Genre: Angst, Comedy, Drama, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Suspense, Time Travel, Psychological

Summary: 2 years have already passed yet Yujin still haven’t moved on. Yujin then made a wish the second before the sun rises in front of her. And before she even knew it, she found herself back in July 24, 2018, the day before her fiancé died.

Word Count: 8362

Hashtag: #JinjooFiestaS2_AmorFati

Amor Fati

Yujin sniffed as she felt the gentle touch of a cool breeze on her face. She’s on another one of her tiring early morning walks due to the insomnia that she’s been experiencing for months now. 

She’s headed to a place she always goes to whenever she’s up and the sun is not. She hugged herself as she slowly walk up a particular hill. The hill that holds most of her great memories, precious memories with her late fiancé. 

Yujin sighed after reaching the top of the tall hill. What welcomed her was a field of green grass and small flowers, with a quercus ilex tree in the middle. The place was nothing new to her but the beauty of it still manages to take her breath away every single time. She couldn’t help but smile as she observed the very familiar place despite the darkness of the very early morning. But what really made her smile isn’t what she’s seeing, rather, it’s what she’s remembering. 

“Yah Kim Minjoo come back here! I didn’t hear what you said!” Yujin happily sprinted towards the girl wearing a sundress.

“It’s embarrassing if i say it again!” The flustered Minjoo said trying to run away from the taller girl. 

Yujin ran as fast as she could to catch the latter, and she did. The moment she catched up to the girl’s pace, Yujin hugged her by the waist making Minjoo squeal. The pair then fell into the grassy field with nothing but wide smiles painted on their faces, mixed with laughter and pure joy. The pair took a minute to laugh and just lie down on the field while holding each other’s hands. 

“I love you Minjoo.” Yujin whispered softly looking at the bright sky while rubbing soft circles on Minjoo’s hand.

“And I love you too Yujin.” The latter responded wearing her sweet and beautiful smile. 

Yujin flashed another faint smile looking at the field after remembering one of her old memories with Minjoo. Her gaze then shifted towards the light before sunrise. There was only one thing on her mind while looking at that direction, or rather, one person. 

“It’s so hard watching every sunrise and sunset without you. I miss you.” Yujin whispered to herself.

She then hugged herself as another cold gush of breeze blows by, sending a small shiver down her spine and a tingling sensation throughout her body. It was indeed a very cold morning. She just sighed and continued walking to go under the quercus ilex tree, her usual spot. 

Yujin leaned her back to the trunk after fixing the scarf and sweater she’s wearing. Yujin just stayed staring at the dim light in front of her, waiting for the sun to finally rise. But before the sun could even do, Yujin took another trip to memory lane.

“Hey.” Yujin called to the girl beside her.

“Yeah?” Minjoo answered back.

The pair are lying on the ground just like they normally do, just staring at the sky, waiting for the sun to set. It’s always a breathtaking view since the beauty of the evening sun just never gets old.

Yujin then shifted her gaze to Minjoo, who’s still staring at the sky. “You’ll love me forever right?” She softly asked. 

Minjoo then looked at Yujin, their faces are just inches away from each other. Minjoo flashes one sweet smile, beautiful as ever, before finally answering Yujin. “I will never stop loving you Yujin. I promise.” 

Yujin gave Minjoo a delightful smile, while Minjoo kept her sweet smile. They stayed staring at each other’s eyes for seconds, just admiring each other’s beauty, remembering the times they shared together and just feeling open and connected, they couldn’t be more in love. They’re foreheads then touched with their eyes closed and hands interlocked. 

They were both in euphoria, it was a moment they didn’t want to end.

Yujin scoffed trying to hold back the tears that unconsciously welled up in her eyes, but failed miserably as she felt tears gushing down. “You lied Minjoo. If you really love me, then you wouldn’t have left me all alone.”

Everyday for the past 2 years has been difficult for Yujin. Losing the person she was sure of to spend the rest of her life with, really made Yujin completely hopeless, loveless, and lifeless. She couldn’t seem to find herself to let go of the late Kim Minjoo even after all these years. 

Yujin loved Minjoo more than anything in her world, and she felt every bit of rapture of joy with her, and the hole she left behind Yujin’s soul seems like it can never be filled again. 

The pain she felt was so overpowering that she felt like she will never be whole again, that nothing can ever be right again. 

It was lonely. 

