━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

The stranger was back once more to the library of realities, ready to bombard fate with a bunch of questions.

"So there's an old stranger in this reality. Is that what you wanted me to find out?" Jihee said the moment she saw fate reading one of the books she wrote.

"Oh you're back. It's a relief you figured it out immediately." She compliments her before putting her attention back to the book. "Although I do assume that you have more to ask. Am I right, stranger?"

"Is she alive in the current timeline?" Jihee asked and to her surprise fate gave her a nod. "Then, where is she?"

She shrugged. "Well who knows? I lost in touch with strangers who have chosen to stay in their preferred reality. I have no idea as to where she is."

Jihee wanted to laugh because it was obvious fate was lying to her. She knew everything and everyone, there was no way she wouldn't know where she was, not when she was a stranger back then.

"Fate, I know you know."

A smile crept to fate's lips. "Stranger, this is your mission not mine. I do not control your choices, therefore I have nothing to do with this. You must accomplish this on your own."

"In fact it's quite easy to look for her, especially since strangers have something that distinguishes them among everyone." Fate explained, closing her book to put all her focus on the stranger. "Let me remind you, you have no fate nor will you ever have any. Your life is yours to write not mine."

Jihee frowned, crossing her arms in the process. "You're making no sense."

Fate chuckled, for some weird reason she was entertained with messing with the stranger's head. "You're bright stranger, everything will make sense to you soon. Now wake up so you can get your search over with, you have 6 months left right?"

Before Jihee forced herself to wake up, she stopped in her tracks to ask fate one last question. "She's... not the stranger before me right?"

"Why don't you find out yourself?"

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"Jihee, are you going home already?" Sunoo asked once he spotted the familiar girl by her locker, shoving every book in her bag inside. "Woah calm down with the books, you're going to rip it."

Closing her locker, she finally looked at Sunoo with an apologetic smile because of what she made him watch. "Sorry, just not in the mood." She apologized. "No more president duties?"

He nods, grabbing his phone from his pocket to look at the time. "You coming with me or are you going to wait for Jungwon again?" He asked, suppressing the urge to smile in a teasing manner.

"I'll wait for him, it's fine." She insisted. "Get home safe!" Sunoo smiled and waved at her before he bids farewell.

Tying her hair to a ponytail first, she fixed her bag, crossing her arms after to make her way to the gymnasium where Jungwon was practicing. When she encouraged him to join the team, she had no idea she would be spending quite a lot of time waiting for him to finish. She was the most impatient person and to think she was willingly waiting for him. What was happening to her?

Entering the gymnasium, she could already see the team doing drills. Turning herself invisible, she sat on the bleachers a little far from their bags. She didn't know if other students were allowed to watch so she chose to remain invisible and plus, it wasn't like Jungwon wouldn't be able to see her.

She had already warned him beforehand that she would always be invisible whenever she watches him. The last thing she wanted was to be kicked out by Coach Min from the gym.

Jungwon hasn't caught a glimpse of her yet, still fully immersed in the practice. The side of her lips curved upward as she watched how much he seemed to enjoy playing basketball. He was a view that she couldn't glance away from. She had to remind herself every now and then that she was pissed.

Watching him act so normally, it bothered her in some way. Because that fact always reminded her that they were two different people.

He was young and carefree, he had the capability of living a normal life while her on the other hand, she has no clue when she's going to be human like him or if she's ever going to be a human.

The risk... it's too much.

Jungwon finally saw Jihee sitting by the bleachers, her arms crossed as she watched them play intently. Judging by how no one was mentioning her presence to him, he could tell she was invisible once again. Well to everyone except for him.

That fact made him smile.

"Yang, focus!" Coach Min yelled at him and he swore he saw Jihee snort from the corner of his eyes.

The practice went on and as always, she kept waiting patiently. And when practice ended, he pretended to dial her phone so he could talk to her without looking like a fool to everyone.

"So are we still going to go home together?" He asked, looking at her.

"What do you think?" She said, fixing her bag before standing up.

He pouts before dropping his phone and grabbing his bag. He looked at his friends and told them he had to leave, despite their confused gazes they gave him a quick nod, watching their friend jolt out of the gymnasium.

Jihee was walking slowly, as if she expected him to catch up with her. "So how was class?" He asked as soon as he caught up to her. "You're not invisible anymore right?"

"Are you that afraid of people thinking you're crazy?" She snorts, crossing her arms in the process. "Don't worry about people thinking you're crazy. I'll just erase their memories if they catch you."

