Dialogue Scene - Sera/Jia’s First Day Back

Sera Shin’s company. The top floor. Glass walls. Nervous employees pretending not to stare.

Employee 1 (whispering): "She’s coming. She’s actually coming."

Employee 2: "Did you double-check the reports?"

Employee 1: "I triple-checked my existence."

(Elevator doors open. Sera — or rather, Jia in Sera’s body — steps out. The click of her heels silences the room, but instead of glaring, she smiles softly.)

Jia-as-Sera: "Good morning, everyone."

(Silence. Shock. Someone drops a pen.)

Employee 3 (blinks): "… Good… Morning?"

Employee 2 (whispering): "She said good morning. Without threatening to fire anyone."

Jia-as-Sera: "Please, relax. You all look like you’re about to be executed."

Employee 1: "… That’s usually accurate."

(Jia catches that, freezes, then laughs awkwardly.)

Jia-as-Sera: "Right. Well. Consider yourselves… un-executed."

(Everyone stares. They don’t know whether to be relieved or more afraid.)

Boardroom — Later

(Executives brace themselves. The love interest — calm, composed, unreadable — sits across from her.)

Jae-eon Cha: "You’re unusually quiet today, Sera."

Jia-as-Sera (thinking): "Right. This is the male lead. She used to like him. Then she dies because—"

(Her expression drops. She remembers the scene. The way Sera dies in the original story. Alone. Betrayed. No redemption.)

Jae-eon Cha: "… Sera?"

Jia-as-Sera (softly): "I don’t want to die."

(The room freezes. An executive chokes on water.)

Jae-eon Cha: "What?"

Jia-as-Sera (recovering fast): "—the company. I don’t want the company to die. Obviously. Because of stress. Or mismanagement. Or… A metaphor."

(Everyone blinks. She wants to sink into the table.)

After the Meeting — In the Hallway

Jae-eon Cha (gripping her wrist gently): "You’re different. You don’t threaten. You don’t smirk. You don’t even insult people anymore. What happened to you?"

(Jia looks at him — guilt and fear flickering in eyes that aren’t really Sera’s anymore.)

Jia-as-Sera: "… What would you do if the villain suddenly wanted to be better?"

Male Lead: "I’d ask what why."

(Pause.)

Jia-as-Sera: "It's nothing."

(He studies her — then unexpectedly softens.)

Male Lead: "Whatever."

Break Room — Moments Later

(Employees peek in nervously. Sera is… Making coffee. For them.)

Employee 2: "… She’s pouring us coffee."

Employee 1: "This is how we die."

Jia-as-Sera: "Relax. It’s not poisoned. Probably."

'… Okay, I really need to stop talking.'

(They burst into shocked laughter. For the first time, the tension breaks.)

At her home:

(She steps aside, staring out the window, hand over her chest.)

Jia-as-Sera (whispering to herself): I don’t know how long I’ll be stuck here… But if this is Sera’s life now…

(She exhales shakily.)

Jia-as-Sera: "Then I’m dying like this damn story wrote so."