The hill became her bestfriend for the past 2 years without Minjoo. The feeling of being in that place fulfilled Yujin’s nostalgia. For Yujin, It was home. A home filled with refreshing, nostalgic but bittersweet memories. Memories she would never forget. 

“Minjoo.” Yujin whispered between her quiet sobs. She’s not even trying to hold back her tears anymore, she just let them fall, just like she always does.

“I miss you.” She continued. She’s still looking at the horizon waiting for the sun to rise. 

Yujin then closed her eyes.

It‘s time to make her silly wish.

It became a habit everytime Yujin would visit the place. She would wish for something impossible to happen.

She knows it’s useless to make that wish, she even find it a bit childish. But it‘s the only thing she wants, it‘s the only thing that could make her fulfilled again.

“Please Lord.”

“Give me my Minjoo back.” 

The sun started to rise. 

It was bright. It shone eagerly making itself be known. 

Yujin saw a bit of light despite her eyes closed, so she opened her eyes to welcome the just arrived shining sun. But what welcomed her was a very powerful blinding light making her to close her eyes again. It was too powerful for a sunrise.

“Ugh that’s too bright.” Yujin groaned as she rubbed her eyes.

Yujin slowly opened her eyes and just small rays of sunlight welcomed her, not as bright as what she first saw. 

Suddenly, she felt hot. It felt like the cold covering the whole area suddenly just vanished. 

Yujin didn’t think much of it though. She just sniffed and wiped the tears on her face before lying down on the ground and closing her puffy eyes. “I miss you love.” She whispered.

She wanted to sleep under the tree since it’s still early, she would just come back home after she wakes up. But just a couple of minutes have passed and Yujin noticed she was sweating profusely. It was unbearable, and the clothes she’s wearing made it worse.

Yujin quickly removed the scarf she’s wearing, followed by her thick sweater. It was just too hot. She knows winter already passed by 5 days ago, and maybe the area is already starting to warm up, but the extreme hotness that covered the field was too sudden. It seems not normal. 

“What is this? It’s so hot.” Yujin stood up and sighed. She wanted to stay for a bit but she couldn’t bear the heat, so she chose to go home for now and sleep and come back again before the sun sets. 

Yujin observed the field as she’s about to leave the area for now, but for some reason, it looked different. 

It looked like what it used to before, before Minjoo passed away. 

Yujin shook her head thinking her mind is playing with her again, she then just smiled at the area before finally going down the tall hill. 

As she goes down, she noticed even the path she’s taking looked so different to what it looked like earlier when she was going up. It looked cleaner and clearer. 

Something was up, and Yujin couldn’t see it.

Yujin left the hill without thinking much of the weirdness she noticed, she convinced herself it was probably the lack of sleep she’s been getting these past few days.

As she walked through the town, she noticed few people walking and opening their shops. It was pretty normal, but what she saw next made her confused.

“Huh?” Yujin’s forehead creased as she saw an empty lot near a coffee shop. “What the? Where’s the new apartment building? Did they take it down?” 

Yujin was dumbfounded. “That’s ridiculous! It was there when I walked here this morning.” She thought. 

She wanted to just brush it off but her eyes caught someone familiar walking inside a bakery. 

“Hyewon?” Yujin whispered as she squinted her eyes to see the figure clearly. 

“Hyewon? She’s really starting to pull herself together now huh? Good for her.” Yujin smiled as she walked faster to catch up to the other. It’s been so long since she last saw the latter, since they became distant and grew apart after that accident.. 

Both of them were traumatized from what happened to Minjoo, and unfortunately, Hyewon had it worse, since she didn’t just lose somebody, she lost her only family, her sister. 

In Yujin’s knowledge, Hyewon locked herself to other people after Minjoo died, she isolated herself. They did the same thing, but Hyewon never came out of her house for the last 2 years, she was just too heartbroken. No matter how many times her friends try to help her or convince her to go outside, she always refuses. That’s why Yujin felt happy seeing the person she looked at as a sister, is finally going outside and maybe is already starting to move on. 

Yujin was welcomed by the scent of a baking bread that filled the whole shop. It was a clean, sweet and yeasty aroma that somehow smelled warm, as if she was inhaling a blanket for a cold winter day. 

Yujin then saw the girl she followed, smiling and talking cheerfully to the teen on the counter. It was a weird scenery but it made Yujin‘s heart much happier for the latter.

“Hyewon?” Yujin slowly approached the older girl. Hyewon didn’t even get to say a word as Yujin also greeted her with a hug.

