#fromis9

“Why the look?”

“Because you ordered what I wanted,” she said, leaning a little back to hook one of her smooth, white legs over the other. “And you already know my name, so why the question?”

“Well, firstly, it's what I always drink.”

“You're staring.”

“A little hard not to when you're this hot, Miss Jiwon.”

“Oh, please drop the formalities. They're not needed when you're already undressing me with your eyes.”

“As do you. Hot woman with a hot bod, hot glasses, hot thighs and hot ass? A little hard not to.”

“That sounds like an understatement,” she chuckled softly. “What about the second?”

“Just wanted to know more about the Park Jiwon other than her being the author of my favourite book.”

“You seem really good at flattery, huh?” She blushed and bent forward, fingers gripping her tie to loosen it, tugging it down to reveal the two charms hidden within.

“Flattery skills aside, I’m really good at flipping pages too, you know,” he said, taking the drink from the bartender.

He slid the glass to Jiwon.

“Oh please,” she chuckled and sat back straight, rolling her eyes. “You're a reader. Of course you’ll be good at that.”

“I beg to differ,” he said. “Not all readers are equal, just like how not all women are as beautiful as you.”

She picked up the spritz and gave it a little swirl before sipping, appreciating the fruity sweetness that was accompanied by the familiar burn of alcohol on her tongue.

“So, what do you think of my name? How does it compare to yours?”

“Nice try in asking for mine,” he teased. “But I think mine sounds better.”

He grabbed his drink and downed it in a single gulp.

“And you’ll agree because you’ll only be screaming it later.”

———

“S-Shit—Ethan—fuck don’t stop—”

Her hands grabbed onto his hair, pushing his head deeper between her thighs as he slurped continuously. His tongue continued to flick across her folds, drawing juices out of her already sopping heat.

He lifted his face off after an indefinite amount of time passed from him devouring her pussy.

“How's that?” he smirked, running his fingers playfully around her leaking cavern.

“It feels so fucking good…” Jiwon moaned, her body shivering while her lower lips quivered, as if begging for more kisses. Her arms clung on to the pillow underneath her back which Ethan had considerately tucked, but his kindness was all just a ruse, for he was torturing her vocal chords right now.

“That's two things of my checklist,” Ethan said, sticking his tongue forward for a slow tantalising lick, savouring her sweetness that topped peach fucking spritz or whatever. “I told you I’ll have you screaming my name—”

He stuffed his face right in again, pressing her thighs wide apart. He ran his mouth aggressively across her plump folds, flipping and spreading them like pages.

“—and I told you I’m very skilled at flipping pages.”

Park Jiwon, the famous author, was mewling a cacophony of pure unadulterated lust. But right now, he was the author. One with a tongue that was scribbling the autobiography of his pussy-juicing-adventures across her unfurling scroll of so-called purity which she had boasted earlier of still being a virgin.

He wrote a sloppy question against her clit, but all he got was a reply of slurps and squelches from her pussy — which were unironically because of him as well.

Not that he cared.

“Please Ethan—Ethan, don't fucking stop, I’m—”

He treated her like a dripping inkwell, making sure that there was enough juice producing out from within her walls for him to further his studies at getting a doctorate in seismology.

Why seismology?

Because he was learning how her body quakes. P-waves and S-waves sent through the sex planet named Park Jiwon. Ethan once read in a book that P and S meant Primary and Secondary, but he felt that they were distasteful. He much preferred the Pussy-waves, Pornographic-waves, Squirting-waves, and Sloshing-waves vibrating from his relentless tongue, leaving her tremoring and desperate for more seismic activity between her thighs.

Ethan also once read that tsunamis originate from earthquakes. So he worked harder for his first splash of inspiration, his Eureka moment.

Her pussy clamped down on his invading tongue, squishing out a wet squirt of hot gush, blessing him with his first surging crash. Her spread thighs tried to snap shut from the undulating pleasure, but he forced them apart, mouth greedy for every drop produced solely by the spasming muscles of her cunt.

Gibberish.

Okay, maybe there were some coherent words amongst her orgasm mantra, but they were also mostly something along the lines of etha—omagussh—pleas—ethan—donstap—fucmor—ethannn—.

And that was a testament to his skill of favourite-name-conversion.

When Jiwon had finally calmed down to her buzzing standby mode of prime fuckable status, her legs were vibrating in frequencies that could only be heard by Ethan who was preparing his pen for the next chapter.

“How was it?” he asked.

“…Ethan…” Jiwon gasped breathlessly, her lips oozing a drop of blood where she had bitten herself too hard from the ecstatical pleasure. “I can’t… think.”

Ethan hummed in approval and stood up, placing his hands under Jiwon’s arms.

“You don't need to think tonight,” he said, rubbing the soft flesh of her pits gently with his thumbs, before lifting her slightly into a proper sitting position. “I'm the author.”

He pressed his body forward and took hold of his cock, brushing the tip up and down her swollen folds. They both revelled in the tingling pleasure from the contact, pre-shocks sent up their spine as a promise of the euphoric wonders that would rock their minds.

