HDK l CH 1

Chapter 1

I’m tired.

I just want to lie down.

That’s all I’ve been thinking about for a while now.

You might say, “If you want to lie down, then just lie down.”
Well, I can’t — that’s the problem.

Because right now, I’m sitting at a fancy hotel front desk.

Everyone around me is wearing neat uniforms and moving busily, while I’m sitting there feeling painfully out of place —
in bee-pattern pajamas.

Whenever I move even a little, people flinch and glance at me nervously.

And their whispers reach my ears clearly:

“What do we do? There’s no canceled reservation left.”
“At least pretend to check.”
“Ugh, seriously. How do you train new employees to make this kind of mistake?”
“Shh, she’ll hear you.”

Yes. I can hear you just fine.

I kept my head down like I’d done something wrong, but frustration started to rise inside me —
because none of this was my fault.

So, here’s what happened.

I’m basically the definition of “ordinary.”
Ordinary face, ordinary personality, ordinary job.

If “ordinary” had a human form, it would be me — Kim Ji-yoon.
I could even rename myself Kim Ordinary and no one would question it.

But somehow… I transmigrated?

No, I didn’t get hit by a truck.
No, I wasn’t terminally ill.
No, I didn’t leave an angry comment on a webnovel.

I just went home after work, washed up, looked at my phone a bit, and fell asleep.
That’s it. Nothing unusual at all.

The only strange thing was — I woke up naturally, without my alarm.
When I reached for my phone, I noticed the blanket felt different.

Then I opened my eyes and saw a fancy room — golden pillars, a canopy bed, shiny furniture.
Not my room.

I pinched my cheek — it hurt.
So this wasn’t a dream.

And when I looked down, I was still wearing my bee pajamas.

The sight of my silly pajamas against that luxurious setting made one thought hit me hard:

“Ah. I transmigrated.”

That realization was followed by confusion.

I mean, sure, people in novels transmigrate all the time these days, but why me?

I have no special skills, no business ideas, no survival knowledge.
I can’t even remember most of the webnovels I’ve read — they’re all mixed up in my head.

I’m not smart, not charismatic, not the “main character” type at all.

Still, a tiny bit of hope bubbled up.

“Well… maybe there’s a reason I got chosen?”

I touched the soft blanket and smiled.
If transmigrating means living in a place like this, maybe it’s not so bad —
as long as I don’t get caught up in the story’s chaos.

And besides, I have a talent.

If you ask what my best skill is, I can proudly say: lying down.

I’m a world-class homebody, a professional at doing nothing.

So if this is my chance to live as a rich person who doesn’t have to work?
Perfect.

I started daydreaming:
Maybe I’m a duke’s daughter?
A glamorous villainess?
A saint with holy powers?

Then I looked at my hand —
wait. It was just… my hand. My normal hand.

No delicate, noble fingers. Just me.

And when I checked the mirror later, it confirmed it —
no pink hair, no shining blue eyes.
Just my ordinary self.

Then a maid entered the room, startled to see me.

“Uh, excuse me, miss? This room is supposed to be empty…”

I quickly explained that I didn’t sneak in — I just woke up here.
She softened and said,

“Ah! You must be a guest. Maybe your booking got lost. Please follow me.”

So I followed her out. The place looked like a medieval luxury hotel.

At the front desk, the clerk smiled politely.

“May I have your name, please?”

“Kim Ji-yoon,” I said.

They searched, frowned, then said:

“I’m sorry, but there’s no reservation under that name.”

Well, yeah — of course not. I never booked anything.

So I asked, “Then… where am I exactly?”

***

Turns out, this place is something called the “Transmigration Hotel.”

It’s like a waiting room between the real world and the world inside novels.
Future transmigrators stay here to prepare before entering their new lives.

Everything is managed by a reservation system — and it’s fully booked for years.

The clerk beside me, sweating bullets, admitted there must’ve been a mistake that brought me here.

So I asked, “Then… can I just go home?”

He looked nervous and said:

“I’m very sorry, but… once you arrive here, there’s no way to go back.”

“What?”

“The only way to leave is to transmigrate into a story.”

“…But you said all the slots are full?”

“Yes, it’s peak season right now.”

“So… I can’t go home, and I can’t transmigrate either?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“So I just have to… stay here until something opens up?”

“Yes.”

I just stared at him. Was this a joke?

He continued, talking fast like an insurance salesman:

“Normally, people don’t stay long, so there might be unexpected side effects. The hotel stay is free for now, but if you remain longer than average, additional fees may apply…”

“…What?”