~*Chapter 2*~

"A Second Chance"

 

 

 

 

"No, no, no. I am Park Eun-" heat seared the back of . She choked and held her hands on . She glanced about, bewildered at the sudden temperature rise. "Eung-" Heat came back, stronger than before. She looked the the mirror frightened. Was she not able...not allowed to say her own name? She shook her head, dismissing the thought as something very unreasonable. She tried again, but still ended up with the same results.

 

   At the corner of the well- kept room stood a young man dressed in black. He looked at Eungi with curiosity. Even when the first few tries prevented her from speaking of her true identity, she kept trying. He finally took action when he couldn't take the pain the young woman was unleashing upon herself any longer. With a flick of his finger, he the flat screen T.V. that stood over the fireplace, across the room. Eungi whipped around, fear evident in her eyes.

 

'What the hell?' She came closer to the T.V. that opened by itself. She looked around for the perpetrator that the television but found no one. Jaejoong flicked his finger again, directing the electronic device to the nearest news station. Eungi looked at the T.V. and placed her hand over to prevent her from lashing out.

 

"At 1:30 PM, yesterday, a woman was crushed by a semi-truck and was pronounced dead at the hospital. She died in result of her injuries. Police later identified this young woman as the heiress of Park Imports, Park Eungi. We, now, switch to the on field reporter, Min Lee." The anchor announced  Eungi could only watch in horror as the reporter retold her life as if she was dead.

 

"This is Min Lee, and right now I have the victim's fiancee with me. Please introduce yourself," Min Lee moved aside to let a tall, young man, come into view. His usual cold eyes were even colder, and his mouth was pursed tight.

 

"My name is Kris Wu, owner of EXOtic Cafe, and the fiancee of Park Eungi." His voice cracked at the last syllable of Eungi's name. "That day, she was supposed to come over to my house to look at wedding halls," Kris' eyes watered and he fisted his hands. "If only, I didn't pressure her into an early marriage. If only, I had waited. Maybe then, she would still be-" He looked down, tears escaping. His words lost in the air. A young woman rushed in into the camera's view. She placed her arms around the broken young man.

 

"It's not your fault," She assured him. Eungi's eyes widened at the sight of her older sister, cradling the love of her life. Her chest squeezed and tightened. Everyone one she loves thought that she was dead. Tears fell and slid down her cheeks at the thought of what her parents felt. She covered her ears and knelt down.

 

"I am park Eungi. I am Park Eungi. I am Park Eungi" She chanted, ignoring the searing pain erupting from . Jaejoong was startled at the sight of the determined young woman. He longed to stop her. To stop her from hurting herself. However, he was not to disrupt a mortal's life. He turned to leave the broken woman behind, but couldn't. His human conscience was overriding his duties as a reaper.

 

"I am going to regret this," Jaejoong muttered under his breath and stepped closer to the young woman. He placed his hand on the small of her back and lifted her up, bridal style. Eungi felt the ground shift from beneath her and looked up. Her startled eyes met the ones of a stranger. In normal circumstances, she should have kicked and screamed. Waking up in an unknown place and most of all with a stranger. But Eungi was exhausted, with everything. The older male looked down at the trembling woman in his arms, his gaze softened. Before Eungi closed her tired, dropping eyelids, she heard the gentle stranger addressing her. "Park Eungi, you have been given another chance in life but with one condition. You must never speak of your true identity."

 

   Jaejoong gently placed Eungi down on her bed and placed the blanket over her tiny body. His phone vibrated in his pocket, calling him back to duty. He glanced back at the sleeping woman and smiled sadly. 'Live again and stay alive this time.' He walked out the apartment, silently closing the door behind him.

 

 

 

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   Sunlight pierced through the curtained window, engulfing Eungi's body in warmth. Her eyelids fluttered open and she glanced around. She was still at the same place she found herself in yesterday. The handsome stranger flashed through her mind. She quickly stood up and patrolled the house. Sure enough, the tall older male was nowhere to be seen. Eungi went around the house to familiarize herself. She had no choice but to live on as another woman. The house was well-kept and bright. A single bedroom and bathroom indicated that the previous owner of the body was living alone. 'Wait a minute, I don't even know 'my' name,' Eungi's eyes widened as her feet took her to the bathroom. Her hand slipped into the pocket of a hoodie that hung behind the door. Her fingers brushed against something cold and she took it out. It was a driver's licence. 

