How to Win a Hero? | Kang Haerin x Reader

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"Y- Y/n" Haerin says, her tone sounds shaky, but she tries to hide it.

The battle is already over, there's no trace indicating a battle just occurs. Haerin is greeted by another unfamiliar scene. Something illogical and out of her mind.

"Are you scared, Haerin? This is my true self. I'm not a hero, but rather a monster" Y/n's voice never sounds this deep. It's like a different person in front of her. "For so long I've been wanting to end this story, but you come and let it continue. This time, I won't disturb you anymore, your Y/n is not me. It's the one whom you always give your smiles to" Haerin knew that Heesoo referred to the Y/n who was working in that café.

"Y/n-ah, I never believe in fate or destiny. Even I think of our first encounter as a coincidence" Y/n stares at the girl, impressed by the statement because of their similarity.

Haerin sighs before continuing her words. She proceeds to walk toward Y/n as well. "How many coincidences need to happen before they are no longer coincidences? In another word, let's just live our life. You come into my life just like I come into yours" The more Haerin comes closer, the more Y/n steps back.

"No! You are being like this because you don't understand. I don't belong here, getting closer to you is like stealing a piece of puzzl-"

Y/n stops when she feels a hand caressing her face. Finally, she can't hold back tears and Haerin pulls her into a hug. Haerin doesn't mind the warm and humid texture when she holds Y/n. She tries her best to convince the latter.

"I'm an outsider too, Y/n. I never belong here. The Y/n you talk about just now isn't mine either. Just like you, I'm a lost piece. We don't have to be finished work, let the lost pieces converge and we will become something abstract. Not everyone has to know what it means, but we know each other's purpose"

Haerin can feel a shift in Y/n's body. It turns back to normal. Haerin's smile can't help but get wider when her hug is reciprocated.

They stay in that position for a long time. Because the uncertainty is cleared. They can go to the next stage.

Finally, they can move on.

"From now on, don't do dangerous things ever again besides night battles" Haerin starts the conversation and starts to release the hug.

"But your news stories?"

"I will quit" Y/n looks deep into Haerin's eyes, holding her shoulder as well. "Are you serious?"

"I'm thinking of becoming a writer. It's my original dream when I arrive here and it seems like my mind has received too much fantasy seasoning"

It hasn't even taken a year since their first meeting, but both of them have gone through a big change. They learn a lot, receive a lot, and lose a lot.

After this night, Y/n and Haerin won't suddenly become a thing. Slowly, but for sure, it's going to happen someday.

People get hurt so many times that it makes them feel hopeless to find happiness. They set a limit for themselves, thinking that they can not go further than that. They need someone to pull their own limit without getting dragged into a toxic relationship.

-

(In another universe)

"You're going to end it that way?" a girl who just comes out of the bathroom spends her time reading her girlfriend's work.

"Oh, Y/n-ah. What do you think of the ending?" the girl waits for Y/n's answer, expecting something nice to be honest, but if it's constructive criticism she gets, then she will have another revision.

"I like it, of course, since it's a happy ending. I just don't expect that Haerin from World 103 will end up with Y/n from 207. It's a weird yet interesting combination at the same time" Y/n gives her opinion on the story. She continues as she hasn't finished, "-and Haerin becomes a writer as well"

Haerin suddenly becomes excited, hearing about a specific topic she wants to elaborate on, "I know, right? When I asked her about it, she was doing fine. She mostly works on sci-fi and fantasy"

"It seems like my girlfriend is more talented, you can write any genre" Haerin gives her a smack on the head, cause it's like hearing 'Haerin is more talented than Haerin'

"Don't use my name to annoy me"

Haerin has been writing so many stories based on their other version of lives. Which one is her best work? She doesn't even know, because it's different for each people, even Haerin and Y/n's preference is different.

Y/n likes her first story. It's about them from World 120 and takes place in a country ruled by a kingdom during medieval times. While Haerin likes the one she's currently writing. Because of the variety, she must say.

"Don't you get irritated when you write their story? It's like because of the hesitance, their story got over 19 chapters. The reader won't even know that we are the main character here actually" Y/n is honestly curious about Haerin's answer.

Haerin seems to take it seriously as she doesn't quickly respond, "I don't? Because I know how it feels. Heesoo explained it like a science olympiad test, I think I would leave it empty rather than bravely answer just to get it either correct/wrong as well. Moreover, they had lost someone close to them, their soulmate. They just wanted things to stay that way longer, so I can not blame them, to be honest"

Of course, it will be different for each person. No matter how we want to understand, it's hard to accept the fact that we're different. Well, interesting.

Their house is filled with books, like a library, and different stories gather as one, creating some precious memories for the one who writes them and the ones who read them.

Some stories might differ from what they expect because it's their mission to provide a way for any Y/n and Haerin from any universe to find their way toward each other.

"So what happened after their confession?"