Jihyo x F Reader- “Rewind”
Before I start, I want to reiterate the announcement I made regarding this one-shot in case any of you haven't saw yet.
This one may also be read by male readers (but only if you want to), especially the climax itself because of a very important detail that I'm about to reveal there. So, if you're a male reader reading this right now then good for you because you won't be missing this one but brace yourself for what's about to happen.
You might be asking why I couldn't just make it into both Male and Female reader featured? Nope. This one is primarily about Jihyo and... just find out why I wanted male readers to read this as well.
Lastly, this one is inspired by one of my favorite episodes from one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe shows, "What If...? EPISODE 4 - What If... Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead Of His Hands?", so yeah, this fanfic is going to be weird, tragic (?) and mindblowing; I'm just hoping that my writing does justice, so please understand as I'm doing my best to pull this one off... again.
Have fun reading! 😉
"The power of the time... in the palm of my hands."
Jihyo gazes admiringly at the work of art in front of her.
A wide grin, a face splashed with many flashing lights from the astonishing invention shown next to her, and sparkling eyes, not from the lights but from the achievement she gained after going so far to make this happen.
Two years was worth it.
Now, the history is about to welcome another remarkable change thanks to the very successful and renowned scientist Park Jihyo.
The creator of the Project Rewind, with its sole purpose is to have Jihyo attempt erasing something impossible out of the book.
And specifically speaking, it's none other than the concept of time travelling.
"This is incredible feat of evolution, Miss Park. You're going down in history because of this.", her lab partner and fellow scientist; apparently in the lower level than her named Lisa compliments her game-changing mentor.
"Indeed I am.", Jihyo said before her beaming smile flickered into shutting its brightness off.
"...but I'm not concerned of any of that.", she looked at Lisa who captured her eyes in response.
"In fact, I didn't care about the acknowledgement and appreciation I'll be getting once this gets released in the public.", Jihyo sighed.
"Then what inspired you to build this?", Lisa curiously inquired.
Jihyo released another huge puff of breath to the air before grabbing her IPhone laying down on the cold steel long table.
She opened it, and the very first thing her eyes catched was the image of a person she holds dearly in her heart no one could outlimit that.
She gulped, opening her home screen and poking the app that directed her to the message list. The first one that was left unread was not like that no more as she decided to peek the content of it.
"Jihyo-ssi! See you there at my wedding okay? xoxo"
Sent
Jihyo stared at it for a few seconds, her heart clenching at what she had just done, not only because she hadn't given it a thought, but because she had acted on the decision formed in her mind just days after receiving the invitation from her friend with whom she had secretly developed a deep loving fondness.
"I wasn't going to show up at the lab today, Lisa, not even you."
"Wait, Miss Park?"
Jihyo handed her phone to Lisa so she could look at it. She just wants to cut the explanation short since it would pain her so much if it would last longer.
Lisa glanced back at Jihyo with a mixed of confusion and disbelief.
"You're... invited on her wedding?"
Jihyo only nodded.
"And you didn't came?"
Jihyo lowered her head in guilt.
"I can't, even if I want to."
"Why?"
"She's my love and life, and I... couldn't simply stand seeing her exchange vows with someone that wasn't me."
Lisa frowned at that information. She immediately felt pity for her friend and mentor now that she knew that whenever she enters this place and meets her again everyday to assist her on completing this project, she wasn't okay at all which she was hiding it at all time for them to keep their attention still on the construction of the machine.
"I know she won't like what I did, but for once I wanted to be selfish. Mind more than heart."
Jihyo fixated her eyes back at her time machine, confidence and motivated oozing from her aura as the image of the reason behind the making of the plan she was constructing appeared inside her head.
"And now... all I can think of to escape this reality I'm facing into is through this."
Jihyo pulls out the remote in her pocket and presented it to Lisa.
"What are you implying at, Jihyo-ssi?"
"With this time machine, I could use this to go back to that day where I could've repeat again the mistake I've done.
It's been more than half a decade, and I still wonder what it would look like if I- if I confessed to her on that day," Jihyo said, recalling the precise circumstances that culminated in her unsuccessful effort to confess her love back to YN."
"Maybe I could have heard what she'll going to answer, and if she reciprocated... perhaps I was there at the altar, placing the wedding ring on her finger and kissing her to be my wife."
"I should've gone all in," Jihyo said as a tear spilled from her eye, her breathing going rough and her chest becoming heavy.
Lisa approached her mentor and softly caressed her back to console the distraught woman.
"It's okay, Jihyo-ssi. You don't have to worry about that now, because the solution you're looking for is right here.", Lisa referred to the invention in her sight.
"Does this mean you're going back to that time and try to rewrite what happened?"
"Yeah."
"Oh...", Lisa understood; yet the uneasiness that crawls up in her skin prompted her to ask this again for clarification.
"Not that I'm taking this whole plan of yours differently, Jihyo-ssi but... do you think it'll work?"
Jihyo's head went back and forth, left and right as she switches her gaze to Lisa and the time machine, thinking about the possibility that might occur.
However, those initially ended up for her to not get affected by any of it.
