A/n: Just wanna say this quickly! There's a song that fits the story behind Oh Ara and Baek Kyung... xD The song is called STAY HERE by Gaho. Go and check the song out- along with the English lyrics! :))
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"Hello, Seol..." Hyun Joon softly said with a sad smile.
Many positive and negative emotions engulfed me when seeing my older brother from Trumpet Creeper. Then I looked at Jinmichae who nodded his head slowly. I bit my bottom lip, understanding by what he meant, and took a step towards the other older boy. My eyes wandered back to Hyun Joon as I looked at him carefully. He no longer had that long hair of his. Instead, it was cut just like Baek Kyung's, and to be honest, it suits him way better than that old hairstyle of his. His dark brown eyes still carried its own mystery and secrets, but I can see the same warmth from his gaze. He no longer had the scars from Trumpet Creeper on the side of his neck and eyebrow from the many times of saving me from the bullies in the village. I took two more steps toward him and crossed my eyebrows as I took his new appearance in.
Then I whispered, "This is so..."
"Weird?" Joon asked nervously.
I smiled and shook my head. "No... This is so fascinating."
Joon looked at me with his head tilted to the right. "You think that seeing me again is fascinating?"
We both heard Jinmichae chuckling to himself while I pouted at my older brother. Then I asked the older boy in the room, "Jinmi, can you leave us for a bit?"
"Yeah, sure," The blondie replied back and starts to walk back to his kitchen. "Just call me if you both need anything."
Then Joon spoke up, "You still look the same."
I raised my left eyebrow at him and laughed shortly. "And you look different," I teased while sticking my tongue out.
"Yup, still the same," Joon confirms as he shook his head at me. I rolled my eyes at him and took a step back. "So, how did you- I mean, the Writer brought you back? Are you one of the supporting or extra characters? Which classroom are you in? Are we related just like in TC? Or, are we strangers in Secret?" I asked without stopping to take a breather.
Joon's eyes went wide and he puts his right hand up, telling me to stop. "Okay, one question at a time, Seol."
Then I froze in my spot when hearing my old name coming from Joon's lips. I suddenly remembered the stage earlier and how I was saved by someone in the middle of my asthma attack.
"It was you? You're the one who saved me back at the Main Hall."
Hyun Joon then smiled at me. "You figured it out already?" He asked, sounding impressed.
I glared at him. "I'm not dumb, orabeoni."
Then I continued on after Joon chuckled. "When you carried me to the school clinic, I felt a strong pull of connection toward you, but I lost my consciousness due to the asthma attack. I also, realized that your voice matches the one who saved me. Not just that... but Jinmichae is the only one who knows my old name. So, it couldn't have been him... but you because you're the only one, aside from Jinmi, who would call me by my old name."
"Well, done, sis," Joon proudly said while he clapped two times. "You're still a clever girl. Observant, too. Really, nothing changed about you. It's kind of-"
"Weird?" I cut in with a teasing tone.
Joon chuckled again and sighed, "Seol, stop."
I smiled innocently in return. "Sorry, I had to."
Then out of nowhere Joon reaches his hand over to my face and wipes something off the side of my lips. I slapped his hand away and glared at him again.
"YAH! ORABEONI!" I exclaimed out loud.
"What?" He asked in surprise. "You had some crumbs on your face-"
"YOU COULD HAVE JUST TOLD ME!"
"ARE YOU KIDDING WITH ME RIGHT NOW?"
"DOES IT LOOK LIKE I'M KIDDING TO YOU?"
"WHAT? NO! AND WHAT'S WRONG IF I WIPE THE CRUMBS OFF OF MY BABY SISTER'S FACE?"
"YAH! I AM NOT A BABY ANYMORE!"
"YOU'RE MY SISTER. MY YOUNGER SISTER. SO, YOU ARE STILL A BABY."
"WHY ARE YOU BOTH SHOUTING AT EACH OTHER?" Jinmichae joins in when walking out of the kitchen with a confused and irritated expression.
Joon and I then stopped and looked at him. "SHUT UP, JINMI!" We both shouted at him.
