Echo of Love
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.
