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A few days later, nothing happened. She was relieved.
She had completed her schedule and returned to the library to read more books. The route she took was peaceful, with only a few cafés and small businesses in the vicinity. They didn't have a lot of customers, but they were well-known. People may have lost interest in that location, or something might have gone wrong with them.
All of a sudden, someone yanked her into an alley, causing her to gasp. She would have yelled if the man hadn't pressed his palm against her lips. Trapped against the wall, her eyes widened as she recognized the man. Despite having her mouth covered, she let out a muffled scream and stamped her feet frantically on the ground.
The man had to hush her and beg her to be quiet. When she didn't listen, he had no choice but to use a stern tone to warn her to stay still. "I have no intention of causing you harm or engaging in immoral behavior," he added. "Calm down. Will you?"
Hye-ryeong continued to breathe heavily, her nostrils flared, and her wide eyes stared at the man.
"Will you?" the man said again. And the young lady gave a slow nod of her head.
The man looked into her eyes, as if seeking a sign that she wouldn't scream. Then he gradually let go of her mouth.
Hye-ryeong exhaled a sigh of relief as she moved away from the wall. She tried to relax by taking a deep breath in and slowly exhaling. Finally, she sighed in relief as she looked at the tall man who was rubbing his face.
She inquired, "Who are you?"
"I'm sorry if I frightened you. I just—"
"Who are you?"
As he sadly stared at her, his Adam's apple bobbed.
"Don't give me that look."
"I'm sorry," the man paused. "Are you Choi Hye-ryeong?"
The woman's collarbones hollowed out, her chest rose, and her eyes grew larger once more. "How did you know my name?" she asked.
"I know you. We were together once upon a time in the past."
Hye-ryeong's face contorted. "What?"
The man fell silent, his gaze fixed on the ground.
"Hey," Hye-ryeong called, careful not to offend him with her tone.
"So that's how it really works," he muttered, but she could clearly hear him.
The situation had gotten tense at this point. When Hye-ryeong sensed the man's anguish, she didn't know what to say or do. As she buzzed, she pushed her specs and asked, "how did you find me?"
The man raised his head to look at her. He said, "the book. Your answer."
It took her some time to recall which book he was referring to. With her eyes widened again, she gazed up at the man. "It can't be..."
"Yes, it's the book you read in the library the last time you went. The one with the yellow sticky note at the end," said the man with the dandy cut hairstyle, casually smiling at her.
"Wait a minute," She extended her palm toward him, then put her thumb and middle finger against her temples. "Was that your book?"
The man bobbed his head up and down.
Hye-ryeong let out a faint "oh my" as she gasped, clutching her tote bag firmly. Her palm covered her gaping mouth. "You're... Kim Seokjin?"
He nodded once again, a small
smile on his face. "The last book you read from the library was my notebook."
"But then I thought—"
Seokjin sadly chuckled. "I understand. Some people even mistook my book for a novel. And they never responded to the note I left. You are the first to do so."
"What? Me was the first to do it?"
Seokjin nodded.
"Is this why you're looking for me? But wait," she whispered, lowering her gaze to the ground. She couldn't process everything at once. How was the book written in the 1950s? However, another question arose in her thoughts at this time. "How did you get inside my house?"
"Good question," he remarked. "While I explain, how about I offer you some tea?"
"No! I'm not taking what strangers give me."
"Don't worry! I'm going to buy those from... whatever you call them. A café?"
Hye-ryeong regarded the man with suspicion. Despite the man's assurances that he had no malice toward her and that he appeared to be a true gentleman, living in this era kept her on edge at all times and in all places because the gentlest tone and kindest countenance could be the creepiest.
In her tote bag, she had pepper spray she might use if the man tried to hurt her. She wished she had some self-defense skills at this point.
**********
They sat in the corner, close to the window. They remained silent for a long time, watching passers-by and eavesdropping on their brief conversations whenever they could.
A slew of questions flooded Hye-ryeong's mind.
How did he get into her house? Why was he looking for her in the first place? How did he know her name? What did he mean when he said they were together 'once upon a time in the past'? She wondered how he left the book at the library without anyone realizing.
At the same time, she was overthinking.
What if he was impersonating Kim Seokjin? What if he was luring her into committing a crime? What if he was one of the people she had no idea was living under her bed until that day?
"Have you been living in my house without me knowing?" She questioned, casting another glance at the man.
Seokjin looked baffled. "What makes you think that way?"
She questioned, "How did you get into my house then? A password is required to open the door. I also put sticks in front of all the windows. Even if you've unlocked the ledge, you won't be able to open the windows."
Seokjin took another sip of his coffee. "But first," the man said. "Tell me what you remember from my journal."
Hye-ryeong raised her eyebrows. "Do I have to?" she asked, and the man nodded. As she thought and hummed, she pressed her lips into a narrow line. "Every day, you leave a message. Because you believe your fiancée has been reincarnated, you traveled through time. But you failed in all the years you—" she said, her gaze falling on him. "– journeyed."
Seokjin hummed deeply while nodding his head. He then said, "are you getting it now?"
"Impossible," grumbled the young lady.
"Hye-ryeong, face the truth. Kim Seokjin is my name. You've been reading about Kim Seokjin. The Kim Seokjin who traveled through time in search of his reincarnated lover." He smiled at the woman, who was taken aback.
