Ch. 19
Borrowed Youth
For the first time since she woke up in this world, she didn't rush to school, didn't pretend to be the perfect daughter, and didn't care about what people whispered behind her back.
Today was hers.
Dressed casually in a cream blouse and denim skirt, she slipped out of the house after convincing her mother that she just needed "fresh air."
Her panda eyes were mostly gone, thanks to cold compresses and sheer vanity.
She ended up at a small café near the city park. The scent of roasted coffee beans and soft jazz music wrapped around her like a blanket. She chose a corner seat by the window, sipping her caramel latte as she stared outside. The normalcy of it all felt almost strange.
"This feels too peaceful," she muttered under her breath, tapping her pen against her notebook.
"Which means something's about to ruin it."
Old habits die hard.
The CEO in her refused to relax so instead, she began scribbling notes again.
"Love's Illusion – rewritten version," she wrote at the top.
"Main plot: heroine and male lead fall in love, second male lead causes tension, villainess ruins everything."
Her pen paused.
"Except," she murmured, "I'm not that villainess anymore."
For a few seconds, she actually smiled.
It felt good to say that out loud. Maybe she could live differently now enjoy simple things, meet new people, maybe even—
Her thoughts were cut short by the low hum of conversation at the nearby table. Two middle-aged men in suits were deep in discussion, their voices low but serious.
"I heard Montclair Manufacturing is planning a merger with Valen Industries," one said.
"Really? I thought that deal was still confidential."
"Not for long. Apparently, one of the young heir Jaxen Montclair is already in talks with Mr. Valen's team."
Yuna froze.
Her hand tightened around her cup.
Jaxen Montclair?
She replayed his image in her mind the sharp jawline, the quiet confidence, the way his eyes seemed to see right through her.
So, he wasn't just a "minor side character."
"Wow," she whispered, sarcasm dripping from her tone.
"Of course the universe wouldn't let me have one peaceful day."
She looked down at her notebook again, tapping the page with her pen.
"Note to self: Jaxen Montclair possible hidden lead? Unknown role. Approach with caution."
She sighed, slumped in her chair, and took another sip of coffee.
"This is exactly why I don't do peaceful mornings."
Outside the café, the city buzzed with life cars, laughter, a light breeze tugging at the trees.
But inside, Selene formerly Yuna the CEO, now the rewritten villainess smiled to herself.
Maybe this was the beginning of a new chapter after all.
After finishing her coffee, Selene decided that sulking over fictional men and half-read plots wasn't exactly productive.
If she was truly going to live as Selene Valen, she might as well live properly.
And so, instead of heading home, her steps took her somewhere unexpected, the city amusement park.
Bright colors.
Laughter.
The scent of popcorn and sugar in the air. It was loud, chaotic... and strangely comforting.
Selene smiled faintly as she walked through the entrance, her hands tucked in her pockets. It had been years, maybe more than a decade since she'd last gone anywhere remotely "fun."
Her life before had been full of deadlines, strategy meetings, and profit charts. Here, the only thing that mattered was how fast a carousel spun.
"This is ridiculous," she muttered, though the small curve on her lips betrayed her amusement.
"I'm too old for this."
Then she remembered, she wasn't twenty-eight anymore.
At least not in this world.
She was nineteen.
She could do whatever she wanted.
And so, she did.
She tried the ring toss (missed twice, hit once, still smug about it). She rode the Ferris wheel alone, watching the skyline glow beneath the afternoon sun.
And when she passed a group of little kids gathered around a dart booth, she stopped to watch.
"Five tickets if you hit the center!" the vendor shouted.
The kids groaned as their darts flew wildly off-target. Selene tilted her head.
"That's just bad aim," she murmured, almost instinctively analyzing their posture like a boardroom mistake.
One of the boys noticed her.
"Miss, do you wanna try? Bet you can't hit it either!"
Her brow arched and that was all it took.
The CEO in her, woke up.
"Oh? A bet, huh?" she said, taking a dart between her fingers.
"Let's make it interesting."
The kids leaned forward, intrigued.
"If I hit the center," Yuna continued with a playful smirk, "you all have to give me your cotton candy."
"And if you miss?" one of the girls challenged.
"Then I'll buy everyone here a cone." Yuna's smirk widened.
The children exchanged excited glances and nodded.
"Deal!"
Selene stepped back, squinting her eyes slightly calculating distance, angle, wind.
Her old negotiation face sharp and confident returned without warning.
The dart flew.
Right at the center.
The kids gasped.
The vendor blinked.
And Selene, grinning like a satisfied stockholder, held out her hand.
"Well?" she said, mock-serious. "I believe we had an agreement."
Laughter erupted around her. The children handed over their cotton candy, giggling as Yuna took exaggerated, dramatic bites.
"You're a cheater!" one of them said between laughs.
"Correction," Yuna replied. "I'm just experienced in winning."
As the sun began to dip below the skyline, painting the park in golden hues, Yuna found herself sitting on a bench pink cotton candy in hand, hair slightly tousled from the wind. For the first time again since waking up in this strange, borrowed life...
No business meetings.
No boardroom politics.
No tragic novel scripts to follow.
Just laughter, warmth, and the weightless joy of being young again.
She looked at the sky and smiled softly.
"Selene," she whispered.
"I'll make new memories for you. I promise."