"Only one way to find out."
Jihyo walked through the metal podium and stood in the middle of it. Lisa hurriedly came closer to the unbothered scientist and a blend of nervousness and scared developed within her.
"Be safe, okay? Make sure to return back here.", Lisa reminded.
Jihyo bobbed her head in response. "See you in a minute.", she smirked.
A tensed smile in return from Lisa. She watched Jihyo quite hesitatingly pressed the button in her hand as she stared at it.
"Let my love be known for you, YN."
Jihyo huffed in the air then dug the surface of her thumb at the button before the blue laser from the top struck her head first until she was covered up and vanished away from the light.
(BACK TO THE PAST - 6 YEARS AGO)
Few seconds after, the light returned and disappeared only to leave Jihyo out in a very familiar place that became a part of her memory she hugely regretted the most.
Her entire outfit changed from a scientist to a casual one also, the same attire she used to wore at that given night.
A gloomy environment, albeit visible thanks to the moonlight and stars illuminating the route down a Seoul street.
Jihyo's eyes widened as she realized she had been transported back inside the identical car she had used at the time, with the windows pulled down, waiting for her presence to emerge.
Side glancing outside, she saw the past variant of her love interest and bestfriend YN leave her house wearing a baby blue blouse, a pair of shoes, and a neat ponytail tie.
Jihyo cannot believe what she is having right now. Repeating the moment she was eager for it to be rewritten and mended has finally provided her with an opportunity to make it real.
Down to the every exact detail and just like when this once happened, YN flashed her shy and soft smile seeing Jihyo looking very cool peeking in the window of her car.
"Evening, cool girl.", YN greeted her with that candy so sweet voice.
"Good evening. You look so great tonight, huh.", Jihyo traced her crush's outfit and as always, it didn't fail to have her attracted strongly into the young woman.
"You too. You're just as awesome as what your car is.", she patted the roof before opening the door and enters inside.
"So, where to at?"
"You'll see.", Jihyo looked at YN through the rearview mirror before kicking off the engine to start driving away ahead of their destination.
"Don't screw it up this time..." Jihyo kept on muttering to herself.
While driving, they paused for a while on a road where the streetlight blinked at green light.
Waiting patiently, Jihyo sneakily looked once again at the undoubtedly attractive woman behind her, sitting comfortably while scrolling down on her phone.
She was lost in a trance until YN woke her back up with a sudden question, raising her sight away from the phone thus making Jihyo return her gaze back at the road where the bypassers are still crossing down.
"You've never taken me to go outside with keeping a secret on what shall we going to do, Ji.", YN playfully told her.
"Cmon, is this too special for me to know already?"
"We're almost there, YN. I can't give it to you yet, sorry. Just wait for a little more okay?", Jihyo apologetically said and grinned at YN who is visibly pouting now from the reflection of her in the mirror.
Jihyo felt like her heartbeat skipped when she caught that adorable action that she always loves to see from YN whenever they're together. She missed it a lot, she thought.
"You better make sure this is huge, Ji. The way you hype it gets me really engaged to learn what is it gonna be all about.", YN unsincerely cautioned the driver.
"This is just gonna be our night together, YN. Ofc-"
They are only 10km away from the mall when in an unexpected circumstances, their car got rammed over by a truck heading from another way. It didn't allow Jihyo to completely speak in response.
It collided first on the side where YN is located.
The shattered car rolled and flew through the road from the impact until it stopped, leaving it upside down with all the parts left unforgiven as it completely destroyed due to the crash.
Nevertheless, even in her condition of shock and distress, Jihyo slowly opened her eyes and quickly realized that YN was responding, eyes closed and head bleeding critically.
"W-what... no....", Jihyo murmured as she tried to touch YN again, hoping for a hint of recovery.
She didn't received any, which made her breath heavily to control her tears from bursting out.
"Oh my god, N-no... this can't be happening."
Jihyo pulls out the controller in her pocket again and clicked the button still set on the specific date, restarting everything what happened again.
(BACK TO THE PAST - 6 YEARS AGO) / TAKE 2
Light engulfed her and everything, it worked as she was once again sitting relaxingly on the drivers seat, peeking out on the window as she watches YN slowly walk towards her after exiting the house.
"Evening, cool girl."
"Good evening. You look so great tonight, huh.", Jihyo smiled after greeting her back and also by putting a slight blush over the cheeks of lovely YN.
Minutes later, they were in the middle of the ride when right at the moment that Jihyo took a turn to enter a bridge, she horrifyingly observed that the brakes doesn't cooperate with her.
"Damn it! WHY IS THIS NOT WORKING!", she angrily push and pulled the handle which gained attention from YN herself.
"Jihyo, what's going on?"
"Th-this brake... it won't allow me to-"
And her sentence again got cutted off when they reached the end the bridge that's suppose to provide a turn that will led onto another uphill only for them to unable driving on to it.
Sibce the brake doesn't work, YN and Jihyo both shouted helplessly as the car crashed and smashed onto the railing, diving down through through high cliff and come crashing down along the ground.
