Extra Chapter 1
Sammy woke early, the pale morning light slipping through the curtains as she prepared for her classes. She had enrolled in additional courses, filling her days with structure, something solid to anchor her drifting thoughts.
“Breakfast is ready, Sammy!” Mae’s voice echoed from downstairs.
She smiled faintly. The warmth in that call still felt unreal. For seven years, she had dreamed of being called like that; softly, affectionately, as if she truly belonged somewhere.
Bear was gone, but in his absence, he had left her with his parents. Now she lived with them, and they treated her as if she were their own daughter. Her habits were uncannily similar to their son’s, Dean’s and they often said it felt as if he had never truly left. They remembered her preferences without asking, cooked what she liked, laughed at the things he used to laugh at.
His father loved football, and she sat beside him during matches, their voices overlapping as they argued about teams and players. His mother spoiled her endlessly, preparing her favorite dishes and watching her eat as if feeding her were a sacred ritual.
Sammy had started a part-time job, but Mae and Po refused to let her spend a single coin on herself. They insisted on paying for everything; clothes, books, necessities, ignoring her protests entirely. To them, she was something precious, something they refused to lose again.
And somehow, they looked alive again.
Their health improved. Their eyes regained their shine. The house, once suffocatingly silent, now echoed with laughter and casual conversations. The walls that had absorbed grief for years now carried sound again; familiar, human, almost fragile in its happiness.
Win visited almost every day. His own temperament softened, his health improved. He smiled more, spoke more, almost like the man he used to be.
No one knew how deeply it affected him to see Dean’s parents like this. Their grief had always pierced his heart like a buried thorn, lodged too deep to remove. But now, with Sammy, they seemed whole again; calm, cheerful, breathing as if they had retrieved their lost son from death itself.
Their wedding was planned for six months later, after Sammy completed her course. They had asked Win to live with them after the wedding. He had resisted at first, he knew how strange it was … but his resolve crumbled the moment Mae’s eyes filled with tears.
He understood the truth too well. They saw Dean in Sammy. And Sammy didn’t have the heart to abandon them.
So he agreed.
Type and Ren had begun their practical lives as well, both working to gain experience. Later, they planned to move to the other capital, where Win owned another store. Ren had stubbornly refused to take over the business, but Win forced the responsibility onto him. In the end, Ren agreed, reluctantly. Their marriage was planned after Win and Sammy’s.
Pearl had left with Gem. Win was genuinely happy for them. The light in Gem’s eyes was something he had not seen in years. Pearl shone, true to her name and Type spoke to her daily through calls, their laughter traveling through wires and screens.
Everything had settled.
Win thought it was a dream finally fulfilled. Dean had gone, but in death, he had given them peace. A twisted, fragile peace.
Sammy came downstairs and sat at the dining table. Mae handed her a glass of her favorite milkshake. She took a long sip, savoring it as if it were proof that this life was real.
“That’s wonderful, Mae,” She said, drinking greedily.
“She is always wonderful,” Po said with a gentle smile. “That’s why everything she makes turns out wonderful.” He teased her lightly.
They laughed together.
Then, the doorbell rang.
Mae stood up and went to open the door.
“I’m sorry, I’m late,” Win said softly as he stepped inside.
“Oh no, you came right on time. Look! Breakfast is ready,” Mae said, sliding a plate toward him.
Win took a seat and began eating. After the first bite, he paused, his eyes lighting up.
“Mmm… that’s wonderful.”
A burst of laughter filled the room. Win blinked in surprise, staring at them.
“What? Did I miss something?” He asked, amused.
“Nothing,” Sammy said between laughs. “I said the exact same thing when I tasted the milkshake.”
“Ohh,” Win chuckled, shaking his head.
“Yeah. Everything is wonderful here,” He added lightly, though something unreadable flickered in his eyes.
“And most of all, your Mae is wonderful,” Po teased again.
Mae shot him a warning look, but it quickly dissolved into laughter. The room felt normal; warm, loud and alive again.
They finished breakfast together, as they did every morning. Win had taken it upon himself to pick Sammy up and drop her off wherever she needed to go. It had quietly become his responsibility, one, he never questioned.
