POV: Male Lead (Ahn Min-jae)
Min-jae sat in front of the mirror, staring at himself.
His reflection was the same—same sharp jawline, same dark eyes, same neatly styled hair.
But inside… everything felt different.
His chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm, the new heart beating within him. A heart that did not belong to him.
He dragged a hand down his face.
Why did it feel like something was missing?
A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts.
"Min-jae?" Ha-neul's voice was soft, hesitant.
"Come in."
She stepped inside, carrying a tray with breakfast. "I made your favorite," she said with a small smile. "Black coffee and toast."
Min-jae took one look at it and frowned.
"I don't want this."
Ha-neul blinked. "But… you always have black coffee in the morning."
Min-jae pushed the tray away. "It tastes too bitter."
Ha-neul's brows knitted together. "Since when?"
He didn't know. He just… didn't like it anymore.
"I don't feel like eating toast either." He sighed. "I want something else."
"What do you want?"
He opened his mouth to answer—but stopped. Because the words that almost slipped out were strange.
Strawberry milk.
His stomach twisted. He had never liked sweet things, let alone strawberry milk. Yet, the craving was sudden and overwhelming.
Confused, he ran a hand over his chest.
This was his body. His mind. But why did it feel like someone else's desires were creeping in?
---
A Heart That Remembers
Later that day, Min-jae went for a walk outside.
Ha-neul stayed close, watching him carefully. "Are you feeling okay?"
He nodded but didn't say much.
His legs carried him toward a small park, where children were running around, laughing. An elderly man sat on a bench, tossing breadcrumbs to the birds.
Min-jae slowed to a stop.
His heart clenched.
It wasn't pain—more like… recognition.
He had never been to this park before, yet it felt strangely familiar. As if he had been here before.
Memories that weren't his flickered in his mind.
A man sitting on this very bench. The sound of a child's laughter. A warm hand ruffling a little girl's hair.
Min-jae's breathing grew uneven.
This wasn't his memory.
It was her father's.
The heart… was remembering.
---
Losing Himself
That night, Min-jae stood in the kitchen, staring at the glass of strawberry milk Ha-neul had placed in front of him.
He hadn't told her about the craving. Yet, somehow, she had known.
"I remember," she whispered. "My dad used to drink this every night."
Min-jae clenched his fists.
That confirmed it. The heart was changing him.
First, the craving. Then, the memories. What was next?
Would he stop being himself?
Would he wake up one day and think like her father?
His voice was barely above a whisper. "Ha-neul… what if I become someone else?"
Her eyes widened. "What?"
He swallowed hard. "This heart—it's remembering things. It's craving things I never liked. What if… what if I start to forget who I am?"
Ha-neul grabbed his hands, shaking her head. "That won't happen."
He searched her face desperately. "How do you know?"
She placed his hand over his chest, right where the heart beat steadily.
"Because no matter whose heart it is, it's inside you now," she whispered. "And I love you. Not just your heart. Not just your body. You."
Min-jae let out a shaky breath.
He wasn't sure if that was enough to ease his fears.
But for now, he clung to her words like a lifeline.
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