Dear "J" | Sim Jake

Chapter 20

It was Friday, and the day seemed to drag on for Jiwon. Her mind was tangled with thoughts, mostly about the diary she had all but lost hope of ever finding again. She walked slowly to her next class, her eyes drifting around the hallway, searching almost unconsciously for Jake. But he was nowhere to be seen.

She sighed, feeling a mix of frustration and resignation as she entered the classroom. Finding Jake absent from his usual spot only deepened her sense of loss. She took her seat, but her mind wasn't on the lesson. It was elsewhere, on a small, worn diary she feared was lost to her forever.

Meanwhile, Jake was on a mission. Friday had come around again, and he found himself drawn back to the library, determined to follow up on the only lead he had. As he stepped inside, he immediately noticed that the librarian today was a man, not the familiar Ms. Kim he was used to seeing.

Jake approached the counter, his determination clear in his voice as he greeted the librarian. "Good afternoon, sir," he began, his tone polite yet urgent. "I was wondering if anyone had come in recently asking for a journal, book, diary—anything like that?"

The librarian paused, tapping his chin as he thought. "Oh yes," he finally said, nodding slowly. "A girl did come in about a week ago."

Jake's heart raced. This had to be the owner of the diary. He leaned in closer, his voice taking on a note of quiet urgency. "Do you remember her name? Or what she looked like? Anything at all?"

The librarian gave a small shake of his head, looking a bit regretful. "I'm afraid I don’t know her name, and as for how she looked… it’s hard to describe. She seemed very anxious, though."

Jake felt a mix of hope and frustration. He was close—so close—but without more information, it felt like he was still missing the key to this puzzle. "Anything else you remember?" he asked, hoping for just one more clue.