run again if need be. His determined stance resembled that of a passionate athlete fueled by years of training.
‘I shouldn’t have stopped…’
Sua immediately realized her mistake the moment she halted.
She couldn’t possibly run anymore. If it wasn’t for her momentum from before, she wouldn’t have gotten this far. She needed backup now.
’Help me, guys!’
First up: Lee Kang-cheol.
—I’ll handle it.
Bang!
Sua’s gaze immediately turned resolute.
“Hold on.”
She extended her palm towards those who were about to chase her again.
“I understand that you’re shocked.”
“….”
“But what’s the best choice in this situation?”
“What?”
“Let’s stick to the rules. We can carefully untangle any misunderstandings one by one through dialogue. I think this approach will result in the best outcome. I’ll wait for a reasonable response.”
“You’re definitely not Sua…”
The group began to close in.
Sua instantly began sweating profusely. Inwardly, she was already casting Kang-cheol away.
‘This isn’t working! Kim Yu-han! Yu-han Sua!’
But Yu-han Sua was uncooperative.
‘What? Yu-han Sua!’
—Senior, it’s not my turn yet.
Only a brief reply. It was perplexing, but Sua had no choice.
So, she called on Ji-hye Sua next.
Bang!
Sua’s gaze immediately strengthened. It was already taking effect as those advancing hesitated.
Wooooosh!
The sea breeze picked up.
“If you wish to harm me, prepare yourself.”
Calmly, Sua stood her ground.
“I am the top martial artist of the evil sect…”
“….”
“…and the strongest in the world.”
“….”
“Through all the ages.”
Afterward, she got thoroughly beaten.
◈◈◈◈◈
A little later.
“Ugh….”
Sua groaned, entirely covered in sand, only her head visible. Her body was buried in a sand pile by her friends and remained immobile. She was now undergoing relentless questioning.
While enduring this, Sua asked Ji-hye:
‘Hey, you said you were the strongest in the world? Why are you so weak?’
—The concept of “mind-body-spirit” union applies in martial arts.
‘Mind-body-spirit union… What’s that?’
—It means the body, inner powers, and spirit must align to unleash true strength. In your case, your spirit (神) has been fulfilled by my essence.
‘Then? Why are you so weak?’
—Because your body’s a useless piece of trash. Meditate more.
‘…’
At that moment, the deer spoke up.
“This guy is definitely an alien. She drank seawater.”
“Crazy woman! You were the one who forced her to drink it!”
SPLASH!
The deer hurled another splash of seawater her way.
“Cough!”
“Quiet! Tell us where Sua is!”
“That’s me! I’m Sua! Sua Lee!”
No one easily believed her.
“Tell us Sua’s location or you will meet death.”
“How dare you mess with our friend?”
“Idiot. Did you really think disguising yourself as the most uncivilized person on Earth would be easy? Choosing to impersonate Sua… Ugh.”
Sua was shocked by the last remark. What the hell?
No matter what, she couldn’t stay buried under the sand, getting soaked by seawater. Her eyes were burning, and it was unbearably salty!
And being immobile was stifling!
Unable to bear it any longer, Sua shouted.
“To begin with, why do you think I’m not Sua? You all know my name, and I know all of our memories together!”
“Obviously, you must’ve stolen Sua’s brain first.”
Sua’s eyebrows twitched as the deer spoke.
“What?”
“But discovering it was too intellectually low, you had no choice but to blend your intellect with hers. Hence, this bizarre hybrid version of you emerged. Am I wrong?”
“….”
Sua was at a loss for words. What the hell, crazy person?
But to them, Sua herself was the crazy one. How could they possibly believe it was the same person who suddenly had top-notch acting skills and advanced knowledge?
In the end, Sua had only one option.
‘Yu-han Sua! What are you doing? Help me!’
—I’m not ready yet.
—Besides, there’s no need to help you.
‘What? Betrayal?’
Just as Sua trembled with fear.
Yu-han Sua continued calmly.
—Senior, just confess the truth.
—Huh?
—Explain everything in complete detail about your “special ability.”
‘Huh? What does that mean suddenly? I suffered through all of this because I couldn’t outright reveal my special ability!’
—Trust me.
—It’s part of the grand plan.
‘…’
Sua couldn’t fully grasp Yu-han Sua’s meaning but had no time to delve deeper. Their friends were already preparing something menacing.
“Let’s see if this alien can withstand this.”
The deer was already kneading sand mixed with seawater into round shapes. Pieces of shell were also embedded—being hit by that would be fatal.
Oh yes. Guaranteed death.
Reacting instinctively, Sua opened her mouth.
“Wait, wait—!”
In an instant, all attention was on her.
Forget it. Sua then started explaining rapidly.
“To be honest, I have a special ability!”
“What?”
“Those things exist, right? When you read novels and manga, you sometimes see status windows appearing in front of people’s eyes! One day, it just happened to me! I received a divine revelation!”
The expressions of her friends turned incredulous.
The deer asked.
“What does that have to do with you getting smarter?”
“My ability allows me to experience scripts, and I can even keep the characters I’ve played inside a mental space. Right now, there are three others inside me besides myself. They’re all incredibly intelligent!”
“…What?”
“I’m no longer just one person! I live with many people inside me, exchange ideas, and keep getting smarter this way!”
The friends then formed a circle and retreated to hold a temporary discussion. Watching them from above, their expressions were all serious.
How much time passed like this?
Much later…
The deer knelt down on one knee, meeting Sua’s eye level.
“…I believe you. You really are Sua.”
