The Beauty Inside 2015

On his eighteenth birthday, Woo-jin wakes to a face and body that is not his own. The shock is instant, and he confronts his mother, who is stunned but tearfully accepts him for who he is. With the help of his mother, Mun Suk, and his best friend, Song-beck, Woo-jin begins to navigate a baffling new reality: each morning he awakes in a different body, regardless of age, gender, or nationality. Some days he is a man, other days a woman; sometimes older, sometimes younger, sometimes a complete stranger in a foreign face and accent. The one thing that remains constant is that the person inside stays the same, even as the outside changes. Facing a different reflection every morning becomes a constant test, a puzzle he must solve anew day after day.

To cope, Woo-jin develops a meticulous routine. He records himself every morning on his computer, narrating who he was that day and offering a quiet, private log of his evolving existence. He builds a life around the transformation: a vast wardrobe, countless shoes, and an arsenal of toiletries to fit any possible form. He even keeps specialized tools to ensure he can function in any incarnation—a phoropter to test his vision and a Brannock device to measure his feet so that he can select the right-sized footwear for each body. This daily ritual helps him adjust to new eyesight, new voice, and new physical constraints with each sunrise.

Beyond the personal adjustments, Woo-jin is a furniture designer who runs a private life from the privacy of his own home. He operates a company named ALX that crafts handcrafted furniture tailored to each client, a business that thrives while allowing him to keep his secret hidden from the world. His best friend, Song-beck, manages sales and client visits, keeping the pretend normalcy of his professional life intact and shielding Woo-jin from exposure. The arrangement is delicate but effective, a quiet balance between art, work, and the ever-shifting reality of his body.

A turning point comes when Woo-jin develops a crush on Yi-soo, a woman who works in a furniture store. He begins to visit her every day to catch her eye, slipping into different disguises and appearances until he can approach her as someone who seems worthy of her affection. He finally asks her out, and to sustain the connection he fights to remain the same person for as long as possible, even staying awake for days to avoid a change that could derail their budding relationship. Yet sleep deprivation takes its toll, and he ultimately cannot maintain a single identity long enough to keep Yi-soo fully in the loop. He steps back, becoming a temporary coworker at her workplace and then inviting her to dinner, where he reveals the truth of his condition. Yi-soo is shocked, and it takes time for her to understand and accept the reality of who he is on the inside.

Despite the initial upheaval, the two persevere and devise a plan to stay connected across the constant changes. A key idea emerges: whenever Woo-jin grabs Yi-soo’s hand, she will feel like she is holding him, a tangible signal amid the shifting identities. Yet public gossip about Yi-soo dating different men adds pressure and strain, driving her to rely on medication to cope with stress, anxiety, and insomnia. In response, Woo-jin chooses to disappear from her life for a period, hoping to protect her from the constant upheaval of his condition. Time passes, and Yi-soo’s love for him endures, prompting her determination to find him again.

The search eventually leads Yi-soo to another country—the Czech Republic—where she finds Woo-jin living under a new life and in a different place. She confesses that her love remains and that she wants to spend her life with him. Moved by her persistence, Woo-jin proposes, and Yi-soo accepts, sealing a future together despite the ever-changing body that carries their bond. In a poignant frame of truth, Woo-jin learns from his mother that his father suffered the same condition, which helps explain why his father left them years ago.

Ultimately, the story is about resilience, trust, and the endurance of love when identity itself is fluid. It follows Woo-jin’s journey toward self-acceptance and Yi-soo’s unwavering commitment, as they navigate times, places, and appearances in a shared hope for a lasting connection.