merely a film, merely a life

- far future.

She hasn't been having any hazes recently. Minji wonders what's happening to her, usually she'd have more than two a week. If not at least once, but for the past week she's had none. Her consciousness is usually split anyway, but she wants to see Haerin. She texts Haerin after a few days.

"Have you been to 1997 lately?" A simple question, they usually get transported there together but on the off chance they don't, they usually don't see each other there.

"Nope. I'm getting worried lol." Haerin replies, so it isn't limited to Minji. She scans the room, taking the box of recordings and pictures and skimming through them. Perhaps it'll be a key to entering a haze again since it's what kick-started everything. However, even after a few hours, nothing happened.

She texts Haerin once more, "Have you figured out why, or how to get in there?" She sighs, she types something she doesn't want to admit. She's completely at peace with disappearing, though. Ever since she's been hit with the waves of nostalgia from 1997 she's never been more content.

Haerin was always right, a month is enough. She feels like she couldn't ask for a better second chance. They had no time to question their relationship, but the love each other, that's for sure. Minji is completely content with that and yet she isn't. There's something in her that wants to prolong everything whether in the future or not.

1997 can play out without them, and without them means only one thing: ceasing to exist. In all honesty, they both aren't afraid of that. Minji is a person who has limited time anyway. People keep joking about her tendency to drop dead at any time despite her healthy looking physique. Haerin just believes she'll lose the will to live if there isn't something interesting to keep her occupied.

The thing is, Minji is interesting. Haerin wants to rip off every single facade she may be putting up, look at her inner workings from an observer's perspective. Minji thinks Haerin is an anomaly worth living for, her demise doesn't matter with Haerin. She can drop dead for all she cares, but if Haerin is there — she'll revive herself by her will alone.

"Not yet. It's already February 9…"

"You don't have to remind me that…" Minji texts back, she's nervous now. Her calm and cool facade slowly slipped from her fingertips once she realized the gravity of the situation. It's driving her crazy.

Haerin feels as though they were never really given a fair chance. However, that's what it is, things will never be fair when it comes to passion, love, dreams, hopes. All of it, she's seen way too many people give up on life because of its sheer unfairness and grit on the people the universe brings into the world.

Her morals sit on the edge of the ledge. She feels the need to curse everything and everyone for this. For their circumstances back in 1997, for their circumstances now.

She doesn't want to admit it, but ever since 1997, all she's ever wanted was to be with Minji. She can't believe that's such a heinous concept to the world, she can't believe it's so hard to love. She can't believe everything is against her, against them.

Haerin has been locking herself in secluded spaces more. All I hopes to be knocked out into 1997 and yet, nothing. She scans the photobook, asks Minji for footage, etc. She's completely at her wits end, and yet she feels like she's not doing enough.

"I'm pissed."
> "Can't they just knock us into the past already, good lord."

Minji laughs at her message, "It never worked like that anyway. I'm trying to digitalize the processed images. Maybe I'll figure something out."

"Good luck, baby. Don't pull all nighters."

"Of course. You as well, Haerin."

Minji holds out hope that things will turn out well. She went to sleep that day thinking there would be a chance she would wake up in 1997 — but she didn't.

February 10th, still nothing and there are four days left until this whole thing decides to just make them disintegrate. Her stomach drops once she realizes they really are on a timer. 

She does almost nothing for the whole day. She feels like she's already having her soul sucked out of her. She keeps finding herself drifting off to sleep. Hearing voices and whispers around her. Her own voice echoing through her head.

She tries to sleep less, though. Perhaps staying awake is the key to a haze, she just scrolls through her phone. Trying to exhaust herself. She still keeps drifting in and out of sleep, though.

Haerin text's her throughout the day. Possibly those are the only things that make her happy throughout the day as she struggles to be awake for at least a bit longer.

She feels her exhaustion coming over her. The voices came back once more to haunt her. To confuse her. The darkness doesn't feel the same as before. It feels so much more frantic, so much more desperate than before.

It makes Minji want to cry.

Until she finally gets a visual of everything. She realizes. This isn't 1997. She's beside Hanni in her car, Hanni talking about mundane things. The other girl seems to be in a work uniform.

The other only waves her hand in front of her. "Kim Minji?" She questions her, before Minji starts trying to get control of the situation. Hanni only scoffs.

"Sorry, I unlocked the car door already." Hanni only kisses Minji. "Good luck at work."

"See you later, love." Minji feels her whole body reject that statement. She almost flinched once she heard it. Hanni is definitely such a nice person, whatever that is, it's just not for her. She awkwardly laughs as she sees her off. Immediately grabbing her phone, trying to find Haerin's contact.

Haerin is always one step ahead of her, though.

"Kim Minji, what are we supposed to do here??"

"Just meet up with me, I don't know. We haven't met in 2023, so meeting here will definitely do something, right?"

"... I hope."