A Second Chance(discontinued)

Deja Vu

(10 years later)

Ji Ul's POV
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"Done!" I clicked on the save button and proceeded to send a copy of the completed work to my employer.

I took a sip of hot water and relished the heat flowing through my body, warming it. The best thing in such cold weather. Moments later, my phone rang, and I picked it up, knowing it's him calling.

"Yes, Mr Ryo?" I spoke into the phone in fluent Japanese.

"Ms Ji Ul, you just sent me the next part of your webtoon, right? I looked through it, and it's fine. Please do publish it by the end of the week. The fans are practically screaming for more."

"Yes, I will, Mr Ryo, thank you." With that, the other end beeped, signalling that he had hung up.

I stood up and stretched, before digging out a small piece of paper from a stack of books by the table. I copied the address written on the paper onto my phone. Ever since moving here to Japan, I had missed all the Korean food, especially the street delicacies. Don't get me wrong, Japanese is food is delicious too, but if you're raised eating a particular country's food, you just get attached to it. A nice colleague of mine had noticed my craving and had introduced me to this street where I can find all things Korean gathered in one place, or so she said.

Since I'm done with all my work, I might as well pay the street a visit and check it out. I grabbed a few warm clothes and wore them over my cotton sweater, before putting on the essential winter jacket. Not forgetting to publish my work before I leave, I slipped into a pair of sports shoes and locked the door.

I turned to face the bitter cold and managed to get to the heart of the city, and that was when the harsh wind blew. It felt like my face was practically ripping. I dived into a coffee shop that was conveniently situated right beside me and ordered a cup of hot chocolate. As I waited for my drink, I surveyed my surroundings. People outside were walking faster to escape the cold, and a few poor souls who had underestimated the weather was literally shivering uncontrollably.

I heard someone calling out for me, and I got up and went to the counter to receive my coffee. I wrapped my hands around the hot cup. So warm......

The door tinkled when it was pushed open, and a man walked in. He placed his order and sat down at the table in front of mine. Something about him seems to grab my attention, and I don't know what. I pretended to sip on my coffee, but peeked over the rim of the paper cup to spy on him. He looked like he was in his early thirties, but he gives off the aura of a much younger person, making me wonder if he's like me, already 29 years of age and doesn't even have a boyfriend, for now. I guess I have been to busy with work these few years, my popularity in the webtoon industry was exploding, considering I've been here for only three years.

The man suddenly stood up, and I almost dropped my cup in surprise. I had been too absorbed in my own thoughts. He left the table and disappeared up a flight of stairs after collecting his order. Oh well, no point staying here now. I drank my hot chocolate in a few minutes and left to continue on my Korean street food mission.

After what seemed like a lifetime of left and right turns and asking several people for directions, I finally made it to the street my colleague told me about. I could already see all the food stands from a distance and the shops selling clothing, cosmetics, merchandise and everything else. But that's not what I'm here for. I went straight for the nearest stall, and bought myself a small bowl of steaming ddeokbokki, savouring the familiar sweet and sour hotness on my tongue. When was the last time I actually got to eat this?

Just like that, I went around buying all the food I haven't eaten for years, occasionally popping into a few shops to look around. After a few hours, my legs gave way and I chose to sit down in a food stand while eating fishcakes.

Someone cloaked entirely in black passed by in front me, and strangely enough, my eyes followed him until he stopped before a coffee shop and went in. He looked familiar......

My mind prompted me to dig deeper into this, and I stood up and walked over to the coffee shop, leaving my empty cup of fishcakes behind. I glanced up at the store name. Cafe Tiamo(was this the name, something like that, right?) and peeked in stealthily. The man was talking to, I assume, one of the staff? And it didn't seem like he's ordering anything. He turned to take a stack of flyers from a table, showing me his side view, and I instantly recognised him as the "thirties" man who I was strangely interested in at the previous coffee shop.

The door to the store opened, and I quickly started walking away. Almost forgot he was coming out, oops. I can feel him staring at my back as I left. He must have caught me peeking in.....now he most be thinking I'm some sort of weirdo.

I didn't walk very far, as I had spotted an alleyway to hide in. I concealed myself behind the wall and looked out. He was standing by the road with a few others giving out flyers to passing people. Huh, so that's his job? I had expected him to at least be working in some big company.

He suddenly turned in my direction and looked up, as if he knew I was here. I froze, staring idiotically at his front view. Eerily familiar, just......

I forced a half-grin, and stepped out of the alleyway to leave. Unfortunately, there's no more road if I walk in the opposite direction of him, ugh. I breathed in deeply, and trudged towards him, passing a few people who seemed to notice my nervousness and who gave me a weirded-out look. I mean, who would feel like that at a shopping area a few days before Christmas?

I passed him by without incident, and I sighed, relieved that everything was fine, my life is normal. That's when a cold something attached itself to my arm and dragged me back, making me stumble.

I looked down at my arm and saw a hand. Okay, so something did happen after all. Now this person is going to confirm if I'm weird. Sure, this doesn't happen everyday......

"Hey" He started in Japanese. I looked up, glancing anywhere but his face, or more accurately, his eyes.

"You have been spying on me all the time, even at that coffee shop, don't think I didn't see you. Did someone send you?"

Send me? Does he think I'm some sort of spy working for a cruel money-faced boss who hunts down all those righteous people like in the movies and dramas?

"No, I'm not a spy if you're wondering."

"Then why?"

"Um, well, you look.....familiar......"

There was silence for a while as I felt him try to make some sense out of that sentence.

"Excuse me, I'm sorry for doing all that, but can I go?" I tried escaping.

He let go of my arm, and I prepared to run, but he had other plans. He walked into my path, stopping me. He bowed down to my height while offering me a flyer, smiling.

I looked up again in shock and surprise, and was about to say something, but our eyes met, and I could only stand there with a hand outstretched, which was about to take the flyer, and my mouth slightly agape.

Something clicked, and I remembered the very first webtoon that I had worked on. The very, very first.

Monster's Path. I needed a model, Mad monk was one of them but.....that person......that "oppa"......the one who had left me so long ago......

"Excuse me....." I began, but was cut off.

"Hello." He spoke, in Korean.

I could only stay rooted on my spot as I heard that, frozen in place.

"How have you been, Mathilda?"