 

'Kim Ji Hyo, 22' The gentle eyes of the woman in the picture reflected her same gentle ones. 'Jihyo, I am Jihyo now...' She clasped her hands in realization. Even if her mind doesn't remember anything, her body does. The same way your fingers remember your locker combination, even when your mind doesn't. She spent the first half of the day, relying on her body, finding out more about Kim Jihyo. Eungi looked through Jihyo's albums and journal, guilt blossoming with every turn of the page. She had no choice but to do this. 'Jihyo-sshi, I'm sorry to do this to you... wherever you are.' 

 

  Jihyo was an honor student, excelling in many fields but her cuisine skills were exceptional. She won various pastry contests and some gourmet contests. She's been scouted by many top restaurants but she only stuck with small restaurants. She never went 'big' with her skills. Nothing indicated anyone special in her love life. Eungi sighed in relief. She wouldn't have to be with another man. Memories of Kris' flashed through here mind. Her eyes glistened as she remembered their first date. Kris was cold and emotionless at first, but he slowly warmed up to her. Although people thought of him as heartless, he was actually kind and quite a jokester. The sight of his smile and the sound of his laughter lit up her world. Her heart crushed at the thought of not seeing his smile again, not hearing his laugh again and most of all, not feeling his gentle embrace. She couldn't take the depressing thoughts any longer. Eungi stood up and quickly left the apartment.

 

 

 

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  Eungi kicked a small pebble while walking. Her mind flew over everything that happened. She had to get used to the name 'Jihyo.' After that she needed a job or else she couldn't survive. Surely Jihyo's skills would quickly get her one. Jaejoong sat back on his motorcycle. He was waiting for the next job. He glanced at his watch and sighed. 'One more hour,' He hopped off his motorcycle and decided to walk around to past the time. The corner of his lips lifted up at the sight of a dazed young woman. He watched as Eungi contemplated about her life. Her foot rolled over the pebble she was kicking and tripped. Jaejoong flashed* in front of her and caught her before she could hit the cold cement. Eungi looked up to thank her rescuer but gasped at the familiar sight of the tall older male.

 

"Y-you...ah" Jaejoong helped her down from his arms. Eungi looked down to check for injuries before turning to the gentle stranger. "Thank-" She looked about, wildly. The stranger was nowhere to be found. 'Did I imagine the whole thing?' She couldn't have, but it was that reasoning that supported his sudden disappearance. Jaejoong flashed back towards his motorcycle, hand over his chest. He was panting excessively even though he teleported the whole way. 'She saw me,' Something strange blossomed in his chest. He shook his head. 'Never doing that again,' He hopped on his motorcycle and rode off. Eungi was still startled but after walking some more, her nerves calmed down a bit. Something delicious wafted to her nose and she looked to her right. A small cafe stood in between a large office building and a department store. 

 

 

*Flashed: basically teleporting in a 'flash'

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'Best Absolute Pastries'

 

   Eungi steeped in and marveled at the sight of her surrounding. Flower beds hung from the edges of wooden tables. The wall was decorated with drawings of vines. Each leaf had a comment from a customer. Instead of a solid roof, large windows covered the ceilings. The sunlight seeped through and illuminated everything. The whole place looked like a greenhouse. Plastic birds chirped and sang. She walked up front towards the glass display. Row after row of delicious pastries were set out. Napoleons, Danishes, Strudels and slices of various different cakes. She looked at each one with longing.

 

'May I help you?' She looked up to meet the eyes of a handsome chef. He smiled. Eungi's eyes traveled to his name which was stitched onto his vanilla white chef robe. 'Daehyun, Head Chef.'

 

'Which do you recommend  head chef?'  Daehyun beamed as Eungi addressed him with his professional title. He gestured her over to another glass display.

 

"This strawberry cheesecake is just what you need!" Daehyun waited eagerly for Eungi's response. Eungi nodded and Daehyun happily went to work. He took out a metal thong and grabbed the biggest slice of cheesecake in the display and placed it on a china plate. Daehyun put a finger on his lips. "Don't tell my boss,' Eungi giggled at his antics. Daehyun then placed a cup of earl grey tea and a small ornate silver fork on her tray. Eungi paid and happily went to eat her newest purchase. Daehyun chuckled as he watched another customer happily biting into one of his creations. The small tinkle of a bell sounded as someone opened the glass door.