Jinmichae looked at us a little taken back. Then he sighed and muttered under his breath, "Great, the Writer gave me a new job as the babysitter of these two."
I glared at the older boy and spoke up, "I can hear you, blondie."
The 22-year-old shook his head and walked back inside the kitchen again. Then I looked back at Joon and glared at him. "Call me 'baby', and I won't talk to you again."
"You're still my sister, Seol. Whatever you say, we're still family," Joon replied back, making me wonder what the Writer is planning for him.
"So, wait, you are not sure if you are a supporting or extra character in Secret?" I asked after buying Joon and I a sandwich and banana milk from the snack bar. "How's that even possible?"
"Mhm, well, my name isn't even in the character list of Secret," The 19-year-old answered.
Then he continued on when we both sat down by one of the benches, "I woke up one day and slowly started to gain my self-awareness again. The only thing I can remember was that the ending of the manhwa that I was in before Secret."
"You were in another manhwa?" I asked in shock.
Joon chuckled. "Yes, I was in another manhwa. It was a fantasy story and I was a supporting character."
"I thought Trumpet Creeper would be the last manhwa for you, too..."
"Actually, Trumpet Creeper was my first and the recent one was my sixth. Secret will soon be my seventh if the Writer gives me a background."
"That's quite nice..." I softly said. "You get to live in other stories and experience new things."
"Well, that's the bright side, but not every story always has its happy ending, Seol," Joon explained while taking his banana milk and sandwich.
I sighed while unwrapping the sandwich out of its wrapper. "I know... But I doubt that Secret, a rom-com manhwa, would have a tragic ending like TC."
"Oh, you already remember the ending of Trumpet Creeper?" Joon asked in surprise after taking a sip from his sweet drink.
"Not exactly..." I whispered while wondering when I'll recall the rest of my memories from my past life in the former manhwa.
"YAH! OH ARA!" Dohwa called out as he walked down the path towards me and Joon. Once he got to the bench, he stopped and looked at my older brother in confusion. "Uh, who is this?" He asked while pointing at Joon.
Then the older boy beside me spoke up, "Ah, I'm Hyun-" but I cut him off. "He's a new student! He'll be in your class starting today, I think. His name is... June! Yeah, haha! June Yun, who is from China!"
Both of the boys looked at me with one of their eyebrows raised. Then Joon faked a cough and reached his hand out towards Dohwa, who took it with a bright, warm smile and said, "It's nice to meet you, June! My name's Dohwa. Lee Dohwa. I'm this girl's best friend right here and escort to the Principal's office."
I rolled my eyes at what he said about him being my best friend. I swear this guy. Did he really have to say it like that? It's not like my own brother would steal me away from him...
But then I looked at him in surprise when I heard the last part of his sentence.
"Principal's office? Why, Dohwa? What's wrong?" I quickly asked as I stood up from the bench.
Lee Dohwa gave me a nervous smile and answered, "Namju's mother is here."
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a/n:
sorry for those who waited for the new chapter...
some issues came up earlier today and I can't focus well...
but here is chapter 25! it's shorter than the last few chapters, sorry. xD
btw, does anyone wanna make a book cover trailer for The Second Heroine?
I might make one for The Crowned Princess, but ehk Idk if I have the time to do it lol.
so, if anyone would like to try to make a book cover or just a short video of Ara/Seol and Kyung, then either comment down in the comment section or pm me about it! :))
— also, I won't be able to update for one week because my mom took my laptop away two days ago... 😅 but I'll try to get it back uwu
p.s. here are the songs that fit KyungRa/KyungSeol, and the rest of the cast.
KyungRa/KyungSeol : (most of these songs are fitted for their past selves while reflecting and remembering their old life in Trumpet Creeper)
Stay Here - Gaho
Then - Gaho ft. Villain
Eyes, Nose, Lips - Taeyang
DanHaru :
Good Night (Healing Song) - Standing Egg
JinmiSoo :
Forever Rain - RM
No One - Lee Hi
DoJu/DoDa :
Untitled Love Songs - Henry
NamDa / JuNam
Best Part - H.E.R ft. Daniel Ceasar
Spring - BOL4