The Parallel Version’s Reaction

Jisoo dragged his feet up the apartment stairs, his body aching from exhaustion.

Two hours of project discussion.

Another hour of cleaning duty.

And now, he still had to deal with Sooyeon.

The other Sooyeon.

He hesitated outside his door, already anticipating a storm.

Would she be annoyed?

Would she be waiting to interrogate him?

Or worse—would she be completely fine with it?

For some reason, the last one felt the most dangerous.

Jisoo inhaled sharply, bracing himself. Then, he stepped inside.

The first thing he noticed—the lights were still on.

The second—Sooyeon was sitting on the couch, waiting for him.

She was wearing his hoodie again, curled up with her legs tucked beneath her. Her hair was still slightly damp from an earlier shower, and she looked completely at ease.

Jisoo swallowed.

Why did she look so much like she belonged here?

"You're late."

Her voice was casual, but there was something undeniably sharp about it.

Jisoo sighed, setting his bag down. "Yeah, I had—"

"Fun?" she cut in, tilting her head.

Jisoo blinked. "What?"

Sooyeon smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes.

"You were with her, weren't you?"

Jisoo's stomach dropped.

He should've expected this.

But hearing her say it out loud made something cold creep up his spine.

"It was for a group project," he muttered, forcing himself to sound normal. "I didn't have a choice."

Sooyeon hummed, watching him. "And cleaning duty?"

Jisoo rubbed the back of his neck. "That too."

She didn't say anything for a long moment.

Then, she sighed dramatically and patted the spot beside her.

"Come here," she said lightly. "I won't bite."

Jisoo hesitated.

Something felt off.

But refusing would just make this weirder.

Reluctantly, he sat down.

Sooyeon leaned in slightly, her shoulder brushing against his. "So? What's she like?"

Jisoo tensed. "What?"

Sooyeon smirked. "The other me."

Jisoo's mouth went dry.

She was asking about herself.

What was he supposed to say?

That she seemed nice?

That she was completely different from this version?

Sooyeon watched him, waiting.

Jisoo finally sighed. "She's… normal, I guess."

Sooyeon raised a brow. "Normal?"

"Yeah."

She hummed again, her gaze flickering toward the ceiling.

"So, she's different from me, then?"

Jisoo hesitated. "...A little."

Sooyeon smiled. "Good."

Jisoo blinked. "Huh?"

She turned back to him, and for the first time, her expression softened.

"I'm glad," she murmured. "It would be weird if she was exactly like me."

Jisoo didn't know how to respond to that.

Sooyeon stretched her arms above her head, sighing dramatically. "Well, since you came home so late, you should make it up to me."

Jisoo frowned. "Make it up to you? For what?"

She grinned. "For leaving me alone all day, obviously."

Jisoo stared. "That's not how this works."

But Sooyeon had already decided.

"I want something sweet," she declared.

Jisoo groaned. "I just got home, Sooyeon."

"And I'm hungry," she said, completely ignoring him.

Jisoo sighed, dragging himself toward the kitchen, already regretting all of his life choices.

As he rummaged through the fridge, he heard Sooyeon laugh softly behind him.

Jisoo turned slightly. "What?"

She just smiled.

"You really haven't changed," she murmured.

Jisoo felt something tighten in his chest.

But before he could ask what she meant, Sooyeon simply leaned back against the couch, humming to herself.

As if she had all the time in the world.

Jisoo stood in the kitchen, watching the instant hot chocolate mix dissolve into the warm milk.

He stirred it absentmindedly, his mind elsewhere.

Sooyeon's words from earlier lingered in his head.

"You really haven't changed."

Why did that bother him so much?

He barely knew this version of Sooyeon.

He had just met her yesterday.

Yet… she talked as if she knew him completely.

Like she had known him forever.

Jisoo exhaled, pushing the thought away. There was no point thinking about it.

He carried the mug back to the living room, placing it in front of Sooyeon.

She perked up instantly. "Wow, you actually made me something?"

Jisoo rolled his eyes. "You literally forced me to I'm practically a slave in my own apartment."

She giggled, wrapping her hands around the warm mug. "Still, it's nice."

Jisoo sat down across from her, resting his elbow on the table. "You act like I used to do this all the time."

Sooyeon blew on her drink, her smile turning nostalgic.

"You did," she murmured. "At least, in my world."

Jisoo stiffened.

There it was again—that casual certainty.

He swallowed. "You keep saying that, but how do you know I'm even the same person?"