“I may not be the best at writing—”

He pushed in.

“—but I’ll make you become the star of my best audiobook.”

Her languid moan ripped through the air.

He felt her walls stretch and part, engulfing his length with a force that was tighter than snug.

But this audiobook was in 3rd POV, and so the author can't only focus on himself.

Her mind reeled at the initial penetration, feeling him dilate her most precious secret like it was made to be. She felt him push every inch into her core, filling her cunt to the brim with his diamond hard cock that was hotter than magma.

Once they were fully connected in body, soul, and the slit of his pipe to hers, he began to pump.

Retract and crush.

Ethan began fucking his cock into her, thrusting his hips with a ferocity that scared even himself. He didn't know what went into his mind. The woman in front of him was of such a desirable form — respected yet slutty; beautiful yet whorish; charming yet fuckable.

And so he did what her body begged him to do.

She grabbed onto his idle hands and pressed them to her clothes, guiding him to squish her ample yet masked tits. Her mouth rasped and her eyes begged, unleashing never ending babbling requests for him to fill her over and over again.

“Ethan please, fuck me harder. Fuck me until I cum again. And again. And again. I don't want to stop cumming so please don’t stop.”

He took his cock with his hips and hammered into Jiwon, using her to write moans in the air like an inscription of sex and sex only.

It wasn't enough.

He grabbed her blouse with both hands, ripping them apart with animalistic force. Buttons shot out in diverse directions, but his eyes weren't looking at those. They were looking at the black laced bra covering her nipples. Ethan grabbed the ends of her tie and looped it around his fingers several times, gathering the lengthy fabric as he reeled Jiwon’s tits up towards his mouth.

“Look at me, Jiwon.”

He grabbed her bra with his other free hand and yanked it down, exposing the dark flush that had already bloomed across her areola as her nipples stood top. With a firm squish, he kneaded her breast with his hand, groping it with tenderising force as he kept fucking her. He treated her soft mounds like a stress ball, squeezing as he latched his lips onto hers, kissing her torridly.

“Ethan—fuck, I’m gonna cum,” Jiwon squealed into his mouth, her eyes rolling upwards as he destroyed both her lips. An unfading pressure was building within her, and she ground her hips against him, trying her best to reach the peak.

And she shattered.

Ethan kept slamming into her as she came, feeling her hot juices gush all over his cock. Every pull out released a trickle of liquid, and every plunge pushed her cum out with a squelch. She moaned and thrashed like she was having a seizure, and Ethan pressed down on her body hard, holding her in place as she shook uncontrollably.

The moment her orgasm waned, Ethan pulled out and grabbed her waist, flipping her onto all fours. He ran his hands around her supple butt that was raised high, miniskirt bunched around her waist. Climbing onto the bed, he positioned his angry and throbbing cock behind her, filling her in a single go.

Jiwon moaned loud, her fingers digging into the soft mattress of the hotel’s bed. He leaned forward and pressed his chest onto her back, whispering into her ears.

“I’m going to shake your world.”

He reached for her tie again and held it before straightening himself once more. With a tug, he yanked her upwards like a leashed dog. Even if she wasn't, he fucked her like one. He fucked her pussy like an animal perched on her limbs, and she was just there, taking his cock like she needed it with her life.

Her airway was strangled until she had barely enough space for air to wheeze through, keeping her on the edge of consciousness.

Gone was his rationality.

He grunted in the pleasure of her constricting tightness, letting go of the leash and gripping her ass cheeks. He squeezed the flesh tightly and bounced them up and down, pumping her pussy onto his cock.

She was insane.

Her pussy wrenched his shaft, milking him for all his worth and more, desperate to claim every single drop of his impending cum. He groaned as his hips jerked uncontrollably, pistoning into her without stop.

Jiwon came again.

Sticky, warm juices trickled down her thighs as her pussy convulsed, squeezing so hard that she forced Ethan’s cock out. She kept clenching without stop, expelling a shower of her juices that sprayed onto the sheets like rain.

Ethan didn't care even as Jiwon’s blabbered. He stood up onto the bed and grabbed her hips, pulling her them up. Guiding her forward, he walked her towards the bed’s headboard, pressing her upper torso downwards. With her legs still shaking, he plunged back into her as she stood, fucking into her wanton pussy as her hands scrambled onto any viable support for her fading sanity.

He kept pounding his cock in and out of her, filling both her and the room with nothing but the sounds of her moans, his grunts, the clapping sounds of skin on skin, and the unending sloshing and squelching coming from her pussy.

“Ethan, Ethan, I’m going crazy please, please make me insane—please crush my sanity, my pussy, my everything—”

He answered by lifting one of her legs, placing them on his shoulder. Her legs were spread into a perfect split along the length of his body, giving him full access to every detail of her sopping snatch. He learned every pleasurable rib and bump of her velvety walls as he hammered into her, thrusting hard with quake inducing slams that sent her hands scrambling at anything she could grab.

The wall.

