THE SECOND HEROINE || extraordinary you ff

10. Explanations, Again...

I suddenly feel like I'm watching a scene from a K-Drama unfolding right in front of me. 

As Danoh ran inside the cafeteria and to where the blonde chief would be at, I saw Jinmichae quickly hiding behind the counter when seeing Danoh. The shorter girl let go of my arm and I walked around freely while quietly laughing to myself. I had then decided to just let Danoh do her business with Jinmichae while I started my search for some popcorn. Just when I was about to open one of the cupboards in the kitchen, I saw Jinmichae sitting on top of the counter out of nowhere.

"If you have time to spare, can you give me a hand?" The older guy asked, changing the topic while grabbing a bowl full of flour and eggs.

I sighed and thought to myself, "Why not just tell her everything? Like, with what you did to me?"

Danoh then gave Jinmichae a glare and said, "So, you won't give me the answers to my questions?"

Jinmichae looked at me and back at Danoh who groaned in irritation.

She then ran off to who knows where leaving me and Jinmichae behind. 

I then heard my older friend say, "She's more quick-witted than I thought."

I shook my head as I continued on with my search for popcorn. I finally found the closed bag of cheese popcorn and took it before Jinmichae could stop me. But then I felt a warm presence behind me and I knew instantly that I had been caught.

"What were you doing with Eun Danoh earlier?" Jinmichae asked as I turned around.

"We both were in a stage a few days ago and after it ended, we both noticed that everyone froze and heard pages being flipped. Then we both were sent into different stages after that. I wasn't able to see Danoh for at least three days. Then I was in the classroom for a short scene today and when the class finished, Danoh wanted to talk to me. We both talked outside on the bridge where we both saw the black hole and you staring at it."

After explaining, I took a deep breath in and out. 

Then Jinmichae gently took the closed bag of popcorn from me and said, "Try not to hang out too much with her. Okay?"

I looked at him in confusion and asked, "Why? What's wrong with hanging out with Danoh? You do know that I'll be having lots and lots of stages with her in the future, right?"

"I know," Jimmichae answers while placing the closed bag of popcorn inside the microwave. "But... I just can't... I don't want to lose you, Ara."

What in the world is this guy talking about now?

"I'm not sure why you're acting like this, Jimmi, but I don't think the Writer can give me a sickness like Danoh's heart disease. This Manhwa would then turn into a tragic story if that ever happens."

I heard Jinmichae sigh before pressing the 1-minute button on the microwave two times and the 30 seconds button one time. Then Jinmichae went back to his work. I walked over to one of the stools near the kitchen island and sat down. I quietly waited for the microwave to finish, so that I can get my cheese popcorn and look for Danoh without Jinmichae knowing. 

2 minutes and 30 seconds later, I was now standing in front of the microwave when Jinmichae spoke up, "Ara, I'll be back in a few."

 I looked away from my cheese popcorn and saw the blonde guy carrying a metal basket with vegetables in it. Jinmichae then started to walk to the storage room and I took this time to place the cheese popcorn inside an empty bowl.

"Psst! Psst!" I stopped with what I was doing and turned around. 

I see Eun Danoh on the other side of the kitchen with a determined look on her face.

"Go ahead," I told her while nodding my head towards the comic book on the counter.

Danoh looks at me in surprise. "Seriously?"

I smiled at her. "Before he comes back. Do it quickly."

The short-haired girl with bangs then ran to the side of the counter and grabbed the comic book with both of her hands. I just watched her in amusement while eating my cheese popcorn, but after a few seconds, I noticed the change of expression on Danoh's face.

"Danoh? Are you o-" But I was cut off when she gasped out loud, "Wait... Is this... Me?" 

Then she drops the comic book. 

It landed on the floor and I saw Jinmichae walking inside the kitchen. I gulped in panic and placed the bowl of cheese popcorn away. Then Jinmichae picks the comic book and looks at me in disappointment. I mentally sighed and looked away before looking back at Danoh, who is still in shock.

"Goodness, you saw this," Jinmichae calmly says to Danoh.

Then Danoh looks at him with another set of glare. "You pervert."

Jimmichae looked at her in surprise and said, looking offended, "That's too harsh."

I grabbed the bowl of cheese popcorn and continued to eat as I watched a real-life Tom & Jerry happen right in front of me. Danoh had tried to snatch the comic book away from Jinmichae, but the older guy pulled it away from her. I took a few more popcorn and ate it before walking over towards the two.

"What is in that comic book, is me? Isn't it?" Danoh pushes on with teary eyes.

"I'm sorry, but you're wrong," Jinmichae exclaims and turns around almost bumping into me.

He didn't bother to look at me and I didn't bother to either. I could tell that I was going to get another scolding from him and I was already planning to give him the cold shoulder later on. 

"Wait!" Danoh called out while running to the front of Jinmichae. "You can see the future, too?"

"Future?" I asked in surprise. "Danoh... You can see the next stages of Secret?"

"I can see the future, ever since I touched that book," She answered my question while looking between me and Jinmichae. 

Then she continued on, "And that hole... You, Ara and I were the only ones who saw it."

