Chapter Text
January 12th, 2025. New loop.
Go down the street and turn right, keep walking until you reach the market and turn left until you reach the bus stop, then take the bus and get off on the seventh stop. Finally, walk up the street and turn right. That's the route Seungmin always takes to go back to his house, or at least the fastest way he found during these five years. However, that day Seungmin decided to try another route, just to see if it was faster. There was no way a simple left turn would change anything.
Seungmin was confident he wasn't going to get lost, he recognized the part of the city he was in.
Until he didn't.
—I can't believe I got lost —he thought, taking another turn to the right, hoping to go back the way he came from—… I would've taken the bus by now… Why did I even bother…?
He was starting to get nervous. The city looked like a maze, he couldn't find the way back to his school either. The fact that he got lost between several alleys made everything worse. Suddenly, with another right turn, Seungmin made it out to the main street. His house was just two streets down, meaning he saved about five minutes of travelling trying that new route.
—I'm not taking this route ever again —Seungmin thought, sitting in a bench to relax for a bit.
When Seungmin finally calmed down, he realized someone else was sitting in that bench.
—Ayen? —he asked.
—… Oh, sorry, are you talking to me? —the other person said.
—W-well, you are Ayen.
—… I'm Jeongin… Sorry, if we know each other I don't remember it…
—… What?
—I, uh, was in a car accident a few months ago, hit my head pretty badly… I lost my memories because of that…
—Oh… I'm Seungmin, we've been friends since, well, always. I moved a few years ago but came back last year…
—Seungmin… Were we in the same baseball team… during middle school?
—Yeah!
—Oh, wow, that's the first time I've remembered something nice… And is “Ayen”, like, a nickname or something?
—Yes, I… I don't remember where it came from, but that's how I've always called you.
—Then… I'm glad we've met again!
—And what are you doing now? Are you studying or something?
—Yeah, I go to the uni downtown.
—… I study there too. How come I've never seen you?
—I go to the special needs building.
—Oh. Makes sense. Hey, would you… want to walk to class together? Or take the bus together?
—Sure! Maybe you can help me get some of my memories back… I'll see you tomorrow, then!
At that point, Seungmin went from saving five minutes to getting home half an hour later, but that didn't matter. He found a different interaction, a different timeline. Maybe it could be the one.
The next day, Seungmin was waiting for Jeongin at the bus stop, since he told him that he usually takes the bus. Jeongin arrived just in time to catch the bus, and Seungmin was waiting for him inside.
—I guess some things haven't changed —Seungmin said as Jeongin sat down.
—Was I always late for everything?
—“Late” is an understatement.
They chatted a bit about how Jeongin was during elementary and middle school, but Jeongin didn't seem to remember much.
—Hey, remember when I said that you were the first positive memory I got back? —Jeongin asked, and Seungmin nodded— I actually couldn't get those memories out of my mind… since my doctors told me I couldn't get those kinds of memories back.
—Really? Why?
—I don't really know… They said it was something related to the damage caused in my brain that made it impossible to recall good memories…
—That sounds awful…
—I can't even look at my parents without flinching… But the memory of the baseball team wasn't bad, like, at all. It was us winning a tournament or something. That's why I couldn't stop thinking about it…
—Maybe the damage got better? Or maybe it was just a temporary thing.
—Yeah, maybe…
They talked a bit more; they were about to reach their stop.
—And the accident happened here? —Seungmin asked.
—Near the police station – Jeongin replied –. I was lucky there was a hospital nearby.
—… There are no hospitals near the police station. They're in opposite parts of the city, actually.
—No, there is one. I even have a picture of it in case I forgot where it was. I'll show you in a moment, this is our stop.
Jeongin and Seungmin got off the bus and sat down to see the picture.
—See? —Jeongin showed the picture to Seungmin.
—That… building —Seungmin recognized it immediately, and that wasn't a good sign—… it's still under construction.
—What are you talking about?
—Let's go see it, it's not far from here.
—And what about class?
—You don't care about class. You never did.
—… Okay, fair.
When they arrived at the “hospital”, as expected, it was still under construction.
—But… it can't be —Jeongin said—, I was here just yesterday to get some of my meds…
—Maybe you went to the real hospital, and you're just misremembering.
—I'm not misremembering! I always check the places I go at least five times, and I'm positive I was here yesterday.
