Fate did.

It proved two souls will always run back to each other no matter the consequences. That two destined souls will always find themselves in united love under any situation. Because fate says destined some souls are connected by an invisible thread, combining them as one. They will love each other even after the deadliest heartbreaks.

And fate proved Seok Jin and Yoon Min's story could start from where it was left unfinished.

They spent days slowly getting back together, gradually forgetting the tragedy they faced and instead engulfed the future possibilities of a happy ending. Their hearts began to open with words, scars began to fade with apologies and smiles began to appear with reminisces of their most beautiful life. No longer anything holding them back from loving one another or any hesitations to be completely free in each other's presence. Their presence made every negative emotion disappear.

And once again, there was a new meaning, a new reason to continue their afterlives. In order to win against the magical crystal ball, they had to have a bond that will be tied within their hearts and share a love that will learn to fight back for each other. Unexpectedly, both weren't even trying. They already built their relationship based on those two factors a long time ago. Although it crumbled down by a small mistake, it won't happen again in a million chance. They simply focused on making one another feel better and make sure they were on the same boat.

By opening up to each other, they let themselves past the pricking sorrows and unforgettable memories and reached a point where they were ready to accept any challenge and die for each other again. They found themselves in the same love abyss they fell into years ago without trying. As if the universe's conspiracy was unstoppable.

But along with positive improvements and healthy growth of their relationship, Yoon Min couldn't help but notice the regret flickering in his eyes, a silent phantom that wouldn't unhook its claws from deep within him, won't let him be in peace. It was in the way Seokjin grew quiet and alarmed when the topic of his cheating came, his eyes no more could meet hers nor his voice had the courage. The way he would randomly hug her and stay like that for hours until a shaky breath escaped him, he would feel embarrassed when the residents gossiped about them and lose self-confidence to earn her worth. His own guilt and hatred towards himself was the reason the distance didn't close yet, the barriers were still there.

The same guilt and hatred that made him take his life was still alive along with his love for her. Those emotions conjoined into a mixture of a painful feeling that was undescribable. And he would never take a step to kill that feeling. Without his step, sometimes the radio silence and the world's apart distance frequently came up between them, no way to break through the barriers without his thoughts.

She didn't know how to broach the distance. And she hated hearing these words from him,

"I d-don't deserve you."

It's a sentence she grew to hate within this time, a usual sentence he ended up repeating every day. She didn't know if she should be grateful or upset that he felt that way. But she was sure she hated hearing that. She wished she could tell him not to feel that way. The more he did, the more the walls between them were growing taller, the same walls they were trying to climb over.

In the constant flow of their scarred healing, Yoon Min also started to lose her best friend to an unknown parting. Beomgyu wasn't as friendly as he was anymore. His face didn't brighten up seeing her, his smile was fake and he stayed away from her. Earlier, no one could separate him from her and now he chose to keep distance between them. He was always hovering around her, making her laugh and cheering her. Now he was just gone.

She tried asking him the matter but he never responded clearly. He wouldn't let her approach him at all. As if they never shared a special bond, as if they never met under a willow tree at one fine afternoon. Her other friends would tell her a bunch of meaningless stuff like he liked her more than a friend. They were of no help.

Under no circumstances did she want to let their friendship break.

-------------

Yoon Min was in the library, flipping through the pages of a book with no interest. This almost detachment with Beomgyu was making her mind fuzzy. And there was this crystal ball process, not many days were left for the try-out. Everything was stressing her at once.

Mirae was sitting on the top of her mug of cold coffee, staring keenly at her guardian. She was snapped out of her thoughts by her voice. "You okay, Miss?"

She made eye-contact with her fairy before nodding her head, "I-I'm fine."

"You don't look fine." She guessed in a second. "Is it about Guardian Beomgyu?"

Her new fairy was excellent in her job. She managed to cope up with her duties in a short time and assisted her guardian in all ways. But Yoon Min didn't trust her fully, not after what Ella did. Faith shouldn't be broken easily so faith shouldn't be given easily as well.

