A Second Chance

Jae-Hyun's eyes fluttered open, a blinding light making it difficult to see. He squinted, trying to make sense of the brightness before him. Gradually, his vision cleared, and he saw a woman with pink hair, pale skin, and piercing pink eyes staring directly into his.

He let out a startled shout, scooting back quickly. Heart pounding, he glanced around frantically, but the pink-haired woman was gone. 

His hands roamed over his body, searching for injuries. "Am I dead? Is this heaven?" he whispered to himself, confusion gnawing at him.

A girl's voice answered from behind, calm and almost amused. "You're not in heaven, nor are you dead. Yet."

Jae-Hyun whipped around, eyes wide. The same woman floated a few feet above the ground, her presence ethereal and unsettling. "Who are you? What are you?" he asked, voice trembling.

She ignored his questions, a faint smile playing on her lips. "Humans are such funny creatures," she mused. "You all have the ability to end your own lives, and yet you still struggle with such a simple concept."

Jae-Hyun's fear mingled with confusion. "What do you mean?" he asked, barely able to keep his voice steady.

She floated closer, her pink eyes shimmering with an otherworldly light. "I could never do something so stupid. The idea of ending oneself is beyond my understanding."

Jae-Hyun responded, "I didn't actually go through with it. I just slipped."

The pink-haired girl laughed, a melodic sound that sent shivers down his spine. "So, Jae-Hyun, let me ask you something. Do you actually believe it's my fault that your life went the way it did?"

He was shocked by her words. How did she know I said that? He thought. But before he could finish the thought, she spoke again.

"Because I'm the so-called God that you blamed."

Jae-Hyun's jaw dropped. "So I am dead," he said, voice trembling. He followed up quickly, "I thought God would, you know, look like a man, not a small woman."

The pink-haired God looked at Jae-Hyun with a puzzled expression. "I am neither woman nor man. I simply take the form of whatever creature I'm engaging with. If you were a wolf, I would appear to you as a wolf. If you were a cow, I would look like a cow to you."

The pink-haired woman continued, "But that's beside the point. I want to know why you think you should be given a second chance at life."

Jae-Hyun paused, the weight of her question pressing down on him. Finally, he said, "I don't think I deserve one. I am responsible for the way my life went, and instead of trying to fix it, I just let myself get deeper into depression. Plus, Hae-Won will probably be happier with someone like Ji-Hoon. She was with him when I called, anyway."

The pink-haired god stared at Jae-Hyun, her gaze unwavering. "Well, you're right about the first part—it was your fault. But I think you're wrong about Hae-Won. Come over here, let me show you something."

Jae-Hyun hesitated but then slowly moved closer to her, curiosity and fear mingling in his heart.

The pink-haired god touched Jae-Hyun's shoulder, and instantly, they were at COEX Mall in Gangnam, Seoul. Jae-Hyun looked around in shock. "Is this COEX Mall?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied, pointing ahead. Jae-Hyun's eyes followed her gesture and saw Hae-Won and Ji-Hoon together. His blood began to boil.

"This was right after she hung up the phone on you," the pink-haired god said. They walked closer to hear Hae-Won and Ji-Hoon's conversation better. Jae-Hyun hesitated. "If we get too close, they'll see us."

She laughed softly. "They cannot see us. This is a record of the past, an event that has already occurred. We're just rewatching it like a recorded TV show."

**Hae-Won's Point of View**

Ji-Hoon walked closer to Hae-Won. "Who was that?" he asked.

"It's nobody," Hae-Won replied, her cheeks flushed.

Ji-Hoon handed her an ice cream. Hae-Won took it with a small smile. "Thanks, but you didn't have to."

"I have to get going. It was nice to randomly see you here. I hope everything at your job works out for you," she said, smiling.

Just as she was about to turn and leave, Ji-Hoon grabbed her hand. "Wait, Hae-Won. I was thinking maybe we could see each other again. You're just as beautiful as ever, and I'd like to take you on an actual date."

Hae-Won's eyes sparkled at his words, staring at Ji-Hoon's long black hair blowing in the wind. He was very attractive, but at that same moment, an image of Jae-Hyun popped into her head. She realized she was still in love with him.

"I'm sorry, I can't. It's just not a good time right now."

Ji-Hoon was shocked; he had never been rejected by a woman in his life. But he hid his anger behind a smile. "Well, can we at least exchange Facegram accounts?"

"That's fine," she replied, a mix of emotions swirling within her.

After exchanging Facegram accounts, Hae-Won walked away, her steps heavy with uncertainty. A few moments later, as she reached her car, it began to rain. She hurriedly got inside, slamming the door against the sudden downpour. She threw her purse into the passenger seat and put her hands over her face, letting out a deep sigh.

Jae-Hyun's face haunted her thoughts. She remembered how he looked during their call, standing outside. "I hope he doesn't get caught in the storm," she murmured.

Starting the car, she began to drive off, but her mind remained fixated on Jae-Hyun. She reached for her phone but hesitated, her hand hovering in mid-air before pulling back. "I need to be strong," she said to herself. "Me and Jae-Hyun shouldn't have any contact at this moment. It's the best thing for us, right?"

Doubt gnawed at her, causing her to bite her lip. Was this really the right thing to do? The question lingered, making her uneasy. Eventually, she couldn't resist and grabbed her phone. "I'll just check on him to make sure he's not getting rained on," she rationalized.

After hitting the call button, the phone began to ring. Each tone made her heart pound harder, nerves setting in despite the countless times she had spoken to Jae-Hyun before. But the call went unanswered. Her face fell with disappointment. "I guess he doesn't want to talk right now. I'll just respect it," she said softly. 

**Jae-hyun's Point of View**

Jae-Hyun, standing next to the pink-haired god, was in shock. He had thought Hae-Won was out on a date with Ji-Hoon, but that wasn't the case. A misunderstanding had pushed him over the edge, leading him to lose his own life. The realization hit him like a freight train. He dropped to his knees, tears flowing down his face as he let out a deafening scream of pain and regret.

A few moments passed, and Jae-Hyun finally got back to his feet, his voice monotone and devoid of emotion. "So, what's next?" he asked with a blank expression.

The pink-haired god floated in the sky, staring up at the sun. "I'll give you another chance, but you have to do something for me."

Jae-Hyun's eyes shot up. "And what is that?" he asked.

"No need to worry about it now," she said. "When the time comes, you will find out."

This left a puzzled look on Jae-Hyun's face. Before he could collect his thoughts, the pink-haired god was already in front of his face. "By the way, you can call me Yoo-mi," she said right before kissing Jae-Hyun on the lips.

In that same instant, Jae-Hyun's eyes snapped open, and he quickly sat up. He was in a room, lying in a bed, his body drenched in a cold sweat. A voice shouted at him from outside the room.

"Jae-Hyun, are you still in bed? Hurry and get up before you're late for school!"

He knew that voice—it was his mother's.