—… Can you show me the picture again?
Jeongin nodded and showed the picture to Seungmin. The symbol was unmistakable and, for him, there was only one explanation.
—Your timeline changed —Seungmin mumbled—… I wasn't supposed to find you…
—… What the fuck are you talking about?
—Oh, god, how do I explain this to you… I'm trapped in a time loop, I've already lived these next three months several times, but I'd never found you before, and that must've changed something in the timeline…
—… Okay, listen, I could believe that we've been friends before my accident and stuff, but that? A time loop? I'm not that gaslightable.
—I'm not lying! Look, have my phone for a second and check my notifications. I turned the volume down and everything.
—Uh-
—I'm going to get an update on the weather: 19 degrees, cloudy with a chance of rain. Then my mom is going to send a message: “Did you make it safely”, and right after she's going to add the question mark because she forgot it. And lastly a private number is going to call me. Don't pick it up, it's spam. Or, well, you can pick it up and check.
—… What? How did… how did you do that?
—I know what's going to happen, I've already experienced it. Several times. Do you believe me now?
—I mean… I have to… Is all of this related to the hospital?
—I think so, that symbol is from a group… Well… I don't know how to call them, but they're not like us.
Jeongin was still looking at the building under construction, hoping to get some answers for everything that was happening. Suddenly, he got a flashback; it was short, but he managed to understand what was said: “Just make sure he doesn't come across the other boy, he still needs to come here to get the pills… No, no, they won't cure his memory loss, they'll allow us to examine him”.
—And they are behind my memory loss —Jeongin blurted out—. W-well, not behind it, but they're the reason I only remember bad things.
—Really? Did you remember something?
—Yeah, someone was talking about how they couldn't let me find you… but they kinda failed at that.
—Not quite, finding you took me five years.
—You've been trapped in the loop for five years?! I'm going to help you stop them.
—You don't need to do that, Ayen.
—No, it's fine. I bet they already know we found each other.
—Y-yeah, they do.
Seungmin had spotted a group of people looking at them, and he could see them approaching them.
With guns.
—Ayen, we need to run. Now.
The armed people started shooting at them, so Seungmin grabbed Jeongin's hand and started to run. Seungmin was focused on running, but Jeongin noticed something else.
—Wh-why isn't anyone else running?! —Jeongin asked, avoiding getting shot as best as he could.
—They stopped time, if you haven't noticed yet they can do whatever they want with it.
After running for a while, they made it to the forest; even if they stopped hearing gunshots, time was still frozen, and Seungmin was still running. Finally, they made it to what seemed to be an abandoned house, and stayed inside for a few minutes. When Seungmin looked outside, he saw the leaves and the branches move because of the wind, a signal that time was running again.
—Are we safe here? —Jeongin asked, catching his breath.
—Yes, for some reason they can't come here, I still haven't figured out why.
—Man, if I knew that meeting you again would've made me almost get killed… again…
—Wh-who are you…? —someone asked.
While Seungmin and Jeongin were talking, someone that was inside the house heard them and went to check.
—… This is awkward —Seungmin said—, the other times this place was empty…
—Maybe it has to do with the change in the timeline? —Jeongin asked— No one was here before because they didn't exist in your timeline.
—Oh, that's probably it. Hey, you got it pretty quickly.
—Can you please tell me who you are? – the person asked.
—Right, sorry… I'm Seungmin, he's Ayen. We're hiding from… Uh…
—Hey, do you recognize this symbol up here? —Jeongin asked that person while showing the picture he took of the “hospital”.
—… Why didn't I think of doing that before?
—Yes, it's from the adoption center I stayed in —that person replied—. Oh, but…
—What?
—N-no, nothing… But yeah, it's an adoption center.
—So you're related to these people? —Seungmin asked.
—Kinda?
—… They just tried to kill us. They're doing some dumb experiment and using us for it.
—Oh… then maybe I could tell you that…
—Tell us what? —Jeongin asked.
—Come with me. I'm Felix, by the way.
Felix guided Jeongin and Seungmin through the abandoned house to the pretty neat living room, given the circumstances. The three of them sat down.
—So, those people —Felix started talking—, they actually… hurt one of the guys that also lives here. Like, badly… I don't know how to explain it.
