- two weeks later -

Hana clutched her bag in one hand, racing across the street. She had a few more seconds. She thought she heard a car coming up, maybe turning into the street, but she had time, and there was a stop sign. The car sounded fast now, but hopefully, it would slow down-

***

Hana watched the scene unfold in front of her. She saw a girl, lying on the street. The car that had hit her just drove away, as people who'd seen the accident screamed after it, taking pictures of the license plate and calling an ambulance for the girl. She heard someone declare that it was too late, that the girl was dead. 

The crowd parted, and she gasped. 

The girl lying on the street, the girl who'd died... 

That was her. 

She stared down at her hands, unable to comprehend what was happening. She was here, but she wasn't. 

Tears rolled down her cheeks as the realization hit her. She'd died, hadn't she? She really died. And that meant... she was...

Hana turned around, not wanting to see the sight of the accident anymore. 

And there he was. 

The boy who'd occupied her thoughts from the first moment they'd met. The boy with the secrets. The boy who somehow knew whenever she was in danger.

It made sense now. 

He walked over towards her, crying too. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you this time," he said softly. 

She ran into his arms, sobbing. "This is really it?" she cried. "The end for me? And the end for us? This... this was all we'd ever get to?" 

He held her tight. "My time of service is over," he whispered. "I'll be going with you, so don't be scared."

He pulled away from him a little, taking her hands in his and looking into her eyes. "This isn't the end for us," he said firmly, smiling at her through his tears. "I'll meet you again, in our next lives. I'll find you. And we'll be happy together, next time." 

"Promise?" she whispered, tears still rolling down her cheeks. 

He leaned down, pressing a soft kiss against her lips. 

"Promise," he whispered.