Glitch | 김 석진

Ten

Breathe in.

He opened his eyes.

Breathe out.

The alarm deafened him.

Breathe in.

The morning sun wouldn't go away.

It was like any other dawn. The sunlight had barely risen over the horizon as he dragged himself from the lush bedspread. The comforter had curled around his torso through his night of restless sleep which, if he had not unwound himself from, would have made the long and treacherous walk to the restroom even worse. A red pillow with gold tresses—the one with his family's insignia twisted over the scarlet velvet—was thrown where hardwood and tile met. With a huff, he passed it and prepared himself for the day ahead.

When he sank down the stairwell, the metal far too cold for bare feet, he traced the creole designs he had chosen himself while remodeling recently. His fingers leafed over the Fleur De Lis, the sharp tip smoothened from his mornings of fawning over the intricate design.

Jin stopped. He knew that the tip was much more worn than this. His heart leaped in his chest as he raced down the rest of the stairs, almost tripping on the hardwood below. He rushed to the large bathroom that was still glimmering with the cleaner used last night.

The mirror beckoned him, and he didn't hesitate to throw himself in front of it. His eyes, younger than he remembered, were wide with shock as he stared at his supple skin no longer breaking out with stress. His cleanly shaved upper lip and chin that had gotten away from him while trying to save everyone. His hair—it was the lightest shade of chestnut.

How could this be? Was it—no, he told himself. There was no way. Even so, he found himself pulling his phone out of his pocket and pressing the home button. Upon reading the screen, he had to put his hand on the wall to steady himself.

Monday, February 16th

Namjoon | 14m ago

Hyung, come to the trailer after work. Taehyung wants to see you.

It was the same text he'd had that morning. Had he somehow gone back in time? How could he have? All he wished for was to start over.

Oh.

All he wished for was to start over.

Excitement and anxiety spiraled together in his chest all the way to his stomach. Did he really have another chance? It didn't matter—even the possibility of it was enough to make him shift into maximum overdrive. The suit he picked out was the same. Everything had to be staged the same. That way, he would know what not to do. On his way to work, he noticed something that almost made him completely stop in his tracks.

The vase of lilies was still there.

If it was two years ago, how were those still there? He shook his head. It didn't matter. He would figure it out later.

Jin raced to school in his truck, which wasn't a very good idea because he had to sit in his car for fifteen minutes until he could go in at his usual time. Once that clock hit 7:15, he stepped out of his car as calmly as possible, as he usually did. He closed the car door carefully and adjusted his round glasses that weren't even real—just fashionable.

The morning air was just as biting as he remembered, but it only further encouraged his delusion. He trotted up the steps to school, receiving waves from his students that showed up early—as he always did.

"Good morning, Seokjin!" The sound of Dahae's familiar voice made him swivel his head in her direction. She was waving the same way she had all that time ago.

Jin returned her smile and wave, but it wasn't his charmer smile. It was his real one. He didn't want to repeat the past. He just stood there reminiscing before Jinsa's sultry voice cut through his ear.s

"Morning, Jin."

His heart leapt. It was coming, he knew it. His eyes were still fixed on Jinsa as he bowed respectfully. "Good morn—"

"Ugh."

He stopped. There it was. That bitter sneer.

Jin whipped around to see Victoria standing next to the coffee machine, her hair long and cascading down her back and shoulders. Her plump lips were curled into a frown as she refused to meet his eyes. "How you get them to fall all over you, I'll never know."

"Victoria," he said quietly, a smile tugging at his lips.

When her brilliant gaze finally met his, her face softened. "Why are you..."

He was so busy staring at her that he didn't feel the tears pricking at his eyes. As soon as she said it, he immediately reached up to feel the tear as it fell straight down. "Oh." A small laugh left him. It was a bit amusing how she instantly retracted when she saw him crying. "Allergies."

"You've never had allergies," she muttered.

"Why do you hate me?"

Victoria looked up in surprise, the coffee completely forgotten about. "What?"

"We always have this hatred between us. It's pointless, don't you think?" At her stunned silence, he continued. "I've known you my whole life. It's not a coincidence that we went to the same college and ended up in the same workplace. We're meant to be friends. So let's stop this childish nonsense."

With that, Jin extended his hand. Victoria narrowed her eyes, taking it gingerly. "Are you making a move on me, Kim Seokjin?"

He shook his head sadly, but of course she didn't pick up on it. Jin could have said something, he could have chosen to actually make a move. He could have asked her out and she probably would have said yes. But clearly, they weren't meant to be together in that way. It seemed to only bring misfortune.

"No," he sighed. "I actually want to introduce you to someone."

An amused smile tugged at her lips. "You're trying to set me up with someone?"

"Trust me. You won't regret him," he said the last part quietly.

"What?" Victoria leaned closer to hear him better.

He leaned back. It wasn't a good idea to get close to her. "Nothing. Look—what are you doing after work?"

Jin already knew the answer. She was probably going to go to the pool to smoke. The pool he hadn't been to in what felt like forever. It felt nostalgic in a sad way. He didn't want to go back there.

"Well, nothing, I guess. Why?" she peered, any hostility having dissipated.

"I want you to meet my friends."

She tilted her head, curiosity radiating from her. "Are you sure you're not making a move on me?"

"Girl Scout promise." He held up three fingers, making her laugh. "Bring Iseul if you can."

Her eyebrows drew in at the mention of her younger friend. "How do you know Iseul?"

"She's a classmate—you know what," he paused. "I'll text you the details."

"O—okay..." she stuttered as he dipped his head and walked past her in the direction of his classroom. "Jin!" she called.

He turned with a soft smile. "Yeah?"

"You don't have my number."

Jin smirked, eyes darting to the floor before he sauntered away. "Yeah. I do."