—And… what about you? —Seungmin asked.
—I don’t know… I just realized that these guys and my adoption center are related…
—Maybe it was something subtle —Jeongin mentioned—, like my pills…
—Pills… They used to give me pills at lunch… But I don’t know if it was only to me. Besides, I still take them. I need them, I think.
—Well, is there something “unique” to you? —Seungmin asked— Like you feel no one else would understand?
Felix hesitated; after all, it was something extremely personal, and he had just met Seungmin and Jeongin. There was no way he could trust them, not after everything he went through.
—H-hey, you don’t need to tell us if you don’t want to —Jeongin mentioned.
—Huh?
—Yeah, we get it might be tough or hard for you —Seungmin added.
As much as he wanted to stay quiet, another thing that Felix couldn’t do was setting boundaries.
—… N-no, it’s fine. I've always been… lonely? I mean, I was put for adoption right after I was born, and the foster families I've been in… weren't the greatest people. But that doesn't mean anything… does it?
—Well… the pills made me only remember bad things —Jeongin said—, there's a chance the families that chose you were influenced by them…
Felix looked at Seungmin and Jeongin, not knowing what to say. If that were true, it'd mean his whole life was a lie. It'd mean that he actually deserved to be loved. It'd mean that his right to love and feel loved was stripped away from him.
Suddenly, they heard the front door open.
—Oh, that's Changbin —Felix said.
—How- how do you know that? —Jeongin asked.
—Because of the sound the door made. Changbin!
—Ah?! —Changbin yelled back.
—Come to the living room!
Whatever mental image Seungmin and Jeongin had of Changbin could've never prepared them for who, or what, came into the living room; claws for fingers, a greenish skin tone, and heavy red circles around his eyes. He definitely didn't look human, but didn't completely look like a monster either.
—This is your definition of “hurting”?! —Seungmin asked.
—What- Who are they?! —Changbin also asked.
—Calm down, they're good people —Felix replied—, they also are after the guys that hurt you.
—… Really? The Union also did something to you…?
—That's their name? —Jeongin asked. Everyone seemed to have many questions.
—Yes, it is —Seungmin replied—. They're manipulating Ayen's memories and trapped me in a time loop.
—Trapped you in what again? —Felix asked.
—That does sound like them —Changbin said—… and I remember hearing them mention something about time before they threw me out…
—They… turned you into that? —Seungmin asked.
—Yes, they did. And it wasn't even their intention. They experimented with me since I was a baby and didn't go well. Then a few years ago they kicked me out. I've been living here since then…
—So it's true —Jeongin said—, they eliminated their objectives from your timeline, Seungmin.
—His… timeline?
Seungmin and Jeongin quickly explained the time loop, the non-existent hospital and the adoption center situation to Changbin.
—So… they tried to experiment on Felix too? —Changbin asked.
—That’s what we think —Seungmin replied—; if they’ve been subtle with Ayen, they might’ve been with him too. And them not being able to come here, you not existing in my timeline until I found Ayen…
—Maybe they can help us break the loop —Jeongin said.
—It can’t be as simple as “breaking” it, right? —Felix asked.
—Well, it kinda is —Seungmin said—. The times I found their hideout they were protecting a big machine; I think that’s what lets them control time.
—Then why don’t we go there…? I bet Changbin can get the job done easily.
—I promise you, if I knew where they are we’d go.
—… Didn’t you just say you had found their hideout? —Changbin asked.
—I mean, yeah, but it’s in different places every time the time loop restarts. There were times when I didn't even find anything.
—I was just thinking —Jeongin mentioned—, since they can’t come here for obvious reasons, why don’t we keep track of everything we find on a journal or something like that and hide it here?
—That’s… a good idea —Felix said—, and they have no real way of knowing when Changbin would be out either.
Suddenly, someone else came into the living room, startling them; since they were talking they hadn’t heard the front door open and close.
—Throwing a party without me? —that person asked. His white right eye made it difficult not to look at him directly in the eyes— Lame.
—Bold of you to assume we know enough people to throw a party, Chan —Felix said.
—Did they do something to him too? —Seungmin asked.
—Well, we don’t know if it was them —Changbin replied.
—Do you recognize this symbol? —Jeongin asked, showing Chan the picture.
—… Yeah, the person who cursed me had it tattooed, why? —Chan replied.
