Strings Of Fate:Fate Rewrite

The school festival buzzed with life. Bright banners adorned the walls, the air filled with the aroma of sizzling street food, and laughter echoed from every corner. Jiho wandered through the crowd, feeling both out of place and oddly at ease. It was a rare day when the burdens of schoolwork and mysterious apps could be shelved, even if only temporarily.

His phone remained tucked away in his pocket. No cryptic messages, no pulsing circles—just the festival and the people around him.

"Jiho!"

He turned to see Su Yong waving, a skewer of grilled meat in one hand and a soda in the other. "You've been wandering around like a ghost. Eat something, will you?"

Jiho grinned and joined him at a nearby bench. "You're really getting into the spirit of things."

"You should too," Su Yong said, shoving a skewer toward Jiho. "You can't brood your way through life."

"Who says I'm brooding?" Jiho retorted, though he accepted the skewer.

As they ate, Su Yong glanced at the crowd. "Mirae's here, you know."

Jiho nearly choked on his food. "What?"

"I saw her near the shooting booth earlier," Su Yong said casually. "You should talk to her."

Jiho hesitated. The last time he'd tried to approach Mirae, their conversation had ended on a cryptic note. But something about today felt different—lighter, almost.

"I'll think about it," Jiho said, though Su Yong's smirk suggested he wasn't convinced.

---

The shooting booth was tucked away near the edge of the festival, a line of students eagerly taking their turns. Mirae stood off to the side, her notebook conspicuously absent. She seemed… relaxed, almost as if the vibrant energy of the festival had chipped away at her usual reserve.

"Hey," Jiho said, approaching cautiously.

Mirae turned, her eyes widening slightly in surprise. "Oh. Hi."

"Enjoying the festival?" he asked, trying to sound casual.

"It's… nice," she said, though her tone suggested she wasn't entirely convinced.

They stood in awkward silence for a moment before Jiho gestured toward the shooting booth. "Want to give it a try?"

Mirae blinked. "Me? I'm terrible at those kinds of games."

"Come on, it's just for fun," Jiho said, smiling. "I'll even win you a prize if you want."

Mirae hesitated, then nodded. "Alright. But don't blame me if you regret it."

---

Jiho's confidence proved misplaced.

"Miss," the booth operator announced as Jiho's last shot missed the target entirely.

"Wow," Mirae said, a rare hint of amusement in her voice. "You're terrible at this."

Jiho groaned, rubbing the back of his neck. "Okay, maybe I underestimated how hard it is."

Mirae stepped forward. "Let me try."

Jiho handed her the toy rifle, raising an eyebrow. "You said you were terrible."

"I am," she said, taking aim.

Her first shot hit dead center.

Jiho's jaw dropped as Mirae handed the rifle back, her expression calm but smug.

"I thought you were bad at this!" Jiho exclaimed.

"I guess I'm full of surprises," she said, a faint smile playing on her lips.

The booth operator handed her a small stuffed rabbit, which she held out to Jiho. "Here. Consider it a consolation prize."

Jiho took it, still in shock. "Thanks… I think."

---

As the day wore on, Jiho and Mirae found themselves wandering the festival together. They didn't talk much, but the silence wasn't uncomfortable.

At one point, they stopped by a quiet corner of the school garden. Mirae sat on a bench, the stuffed rabbit perched on her lap.

"You're different today," Jiho said, sitting beside her.

"Different how?" she asked, not looking at him.

"Less guarded," he said. "More… present."

Mirae was silent for a moment. "Sometimes, it's nice to just exist in the moment. No expectations, no distractions."

Jiho nodded, understanding the sentiment more than he cared to admit.

"Why did you approach me earlier?" Mirae asked suddenly.

Jiho hesitated, then decided to be honest. "Because I wanted to. I feel like there's more to you than what you let people see."

Mirae's expression softened, but she didn't respond.

---

As the festival wound down, Jiho and Mirae returned to the main courtyard, where Su Yong was waiting.

"About time you two showed up," Su Yong said, grinning. "I was starting to think you'd ditched me."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Jiho said, though he couldn't help but notice the way Su Yong's eyes lingered on Mirae.

