[CHAPTER 2]

"Protagonist"

Hongbin stared at the hours on the old grandfather clock as he sat quietly at the desk to record the new titles. He’s already lost count how many names he has had to record since the morning under those that were newborns and those that passed away overnight.

Hongbin sighed.

He glanced around at the usual surroundings and then secretly glared at his one supervisor, Seo In Guk who he had taught him absolutely nothing since the first day he began in the academy.

Tick.

Tock.

Come on, just let this end already. He thought to himself as he looked at the time with an annoyed expression on his face.

Tick.

Tock.

The clock finally struck at six and the noises coming from the hallways grew louder. Both classes and work was finally done for the day.

Hongbin remain seated on his chair as he continued to glance at In Guk.

Why isn’t he getting up yet? Hongbin felt a bit impatient as he waited. He usually dashes out of here the moment the clock hits six.

Moments later, In Guk got out from his chair. Hongbin secretly felt happy and relieved that the lazy supervisor was finally going to leave. As In Guk reached the doorway, he turned back at Hongbin and glanced at his pupil.

“Are you not leaving?” In Guk asked.

“I am. I just want to finish up writing these last names down.” Hongbin had already made up the excuse since hours ago. “You can go first. Don’t worry about me.”

“Hmph, as if I’d care. Just clean up your mess before you leave so that I don’t have to come back tomorrow morning to clean it up for you.” In Guk said and left the library.

Hongbin hurried down the last few names in the records and put it back where it belongs. He walked up the stairs carefully and glanced down time after time in case anyone came in unexpected.

Just as he reached his floor, he walked up behind one of the book shelves and took out the book. The book titled ‘Cha Hakyeon’. The name of the owner in which this fate belongs to.

Ever since Hongbin found this book, he was oddly intrigued by the appearance and blank context of the story. There was a past and parts of the present, yet the future was undecided. All fate has a predetermined ending, why didn’t this one have it as well?

He hid around the corner and sat down.

He traced the inked cover gently and flipped through the book.

*  *  *  *  *  *

Cha Hakyeon, currently twenty-five years old. A teacher at a high school in Gwangju, South Korea and teaching Korean literature as well as Philosophy. He once did his practicum in this high school during his college days and eventually was hired to stay after graduation.

He wasn’t originally from Gwangju but from another city that was East from it, Changwon. But due to certain circumstances, he had to move.

A mother, a father, an older brother as well as an older sister. Cha Hakyeon is the youngest in the family and was always doted upon since he was a child. His family loved him and he loved them just as much. They were a pleasantly peaceful family…

Yawns.

Hongbin rubs his eyes.

“This is boring,” he said and flipped through another page or so. Hakyeon’s story was too typical and rather, uninteresting. “Hmm… let’s see. Seems like he’s diligent, bright, hard-working, and honest.”

Hongbin sighed again. Bored at another not-so-interesting protagonist.

He has opened the book a few times but after a few pages, he got bored once more and couldn’t continue. However, just as he thought he should just put the story aside, he couldn’t help but wonder.

Why was this book the only book without an ending? And why were all the pages starting from the middle scratched and blank?

That was the ultimate reason as to why he couldn’t put the book down. His curiosity kept him in his seat, wanting to know the reasons why. So, he continued to read forth a bit more.

Hakyeon was like Hongbin’s opposite and rather, maybe more similar to Wonshik than Hongbin.

Hakyeon had a dream. He’s always wanted to be a teacher since he was young and he enjoyed pretending to be a teacher since he was a child. His parents were pleased to know that their child was not only hard working but also had a goal in mind. Hakyeon’s ambition was something Hongbin could never relate to.

Eventually, when Hakyeon entered high school, he started to work even harder in his studies and hoping to become a teacher once he becomes an adult. He never missed a single day of class, he was confident with himself and even diligently volunteers to become a class representative. Hakyeon’s performance was impressive, his peers looked up to him and his teachers adored him. His parents would only hear good things about their child and supported him all the time. His siblings would often cheer him on while they were in Seoul for work.

But it started to change. Something in Hakyeon’s life took a turn for the worst.

By the time he was in his third year, he and his family no longer talked to one another. His siblings would no longer call or send him messages of encouragement and every day, he fears to even sit at the dining table with his mother and father. Nothing from school had changed though, his grades were still on top and his school treated him just the same as before.

However, that is only because they didn’t know. They didn’t know that behind the usual smiles Hakyeon tries to pull off, was a story in which only Hongbin knew about.

“Hmm, what is he? An idiot?” Hongbin didn’t know how to sympathize with a cowardly character as such as Hakyeon. “Why didn’t he just tell them? They’re his parents yet… they turned away from him because of that? What a family…”

Hongbin flipped through the few pages to see where Hakyeon’s life was leading in his story.

Eventually after high school, Hakyeon moved out from his home town and lived in Gwangju instead. Hakyeon wanted to leave, leave the place of disappointments and sorrows. He wanted to go to a new place where he could forget.

*  *  *  *  *  *

Dooong.

Hongbin jumped from the sudden noise and looked at the clock. It was already nearing midnight.

“Shoot, I need to get out from here before they lock the gates completely!” He panicked.