Jihyo opened her eyes slowly and once again, she saw YN unconscious and pulse not beating along with a rapidly bleeding head causing her to panic and get afraid.
"No... NO NOT AGAIN!"
Instead of pushing the button to restart the scenario again, she returned back to the present time; changing her clothes once again to her laboratory outfit and meeting Lisa again who was busily writing a report on her desk.
The poor girl got startled when Jihyo quickly arrived back and kneeled on the floor.
She stood up and rushed towards the weakened scientist.
"What happened? Did it work?"
"I-I don't know what did I encountered, Lisa.", Jihyo remained her face hidden from her lowered head. "I haven't got to confess to her yet."
"What happened? Is there something that's stopping you?"
"Yeah!", Jihyo looked back at Lisa with a stressed expression. "The memory is still fresh on me and I'm not mistaken that I only haven't got to confess to her because I decided not to.
B-but... I-I don't know what we just faced earlier became very different. We got into a car accident instead. One was us getting crashed to a truck and the other was us falling on the cliff."
"Then s-she... she both died on those.", Jihyo ran her fingers across the length of her bob cut black hair with watery eyes and a increased heat temperature of her breaths.
"Huh?"
"I don't know, Lisa. It seems like, it doesn't allow me to make it happen." Jihyo shrugged and shook her head.
"What are you going to do now, then? Shall we consider this project-"
"NO! I-....", Jihyo exhaled multiple times before proceeding to continue her words.
"I have to try again. I'll try not to come across into a mess again."
Lisa only nodded to support her mentor but the worries are starting to fill up inside of her, including a thought that this mission of Jihyo could be classified as dangerous.
Jihyo stood up and pressed again the button, returning her back to the past.
(BACK TO THE PAST - 6 YEARS AGO) / TAKE 3
Same car. Same night. Same location. Same love of her life capturing her heart.
"Evening, cool girl."
"G-good evening. You look great tonight."
"Thanks, you too."
She closed the door and sat behind Jihyo who is hoping so bad nothing would screw up her chance this time...
While Jihyo was driving, YN sensed something wrong as she watched the outside of Seoul they're passing through became unfamiliar to her.
"Ji, what road is this? I've never been here before."
"U-uhh... we're just taking another route, Y/NN. Hang on, we're going there okay?", Jihyo assured YN who looked troubled and confused at the same time.
They were about to exit that turn but once again, for the third time... they got involved in another car crash when a lightpost collpased just right in front of a truck that was rolling down on the way too.
It made the driver to zigzag his direction as he tried to recover the balanced control of his driving but it didn't worked as he and your car collided together.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!", Jihyo frantically raged as she saw YN's unresponsive state after the impact.
Pressing the button for the fourth time... fifth time... sixth time and so on until she stopped at the tenth attempt, all of these only resulted negatively for her.
As expected, she encountered other various alternate causes to her unsuccessful confession for YN.
For example, on the 5th try; Jihyo and YN got into an accident which she got placed in a coma and forgot her memories with YN who still died.
6th try, Jihyo received an unlucky emergency when YN's father got stroke.
7th try, YN getting kidnapped by unidentified men right when they are about to left YN's house.
8th try, YN immediately shared that her future wife confessed her feelings to her and she accepted.
9th try, YN suffered from a heart attack.
And in 10th try... all of these scenarios made Jihyo to pull out one last attempt and that is when she never showed up instead on that night only for the consequences though that it will still allow the future wife of Jihyo to confess to her first than her.
Returning back to the present, she got all fours on the floor and sobbed hardly as she banged her fist on the floor weakily.
"Jihyo! What happened now?!", Lisa ran through her and matched the same level as hers to easily access a comforting hug to her.
"Lisa..."
"What is it, Jihyo-ssi?"
"Why... why are these happening to us? A-aren't we allowed to be happy?", Jihyo's messed up mind speaking up to her. Lisa doesn't know what to answer as she has clearly no idea also why is Jihyo all unsuccessful on those several repeats she executed.
That is... until an idea showed up in her head. She knows this won't be too pleasant for Jihyo to know but she has no other choice but to inform this to her, probably might help and raise awareness for the poor secret admirer.
"Jihyo-ssi... it's not that I'm going against with you here but, do you think that this is still worth to continue?"
"Where are you going with this, Lisa?", Jihyo furrowed her eyebrows, teeth gritting in anger.
"H-hear me out first okay?", Lisa tried to calm down the supposedly offended Jihyo. "W-what if... what if the reasons why even after you try to repeat and change the mistake you've done on that night, it won't allow you in different ways or so is because...
... Jihyo, I'm afraid that YN not ending up with you can be considered as an absolute point of time. Meaning, it is a constant one in this world and you can't do anything about it because it only states that... the scenario cannot be changed.", Lisa explained her speculations about everything that has been going on to Jihyo.
Jihyo only chuckled, much to Lisa getting weirded out of the latter. Spreading herself apart from the empathic friend, she looked at her in a ridiculuous manner.
"No...", Jihyo sighed, shaking her head. "You told me... you told me everything is possible, Lisa and what do you think I'm trying to do here? Huh? Am I not trying to prove it?"
