First to Reach | sihwa

Chapter 2

By the next morning, Sihyeon finds the couch empty and the kitchen noisy.

So he didn't leave, huh? And that's quite new. Usually they both slept in late when they're together.

(No, not because of anything. They're just heavy sleepers. They both also resort to accidents when they are woken up. Once, Seonghwa mindlessly kicked a pillow square to her face.)

Without bothering to greet her friend, she just does her morning routine as quick as possible, with her mind trying to concern itself with her work duties. She's been bugged about their conversation about the Curse Breaker thing yesterday and wants to just forget it.

When she reaches the kitchen, Seonghwa's gone. Okay. Where is that guy? She mindlessly asks as she fiddles with her belt. Then suddenly —

Seonghwa barges in to the kitchen and dumps a some bag(?) on the table.

"What now, Hwa?" Sihyeon asks distractedly as she fixes her belt.

"It's just your lunch." He leans forward, drumming his fingers on the table. "Try not to act all snobby on this fine morning. We have work."

"'M not snobby." She's trying not to be. "And if I was it'd be only for you."

Seonghwa smiles crookedly and leans backward. "Thanks, I love it when you make me feel like a Twice song."

"You mean when I make you feel like you feel special?"

"It doesn't make sense, but you get it, right? Right?"

She laughs at how ridiculous he looks. Anyway — "You're still not leaving? This isn't your apartment." She takes the lunch bag, inwardly cringing at how it didn't match with her formal getup. Why the hell are there dragons? Oh, hey, isn't this Toothless? "Thanks, anyways! Saves me the expenses."

"You're welcome."

She waits for Seonghwa to pick up his jacket ("we don't want to miss the bus!") and book bag before leaving the apartment in silence. It's really considerate of him not to remind her about breakfast, because he knows that she knows she can just take it later. It's really, really appreciated — like a huge contrast from Jiwon's reminders.

She still hates Seonghwa, though. As a competition.

Anyway, they separate once they reach the bus stop. They didn't bother saying goodbye because they'll see each other anyways.

When Sihyeon arrives to work, she finds her co-workers huddled in a single office space, with their hushed voices echoing nearly the entire floor. She places her bag and that How to Train Your Dragon lunch bag on her designated office chair and walks towards them.

Thanks to her height, she could see a laptop propped open. Then she could hear a couple of dramatic dialogues. Oh, so they're watching a drama? Or something?

"Sihyeon-unnie!"

Sihyeon snaps out of her daze towards the screen, focusing on the voice. It was from Serim, the pink-haired intern.

"Hey! What's up?"

Yunho, who is sitting down, dramatically looks up at Sihyeon. "Would you rather take the blue pill or the red pill?"

"We're watching The Matrix," Yeosang, who is leaning down towards the laptop, explains.

"At work?"

"It hasn't even started yet," Yeosang frowns. "Work, I mean. The movie, yeah, definitely."

Serim straightens up. "Wait. Is this bad for my internship?"

"Honestly, yes."

"Stop scaring her," Yunho intervenes, smiling. "She's finished all her tasks yesterday."

"I'm just telling the truth!" She whisper-shouts.

"Gee, thanks, dad," Yeosang says sarcastically. Then he turns to Serim, "It's totally fine. You're probably just gonna watch over and make coffee today or something."

Sihyeon agrees, Serim brushes the whole thing off, and the four return to watching the movie.

The movie cuts to the scene wherein a cat was shown, and the characters experience a sense of dejavu.

Wait... dejavu.

This is the exact same feeling that she's having right now. She feels like it has happened before. Why is that?

"Dejavu is considered as a glitch in the matrix," Yunho supplies out of nowhere.

Then an idea pops in her head: is it possible that she "forces" herself to experience a dejavu?