Here's another update for you guys.feel free to vote and comment it means a lot.

As per the day, the sun had gone down to such a low place that the entire school ground was engulfed in soft golden mellow color. Almost all the students had left, and the often noisy hallways were now unusually peaceful, filled only with the footsteps of Sehun and Hairi as they walked outdoors. Hairi felt her heart beating quick as she approached every step because her thoughts drifted to the rooftop moment the night before. They had not said much; this simple act of holding hands felt more intimate than any words could express. Now, with the sun setting and a whiff of soft breeze in the air, the silence between them was heavy with something unsaid.

They discovered an obscure corner under the shade of a big tree, nearly at the back courtyard of the school, where they usually met for lunch to catch up with studies or even just chit-chat.

Hairi reclined against the trunk and inhaled deeply, steadied herself. Sehun settled down next to her, close enough so that she could feel the warmth radiating from his shoulder, but he did not touch her.

Hairi glanced at him, then saw how his gaze appeared to drift away, obscured by some unspoken thought. "You're too quiet today," she mused, studying his profile. His jaw seemed tense, his lips pressed together, as though he was holding something back.

Sehun turned his head slightly, showing her a shy smile. It didn't reach his eyes, though. "Yeah, I guess I'm quiet."

Hairi patiently waited for more because she knew that he had more to say. She didn't want to push him, but she was still drawn towards him and wanting to be with him. Hairi thought to herself that whatever smiles and laughs they exchanged, one part of Sehun's life was something she had not been able to understand. What she had realized was that for Sehun, this separate side was hidden between all those good times spent in his easygoing nature.

After a long pause, he spoke again, his voice barely above a whisper. "Hairi, do you ever... feel like you're alone even when you're with other people?"

Hairi's chest tightened, surprised by the raw honesty in his words. She had never expected him to voice such a vulnerable thought, especially since he always seemed so sure of himself. But she understood exactly what he meant. "All the time," she replied softly. "Sometimes, it's like there's this distance between me and everyone else, no matter how close they are. Like I'm... not really there with them."

Sehun looked down at his hands, a pained expression flickering across his face. "That's how I feel. Sometimes, I wonder if anyone really sees me for who I am. Or if... maybe I'm just a shadow that blends into the background." He gave a bitter laugh. "It sounds silly, but it's been like that since I was young."

His heart wrenched with pity for him, and she wanted to reach out, to show him he was not dreaming. But her hand froze midair. It was Sehun, her high school crush, the boy whose tender-hearted smile she had admired from a distance. But right then, he was opening up to her in a sacred sort of way. She really wanted to be careful in order not to ruin the moment between them.

"You know, I don't think it's stupid at all. I think... a lot of us feel like that, but we're too afraid to admit it. Maybe we all put walls around ourselves, thinking that we have to be strong all the time. The truth is, we are all a little lonely," she continued gently.

He raised his head at her, meeting her gaze, and in his glance reflected the inside world she had never seen in it before. "It's difficult to be honest with people, though. Opening up the walls. I guess I've always been afraid that... if people saw the real me, they wouldn't like what they saw."

Touching hair of his heart. She now saw the face that confidence and charm were hiding, failure and insecurities that she could never imagine. There was really this urge to reassure him, to let him know how much he mattered. "Sehun," she whispered, trembling voice "the real you is someone worth knowing. And... I see you. I really do."

They remained silent for a moment, with the heaviness of her words floating between them. Sehun would gaze at her with softened eyes, giving him a slight nod, as a man would when he finally allowed himself to believe the other's words. There was an air shift she sensed, a closeness deeper than before.

Hairi held her breath, gathering her courage before joining in for some fair share of wine. "You know," she continued, "most of the distance I feel probably has to do with not really being who I used to be. I mean, this might sound strange, but I'm not... the same girl you knew back then".

Sehun's eyebrows knitted together in confusion, but he stayed silent, listening intently.