"Calm down," Jinmichae exclaims with a forced smile. "Why don't you hear me out first?"

"Finally!" I spoke up, earning a quick death glare from my older friend. 

I faked a cough and walked out of the kitchen, back into the cafeteria where there is a table with an item of green clothing on it. 

"Well, if you're going to explain to Danoh, then at least let her take a seat," I added in gently.

Then I sat down on a chair and the other two followed. 

Danoh sat in front of me and Jimmichae beside me. 

"Looks like he's not that angry at me," I thought. 

But then Jinmichae tells me, "Sit beside Danoh." 

I sighed and did what I was told to do. Then I looked at Jinmichae with an 'are-you-happy' look and he forced another sweet smile at me.

"We aren't humans," He started with a calm tone, unlike the last time when he first explained it to me.

 Then Danoh nods her head, quite seriously. I noticed how the two had the same positions. Their hands clasped together on top of the table like they were praying and their eyes showed some seriousness. I had then wondered where the box that Jinmichae and I made earlier this morning went to.

Then Jinmichae pushes the comic book Secret towards Danoh. 

"What you're feeling is the gap between the scenes," he continues on while waving his left hand on top of one of the pages in the comic book. "You didn't fall asleep, but you're living in the next day. You don't remember coming to school, but you're at school." 

Then Jinmichae stood up and looked at me as if asking me to continue on for him. 

I sighed again and said while looking at the comic book, "A few days passed by in a blink of an eye. You wouldn't usually feel it, but once you gain consciousness like me and Jinmi, you start to become aware of the gap."

"Then!" Jinmichae cuts in with a snap of his fingers. "You end up thinking that you lost your memories."

"So, this isn't amnesia?" Danoh asked herself.

"Nope," I answered. 

Then Jinmichae adds in, "This is..." 

"This is?" Danoh asked after moving towards the table, curiosity getting on her nerves.

I then cringed when I saw Jinmichae take a step back and raise his arms up like he's presenting something. "THE WORLD OF MANHWAS!" 

I shook my head at him and wondered why he was the first one to be aware of himself. 

Then Danoh mutters under her breath, "What a lunatic." 

"I am getting bashed on quite often today," Jinmichae exclaims out loud with another sigh. "I think I've lived longer than the Writer had intended."

I rolled my eyes at him while Danoh savagely said to herself, "I'm such a fool for hearing him out."

Then Danoh stood up and tried to walk away, but I stopped her by running to her front. 

"He may be a fool," I protectively said. "But he's telling the truth." 

I went back to the table and grabbed the comic book, getting another headache when I touched it. 

Then I went back to Danoh and showed it to her again. "You're a character in this comic book. Technically, we all are."

Then Danoh looks back at Jinmichae and slowly said, "So, you're saying that this world I'm living in is the world of comics and I'm a character."

I looked over at Jinmichae and told him, "I'm getting a headache here."

Jinmichae points his thumb over at the fridge in the kitchen and looks over at Danoh, who was still talking, "Despite being a character, I've become aware of myself. So, every time the scene changes, my memory gets cut off."

I decided to let the two talk this over again while I went back inside the kitchen. I opened the fridge and saw the extra glasses of chocolate milk. I took one out and walked to the microwave. I placed the glass of chocolate milk inside and pushed the 30-seconds button once. Then I closed the microwave door and pressed the start button. 

"Exactly!" Jinmichae said, this time sounding relieved.

"Thank you for your insane babbling!" Danoh exclaims while I opened the microwave and take the now hot chocolate milk. 

I took a quick sip and went back to the two, but Danoh was already walking towards the doors of the cafeteria. 

Jinmichae stopped her before she could get away by placing his hand on the doorframe and said, "I expected this reaction. I doubted you'd believe me. We're strangers, so we lack trust in each other."

Danoh gave him an irritated look and asked me, "You believe him?"

"Yes, I believe him. Plus, I've known since the mock exam," I answered softly while taking another sip from the hot chocolate milk.

Then Danoh glares at Jinmichae and growled, "Get lost."

"Okay." Jinmichae pulls his hand away from the doorframe and Danoh opens the door, leaving again. "Gosh, she intimidated me just now."

"Well, that went well," I spoke up, earning a 'be-quiet' look.

Then Jinmichae told me, "Wait here." 

And shouted to Danoh while running out of the cafeteria, "Danoh, just hear me out!"

Then I heard the pages being flipped again and I looked over at the comic book. I see two new blank pages with a bright light being shown on it.

"A new stage again?" I asked while walking over towards the table. 

Then I placed the glass of hot chocolate milk down and picked the comic book up, my headache coming back. Then flashes of blurry images went through my mind. I held onto the comic book tightly and gasped when the blurry images started to become clearer.

"You will be the Crown Princess, don't worry, Seol," a familiar voice spoke up.

I sighed while shaking my head. "It's not like that, Danoh. I'm just... What about the Second Prince? What would he say when he finds out that I'm in the Queen Selection Process?"

"Huh? Danoh?" I muttered under my breath as my vision went back to normal. "What did I just see?"