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Chapter 01
I am Seo Ha-yoon, a professional office worker in South Korea.
Or to be precise, I was Seo Ha-yoon—up until yesterday.
Dragging my body home after another round of late-night overtime, I collapsed into bed. But when I opened my eyes again, I was in a strange place.
“Where the heck am I?”
In a panic, I grabbed the mirror lying nearby.
“What the—what happened to my face?”
Looking back at me was a girl with caramel-colored hair—something you’d need heavy bleaching to achieve—and sun-kissed, healthy-looking skin.
Startled by the unfamiliar appearance and foreign surroundings, I rushed outside. Sticky, humid air and a briny scent instantly stung my nose.
“This smell… it’s the sea, isn’t it?”
Even with my eyes closed, I could recognize it. My hometown had been a seaside village, after all.
I’d spent nearly twenty years growing up by the shore—there was no mistaking it.
Shocked, I ran until I bumped into someone and grabbed them desperately.
“Mister! Where am I?”
“Where d’you think? It’s just an island. Jjok Island.”
“Jjok Island? Then, what’s the name of this country? What year is it right now?”
“What d’you need that for? Why’re you asking such weird questions all of a sudden?”
The man gave me a suspicious look.
“Quit your nonsense and go dig up clams. If you dawdle, the tide’ll come in quick.”
“Clams…?”
“Of course! It’s summer—what else would you dig?”
The man waved me off and disappeared down the path.
“Damn it… why am I in a place like this? Could it be… possession?”
It was a reasonable suspicion.
But no matter how many people I asked, nobody seemed to know this island’s name. They didn’t even know the name of the country!
“How am I supposed to tell if this is reincarnation or possession without knowing anything?”
To make matters worse, the name everyone called me was one I’d never heard in my life.
Jiana Hertin.
And I’d devoured countless webnovels—yet never once come across that name.
“This is insane.”
But the biggest problem of all? This place was an island!
I had worked so hard to escape my hometown island—and now I was back on another one?
Again?
“No. No, this has to be a dream. I’ve been overworking myself… pulling seven straight days of overtime is bound to mess with your brain, right?”
I crawled back into the house and buried myself in the damp, humid blankets, muttering excuses to myself.
“When you’re exhausted, dreams always feel real.”
I’d hated my island hometown so much that I fled the moment I became an adult.
Being trapped whenever the wind blew too hard and the ferries stopped running… it had driven me mad.
The dry, hectic city life suited me perfectly.
I swore I’d never go back. Not ever.
“Jiana! How long are you gonna laze around? If you don’t finish your quota today, you’ll regret it!”
A plump woman I didn’t recognize yanked my blanket off, her voice booming like she’d swallowed a train whistle.
She hauled me up by the arm and smacked my back with her palm.
“Didn’t I tell you to hurry up and get ready?”
“W-wait… Mom?”
“If you keep slacking off, our whole village will starve! What’s gotten into you?”
This “mom” of mine kept nagging so loudly my eardrums hurt.
Overcome with frustration, I snapped back.
“Ugh, Mom! Let me rest for once!”
“My goodness. The girl who used to jump up at the mere mention of clams is saying this? Did you eat something bad?”
“I did—I ate bad clams! I don’t want to see another clam ever again. You go dig them yourself, I’m not going!”
“The world must be ending. You refusing to dig clams… Well, fine. Rest, then. Maybe you’ll feel better after.”
Clucking her tongue, she picked up a basket and left the house.
Alone again, I dove under the blanket. But no matter how I tossed and turned, I couldn’t fall asleep.
“Why did I end up in a world like this?”
I had no answer. I didn’t know where I was, or who Jiana really was.
Lying there, listening to the crashing waves, fragments of Jiana’s memories began trickling into my mind.
I examined them one by one.
“…Huh. She’s got the exact same personality as me.”
No wonder her mom hadn’t noticed anything strange.
“And wow… she really loved clams.”
Not just catching them, but eating them too.
In fact, she wasn’t just a fan—she was the best at it. Known across the island for her speed, she’d practically fed the whole village with her skills.
“She was good at catching octopus and whelks too… and in winter, when there were no clams, she went diving for oysters…”
Wait. That’s exactly what I used to do.
When I lived in my seaside hometown, summers meant digging clams, winters meant harvesting oysters.
“This isn’t possession—it’s basically a reset! My body might be Jiana’s, but this is just Seo Ha-yoon’s second life starting from square one.”
Same old island.
Same clam-digging destiny.
What difference was there between Jiana and me, really?
Frustrated, I screamed into the air before yanking the blanket over my head again.
A few days passed like that.
I couldn’t just freeload at home forever, so eventually my mom dragged me along to the mudflats to dig clams.
But matching Jiana’s old skill level was impossible. You need passion to excel at something—and I loathed the sea.
“Are you sure you’re not sick?”
Watching me fumble, my mom frowned.
“The girl who couldn’t get enough of clams suddenly acting like this… And I heard you asked the neighbor what country this is?”
“So what if I did?”
“Well… folks say when a person does something out of character, it’s a sign they’re about to die…”
She muttered under her breath, then cautiously continued.
“Jiana, listen.”
“What now?”
“You really can’t be like this. Our village has an important event coming up.”
“Event? What event?”
She hesitated, then spoke.
“The Grand Duke is visiting soon. With his sailors, and a whole lot of people.”
“So?”
“You’re the most skilled here. If you slack off, we won’t be able to host them properly…”
In other words, I had to get my act together and dig clams like before. But my ears perked up at the words Grand Duke.
“The Grand Duke is coming here?”
“It’s been years… The last time the late Grand Duke came here must’ve been twenty years ago. If we host them well, our village will prosper, and maybe—”
Whatever else she said went in one ear and out the other.
The Grand Duke visiting this tiny island?!
He won’t swim here, so he’ll have to come by ship!
This was my chance to escape!
Cutting her off, I blurted out, “When? When’s he arriving?”
“Any day now. Tomorrow or the day after, they say his ship’ll dock.”
At that, my face lit up.
“Perfect. When he comes, I’ll ask him to take me away!”
He’s a Grand Duke—his ship has to be huge. Surely there’s room for one extra passenger.
“So you want me to dig clams to help host the Grand Duke, right?”
“Yes! That’s what I’ve been saying. Took you long enough to get it.”
“Fine. Guess it’s time to show off my skills again.”
I jumped to my feet, grabbing a rake and basket.
“What’re you waiting for, Mom? Let’s hit the shore.”
