Chapter Two

The moment we are born, we are all destined to die. That was what Bomi always believed. And no matter what, we can't avoid our fate.

So when Bomi realised she could alter her past, she believed that this was fate. That maybe she was meant to never have fallen in love with Chanyeol in the first place. 

To forget this boy ever existed. To start anew.

. . .

Bomi blinked several times, trying to understand what was happening. Was she seeing things? Was she dreaming? 

She pinched herself lightly. She winced.

With this, you can return back to the past- and change it.

The fortune teller's voice seemed to boom in her mind. Bomi fiddled in her pocket and there it was; the marble the old man had given her. However as she took a closer look, she saw that it was glowing. And she saw it in the reflection of the marble; her six-year-old self.

What-

Bomi didn't notice that she dropped the marble as she went into her bathroom, but when she looked into the mirror- there was nothing. 

There was no reflection of her. She waved her hands, jumped, and moved her limbs frantically; but her reflection wasn't in the mirror. What on Earth-

Bomi's face paled. Was she a ghost, then? No, there was no way, unless...

You can travel back to the past, and change it, The old man's voice echoed in her mind.

Unless, she must have somehow travelled back to the past, like the old man had said she could. She couldn't seem to touch anything at all. 

"I'm not human, am i?" Bomi whispered to herself, a hand cupping her own face. "What am I, then? A- A spirit?" 

Bomi stepped back out of the bathroom, watching her mother pour a drink for herself. 

A thud sounded loudly from behind her as Bomi took a step. She turned and saw a pile of book on the ground. Her eyes rounded at the sight. It was her favourite childhood books that her mother always read for her before she tucked her to bed.

"Oh dear," Bomi's mother made her way to the books, passing through Bomi's body in the process. 

Bomi eyed a book as her mother piled them up in her arms. Suddenly, the book Bomi was eyeing flew out of her mother's grasp and landed back on the ground.

"What the-" Both of them frowned.

Her mother bent down to pick it up again, but Bomi concentrated on it, shifting her gaze to the right- and the book followed Bomi's gaze. The girl could only gasp in shock. Had she just made the book move with her own eyes? Her mother frowned at the book, but shook the thought away and quickly packed them neatly. Bomi turned her attention to something else. Her eyes landed on a tissue box. 

Concentrating, she tried to use all her will, all her strength in her eyes- and like a miracle, like she wanted, a tissue flew up and out of the box, flying swiftly and softly back down onto the table. The poor girl could only stand stockstill, unable to process the fact that she just did that. 

What the-?

Confusion contorted her face, but a small smile soon crept up her face once she processed what was happening. She could move things with her eyes. For goodness sake, who wouldn't be amazed? Amused, Bomi turned to the boiler, and easily, she lifted it up to pour the water into a cup. 

Holy-

Her eyes lit up in excitement. She could move things without touching it? Bomi didn't know how long she was going to stay in the past, but knowing what she could do now, she was going to make use of every second here. Her gaze averted to that of her mother's, and she saw her mother sighing and tucking herself into bed. 

Bomi's gaze softened.

Is there a way? 

Is there a way... to bring you back alive?

Bomi sighed. She was going to save her mother, she decided. 

She remembered exactly how her mother died, how could she ever forget?

It was the night Chanyeol left. Bomi was trudging back home, and that was when it happened. A horse carriage came right at her, horses neighing in unison, hooves clacking against the cold hard ground. They couldn't see her small figure in the dark night, and Bomi's mother was just right there. she had seen it, heard the horses, and out of instinct, she shoved her daughter out of the way. It was horrible. Bomi could only watch as her mother got crushed by the carriage. And she had to live with the guilt that her mother died because of her. It was all her fault.

Shivering slightly from the thought, she shifted her thoughts back to her old cottage. The girl made her way to the window. She frowned. There was something oddly familiar about the day.

Looking out the window, she saw that it wasn't winter anymore. The trees were filled with colour, and strong but somewhat warm breeze blew leaves past the window. It was autumn.

There was something there on a tree, moving, its leaves swaying from the wind. Bomi squinted, and she saw it. It wasn't the wind. A little boy on the tree, and he was tugging on his foot. When he lifted his head for a second, his gaze grazed right past Bomi, and she continued to stare right at him although he couldn't see her. Bomi recognised the boy immediately. 

Chanyeol.

She could remember the day crisp and clear, even without it playing right before her. 

She could remember every single detail of the first time she met Park Chanyeol.

The day the boy entered her life. 

A six-year old Bomi was rubbing her grumbling tummy, pouting. Her mother had gone out to work and as usual, she was left at home. Ever since her father's death, it had always happened. 

