- Chapter 1
- Last time around, he married me to fulfill his
- brother’s dying wish, but he never touched
- me.
- Not until he died.
- His letter, written before his last mission,
- said: “Next life, could you meet me first?“. That’s when I realized the depth of love hidden beneath his quiet exterior.
- I woke up eight years in the past, finding him still in college.
- His eyes held a suppressed joy, but his voice
- was cold: “So, how am I supposed to help you chase my brother this time?”
- 1
- The last time I saw Jake was at his funeral.
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- The last time I saw Jake was at his funeral.
- Even after the restorative work, his face
- lacked its usual vigor.
- I remembered him as a tall, handsome man,
- but now he looked lifeless, like a rag doll.
- After numbly attending to his affairs, I
- received his belongings.
- Among them was a letter.
- I knew they always wrote letters before
- missions.
- If they didn’t return, the letters became their last words.
- I opened it; it contained only one sentence:
- “Next life, could you meet me first?”
- There was also a diary.
- It chronicled his teenage crush, and the truth
- about his brother’s car accident.
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- After learning everything,
- I revealed my relationship with Jake to clear
- his name of stealing his brother’s girlfriend.
- In the end, I was targeted by criminals and
- died on a rainy night.
- 2
- When I opened my eyes again, 20–year–old
- Jake stood before me.
- Suppressed joy flickered in his eyes, yet he
- spoke coldly:
- “So, how am I supposed to help you chase my
- brother this time?”
- In the past life, I often asked him for help in
- pursuing his brother.
- He always wore a stern face but still granted
- my requests.
- He was a master of concealing his feelings;
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- even after five years together, I never
- suspected his affection.
- Had it not been for his diary filled with my
- name, I would have never known his love for
- me since high school.
- I’m grateful to be back.
- This was my third time asking Jake for help.
- The first two times, he refused, finally
- relenting only when I was near tears.
- His excuse: “You’re my classmate; being my sister–in–law would be awkward.”
- In his diary, he wrote: “She’s the one I love. If she becomes my sister–in–law, how am I supposed to live the rest of my life?”
- Despite this, he chose his own pain over my
- sorrow.
- So, he agreed again.
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- Jake frowned, his voice tinged with
- helplessness: “Fine, I’ll help. Why are you
- crying?”
- Warm fingers wiped away my tears.
- “I said I’d help, so why are you crying even
- more?”
- Through tear–filled eyes, I asked: “Will you
- grant any request?”
- He stiffened, “Yeah.”
- “Even if it’s difficult?”
- “Yeah.”
- “Then, can I be your girlfriend?”
- “Yeah.” He froze. “What did you say?”
- I sniffled: “You promised. Jake, I’m your girlfriend now.”
- He studied me calmly: “Trying to use me to get to my brother?”
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- “Forget it; he doesn’t like you. It won’t work.”
- I was stunned.
- Remembering my recent declaration of affection for his brother, I felt a pang of
- regret.
- I took his hand, “Jake, I’ve always loved you.
- Chasing your brother was just a way to get closer to you. You understand?”
- Jake, always composed, had become even
- more reserved since attending police academy.
- But I felt him stiffen at my words.
- His lips were tight: “Don’t play games with me.”
- My eyes welled up. After three years of marriage, I had developed feelings for Jake. I tried to be nice, to break the ice, but he
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- rationally rejected me.
- He didn’t want me to regret it.
- Later, when I confessed, he was silent for a
- long time, then said the same thing: “Sarah, don’t play games with me.”
- Again, he awkwardly wiped my tears, “How are you going to confess to my brother like
- this?”
- I held his hand, “Jake, I pursued my brother to get close to you, you understand?”
- He didn’t.
- Under my earnest gaze, he nervously pulled away, making an excuse and running.