—Cursed? —Seungmin asked.
However, before he could reply, Chan covered his face with his hands, crouching slightly.
—This is… definitely not the best time for this to happen —Felix said. Seungmin and Jeongin were just looking at Chan, a bit worried.
—Talking about me I see —Chan said. His whole demeanor changed, his left eye was the white one now, and even his voice changed a little.
—We were in the middle of a conversation, Chris —Changbin complained. Chris was just laughing.
—Chris? Isn’t he Chan? —Jeongin asked.
—Chan’s the pathetic one, I’m his best version —Chris replied, acting cocky. However, his expression changed when he looked at Seungmin and Jeongin—. Oh… So the Timekeeper finally found you… and he’s with the Forgetful too… Maybe this will be the one.
—What the hell are you talking about? —Changbin asked.
—Things you wouldn’t understand. I’ll let you carry on with your conversation.
Chris closed his eyes and, just a few seconds later, Chan was back; his right eye was white again.
—Oh, that was short —Chan mentioned –… shorter than usual.
—Okay, so, what the fuck just happened? —Seungmin asked.
—Well… There was a time when I wanted to… disappear, and I tried everything to do so; I messed with the wrong person and, well, they created Chris.
—So you were cursed to… having a second personality? —Jeongin asked.
—Oh, not just that. Chris’ faster, stronger, brighter… lacks empathy, he’s always fighting… And he can take control whenever he wants.
—Yeah, it definitely sounds like something The Union would do —Seungmin said.
—Aren't those…?
—Yeah, the ones who experimented on Changbin, trapped me in a time loop, messed with Ayen's memory loss, caused Felix's loneliness, and cursed you.
—I- uh- What…?
—Yeah, that's how I reacted too —Felix mentioned.
—So I wasn't unlucky? It was targeted?
—Yeah, that's what we think —Jeongin said—. I mean, you guys didn't exist for Seungmin until he found me. That says something.
—Uh-
—Before you ask, the other times I came here this place was empty, so we think they removed me from this timeline until I found Ayen —Seungmin explained.
—Because you said you're… trapped in a time loop?
—Yes, that's it.
—Yeah, this is getting messier and messier —Changbin said—. The idea of keeping everything we find in a journal hidden here is good, and since Felix is the one that goes to the city the most Chan and I could stay here all day.
—Still, we don't know what Chris would do if he finds the journal —Felix mentioned.
—Maybe I could tell you what I find instead of writing it —Chan suggested—; If I don't know where the journal is there's no chance of Chris finding it. If I even… go out at all.
—We should also explain to you the entire thing, our plan and that stuff —Jeongin said—, we still have time until we need to go, right?
—Yeah, we still have a few hours —Seungmin replied—. Hey, thank you for helping me with this, you really shouldn't have to.
—Eh, it's fine —Changbin said—, I'll get to beat the crap out of them so that's one good thing.
Once they explained everything he needed to know to Chan, they started planning; first, Felix and Jeongin would stop taking the pills. Then, since Seungmin and Jeongin actively searching for the hideout would be too suspicious, they resorted to finding spots in the city where The Union would hang around, and left the searching task to Felix.
They stuck to that plan for the next two weeks and, even though Seungmin and Jeongin found some places like bars or cafes, Felix couldn't find anything.
While going for a walk, Felix came across a familiar face at the park.
—Hyunjin? —he asked— You're back here…
—I'm back here —Hyunjin said—. Got fired again before getting my paycheck.
—You don't have enough for two nights at the hotel? I could-
—I do, but they told me to fuck off. They know it's the fifth time I'd have to stay there and they don't want me there anymore.
—That sucks…
—Blame it on my luck, you know it's been like that my whole life.
—And what are you going to do now?
—I don't know… I might go back to school. You know, the community uni is free and they might give me a room. That is if the teachers aren't assholes like last time.
—Good luck with that, then. I-
—And what are you doing over here? You aren't usually around on Tuesdays.
—I was… grocery shopping. Yeah. I forgot a few things last time.
—Mind if I stick around? I need to go to the pharmacy to get my meds.
—Y-yeah, sure…
They walked around the city for a bit; Felix was trying to think of an excuse to leave as he didn't want to accidentally involve Hyunjin in everything.