 

"I'm here already." Eungi froze at the sound of a certain man's voice. She slowly looked up and saw the tall stature of the man she loved. Kris sat down on the table across from her and was on the phone. Eungi's throat felt like it swallowed something big and she felt like choking. Before she knew it she was standing up, her wooden chair falling back and onto the floor. Gazes locked onto her, Eungi tightened her hand on her chest and sat back down. 'Kris, I'm right here,' She looked at him with longing. Did he miss her? Did he feel like a shattered vase that even when the glass shards are placed back together, there's still a part of him that was left behind? Who was he meeting? Eungi didn't have to wait long to have her last question answered. A beautiful young woman walked into the restaurant. Her eyes widened at the sight of the familiar young woman. It was the same woman who held her hand when her body was crushed beneath the truck. It was her older sister. 'Unnie...'

 

   Jessica Jung may not be the Park's real daughter, but they treated her as if she was. Due to the fact that she was not a Park, the matter of inheritance was passed to the true heiress, Eungi. Jessica never felt any animosity against her baby sister, in fact she loved her very much. That day when Eungi left their side, Jessica spent the whole cooped up in her room, crying her heart out. She had to be dragged out by their grieving parents. Jessica sat down across from Kris, her eyes pink from crying. What was Jessica doing with Kris? Eungi subtly leaned closer to their table.

 

"Kris...I feel like it's my fault Eungi died," Eungi's eyes widened at her sister's statement. "I...I think she knew about us." 'Us? what us?' Eungi looked back and forth.

 

"Why do you say that?' Kris' eyes narrowed. Jessica hesitated.

 

"When I spotted her that day, she was walking dazedly. She was out of it, Kris. You know how careful Eungi is with crosswalks after our dog was struck and killed on the road,"

 

"You're over thinking it. You just miss her. I miss her too,' Jessica's eyes widened.

 

'You do? Wait, did you actually fall in love with her?" Eungi's breath stopped. 'What did she say? Actually fall in love?'

 

"You know that you're the only one for me,' Kris reached over and took Jessica's hand into his. "But I liked her, she was interesting." Eungi knew she had to look away and cover her ears for the sake of her already crushing heart but she couldn't. "When we planned for me to take the company, I never thought that I would actually fall in love with you," Eungi fisted her hands. Did they planned everything? From that magical first date down to the perfect proposal. Eungi wanted to hit and lash out at Kris and Jessica but she couldn't. She wasn't Eungi anymore. Eungi stormed out of the cafe, running. Running to nowhere. She just had to get away from them and the truth. Hours later, drops of rain flew from above and pelted Eungi. She was walking about dazedly. 

 

   At the same street, an exhausted reaper was sitting by the intersection. There were to many assignments today. Jaejoong looked up to the sky, wondering whether when he would finally get his wings. After completing a certain number of assignment, you would be awarded with your very own wings. Those very wings could change Jaejoong back into a mortal. All he needed to do was exchange the pair of wings for a mortal life. After he finish contemplating about his life, he stood up and almost bumped into a dazed woman. He was startled at the interaction and jumped back. His nerves calmed a bit at the realization that no one could see him. He looked at the dazed woman who kept walking and walking. Jaejoong cursed and looked around for help. However, no one saw. No one saw the dazed woman set foot on the busy street. 

 

'I'm really really going to regret this," He jumped into another person's body. This way his superior wouldn't find out, and Eungi wouldn't have to see his already familiar face. His placed his hand at the back of the younger male's body and pushed. He fell in and was in control of the body. He ran towards Eungi and scooped her up into his arms. Eungi looked up at the man. His rusty brown hair fell just above his fierce gaze. Jaejoong carried her back to the sidewalk and pushed himself out of the stranger's body.

 

   Bang Yongguk blinked and looked down. He was on his way to work when he out. Next thing he knew, he was holding a strange woman in his arms. Judging from the whispering that went all around him, he assumed that he saved the young woman from being hit. 'But why did I black out?' He set the woman back on the ground. Eungi's hands gripped tightly on her savior's clothes as sobs shook her entire body. Yonnguk could only watch the tiny frail woman cry. 

 

 

 

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"You dumb woman. After giving you another chance at life, you were going to waste it," However, Jaejoong couldn't stay mad at the crying woman for long. His chest ached at the sight of her in another man's arms. Wait, this is not possible. He never knew her, or actually talked to her. Jaejoong didn't know anything about Eungi. But what was he feeling? It couldn't be love. This early, this fast, surely it couldn't be love. Surely.

 

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A/N

I lied.

I couln't wait to work on this so here have another chapter

Kris, you player you.

Jaejoong, you melodramatic reaper you

Oh yes before I forget, you may have noticed the different colored text.

The darker grey are dialouge while...

The lighter gray are the person's thoughts

Hope you like chapter 2~