​Title: Lifetimes of choices
Pairing or character: Seunghoon/Mino/Seungyoon
Rating: PG-13
Summary: I've shared many lifetimes with you - and in each, I have always loved you dearly.
Notes: I haven’t done and am not too familiar with reincarnation!aus before, so beforehand, I’m really sorry if my rendition of reincarnation is not too conflicting for you! Also for practicality, throughout reincarnations, the characters still retain their names albeit with different personalities and lives.

Important notice: please do not click on the "next" chapter button by the end of the chapters, instead, make your own decision by clicking the actions you want Mino to take :)

Cross-posted from winnerexchange written for lovely Cleo! (check the community since it has a lot of high-quality Winner fics!)


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“Do I know you?”

It came as a surprise for me to see you appear in front of me, your long and slender fingers tightly gripping a cup of iced vanilla latte. Over many lifetimes, I had objected your beverage of choice – especially on rainy days like this.

I put my sketchbook to rest as I gather words to construct an appropriate response to your seemingly simple question.

Yes, I do know you. I know you and you had taught me how to play the guitar that one time. We embarked on countless road trips as frugal musicians trying to make ends meet. You wrote me so many songs: those that speak of ardent love and dreary despair. We had spent the night by the beach and skinny-dipped in the dark. You poured me stories of resilience you had never shared with anyone before. Of course I know you.

Yes, I do know you. I know you and we held hands as we walked in the central park after office hours. The blood orange sky had always been your favorite, and I had always resolutely argued that the purplish orange sky of dawn is more beautiful. We had always dined in Tony’s, a cozy Italian where white collar workers alike savor the legendary gnocchi made fresh by the order. Of course I know you.

Yes, I do know you. In fact, we had grown old together. It still baffles me how I have managed to survive 43 years, 35 years, and 65 years together with you and your tireless nagging. In our twilight days we had watched the sun set in the Venice horizons, went to the Vienna Philharmonic, and watched our grandchildren run over the hills of Jeju. I wrote you an eulogy twice – and you have scattered my ashes once.

Carefully selecting my words, I replied:

“Really?”

Through sour conversations and sleepless nights full of heated debates, I have learned the hard way to never disclose nor imply that I have known – and loved – you before.

“Uh, I am not so sure myself. It’s just that your face looks very familiar to me. Perhaps we’ve shared same classes before.”

“Possibly! I took calculus classes too – owned that textbook before. It was quite a hard one, but proved to be very handy in later classes.”

“Oh, is that so? That means I really need to start attending classes from now on-”
you see, my weakness has always been your pouty lips,
“-or else I might never graduate from here. Thanks for the heads-up! My name is Kang Seungyoon, by the way.”

“No worries. I’m Mino, nice meeting you!”

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As the music gets louder, the pull to slide into samba moves is getting more intense. Having made peace with myself in acknowledging that I am no good of a dancer, I have chosen to stay put and enjoy the Caipirinha cocktail instead.

That is until I saw you, rocking those samba steps and catching everyone’s attention. I didn’t expect to meet you here – although I have no complaints, as you look bedazzling donning that plain white shirt with the top four buttons daringly undone, dancing under the dim yellow light. Truly a women magnet, as a handful of girls left their dates just to be a step closer with you, their hungry eyes telling so much about their intentions. I smirked at the view and in a very dashing manner, you caught it and winked at me from afar.

How cheeky.

This is not the first time you blatantly flirted on me – I remember like it was yesterday how you recommended me a book in the bookstore you were working at and slipped a handwritten cute banter in the middle of the book on check-out. We had a lot of fun in that bookstore (and I must say, ahem, even more good times in the warehouse) all the while my parents thought I was just being a very diligent student.

I have proven that you’re not the only one capable of making the first move, though. I wish you could remember how smooth I was in that train ride from Bangkok to Siem Reap. Angkor Wat was nothing short of amazing, but having a Lara Croft wannabe running around as if chased by vicious treasure hunters as a travel companion boosted it to be one of my most prized trips over my lifetimes.

