Strings Of Fate:Fate Rewrite

It all started with a notification.

I was scrolling through my phone during class, pretending to listen to the teacher, when a pop-up appeared. It wasn't from any app I'd downloaded. In bold, blinking text, it read:

"Fate Rewrite Installed. Your journey begins now."

"What the…?" I whispered.

"Jiho, are you paying attention?" the teacher barked.

I shoved my phone into my pocket, mumbling an apology. But my curiosity was already piqued. Fate Rewrite? It sounded like one of those sketchy apps that promised to tell your future but just stole your data. Still, something about it felt… different.

---

By lunchtime, I couldn't ignore it anymore. Sitting in the crowded cafeteria, I reopened the app. The screen was simple: a black background with a single glowing button labeled "Rewrite Fate."

"Seriously? What kind of scam is this?" I muttered.

"What's a scam?" Seulgi, my nosy best friend, plopped down beside me, her tray loaded with fries.

"Nothing," I said, hiding my phone.

She grinned. "You're such a bad liar, Jiho. Spill."

I sighed. "It's just this weird app. Look."

Seulgi leaned over, her eyes lighting up. "Oooh, mysterious. Did you press it yet?"

"No. It's probably fake."

"Come on! What's the worst that could happen?" She grabbed my phone and hit the button before I could stop her.

---

The screen flickered, and then a message appeared:

"Rewrite in progress. First thread: Kang Mirae."

My heart skipped. Kang Mirae. The quiet girl who sat by the window in class. The one who always seemed like she was carrying some big secret.

"Dude, it's fate!" Seulgi exclaimed, clearly enjoying this way too much.

"Fate my foot," I muttered, but I couldn't shake the feeling that something big was about to happen.

---

Back in class, I couldn't stop glancing at Mirae. She was scribbling in her notebook, completely focused. What could the app mean by "First thread"? Did it want me to talk to her?

Yeah, right. Kang Mirae wasn't the type to chat with someone like me.

But as the bell rang and she stood up, the unthinkable happened. Her notebook slipped from her bag, landing right at my feet.

"Hey, you dropped this," I said, picking it up.

She turned, her eyes locking with mine for a brief moment. "Thanks," she said softly, taking the notebook.

For a second, it felt like time froze. Then she was gone, leaving me standing there with my heart racing for no reason.

---

That night, the app buzzed again.

"Progress: 10%. Next step: Follow the thread."

"What thread?!" I groaned, staring at my phone.

But deep down, I knew. Whatever was happening, it wasn't going to let me go back to normal.

And somehow, Kang Mirae was at the center of it all.

---

The rest of the night was a haze. My mind kept circling back to Mirae and that strange app. Why her? Out of everyone in the school, why had the app decided she was part of my "fate"?

I didn't even know her that well. Mirae wasn't exactly approachable. She kept to herself, always staring out the window like she was waiting for something—or maybe someone. People whispered about her, sure, but no one really knew her.

I threw my phone onto my desk and flopped onto my bed, staring at the ceiling. "Follow the thread," the app said. What thread? Was it asking me to talk to her?

Impossible. Kang Mirae wouldn't give me the time of day.

---

The next morning, I walked into school with every intention of ignoring whatever weird game the app was playing. But the moment I stepped into the classroom, there she was—Mirae, sitting at her desk by the window as usual.

Her notebook was open, and she was writing furiously, her pen gliding across the pages. I couldn't help but wonder what was in there. Notes? A diary? A list of people she wanted to avoid?

"Staring again, huh?" Seulgi's voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

"I'm not staring," I said quickly.

She smirked, plopping into her seat beside me. "Sure you're not. So, what's the plan? You gonna talk to her?"

"Why would I do that?"

"Because your sketchy app said so, duh. Or are you just going to keep ogling her like a creep?"

I glared at her. "I'm not ogling. And there's no plan. Just… drop it, okay?"

Seulgi shrugged. "Your loss. But don't come crying to me when she starts thinking you're a weirdo."

---

The morning dragged on. Math, history, science—it all blurred together. I couldn't focus. Every time I glanced at Mirae, my mind filled with questions. What was she writing? Did the app know something about her that I didn't?

Finally, lunch rolled around, and I found myself wandering into the courtyard. It was quieter out here, with most of the students crammed into the cafeteria.

That's when I saw her. Mirae was sitting under a tree, her notebook open on her lap. She looked so calm, so untouchable.

"Go on, talk to her," Seulgi said, appearing out of nowhere and shoving me forward.

"What are you doing?!" I hissed.

"Helping you," she said with a grin. "Now's your chance!"

Before I could argue, she was gone, leaving me standing there like an idiot.

---

"Hi," I said, awkwardly stepping closer to Mirae.

She looked up, her dark eyes narrowing slightly. "Hi."

Okay, so far, so good.

"Uh… nice day, huh?" I wanted to kick myself. What kind of lame line was that?

She didn't respond, just stared at me like she was waiting for me to say something meaningful.

"Sorry to bother you," I blurted out. "I just… wanted to say thanks. For yesterday. I mean, for not yelling at me when I picked up your notebook. I didn't mean to—"

"It's fine," she said, cutting me off.

An awkward silence stretched between us. I felt like I was drowning in it.

"What do you write in there?" I asked suddenly, gesturing to her notebook.

Her expression shifted, just slightly. For a moment, I thought she might actually answer. But then she closed the notebook and stood up.

"Nothing that concerns you," she said quietly, brushing past me.

I watched her walk away, feeling like an idiot.

---

That night, the app buzzed again.

"Progress: 20%. Next thread unlocked."

This time, the screen displayed something new: a blurry image of Mirae's notebook.

"What the…?" I muttered, staring at the screen.

The image flickered, and text appeared beneath it:

"The answers lie within. Find the hidden words."

I stared at the message, my pulse quickening. Was the app telling me to look inside Mirae's notebook?

"Great," I muttered. "Because that's not creepy at all."

But even as I said it, I couldn't shake the feeling that the app was right.

There was something about Mirae—something hidden. And if I wanted answers, I'd have to find a way to get closer to her.

---

The next day, I arrived at school with a plan. Well, more like half a plan. Mirae was already in her seat, her notebook sitting on her desk like always.

I waited until class ended, then lingered near the door, pretending to organize my bag. Mirae packed up her things, and as she stood, the notebook slipped from her stack of books and fell to the floor.

"Hey, you dropped this," I said, swooping in to pick it up.

She turned, her eyes narrowing slightly as she took the notebook from me. "Thanks," she said, her voice neutral.

Before I could stop myself, I blurted out, "What do you write in there?"

She froze, her fingers tightening around the notebook.

"It's just… you're always writing," I added quickly. "I was curious."

Her expression hardened. "It's private," she said, brushing past me.

As I watched her walk away, I couldn't help but feel like I'd just hit a wall. Whatever she was hiding, she wasn't going to let me in easily.

But the app had chosen her for a reason.

And I wasn't going to stop until I figured out why.