Strings Of Fate:Fate Rewrite

The next day started like any other—Jiho groaning as his alarm clock buzzed, throwing his blanket off with the grace of a sloth, and trudging to school while trying to shake off the last remnants of sleep. What made the day different, though, was the presence of Su Yong at the school gate, casually leaning against the wall like he hadn't been absent for months.

"You always look half-dead in the morning," Su Yong greeted, smirking.

"And you always look like you've been awake for hours," Jiho retorted, stifling a yawn.

They walked to class together, slipping into the familiar rhythm of their friendship. As they turned a corner, Jiho spotted Mirae in the distance, her notebook clutched tightly to her chest. She was talking to one of the teachers, her expression calm and composed.

"There she is," Jiho muttered, mostly to himself.

Su Yong followed his gaze. "That's Mirae?"

"Yeah," Jiho said, feeling a little awkward under Su Yong's scrutinizing gaze.

"She's… quiet," Su Yong remarked, his tone neutral.

"She's also incredibly weird," Jiho replied. "But in an interesting way."

Su Yong's lips twitched into a faint smile. "I'll take your word for it."

---

In class, Jiho found his attention drifting. Mirae sat a few rows ahead, as usual, her head bent over her notebook. Su Yong, seated beside Jiho, seemed to be observing the entire room, his sharp eyes missing nothing.

"Are you staring at her?" Su Yong asked under his breath.

"No!" Jiho hissed, quickly looking away.

"You're terrible at lying," Su Yong said, amused.

The class continued without incident until the teacher announced a group project.

"Let's make this interesting," the teacher said. "You'll be working in pairs, and I'll be assigning the partners randomly."

The class groaned collectively. Jiho felt a twinge of anxiety—working with someone new always felt like rolling the dice.

When the teacher began calling out names, Jiho held his breath.

"Jiho and… Mirae."

A wave of murmurs rippled through the class, and Jiho froze. Of all the people, why her?

"Looks like fate's on your side," Su Yong whispered, clearly enjoying Jiho's discomfort.

Mirae didn't react visibly, but when Jiho approached her desk, she looked up with her usual calm expression.

"Looks like we're partners," Jiho said, trying to sound casual.

"It seems so," she replied, her tone neutral.

---

After class, Jiho and Mirae met in the library to discuss the project. Su Yong tagged along, claiming he needed to "supervise."

"You don't even know what we're working on," Jiho protested as Su Yong settled into a chair.

"I'm here for moral support," Su Yong said with a grin.

Mirae ignored Su Yong entirely, focusing on Jiho. "Do you have any ideas for the project?"

"Uh, not really," Jiho admitted. "I figured we could brainstorm together."

Mirae nodded and opened her notebook. As she flipped through the pages, Jiho noticed faint writing—a stark contrast to the blank pages he'd seen before.

"Didn't you say that notebook was empty?" Su Yong asked, leaning closer.

Mirae's hand paused mid-turn. She glanced at Su Yong, her eyes narrowing slightly. "It depends on who's looking."

Su Yong raised an eyebrow but didn't press further.

Jiho, on the other hand, couldn't help but ask, "What does that even mean?"

Mirae closed the notebook abruptly. "Let's focus on the project."

The conversation shifted back to the task at hand, but Jiho's curiosity burned brighter than ever.

---

Later that evening, Jiho sat on his bed, staring at the Fate Rewrite app on his phone. He hadn't opened it since the last cryptic message, but something about today's events made him feel like it was time.

When he tapped the screen, the app came to life with its usual eerie simplicity.

Progress: 8%.

A new option had appeared: "Reveal Insight."

Jiho hesitated before tapping it. The screen flickered, and a single sentence appeared:

"Trust is the first thread."

"What does that even mean?" Jiho muttered, running a hand through his hair.

The app didn't respond, of course. But the words lingered in his mind, intertwining with thoughts of Mirae and her strange notebook.

---

The next day at school, Jiho tried to approach Mirae about the app, but she was as elusive as ever. She seemed to sense when he was about to bring it up, deftly steering the conversation back to their project.

Su Yong, however, was less subtle.

"So, what's the deal with your notebook?" he asked bluntly during lunch.

Mirae glanced at him, her expression unreadable. "It's just a notebook."

"Right," Su Yong said, clearly unconvinced.

"Why are you so interested in it?" Mirae asked, her tone sharp.

"Because Jiho won't shut up about it," Su Yong replied with a shrug.

Jiho nearly choked on his drink. "I didn't—!"

Mirae's gaze softened slightly as she looked at Jiho. "Curiosity can be dangerous, you know."

Before Jiho could respond, she stood up, her notebook tucked under her arm. "I'll see you at the library after school."

As she walked away, Su Yong leaned back in his chair, watching her go.

"She's definitely hiding something," he said.

"Yeah," Jiho muttered, staring after her. "But what?"

---

That afternoon, Jiho and Mirae worked in relative silence at the library. Su Yong had decided not to join them, much to Jiho's relief.

As they wrapped up, Jiho mustered the courage to ask, "Do you trust me?"

Mirae looked at him, surprised. "Why do you ask that?"

"I don't know," Jiho said, scratching the back of his head. "It just feels like… trust is important. Like it's the first step to understanding you."

Mirae studied him for a moment before replying, "Trust is earned, Jiho. Not given freely."

Her words were simple, but they carried a weight that Jiho couldn't ignore.

---

As Jiho walked home that evening, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched. The streetlights cast long shadows, and every rustle of leaves made his heart race.

When he finally reached his house, he glanced over his shoulder one last time. The street was empty, but the sense of unease lingered.

In his room, Jiho opened the app again. This time, a new message appeared:

"The second thread awaits."

Jiho stared at the screen, a mix of excitement and dread bubbling inside him.

Little did he know, the threads of fate were pulling tighter, binding him to a story far larger than he could imagine.