">http://

Stay or leave. 

   Jaemi raised her eyes to the mirror in front of her. She cleared and says, "Jimin your eyes are red." Her eyes looked as though she has been crying and yes, she did. She gave herself a crooked smile. Jaemi scans her reflection. All the data in her head spinned in her head: Park Jimin, nickname Jaemi/Jamie, 5'3'', July 5 1997, carrier singer, married to Im Jaebum in 2021 , died in 2025 cause of death killed in a car crash near Goyang City, S.Korea, lived a happy life.

   She lowers her eyes from the mirror. A happy life. The thought of Master Jaebum came lingering into her mind. If it was happy, why would he even thought of changing it and now he regrets his decision of sending me to the past. Did he suffer after I left? Jaemi thinks to herself. "Of course he had a hard time. Master Jaebum must have thought a lot when he built me. I should return to him. By that, young Jaebum has to date a girl. Hence, I can go back." Jaemi paused.

   All though it sounded so easy, "It makes no sense." She stands on her feet, balling her hands into fists. Why is it only the way? What if he forgets me and loves the girl I hook him with? Would the future remain like it is? Will I be the one to marry him just like the future planned for us? If I really return, would he recognize me? What if he marries the girl I set him with and all I could do at that time is watch? My return, will it really make things back in place? Like Master said to himself, is he really sure about it? Is he really affirm that I will still exist in his world? Why do I feel like it won't? Why?

***

After pacing around his room for a few minutes he comes to rest on the edge of his bed. He couldn't sleep. Jaebum took his pillow and stared at it. "You kissed me." He pretends the pillow is Jaemi. "Shouldn't I forget what had happened?" He has been thinking the same thing for hours after Jaemi shut him out of her room. He closes his eyes, he openes them, and he closes them again.Finally after much thought he knows clearly now that her memory wipe kiss didn't work on him.

"What is she so afraid of? Her master? Is that why she kissed me so I could forget we smooched? But then again, she didn't pull back..."

***

   Jaebum gets up earlier than usual, though he isn't certain why. He makes himself a chocolate shake and sits in the living room. His mind wonders to Jaemi. He almost wishes her to also join him in the living room. "Am I the only who feels this way?" He asks,but there was no one to answer him. 

   Jaemi stands in the kitchen, thinking she is the first one up until she hears the front door. She walks out of the kitchen to see Mrs. Im walking into the house. 

"Have Mr.Im gone to work already?" Jaemi asks.

"Yes dear, you're up early."

"How does it feel outside?" Jaemi asks her.

"It's kinda windy. Since both of you are up, any ideas for breakfast?" Mrs. Im asks the two.

   A presence approached behind her and whispered, 'Good morning' in her ears. It tickled. Jaemi didn't notice Jaebum sitting in the living room.The sun's not even up but apparently he is and that's not the Im Jaebum she knows. "Don't bother about breakfast mom. Me and Jaemi are off to school early today." Jaemi gazes him weirdly. "Okay then. I guess you're stopping by at that 24 hour cafe for breakfast. What's the occasion though?" Mrs. Im asks out of curiosity. "Just...training myself to be a morning person." He winks and heads upstairs leaving Jaemi behind, dumbfounded. "Jaemi hop along then," says Mrs.Im pushing her to follow Jaebum upstairs.

***

   He brought her to the 24 hour cafe nearby. Jaemi asks as they went in, "You are aware that you are a bad liar, right?" He didn't answer as he was finding a suitable place to sit. "You just want to eat with me alone," she continues. "Jaemi, you could interview me later okay, I'm thinking." Then Jaebum asked, "Are you hungry?" "Starving."

   He went to the counter and bought them two hamburgers each. They ate hungrily, enjoying the warm thick rolls with the meaty centres. Outside, the sun had awaken. Jaebum finishes his last bite and sighed with contentment.

"It is nice to wake up early," said Jaebum. "And eat hamburgers with someone."

"Yeah, I agree."

"Should we do this more often?"

She shook her head.

"Are you leaving soon?"

"Yes. To school that is." Jaemi smiled.

    "That is not funny Park Jaemi. I was serious." She laughed at him gave looks at the exit a mean to leave for school. He guided her out of the cafe and then dropped his hand from her arm. They were on their way to the bus stop. When the bus arrived, as usual they sat next to each other. However it felt different this time. Jaemi didn't talk much and Jaebum was nervous everytime the bus made a turn. It was because Jaemi would be pushed a little over to his side.  He's suppose to forget what happened last night just as Jaemi assumes he did, but unfortunately he couldn't. Jaebum tries not to show any weird acts towards her, afraid she'll know her memory wipe kiss didn't work. He secretly steal glances to her. Checking if he wasn't the only one to feel that way.