Sooyeon took a small sip before looking at him. "You're Jisoo, aren't you?"

Jisoo hesitated. "…Yeah?"

She smiled softly. "Then you're him."

Jisoo frowned. "That doesn't make sense."

Sooyeon tilted her head. "Doesn't it?"

Jisoo let out a frustrated sigh, running a hand through his hair. "Even if you knew me in your world, I'm not that person. I'm not the guy you were dating."

Sooyeon's expression didn't change.

"I know," she said simply.

That answer threw him off.

"…You do?"

She nodded.

"You're not exactly the same. Some things are different."

Jisoo waited for her to continue, his pulse quicker than before.

She rested her chin on one hand, staring at him with analyzing eyes.

"You're quieter here," she said. "A little more hesitant. I think in my world, you were more… confident. You teased me a lot more."

Jisoo blinked. "Confident? Me?"

She laughed. "Yeah, it's weird, right? But don't get me wrong—you were still awkward at times."

Jisoo narrowed his eyes. "Sounds fake."

She just smiled, twirling the spoon in her mug. "Still, some things are exactly the same."

Jisoo tensed. "Like what?"

Sooyeon's eyes softened.

"…The way you care about people," she murmured.

Jisoo froze.

For some reason, his heart skipped a beat.

"That hasn't changed," she continued, watching him. "No matter what world you're in."

Jisoo's fingers curled into his sleeves.

It felt too personal.

Too real.

He looked away, clearing his throat. "You shouldn't assume things about me."

Sooyeon just smiled knowingly.

"I don't assume," she said quietly. "I just know."

Jisoo didn't respond.

Because for some reason—he didn't want to argue.

Jisoo shifted uncomfortably, staring at his untouched mug of hot chocolate.

Sooyeon was still watching him, her expression too knowing, too familiar.

He didn't like it.

He wasn't sure why, but something about the way she looked at him made him feel… exposed.

Like she could see parts of him even he didn't fully understand.

Jisoo cleared his throat. "So… if I'm different from the version of me in your world, why are you so comfortable around me?"

Sooyeon hummed thoughtfully.

"Well, the way I see it… you're still you," she said, as if it were the simplest answer in the world.

Jisoo frowned. "That doesn't make sense."

She tilted her head. "Doesn't it?"

Jisoo sighed, rubbing his temple. This was getting nowhere.

"Well, I don't feel the same way," he muttered. "You're not the same Sooyeon I—"

He stopped himself just in time.

Crap.

He had almost admitted it.

That he had been watching her from afar all this time.

Sooyeon raised a brow, catching the hesitation. "Not the same Sooyeon you…?"

Jisoo quickly shook his head. "Never mind."

Her lips curled into a teasing smile. "Oh? You were going to say something interesting just now."

Jisoo immediately regretted everything. "I wasn't."

"You definitely were."

"I really wasn't."

She leaned forward slightly, her eyes glinting with mischief. "Have you been crushing on me?"

Jisoo choked.

"WHAT?!"

Sooyeon giggled, clearly enjoying his reaction. "Oh, wow. You totally have, haven't you?"

Jisoo turned bright red. "I—NO?! WHY WOULD YOU EVEN THINK THAT?!"

Sooyeon grinned, completely ignoring his suffering.

"It makes sense now," she mused. "You've been acting all shy around me. And you looked so nervous when the other me talked to you today."

Jisoo felt like dying.

Why was she so much worse than the real Sooyeon?

The real one barely noticed him.

This one? She noticed everything.

Jisoo buried his face in his hands. "I hate this. I hate everything."

Sooyeon laughed.

"I missed this," she murmured, more to herself than to him.

Jisoo stiffened.

Something in her tone sounded… off.

He slowly lifted his head, watching her.

Sooyeon's expression had softened—not teasing anymore, but something else.

Something gentle.

Something painful.

"I missed you," she said quietly.

Jisoo forgot how to breathe.

His throat felt tight. His chest felt heavy.

Because for the first time since she arrived—he truly saw it.

The loss in her eyes.

The grief.

The aching sadness of someone who had lost the person they loved.

Jisoo's fingers curled into his hoodie.

He wasn't that Jisoo.

He wasn't the boy she had loved.

But right now, she was looking at him like he was.

And for some reason, that terrified him.

Jisoo's chest felt tight.

He didn't know why—he barely knew this version of Sooyeon.

But the way she looked at him so softly, so painfully…

It felt too much.

Too intimate.