She painted the wall of the hotel room with her sex juices, each sudden jerk of her body from his thrusts smearing handprints that made an art piece that was worthy to be called cute.

“Looks like you're talented to be an artist too,” Ethan grunted, feeling his impending orgasm approaching. He pounded her forward, pushing her towards the wall with every slam. Within five or so claps, her body was pressed flat against the wall, tits squished and pussy smushed.

“Fuck, Ethan—I’m gonna cum again, please, please, please—Ethan please, Ethan—”

“Inside or outside.”

“I don't know—fuck I’m so close—”

“Inside.”

He slammed.

“Or.”

He slammed.

“Outside.”

He didn't slam.

He held his cock outside of her, leaving nothing but the tip inside her begging pussy.

“Fuck please,” Jiwon whined at the loss of pleasure. “Inside, inside, just fuck—”

He slammed back in.

He grabbed her wrists and pulled her tight, pumping into her like a jackhammer.

One, two, three—

Jiwon became undone.

She clamped down on his cock as he pounded her through her orgasm, and that too brought him over the edge. Ethan pumped his white hot seed into her walls, flooding her with his own tsunami of pleasure as his cock pulsated without stop. Her pussy milked him without mercy, unrelenting in its desire to claim every drop of seed as its own.

When both their orgasms had died, they had equally died. Figuratively, of course. Jiwon collapsed onto Ethan, trusting him to catch her, which he did, before he too, fell backwards with her in his embrace. Her hair was splayed over his face which he gently gathered it to the side, and they both lay there, panting at the intense love making they just had.

“I hate you.”

“You don't,” Ethan said, pointing at the streaks of sweat and sex juices all over the wall. “That says otherwise.”

“Fuck you.”

“You just did.”

Jiwon broke into a laughing fit, arm covered over her forehead as she gasped to recover her breath.

“Can't believe I just hooked up with one of my fans.”

Ethan grunted, agreeing with what she said.

“And I too, the great audiobook author, can’t believe I fucked my idol.”

He groaned slightly as Jiwon shifted her thighs, trapping his spent cock around between her thighs, coating it with his cum that was leaking out of her filled cunt.

“The night is still young, self-proclaimed author,” she cooed, turning her to face him. She pressed her nose into his neck, breathing in the praiseworthy effort he gave in tenderising her cunt earlier.

Feeling the warm grip of her thighs and her greed for more, his cock twitched in response, swelling under the thought of getting more of her delicious body. He wrapped his fingers around the contours of her breasts, stimulating the nerves in her.

Already semi-hard, Jiwon grabbed his cock and slid it into her creamed pussy. She propped herself up on both hands, lifting her back off Ethan’s chest, before she began to rotate her hips, grinding herself on him.

Coupled with her moans, Ethan grew impossibly hard inside her pussy, and he gripped her waist tight, digging his fingers in. He raised her body like a trophy and crashed her down on his cock with a hard slam.

Ethan began writing chapter 3, pounding her through the night.

———

“I like you, Jiwon,” Ethan said, sharing a cup of coffee with her at the café at the hotel’s ground level.

“I know, you're one of my fans—”

“Not in that way. I like you as a potential partner.”

“I also know that,” Jiwon said, slicing a piece of hash brown into bite size. “But I don't think we're suited for each other.”

“What makes you say that?” Ethan asked.

“Well, for one, we both live miles apart,” Jiwon explained, humming softly as she tried to think of more excuses. “And I think with my job as an author, I wouldn't make a good partner.”

“Don't you think us meeting is because of fate?” Ethan asked.

“Fate, huh?” Jiwon chuckled, finishing up her breakfast. “I don’t really believe in it. Shouldn't you know me by now? None of the works I write are fantastical.”

“Really? I would seem to remember you lamenting about how you would never find someone who was at least intriguing enough, and also good-looking, hot, charismatic, and all that would ever wanted, which is why you remained a virgin until last night.”

Jiwon rolled her eyes and gulped her ice americano.

“Correction,” she said. “You sweet talked me.”

Ethan gave her a ‘you're seriously saying that?’ look.

“You do realise that what you have said meant the same as what I said right?”

“No? You implied my words,” Jiwon said, before giving a brief ponder. “Wait. I did mean that… Then I’ll change my statement and claim that I was tipsy from the alcohol and was not right in the head.”

Ethan leaned forward and stuck out his tongue, licking his lips in a provocative manner.

“You literally only drank two sips of a low-alcoholic drink. Plus, you were the one who begged me to show you what I can do. Come on Jiwon, give us a chance?”

“Maybe,” she said. “Anyway, I have to leave. My flight is in three hours. I’ll have to head to the airport.”

Jiwon stood up and grabbed her suitcase, waiting for Ethan before they left the café. They walked down the street and he tried to help her flag for a taxi.

“You're really not even going to leave me a number or anything?” Ethan asked.

Jiwon set her bag on top of her luggage and looked at him.

“Do you really not find me the least bit attractive or desirable enough to qualify as a potential relationship candidate?”

“I do, but I don't want to jeopardise my career or anything.”

