Is it fate?

JU MIN JI

I looked away instantly.

People like him weren’t meant to notice people like me.

If love could be measured on a scale I would be at the tip of that scale, and he'd be at the other tip. Getting close to someone like him should be never imagined by me, I told myself to forget this thought and let it pass like every other dangerous warning.

But that night, my dreams changed.

Instead of accidents and endings, I saw light—blinding and warm—clashing against darkness that refused to fade. For the first time, the future I feared didn’t feel fixed. A strange uncertainty settled into my chest.

I woke up suddenly, my heart still half-lost in the dream, wondering about what I had seen—and what it could mean.

Was it possible that someone like him could change my fate.

Could his presence in my life be enough to save me from dying? That night, sleep refused to come to me.

I kept turning from one side to the other, my eyes shut tight, yet my mind wide awake. No matter how hard I tried, the thought wouldn’t leave me alone.

Finally, I gave up.

I sat up on the bed and decided to catch some fresh air instead of lying there, trapped inside that dream. The walls felt too close, as if they knew what I was thinking.

I quietly stepped out of my room—and then I heard it.

Ri Sook’s voice.

He was talking to someone outside the house.

Curiosity tugged at me, and before I could stop myself, I walked closer to the door, careful not to make a sound.

“If you need any help, just come over, okay?” Ri Sook said gently, his voice filled with concern.

“Thank you so much. I’ll see what I can do for now,” another voice replied.

Something about that voice felt unfamiliar… and strangely close.

Before I could process it, Ri Sook suddenly opened the door.

Bang.

Ouch—” I gasped as the edge of the door knocked against my forehead. Instinctively, my hand flew up as I stepped back, startled more than hurt.

“Minji? What are you even doing here?” Ri Sook asked, his tone sharp, not even trying to help me.

I—I just came to get some fresh air,” I replied quickly. “It’s a little hot inside.”

I pointed weakly toward my room.

As I lifted my eyes, my gaze shifted past Ri Sook.

And then I saw him.

Hwang Nam Woo.

He tilted his head slightly, trying to catch a glimpse of me from behind Ri Sook’s shoulder.

Our eyes met again.

For a moment, the world went silent.

“So, were you trying to eavesdrop?” Ri Sook asked sharply, moving sideways—almost instinctively—blocking Nam Woo’s view of me.

“No,” I said softly, lowering my gaze to the floor. “I just came here. I didn’t hear your conversation.”

Ri Sook let out a frustrated breath. “Then what are you waiting for?”

“Um… I’ll go,” I said quickly. “Good night.”

I forced a small smile and went back into my room, closing the door behind me.

Uncle and Aunt had gone on a trip yesterday, which meant Ri Sook and I were alone in the house. They wouldn’t be back until the last week of April—seventeen days from now.

Was Ri Sook inviting Nam Woo to our house?

After hearing those words, it felt like he was.

But why was Ri Sook so angry?

Was he ashamed of me?

Why was he trying so hard to hide me—standing in the way, blocking Nam Woo’s eyes from reaching me?

I told myself not to think too much about their friendship. Of course someone like Nam Woo would be friends with someone as popular as Ri Sook.

Someone like him would never be friends with me.

I lay down, staring at the ceiling.

Eventually, exhaustion pulled me into sleep.

The day was over—but it left something behind.

A quiet, fragile hope… that maybe, just maybe, I could change my fate.

Even if the chances were only one percent...