Chapter 5: heart across centuries

In the dimly lit bathroom, Hye-Jin's fingers danced nervously over the fabric of her pocket. The USB drive—the key to unraveling the secrets that had haunted her—was missing. Panic surged through her veins, urging her to action.

"He-Ra," she called out, her voice echoing off the cold tiles. "Take me back to where you picked me up. I need to check something."

He-Ra, her personal assistant , raised an eyebrow. "What are you up to again?" She grumbled. But she knew better than to question her determination.

"Nothing," Hye-Jin replied, her eyes steely. "Let's just go."

Back at the roadside, they scoured the area. Hye-Jin's fingers brushed against gravel, her heart racing. She ordered He-Ra and other bodyguards to search too, but the USB remained elusive.

Then, as if fate had intervened, she stepped on something. A jade pendant lay half-buried in the dirt. Its delicate green hues glimmered under the moonlight. "What is this?" she wondered aloud, cradling it in her palm. "It looks so beautiful."

She slipped the pendant into her purse, a silent promise to unravel its mystery.

He-Ra sighed. "We've searched long enough. Let's go."

"No," Hye-Jin insisted. "Search again."

"But what's in that USB that you want it so badly?" He-Ra asked, curiosity tugging at her features.

"Not your business," Hye-Jin retorted, her face unyielding. "Keep searching."

They scoured the roadside for over thirty minutes, desperation mounting. Yet the USB remained hidden, mocking her.

Back in Hye-Jin's room, Ji Hyun discovered a diary—a window into Hye-Jin's soul. She read late into the night, piecing together the puzzle of Hye-Jin's life. She spent the whole night reading it. Their parents' deaths, the uncanny resemblance—they were more than coincidences. Hye-Jin's parent death was also caused by an accident 10 years ago just like Ji Hyun's parent. And Hye-Jin's (Ji Hyun) parent in this universe are also the same in Ji Hyun's (Hye-Jin) parent in the other universe. Which means everything changed in this universe (time travel) but the parents remain the same and this also means she can uncover her parents death.

Hye-Jin, the carefree CEO of HJ Corporation, danced on the edge of danger. But Ji Hyun knew she had to change that. Revenge simmered in her veins, fueled by the truth she now held. Hye-Jin was the CEO in name but it's her uncle (Kang Ha) that controls everything. HJ cooperation was among the top three companies in the country.

And so, as dawn painted the sky, Ji Hyun vowed to rewrite their intertwined destinies—one diary entry at a time. The jade pendant, a silent witness, nestled in her palm, whispering secrets of its own

—————-

In the dimly lit private room, anticipation hung heavy in the air. Hye-Jin's uncle had orchestrated this blind date with the son of Green Arch Corporation—a calculated move in their intricate dance of power.

Her bodyguard ushered her inside, and there he was—the man who haunted her nightmares, the architect of her pain. "Kim Song?" The words slipped from her lips, a tremor of recognition.

This man, the same one who had taken everything from her in another universe—the man who had extinguished her sister's light, her best friend's laughter—now sat before her. His eyes, polished onyx, held secrets etched in shadows. His features, sharp and unyielding, bore the weight of decisions that had shaped destinies. Midnight-black hair framed his face, hinting at a life lived on the edge of reality.

Kim Song leaned back, his gaze piercing. "How do you know my name? Your uncle didn't tell you, did he?"

Ji-Hyun steadied herself. For Seo Dan's sake, she needed to play this game. "How could I not know you? You were all over the internet," she replied, masking her turmoil with a smile.

He was a riddle wrapped in enigma—a man who moved with deliberate grace, as if balancing on fate's edge. His attire, dark and form-fitting, concealed more than it revealed. In his presence, the room crackled, waiting for revelations only he could unveil. Kim Song was every woman's dream—a tall, handsome enigma.

"So no need for introductions," he mused. "Since you already know me."

Their date agreed upon, Ji-Hyun vowed to unravel the layers of this man. Nothing about him had changed, and she sensed that beneath the polished facade lay answers—secrets that could rewrite their intertwined fates.

After emerging from the private room, Hye-Jin collided with a man. The man bumped into her,he turned, ready to apologize, but the face that met his gaze held centuries of longing—the woman who had made him immortal, his wife from a past life.

"Hye Jin?" His voice trembled with surprise.

She recognized him too. The doctor from her universe—the one who had transcended time. "Doctor?"

He pulled her toward the parking lot, and suddenly, he hugged her. "Hye-Jin, I missed you," he whispered.

Startled, she pushed him away and slapped him. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I'm sorry," he stammered, eyes wide.

Tall and handsome, he seemed like a character from a novel. She was drawn to his beauty.

"Never mind," she said, her curiosity piqued. "Did you time travel too?"

"What do you mean?" he asked, bewildered.

She patted his shoulder. "Why are you pretending like you don't understand what I mean? Don't worry I'll keep your secret. Just take my business card."

As she left, he stared at the card, a smile tugging at his lips.

Inside her car, Hye-Jin wondered why she'd acted so strangely. Every encounter with him sparked a deep connection. But why? The answer eluded her, buried in the folds of time.

**Meeting Across Centuries**

where love and mystery entwined, leaving them both yearning for answers beyond the veil of memory.