He shoved the book back behind the shelves so that no one could find it. It was a book that not even his supervisor knew it existed. He hurried to pack his belongings and made sure the lights were off. He peeked out into the empty and quiet hallways before he made his escape.

Quietly, he exited into the gardens and saw that the front gates were already sealed tight.

“Tsk, guess I have no choice.” He snapped his fingers and went into another direction.

He reached the back of the academy and after making sure that no one was watching, he climbed the fence and out of the academy grounds he went.

Nights such as this was nothing unusual for Hongbin anymore. It would have been strange for him to be staying late at the library if things were the same as how it was in the beginning. But ever since he found the book of Hakyeon, he became intrigued into finding the answers behind the mystery.

Hongbin finally made it home and he made sure to enter his house quietly as everyone should be asleep at this time.

“Was work hard?” His mother popped up from nowhere and surprising Hongbin.

“Mom! Don’t scare me like that please. Why are you still awake?” He asked her.

“I was just curious what you have been to every night and not coming home until this time around. Well?” She demanded an answer.

“I just had to finish up filing some records, that’s all,” Hongbin lied.

The woman’s face obviously showed that she wasn’t buying to her son’s lie. Everyone in this neighborhood knew how lazy and unambitious the son of this family was. Hongbin was infamous for staying at home all the time.

She sighed.

“Well, whatever. As long as you aren’t doing anything harmful, I don’t really care. Just go to bed since your classes start again in a few hours.” She advised.

“Yeah, okay.”

The schedule while being in Moirae’s Edge was quite exhausting. General studies began at eight and ends at three. But those that were already selected to train in the different departments begin right after three and doesn’t end until six. Those were just the weekdays.

On weekends where classes were not in session, both days would be dedicated to hours and hours of training with their coaches and supervisors. Except, Hongbin’s supervisor didn’t seem to care.

So, Hongbin was off to do what he wanted as long as he wasted enough time to go home.

He threw his bag onto the floor and flopped straight onto his bed. He was too tired to get changed and too lazy to move. He stared blankly at the ceiling and he can hear the ticking of the clock that was coming from their living room.

“Honestly, what am I doing with my life?” He asked himself.

Hongbin didn’t have an answer to it. He’s never found an interest in anything and he’s tried everything there was to try. His parents have already given up on trying to motivate their son and even his friends seldom calls him since they know Hongbin would most likely say no to going out.

“What’s the point of going out so much? I just don’t get it,” Hongbin scratched his head. “And what’s so special about that an academy that only monitors others’ fate? When we don’t even know ours…”

If Hongbin were to have gained anything from working at Moirae’s Edge, that would be the hundreds of questions he had in his mind.

What makes you so special that only your book looks like that huh? Why is only your future unwritten, Cha Hakyeon?

*  *  *  *  *  *

Hongbin started another day. He went to classes as usual, forced to eat lunch with Jaehwan and Wonshik and then, off to the Library once more. The only sounds he could hear from the Library was the scribbling of his fountain pen as he recorded the names in a notebook and the ticking of the old grandfather clock.

Hongbin let out a yawn and stared at the time as usual. He glanced at what his supervisor was doing and Seo In Guk caught him.

“What?” He said in an annoyed tone towards Hongbin.

“Nothing.” Hongbin looked back at his notebook.

How did this man even become a supervisor? What the heck were you guys thinking? Hongbin shook his head in disagreement to the three stilled statues of Moirae.

“Honestly, why are you even here?” In Guk suddenly asked him.

“I don’t know.” Hongbin only told the truth.

Why are you here as well? Hongbin was dying to ask his supervisor that. But obviously he couldn’t.

“I heard one of your friends from the Guardians department signed you up?”

“He’s not my friend,” Hongbin still holds a slight grudge at Wonshik for putting his name on the recruitments without his consent.

“Hmph. You should be thankful to him that someone even bothers to care about you.”

Hongbin was annoyed. His supervisor’s attitude and indifference was starting to make him fume.

Calm down, Lee Hongbin, calm down. Don’t let him get to you. You can do this, Hongbin tried his best not to argue back and took a deep breath.

“Is it possible for a book’s ending to be blank?” Hongbin decided that it was best to change the subject before he becomes too irritated at In Guk.

In Guk looked at the boy for a second, most likely wondering where the sudden curiosity came from.

“No and that is not possible.” He told Hongbin.

“What makes you so sure?”

“Every fate within this library is predetermined from birth until death by the Goddesses. Everything those on Earth does, is all due to a specific fate that the Goddesses have chosen for them. The Goddesses can see the future that no man can. There’s no way that they would leave a book blank.”

Then what about Cha Hakyeon? Hongbin wanted to say it but he knew he must not.

“Anyways, stop asking your nonsense and get back to work. We don’t have all day.” In Guk told him.

“Fine, fine.” Hongbin said in displeased.

If no book within the Library of Fate was to be left blank, then why is Cha Hakyeon’s story undetermined? Why is he the only one with such a special case that even the sole supervisor in the department of the Keepers did not know about it?

Hongbin took one more look at the three statues of the Goddess located at the center of the library. The three who were connected by a golden thread, intertwining one fate to another’s.

Why is it that I'm the one to find the book? Is this all part of your games of fate too?

*  *  *  *  *  *

A/N - The story will unfold as we continue. If it's confusing right now, that's the point. But eventually, everything will become clear again.