Hyewon was discombobulated by Yujin’s sudden affectionate hug, but she just hugged the taller girl as well. 

“Yujin? You okay?” Hyewon confusingly asked as she patted the girl’s back.

“S-Sorry.” Yujin said as she finally let go of Hyewon. “I was just surprised seeing you so happy again.” 

Hyewon’s forehead creased. “What are you talking about? We literally laughed a lot from yesterday’s movie night.”

Yujin didn’t know how to react. “Huh? What are talking about?” Hyewon just sighed and patted Yujin’s back as she walked towards the glass display to look at the different types of bread. 

“You shouldn’t really be using drugs first thing in the morning you know.” Hyewon scooched down to look at a basket of cinnamon rolls. 

“A bag of these please, and another for that.” Hyewon said looking at the girl on the counter while pointing at the basket of raspberry pinwheels.

“What? Is this your coping mechanism or something?” Yujin asked Hyewon as she walked at the counter again.

“You’re acting weird. What’s happening to you? Are you still angry I beat you at Mario Kart last time?” Hyewon smirked at the even more confused Yujin.

“Are you joking? I know you had it rough Hyewon.” Yujin gulped as she stared into the smaller girl’s eyes. “But you don’t have to act like it didn’t happen.” 

Yujin is now getting annoyed, while Hyewon is just visibly confused. They aren’t in the same page. 

“Act like what didn’t happen? Are you messing with me Yujin?” Hyewon chuckled. “Are you sure you’re not in the influence? Or perhaps you and Minjoo had a fight? That’s new.” 

Yujin felt a lump in and a sting on her heart as she heard Hyewon speak Minjoo’s name as if she’s still alive. “W-What?” Her voice trembles.

“Thanks Tomi, I’ll see you again tomorrow.” Hyewon then waved at the teen as she slowly walked towards the exit of the bakery.

“Seriously Ahn Yujin, just take her on a date today. I’m sure she’d like that, and maybe you guys can fix whatever you two fought about.” Hyewon said as she walked out of the bakery followed by Yujin. They were both greeted by an overwhelming heat. 

“Yah!” As they both finally stepped outside of the shop, Yujin grabbed Hyewon’s shoulder making the latter turn to her. 

“Why are you acting like she’s still alive?” 

Hyewon’s soft smile then slowly turned into an expressionless one. She inhaled deeply as she heard Yujin’s question. She’s now getting annoyed at Yujin’s shenanigans. “Yah! If this is a prank then it’s now getting annoying!”

Hyewon turned around and started slowly walking leaving the fazed Yujin. Her anger’s starting to resurface, she hates the idea of Hyewon acting like nothing happened.

She was about to grabbed Hyewon’s shoulder once again but she heard the latter speak something that didn’t make sense for her.

“Tsk, this is why I hate summer, the heat just gets into everybody’s head.” 

Yujin stopped at her tracks trying to decipher what she heard from Hyewon. 

“Summer? But it’s only spring.”

And after that, Yujin felt like she finally completed an impossible puzzle, connected dots that she didn’t even know was there. It felt like a cold freezing water got dumped over her head.

The sudden change of weather.

The weird perfect nostalgic feeling in the hill.

The clean and cared path like before.

The new building missing in the street.

The sudden appearance of Hyewon.

It didn’t make sense, it seemed impossible to be true. But Yujin knows there’s no other explanation than that. 

“Please Lord.”

“Give me my Minjoo back.” 

Her eyes widened from the realization. She panickingly and nervously ran to her house which is still a few blocks away.

“Did God hear my wish? Did He bring Minjoo back?”

The hope of seeing Minjoo doubled Yujin’s speed in running. She doesn’t care how tired she’ll get, but she has to get home as soon as possible. She has to check what the date today is. 

She never believed in time travelling or bringing the dead back to life, she just kept wishing and wishing for Minjoo to come back even though she knows it’s impossible. But seeing things right now, she believes she might finally be able to change her terrible present. 

Yujin loudly slammed the door as she entered the house, surprising the other people inside. She quickly ran upstairs ignoring her shouting sister at the living room. She grabbed her phone on the bed and turned it on. 

And what she saw next made her cover from shock. Tears even started to form in the corner of her eyes.

July 24, 2018

“I-It’s true.” Yujin sniffed. “I went back in time.” 

