Kwon Hayoon was a 26-year-old office worker.
She was what people called a “golden child.” She graduated from a well-known university and worked at a major corporation that everyone recognized by name. And as if that wasn’t enough, the heavens blessed her with more gifts—great proportions, a decent height, and stunning beauty that stood out even among the general public.
With looks fit for a Miss Korea pageant, her popularity soared both inside and outside the company. Her personality was great too, and she had no flaws, so everyone, regardless of age or gender, adored her.
“Hayoon, you really have it all, huh? I guess the heavens aren’t fair after all.”
“If only I had a daughter like Hayoon, I’d have no regrets in life.”
But the heavens were fair, and Hayoon had a secret she couldn’t share with anyone. When she was young, she suffered severe burns on both her thighs. The scars were so bad that even now, her skin looked hideous. And because she didn’t receive proper treatment at the time, the scars remained deeply etched.
If only she had gotten proper treatment when she was younger, it might have improved. But back then, her family was struggling financially, and they could only afford basic care. This remained her biggest regret. Because of this, she couldn’t wear skirts like everyone else, even during her school days.
She always wore undershorts to cover her thighs when going to school and avoided places like bathhouses or swimming pools with friends where her thighs might be exposed. The scars were so unsightly that she feared being ridiculed if anyone saw them.
Though the injury wasn’t her fault, being mocked by others was another matter. So, during her prime youth, Hayoon only wore jeans or other clothes that covered her thighs. Even after earning money later in life, she went to a famous dermatologist for treatment, but there was no significant improvement.
Even after landing a job at a major corporation and continuing to visit dermatologists, her scars had only improved by about 20% compared to before. She had tried every skin treatment and laser therapy available. The amount of money she spent on treating her burn scars alone would make any average person’s eyes pop out.
Eventually, Hayoon came to accept it. She couldn’t stop seeking treatment, but she resigned herself to the fact that she’d never be able to wear short skirts or bikinis in this lifetime.
With a gloomy expression, she stared at herself in the bathroom mirror. Her reflection always looked good, but when her gaze shifted downward, the hideous burn scars greeted her. She clenched her eyes shut and, as always, reached for her cosmetics.
As she rummaged through her products, her hand accidentally grabbed a lotion.
“Did I seriously buy this…?”
She recalled buying the lotion at a cosmetics store. The employee, whether due to years of experience or just being naturally persuasive, had talked her into buying it. Of course, the fact that it was supposedly good for burns and scars played a part in her decision.
“It’s a new lotion from Starlight Cosmetics. Not only is it great for the skin, but it’s also effective for burns and scars~”
“Good for burn scars?”
“Yes~, ma’am.”
Of course, the employee had never used the Starlight Lotion herself. But just as a fruit seller might sell fruit without tasting it, she had no problem selling the lotion. With her silver tongue, she successfully convinced Hayoon to buy it.
It was an expensive lotion, so the employee must’ve been thrilled with the sale. Hayoon slowly unwrapped the packaging, her mood slightly lifted by the luxurious feel of the wrapping. It didn’t seem like some cheap, knock-off product.
Starlight Cosmetics wasn’t a huge company, but it wasn’t small either, so they wouldn’t release a product that deceived customers. Hayoon carefully examined the lotion after unwrapping it.
“Skin beautification, acne removal, dark circle reduction, blemish removal, and scar removal? What kind of lotion has this many benefits?”
This wasn’t a lotion—it might as well be a skin medication.
Hayoon decided she should at least try it since she had already bought it. She squeezed some onto her palm and took a sniff.
“Doesn’t smell cheap.”
The lotion had a mysterious, pleasant scent. It felt like standing in the middle of a lush forest. For a lotion, the fragrance was unusually refreshing. Not that she disliked it—in fact, she quite liked it.
She applied the lotion to her face and then squeezed out twice as much to slather onto the bumpy burn scars on her thighs.
Even though slathering on a lot didn’t necessarily make things better, it felt like it would do some good. The lotion bottle was so small that it was already half empty.
After applying the lotion, she lay down on the bed and watched TV. It didn’t matter if she stayed up late since tomorrow was a day off, but strangely, after applying the lotion, her body felt so relaxed that she surrendered to the wave of sleepiness.
The next day…
“Uh… huh?!”
She was shocked when she looked in the mirror to wash up in the morning. She leaned closer to the mirror to check. Her skin, which had been sagging from excessive overtime lately, was no longer like that.
Her face was glowing, and the dark circles and wrinkles that seemed to grow every time she looked in the mirror were completely gone. She couldn’t believe the unbelievable effects and could only stare wide-eyed in amazement. Wasn’t this effect just too good?
“Did one application of lotion really change me this much…?”
She muttered to herself and glanced down, just in case. When she checked her thighs, she froze in disbelief. The burn scars, which even famous doctors couldn’t fix, had almost disappeared.
Of course, some scars remained, but this was still a huge improvement. Seeing the scars fade so much, she wondered if continuing to use the lotion might completely heal them.
Through Starlight Lotion, more and more women who had similar experiences began to emerge. Despite the price being close to 200,000 won, there were still people buying it.
No matter how expensive the product was, in a country with a population of 50 million, there were bound to be a few who would splurge on it. Kwon Hayoon started posting about her unbelievable experience online with joy.
There was even a lottery where you could get the lotion for free by writing a review. Even though she worked at a big company, the 200,000-won lotion was still a bit of a burden.
—
I couldn’t help but stare at the height measurement scale with a gloomy expression. Bora said I had definitely grown, but my height was still the same 135 cm. It seemed like only my hair had grown, not my height.
“Hana, don’t be so down. Your height will catch up later, right?”
“But…”
My current height was what mattered, and being so short was really inconvenient. When Bora or Haru were doing something on the computer, I couldn’t see the screen well because I was too short. Even climbing onto a chair felt like scaling a cliff.
“Starting today, I’m going to take height-growth medicine!”
“Hana…”
Bora looked at me with pitying eyes, and I couldn’t help but protest. Don’t look at me like that… It made me feel like the pitiful heroine of some sad movie.
“Any other test results?”
The bald man next to Bora asked.
“Not much different from last time. Just that the hair effect has gotten stronger? Hana’s hair seems to keep growing.”
“That’s good news.”
The bald man’s expression brightened at the news that we could produce much more green tea than before. Seeing him act so proud about my hair, as if it were his own, didn’t make me feel great. But as my subordinate, I had to endure it as part of my leadership duty.
“Ugh!”
But the fact that my height wasn’t growing made no sense. I glared at Bora with a heavy heart. Bora seemed to feel my gaze and quickly avoided eye contact.
I clung to Bora’s thigh like a cicada, but she couldn’t make me taller.