She looked at him again, her eyes softening for a moment as she thought about the amazing time she had last night.

“I’ll give you a chance then,” Jiwon said. “Ask me a single question, and I’ll determine what to do.”

“You have ten seconds,” she said, and without waiting for his acknowledgement, she began counting down. “Ten.”

Ethan looked at her, a million thoughts running through his mind as he picked for the right question to ask.

“Two.”

“One and a half. One and one quarter. Are you not going to ask? Otherwise I'm going to—”

“Are you from Busan?”

She looked at him with narrowed eyes.

“You stalked me?”

“What? No! I came from Busan, that's why,” Ethan tried to explain. “If you’re from Busan too, then we're closer than expected. I flew all the way out here for your fan sign, won a lucky draw to have a dinner date with you, drank with you, fucked you, ate breakfast with you, and even have the same hometown as you. If that isn't fate, what is?”

“You really trust fate, huh?”

“C'mon please Jiwon. I really like you and I want to have a chance with you.”

“I have to go,” she said, the taxi which she had flagged coming to a stop beside her.

“Jiwon. One chance.”

“Then let's do it this way.”

She gestured for the taxi driver to wait for a minute and reached into her bag. She took out a book and passed it to Ethan.

Ethan took it from her, confused, but a permanent marker was stuffed into his hand. The philosophical book was exactly like he remembered — entirely white with the title Overmorrow printed in red Trajan font in the centre, and nothing else except for her name written in the same font at the bottom.

“Write down your exact address at the back of the book.”

He gave her a puzzled look, asking why, but he opened the book and did it anyway, thinking that she wanted his address. When he’s done, he gave it back to Jiwon.

She scribbled something on the same page as where Ethan wrote something and showed it to him.

“Let's put that trust in fate of yours to the test,” Jiwon said. “I’ve written my address here as well. Plus, I've drawn a heart shape.”

She snapped the book shut before he could catch a glimpse of her personal information. She took the marker and drew exaggerated arcs across the white cover, signing her autograph on it.

Then she opened the taxi’s door and carried her suitcase into the back seat before getting in herself. She leaned forward and passed the book to the driver.

“Sorry for the wait mister. Here's something to make up for your lost time.”

He took the book from her, confused and irritated, but as her saw her face, his expression turned into a surprised one.

“Aren't you that woman I saw on television yesterday? That Pak Jeewan or what?”

“Park Jiwon,” she chuckled. “That book is one of my best sellers. You can sell it at a second hand shop. It has my autograph as well, so you can get quite a high price for it.”

When she said that, he turned excited and stuffed the book into the empty compartment on his door without second thought.

“That'll work. Where to, miss?”

“Give me one more minute.”

“Sure, sure,” the driver said, his attitude a total opposite from seconds ago. “Take as long as you want.”

Jiwon poked her head out of car’s window that was wound down and poked her head out.

“Try and look for that book after this mister sells it. If you really believe in our entwined fates, then you should be able to find it.”

Ethan opened his mouth to protest, but Jiwon gave him an apologetic smile, before turning back to the driver.

“Incheon Airport please. Terminal 1.”

She wound up the window and the taxi roared to life, driving off and leaving Ethan behind in the dust.

He stood there, looking at the tire marks left on the asphalt, watching them as if they were the last clue to her whereabouts.

———

“Bro, you available for dinner tonight?”

Ethan didn't even look up from his computer, eyes hyper focused on the topology of the two converging plates that he was analysing.

“Not really. I have plans.”

“You can't lie to me, you douchebag,” his colleague said. “You’ve been rejecting me ever since you’ve attended that stupid fan meet.”

He grabbed on to Ethan’s chair and pulled him off his computer, twirling the chair around till he faced him.

“Look at me. Who am I?”

“Uhh… Trevor?”

“Great. You remember me. Are you going to another stupid bookstore again?”

Ethan gave a small nod.

“I am, and what are you going to do about it?”

“Come on, Ethan,” Trevor dragged his chair over from the side and slumped into it. “What are even the odds of finding that book? There's like what, thousands of secondhand bookstores in Seoul alone. What makes you think you can find the book?”

Trevor sat forward and grabbed the cushion from behind him, throwing it at Ethan. Ethan, who was lost in his thoughts couldn't catch it in time, and he was struck squarely in his chest.

“And you yourself should know that book is super popular. It would be bought the instant the shop opens.”

“I know, but…” Ethan mumbled.

“And what if the taxi driver doesn't even sell it?”

“Trevor.”

“What?”

“Can you not drench me in cold water?”

“Fuck you!” Trevor exclaimed. “I’m trying to get you to your senses! Be realistic, my guy. There are many better women out there.”

“Okay, that's going too far. She's perfect, so don't you diss her.”

“Okay, okay…” Trevor raised his hands in defeat. “But can you please get a life? It's been what, two months, and you've literally spent every night visiting a different bookstore. Even if you don't find it in the first one, what makes you think that the first one you searched doesn't have it the next day when you visit another store?”

“Trevor.”

“What?”

“You yap a lot.”