That's reassuring.

After that, none dared to speak because he could tell something still remained off about her. They exited the gate, devoured by the off-putting silence caused by a pissed Jihee and a scared Jungwon.

But he knew his cowardice should soon come to an end. Lucky for him, that moment came way too soon.

"Okay I've had enough." Jungwon stopped walking, grabbing Jihee's wrist to stop her too.

Her eyes widened when he pulled her to make her look at him so now they were facing each other, his eyes piercing her panicked ones. His expression spoke how serious he was, unconscious that the distance between them was too close.

"I know you're not angry at me." He said, looking down at her, not letting go of her wrist. "Not when you willingly waited for me during practice for a week straight now." He adds, remembering how she waited for him till dawn so they could go home together.

But despite doing that whenever they went home, she would always be on her phone and if she would speak to him, it was only to tell him that he was blocking someone's pathway. He wasn't going to take it any longer, not when the girl he liked was angry with him for some reason.

He could handle anyone not speaking with him, just not her.

"I'm not angry with you Jungwon." She answered, attempting to turn her back on him but his grip stopped her. He was looking at her as if he was pressuring her to say it. "I always treat you like this, what's so different now?"

"Because I—" He stopped immediately when he realized he almost blurted out his feelings to her. "I-I'm bothered by it! You always talk to me while we're walking--"

"You never even listen when I talk." She cuts him off.

"The last time you talked to me you mentioned you wanted a white dress paired with a white headband and white heels." He says, proving to her that there wasn't a moment he wasn't listening. "I also remember you mentioning one time that you cheated on all your exams that's why you scored the best in your class."

"I remember a lot of things Jihee. Just because I don't look like I'm listening doesn't mean I don't listen to you. I listen to you every time even if what you're saying makes no sense at all."

Jihee felt something familiar in her chest.

Her heart was beating fast, taken back by the words he had just said to her. It was getting more frequent and all of the time Jungwon was the reason. Did she really like him as her friends made it seem to be? The last time she liked someone, although there were some similarities, she was more afraid of fully admitting her feelings this time.

He likes Byeol, stranger. She reminds herself of that fact.

"Fine, I was pissed because I had a hard time contacting you when I was on the trip only to find out from your grandmother you have been spending time with Byeol." Jihee blurted out the words she has been holding onto for a week. "Of course I'm not one to complain since I was also hard to communicate but at least my reason didn't involve the person I like."

His eyes widened. Was it weird if he admitted that he wanted to kiss her at that exact moment?

Because it took all his self restraint to not do it.

"Are you... jealous?" He pursed his lips, stopping himself from smiling afraid that it may piss her off more and she would walk away from him. "Jihee, answer me."

"And if I am? What difference does it make?" She crossed her arms, raising her eyebrows as if she didn't just openly admit she was jealous.

God, she's beautiful.

Jungwon pulls her a little closer to him just enough so there would still be some space in between them. He was sure he could almost feel her breathing and that she would be able to hear how loud his heart was beating. He was glad there was no one passing by that road, otherwise he wouldn't have the strength to do what he did.

"I don't like Byeol."

"Yes we spent the whole summer together but come on, give me a day when your bracelet never glowed."

Please hear my feelings.

He was staring right at her golden eyes, hoping and praying that she would hear his feelings, that she would feel the sincerity placed in every word.

"There was never a day I didn't think about you or how you are."

A coward perhaps was the best word that could describe the two of them. One couldn't shout his true feelings aside from being subtle about it while the other was too afraid to risk everything again because of the fear of repeating the past she had long put behind her. But in that instant, it felt as if all the fear that they were suffering faltered and the only thing they wanted to do was turn their back on everything.

"I said I would take the risk back then but here I am still cowering."

The side of her lips curves upward. "I wish I could erase your memories."

He raised his eyebrows. "Why?"

"So you wouldn't have to remember this."

Grabbing his uniform, she pulled his lips to hers.

Although he was caught by surprise, his arms snaked to her waist in order to pull her closer as he responded to the kiss. In her own unique way, that was her response to his wishes.

Jihee heard and felt Jungwon's sincerity, now it was her time to show hers.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
AUTHOR'S NOTE :

is it a crime if i tell u this is my favorite narrative hehe ++ 'unconditionally' was playing while i was writing the last part nd i just want to cry

also never trust an author who posts a kissing scene on april fools ;>>