For the Last TIme

April Williams is a 19 year old American girl who finds connection through gaming. To combine two of her hobbies- gaming and language learning- she live streams Korean FPS games late into the night, half-smiling through her loneliness. There, she meets Jaejin Lee, a 21 year old casual gamer, in an online match. Their chemistry is instant- playful banter, mutual curiosity, and a spark that quickly grows. Two years later, April steps off a plane in Korea, ready to begin a new life with the boy who made her feel seen from half a world away. But the dream begins to crack almost immediately. Jaejin is emotionally distant- caught up in unspoken fears and growing resentment. Their conversations become strained. Her attempts to connect fall flat. On their anniversary, after yet another night alone, April takes her life. Jaejin is devastated but then he wakes up. It’s the same morning. April is alive. She greets him with a smile and breakfast, like nothing ever happened. Until it happens again. And again. Each time she dies, the day resets. Sometimes she’s silent. Sometimes she’s smiling. Sometimes she's straight angry. But it always starts and ends the same. Jaejin tries everything- being kind, being cruel, pretending nothing is wrong, trying to “save” her, but the loop never changes. As the loops blur together, he begins to lose track of time, and of himself. Until one day, he doesn’t fight it. He accepts the day for what it is and decides to simply be with her, fully present, for however long he has. They walk to a nearby park. She’s quieter now. Tired. She rests her head on his shoulder and says it’s the first time she’s felt okay in a while. Then, she passes peacefully in his arms. Jaejin doesn’t scream this time. He doesn’t run. Instead, he writes her a letter. The next morning, there is no knock. No reset. No April. The loop has ended.