Jinri feels like she's getting too old playing these life saving games. Too old to pretend she's in college anymore, so she fakes some credentials and lands herself a waitressing job on Wallstreet. It's good because it's far away from where died, no more painful reminders. 23 years after his death and still, in her dreams there is only him. She can't help it, Jinri was in love.

As she walks down the city streets, wrapping her jacket tighter around her in the cold of winter. She's looking around, taking it in, the sights of the city during Christmas still bringing no happiness to her. It's like 1926 again and she wants her life to end.

Helping lost souls was a good task, a notable one but how could she help a lost soul if she was one herself? There were two ways a guardian could die. She could either betray everything on the Code, kill innocent lives, let lives be lost, commit a few sins... Or she could fall from Grace. She could jump right out of the meeting room of the Archs, the Brooklyn Bridge, and right into the water. But that would mean she had a chance for survival. The first seemed like a better choice.

As she was contemplating the things she would need to do in order to properly take her leave, she bumped into a tall man in a denim styled dress shirt. "Sorry." she said, bowing slightly in apology. The stranger just grinned.

"Of all my years and I have not once seen someone so polite as to bow when bumping into someone." That voice...

Jinri looked up. The twinkling of his eyes, the slope of his nose, the small dimple when he smiled with those lips, those perfect lips... "Chanyeol?"

He blinked for a second before regaining his composure. "Uh, yeah. How did you know my name?" And suddenly, the world had collided into Jinri. Everything just stopped and ceased to exist except the two of them. Well, at least it did in Jinri's mind.

Jinri realized it had been too long since she replied. "Uh, ju- just a lucky guess. I'm Jinri by the way."

The familiar smile was back on his face. "Well Jinri, I like your spunk. If you aren't busy right now... Do you want to grab a bite to eat?" She almost laughed at how much Chanyeol was still Chanyeol, always just trusting of people, thinking the best out of them, out of her.

"Sure, I could eat." Jinri gave him a small smile back and he held his arm out to her. She didn't hesitate to take his arm and they walked to a nearby diner that, thankfully, wasn't hers.

They talked for hours, even after the diner waitresses shooed them away to prepare for their dinner crowd. They walked around the city just talking about everything and anything. Jinri finds that their conversation now is so much like the ones they had back in 1948. He really is Chanyeol.

At the end of the night, he walks her to her apartment. They've been standing in front of the door for 20 minutes, still refusing to say goodbye, when Chanyeol says it. "Are you sure we haven't met before?"

Jinri contemplates it for a second, should she tell him? No, he could be taken away from her again if he knows. Its a rule and she won't break it but the Archs should see this as a fate. She smiles and shakes her head. "I'm positive we've never met Chanyeol." She leans forward and presses her lips against his cheek, bidding him goodbye and walks into the building. That night Jinri doesn't sleep, she smiles all night and plays back the conversations they've had in her mind.

He shows up the next day with a picnic basket, the smile she loves and an apology for randomly showing up to her house. They spend the day together talking in the park, eating, laughing, and Jinri feels as if all the years of missing him have evaporated into nothing.

It's two days later and night has fallen on the city. Chanyeol says he wants to take her to a movie. He gets his car and together, they go see a drive in movie. He's got all kinds of snacks in his back seat. She settles on just chewing bubble gum.

Half way through the movie, Jinri has her lips on Chanyeol's and the bubble gum has ended up in his mouth. She moves her lips against his, her hand on the back of his neck pulling him against her lips more. A beep was heard in the car, coming from Chanyeol's pocket and he pulled back. Jinri pouted.

He checked his phone. "Ah. I gotta go see someone real quick. I'll be right back." Chanyeol throws her a grin and gets out of the car, he leans down into the car placing a kiss on her lips and she's leaning in for more. He pulls back and chuckles. "If you keep kissing me like that I don't think I'll ever be able to leave."

If only that were true. 10 minutes of waiting for him to comeback and Jinri hears a scream. There's the sound of gunshots and people are starting their cars up to drive away. The only thought on her mind is him. She gets out the car, running, dodging cars trying to get away, screaming his name. "Chanyeol! Chanyeol!"

She finds his body in an alley, just his. At this point, Jinri's in tears. Her eyes just as red as that night in 1948. She runs to him, putting his head in her lap, his hair softly as he has a smile on his face. "Jinri." Chanyeol manages to croak out. He has hole in his stomach and he's bleeding fast. She's sobbing and kissing his face reassuringly.

"Please no. Please." His smile is the same one that she loves, that she's always loved, even when he's bleeding out. Jinri feels his body go limp and she knows he's gone. She knows why he is.

The Archs watch from above with disappointment. Rules are rules and Jinri will never get to be with Chanyeol.

--rach at insomnia.