《Dear, Another Me》

Part 1 Han Seo-ah - Episode 4. Han Noa Left Behind

It was morning.


Han Noa opened his eyes.


Sunlight came in through the window.


He got out of bed as usual.


Washed his face,



got dressed,


and ate breakfast.


Everything was ordinary.


But one thing had changed.


The person reflected in the mirror was no longer the old Han Noa.


"Good morning."


Han Seoa in the mirror smiled.

More precisely,


she was smiling with Han Noa’s face.


Seoa looked at the mirror and fixed her hair.


"Now this is really perfect."


She looked at herself and smiled in satisfaction.


No one suspected Seoa.


Her memories,

her way of speaking,

her habits,


and even her name.


Everything was Han Noa’s.


Seoa was now living Han Noa’s life.


But there was a place no one knew about.


Deep in Han Noa’s consciousness.


It was a darkness where nothing could be seen.


"...Where am I?"


Noa opened his eyes.


He looked around.


Only darkness.


And around his wrists and ankles, cold chains were bound.


"This... what is it?"


Noa moved, trying to break the chains.


Clink.


Clink.


But the chains would not come loose.


"Seoa!"


There was no answer.


"Seoa! You can hear me!"


After a while.


Footsteps were heard from far away.


Click.

Click.


Someone emerged from the darkness.


It was Han Seoa.


But the moment Noa saw Seoa, he shook his head.


"Get out."


Seoa smiled.


"No."


"This is inside me."


"I know."


Seoa sat down in front of Noa.


"That’s why it’s even better."


Noa grabbed the chains.


"Let me out."


"Why?"


"Because I have to get out."


Seoa tilted her head.


"And what would you do once you got out?"


Noa couldn’t answer.


Seoa said quietly,


"I’m already out there."


Noa’s expression hardened.

"...."

"People think I’m Han Noa."


Seoa smiled.


"I have all your memories too."


Noa lowered his head.


"That doesn’t mean... you get to become me."


Seoa looked at Noa for a moment.


Then she stood up.


"Right."


Seoa said.


"Keep thinking that."


"...What?"


"That you’re the real Han Noa."


Seoa turned back into the darkness.


"I won’t take that thought away from you."


Noa’s eyes widened.


"Why...?"


Seoa did not look back.


"Because it’s more fun if you can keep thinking you’re not really you."


Clink.


The sound of chains echoed through the darkness.


Seoa’s figure grew farther and farther away.


"Wait!"


Noa shouted.


"Seoa!"


But Seoa did not answer.


After a while, Noa was once again left alone in the darkness.


He looked at the chains.


And murmured weakly,


"I am... Han Noa."


No one answered.


"I’m Han Noa..."


His voice grew smaller and smaller.


Outside, Seoa was living on.


And inside, Noa remained, unable to disappear.


Forever.


He kept repeating his name, trying not to forget it.


Han Noa.

Han Noa.

Han Noa.


But as time passed, even that voice was buried in the darkness.

Clink.

Clink.

Only the sound of chains echoed endlessly.


And the true Han Noa, left behind in the darkness,


could not escape that place even though he knew who he was.


His consciousness remained there, endlessly, in that same spot.