"Did you have fun?" Su Yong asked, directing the question at her.

"I did," Mirae said, surprising both boys.

"Good," Su Yong said. "Because Jiho was worried you wouldn't."

Jiho glared at him. "I wasn't—"

But Mirae interrupted him with a quiet laugh.

"Thanks, Jiho," she said, her voice soft. "For everything."

---

Later that night, Jiho sat on his bed, staring at the stuffed rabbit. It was a silly thing, but it made him smile.

His phone buzzed, and he hesitated before checking the app.

"Trust is forming. Continue weaving the threads."

Jiho frowned but didn't feel the same frustration he usually did. For once, the app's message felt less like an enigma and more like encouragement.

He placed the rabbit on his nightstand and lay down, his thoughts drifting back to Mirae.

Maybe, just maybe, things were starting to make sense.

---

The next day at school, Jiho felt an odd sense of calm. For once, his usual whirlwind of thoughts didn't feel as overwhelming. His memories of the festival lingered, especially Mirae's quiet laugh and the way she'd opened up, if only a little.

As he walked into the classroom, Su Yong was already lounging in his seat, scribbling half-heartedly on a worksheet.

"Morning," Su Yong greeted without looking up.

"Morning," Jiho replied, taking his seat.

Su Yong leaned back, smirking. "So, how's the knight in shining armor today? Feeling accomplished after your little festival date?"

"It wasn't a date," Jiho said quickly, though his face grew warm.

"Sure, sure," Su Yong teased. "Next thing I know, you'll be writing love poems for her."

Jiho rolled his eyes but couldn't help smiling. Su Yong always had a way of breaking through his overthinking, even if it was by teasing him mercilessly.

---

Mirae arrived a few minutes later, her usual composed demeanor firmly back in place. Jiho glanced at her, trying to catch her eye, but she was already focused on her notebook.

"Hey," Jiho said as he passed by her desk.

She looked up briefly, her expression neutral but not unkind. "Hey."

Before Jiho could say more, the teacher entered the room, signaling the start of class.

---

During lunch, Su Yong dragged Jiho to their usual spot in the courtyard. The air was crisp, the faint scent of autumn leaves lingering. Su Yong sat cross-legged on the grass, tearing into a sandwich with uncharacteristic gusto.

"Are you going to talk to her again?" Su Yong asked between bites.

"Who?" Jiho said, feigning ignorance.

"Don't play dumb," Su Yong said, pointing at him with his sandwich. "Mirae. You two were practically glued to each other yesterday."

Jiho sighed. "I don't know. She's… hard to read."

"That's part of the fun," Su Yong said. "She's like a puzzle. And you? You've always loved solving things."

Jiho frowned, unsure if he liked being compared to a wannabe detective.

---

Later that afternoon, Jiho decided to act on Su Yong's words. He found Mirae sitting alone in the library, her notebook open but her pen still.

"Hey," he said, approaching cautiously.

Mirae looked up, her eyes briefly widening in surprise. "Hi."

"Mind if I sit?" Jiho asked.

She hesitated, then nodded.

They sat in silence for a while, the atmosphere less awkward than Jiho had expected.

"I was wondering…" Jiho began, unsure how to phrase his question. "At the festival, you seemed different. Happier, maybe."

Mirae tilted her head, her gaze thoughtful. "Sometimes, it's nice to forget about everything else and just… be."

Jiho nodded, understanding more than he wanted to admit. "I get that."

For a moment, Mirae's mask slipped, and Jiho thought he saw a flicker of vulnerability. But just as quickly, it was gone.

"Thanks for yesterday," Mirae said softly.

Jiho blinked, surprised. "For what?"

"For treating me like a normal person," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Jiho didn't know how to respond, so he simply nodded.

---

As Jiho walked home that evening, his phone buzzed. He hesitated before pulling it out, half-dreading what the app might say.

"The bond strengthens. The web grows."

Jiho frowned but didn't feel the usual frustration. This time, the message felt… hopeful.

He pocketed his phone and looked up at the sky, the faint glow of stars just beginning to appear.

For the first time in a long while, Jiho felt like he was heading in the right direction.