They left the house while Mae and Po stood at the doorway, blessing them with gentle smiles. Po draped an arm around Mae’s shoulders as they watched the two of them walk away, their figures slowly disappearing beyond the gate.
Life had become… Wonderful.
After dropping Sammy at the institute, Win headed straight to his store. Business was thriving; the place buzzed with customers and profit. On the surface, everything was finally falling into place, and for once, he allowed himself to feel… content.
He called Ren out of habit, asking about him and Type. After a light, ordinary conversation, he hung up. Life seemed to be back on track.
In the afternoon, something urgent came up. He called Sammy, informing her that he wouldn’t be able to pick her up in the evening.
Sammy assured him she’d be fine and told him to focus on his work. Win smiled at her gentle concern. She never wanted to burden anyone, always careful, always considerate.
By exactly half past seven, he was done. Thoughts of Sammy crept into his mind as he packed up, gave Chui a few instructions, and left the store.
It was ten minutes to eight when he reached her institute. Normally, she got off at nine, but tonight was special they had planned a date. At her old restaurant.
He sat in the car, watching the entrance. Then he saw her.
She stepped out of the building, smiling, waving at him. She glanced around before stepping onto the road.
Win’s lips curved into a soft smile.
And then…
A car tore through the street at full speed and slammed into her.
Her body lifted off the ground like a broken doll, thrown into the air by the violent impact. Time fractured.
Win’s eyes widened, his mind refusing to process what he was seeing.
Another car was speeding toward him but he didn’t notice at all as all his attention was on Sammy.
Tires screeched.
Metal screamed.
He looked in front of him with shock. His hands froze on the steering wheel as the world rushed toward him. He couldn’t move.
The collision came with brutal force.
And then …
Darkness swallowed him whole.
Tring… Tring… Tring…
He woke up abruptly to the ringtone. His phone was ringing nonstop, and his breathing was heavy as memories of the accident flooded his mind.
Sammy…
That single name hit his mind hard.
Tring… Tring… Tring…
He looked at his phone and quickly grabbed it.
“Phi! Ren hasn’t come home from school yet. I’ve been calling you for ages. His phone is switched off. I can’t reach him.”
The panicked voice echoed in his ears.
What? Ren… school?
“Who are you?” He asked.
“I’m Vee, Phi. What happened to you? Don’t you recognize me?” The person on the other side sounded shocked.
Vee…
He was their first cousin who had stayed with Ren when he was living with Dean in his condo. But he had gone to Australia long ago. And Ren… Ren had already finished school and was working in another province.
What is going on?
“Phi! Phi! Are you listening to me?” Vee called again.
“Ahh… y-yeah… I’m listening… what… what did you say?” He stammered, visibly confused.
As Vee repeated himself, Win looked around.
What?
Where was he?
This was his office, but… the interior was different. He had changed it with Sammy’s advice, but this was the old design.
He observed himself. No sign of accident. He was completely fine.
What is going on?
“Vee… I’ll talk to you later,” He said.
“But Phi, Ren …”
“It’s okay. I’ll find him. Don’t worry,” He said and hung up.
Then he looked at his phone.
July 1, 2022.
What?
That was the same date Ren had been kidnapped by Jack.
Ren…
His first thought was about Ren. He stood up at once.
“Mr. Win!”
His manager walked in. Win looked at him in astonishment. It was the same man, but his hairstyle was old. He looked younger.
As his manager tried to say something, Win interrupted, “Ai’Chui, what is the date today?”
“Huh…?” The manager was startled.
“What is the date today?” He repeated.
“July 1, 2022.”
Win sat down heavily on the chair.
July 1, 2022.
“What happened, sir?” Chui asked, nervous by his reaction.
“I have to go…” Win stood up quickly. If he was thinking right, then he had returned five years back. He had to see what was going on. “Just take care of everything here, okay?”
“Okay,” Chui replied.
Win left the room quickly. He called Gem on the way. The call connected with difficulty. He told him to come to Ren’s school and hung up before Gem could ask anything.
He saw those students who had misled him before and walked toward them.
“Did you say Type?” Win asked.
“Who are you?” One of the boys replied with clear annoyance. He was the same one who had spoken to him rudely in his past life.
