“Are you okay, Sia?”

Even while driving, Manager Hyunseok kept checking Sia Lee’s complexion.

Her face was pale as paper. No matter how he looked at it, she didn’t seem to be in good shape.

“I’m fine. I’m just a little nervous.”

At that, Hyunseok blinked rapidly.

‘That’s even weirder!’

You’re nervous? You, of all people?

Sure, today was the year-end acting awards ceremony, but he’d never once expected something like that to be enough to make the one and only Sia Lee nervous.

‘She’s not the type.’

She’d been nominated for the grand prize before, and back then she’d been so calm people around her had clicked their tongues and said they’d never seen nerves like that.

Isn’t it obvious I’m getting it? If not me, who?

She’d been brimming with confidence—so much it was practically obnoxious. He couldn’t understand why she was acting like this today.

“Unni, do you want some calmative medicine or something?”

“Yeah.”

“...Huh? Really? O-oh, oppa! Stop! There’s a pharmacy right there!”

“Uh—okay! Got it.”

WHIIIINE!

She’d only said it on a whim, but the moment she got an affirmative answer, Jihyun—who’d been checking Sia’s outfit—hurriedly had him pull over.

“Unni, here!”

“Yeah, thanks.”

Watching Sia immediately down the drinkable dose, Jihyun tilted her head too. She wasn’t the kind of person who looked for something like that... Why was she so tense today?

“Haa...”

Whether they understood or not, Sia kept letting out long, deep breaths.

‘Because it’s my first time.’

The first time I acted without using the System.

She opened the System window right away.

System

Name: Sia Lee (Camilla)

Agility: B Stamina: B+

Looks: S+ Acting: S (EX)

Singing: B (A) Charm: A (A+)

Remaining Points: 1

Her acting stat had risen a lot.

So for this drama, she hadn’t copied Camilla’s acting ability. She’d filmed it purely with the skill she had herself.

‘Of course I’d be nervous.’

The ratings had been incredible, but she didn’t know if that was because of her acting, or simply because of the name “Sia Lee.”

When she thought about the awards ceremony—where she would be judged—her throat kept going dry.

Suddenly, something that had happened last year came back to her.

The day she’d ended up hospitalized because of the man called her father.

The choice she’d been given then.

*****

System(ง˙∇˙)ว!

Life Reset

You will erase your entire current life and obtain a new one.

A good family, a good household. A life overflowing with luck will unfold.

However, all memories up to now will be erased. You will be reborn as a young soul who knows nothing.

Life Reset.

She didn’t know who Dorman was, but honestly, it was an unbelievably tempting offer.

System(ง˙∇˙)ว!

Time to Choose

You stand at a crossroads that comes only once in a lifetime!

You have 168 hours.

167 : 59 : 58

She didn’t think she needed even a week.

Why would she hesitate? A new family, and all painful memories wiped away.

System(ง˙∇˙)ว!

Yes

or

No

Her hand moved naturally toward YES.

“......”

But strangely, her finger wouldn’t move any farther.

Was this really right?

Was it okay to throw this life away like this?

SLAM!

“Sia!”

And at that moment—Hyunseok, who’d said he was stepping °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° out briefly to meet her attending physician, rushed back in.

“Look at this.”

He shoved his phone into her hands.

Wondering what it was, Sia checked the screen—then her eyes slowly widened.

Unni! Get well soon!

Unni Sia! Don’t be sick. I’ll cheer for—

“...What is this?”

A video was playing—people she’d never seen, sending her messages of support.

“A challenge started. People are sending you encouragement videos.”

“What?”

“Your story kind of... well, anyway. I think everyone wants to cheer you on.”

Sia’s eyes went a little blank, then returned to the phone.

“...Pity?”

Are they pitying me?

She knew they didn’t mean it in a bad way. She knew it was something she should be grateful for. But she couldn’t stop the sting in her chest.

Is my life still full of misery?

Is that how it looks to them?

Seeing the bitterness on her face, Hyunseok guided her toward the window.

“Look over there.”

“......”

Sia’s gaze turned outside. Then, as she noticed something, her eyes went round.

A massive skyscraper in the center of town—tall enough to be seen from the hospital. On its giant electronic billboard, her face was displayed.

And underneath it, there was text.

Text wishing for her recovery.

“You know how much it costs to rent that billboard? Do you think people would do that over nothing but pity?”

She couldn’t take her eyes off her own photo—her smiling face.

I’m waiting for the day you smile again.

As she read the words on the billboard, her eyes brimmed red.

“Because they care about you. Because they like you.”

At that, the tears she’d been holding back finally spilled over.

Hyunseok gently patted her shoulder. He was half amazed at his actress—who’d been crying more often lately.

“......”

After Hyunseok left, Sia brought up the System window again.

System(ง˙∇˙)ว!

Yes

or

No

She looked back and forth between the glittering System window and the billboard outside for a long moment.

Then her hand moved.

Not toward YES.

Toward NO.

*****

“20xx JNC Acting Awards. And the winner of the grand prize is...”

The actors attending the ceremony turned their eyes to a veteran actor standing at the podium.

Last year, he’d won the grand prize for a historical drama. This year, he unfolded the paper with the winner’s name written on it, and smiled faintly.

“Ms. Sia Lee, for Street of the Maze.”

The moment her name was called, Sia’s mouth fell open. Did I really... win the grand prize?

Amid the other actors’ congratulations and the audience’s cheers, Sia slowly headed for the stage.

She hadn’t used the System’s copying ability—Camilla’s acting skill.

This was an achievement earned purely through her own power.

By the time she stood in front of the microphone, her eyes were already red. Watching her, everyone couldn’t hide their confusion.

Sia Lee, who was always confident.

Sia Lee, who was famous for never crying over anything that wasn’t acting.

“Well...”

“She must’ve had it rough.”

Then they remembered what had happened to her last year, and they nodded.

Winning an award after something like that... it could feel different.

“Thank you.”

Hearing the slight tremor in her voice, people offered her warm, encouraging smiles.

“A lot happened.”

Really. So much happened.

“But standing here... it feels like my choice wasn’t wrong.”

A smile slowly formed at the corner of Sia Lee’s lips.

“I want to give this award... to myself.”

At her bold words, people let out small laughs. Yeah. That’s Sia Lee.

“And...”

She paused, then let out a long breath.

“I want to share this joy with my closest friend—the one who helped me stand here.”

The other me, who laid the foundation for all of this.

“I hope... both of us can be happy now.”

Camilla. I want you to be happy more than anyone.

‘Me...’

I’m so happy right now.

A truly bright smile, from the bottom of her heart, bloomed across Sia Lee’s face.