《Dear, Another Me》

Part 1 Han Seo-a - Episode 2. While You Were Gone

Morning.


Hannoa opened her eyes.


"……Huh?"


She had definitely been sitting at her desk last night.


But now she was lying in bed.


Noa stared at the ceiling for a moment.


"How did I…… get into bed?"


She had no memory of it.


Then a familiar voice rang in her head.


『I brought you here.』


"Seoa?"


『Mm.』


Noa sat up in bed.


"What did I do yesterday?"


『Nothing special.』


"Really?"


『Mm.』


Seoa answered as if it were nothing.


Noa felt strangely off, but didn’t ask any more.


From that day on, strange things slowly started to increase.


There were times Noa couldn’t remember.


Things that definitely hadn’t been on the desk in the morning would be tidied away by afternoon,


and sometimes notes that hadn’t been there the night before would be written in the corner of her notebook.


At first, Noa thought she had just forgotten.

---

But one day.


While checking her phone, Noa found a strange message.


'I took care of it today.'


There was no sender.


The message had been written at 2 a.m.


Noa had definitely been asleep at that time.


"……Seoa."


『Hm?』


"Did you write this?"


A pause.


『Mm.』


"Why?"


『Because you looked tired.』


Noa set down her phone.


"Don’t do that anymore."


『Why?』


"I should handle my own things."


『……Okay.』


Seoa’s voice grew a little smaller.


After that day, Noa tried not to rely on Seoa.


She tried to do everything on her own.


But the more she did, the more tangled her mind became.


And then, at some point.


『Tired?』


"……."


『I could do it.』


"No."


『Why?』


"I’m going to do it myself."


Seoa didn’t जवाब for a while.


Then she said quietly,


『Okay.』


『If that’s what you want.』


---


That night.


Noa had another strange dream.


It was a dark space.


Nothing could be seen.


Someone called Noa’s name there.


"Hannoa."


Noa turned her head.


A woman was standing in the darkness.


Long hair.


A face that looked like her own.


And a relaxed smile.


"……Seoa?"


The woman nodded.


"Mm."


Noa stepped back.


"Where is this?"


Seoa slowly approached.


"Inside you."


"……What?"


"The place I was born."


Noa couldn’t say anything.


Seoa smiled.


"So this is home for me too."


At that moment, Noa opened her eyes.


She drew in a deep breath.


It was a dream.


Noa calmed her racing heart and looked around.


Then she looked at the mirror beside her bed.


Her reflection was there.


But—


the Noa in the mirror was smiling.


Noa was not.


"……."


Noa slowly walked toward the mirror.


The reflection opened its mouth.


『Don’t worry too much.』


Noa’s face hardened.


『I’m on your side.』


And before Noa could move, the figure in the mirror raised a hand and brought a finger to its lips.


Shh.


『For now.』