Also, the fact that this fairy was the human she couldn't save bothered her slightly. Which was the reason she wasn't entirely comfortable with her.

She shook her head, "I'm fine, Mirae. Don't worry."

The fairy was about to speak up a sentence but she was stopped abruptly by the sight of someone entering the library. She got excited like a fangirl and giggled, alerting Yoon Min. Flapping her wings, she told her guardian,

"I'll be out there somewhere. Call me if you need me."

Yoon Min blinked confusedly. "But I didn't--"

Mirae was out of her vision in seconds. What made her leave suddenly? And why was she giggling?

She found the answer when the chair next to her was pulled back and he sat beside her. Without any greeting, he started to drink her coffee.

She gave a slap on his arm, earning a hurt gasp from him. "Don't touch my coffee, Seokjin!"

He surrendered and put it down before yelling, "Fine, woman! Why are you so worked up?"

"Because I'm so fed up with people gossiping about us! Not a day passes without someone whispering something about our relationship. They are either cheering for us or loathing us. Just now, Mirae just left seeing you! Are we going to kiss or something?! It doesn't make any sense why she left. Ugh, this is so embarrassing..." She dropped her head on the table after the ramble.

He couldn't concentrate on her because his mind was focused on the delicious smell of the coffee. Finding her in that state, he thought this would be the best chance to sneakily take a sip so he almost looped his fingers around the mug. But before he could raise the mug, she raised her head and glared at him.

"You said you would do something about it. Why haven't you done anything by now?!"

Clearing his throat, he replied, "Honey, I told you not to pay head to their conversations. That's the only solution."

She sighed heavily and closed her eyes before dropping her head on the table again. Talking to him was the best therapy she could get. But sometimes after talking to him, she needed therapy.

Not wasting time, he sneakily took three big sips from her mug and put it back with a satisfied smile. He wiped his lips and decided to focus on her now. As she zoned out, he noticed her neglected book and proceeded to take a look at the title.

"What you reading?"

She woke up from her thoughts and before she could stop him from flipping the book, it was already too late. He stared at the book title before deliberately announcing it.

"A Smart Girl's Guide to Friendship Troubles...May I ask who you're having friendship troubles with?"

It was certain he figured out who the person was. He was very smart to start with.

Yoon Min glared at him before snatching the book away from him. "You don't need to know."

"It's that Choi Beomgyu, isn't it?"

She was about to deny but he cut her off, "I'm feeling euphoric to know your friendship's ending." He wasn't lying, he had a huge grin on his handsome face.

Of course, he would feel euphoria. That was why she didn't want to let him know. These two shared an enmity since the beginning and she was yet to find out why.

Seokjin thought this wasn't serious, but judging the way she was quiet and upset and didn't bicker with him anymore, he understood this was bothering her more than expected. As a result, even though, he had zero interest, he reached out to help her.

"Tell me what's going on, Yoonie."

There was a gentleness in his voice, a comfort in the tone. She immediately began to open up to him.

"He just started avoiding me. I have no idea why. Even since we got back together, I rarely see him. When I do, he doesn't look excited like he used to. He's practically ignoring me and doesn't approach me at all. I tried asking him the problem but he wouldn't even look at me properly."

Her head lowered.

"I feel like he's one of those people who envies our relationship. I never imagined him to be like that but there's no other possible answer, right? Why would he give me the cold shoulder all on a sudden? He must feel upset to see me getting back my memories."

She remembered the first time they met, he told her he was a little sad that despite his stay at Love Universe for six years, he had no memories or badges. Maybe seeing his friend receiving her memories so easily made him a bit jealous and thus caused him to stay away from her.

But he wasn't that kind of person. She knew that much.

Listening to her, he stayed silent for a minute. Then, he told her, "That's not why he's avoiding you."

