《Dear, Another Me》

Part 2 You're not Han Noa- Episode 1. A day like usual

Morning.


The classroom was full of the sound of students talking.


Nam Yejun sat in his seat, looking out the window.


Then someone lightly tapped Yejun on the shoulder.


"Yejun."


"Yeah?"


Yejun turned around.


It was Han Noa.


"You came?"


"Yeah. You came early again today too."


Noa smiled with his usual expression.


Yejun smiled naturally too.


"You came early too."


"Did I?"


Noa sat down in his seat.


The two of them took out their supplies without much conversation.


A moment later, Yejun looked at Noa.


"Hey."


"Yeah?"


"What are you going to eat for lunch today?"


"Hmm... school lunch."


"I know that too."


Yejun laughed.


Noa laughed along too.


"Then you decide."


"No."


"Why?"


"Whenever I decide, you always say it's not that good."


"I never did that."


"You did."


The two of them chatted about trivial things for a while.


Nothing seemed strange at all.


Noa was the same as always.


His way of speaking too.


His expression too.


His actions too.


He was exactly the Noa Yejun knew.


Lunch break.


The two of them headed side by side to the cafeteria.


"This looks good today."


Yejun said, looking at his tray.


Noa nodded.


"Yeah."


"Didn't you used to hate this?"


Yejun pointed to one of the side dishes.


Noa looked at it for a moment and said,


"Ah, right."


"See?"


"But today I'm going to try it."


Yejun nodded without thinking much of it.


"Okay. Give it a try."


The two of them sat down.


And ate lunch as usual.


It was the same even after class ended.


"Noa."


"Yeah?"


"Want to go together?"


"Where to?"


"Home."


Noa paused for a moment.


Then he smiled and answered.

"Sure."


The two of them left the classroom together.


As they walked down the hallway, Yejun talked with Noa like usual.


What happened today.


Homework.


Next week's test.


It was really an ordinary conversation about nothing special.


But no one knew.


That deep inside Noa's consciousness, Han Noa was still awake.




In the darkness.


Han Noa, bound in chains, slowly opened his eyes.


A familiar voice came from far away.


"Noa."


It was Yejun's voice.


Noa struggled to lift his head.


"...Yejun...."


But no voice came out.


Clink.


The chains rattled.


Han Noa gathered every last bit of strength and shouted.


'Yejun!'


But no one could hear it.


Outside, Han Seoa was walking with Yejun, smiling with Han Noa's face.


"See you tomorrow."


Yejun waved.


"Yeah. See you tomorrow."


Noa waved back too.


Yejun went straight home.


He still didn't know anything.


That the person he had been with all day,


was someone just a little different from the friend he knew.


And to notice that difference,


he needed a little more time.