Strings Of Fate:Fate Rewrite

The morning started with a heavy atmosphere, as though the sky itself knew something was off. I dragged myself to school, my mind swirling with questions about Mirae, the Fate Rewrite app, and the man in the suit.

When I arrived at the gates, Su Yong was already waiting for me, leaning casually against the wall with his usual smirk.

"You look like you haven't slept," he said, falling into step beside me.

"Didn't," I muttered.

"Let me guess. Mirae?"

"Something like that."

Su Yong gave me a sidelong glance but didn't press further. He always had this uncanny ability to sense when I needed space, even if he masked it with his laid-back attitude.

---

In class, Mirae was unusually quiet—not that she was ever chatty, but today she seemed even more withdrawn. Her eyes rarely left her notebook, and she didn't acknowledge me or anyone else.

Su Yong leaned over and whispered, "What's with her?"

"No idea," I whispered back.

The teacher's droning voice faded into the background as I tried to make sense of everything. The app's cryptic warnings, the mysterious man, Mirae's guarded behavior—it all felt like pieces of a puzzle I wasn't equipped to solve.

---

During lunch, Su Yong and I sat under a tree in the courtyard. The usual noise of students filled the air, but my thoughts were elsewhere.

"You've been weird lately," Su Yong said, breaking the silence.

I glanced at him. "Thanks for noticing."

"I mean it. You're always zoning out, muttering to yourself. And don't even get me started on how you keep staring at Mirae like she's going to disappear."

"She might," I said without thinking.

Su Yong raised an eyebrow. "Care to elaborate?"

I hesitated. Su Yong was my best friend, but how could I explain something I barely understood myself?

"It's... complicated," I said finally.

"Try me."

I opened my mouth to respond, but the words wouldn't come. Instead, I pulled out my phone and showed him the Fate Rewrite app.

"What's this?" he asked, frowning at the screen.

"An app," I said. "It... shows things. Weird things."

"Like what?"

I hesitated again before tapping the screen to reveal the latest image: the interconnected circles labeled "Mirae" and "Jiho," with the glowing line between them.

Su Yong stared at it for a moment before leaning back. "Okay, I take it back. You've officially lost it."

"I'm serious," I said, frustration creeping into my voice. "This thing is connected to Mirae somehow. And that guy in the suit? He's part of it too."

"Guy in a suit?" Su Yong's tone shifted, his usual teasing replaced by something more serious. "What guy?"

I explained what I'd seen near the school gates and in the library, leaving out no details.

Su Yong listened quietly, his expression unreadable. When I finished, he leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees.

"Look, I don't know what this app is or who this guy is," he said. "But if Mirae's involved, you need to be careful. She's... different."

"Different how?"

He hesitated. "I don't know. Just... different."

---

After school, I found myself wandering the halls aimlessly. My feet seemed to move on their own, leading me to the library where I'd first seen the man in the suit.

The place was quiet, as usual. Rows of books stretched endlessly, their spines worn and faded. I walked past them, half expecting the man to appear out of nowhere.

Instead, I found Mirae sitting at a table in the far corner, her notebook open in front of her. She didn't look up as I approached.

"We need to talk," I said, my voice low.

She sighed but didn't close her notebook this time. "What now, Jiho?"

"I need answers," I said. "About the notebook. About the guy in the suit. About everything."

"I've already told you," she said without looking up. "You're better off not knowing."

"That's not good enough," I said, frustration boiling over. "I can't keep pretending everything's normal when it's not."

She finally looked up, her dark eyes meeting mine. "What do you want me to say? That I'm part of some grand conspiracy? That my notebook holds the secrets to the universe? Would that satisfy you?"

"I just want the truth," I said.

"The truth," she repeated, her voice tinged with bitterness. "The truth is dangerous, Jiho. You don't know what you're asking for."

"Then explain it to me," I said. "Help me understand."

For a moment, she seemed to consider it. But then she shook her head. "No. You've already gotten too close. It's better if you walk away now."

Before I could respond, she stood up and walked out of the library, leaving her notebook behind.

I hesitated for only a second before reaching for it. But as soon as my fingers brushed the cover, a searing pain shot through my hand, forcing me to pull back.

"What the hell?" I muttered, cradling my hand.

The notebook sat there, untouched, its cover as unassuming as ever. But I knew better now. Whatever secrets it held, they weren't meant for me.

---

That night, the app buzzed again.

"Progress increased: 20%. The second thread is unraveling."

Beneath the message was a new image: a single thread, frayed and close to snapping.

I stared at it, my mind racing. Whatever was happening, it was bigger than Mirae, bigger than me. And whether I liked it or not, I was part of it now.