“Fuck you,” Trevor cursed. “So, drinks tonight? It's Friday night after all.”

Ethan sighed and twirled around in is office chair, spinning himself round and round as he tried to jumbled his already messed up mind, thinking that mixing chaos with chaos would unravel the spaghetti’d thoughts in his head.

“Fine. But I still wanna go to the bookstore. Then I’ll join you for a drink.”

“That's the Ethan I know,” Trevor whistled, standing up with a triumphant pose of victory, as if he was praising the Sun. “You better not give me another stupid excuse later, or I’ll break into your house and steal your coffee machine.”

“That costed five thousand, you lil’ shit,” Ethan grunted, giving Trevor a judgemental stare.

“I don't care. If you're not joining, I'm gonna send the video of how you vomited all over the floor when you got drun—”

“Okay okay, sheesh. I got it. I’m not going to escape when 6 p.m. strikes and I’m going to sit here and wait for you to fetch me.”

“Don't be an asshole, Ethan,” Trevor rolled his eyes. “It’s 6 in like two minutes.”

“Which is why I said that. I’m driving my point that I'm not gonna go back on my words, idiot. C'mon, let's go.”

———

“Miss Park, would you like to introduce your book the audience?”

Jiwon took the microphone from the small table beside her. She was sitting on a beanbag that was placed slightly off centre on the mini stage erected in the middle of a shopping complex. She looked at the interviewer and raised the mic, giving it a small hum before speaking.

“Of course, first of all, I would like to thank you for inviting me here, as well as all of you lovely readers and fans of mine that have made the effort to attend this session.”

She took the white book that was resting on her thighs and propped it up on her knees, holding it out for the audience to see.

“I am the author of the book Overmorrow, and this book is a collection of philosophical essays and short stories that explores humanity’s habit beyond postponing.”

The interviewer listened attentively, asking Jiwon questions that engaged both her and the audiences.

“What do you mean by beyond postponing? Perhaps you may want to explain why you chose the title for your book?”

Jiwon smiled and nodded, eyes lit up in excitement as she quipped her answer.

“I would assume that everyone is familiar with the word tomorrow. It's something that we always use in many, many different situations, like when we don't have time to do the laundry after a long day at work, so we tell ourselves that we'll do it tomorrow. Some people call it procrastination, but I would like to call it self-care and purposeful time management. No one is exempted from that, not even me, of course. Even I would sometimes tell myself to leave eaten cup noodles with soup left in them on the table, saying that I’ll throw them tomorrow.”

She gave a brief pause.

“Until the day after tomorrow arrives and you discover you've created three new problems.”

Soft laughter bursted from the people seated below the stage, their own version of tomorrows appearing in their heads.

“However, my book is about overmorrow. It's not a commonly used word, but I’m sure many of you are familiar with it's meaning.”

“It means the day after tomorrow, right?” The interviewer asked with a smile. “I did my research, by reading the book, of course.”

Jiwon giggled bubbly.

“Thank you for your support,” Jiwon said, offering a small exaggerated half bow. “That’s right, overmorrow means the day after tomorrow. The book I’ve written explores many different scenarios and reasons as to why we push things to the next day, but it heavily focuses on how it affects the day after. It can be a direct effect, for instance, using the laundry example earlier, if I push the washing of clothes to tomorrow, what are the chances of that laundry not being done and the pile of dirty linen growing larger and larger? I would say it’s at least 90%.”

Small nods and hums of agreement sounded throughout the audience.

“But there are also indirect and unconscious effects, for example, future sight or precognition,” Jiwon said, raising two of her fingers on each of her hands and curling them down quickly as she spoke the last three keywords.

“Future sight and precognition?” the interviewer questioned quizzically.

“Well not exactly that. It's moreso on when you push something to tomorrow, you tend to unconsciously think about what comes the day after, be it planning, or anticipation,” Jiwon explained. “So in a sense, you gain the ability to see what happens in the future. Perhaps directing your own life would be a more accurate representation.”

“Hmm, it's sort of like manipulating fate, right?” the interviewer asked.

Jiwon’s face froze for a moment.

“Fate… W-well you could put it that way.”

She quickly composed herself and continued on with the interview, but her mind kept wandering off to the word fate.

When the public interview event ended, Jiwon was sitting in a café nearby, drinking a cup of iced americano. She was somehow having the same thing as what she ate that morning after she met him, slicing a hash brown into bite size.

Her eyes drifted to the stack of ten or so books on the table in front of her plate. They were all white with her name and Overmorrow printed in the same red trajan font, but they were un-autographed. She finished up her breakfast and pushed the plate aside, dragging the stack of books towards herself.

She took the one on top, placing it right in front of her. A marker already in her hand, she weaved her hand across the cover, painting the mark of her presence on the book.

The first one was done.

She repeated the same motions eight more times, before she settled on the last book.

She signed it. Done. Retrieving a empty tote bag from her bag, she packed the signed books in, stacking them carefully. They were all meant to be gifts for her close friends which she would be meeting later.

She took the last book.