—So… What meds do you need? —Felix asked.
—Just some pills for my chronic illness or something like that —Hyunjin replied—, I don't even remember what they're for anymore. But I still have them in my card even after they removed every other meds, so they must be for something important.
—Pills? Can… can I see them?
—Yeah, sure.
Hyunjin showed Felix a picture of the box; just as he thought, it was the same pills they gave to Jeongin and him.
—These pills… I need to tell you something —Felix said.
—Uh… alright?
—But first I need you to one, believe me, and two, not freak out.
—Okay… I’m already freaking out a bit because you look so fucking terrified.
—These pills aren’t for illnesses, pain, or anything like that, they…
—Felix, do you need water or something? I’ve never seen you speak this much or this fast before.
—N-no, I’m fine… Do you recognize this… this thing?
Felix showed Hyunjin the picture; Jeongin had sent it to the rest just in case.
—Yeah, it’s the pharmacy I go to…
—Then your bad luck isn’t real, it’s because of them.
—… What?
—I took them too, and they caused my loneliness; one of my friends took them and they messed up with his memory loss.
—Then… I could’ve lived a normal life… this whole time?
Felix nodded, and was about to tell Hyunjin about what they’ve done to Seungmin, Changbin, and Chan, but he noticed people from The Union looking at them.
—Hyunjin, we might need to run.
—Huh?
Just as he thought, they started shooting at them, and they had stopped time too. Seungmin had already warned Felix about it, but Hyunjin couldn’t comprehend what was happening. After running for a while they made it to the abandoned house and, a few minutes later, time was running again.
—What the hell just happened?! —Hyunjin asked, still processing everything.
—They want us dead because we know what they’re up to. We’ve been trying to find their hideout so we can stop them.
—Felix? Who is he? —Changbin asked; he heard noise coming from the hall so he went to check.
—Ah, he’s been affected by The Union too.
—Oh, okay, then.
—They did that to him? —Hyunjin asked.
—Yeah… hey, why don’t you go to the living room and take a seat? You look like you’re going to pass out.
—Okay, yeah…
The three of them went to the living room, where Chan was playing cat’s cradle.
—Uh… who is he? —he asked.
—I-I’m Hyunjin, I-
—Oh, so you’re Hyunjin —Changbin interrupted—, Felix talks a lot about you.
—Can you shut up? —Felix said.
—Well, you’re lucky Chris is asleep right now —Chan mentioned.
—Chris? —Hyunjin asked.
—The, uh, “other me”. You’ll get what I mean when you see him.
—Okay…
—We should explain to him everything that has been going on —Changbin suggested.
—Let’s wait for Seungmin and Ayen, they’re almost here —Felix said.
They made small talk while they waited for Seungmin and Jeongin, even though Hyunjin was still a bit shaken up by what had happened. Shortly after, Seungmin and Jeongin arrived and, after a brief introduction, they explained everything to Hyunjin.
—Well, I'll try to help as much as I can —Hyunjin said—… You two are skipping classes to investigate, right?
—Yeah, our report card is going to look really funny if we manage to break the loop —Jeongin answered—, why?
—Since I was planning to go back to uni, I could look for suspicious teachers, or activities, or whatever. Then we'd have most of the city covered.
—Okay, great —Seungmin said.
With Hyunjin now helping them, they kept their plan as they had it before: Felix looking for the hideout and Seungmin and Jeongin identifying their usual hangout spots.
Two weeks passed, making it one month since the loop reset again. Changbin was in the living room waiting for Felix to come back, and Chan was in his bedroom. After a while, he went to the living room too.
—Hey, Changbin —he said—, I need the journal. Felix told me to check two of the places he wrote yesterday.
—Ah, sure —Changbin stood up and went to get the journal, but stopped suddenly—… You're not Chan.
—What do you mean?
—Chan stutters when he asks for things. And he asks, not demands. Also I saw a pair of contacts in the bathroom, which I know Felix doesn't need, and Chan didn't buy.
—… Heh, you know Chan well, huh?
—These are just things I caught on after living together for a while.
—Oh, but you know I don't mean it like that. You're too obvious, Changbin.
—You know, I've always wondered what you get from being so evil, Chris.
—It makes me feel better. You know I'm just what Chan feels and thinks deep down. Believe me, I'd do horrible things to you and Felix if he wasn't so attached to you.
