Getting a second chance at life isn't exactly as enchanting as it seems.
Sohee Young, who lived life like the callous person she was, dies. She gets another chance to live life correctly though, and that is by swapping lives with Lina Park, who die...
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"LINA!" BOUNDING OVER to me while waving or dodging various people in the gym, Andrew dragged his friend along. With his attention focused on me, my breath caught in my throat. My eyes strayed area where he wore the small silver hoop earrings earlier, but took it off for this class. Which I had to admit, hadn't look ugly on him.
But that didn't mean that I thought he was better-looking than the thousand models I met.
"Ready to run?" He asked in greeting, flinging his arm over my shoulders. The friend—whose name I didn't know—gave me small wave, and I stretched out my fingers in return. Because Andrew and Lina became best friends starting middle school, all because their mothers bonded over Korean food, he turned out to be Lina's only friend. Well, if Andrew's friends who acted civilized counted.
"Ready to trip?" I shot back, releasing myself from his grip.
Andrew's eyes widened. "Was that a joke?"
I swear, his nameless friend and I had a moment as we both started as Andrew in disbelief. Nothing about what I said came out funny, and it hadn't meant to be. Ignorant to the mood, Andrew grinned widely and said, "That was funny."
No. Not at all. Still, Andrew proved to be a great distraction from the burning glare of the souleater. The horrific image I saw as soon as I became revived still haunted me. Being around him reminded me of my death, and the prolonged screams of the souls that he ate had me frozen. When the souleater opened his mouth to speak, I inched closer to Andrew, hoping to immerse myself in the crowd. The monster skimmed the groups of people in the gym, as if searching for someone.
"Emma. Come with me for a second," the man murmured, voice rough like sandpaper. I nearly collapsed in relief that it wasn't my name he called. "The rest of you get out and run a mile."
A chorus of Yes, Coach, resounded in the gym as people began to open the doors towards the track. Drowning the sound of the blasting AC, I watched a girl with light bangs and hair in a ponytail follow him, hands clenched to her sides. Something registered in my brain, but I couldn't pin what. Why did I have the feeling that we met before?
Hand tugging my arm, Andrew cocked his head towards the exit. Nearly everyone was out the door now, clearly viewing this moment as a free period. Though running didn't appeal to me, it sounded better than facing the souleater. Besides, Lina would have followed her teacher's directions.
Following him outside, I squinted under the sunlight. Even in the winter, California insisted on giving us a tan.
"Are you worried about Emma?" Andrew peered down at me.
"Do you know Emma?"
"She's in our AP Chem class," he shrugged. "I talked to her once. She's nice."
I hesitated. "Do you think she's in trouble?"
Why did it matter? Emma wasn't any of my business.
Shaking my head, I said, "Never mind."
Before Andrew could say anything more, his friends hollered for him. Some of them ran over, the others waiting in the middle of the track field waving us over. Shooting a pleading glance in my direction, I rejected the offer to run as Andrew got pulled away. Sitting down on the same bench where I encountered the souleater, a sighed escaped me as I ran a hand through my hair.