"Jihyo..."
"No! You don't understand!", Jihyo objected, charging at Lisa as she grasped both her shoulders and wiggled her body aggressively.
Looking intently at Lisa who was left speechless, realizing how crazy she must've been looking because of this problem never wanting to leave her alone for years; she slid her hands to Lisa's arms and buried her face shedding tears on the younger's shoulder.
"I-I'm sorry..."
"It's fine. I may not know what could've felt like having that heartbreak being a burden for so long on you, but I just want help with everything I can. For my friend. For you, Jihyo.", Lisa caressed the back of Jihyo.
"This is a different thing, Ji. We don't even know if it can create a side effect and I just want you to be aware of the danger. Don't you even notice that not only you who's hurting here but also her? You're harming her also, Ji... might as well disturbing her past life that should've been put aside and moved on already in this present time."
"Jihyo, without that moment... you won't be stepping here in this laboratory, having me as your friend and lab partner while me having you as my mentor who is a well-knowned inventor and scientist to this field we took.
And most importantly...
... you won't be making her happy, even if it costs... without having you as her source of it."
Jihyo nodded her head and slowed down the sounds of her crying and heaving chest from pouring out all the emotions she's been keeping inside of her, in combination of everything she's been through for the past 6 years.
She lets go from Lisa, wiping out her tears. "I... I understand, Lisa....
but...
... this is what I want to do, and I've gone so far to obtain this remaining opportunity that I have with me.", Lisa tilted her head and frowned in dismay as Jihyo made her final decision opposite to what she's expecting.
"I appreciate you sticking for my side as always, Lisa... and please, despite of me choosing this; I just want to ask for your support on this one like we usually do for each other.", Jihyo requested, pursing her lower lip and presented her glimmering puppy eyes on her apprentice,
Lisa slumped her shoulders, tightlipped, shutting her eyes and escaped a warm sigh before nodding her head in response. "Don't say I didn't warned you about this."
"I do."
Jihyo and Lisa exchanged a trusting gestures at one another before Jihyo took another try, pressing the button to teleport herself again into a different time, location and setting for a repeat she can't even count from all the fingers in her hands on how many she took a time travelling.
She monitored YN approaching her who's inside the car, but... Jihyo's forehead crumpled and eyebrows knitted in complete disordered perspective when she began observing something... strange.
YN stopped her tracks, only inches away from her peeking out of the window.
She watched YN looking around the neighborhood, her eyes even contacted at the spot where Jihyo is but she just swiftly lured her sight away at the unknown.
"YN?", Jihyo called her name but left no reply from the latter.
YN looked at the time from her wristwatch and sighed. "That little brat. She pranked me again."
Jihyo's confusion grew larger, assuming that YN doesn't see her at all when in fact, their gap is very narrow for them to reach theirselves.
"YN? YN?! HEY, I'M HERE!", Jihyo kept shouting at YN, hoping that atleast her presence will be felt and seen but to no avail.
"W-what's going on...", Jihyo panickedly cupped both her head and rubbed her hair on the sides as she's trying to process what kind of phenomenon is blocking her once again from confessing her feelings to Jihyo.
As she tried to reach and touch YN by expanding her arm to her, YN instead began walking away from her; supposedly returning back inside her house with a dissatisfied and annoyed feeling on her for not seeing any traces of YN in front of her residence.
"YN! DON'T GO!", Jihyo opened the door to hop out and try chasing the oblivious YN when all of a sudden the land they're stepping in began crumbling and wind hitting them strongly, causing them both to become alarmed and terrified at the instant earthquake intensified right at the moment.
Jihyo leaned at the car to gain support from her stance as she felt dizzy from the vibration and impact of the shaking ground while YN crashed on her knees, unable to maintain her balance.
"YN!"
She tried to help her friend, attempting to run her feet straight through her until the skies began switching colors from a dull grey and black into a bright blue and yellow, with the manner having it perceived as if everything is glitching around them.
The land splits into two, tearing both of them away from each other. Jihyo watched the ground began to float as well the what it looked like underneath her, which is nothing but also a glitching appearance of their entire background.
"J-JIHYO?!", Jihyo heard someone called her name, who's none other than YN staring at her in a dreadful expression.
She got somehow relieved that YN can finally see but how could she forgot how bad of a timing it occured as now they're witnessing each other and the entire world around them shattering into pieces.
Speculating that the warnings Jihyo received from Lisa ended up becoming true, now that she's about to experience what must've felt like having the whole reality she's seeing got slowly destroyed all because of her.
"YN!", Jihyo returned the name calling.
"WHAT'S GOING ON?!
"I DON'T KNOW EITHER BUT STAY THERE, OKAY?!", Jihyo yelled at YN who followed her instructions.
Jihyo reaches for the time controller on the passenger's seat and hurriedly pressed the button to restart everything again.
It failed.
She pressed again.
No good.
She went into a rage spamming on the button in sync with the repeated cursing and pleading under her breath that it'll work.
It didn't.