—Stop-
—I know what Chan truly thinks about you. I bet you wish you'd know too. But you think knowing it would hurt you.
—Why?! Why are you like this?! Why do you enjoy reminding me that no one would love me?!
—Oh, Changbin, not only are you so obvious, you're so hopeless, so oblivious. For your sake, and Chan's, I'll stop messing with you, you look like you're about to break.
—… Do me a favor and take those damn contacts off. You didn't even put them on properly.
Chris chuckled as he disappeared from Changbin's sight. A few seconds later, Chan, the real one, went to the living room.
—Do you know what Chris did to make my eyes itch so much? A-are you okay? —Chan asked.
—Yes.
—Did Chris do something?
—No.
—Are you sure?
—Yes, I'm sure! God…
Chan frowned, and went to sit next to Changbin.
—What did he do?
—Nothing.
—I know he did something.
—Chan, please, shut up.
—Changbin, come on, tell me what he did.
—He just teased me and got on my nerves.
—About what?
—… About you.
—Wh-what?
—He kept saying that… he knows what you really think about me, and… that it'd hurt me if I knew too…
—Oh, Changbin, why would you believe him…? You know he likes to mess with these things…
—It's just that… n-nevermind.
—What? No, tell me.
—He… also said that my feelings were too easy to read, but that I'm also too oblivious, whatever that means.
—… I'm going to kill Chris, for real this time. He meant that… you're so deep in that “I'm so unlovable” thought that you… can't tell I like you… romantically…
—… Are you serious?
—And I think the “easy to read” part is knowing that you'd never feel the same way about me…
—No! What are you talking about?! Of course I feel the same way about you! How could I not?!
—Changbin-
—And I'm yelling again… This is why I was scared of you finding out; I mean, who would love an unstable monster like me…?
—W-well, first, you're not a monster, and second, I do.
—And I like you too…
They looked at each other for a moment, and then at the floor; everything was suddenly awkward.
—… And what do we do now? Do we kiss? —Chan asked. Changbin practically jumped from his seat.
Changbin grabbed Chan's face and kissed him. It took Chan by surprise, but he didn't take long to give in. It was so passionate, even though neither of them knew what they were doing, or how to do it, but that didn't matter. Being close, as close to the other as possible, was what mattered.
—Ch-Changbin, your claws…
—Ah, s-sorry!
—No, no, it's fine.
Suddenly, they heard the front door open; Felix was back, and Hyunjin was with him. Not even ten seconds later, Seungmin and Jeongin arrived too. Felix and Jeongin went to write what they had found in the journal, while Seungmin and Hyunjin stayed in the living room with Changbin and Chan.
—Dude, I just remembered, I need to tell you about my History teacher —Hyunjin said—, he's so cool.
—Really? —Seungmin asked.
—Yeah! I've never had a teacher this funny, kinda sarcastic and that actually likes me. He shares a lot of fun facts and the lessons feel like gossip sessions. Oh, and he's young too! Maybe just one or two years older than me.
—He sounds like he knows a lot —Chan mentioned—, maybe you could ask him if he knows if The Union has been active throughout the years, or something like that.
—Yes, I was thinking of doing that tomorrow since History is my last lesson of the day.
The next day, as Hyunjin said, he went to talk with his teacher when classes ended.
—Hey, Minho —Hyunjin said.
—Just call me Lino, that's how everyone calls me.
—Oh, okay, Lino… Since you know a lot of curious facts and stuff, maybe you could tell me something about these people…
Hyunjin showed Minho the symbol and, the moment he recognized it, he changed his expression, and hesitated for a moment before saying anything.
—… Are you with them? —Minho asked.
—No! Quite the opposite, actually.
—Then yes, I know one thing or two about them… Why?
—So my friends' lives and mine are… in danger, so any information about them would be really helpful.
—Do you know if there's any place they can't access?
—Yes, there's an abandoned house in the forest, but my friends might be there.
—It's fine, as long as the place is inaccessible for them it should be fine.
—Okay, then.
Hyunjin sent a message to Seungmin, Jeongin and Felix telling them to go to the house to make sure they'd be there when they arrived. About half an hour later, Hyunjin and Minho made it to the house; everyone was already there.