But before she placed it in the bag, she opened it, turning to the familiar page. Familiar in the sense that it was where she had written her address below Ethan’s and drew a heart.

The same Ethan who she had met four months ago.

She closed it and packed it all up.

She took her phone and unlocked it, scrolling through the list of contacts she had saved.

Taxi Driver Uncle

She had gotten his number before she alighted the taxi for her flight that fated morning.

Her thumb hovered over the call button, inching towards it.

Then she lifted it and closed everything, pocketing her phone after locking it.

Maybe tomorrow.

———

“Have you even read the book?” Sophia asked.

“Is that even a question?” Ethan said, walking into the library.

“How would I know? I mean, I know you're a huge fan of the author, but I didn't know you were that big of a fan.”

“I like her.”

“Like as a person, or as a writer?”

“As a lover.”

“Crazy bastard.”

Ethan stopped in his steps and turned to look at Sophia.

“Look, if you're not going to help, I would much prefer if you left. I've been doing this for close to a year already, and I am not going to stop.”

He huffed in irritation and walked away, heading to the library’s search terminal. Sophia groaned in defeat and clambered after him, spewing an unending amount of half-baked apologies mixed with motivational quotes hoping that he would wake up from his delusion.

“Damn… five out of six copies borrowed?” Sophia said, peering at the monitor as Ethan searched. “How the hell is the book so popular?”

“Did you think I would choose any random person for my partner?”

“I mean, yes? What would she even see in you? The only thing good about you is that you are smart, and you earn a lot.”

“That sounds plural to me, Miss Sophia,” Ethan said, walking towards the section where the last of six books were shelved.

“Oh come on, do you have to flex your intelligence?”

“It's called being factual.”

Ethan turned into a corner and looked for the shelf labelled with initials starting with Jiwon’s name. He found it instantly. It was intuitive to him at this point. After all, looking for the book had been his daily ritual ever since he watched the taxi drive off.

He pulled it out.

His heart dropped. The cover was unsigned, but he still flipped the book open, hoping that what he was looking for would magically be there. However, the book was clean. Well, not ‘clean’ in the sense where it was spotless. It had a surprising amount of writing and notes scribbled throughout the entire book, and it showed that the previous owner had read and analysed the book thoroughly before donating it to the library.

“How’s it?”

Ethan shook his head.

“Is the book really that good?” Sophia asked.

“It is,” Ethan said. “There's a reason why it's my favourite after all. I really liked how she wrote about how our lives are predetermined by our own actions to a certain extent, and how minute things such as telling someone a simple ‘wait’ can deeply affect our future.”

“I did not understand any of that.”

“Then perhaps you should give the book a try? It's written in a way where it’s a collection of short stories that are no longer than five pages each, and each one is easily understandable since they're framed to be very relatable.”

Sophia looked at Ethan, giving him an incredulous look.

“What?” Ethan asked.

“You have got to be kidding me,” Sophia said, turning to press her head on the bookshelf’s wood. “I was tasked by Trevor to follow and convince you to stop thinking about her, but somehow I am the one being convinced right now.”

Ethan shrugged and handed Sophia the book, stuffing it into her hand.

“Read it. Trust me.”

He turned and walked off.

Sophia sighed and ran after him, but in her hands were now Overmorrow.

“Where to now?” she called out to Ethan.

“There's… three more libraries I want to visit for today,” Ethan replied. “You still coming with me?”

“Of course! But let me borrow this first, okay?”

“Sure.”

Ethan followed her to the loaning terminal and watched her as she placed the white book on the sensor. The screen lit up and the small picture of the book along with its titled appeared.

His mind wandered.

He wondered if it was truly considered fate if he was actively searching for the book. He thought if he should stop looking for it and hope to coincidentally find the book one day.

Maybe tomorrow.

———

“I’ll get a martini, you?”

She fiddled with her marker in her hand, twirling it around her thumb.

“Hey.”

She twirled the marker another round. And another.

“Jiwon!”

The marker fell out of her grip, dropping onto the bar’s countertop with a soft clatter.

“Yea. Peach spritz, please. Thank you.”

“What's on your mind? I’ve barely gotten the chance to meet you and now that you’ve finally squeezed some time, you're ignoring me, the one who you claim to be your best friend?”

Jiwon looked at her and gave an awkward apologetic half-smile.

“I’m sorry.”

“Woah, woah, woah. Hold up. The famous Park Jiwon is apologising to me?”

“Lauren. Please.”

Jiwon rolled her eyes and picked up the marker again. This time, she played with the cap, soft clicks filling the air as she opened and closed the marker without stop.

“So, have you started on your next book?” Lauren asked, before thanking the bartender who slid a glass of martini to her.

“Not yet, I’m stuck,” Jiwon said. “I don't have any inspirations these days.”

She pulled her glass of peach spritz and gave it a little swirl, bringing it up to her nose. She gave it a little whiff and placed her luscious lips on the glass’s edge, giving it a sip.

