Splashed woken up

Everybody was startled. Jun was so quiet until now that his outburst was unexpected.

Ai glanced at him. "What is? Did I say something wrong?"

Jun's gaze was cold and furious as if the room would freeze. "Nothing wrong. Independence, retaliation, not judging based on beauty alone - I agree with everything. But don't go on making your own endings when it's just a normal, happy story."

"Children need perspective at their age. Cinderella is a beautiful story with its happy ending. But there are parts in it that give the wrong message."

"Stories are meant to be enjoyed."

"But lessons are meant to be learnt from the stories. Every story has something to teach. That's why it's written in the first place."

With every step that he took, he carried a pressure that could make someone break down to pieces. His tall stature loomed over her, and his chilly gaze met her questioning one. The kids shifted back in fear.

Mrs. Quan Su felt anxious. She had never seen Jun so furious before. "Jun…"

He clenched his fists. "Ending…A happy ending is what matters."

Ai stared at him. She stood and faced him. "A happy ending is desirable indeed. But it isn't gained so easily. A story just doesn't have a beginning and an ending. It has a whole journey in between that shapes the ending."

Journey…

He laughed. "Journey? Who knows it better than me what a journey is?"

Painful, lost, alone, heartbroken, crushing - his journey in his past life was just a nightmare. Even in that life, he didn't like sad endings.

After he was reborn, the feeling grew only stronger.

Wasn't this second chance just a tragedy for him too?

Jun broke up with the woman he had given his heart to.

"What is the purpose of living such a meaningless life when I have lost everything? I just have to live alone for the rest of my life, waiting for my death to come. Is this the journey you are talking about? Nothing is learned from any journey. One can only suffer in it. My life is already a big tragedy. So spare the fictional stories from your tragic ending crap!"

His voice echoed louder and fiercer.

Frustration and anger filled his heart. Facing Ai made him remember MissImperfectlyFine for some reason. Their words were similar. Their thoughts were aligned. It only made him even more restless.

First her and now this woman.

He took a threatening step forward and quietly whispered, "Zhou Ai. Don't be like this. In fact…I warn you to be careful. Who knows if your life will have a sad ending in the future?"

What would you do if you knew you would die by falling off a building years later?

The end of her life was just another tragedy waiting to happen.

Ai's gaze that met straight into his, lowered. "I didn't mean to upset you. I just wanted the children to learn. I am sorry."

Jun was about to say something when a familiar voice came from the back.

"Bro! I finally met you! Where were you hiding from us all this time?"

Jun froze. His whole body ran cold as he recognized his little brother's voice.

Liu Jin.

Why is Jin here…

The memories came crashing akin to a violent wave meeting the shore with force.

'Jun. I think…we are meant to be only friends.'

'I like you, Jun. But the more I think about it, the more I feel that it's not the kind of like to spend my life with you forever.'

'Bro, I am sorry…' Jin cried out his heart. Nobody…Nobody wants to see you happy with Shui more than me. Even if it kills me, I only wish for your happiness.'

Jun punched him in the face. 'Yet here you are standing in the way of it! Why Jin? Why…Why Shui? Why her!? When you knew I loved her, then why her!? Why did you have to love her? Why did you want to snatch her away from me!?'

'No…Shui loves me. It's not possible,' Jun laughed. 'I have loved her since the beginning. I wanted nobody else but her. Didn't she love me too, which is why she agreed to date me? If she never loved me, she wouldn't have said yes! It's you who came in between us!'

'Jin you…you ruined everything for me…Aren't we brothers? Then why did you stab me in the back? Of all people…why you?'

Every last painful memory came gushing in his mind.

As Jin appeared before his elder brother, his dying face from the past flashed in front of his eyes.

The bullet with which Jun was supposed to kill himself had hit Jin. The wedding that was supposed to happen ended with Jin's death. Han Shui's white wedding gown was stained with Jin's crimson blood.

"Bro! Where are you lost?" Jin shook him hard.

"Huh…" He looked into his brother's eyes, who was thrilled to meet him. His lips had a wide smile filled with joy.

"I texted you so many times, but you didn't reply back to any of my messages. So I decided to meet you myself. Do you really have to ignore me like that?"

"You…"

Jun wasn't ready to face him. Even a week back at the breakfast table after Jun was just reborn, he really didn't pay much attention to him because his mind was filled with confusion about his rebirth. He had too many questions as if it was a fantasy.

But now, Jin came before him himself. After how he had killed his own brother in rage, Jun hadn't prepared himself to face him.

Jin noticed his pale condition and widened his eyes. "Bro, are you alright? What's wrong?"

He wanted to talk. But he just couldn't. He found his words choked in his throat. Jin was talking to him, but he couldn't hear it at all.

I killed Jin…I killed Jin…I killed my brother…

No. But-but it was his fault. He shouldn't have come between Shui and me. He deserved it-

No! What am I even talking about!? He is still my brother.

But he took Shui away from me.

I killed him.

He deserved to die.

I love him so much.

But he betrayed me.

I hate Jin. I hate Jin.

Two conflicting trains of thoughts made him feel as if he just wanted to run away from everything. He fell on his knees.

Mrs. Quan Su was extremely worried. "Jun, what's wrong? You look so sick."

But he wasn't listening.

I hate Jin, I hate Jin, I hate Jin! If only he wasn't bo-

*SPLASH!*

Jun was suddenly splashed with a bucket of cold water over his head. His thoughts came to a screeching halt and shocked, he slowly looked up with water dripping down his hair.

Ai held an empty bucket in her hands.

"Have you calmed down now?"