Too heavy.

So he did what he always did when things felt overwhelming.

He laughed.

A short, awkward chuckle escaped him. "You, uh… you sure you're not mixing me up with your Jisoo?"

Sooyeon blinked.

For a moment, she just stared at him, her lips slightly parted.

Then, slowly, she smiled.

It wasn't teasing.

It wasn't sad.

It was something else entirely.

"You really haven't changed," she murmured.

Jisoo froze.

That sentence again.

He had no idea what it meant.

Before he could say anything, Sooyeon let out a soft hum, setting her empty mug down on the table.

"Anyway," she said, stretching her arms over her head. "I'm exhausted. I think I'll sleep now."

Jisoo blinked, thrown off by the sudden change.

"…That's it?"

She raised a brow. "What?"

"That's all you're gonna say?"

She smiled innocently. "Yep."

Jisoo narrowed his eyes, suspicious.

He knew she was hiding something.

But he also knew that even if he asked, she wouldn't tell him.

Not yet.

So he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Alright. You take the couch."

Sooyeon beamed. "Of course!"

Jisoo frowned. "That was way too easy. What are you planning?"

She just laughed, flopping onto the couch dramatically.

Jisoo sighed.

He stood up, grabbing his mug and heading to the kitchen. But as he placed it in the sink, he couldn't shake the feeling that…

Something had changed between them.

And he wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a terrible thing.

---

Later That Night

Jisoo couldn't sleep.

He stared at the ceiling, his thoughts a tangled mess.

Every time he closed his eyes, he remembered the way she looked at him.

Like he was someone important.

Like he was someone she had lost.

He turned onto his side, exhaling sharply.

"This is stupid," he muttered.

He was not the Jisoo she had loved.

So why did it feel like her words had buried themselves inside him?

His eyelids grew heavy, his mind drifting somewhere hazy, somewhere in between.

And just before he fell asleep, he heard a soft voice from the living room.

A whisper.

"I'm glad I found you again."

Jisoo's eyes fluttered open.

But when he sat up and looked toward the couch—

Sooyeon was already fast asleep.

---

Jisoo's morning felt different.

The apartment was quiet—too quiet.

For the past few days, he had gotten used to waking up to Sooyeon's presence. Whether it was the smell of something burning from her terrible cooking, her humming while brushing her hair, or the faint rustling of her moving around, she was always there.

But today?

Nothing.

Jisoo sat up in bed, rubbing his eyes. He glanced at the couch, half-expecting to see her sprawled out in his hoodie, teasing him about how cute he looked when he was half-asleep.

Instead, he found neatly folded blankets and a note resting on top.

His stomach twisted as he picked it up.

---

"You looked peaceful, so I didn't wake you.

I'm heading out for a bit. Don't miss me too much. ;)"

---

Jisoo froze.

She left?

His pulse quickened. He shot up from bed, grabbing his phone to check the time.

7:32 AM.

Where would she even go this early?

His brain raced through possibilities. Did she go out just to explore? Did she get bored? Did she—

His breath hitched.

What if she went to school?

Jisoo grabbed his hoodie and threw it on, already panicking.

---

[At School]

Jisoo practically sprinted through the hallways, ignoring the weird looks from his classmates. His heart pounded in his ears, his mind racing with worst-case scenarios.

What if she ran into someone who knew the real Sooyeon?

What if someone caught her near the school and thought she was the real one?

What if—

"Yo, Jisoo!"

Jisoo skidded to a stop, nearly crashing into Minjae and Hoon.

Minjae raised an eyebrow. "Why do you look like you just ran a marathon?"

Jisoo forced his breathing to steady. "I—uh, just woke up late."

Hoon snorted. "You? Sleeping in? That's new."

Jisoo let out a strained laugh, barely paying attention. His eyes darted across the hallway, searching for any sign of her.

Then, suddenly—

He saw her.

And his blood ran cold.

She was right there, standing by the lockers.

Sooyeon.

For a split second, Jisoo's heart nearly stopped.

But then she turned slightly, her long black hair catching the sunlight—and he realized.

It was the real Sooyeon.

Jisoo let out a sharp breath, his hands slightly trembling.

He had panicked for nothing.

Minjae followed his gaze and smirked. "Ah. So that's why you were in such a rush. Looking for Sooyeon, huh?"

Jisoo flinched. "What? No—"

Hoon elbowed him. "Dude, it's so obvious. If you like her, just go talk to her already."

Jisoo stayed silent.