“Huh…” Lauren hummed, giving Jiwon a judgemental look. “You’ve never faced this issue before. Whatever has happened to my cute and bubbly Jiwon?”

“I don't know,” Jiwon said. “It's just, I don't feel excited about anything anymore. It's like something's missing.”

“Missing? In what way?”

Jiwon picked up her marker again, playing with the cap once again. She opened and closed the marker as time passed, making the clicks sound faster and faster, watching the drops of condensation on her glass of spritz flow down, coalescing with other drops into a larger one. Numerous drops streamed down the glass, forming minute vertical rivers before pooling down at the base of the glass.

“I feel… empty.”

Lauren looked at her friend and shook her head, giving her a pat on the shoulder.

“You're still thinking about him, aren't you.”

“What!? No!” Jiwon exclaimed. “I’m just stuck at the brainsto—”

“Park Jiwon,” Lauren said. “I’ve known you ever since we were kids. I basically know you in and out. I even know what kind of lingerie you like to wear, so stop lying to yourself already.”

“Edan or whatever his name is—”

“Ethan,” Jiwon interjected.

“—Right. Ethan. He must have been someone that had struck you so dearly that made you like this. You, my dear friend, are in love with him.”

“…”

Jiwon gave her a beat of silence, before taking another sip of her spritz.

“Do you know, this was his favourite drink as well?”

“Why the hell would I know?” Lauren laughed. “Well, now I know. And I know that you, you are a person who never remembers anything that don't strike an impression, good or bad.”

Lauren rested her cheek on her fist that was propped on the bar counter.

“And your expression tells me that it's not bad. It's good. Maybe even gooder than good. The best. The most charming man you've ever met so far.”

“I know.”

“Then?”

“What do you mean then?”

“Then you’re not going to contact him?”

“I don't have his contact.”

“What do you mean you don't have his contact? You didn't get the number of the man who managed to shake your world?”

Jiwon gave Lauren an awkward laugh and mumbled.

“It’s a long story, but I kinda softlocked myself.”

Lauren gave her a puzzled look.

“Tell me.”

“So basically, the tldr is,” Jiwon said with a sigh. “I got him to write his address on my book, which I wrote mine beside it after that. Then I signed on it, gave it to a taxi driver and asked him to do whatever he wanted with it.”

“Wow,” Lauren whistled. “Why?”

“Honestly? I don't know. You know how my book talks about predetermined fate as something that is predetermined by us?”

“Uh huh?”

“I basically wanted to test fate.”

“You're an idiot. You finally found someone you like, and you decide to do one of your stupid tests.”

“Yeah…”

"Congratulations."

"On what?"

"You've managed to turn a one-night stand into a year-long existential crisis,” Lauren said. “Idiot. Baka. Stupid.”

“Alright, alright!” Jiwon cried. “I'm stupid. Stop scolding me already.”

She looked at her peach spritz.

“I really was an idiot,” she mumbled, taking out her phone, looking at the time.

11.48 p.m.

I’ll call tomorrow.

———

“How do I look?” Ethan asked, adjusting his tie.

“Smart enough,” Trevor said. “C'mon you’re already plenty handsome. What are you trying to do? Charm all the unwed ladies in the wedding hall?”

“Can you not spout bullshit?” Sophia said. “Today is his big day and you're joking around?”

“Can you not be so uptight?” Trevor said, rolling his eyes.

“Uptight? Trevor Kang Sujae! You had better consider your words carefully from now on, or you’ll be sleeping outside tonight.”

Trevor shook his head and sighed, muttering under his breath, before whispering into Ethan’s ear.

“Marriage life can be really scary, y’know. I think you should reevaluate your choices.”

“That's it. You're on the couch tonight”

Ethan left the two to their argument and took his suit jacket from the clothes stand. He swung it around his back and slid his arms in, before fastening the cufflinks around his wrists and knobbing the buttons.

He took a last look in the mirror, appreciating how smart he looked.

He was ready.

———

People rarely postpone what they do not care about. We postpone only the things that matter enough to frighten us. — Overmorrow, Chapter 7

Bzzzzz.

“Hi.”

“Who is this on the line?”

“Is this taxi driver uncle?”

“Yes? I mean, I’m a taxi driver, but do I know you?”

“Err… it's kinda hard to say.”

“Are you a scam caller?”

“Wait, what?! No! I’m Park Jiwon, you know, the author of Overmorrow?”

“Pak Jeewan? I don't know any Pak Jeewan. You're a scammer. I’m hanging—”

“No!!! Wait! You remember the book I gave you? The white one?” “Please don't hang up, please?”

“Heh, I’m joking with you.”“So… you're looking for the book?”

“Yeah. You still have it?”

“I have it.”

“Goodby—wait, you have it?”

“Well I mean, I sold it, but I did copy down what you idiots wrote on a notepad, because I knew you would call me one day.”“You asked me for my number after all.”“Here I thought that my old ass was charming enough to have a beautiful lady like you to be interested in me, but it turns out I was just a convenient storage box.”

“Uncle! Really?! You have it?!”

