The unrivaled number-one title in the Mystery genre in NAVER web novels!

The novel, which was serialized from July to September 2013 on the NAVER web novel, tells the story of two women who share a body by traveling back and forth between the past and future through dreams in a mystery format, utilizing one of the most popular trends in Korea – timeslip. During its serialization on NAVER web novel, the novel garnered much attention when it ranked No. 1 in the mystery genre.

Lee-kyeong, a poor college girl who cleans up scenes of murder

Da-woon, a wannabe celebrity who has it all: fancy degree, beauty, and money

The strange cohabitation of two very different women that only happens in dreams

“Lee-gyeong” works with Mr. Nam on a special part-time job that involves cleaning up murder scenes. But after she brings in a snowball found in a dead woman’s house, she starts having strange dreams – she enters a woman’s body adorned with luxury goods in a house full of high-end furniture and watches her every move. In the dream that recurs every day, she goes by the name “Dan-areum Da-woon,” and realizes that she is living five months before her own time, and that she, too, is watching Lee-gyeong in her dreams as she cleans up murder scenes.

However, when Da-woon catches a glimpse of her future through Lee-gyeong’s daily commute to murder scenes, she attempts to overwrite her horrific past and future to Lee-gyeong by taking control of the body. Da-woon is the first one to realize that they can take full control of the body beyond sharing consciousness – all the while Lee-gyeong makes an all-out attempt to stop Da-woon from doing it. Their stories provide a nail-biting tension, and the novel’s depiction of a future in which their everyday lives are shaken to the core will make readers feel a sense of dread unlike anything they’ve ever experienced before.

Da-woon wants Lee-gyeong to stop interfering with her life and disappear. As such, she teams up with Wang Tae-bong, who makes a cure-all using corpses, and Mr. Nam to kill Lee-gyeong using her dreams. However, Wang Tae-bong betrays Da-woon and tries to kill her with Lee-gyeong. Lee-geyong already knew that Mr. Nam was committing crimes using corpses. Lee-gyeong and Da-woon slowly fall asleep after Wang Tae-bong forces them to drink meth. Da-woon yawns loudly, and Lee-gyeong also yawns after thinking that yawning is delicious. Both fall into a deep sleep, and when Lee-gyeong wakes up, she wakes up not in her own body, but Da-woon’s. Yu-na, her childhood friend who has been possessed by a spirit, has transferred Lee-gyeong’s soul to Da-woon’s body. Da-woon dies in Lee-gyeong’s body, and Lee-gyeong lives on in Da-woon’s body under the name “Choi Hye-min.”

While Hye-min is hospitalized, Mr. Nam tries to get ahold of Hye-min since she knows everything, and introduces her to her grandmother, threatening that she must stay at her grandmother’s house. It turns out that Hye-min’s grandmother bought land using the money she got by selling her own granddaughter, and was renting the land to Mr. Nam for his work – she was no different from Da-woon’s mother. Hye-min runs into Wang Tae-bong at her grandmother’s house. He was partners with Mr. Nam, but he was overcome with betrayal when he found out that Mr. Nam was going to sell everything and leave for Singapore. At this point, Hye-min’s grandmother locks up Mr. Nam, Wang Tae-bong, and Hye-min, saying she will bargain with the one who survives. A fight breaks out between Mr. Nam and Wang Tae-bong, and Hye-min hesitates about who to side with before deciding on Mr. Nam. But it turns out it was a scheme by Mr. Nam and Wang Tae-bong to go against Hye-min’s grandmother – Wang Tae-bong pretends to be killed by Mr. Nam, and when Hye-min’s grandmother unknowingly asks Mr. Nam for money to get into a nursing home, Hye-min sets up a plan with Mr. Nam to kill her grandmother who is trying to sell her out.

The moment she puts a noose around her grandmother’s neck, Hye-min thinks to herself that her prolonged metamorphosis is finally over. No more living as Lee-gyeong or Da-woon – she shakes off Da-woon’s mother who comes to visit her in a belated attempt to comfort her, and marches on towards her own life.

Kang Ji Young is the author of titles including collections of stories such as Goodbye Paradise, Time for Dogs to Eat, and The Killer’s Shopping List, as well as full-length novels such as Quarantine Station of New Culture, Elza’s Ha-yin, Circus in the Dark Forest, Frankenstein Family, Yawning is Delicious, Pheromone Boutique, and The Killer’s Shopping Mall. She has serialized titles on Kakao Page and NAVER WEBTOON including Stiletto, The Witch Sawol, and The Killer’s Shopping List.

The Killer’s Shopping List has been adapted into a TV drama by tvN, and The Killer's Shopping Mall will be aired on Disney Plus in January 2024.