***

Everyone was hyped. Last class session is P.E and afterwards freedom. "You didn't think I'd let all of you off so easily huh?" Teacher Jung smirked. He had a long ruler in his hand. "I didn't receive any poems on Thursday which is already weeks now because y'all claim to be busy with other assignments and y'all told me that y'all send it to me today. Pass up your homework now. If not then hands on the desk." 

   Some of the students gasped and gave looks at each other. Jaemi was staring on her desk. Calculating how much force will teacher Jung use to punish her for not doing the poem he asked for. Jaebum passed by her seat after passing up his poem on teacher Jung's desk. His eyes were fixed on her. Did she not do the poem? She did use my laptop, he thinks to himself. "Jaemi?" She startled when teacher Jung called her out. He approaches her. Jaemi got anxious. The only thing she could do is gulp. "Hands." Slowly she stretched her hands out. They were trembling. She has never felt physical pain and so she was nervous for the ruler to touch her skin.

   "Teach Jung you can't possibly hit girls," Jaebum interrupted his actions. Teacher Jung looked at him. Pap. He whipped her hand slyly without warning. Jaemi's eyes widened, was left open but she didn't make a sound. "The ones that didn't do my homework stand in the hall until the school bell rings." Almost half of the class whined and sighed. "That would take our P.E class. Teach thats not fair," one complained. "Well now you learnt your lesson. Out. You could join them too Im Jaebum." 

   TeacherJung smirked. "Girls or boys everyone is equal. I've done this for years. Don't tease me ever again." He arranges his books.

"You should go to P.E class," Jaemi said to Jaebum beside her.

"Didn't you heard him. I can join too." He answered her.

"Your arms are aching. Just put them down you're weak," she advised him with a calm tone.

"How could you be sarcastic with that innocent look? Weak?" He rolled his eyes and stretched his arms higher.

"Show off."

   He let out a sigh and put his arms down. "The other kids had ditched the punishment and you are still doing this. Come on lets just run to the field with the rest." Jaemi shook her head. "I didn't do my poem. I'm learning my lesson." "You're kidding right?" She looked at him sincerely. Jaebum understood her and picks up his bag. He threw his bag over his shoulder and said "I'm leaving then." Jaemi watched him with no reaction. Only her eyes blinked.

   After he was sure she'd just stand there with arms in the air until the bell rings he exploded. "Shouldn't you stop me?" Jaemi opened then shuts it. She didn't know what to say and tilted her head. "Again with those puppy eyes." "I can tell that you're tired so just follow me." Jaebum move towards her and pulls her arms down. "What if teacher Jung catch us ditching the punishment?" He laughed to her timid question. He gave her his confident look that teacher Jung won't come checking. "Where's all of-" 

    It was him. Jaebum and Jaemi glanced to his direction and looked to each other. "Run!" "Huh?" Run, Jaebum said just one word run. And he took her hand in a moment of fear and in that moment he claimed the rest of her as well, because they ran. And they didn't stop running even after they've got out of the school.

   Space and time  seemed like it stopped. As she was running with him hand in hand, she had forgotten her reason to be here. They ran until they reach a church. Jaemi ducked around the side of it to hide from him. He chased after her and she raced around the back laughing. As he turned the corner after her, he had to pull short for she had stopped and was watching a mockingbird on a tree. It stared at them.  "It's a mockingbird. Try and whistle Jb." He listened to her and whistled. 

   The bird mimics his whistle. Startled, Jaebum had realized her right hand had gripped his sleeve as he whistled gently. He looks to her beside him. Jaemi slips her hand down his sleeve and curled her fingers in his hand.

   He was amazed of her moves. Jaemi changed her view from the mockingbird to Jaebum who was already staring at her. She smiled.

   Some strange force took over Jaebum. He smiled back, holding her hand and feeling satisfied. Yesterday's kiss. He now felt sure of his emotions towards her. More than satisifed he had that distinct impression that he felt, well, yes, happy. Not to be confused with high, or mellow, or even elated. None of those fit. He was very happy being there with some girl who came out from his laptop claiming she is from the future, Park Jaemi who he didn't really know as much, as she knows him. 