“I am Ren’s brother. He hasn’t come home yet. Do you know where he went?” Win asked calmly.
The boys exchanged glances. This time, Win clearly saw the craftiness in their eyes.
“Yes, we know him. He left with Type and Dean,” One of them said.
Win stared at him intently. This was the boy who had deceived him before, making him wrongly accuse Dean.
“Seriously? Are you sure he was with Type and Dean, and not with Pom and Jack?” Win crossed his arms over his chest.
The color drained from their faces.
“W-What… Who are you? What do you want?” One of them stammered.
“I already told you. I’m Ren’s brother, and I want to know where Ren is,” Win repeated.
The boys straightened, becoming alert. At that moment, Gem arrived in his car with several men.
Win glanced at them. He recognized those men, the ones who had assaulted Dean in his condo in his past life. His blood boiled, but he restrained himself. If they were still fine, it meant the damage had not been done yet. Fate had given him another chance.
The men noticed his cold, hostile gaze and grew uneasy, not understanding why Win was looking at them like that.
The students sensed something was wrong. They grabbed their bags and tried to run away, but Gem was faster. He ordered his men to catch them.
They were quickly restrained, and under pressure, they spilled everything.
Jack and Pom had kidnapped Ren. They were currently in an abandoned factory.
Without wasting another second, Win and Gem rushed toward the abandoned factory.
They called Sun on the way. Win asked him why he hadn’t called the police yet. Sun explained that no one would take a simple student seriously.
Without wasting time, Win called Arm, his friend, and asked him to bring his men to the factory. As they approached, they heard Type’s anguished cries. Both Gem and Win froze for a moment, stunned by the sound.
They moved forward cautiously and saw the horrifying scene. Type had driven a knife into his thigh and was preparing to strike the other one. Blood stained the floor, and his pain was raw and audible. Ren was sitting on a sofa, Jack draping an arm over his shoulder, trying to hold him in place.
Gem acted quickly, drawing his gun and firing at Jack’s hand. Win ran to Ren, and the situation quickly shifted. Jack’s men scrambled to defend him, clashing with Gem’s men. Amid the chaos, Win overpowered Jack and freed Ren from his grasp.
Ren rushed to Type, who lay on the floor, bloodied but still alive. The scene was intense, chaotic, yet familiar, it mirrored the past, but this time, they had arrived in time. Type’s injuries, while painful, were not as severe and too many as before.
Soon, Sun arrived with the police. Everything unfolded just as it had in his past life, but the outcome was different. Type was admitted to the hospital, and after Win spoke with his parents, he asked Ren to leave.
As expected, Ren refused. Gem didn’t comment. Win gestured for Gem to come with him. He could see the tension and upset in his friend’s eyes. Gem quietly resigned his men, and together, they left the factory.
When Win sat in Gem’s car, Gem suddenly burst out, his voice sharp with frustration. “How could you leave Ren here just like that?”
Win met his gaze calmly. “Didn’t you see what Type did for him?” He argued.
Gem’s expression hardened. “Didn’t you know what he had done to him before?”
“I just want to move on… the past is the past, Gem. If Ren chooses to forgive him, then I will stand by Ren,” Win said decisively.
“What are you saying?” Gem’s voice was incredulous. “You just let him go like that?”
Win sighed. In his past life, Gem had agreed to their relationship only because of Dean’s suffering. Whatever had been done to him had been a complete shock, and the fire of guilt had burned in their chests. That was why Gem had never commented much on Type and Ren’s relationship.
But now, Gem was only thinking of Ren; disheveled, broken, and traumatized after the assault. He wasn’t thinking of Type’s remorse or intentions.
Win remained silent. He couldn’t tell Gem the truth, that he now trusted Type’s sincerity, that he knew Dean and Type had not been wrong. They were guilty, yes, but they had also tried to make amends for their past mistakes.
This time, all Win wanted was to return to his condo. He needed to see the gentle, familiar figure alive. He needed to see him…
Dean.
Author’s Note:
A huge thank you to everyone following along on this journey! Your feedback keeps me motivated and is incredibly helpful as I continue writing and posting new chapters. Please take a second to leave a comment and let me know your favorite part of this chapter, I’d love to hear what you think!
