Kamal sat in his old car, staring at the phone beside him.The screen was still lit. The message was still there.
"You were just a side character in my life. I'm sorry."
That one line crushed him more than anything else ever had.He had loved her. Three years of waiting, talking, planning their future. All gone with one message. Just like that.
No anger. No crying. He just leaned his head back and closed his eyes.
Something inside him felt… empty.
He didn't even feel like he was inside his body anymore. His thoughts were floating far away, as if none of this was real.
For the first time, he stopped caring.
Kamal took his foot off the brake.The car rolled forward, heading for the edge of the small bridge. The water below was dark and quiet, like it was waiting to take him in.
And then—everything stopped.
But it wasn't water he felt next.There was no crash.No sound,just silence.
When he opened his eyes, the world had changed.
Kamal wasn't in the car.He was standing in a clean hallway filled with lockers. Students in uniform walked by, laughing and talking. Bright sunlight came through the windows. A school bell rang in the distance.
Where the hell am I? he thought.
He looked down. He was wearing a school uniform. His hands looked younger. His reflection in a glass door showed a teenage face.
A voice appeared in his head.
[You have died.
You were full of pain, so you were chosen.
This is your second life.
Take what they took from you.
Break the story they wrote.]
Kamal's heart raced.Then he heard a girl's laugh.
He turned—and saw her.
Long silver hair. A soft smile. She walked past him, holding a folder. Three other girls were around her, chatting, laughing.
Her name hit him instantly: Elara Moon.
She wasn't from his world. She was from a manga. A romance story he used to read when he couldn't sleep.
In that story, Elara falls in love with the hero—Leo Hart.
And Leo was walking right down the hall.
Kamal froze.
He remembered this scene.This exact one. It was the first moment Elara and Leo met. She drops her music folder. He picks it up. They look into each other's eyes. Destiny begins.
But something had changed.
Kamal was standing in the wrong place.He was blocking the moment.Suddenly, his vision lit up.
[Thread Detected: Elara Moon ↔ Leo Hart]
First meeting begins in 10 seconds.
Would you like to break it?
[YES] [NO]
He blinked.
"What is this...?" Kamal whispered.
Another screen appeared in front of his eyes, floating like glass.
[You have 1 chance today to change fate.
Disrupt a romantic moment. Take someone else's place.
Use your pain. Use your anger. Hijack their love.]
And right then, Elara tripped.
Her folder slipped from her hands.Leo stepped forward to catch it.
But Kamal moved faster.He bent down, picked it up, and stood face to face with her.
Their eyes met.
[Fated Moment Disrupted. +10 Points]
New Thread Formed: Elara Moon → Kamal Vale
Keep talking. Lock the bond.]
"Are you okay?" he asked, holding the folder.
Elara blinked. "Oh! Thank you…"
She paused. Looked at him a little longer.
Then smiled.
"I haven't seen you before. What class are you in?"
Kamal's chest tightened.
He was supposed to be a background character.But now… she was looking at him like he mattered.For once in his life, he wasn't the side character.
Kamal followed Elara into the music room without even realizing it.His legs moved on their own.
His head was spinning, not from nerves—but from whatever the hell had just happened out there in the hallway. She had smiled at him. Looked into his eyes like they meant something. That wasn't supposed to happen.
He knew this manga. This school. This storyline. And in this world?
He was a nobody.Worse than a side character. He was the failed comic relief—appeared in five chapters, tried to confess to a girl, and got friend-zoned so badly the fandom forgot his name.
But now?
She remembered his face.
[Hijack Thread Active]
New path formed: Elara Moon → Kamal Vale
Chance of rejection: 92.4%
Time limit to secure emotional bond: 6 hours
Kamal stopped walking.
Six hours?
Warning: If emotional response isn't triggered within timeframe, the stolen thread will snap.
You will lose this route permanently.
He sat down on a bench near the piano and looked around. The music room smelled like soft wood and perfume. Sunlight poured in through the big windows. Elara was sitting nearby, humming while flipping through sheet music.
Kamal didn't speak. He was too busy trying to breathe.
This wasn't just a dream.
He had a system inside his head. One that let him break stories. Steal the girls fate said were never meant for him.
It was called…
[Heartbreak Hijack System Activated]
Mission: Break predestined bonds. Hijack love before it blooms.
Rule 1: You cannot use force, threats, or power.
Rule 2: They must choose you willingly.
Rule 3: You may only keep what you can hold.
He swallowed hard. His mouth was dry.
Just then, Elara turned around.
"You're new, right?" she asked with a curious look.
He blinked. "Uh, yeah. First day."
She smiled. "I could tell. Most people don't look that lost unless they're running from math class."
He smiled back, trying to calm himself.
"What's your name?" she asked.
"Kamal."
"Pretty name. Not common here."
He nodded.
Elara tilted her head. "You play anything?"
"Huh?"
She pointed at the piano.
"Oh. Uh. A little."
"Then play," she said simply.
Her eyes sparkled with challenge.
Kamal sat down at the keys. His fingers hovered above them.In real life, he used to play when he was sad. Only simple tunes. No training. No skill.
So he picked one of those sad songs now. Just a soft melody. The kind you hum when everything feels like it's falling apart and as he played, the system pulsed again.
[Emotional Response Detected. Thread strength increased. Rejection chance: 78.2%]
When he finished, Elara looked thoughtful.
"That was really pretty," she said.
He nodded, still quiet.
She watched him for another few seconds before saying softly, "You look like someone who's been hurt."
That made him pause.
She didn't ask for details. Didn't try to comfort him. She just let the words hang in the air like something too fragile to touch.
[Bond formed. New flag unlocked: Shared Pain]
Path Update: Elara will now seek emotional understanding from you.
Kamal sat there, staring at the keys, unsure what to say next and then she stood up.
"Well," Elara said brightly, "I like you, Kamal. Don't disappear like the others."
He looked up.
"What?"
She winked. "This school eats people. They show up, say a few nice things… and vanish. Be the guy who stays."
Then she walked out.
Leaving him with a racing heart and a thread glowing softly between their souls.
To be continued...