The air in the conference room was strangely quiet.
“In this life too.”
“You will die in a month.”
Jeongguk's voice was low and calm, but that single sentence completely stopped Yoonseo's mind. She couldn't understand what he was saying. His expression was too serious to dismiss it as a joke.
But the team leader continued talking with an expression that said he knew nothing.
(Team Leader) "You two can work together on this project. We're on a tight schedule, so I'm asking for your cooperation."
The meeting ended as usual. Everyone stood up as if nothing had happened, and Yunseo mechanically put her laptop away. But the words she'd just heard lingered in her mind.
It was the moment I was about to leave the conference room.
“Ms. Yoonseo.”
Jungkook called quietly.
“Can I talk to you for a moment?”
The door closes, leaving only the two of them.
After a moment of awkward silence, Yunseo spoke first.
“…What did you mean by that earlier?”
Jeongguk didn't answer right away. His gaze turned to Yoonseo's wrist. The faint black line peeking out from under her sleeve was a little more distinct than yesterday.
“I don’t remember.”
“What do you remember?”
“This time.”
Yoonseo tried to laugh in disbelief, but the corners of her mouth wouldn't lift. There was no playfulness in Jeongguk's tone.
“What kind of strange things are you talking about now?”
Jungkook seemed to think for a moment, then took out his cell phone.
“Then let’s check just one thing.”
He said, showing the screen to Yunseo.
"I spilled coffee at a cafe near my office at lunch today. Someone behind me bumped into me, and the glass broke."
Yunseo frowned.
“How do you—”
“I hurt my left hand.”
Jeongguk cut him off.
“I won’t go to the hospital. I’ll just let it go, thinking it’ll be okay.”
Yunseo couldn't say anything more.
It was strangely specific.
When lunchtime came, Yunseo deliberately tried to go to another restaurant. But her teammates approached her naturally.
“Yunseo, would you like to go to a cafe together?”
I missed the timing to refuse.
The cafe was bustling with people. Yunseo kept looking around while ordering. She felt unnecessarily tense.
'no way.'
It was the moment when I was about to turn back to my seat with the tray in hand.
I bumped into someone from behind.
Hot coffee spilled onto the back of my hand. At the same time, I lost my balance and slipped. The glass cup fell to the floor, shattering loudly.
Yunseo reflexively put her hand up.
A sharp pain came up.
It was the left hand.
I stared down at my palm, dazed for a moment. The red blood was slowly spreading.
My mind went blank.
After work.
Yunseo was standing in front of the company building.
All day, I couldn't focus on anything. More than the moment of the accident, I kept thinking about the expression on Jeongguk's face, knowing exactly what had happened.
After a while, Jungkook came out of the building.
Yunseo approached him.
“I knew it.”
Jeongguk did not deny it.
"yes."
Yunseo took a deep breath.
“…What are you?”
Jungkook looked up at the sky for a moment. The sun was almost setting, and the surroundings were growing dark. After a brief silence, he spoke quietly.
“This is not the first time.”
Yunseo's heart sank.
"You have an accident every time on the same day. A month later, at a crosswalk on your way home from work."
Yunseo couldn't continue speaking.
“And every time.”
Jeongguk's gaze turned to Yunseo.
“…you die.”
The wind blew.
Yunseo barely opened her mouth.
“…How do you know that?”
After a moment of silence, Jeongguk spoke.
“Because I turned it back.”
“What did you say?”
“Every time you die.”
His voice was calm.
“I turned back time.”
Yunseo was speechless as if she was out of breath.
Jeongguk's wrist came into view.
The black lines were thick and spread out. They were much darker than Yunseo's. It was as if they had been painted over several times.
"…why."
Yunseo's voice trembled.
Jungkook hesitated for a moment and then said.
“You disappear.”
And added very little.
“…I couldn’t stand it even once.”
Yunseo's heart shook violently.
That was the moment.
My wrists were burning hot.
Yunseo rolled up her sleeve in surprise. The black lines were glowing brightly. At the same time, Jeongguk's wrist began to glow in the same way.
The two patterns trembled as if reacting to each other.
For the first time, Jeongguk's expression hardened.
“…This is my first time.”
“What is it?”
Jeongguk spoke quietly.
“This is the first time I’ve seen a response this quick.”
That was when.
In the distance, the sky was distorted for a brief moment.
A black crack appeared and disappeared. It was a brief moment, almost enough to make you doubt your eyes.
Jeongguk's gaze turned towards that side.
His voice lowered even further.
“…Time is becoming unstable.”
Yunseo's wrist glowed brightly once again.
Jeongguk looked at Yoonseo.
And he said quietly.
“This repeat.”
After a brief pause.
“…it might end sooner than you think.”