They stopped having sufficient money, and the mother daughter pair were always hungry. Her mother had started to take many shifts a day, barely being able to see her daughter once a day. The girl wore her usual dirt-stained dress. Although Bomi understood, she was hungry. She searched her house, in little boxes and rusty cabinets- and just so, she found 60 pence. Just enough for a loaf of bread.

The little girl skipped out of her little house, to the bakery. She nibbled on her bread immediately once she bought it, and for once her little stomach was filled. She cut through a few lanes before she saw the heart of her home. 

"Help," A cute but somewhat strangled voice sounded from behind the girl, and Bomi spun around- but there was no one in sight.

"Up here," Came the voice again, this time more desperate, hopeful.

Bomi looked upward, and there it was. A little boy her age was stuck on the tree not far from her, his foot in a weird angle. 

Bomi blinked at the sight, before sprinting off back into her house. "I'll save you!" she shouted at him as she went back to her empty house, shoving her half-eaten bread in her pocket.

"Hey!" The boy shouted louder this time, scared that he would be left alone once again. "Where are you going?"

Bomi quickly shoved her bread into her pocket, running into her house to grab a small wooden stool. She carried it over her head and went back to where the boy was, placing the stool next to the tree.

"What-"

"Wait up," Young Bomi called. "I'll come save you."

She climbed onto the stool, trying to reach the boy, but he was too far up.

Bomi hoisted herself up, trying her best to scale the tree, and finally, she managed to lift her leg up and onto the branch the boy was stuck on. The boy's hair was messy and there were dried leaves stuck on his hair and body. There were specks of dirt on his face and hands, and he was sweating profusely. He was wearing a plain white shirt that had turned a dark colour, and a grey shirts that was torn at the sides.

The boy's eyes lifted to meet Bomi's, and there was hope evident in those round eyes. Bomi's eyes travelled down to his hands that were on his right foot. Bomi noticed that he didn't have any footwear on, and his foot was red and swollen, part of his skin peeling off. His foot was stuck between two branches, a few twigs tangling between his reddened toes.

"My leg is stuck," The boy pouted, stating the obvious. Bomi could tell that he was trying to put on a strong front, but failing miserably. 

"It's okay," The girl smiled. "I'll help you."

The girl set off to work, slowly untagling the branches from his toes, making sure not to scrape his wound.

It had been months, no- it felt like years since she last spoke to someone her age. Ever since her father passed away five months ago, they didn't have enough funds for the girl to attend school. She had been yearning to make friends, talk to someone; but all her classmates had started avoiding her, knowing her plight.

Bomi couldn't understand. Why were they all treating her different just because she became poor? Noticing the boy's clothes, he must poor too. So he wouldn't avoid the girl because she's poor, right? Bomi smiled at the thought of being able to make a new friend. Bomi had been so lost in thoughts, she didn't realise the boy had come free until the boy murmured a "thank you", flexing his swollen foot.

"I don't think I can get down," The boy gulped, not wanting to break his foot even more, if that was possible.

"I'll help you down," Bomi lifted his arm, but before the two could even put one foot down, the boy slipped on the bark, pushing the poor girl down with him. The two kids landed onto the ground with a loud thud, their screams filling the air. Bomi cushioned the boy's fall as he landed on her. He quickly rolled off the girl, spluttering leaves out of his mouth.

"Are you okay?" The boy helped her up, swiping leaves off her arm. Bomi nodded numbly. 

"Are you?"

The boy nodded back. The boy's eyes trailed from her arm to the bread that was sticking out of her pocket, his lips unconsciously. Bomi noticed his gaze.

And that was how her last piece of bread was finished; by the boy, whom she didn't know the name of.

Bomi snapped back into reality and she turned around to a familiar voice. She saw her marble on the floor and swiftly took it, keeping it in her pocket.

"I'm going to work, Bomi," Her mother told the little girl, and Bomi looked up as she planted a kiss onto the six-year-old girl's forehead. "Take care of yourself, okay?"

The little girl pouted but nodded sadly. Bomi watched as her mother left the house, and her six-year-old self sitting back down onto the ground, not knowing what to do. She hugged onto her old teddy bear for a moment. When she heard her tummy grumble, she got up and searched the house, the cabinets, and inside little boxes- 

There, she found 60 pence, just enough for a loaf of bread. Beaming to herself, little Bomi tittered to the door. And Bomi knew how it was going to play out. Bomi would buy a bread, and she would then meet Chanyeol. She was about to watch her little self go out and buy her bread, but before she knew what she was doing, she flung herself at her six-year-old self, only to fly right through her. She composed herself before staring at the door, using her power to double-lock it in place. 