She turned towards him with curiosity.

"He likes you, that's why."

Yoon Min was speechless after hearing that. For a long time, she didn't experience shock and surprise together. Her eyes were unable to blink, stuck against her face.

Reading her facial experience, he joked, "What, don't tell me you don't have a single idea he has feelings for you."

Her answer was pure silence. Seokjin sighed before murmuring, "You know Yoon Min, I really love you but sometimes you're just so dumb."

"Beomgyu has f-feelings for me?"

"Yes, and please don't repeat it. I don't like hearing it." He crossed his arms.

During their first mission together, he remembered Beomgyu confidently confessing his feelings for her in front of him. Back then, he felt very envious and jealous to hear a man liking his wife. But he didn't have the right to stop any of them. He tried to accept that she might be happy with him. After all, he wasn't a bad guy.

She blinked several times and her whole face turned pink. Her stomach started to feel funny and lips couldn't stay straight. Beomgyu likes her?

"Yoon Min!" Seokjin yelled her name, seeing her being flustered with the news of her friend having feelings for her. "Why are you blushing?! You're married to me, remember?!"

She was still blushing.

"Yah!"

"Oh, right, yes. I forgot I was married." She slapped her own forehead lightly.

Seokjin shook his head in disappointment. He made a mental note to be possessive over her from now on. Dumb her could blindly run off to that guy.

Yoon Min looked at him and asked, "You're saying he's avoiding me because he is envious that we are together?"

He pressed his lips together. "Should be the only reason."

Her friends were right after all. They had been reporting the same thing but she didn't believe them.

Honestly, she had no idea Beomgyu likes her. She never thought of him that way or received any signals from him. Or maybe, she did. She was too busy learning her connection with Seokjin and finding out his intentions that she cared for nothing else. It must've been a torture for him, to keep watching the woman he likes longing for someone else who was rightfully hers.

Beomgyu was very special to her. As a friend or whoever, he stood by her side and supported her in every choice. She couldn't lose him for a silly reason like this.

"I never thought he will like me in a different way."

He furrowed his eyebrows and let out a scoff. "I never should've told you about this."

"All this time, he thought of me more than a friend?"

"Yah! You're making me really self-anxious." He pressed a hand over his chest nervously.

She completely ignored him. "Beomgyu actually likes me romantically?"

Seokjin was so done with her questions and cupped her face in his palms, making her look at him forcefully. Successfully attaining her attention, he proceeded to ask,

"Suppose me and that Choi guy are drowning. Who will you save?"

Yoon Min blinked her eyes confusedly. "Are you asking me to choose?"

"Come on, it shouldn't be that hard."

Instead of replying, she began to think whom she should pick. Which didn't escape his sharp eyes.

"Yah, why are you thinking?! What's there to think about?! You should save me!" He whined like a baby.

She licked her lip, "Y-Yeah...not really. You know how to swim, so does Beom. You guys should save yourselves."

As she pulled herself away from his hold, he pouted at her answer, desperately wanted to hear her pick him. But he forgot she was genuinely kindhearted and wouldn't let the other die no matter what.

What he didn't know was she noticed his cute pout, which melted her heart and she quickly pressed a kiss on his cheek, surprising him. Wasn't she just on seven clouds to learn her best friend liking her?

Smiling, she confessed, "Okay maybe I'll save you first."

And he forgot her heart was always with him, in every lifetime, in every breath. She would run back to him no matter what.

To her response, he smiled back and decided to give her some advice. "You should talk it out with him. Let him know you're aware of his feelings and you don't want to ruin your friendship because of that. He's not that stupid so he will understand."

She nodded, intially deciding to do that first thing tomorrow. Now that she knew his problem, it won't be a difficult task for her. She'll make sure their friendship survives.

Before engaging in another topic, she held the coffee mug to drink it. That's when she knew.

"You finished the whole thing, didn't you?"

Seokjin jogged out of the library before she could land a punch.