Yujin quickly rushed going down the stairs, planning on seeing Minjoo, as she wiped the tears off of her face. She’s craving for her lover’s warmest hug and sweetest smile. She’s dying to see it again.

“I can finally change my fate.”

“Where the hell are you going now?! Eat breakfast first! Yah Yujin!” Yujin heard her mother Eunbi screamed after she immediately left the front foor.

“July 24. Of course. I have to change what happened in this day, I have to save her.” Yujin clicked her tongue as she pedaled her bike more quickly. How could she forget about that date, it was the day her fiancé died afterall.

Yujin carelessly dropped her bike after she reached Hyewon and Minjoo’s place. She immediately went in front of their door step and started knocking aggressively. She couldn’t get a hold of the excitement she’s feeling. 

For some reason, Yujin is feeling butterflies in her stomach. She’s sweating like crazy. Her legs are somewhat shaking. And she kept swallowing her saliva as she’s waiting for the door infront of her to open.

“I wanna see you. I miss you.” 

And after that thought, the front door slowly opened, it seemed dramatic but everything went in slow motion as she saw a glimpse of the person opening the door.

A pair of radiant eyes. Lips that are as pink as a flower blossom. A unique and beautiful smile giving off morning rays like scattered pearls. Such beauty and stunning visual welcomed her. It’s still the same from what she can remember. Everything she’s seeing right now made her forget all the pain and regret she felt during the past 2 years. It felt like a huge thorn got removed from her swelling heart. 

Everything seemed clearer, brighter, better.

“Love, aren’t you a bit early today? Missed me already?” Minjoo flashed the sweetest smile.

And at the moment, Yujin felt tears gushing down her eyes. Just seeing that smile filled the huge hole in her heart. She suddenly felt whole again. 

Yujin didn’t get to answer the latter’s question as she greeted her with a heartfelt, warm, affectionate hug. It was tight, Yujin didn’t want to let go.

Minjoo smiled and hugged the latter back. She was confused but she knows her future wife can be a bit sentimental for no reason sometimes.

It was a long hug. Neither of them wanted to break off the hug, even the still confused Minjoo. Yujin just wants to stay in Minjoo’s arms. She never wants to let go again.

“Love, are you okay? You’re sobbing. Is everything alright?” Minjoo worriedly asked as she patted her partner’s back.

Yujin felt so happy to hear Minjoo’s sweet and angelic voice again. She just sniffed and chuckled, still not letting go of Minjoo. “Y-Yeah. I’m fine.”

“But please, don’t let go yet.” 

Minjoo sighed and smiled. “Don’t worry. I won’t.” 

Yujin still couldn’t believe she’s seeing and feeling Minjoo right now. She still on cloud nine. 

After a minute and a half, Yujin decided to finally broke off the hug. But as she was about to open her puffy eyes, a radiating light appeared before her. She quickly rubbed her eyes. She felt like the light could have blinded her. It was just like the one she saw earlier.

Yujin opened her eyes, vision was blurry for a second but it slowly got clearer as seconds passed. 

And what she saw next filled her whole body with fear and anxiety. 

“N-No. Minjoo?” Yujin looked around in circles as Minjoo suddenly vanished in her arms. She was still standing in front of her house, but Minjoo was gone.

She frustratedly called her. “! Minjoo!”

“No, where is she? No please. God you can’t do this to me! Not again! Please bring me back to her!”

Suddenly, the door in front of her opened. But the person she saw wasn’t the one she was looking for. 

“Yah! What are you screaming for! You sound like a lunatic.” Hyewon scratched her head irritatedly. 

“Hyewon! Y-You’re here.” Yujin surprisingly reacted. 

Hyewon rolled her eyes. “Seriously! What are you doing? Shouldn’t you be with Minjoo right now?”

As Yujin heard that name, she knew she’s still in the past after all. She saw a light of hope again. “Where’s Minjoo?” 

“Huh? You don’t know where your own soon to be wife is!?” Hyewon shook her head. “Bro how can I entrust my sis-“

Hyewon’s words were interrupted as Yujin shouted. “Just tell me where Minjoo is!”

“Jesus! Isn’t she at that fancy famous bar? Why a-“ 

Yujin didn’t let Hyewon finish her question as she quickly grabbed her bike near the mailbox. She’s on her way to Imperial Bar, the place where Minjoo died.

“Right! We were going to meet Minjoo’s old friends in that bar but I was late. Then, some ing criminals attacked that place. They killed everyone, including my wife. I can’t let that happen again this time.” 

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