   On the other hand,Jaemi felt an electric urge flowing through her to kiss him. But she didn't want to wipe his memory of her holding his hand right now. She's aware of what happens if she leads the kiss. Her hand in his felt like the warmest, safest place. She could trust him even if she was on the edge of the cliff. Jaemi glitched. 

.

.

.

.

.

   She lowers her head. "Jaemi?" He noticed her glitching. Reality hits her and she lets go of his hand. She puts up a smile and looks back at him. "I heard tomorrow, only the juniors would be coming to school. So we have plenty time to go love hunting again." Jaebum was confused. She confused him: The kiss, the holding hands, the smiles, the sudden reaction like nothing happened between them. He didn't reply her and that made her anxious. She glitched again. "Are you okay?"He asks her instead.

   "Tomorrow we go love hunting like we always do, okay? Say okay?" Jaemi wanted him to agree. The least she wanted to hear from him is 'no'. If he says that, she'll know for sure he likes her. When she notices him liking her, she'll have this burning feeling inside to love him back and glitches. Glitching will make her dissappear. And she didn't want that to happen. Not now, or ever, she thinks.

"What are you so afraid of?" He questions her.

"Afraid? What are you talking about? Oh croackroaches." She pretends her giggle.

"Let me meet your master." His words startled her and she glitched. "Why are you glitching so much nowadays? I didn't bother to ask you then, but I notice you glitching more than the first time you glitched infront of me." He blurted out his concern of her.

Jaemi didn't know what to reply. All she could think of was to wipe his memory of the time being. She leaned in to kiss him and pulls back after that. Three seconds passed but Jaebum didn't pass out. He was staring at her. Again she hit her lips on his and backens. "It's already more then three seconds." She pecks his lips again and he lets her. "Why aren't you," she goes in again. "You should pass out. Why..." again and again and again.

   And the weirdest thing of all happened. Tears were coming down Jaebum's face. At first, he didn't know what the wet stuff all over his face was. Until Jaemi said, "Tears?" He tried to remember when he last cried. He knew it was back at when he lost his favourite teddybear when he was seven. Jaemi ignores his tears and steps forward again but this time he didn't let her. He took a step back.

   "It doesn't works on me," he said. Jaemi breathed heavily, and her heart beat pounded wildly. Her eyes began to well with tears. Trying to calm herself soon she said, "The kiss...you were-" "Pretending. I did that to try to undestand why you want to deny what happened." She glitched and leaned on him, pushing her lips on his. The space in between when she pressed his lips Jaebum softly says, "It doesn't work. It won't..."

    Her eyes pooled. She bent her head to his chest. The moment her face met his chest she burst into tears. Her breaths were hot against his skin, even through his shirt, and they came in little puffs. She was crying hard. "I don't....don't want to dissapear." She said against his chest. He runs his hand up and down her back. To calm her. She was trembling terribly as deep sobs ripped through her. Jaemi felt so small and fragile in his embrace that he almost started crying too but he remained silent to hear her out. 

   "You sent me here...Yourself 20 years from now have sent me here. My master, Im Jaebum." His hands stops rubbing her back. He tried to pick up what she said. "The reason was to not let you and me meet up and tie connections until I started glitching and this means my existence will no longer exist in both past and present. I'd be forgotten. Master worried." Jaemi's voice broke off. 

   Jaebum holds both her shoulders and pulls her away from his embrace. He watches her crying infront of him. "Master wants me to return. He does not want that to happen. Even though he wanted to correct his choice of chosing me as his soulmate he didn't want me to vanish entirely. I only have two choices." Jaemi cups her face, trying to hide her overflowing tears. Between her hands she continued, "Either to set you up with a girl or love you, glitch and die." 

   He discovers his left hand caressing her hair. 

 "What did you choose?" His voice quivers. They both locked eyes. Jaemi bit her lips before she replies him. "Shhh, don't." He places his finger on her lips. "I'm not ready. How am I ready to hook up with another girl when I finally found out you love me too?" Jaemi glitched. He holds her shoulders firmly. "Don't leave me." He cried infront of her. "You have a to explain to me. From the start." He paused and held his head up high to calm himself. Jaebum looks back at her and smiled. "I can't believe I'm crying infront of the girl I like. Worst, I'm making her cry even more." He lifted Jaemi's chin with one finger and gave her a cheerful look. "Let's go to the playground. Since we've already ditched school and its too early to go home."