#nalanie

Nalanie sighed for the nth time, her pencil spinning on her right hand. She crumpled yet another paper on the other. She sighed, yet again, as she saw the mess under her table. Used paper were everywhere. She can't seem to focus on her school project for this semester.

"Ah!" She grunted, hitting the desk with her bare hands. That must've hurt. "I should go and breathe some fresh air." She mumbled to herself.

After buying four cans of beer from a nearby convenience store, Nalanie went her way to the rooftop of their dorm.

"Ah! That's refreshing!" She exclaimed after taking her first sip. "This is it! This is why I love beer." She laughed at her own statement. Nalanie heaved another sigh out of frustration. She walked towards the end of the rooftop and looked at the busy people below.

She watched them pass by, their strings getting entangled to each other. Nalanie smiles when she sees two connected people together and does the opposite when she spots a couple who are not meant for each other. She sighed again, by the thought of her being connected to someone too. "I'm already 20 and I don't seem to have met my fate." Nalanie yawned. She opened her phone to check the time. 2:47 AM. "Oh my gosh! When did it get so late?!" She yelled.

She immediately took the empty cans on the rooftop floor then ran to the stairs. To her good surprise, she bumped into a guy in a hoodie. She apologized for the small accident but in return, the guy told her this, "You don't need to look for yourself."

Her eyebrows furrowed but as soon as she remembered it was late, she ignored what he said and rushed to her room. She panted as she locked her door and there she remembered what the guy said.

"You don't need to look for yourself."

Nalanie unconsciously dragged herself in front of her full length mirror. She saw herself and her strings — how the end is tied around her right little pinky and the other end is on her left pinky finger.

She really doesn't need to find herself.

(Fate #2: Nalanie is tied to herself.)

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Nalanie smiled as the hot summer breeze welcomed her to her beloved country, South Korea. She happily pulled her carrier and exited the airport. The 20-year-old lady hailed a cab and went her way to the busy streets of Itaewon.

She stepped out of the car in front of a small pub, her shiny leather ankle boots letting out a sturdy sound. The stones of her leather jacket shone as it reflected the ray of the sun; the white lacy dress beneath it playing with the wind.

"Nara-yah!" The pub's door opened and a guy in his early 20s came out with a bright smile. Nalanie was glad to see him too. She ran to him, her arms wide open. They hugged one another and patted one's back.

After hugging each other to their hearts' extent and saying countless "I miss you"s, Nalanie started to look around the place.

"It still haven't changed. My strings are still all over the pub. I must really love it here." Nalanie said with a certain smile on her face. It was warm and shouted comfort. Her eyes twinkled and they surely looked beautiful.

"Of course. I'm here so you'll always love it." Jihoon, the guy from earlier said as if it was a matter of fact and it made Nalanie let out a soft giggle.

"I don't see my string around you, though." She joked. Jihoon's smiling face was gone in an instant and he's now showing her his pout. He looks cute, I must say but pretty funny too.

"That was a joke." She reasoned out. Nalanie laughed again. She started to walk around Jihoon in circles. "I'm following my strings around you, Hoon-ah." She spoke, still going around him. She stopped, "Ah! I'll get dizzy at this rate. My fate's all over you!" She fake-complained.

Jihoon pursed a smile and put his arm on Nara's shoulder. "Nara-yah, I don't know when to believe you." He chuckled.

Nara's smile faded. It is true that her fate is entangled with Jihoon's but they aren't connected.

"It'll be great if I could see the red strings of fate too." Jihoon voiced out his wishful thinking. Nalanie chuckled. She rested her head on the older's shoulder. "It's not good at all. I always worry that I might trip on them and ruin someone's lovelife." She complained in a funny way that made them both laugh.

It was in the middle of the night when Nalanie kicked her blankets and hopped off her bed. If her string does not end up with Jihoon, then where?

"I have to find out."

Nalanie rushed out of the house, only grabbing a pink cardigan knitted by her mother when she was younger. It's good that the night's not that cold since it's summer.

Her Chucks made a dragging noise as she did drag her feet on the concrete. There's a lot of things in Itaewon that she seemed to like and is entangled to her fate. She suddenly felt lost. She's been running around this late at night and it's like leading her nowhere.

The young lady almost jumped in shock when an ambulance stopped right in front of her. "Please move away!" Someone shouted. Nalanie came back to her senses then, finding out that she ended up in front of a hospital.

The ambulance's door opened and a guy on a stretcher was assisted by lots of hospital personnels. Nalanie could not take a good look on him because the crowd suddenly blocked her way of sight. There's only one thing she's sure of.

Her string was connected to him. Not just entangled... but connected.

Without further thinking, Nalanie ran, following them into the hospital. The chase led her in front of a surgery room. Her knees felt weak in a split second and there she was, crying miserably on the floor. She definitely did not know him but there are feelings that you are meant to feel when you meet a certain someone.

Almost four hours have passed when a surgeon came out of the room. Nalanie was able to stand up because of reflex. "The surgery went well."

The tears that seemed to stop a while ago started running down on her face again. Her knees felt as weak as it was earlier. She feel grateful and happy.

"We will be transferring him in his room shortly."

Nalanie watched him outside of his room as he was resting peacefully. She can't help but to smile. He looked so serene; so perfect. Just her style. She's dying to see his smile too. Now that she found him, what should she do?

Nalanie didn't hesitate to slide the door open and ran to him when he lifted a finger. "Hey, do you hear me?" She asked him, holding his right hand. She took a glance on his name tag that's on the end of the bed. "Hyunwoo-ssi? Are you awake?" She asked once more.

Nalanie thought she was mistaken when she saw him smile but she knew he was awake when the hand she was holding squeezed hers. There again her tears cascaded down her pale face.

"Nara..." Hyunwoo mumbled as he slowly opened his eyes. Nalanie's eyes widened in surprise. "You know me?" She asked him with confusion. He nodded in response. Nara's tears were non-stop. "How?" She sobbed. "No, no. That doesn't matter. Do you feel okay? Wait for me, I'll call the doctor." Nalanie stood up to go but Hyunwoo didn't let go of her hand.

He pulled her with all the strength he has left and wrapped his weak arm around her. "Let's stay like this for a while." He softly said. Nalanie couldn't do anything but to rest her chin on his shoulder and hug him with her free hand.

"Nalanie, help me sit." He said, finally letting go of her hand. Nalanie quickly stood up and did what he asked. He smiled at her, a faint one.  He patted the spot next to him, telling her to sit. Nalanie did what she was told.

"I never thought I would be able to call your name like I'm doing right now. Nara-yah..." He trailed off. Hyunwoo grabbed Nalanie's hand again. "This too. Who would've thought I will be  holding this right now?" He chuckled and laid his head on Nara's shoulder. "I'll never let go of your hand." He said, his voice weaker.

Nalanie's sobs resurfaced when she felt Hyunwoo's head on her shoulder begin to weigh heavier and his hold on her hand loosened.

The next think she saw were doctors dancing in and a flat line on his heart monitor.

How can they take him away when they just met?

(Fate #1: Nalanie is tied to someone dead.)

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