déjà vu (a snippet)

characters: xuanyi, seola/hyunjung, luda

context: hyunjung is the time guardian of the world who shouldn't fall in love with a mere mortal. but she does. and she's been making the same mistake for eight times, when she finally realizes that it's time to change her own fate.

note: a snippet from the end of a long story

s/o to my friend thalia: sorry fam the most recent update (aka this) isn't about luda hahaha

Hyunjung paused, her hand cold against the handle of the door. Across her she saw a lady by the counter—alone in the shop, busy brewing herself a coffee. 

It's an afternoon that time. It's the same afternoon when she saw her the eighth time. And of all those eight times she had met her, Xuanyi couldn't remember any. She had completely forgotten about Hyunjung.

Hyunjung stopped the time, watched as the still sight of Xuanyi looked the same over the past years, decades... centuries... millennia... She's still the same—so beautiful that it made Hyunjung fall for her over and over again even if she had always hurt her every single time they met. 
 

It's an afternoon that time. It's the same afternoon but Hyunjung was making it different. She had decided that it would be best if...if she quit trying. The time was hers to keep, the memories were there as remembrance, but there's nothing she could do against the consequences of having the time in her hands. 

It's the downside of being the chosen one: normal people will eventually forget about you.

Hyunjung let her destiny be, humbly accepting that there's no way was it possible for her and a human to fall for each other and be happy together, and besides...Xuanyi had someone else to be there by her side.
 

She waved her hands and in a wink, she's in the future. She glanced over the same coffee shop and watched as a couple went out. 

"You're just hurting yourself, don't you know?" lights flickered beside her and in an instant she knew it was a friend, someone who shared the same fate, but not as tragic.

"It's not like that. I know she loved me, at least I know she did"

"She doesn't remember you. She has forgotten about you. She—" Luda swallowed the words, but it couldn't hurt to tell the truth to her friend especially when Hyunjung knew better. "She doesn't know you anymore."

Hyunjung just smiled.

"Hyunjung, you know your fate. You know everyone's fate. I just don't understand why you keep doing this."

"It's finding happiness although you know that in the end, you will never have it."

"Same lame reason," Luda disappeared into thin smokes as soon as her fire went out. She'd probably be touring the world again, going to bring warmth to those in need. Hyunjung would stumble upon her again anytime in the future.

Hyunjung became a wanderer again, searching the world for another temporary happiness it could give her. So much time had passed by and she was able to witness how the world evolved.

Visiting places became a hobby, and pausing time to change events and account for small glitches to a normal person's life brought enjoyment to her. It was enough to keep her going for another era, or until she found another pastime.

It's an afternoon that time and Hyunjung was walking past the street where flowers were sold. She couldn't be wrong, her eyes weren't playing tricks on her: she's seeing Xuanyi again...after centuries of trying to forget about her. 

"Forget-me-not, do you like these flowers. I like them, a lot," Xuanyi chuckled. Hyunjung stood still, keeping the distance between them. Xuanyi was busy tending her plants. 
Xuanyi still looked the same. And she still couldn't remember anything.

Hyunjung felt pangs poking her heart. She knew her fate, but it seemed as if there was some blip that caught her off guard... again. Her meeting of Xuanyi that day was something she was not able to foresee. What's more heart-breaking was that she met her just as when Hyunjung had almost forgotten about her.

Almost.

Now the memories were back. 

Hyunjung took steps, trying to walk past by Xuanyi, trying to appear just like any other stranger who came by the shop.

"I think I've seen you before." Hyunjung heard coming from her back. "Or—I don't know. You look familiar."

Hyunjung looked at her, smiled, thought of things like risking it this time with Xuanyi again. She's ready to get hurt anyway, as long as it's Xuanyi but— 

"Have we met somewhere before?" Xuanyi asked, smile creeping across her face.

Hyunjung stopped the time. She wanted it to be like this forever. She wanted to see Xuanyi smiling back at her as if there's no problem of smiling at Hyunjung. 

A tear ran across Hyunjung's cheek. She knew she couldn't stop time forever. She knew that risking it again this time would just result in a gyre of events.  

It's an afternoon that time. It's going to be like the same afternoons but Hyunjung was making it different. She resumed the time and answered Xuanyi.

"No."

"Ah—oh," Xuanyi was left confused.

It's the last time you'll get to see me.

Hyunjung had cheated on her own fate. It's about time she changed her own destiny. She thought it would be better like this: being there in Xuanyi’s memory forever, instead of being with her and eventually getting forgotten.

She wanted Xuanyi to treasure the memory of meeting Hyunjung in her mind forever.