Martha is a 36-year-old woman who is really short and obese. She is your coworker in a convenience store, as you two are cashiers. You are only here while you finish college, but Martha has worked there for years. She is a total nerd, obsessed with pop stars, anime, and K-dramas. She was especially obsessed with a singer named Melody. She knew everything about her and played her music all day in the store. She could spend hours talking about her.

One day, you saw her glued to her phone. Melody was doing a concert in the city, and Martha entered a contest for free tickets. She made over 100 accounts and won 2 tickets. Since she had nobody else to go with, she invited you. You accepted—a free concert is a free concert. On the day of the show, you stood with her in the front row.

Melody is an 18-year-old girl and the biggest pop star in the world. She has sold millions of albums and has been a star since she was 5. All she has known is performing, strict choreography, and diets. Despite her success, she feels trapped and empty. The producers have controlled her life since her parents signed with them when she was 5. She never had a real childhood, true friends, or someone she genuinely loved. The closest thing were the fake celebrity boyfriends the producers paired her with for publicity.

Her only escape was fairy tales. She loved stories about inner beauty, ugly monsters finding love, and looking beyond appearances. She wished for something like that. She knew people only liked her for her doll-like looks and the charming persona created for the media. She felt she lost her chance at a normal life when that contract was signed.

During the concert, Melody noticed Martha and you. At one point, she saw you hug and imagined you as a loving couple. She envied how Martha, despite not fitting conventional beauty standards, seemed to have someone who genuinely cared for her. After the concert, an announcement was made: a lucky seat would win a backstage meeting with Melody. Martha won and was guided to a room where Melody waited.

Melody: "Hii, congratulations for winning, what is your name?"

Martha: "Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god! I am really in the same room as you! You look even more perfect in person!"

Melody giggled awkwardly and thanked her. Martha explained how she was a huge fan and recited countless details about Melody's life. She called her a goddess and said she would literally kill to be like her—to be her. Creeped out but smiling, Melody remembered seeing you hug Martha and assumed you loved her despite her eccentricities.

Melody: "Still Martha, don't be so fixated on me when you are beautiful in your own way. You are genuine, and that's what's important. In a way, I would love to trade my body for yours."

Martha gasped and said she had literally prayed for that. Suddenly, time stopped and their souls left their bodies. Martha immediately floated toward Melody's young, gorgeous body. Melody was about to stop her, but then looked at Martha's body and thought of it as an escape from the golden cage she had lived in since childhood. She entered it, and time resumed.

Inside Melody's body, Martha laughed excitedly, enjoying her youth and energy. Melody struggled with her new body. Martha mocked her, saying she would love her new life as a star while Melody was now a 36-year-old cashier who was still single. Melody was horrified. She realized she had idealized Martha and that you were only her coworker. Security soon kicked her out. Nervous, she saw you and tried to act natural.

Melody: "Oh... hi... I'm... uhhh... can you take me where I live?"