Jihyo screamed in terror as she realized that the glitching and disturbed reality seems like it's shrinking carefully and it made her jump onto the conclusion that she believe they will end up being crushed by it.
"No... no, this can't be. I- I DIDN'T MEANT FOR ANY OF THIS TO HAPPEN!", JIhyo panic-stricken, grabbing YN's attention even more.
"I JUST WANTED TO BE WITH HER!!!", waterfall of tears pouring out from her cheeks as she screamed in anguish at the weird skies above her.
"JIHYO, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO?!", Jihyo turned her head towards YN who looks very pitiful in her condition being all alone and terrified of the disaster she's about to accept.
As much as she want to do something, she can't. Lisa won't be able to save her since she's in a different period of time so the only solution she has in her was the controller... but it became unresponsive, leaving Jihyo facing the unknown.
A couple of inches remaining in distance from each of them, the unwell and shifting reality enveloped them altogether. Jihyo and YN's discomfort and horrible demeanor reached it's breaking point as the only thing they can do is to keep screaming in utter horror and desperate for help.
"NO.... NO... YN!", the walls of the reality pushed them, causing the measurement of the space between each other to lessen.
"JIHYO!!!", the pieces of the land they're stepping in finally compressed, and without any hesitation they immediately hugged together for one last time.
"NO... DON'T TAKE HER AWAYYYY!"
And then, Jihyo's begging screams echoed before everything disappears.
Jihyo opened her eyes, feeling nothing but herself floating at... nothing. All she can see it null and void. Black being the only existent color she can see around her.
No signs of YN, it urged her to got hit by a massive realization that not only she failed...but it left a complete destruction and extinction of the world she's living in, including the very important and special person in her whole life: YN.
She did prevented her to end up with her wife, but it costs her not letting her able to live the life she preferred to rather share happiness and love with.
She went for the worst instead for the better.
She lost everything.
She lost YN.
To pay for the sins she caused, it truly is deserving for her to be left all along in such a blank space. Leave her to die, she thought.
"No...no.... no.... I'm so sorry, YN...", Jihyo began crying hard again as she covered her face with both of her palms.
An unknown length of time she spent floating in mid-air of nothing, she unconsciously stared at nowhere with a blank and colorless expression in her face.
Her unbotheredness was broken when suddenly, a familiar voice speaks out from her behind.
"I assumed you learnt your lesson then.", Jihyo used her remaining force within her to turn herself around and face the owner of that voice.
It was Lisa, but her entire appearence looks very unnatural, ethereal and heavenly...
... because this ain't the same student and aspiring scientist Lisa Manoban she knew from before.
Instead, the Lisa floating in front of her now whilst wearing a white elegant and alluring dress exposing her well-built curvy figure is the god-like counterpart of the Lisa she's close with.
"L-Lisa?", Jihyo's face somewhat brightened as she recognized the unearthly woman talking to her.
"Jihyo-ssi.", Lisa smiled timidly.
"Y-you're alive... b-but why are y-"
"I may be the same as your bestfriend but also... I'm not.", Lisa clarified. "Your Lisa is now dead, and I'm honestly sad to know that my version is now gone too soon."
"V-version?"
"So... now you, more than everyone else finally understand that meddling with time and reality would only result in chaos and destruction.", Lisa avoided Jihyo's confusion, saving the reveal later.
Jihyo frowned in guilt, knowing that's exactly what she should remember from now on, yet the only question is... for what? She doesn't have anything to do here. She's trapped in this prison she made for herself.
"As much as I want to help you, I cannot interfere. It's your destiny not to involved in a romantic relationship with YN, because you and her are only limited from crossing that boundary."
"I knew everything what you did and I have to admit... you surely did messed up a lot.", Lisa sarcastically reacted.
"Breaking the sole universe of where you live in-"
"Wait, UNIVERSE?"
"Yeah, you think you only made Earth pop like a bubble?", Lisa raised her eyebrow. "No, silly. You eradicted the entire galaxy because of how stubborn and arrogant you are."
Jihyo winced at the another scolding she got. Harsh words stabbed her straight in the feels because Lisa spat all those truth like an acid to her.
"It wasn't m-my... intention, I swear.", Jihyo muttered. "I knew what I did was wrong... but I never wanted to affect others on my own deed."
"I know, and that's why I'm here."
Jihyo's curiously was piqued.
"For?"
Lisa started to floated around on Jihyo who remained motionless. "Like what I said, you destroying the entire universe by a mortal like you definitely placed a lot of heavy toll within Gods like me."
"A god of what?"
"Gods of Redemption.", Lisa declared. "We're in charge of granting every being in this planet to have second chances, only and if necessary... the scenario is too unreversable to the mortal's hands... that being, death and if that being is very sincere and willingly to make something right again.
... which led me to you, Jihyo-ssi."
"The higher ranking Gods, ofcourse they didn't took it really well. They even almost finalized that they want to have you set up through an instant punishment, banishing your existence with their combined power so that you'll suffer the same as what you did along with your universe.", Jihyo's eyes widened and gulped at how terrifying and intimidating these Gods are.
"However, through my method of convincing; lucky you were spared from the doomsday you're about to meet.", Lisa added.