You are also sweet as you are cheeky. I have never felt more at peace compared to when we took a morning stroll in the Peak District: the rays of sunshine peeking through the heavy morning mist sending warm kisses to our skin, your assurance of always being by my side as you steadfastly hold me in your arms and softly speak your sweetest words thus far: “I love you and I wish to never be parted with you, even when the sun dies and the planets collide.” Dearest, if only you knew that the heavens had so kindly granted your wish. We will never part.

The thunderous claps brought me back to the patio in Rio de Janeiro. As they subside, you walked into my direction with a glass of Caipirinha in your hand and said,

“Indeed this cocktail is too good to be missed. Not even a highly attractive, skillful dancer can separate you from a glass of this, eh?”

“Well, I’d prefer my samba classes to be private, thank you very much.”

“I’m Seunghoon, and starting from about five seconds ago, I teach private samba classes.”

“I’m Mino. When do we start?”


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Winter in Seoul can sometimes be jarringly cold (remember those days during King Sejong’s reign when we had to burn a truckload of firewood just to survive) and this year’s is no exception. I have successfully reached the Caffe Bene Myeongdong after enduring the biting winds and spent about two hotpacks en route.

Work doesn’t start until 45 minutes and today is one of those screw-my-diet days, so I’m ordering a devilish hazelnut mocha latte and triple chocolate mousse. Every now and then you need to order the most fattening menu possible just as an act of protest to the gods for their umpteenth rejections for asking a naturally skinny body coded in your DNA.

My rebelliousness didn’t just stop at the latte and mousse – I sat at the table and used not one, but two electrical plugs for my iPad and phone because I’m one of those plugs-hungry millennial s. If that’s not enough douchebaggery under one sitting, I’m using the 45 minutes window to download the latest episode of House of Cards and Game of Thrones and use up the café’s bandwidth so that other customers would have had their coffee cold before their Facebook page got loaded.

“Excuse me, do you mind if I use this plug? I notice you’ve been using two.”
This assertiveness and straightforwardness, could it be –
“I really need one for work.”

And just as I expected, it’s Seunghoon. Really, gods? It took you guys 25 years, two full-time jobs, and three pet cats of interlude to finally introduce me to one of my potential love interests?

“Uh, yeah sure.”

“Thanks. And by the way, the latest episode is really cool, Kevin Spacey is a brilliant actor, but I hope you are more sensible than using up a café’s bandwidth for your own entertainment.”

And just like that, I’m certain this lifetime’s Seunghoon is an assertive little poop that I will swoon over.

“Yeah, man. Chill.”

He gave me a sharp gaze and snorted. Afterwards, he opened his MacBook and started working. My guess is that he’s a graphic designer here. I think I could live with a hot, assertive graphic designer alright.

Just as he changed the color of the paintbrush, the café door swung open and a store clerk came rushing in.

“Hi there, Wonwoo! The usual please.” The clerk flashed a bright smile and proceeded to wipe his round glasses from melting snowflakes.

“Are you sure you want an iced vanilla latte? It’s quite cold outside.”

Ah. Today must have been my lucky day. My two love interests in one sitting. Being rebellious has its kick.

“You know me, Wonwoo. Did you get to read the book I gave you?”

“It’s on my reading queue! I’m still finishing the rest of the books we bought in an episode of frantic buying from the midnight sale last month. Here you go. One iced vanilla latte and one free chocolate chip cookie for you!”

Dear gods, if you’re listening to me, please include that barista in the eligible potential love interest for another lifetime – have you seen his smile? Unbelievable.

“Thanks, man. You’re the best.”

Seungyoon sat himself at the table next to me and dived into the world wide web on his phone. Seeing the two of them from an arm’s length away, I am grateful that I have an infinite amount of time in a cyclical loop to spend with them, no matter whom I choose to be with.

My lives have always been lifetimes of choices: how I’ll navigate myself, what work I will lead myself to, who I want to end up with, what goal I am destined to fulfill in this lifetime. Through various combinations and permutations in life, I realized that one droplet of decision has the power to create a ripple large enough to last a lifetime. Those decisions are made both consciously or unconsciously – voluntarily or involuntarily. Most of the times we are not able to determine what resides under our control.

Luckily, I am able to control these following decisions: to take the packets of sugar in front of Seungyoon, or to go with a smart comeback responding to Seunghoon’s assertion.