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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Mom:Working late today. Dinner's in the fridge. Love you!
A STRING OF heart emojis followed the Korean, and I stared at the affection Lina's mother tagged at the end. The screen dimmed along with thoughts of the nonexistent affection in my family. Shifting so that I could walk up to my front porch, I tucked the phone away. As soon as I did, low huffs and tapping pierced the air.
I tensed, twisting the gold band wrapped around my finger. Ready to throw it out.
It could be just a person. Or it could be the souleater who recovered faster than we all thought it would. Its deep, raspy voice from our last encounter penetrated my thoughts. Turning, my heartbeat quickened in accordance to the oncoming footsteps. It had to be a random person passing by. Michael left more than a scratch on the souleater.
"Lina." I jolted, but let out a sigh of relief at the familiar voice. Lina's best friend. Andrew slowed down his steps catching his breath. Parts of his bangs stuck to his forehead, and he dabbed his sweaty face with the top of his shirt. Only for my eyes to come in contact with his body—specifically, his well-built abs. And his biceps. Ugh.
Of course he had a body like that to accompany his face. Of course Lina had a crush on him. Andrew shifted on his feet, dropping his shirt. Get it together. I peeled my eyes away. Avoiding him. Right. Something I had been succeeding in all week until... this.
Andrew latched onto my wrist. One hand maintained its firm grip, while the other held onto a leash. Below me, a brown poodle with the most adorable face ever—cuter than the thousands of puppy videos I watched online—tilted its head and stared at me with wide eyes, much like its owner. I melted at the sight of it.
"Lili," the name slipped out naturally. When I called, her small tail wagged in the air, and it let out another bark, friendlier this time, as it ran to me. My hand grazed her soft fur, and she raised her head, loving the attention. I gathered her in my arms, a smile reaching my cheeks. Lili shook her head, and I scratched the poodle's ears, marveling at her color. She was a light brown color, not quite a milk chocolate color but not too light to be mistaken for apricot, either.
"Did you miss Lili that much?" Andrew let out a light laugh, crouching down with us. Lili abandoned me without second thought.
"Here," he reached into his pocket and handed me a ball-shaped treat. Lili, catching on the bribe, inched closer and pawed my hand, demanding the small snack. She bumped her nose into my fist, plopping down as her head tilted to the side. Unable to deny her, I opened my palm. She was adorable. How did Lina fight the urge to steal her? By now, half of my socials would be flooded with pictures of Lili.
"Do you have any more treats?" I asked Andrew. A giggle escaped me when the poodle licked the palm of my hand. The people around me in New York didn't have any pets, since they required extra work. Still, I claimed myself to be a certified dog lover, most of my boyfriends also having dogs, and all of their dogs loving me more than their owners. Plus, because my father would never let us have a dog—too much shedding, even though I swear his pristine hair shed more hair than a poodle's did—I always went for guys, even if they probably wanted to play me, with dogs.