"I've changed in ways that even I don't fully understand," Hairi continued, choosing her words carefully. She hadn't revealed the truth of her time-traveling ability to anyone except Minji, but the urge to share her secret with Sehun felt almost overpowering. Yet, she wasn't sure if she was ready. "Sometimes I feel like I'm living in a different version of my own life. It's hard to explain, but... being here with you, it feels like something I was always supposed to find."

Sehun's gaze softened, his eyes reflecting a gentle understanding. "I think I know what you mean, Hairi. Being with you feels... right, even if it scares me."

Hairi's breath hitched, her heart pounding as his words sank in. She felt a sudden sense of connection, a realization that they were both struggling with their own fears and insecurities, but somehow, they found comfort in each other.

As the last rays of sunlight filtered through the branches above them, casting dappled shadows on his face, Sehun lifted his hand, reaching out toward her. He hesitated for a moment, his fingers hovering near her cheek. Then, with a gentle movement, he brushed a stray strand of hair from her face, his touch feather-light yet electrifying. His fingers lingered near her cheek, and she could feel her heart race, every beat echoing in her chest.

The skin of loneliness had been stripped off by time, only to be replaced by something else. Their eyes met and, in that same instant, an understanding struck hard at the very soul of her being. This was not her school crush. Sehun , he was flawed, and with fears that made him feel similar to what she could have done to him. She felt her pulse almost race in accordance with the movement of his eyes towards her, cheeks hot with the intensity of his gazes. It made her feel vulnerably secure, as though he would see beyond all the walls she had raised within herself.

"You're not just my high school friend, Sehun," she whispered gently, straining to find her voice again. "You're someone I'll still be able to be friends with, and that scares me, too."

A hint of a smile curved on his lips as his hand hung near her face. "Hairi...I think we are both a little scared about what happens next. But maybe, just maybe, we don't have to face it alone."

What he said sent warm thrills through her-the possessive wordings still made her heart soar with an uplifting hope that hadn't been in her for a long time. That was when she understood that she was not so much afraid of changing her fate as she was frightened at the idea of allowing herself to be happy. But here, standing side by side with Sehun, almost in this hushed moment, she felt she could harbor all things ahead, no matter how hazy.

They remain for a few moments, just like that, hands intertwined, both feeling quite safe and comfortable with each other's company. Should you suddenly turn and look around, you would see that you have faded away into nothing, leaving only the two of them standing together in their vulnerability and uncertainty, side by side, confronting the unknown ahead.

Finally, as the sky clouded over, they moved toward turning back. Sehun's fingers still clung to hers, the weight of presence not leaving their silence unbroken.

And the peculiar serenity flowed through her as Hairi approached the school building. What was still unexplored in the future and ever-burgeoning things left to be answered was somehow not so alarming anymore that she was about to be fearless, for the very first time, now before a school building.

---

After leaving Sehun, Hairi roamed the abandoned halls, her heart still racing from the vividness of their conversation. Just as she reached the exit, she spotted Minji waiting for her, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed.

Dancing amusement in her eyes, Minji looked at her with a knowing smile. "So... how was your moment with Sehun?"

Hairi felt her cheeks flush as she attempted to play it off. "It was... nice. We just talked."

Minji chuckled, clearly unconvinced. "Just talked, huh? Sure. I saw the way he looked at you, Hairi. It is obvious he is into you."

Hairi sighed, her mind already wandering back to the way he had brushed her hair from her face. "Maybe. But there is so much I still don't understand. About him, about... this timeline."

Minji's expression softened, and she placed a reassuring hand on Hairi's shoulder. "I think you should tell him that you love him and the future thing, who knows he might believe you too like I did.

Hairi looked at her with her heart swelling with gratitude. "Thank you, Minji. For trusting me even when it sounds impossible. But I am not ready yet to confess to him I need time."

Minji squeezed her shoulder, her smile genuine. "I think you're here for a reason, Hairi. Maybe... maybe this chance is for you to make things right, not just for yourself but for everyone. And if Sehun is part of that future, then don't be afraid to let him in."

Hairi nodded, feeling a newfound sense of resolve.

___
Thanks for reading 😁