In her preferal vision, she saw her young self tug at the door, frowning that it wasn't opening. She kept tugging, but Bomi wouldn't keep her eyes off the door. Finally, the girl sighed in defeat and sat back down, staring at the coins in her hands. Bomi sighed, turning to look at the her self. The girl didn't try the door again.

Slowly, she made her way to the window, and she could make out Chanyeol still on the tree, stuck. And she thought that maybe, just maybe, what if she didn't meet Chanyeol in the past? Would she have to hurt so bad now?

She looked at her young self, and back to Chanyeol.

If only she didn't fall in love with him.

If only...

...she didn't meet him.

If she changed her past, and made sure she didn't meet Chanyeol, then she would really forget him like he wanted, right?

She didn't know why she did that just now, but now she was sure- she was going to change her fate. To make sure she never met Chanyeol. And she was going to make sure that today, she wasn't going to meet the boy.

. . .

That night, Bomi couldn't sleep. Well, it wasn't like she knew if she could sleep anyway, considering that she was sort of a 'spirit'. It was like her spirit from the current world had travelled to the past to change time.

She could remember everything that happened to her till she was 21. What would happen then, once she changed her past? Would she forget everything that happened before?

Bomi frowned and looked back out the window. She had been a little worried that day, wondering if Chanyeol would ever get help. Afterall, he's still a kid. Right? Even though she told herself not to care, deep down inside, she knew she still did. She knew she still cared. And she hated it.

Bomi squinted out in the darkness, but there seemed to be no one on the tree now. She sighed in relief, glad that at least the boy was safe. But when Bomi turned around, she couldn't remember why she was looking out the window. Why was she looking out the window? She remembered that she was looking out for a particular boy that day, but why would she do that? Bomi shook her head; she couldn't seem to remember about the boy. 

 . . .

Back in the present, Chanyeol had made his way home after buying himself noodles. He had noticed Bomi in the same shop, gourging down on her noodles. Seeing that Bomi didn’t have enough cash with her, he paid for her under Baekhyun’s name. He thought that even if it wasn’t him, at least, Baekhyun would take good care of her. He knew that his friend would. He observed the girl abit more. She really was the same. She hadn't changed at all.

Chanyeol grumbled, digging into his food even after she had left. If he had to do it properly, then he really needed to stop thinking about her.

  . . .

Earlier the next day, Bomi found herself staring right at her six-year-old self the moment her eyes opened. Bomi sprung away almost instantly, only to remember that she was in the past. Right. She's in the past. She frowned as she remembered what happened the day before. She remembered she changed the past, but couldn't seem to remember what she changed. She remembered she wanted to not meet Chanyeol.

Then that means...

It was working.

She couldn't remember how she first met the boy.

 . . .

That day was the first time Bomi met the boy, but she only found out his name this very day. 

"Bomi, I told you that I'll have to earn enough money to be able to send you to school," Her mother clicked her tongue. 

"But I wanna go to schoool," The little girl whined.

"Look," Her mother patted her head. "I'll have to go to work so you can go to school, okay? I'll get my pay soon, and then you can go to school okay?" 

The little girl pouted but nodded. 

"Take care, darling," Her mother smiled.

And soon, little Bomi was left by herself once again. Bored, she decided to head outside. She was curious about the little boy she met previously, but she hadn't seen him since. She went out to the little tree where she first met him, but he never came back. She was so stupid, Bomi sulked. She could have at least asked his name. Bomi decided to explore the nearby park. She sighed. Then remembering her old school, she decided to head there and see if it has changed. She didn't remember exactly how to go there, so she scuffled through a dark lane filled with trees. 

Bomi frowned, not being able to recognise the place. She stopped infront of a small gap between two trees, contemplating if she should try walking down. But just as she placed her foot down, she tripped over a rock, tumbling down the grass hill like a mini avalanche.

"Arghhh..." She could only groan in pain as she lifted her scraped arm. She blew on her wound, wiping the leaves off it.

Just as the girl sat up, she heard a shout. 

"Are you okay?" A voice sounded through the trees. Bomi glanced up towards the sound.

A boy her age came climbing down the hill. Bomi recognised the boy. He was the boy she saved from the tree before! Her face lit up, and she nodded. The boy reached her, and the way he stood towering over her, she could see that he was really tall. Bomi felt like a small mouse as compared to him. 

The boy was same as before, except this time his shirt and hair was neater, and he slung a small old bag over his shoulders. The boy reached his hand out for the girl and Bomi took it. With his help, she got up back onto her feet. 

Bomi shot him a grateful smile, wiping the leaves off her body. "Thank