"Look, I know that you didn't intended to destroy everything but I just can't help but to be a little frustrated at you.", she pointed at Jihyo who remained speechless.
"You were warned, but this crazy little thing called love couldn't set you free isn't it?"
"Yeah."
Lisa clicked her tongue irritably. "Well, we can't do anything about it. What's done is done. But... I figured a way to have you atleast serve a purpose not only for us... but for your own too."
"W-what is it?", Jihyo questioned.
"But first, are you willing to make things right everything first?"
Jihyo lowered her head and clasped her hands together to pose herself as if she's praying and begging for it. "Yes! Please. I'll do everything not to make mistakes this time."
Lisa shushed Jihyo, interrupting her pleadings. "No, scratch that part. Our life won't be complete if we don't make mistakes for us to improve further."
"Oh, yeah... s-sorry.", Jihyo apologized. "Okay, y-yes. I'll do my best to think of my actions first."
"That's better.", Lisa expressed her satisfaction. "Well, I won't be asking you anymore if you're willing to sacrifice your existence because... your universe came first before you so, are you ready to follow me?", she spreaded her arm and presented her free hand, directing it at Jihyo for her to accept.
"To where?", Jihyo innocently asked as she stared at the inviteful Lisa.
Lisa smiled before replying at the lonely scientist.
"To your new home."
Jihyo erased all the doubts she has within her, sensing that this Lisa has closely no differences with the one she used to know when it comes to their personality.
She also analyzed that she was right anyways, saving her from the combined wrath of the higher ranking Gods surely made Jihyo owe this Goddess Lisa a lot not only for her safety, but for another opportunity to have her life achieve a new and hopefully... an improved meaning and role in her life.
Jihyo gently reached for Goddess Lisa's hand and locked onto it, twirling her fingers and strengthened her hold as she watched Lisa gestured a trusting nod before they were covered in a blinding goldlish light, escaping the lifeless and ruptured universe of hers.
A few moments later, Jihyo and Lisa arrived in a place that surely does a great representation of what a paradise looks like.
Jihyo's mouth agaped, eyelids sprung upwards and face stretched in shock an surprise as she looked around at the new and most unique place she has ever seen in her entire life.
The structures, neither tall nor short are all white, a clean and refreshing air where the cotton-like fogs flowing through everywhere around on what it seems to be a town; contributing to the heavenly features of the place.
The people residing were wearing gold and white attires, only a thin cloth covering their bodies and every single one of them looks very appealing.
There's no vehicles to be seen around, since the people have the ability to fly through their angelic wings around and use it as their way of transportation around this place.
Jihyo learnt from Lisa that she was brought to this universe only occupied by the children of the Highness himself, the leader, the chief and the savior of all eternal and holy beings in this universe.
"String theory... multi-dimensional reality... matter displacement, they're... they're all real?", she said to herself in awe.
They headed across the scared hall of the Holy Council, where the higher-ups has the pleasure to meet the mastermind and the sinner who is the main responsible for the destruction of one of the universe across the infinite numbers of the other universes scattered all over the galaxy.
Lisa repeated her request and pleads from the higher-up, which led from a short discussion and review of the judgment they're about to make.
Fortunately, they achieved all of their approval; and it resulted for Jihyo to be accepted and welcomed to stay in this unknown world full of gods and goddesses, only to pass a test that will be given to her first to prove if she's a worthy addition to their blessed land.
Because of that, it delivered a required new changes from Jihyo herself. She can't be a morttal anymore as she has to take her new responsibilities and duties to prove herself a worthy God Of Redemption just like Lisa.
She transformed from a devastated, lonely scientist to an almighty godly being.
She was tasked on her first ever service, and that is to guide all the 9 different multiverses assigned to her by Lisa.
Recently, her first mission was sent when she received a distress signal from one of the universes she's guarding.
She discovered that in this one, YN is a male assassin who both lost his wife and daughter in a brutal murder inside their house in the middle of the woods where they are hiding.
Jihyo watched how YN struggled in her guilt, longing and grief of losing all of his loved ones... until she decided to appear and offered him a chance of help after she made her research learning that in another universe, his wife... who was the same person her original YN married together with.
Her name is Sana and both of them lost theirselves in a tragic scenario, which on the other hand Sana lost YN in an unexpected car accident.
The first time she saw the assassin counterpart YN, she tried to keep her composure steady to not let out a different reaction of seeing another version of her beloved YN and stay still on being dedicated to her new embraced role as a God Of Redemption.
It pained Jihyo a lot, ofcourse. Secretly watching the huge grin and overload of sadness and longing he felt when he got to meet Sana again for the second time made her somehow wish she could experience the same and stand in Sana's position.
Seeing that she will never have a chance to make YN fall in love with her even at every different universes along with the mistake she had done was an effective hard slap for her to woke up in the reality this time.
Her feelings for YN still remains in her heart, sometimes she uses it to secretly admire her male counterpart whenever he's asleep every night on the new universe Jihyo teleported him.
But on one night, she came to visit YN with another agenda.
