Pure Imagination (Solo Leveling)

Iced Latte

Japan's S Rank Hunters on South Korean soil had everyone talking. There was no longer any secrecy about the planned Jeju Island raid, and people were either all for it or not. Yuki has heard many conversations about this said Raid, and he could only bite his lip every time. Min Byung Gyu has yet to stop by, and Yuki couldn't help but feel his heartbreaking every time.

Jin Woo hasn't brought it up, everyone is caught up in the fact that Park Kyung Hye was awake and alive.

"Yuki-a, is that you?" Red eyes stared at her in awe. Taking in the fact that she was awake and moving around. Her body not showing any sign of atrophy as she walked around the small apartment. Jin Ah had called him over, saying there was a surprise, and he should have expected this.

"Kyung Hye-ssi," He whispered, welcoming the hug the woman gave him. Her arms wrapping around his shoulders and squeezing. Yuki could feel tears threatening to spill as he hugged her back, long black hair feeling like silk against her skin and he wasn't sure if he wanted to laugh or cry. Somewhere in his mind, in his fading memories of the future, he had known this would happen. He just couldn't remember until he saw her walking around.

"You've gotten so big, I almost didn't recognize you." Yuki nodded, hugging her tighter as he realized how much he had missed the feeling of being hugged by a mother figure. Somewhere, deep in his subconscious that wasn't Yuki, he can recall another woman that was neither Park Kyung Hye nor Sayuri, hugging him back. She was shorter, had shorter hair, and had cherry red lipstick.

Lillian loved hugging her mother.

Yuki loved Park Kyung Hye's hugs. They are always warm and inviting, and when he was a child littered with bruises and starving, she would hug him gently. Barely adding pressure in fear of hurting him. As he got older and healthier, those soft hugs became more secure.

"I missed you too, Kyung Hye-ssi."

He made a cake specifically for her. She loved cherry, and so cherry cobbler it was. It was the best one to date and decided to sell it at his cafe for the day. A sort of celebration that his customers didn't know they were taking part in.

Forcing a smile on his face, he handed a latte to one of his regulars and wished them a great day. Everyone was talking about it. They were talking about who they believed was going to go, and how this will either be the final Raid or only as a deathtrap. Yuki knew that there is going to be a betrayal of some sort.

Even if he did remember it all, how would he tell Go Gun Hee, or even Jin Woo.

'Hey! So I just had a feeling that these Japanese S Rank Hunters are going to betray you and you need to be careful~'

"As if that would work." Smiling at another person, he handed them their iced matcha latte and wished them a great day.

However, if he doesn't do something, Min Byung Gyu will die. The S Rank Healer, the one who is almost finished with his certifications to teach, is going to die if he doesn't do anything. Min Byung Gyu is going to die horrifically, and it'll be Yuki's fault.

All his fault.

Sighing, Yuki rubbed his forehead with his fingers, trying to massage the headache away. This sucked. This actually sucked. This whole situation sucked. Who thought to give a 26-year-old depressed woman a second chance in a weak body that is fated to die, that isn't even the original gender and is somehow connected to some other deity, and given the blessed gift *sarcasm* of remembering everything? Not to mention that with every memory he is recovering from his past life, his memory of future events in this life fades.

WHO?!

'You're losing it Yuki, just focus on lattes for now and self-reflect at home.' He made a beautiful swan with the foam and gave it to an equally depressed-looking student. Bags under her eyes and a tight smile, Yuki felt as though he was staring at his twin.