Scene 6 –
He handed the cup back like it was a crime scene.
Jack: "This tastes awful."
I snatched it from his hand, trying not to look embarrassed.
Jini: "No one asked you to drink it!"
Jack (grinning): "Well, you looked like you needed saving."
Jini: "From my own drink?"
Jack: "From your terrible choices in life… starting with matcha."
I rolled my eyes, but honestly… I was smiling a little.
Jini: "You're seriously judging my taste?"
Jack (dramatic): "I fear for your soul."
Jini: "Wow. Over a drink?"
Jack: "Matcha reveals character. And yours…"
He paused for a moment, like searching for the perfect insult. Then he smiled.
Just that look in his eyes—it felt familiar.
Like I'd seen it before.
Somewhere.
Maybe not in this life…
But it felt like he knew me.
Not the me I pretend to be, but the one I don't even understand myself.
Before I could say anything, he just winked and walked away.
Leaving me standing there—with an awful drink, a racing heart, and a strange, aching feeling…
Like we were something before.
And maybe... still are.
I sat back at my desk, the taste of that bitter matcha still lingering on my tongue.
But honestly, it wasn't the matcha that left the bitter feeling.
Scene 7 – Jack's POV : " Why Her?"
I walked away casually.
At least, I hoped it looked casual.
I didn't look back.
Not because I didn't want to—
But because I knew if I did, I'd stare too long.
That girl… Jini.
There's something about her.
She's not the loudest in the room. Not the prettiest by normal standards.
But she has that kind of silence that pulls you in.
Like you're not supposed to notice her—
But you do anyway.
And once you do, it's hard to stop.
I didn't drink her matcha because I wanted to tease her.
Okay, maybe a little.
But mostly… I just wanted a reason to start something.
Something small.
A conversation.
A reaction.
Anything that made her look at me like I existed.
And when she did…
Her eyes felt like home.
Not warm.
But familiar.
Like I've been there before.
Like I knew her before this life even began.
I've met thousands of people.
Girls who laugh too loud.
People who try too hard.
Faces that blur into each other.
But her?
She doesn't blur.
She stays.
And that scares me more than I'll ever admit.
shift back to Jini,
Scene 8 – "The Matcha Aftertaste"
Back in class, I stared at the whiteboard. Or at least pretended to.
The teacher's voice had become background noise, like a TV playing in another room.
Beside me, Cherry was doodling in her notebook and side-eyeing me every two seconds.
Cherry (whispering): "You're blushing."
Jini : "I'm not."
Cherry: "You are. Your ears are pink."
Jini (flat): "They do that when I'm annoyed."
Cherry (grinning): "So… Jack annoys you?"
I turned slowly. "Wanna see how annoyed I can get?"
She laughed softly, then leaned closer.
Cherry (murmuring): "You like him, huh?"
I froze.
Jini: "No."
Cherry: "You sure?"
Jini (quiet): "I don't… even know him."
But that wasn't the real problem.
The problem was that knowing him didn't feel necessary.
The connection was already there.
Like we'd skipped the part where people meet.
And went straight to the part where souls remember.
---