Memories were like flickers of light. They blinked like eyes; one-two-three. He could swim through them, one by one. And of all them led back to his old classroom, there in the bright area, hazy beams of smoky sunlight filtering through the room.

    At one end, he saw Sehun and his old group of friends--those that turned against him. They had toothy smiles that gave him jitters. At the other end was Jisoo, with her braids and her glasses. The rest vanished and he focused on her.

    “I think we should end this,” she said. In a wink, she was nineteen again, slightly taller. Her glasses were gone, and her doe-like eyes watched him with antipathy. “Why’re we pretending to be friends?”

    “I want a second chance,” he replied. He was still a kid, thirteen years old, but almost her height. “There’s something I have to do before it’s all over.”

    “Why not end it now, Seokjin?” The classroom undulated, like waves crashing against a rock. Darkness surrounded them, but Jisoo, she was as luminous as a star. “I don’t want you to pretend. I want you to die.”

It hurt him. Her words carved through him, as sharp as a knife, slicing up his arteries. Bubbles of blood simmered in the air. He clasped a hand over the wound. The pain flared across his abdomen. “But...why?”

    “It’s because I hate you!” Her hair burst into flames. The fire spread across her body. Angry tears filled her eyes. “I hate you for what you did to me!”

    She was a sun now, her flames melting his bones.

                                                                                                “I WANT YOU TO DISAPPEAR!”

Jin washed his hands. He glanced at himself in the mirror. Surely it was all a dream, right? What if Jisoo truly hated him for trying? He was sticking to her like an unwanted parasite. The dream from earlier haunted him that day, even in school. He hid in the toilets, trying to escape from school life, from the world, from himself.

    He was supposed to meet her later that evening. But what if his dream was a premonition of what was to come? Dark crescents were evident underneath his eyes. The only thing that motivated him to wake that morning was Jisoo. He woke up so he could see her again.

    But why was he trying so hard? All he had to do was apologise. Was that so difficult for him? The words swam inside his soul, wishing for release. But he could not bring himself to do that.

    Someone’s footsteps stirred him back to reality. He washed his face with water.

“It’s you again.” The familiar voice warned him of imminent danger.

    Oh Sehun glanced him, like how he always did, right under his nose. His haughty expression was one he inherited back in school. “I didn’t think I’d get a chance to talk with you.”

    Jin grabbed some paper to wipe his hand. “What do you want? Say it quickly.” His heart hammered frantically in his ribcage.

“I don’t really know anyone else here.” Sehun pushed his hands into the pockets of his trousers. He stared at the ground. “And Joy’s maths club scares me.” He kicked at the empty air. “And it’s been a long time since I’ve seen you last.”

    “You didn’t really speak to me in Junior High.” Jin avoided staring at him. The punches that Sehun inflicted in the past were still fresh in his memories.

    “Now’s a good time, isn’t it?” Sehun sighed. “Look, Jin--”

“Don’t use that name. You haven’t earned the right!” His hands curled into fists.

    “Seokjin, sorry,” Sehun corrected. “I’m sorry for what I did, before.”

Anger flared inside him. Jin jostled past him. As soon as he stepped out, he caught a group of girls giggling at him. Sehun followed soon after, and they gasped, swooning to the floor.

    “They love each other, I knew it!” cried one of the girls.

Jin rolled his eyes. To his luck, Sehun did not follow him anymore.

He waved Lisa goodbye, and then heading towards the metro, he searched for Jisoo’s music school via Google Maps. Thank heavens he was born in the age of technology. His lips curled into a frown. The school was far off, so regular visits would create a hole in his pocket. If only he could afford a bicycle…

    He noticed a figure humped over on the steps, face hidden on knees, soft sobs escaping. It was that thief, Taehyung. Jin regarded him for a few seconds. He went inside the metro, but a queue awaited the ticket booth. However, the im