“Yes, yes. I’ll give it to you now.”“You young people are sometimes so stupid. Love is such a fleeting thing, and how could you have thrown away such an fateful encounter?”

“Thankyousomuchidontevenknowwhattosay—” “Oh, uncle.”

“Yes?”

“My name is Park Jiwon, not Pak Jeewan.”

“I’m hanging up.”

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! Please don't hang up!”

Jiwon looked at the paper in her hands. She could barely stabilise her own trembling, and the paper shook as she looked at it.

Ethan lived just a district away away from her.

How have I not met him before? He was so close, yet so far…

She grabbed her bag and ran out of the in nothing but her pajamas and a pair of flip flops, calling for a cab. Reading the address to the taxi driver in a firm voice that carried a subtle excitement, the vehicle zoomed off.

She looked at the book in her bag. It wasn't the one where they had written their addresses in, but she hoped that it would be their point of connection from now onwards.

Fate or whatever, I'm going to weave my own fate.

The taxi drove off. She looked up at the apartment complex and entered the building, heading up to the eleventh floor.

“11-03… 11-04… 11-05… here it is.”

She pressed the doorbell.

No response.

She pressed it again.

The black mahogany door remained still.

She pressed it over and over again, spamming the doorbell like her life depended on it.

“Young miss, what are you doing?” An old woman said, coming out from the unit beside Ethan’s. “If you're looking for Ethan, he had already left early in the wee hours of the morning.”

“Where did he go?” Jiwon asked. “I’m his friend.”

“Huh? Then you should hurry. He's already at the wedding.”

“W-Wedding?” Jiwon asked, her heart dropping to the centre of the Earth upon hearing the word. “Where is it?”

“At the nearby church. You should hurry if you don't want to miss him.”

Jiwon turned her head and ran, not even bothering to offer her thanks to the elderly woman.

“Young people these days…” the old woman sighed and shook her head, heading back into her house.

“Fuck!” Jiwon cursed, flagging for another taxi. “He's getting married?! Fuck fuck fuck! I shouldn't have done such a stupid thing.”

A taxi arrived and stopped, and she got inside in a flash, slamming the door shut. Muttering the address of the church and saying that she needed to get there as quick as possible, the taxi driver slammed his foot on the accelerator and the vehicle blasted off.

“Should I go? What do I even do if I see him? He's getting married today… fuck it. I’ll just show up. The goalpost is still wide open until the marriage ends.”

She arrived at the church in less than five minutes and rushed into the building.

The place was already mostly empty.

Most guests had left, and what remained were staff clearing flowers that had scattered all over the floor. Someone else was carrying a wedding portrait away.

Jiwon looked around desperately, trying to find any trace of him, but there was nothing.

“I was too late…” she mumbled, tears welling up in her eyes. “I wasn't late today. I was late for the past two years.”

She crouched down and started crying.

“Why was I such an idiot…”

Tears flowed without stop as sobs broke out of her heart uncontrollably.

“Trevor! Wait for me!”

Jiwon’s ears pricked up.

Her head snapped upwards and looked at the man that had just walked past her.

“Ethan?”

“Yes?”

He turned around and looked at the woman crying on the ground.

“Jiwon?”

They both froze at their spots, looking at each other.

“Ethan, is that really you?”

He knelt down and looked at her.

“Jiwon. I can't believe it's you.”

“Y-yeah,” Jiwon said between sniffles. “Congratulations, by the way.”

“What for? Why are you even here anyway?”

“Isn't it your wedding?”

“What? No?! This is one of my best friend's wedding. I’m just here as a best man. You haven't answered me, why are you even here?”

Jiwon just looked at him blankly, crying even louder. Then—

She lurched forward and lunged into his arms.

“I missed you.”

Trevor looked at the two from the side, shaking his head with a warm smile.

“I missed you too. I never stopped looking, you know?”

Jiwon dug her face into his chest and sobbed softly.

“And I never stopped thinking about you. I was dumb and stupid back then.”

“It doesn't matter,” Ethan said. “We found each other.”

Ethan helped her up, walking to a bench outside the church. Trevor waved him off and gave a thumbs up, before walking away with Sophia.

Jiwon pushed herself away from Ethan and looked at him with her glassy eyes.

“You know when you asked me for my name when we had our spritz drinks in the bar?”

“I never forgot.”

“I have another name. Megan.”

“That's a pretty name for a lady as pretty as you, even if you're ugly crying.”

She slapped him lightly on his shoulder.

“You're still such a charmer,” she laughed.

“I’ve never stopped looking, you know? Secondhand bookstores, libraries, friends, acquaintances. I kept looking around, revisiting each and every shop and place, hoping that I would find the book one day.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Apology accepted.”

“So…”

“Hmm?” Ethan raised his eyebrows.

“What do you think of both my names? How does it compare to yours?”

“Are you seriously asking me that?”

“Yes. I’m going to change your favourite name.”

She grabbed on to his face and pressed her lips forward, capturing his in a desperate, greedy kiss. After long seconds, she pulled off and pressed her forehead to his, whispering hotly into his lips.