She squatted beside the male YN's sleeping figure on the bed and traced his facial features even this version couldn't fail to make Jihyo go head over heels too and showcase the bisexuality effects on her.
Combing his hair with gentle stroke from the gaps of her slender, shining fingers, Jihyo smiled bitterly at the look of YN sleeping peacefully.
"You're still attractingly handsome even if you're a man.", she whispered, not leaving her sight away at YN.
"I promise, this time... I'll make you happy. As much as I want to be the one with you to share with, I know I can't... because you'll never be mine.", Jihyo's teardrop fell from YN's cheek.
"I'll still give it to you. You deserve and earned every special things, whether it may be big or small. Always for a wonderful person like you. That's how you meant so much to me, YN", her lips shuddered as she forces herself not to sob heavily from the hurtful heartbreak she's trying to heal and forget these days.
She placed her last kiss of acceptance for her destined fate on YN's lips before she slowly vanished away and returned from her private universe.
Jihyo successfully completed her first mission by being true to her words, making YN happy by having him reconcile with the another version of Sana.
She bid goodbye to them and headed back to her universe where she teleported right away in front of a massive and enchanted chapel being one of the main highlights of the entire town, along with the council hall where the higher-ups are slated.
Jihyo saw Lisa who's talking nicely with her other fellow guests and gods and politely excused herself to grab the attention of her friend.
"Oh, Jihyo-ssi! You made it on time!", Lisa pleasantly greeted her. "How's your very first mission?"
Jihyo blushed and smiled widely, hinting the victorious accomplishment she achieved. "They're back together now."
"Great!", Lisa clapped her hands in glee. "Congrats on completing your first mission! I'm sure the elders would be really happy to hear this such good news from you. Even better, you are now really proving that you can belong with us!"
"I am honored and overwhelmed if they confirm it.", Jihyo sweetfully smiled.
"Tsk, humble. I'm sure they will.", Lisa bounced her eyebrows as she said it confidence.
"Oh! By the way... someone wants to see you.", Lisa's face brightened up when she remembered the reminder given to her by that someone.
"Who?"
"Find it out yourself, she wants you to meet her on the balcony near the garden."
"She?"
Jihyo furrowed her eyebrows, trying to think of a possible identity of this mysterious being wanting to involve a conversation with her alone.
"What are waiting for? Go! The wedding's about to start in 10 minutes!", Lisa pushed Jihyo to hurriedly make her move her feet and ran to find this someone.
After asking courteously to some strangers around the chapel, the directions led her finally to the balcony to the garden where she saw a figure of a woman standing in her elegant and stupendous white dress in the middle of the marble railing.
Her long, curly brown hair organized with the assist of the matching white hairband is dancing with the waves of the fresh, clean air.
Jihyo can only see her alluring exposed milky, smooth skin of her back facing her until the mysterious woman rotated her body.
Jihyo couldn't react any other than to be bewildered and let her emotions arise in an instant.
It was the goddess counterpart of YN, standing from a slight distance in front of her, smiling softly at the view of the taken aback woman in her eyes.
"You finally showed up.", YN said with her usual gentle and tender voice.
"Y-YN?"
She nodded and smiled. "It's nice to see you... well technically I should say "again", Jihyo."
Jihyo stood frozen in her spot, still in disbelief that she's seeing another version of YN, in this one it looks very alike the same woman she loved for the longest time.
Not to mention, this goddess YN looks so more unbelievably beautiful.
"I knew what happened from Lisa. She told me everything.", YN began to explain, as she slowly approached the shocked Jihyo.
"You never had a chance to properly talk with me and released everything that you're carrying in your chest so... I thought of setting a perfect schedule where I could make it finally happen for you."
"I... I had to convince Sana for a while to let me allow to talk with you and gladly she did."
"So... Jihyo, anything you wanna say for me?", YN said, locking her hand altogether behind her back as she waited patiently.
Jihyo cleared her throat and closed her eyes for a few second before opening it.
"This is indeed real, she's here", she muttered.
"I-I am.", Jihyo stuttered nervously. She didn't wasted any longer time as she began saying her apology speech.
"YN... first and foremost, I just want to say sorry. For everything that I caused which led me to this.
Not that I'm sounding like I'm complaining about it, I'm just being conscious and minding still about the horrible truth behind all of these.
I... I admit that I became very desperate, selfish, arrogant, impulsive anything you want to call me that urged me to abuse my creation just to forcefully repeat that past that I regretted the most which I could never change.
From the bottom of my heart and soul, I sincerely apologize for the disturbance and misery I brought to your counterpart that I loved so deeply, YN.
But... since, all of you are just sharing the same identity of YN... I guess I could say the same thing I've been wanting to say for so long on you too."
Jihyo stepped forward, inching closer at YN who stared at her actions but freely lets the woman to proceed on doing so, understandably accepting why she has to do this.
"I love you. I love you in every universe, YN", Jihyo stared at YN's hypnotizing eyes as she swayed some strands of hairs behind the ear of YN before switching her hands to place it upon the plump cheeks of her lover.
YN sighed heavily and smiled softly at the heartwarming message of her bestfriend and admirer.
But then, Jihyo's lips shifted to a frown. "But you're not mine... and I will never be yours, because that's what our fate dictates us so."
"I learned my lesson now, and after quite some time of recovering... I have no other choice but to do the only right option.
I have to let you go and be with Sana forever and after but... rest assured that I'll do my best to live with my promise, and that is to make you happier than you'll ever be eternally.", Jihyo reached for YN's hand and carefully squeezed it.
She gave the top a peck of her kiss before patting the spot and clenched it on her hold as she released the engaged woman's hand.
"I already forgave you, Jihyo. I'm just waiting for this time to declare it to you.", YN confessed to her which broke Jihyo's watery eyes to shed a wet path of teardrops full of joy down her cheek.
"You already succeeded your redemption arc, and I have nothing more to say than to express how much I'm proud of you from correcting your mistakes and didn't brought harm from anyone this time."
"Don't worry, Jihyo. You made me happy. You made Sana happy too, including Lisa. I just hope you're feeling the same too."
"I-I am very happy too, especially for you, YN.", Jihyo confirmed, nodding her head rapidly as she smiled with her face still stained and messy due to the tears of joy she shed. "Congratulations on getting married today, by the way."
YN chuckled, wiping also her watery eyes off. "Yeah, thank you so much Jihyo. Appreciated it, really."
"I'm relieved that you can tell the same too for yourself, Jihyo.", YN nodded and beamed.
"Before we go back inside, since we knew both that things didn't ended quite well between us..."
YN presented her pinky finger at Jihyo which the latter looked at it adorably.
"Do you accept my invitation for you to join me rewind our friendship together, Jihyo-ssi?"
Without thinking twice, Jihyo hooked her own pinky finger at YN's.
"I'm in for a new beginning, YN.", she grinned.
Jihyo and YN immediately crashed their bodies for a tight, warm, caring and comfortable hug which made Jihyo unable to resist pulling back her tears to come out by how she missed having this kind of moment with YN so much.
After that, YN looked at the huge antique clocktower for the time. Realizing that they only have 3 minutes to prepare, she let's go from the embrace and both of them looked at each other.
"Let's go?"
Jihyo nodded readily.
While they're walking straight back inside the chapel, YN initiated one last short topic in assurance for them to talk about.
"How's my counterpart that you were tasked by Lisa sent from the elders?"
"All good now, YN. He's been saved."
Jihyo cheered good luck on YN, waved off at one another as they went on to their respective spots: in front of the altar and one of the chairs where all of the guests are seated.
While they're waiting for the bride to come out, a golden purse suddenly fell from Jihyo's feet.
She was about to lower down and reach it when she noticed that another hand also touched the extravagant belonging.
Jihyo looked at the person who also did the same as she caught her eyes, and she wasn't lying to herself when she mentally stated that this girl looks so beautiful.
In result, both of them just lifted off the purse together and Jihyo instantly pulled back her hand, allowing the woman to recover her property.
"S-sorry for the inconvenience...", the short black haired woman said shyly.
"It's n-nothing. I'll take it r-randomly.", Jihyo assured.
Jihyo was about to focus herself back on waiting but the out of nowhere desire to continue talking to this very interesting woman made her disregard it.
"S-sorry, I just wanna ask. How come you became one of the guests today? Are you close with the newlyweds?", Jihyo curiously asked.
"Yes. Sana's my bestfriend and I'm pretty close now with YN too."
"Oh...", Jihyo expressed her satisfication to that information.
"And you?
"I'm friends with YN.", the stranger nodded, lips formed an "o" shape.
"I haven't introduced myself yet, didn't I?", Jihyo sheepishly chuckled. "I'm Jihyo. Park Jihyo."
"I'm Jeongyeon. Yoo Jeongyeon.", the bobbed cut haired woman accepted her offer of handshake welcomely.
Unbeknownst to both of them, they finally met the right person for each other to love along with across the other multiverses where every counterparts of Jihyo and Jeongyeon were either soon to encounter each other in the middle of their paths or already living happily together no matter what happens.
And that's that!
For those male readers of mine out here who decided to still read this one-shot until the end despite the story having female readers as the protagonist just to view the plot twist at the ending, I appreciate the consideration so much.
Now yall understand why I made the male readers also read this.
Yes, this entire one-shot is a prequel from my previous work from Set 3 which is the Sana x M (Male) Reader one-shot titled "The Multiversal Redemption Arc". It was the second most voted story in Set 3 after Mina x M (Male) Reader- "Unconditionally".
This one simply explored and explained Jihyo's origin on how and what led her become to be the Almighty God Of Redemption who helped the male reader reunite with Sana back in MRA.
For my female readers, if you haven't seen MRA on Set 3, I suggest to read it so that all of you could understand what just happened and the connection of Rewind to MRA.
However, it's a male reader one... so I'll leave it up to you guys if you'll still take a peek there and pretend yourselves as an ooposite gender of yourself.
I hope you guys liked the twist I did and especially, if you guys enjoyed this latest work of mine so far.
See ya!
- Knight
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