—Oh, they've moved on from spells and curses, I see —Minho said, after looking at Changbin.
—Oh, no, they still do those —Chan mentioned.
—Do they also still mess with people's meds?
—They sure do —Jeongin replied.
—And do they still mess with time?
—That's why we're here —Seungmin said.
—So they haven't changed a bit. Fantastic.
—For how long have they been doing this? —Felix asked.
—Since 1885 if I'm not mistaken. What started as a group of scientist, researchers and engineers turned into an awful secret society. It's truly a shame.
—What have they done to you? —Changbin asked.
—Well… I was born in 1901. In 1923 my best friend disappeared and, after a few days of not finding him, I made a deal with them: they'd make me immortal until I found my friend, or what had happened to him, and when I did they'd make me mortal again. At the time I thought “Oh, that's a great offer, I won't run out of time”, but after years passed and it became obvious that I wouldn't find my friend, I tried to contact them so I'd be mortal again. They disappeared too. Or, well, they avoided me.
—Oh my god…
—Oh, and I'm not just “age immortal”. I've tested it. And that's why I know so much about last century's history. Hey, did you know that, during the Nazi regime, the Germans would avoid sitting on the toilets in public restrooms as “there wasn't any way of knowing if a Jew had sat there before”?
—And you don't know where their hideout is, do you? —Felix asked, and Minho shook his head.
—As far as I know they were trying to build a machine that would let them control time, so I don't think it'll be easy to find it.
—Yeah, no, they already have it —Seungmin said.
—They do?! That means-
—They can do whatever they want, yes.
—Then we need to act fast, they plan to use the machine to trap someone in a time loop and collect data from this age so they can reset everything and use it as the starting point. They need about six years worth of data, I think.
—A-and they already have five…
—You're the one trapped?!
—Then… it's this loop or nothing —Jeongin mentioned.
—I'll try to help as much as I can; Hyunjin and I can take turns monitoring the other teachers and students so it doesn't look suspicious.
With this new discovery, they changed some things about their plan of action: the days Chan was certain that Chris wouldn't bother them, he'd go to the city with Felix, and the days he stayed at the house Changbin would look around the forest. Moreover, Seungmin and Jeongin started skipping more classes so they'd have more time to go around the city too.
However, they didn't find anything during that entire month, meaning they only had one month left before time reset again, and Seungmin was starting to get really nervous. One evening, he decided to go to a local cafe to chill, when he noticed someone who looked a bit lonely, so he decided to approach them.
—Hey, mind if I sit with you? —Seungmin asked.
—Ah? Sure —the person replied—. You can call me Han.
—I'm Seungmin.
Seungmin and Han chatted for a bit, until Seungmin noticed The Union's symbol tattooed on Han's arm; he processed it for a moment, and then quickly stood up. Han didn't know why Seungmin suddenly reacted that way, until he saw he was looking at the tattoo.
—Ah, this…? You don't have to worry, I'm not with them anymore —Han said.
—Why should I believe you?
—Do you think the research team from 1923 is still functioning? Or alive?
—19… 23? —Seungmin sat back down.
—I'm the guy that disappeared without a trace. Maybe you've heard about me.
—But then how…?
—When I used to work with them, I was in their “time warps” research team, and they offered to try their time machine prototype. Being the stupid and naive guy that I am, I accepted. Let's say it didn't work the way I thought it would; I travelled 100 years into the future, but the machine stayed back in 1923. At the time-
—Hey, shouldn't you be… mindful of what you say…?
—Don't worry, this cafe is one of the places they can't access.
—Oh, okay… sorry, you can continue.
—At the time I didn't freak out or anything because I had devices I could use to contact them, but when I tried to use them the signal was cut. Well, it was more like they wouldn't answer me but they were still listening. Then it was when I realized they were extremely unreliable and shady, so I decided to go against them. To be honest, I should've listened to my friend when he warned me…
—And what did you do with those devices?
—I destroyed them. The only thing I kept is the radar, which surprisingly still works.
—… Hey, do you know anything about the machine they wanted to use to control time?
—Yeah, well, they told me it was just to eliminate any anomalies that could happen when time travelling, but yeah. I did the math for it, but I think I did it horribly wrong. Still, I wish I didn't even submit anything, knowing what it truly was for…
—Well, I'm happy to… I'm so sorry to inform you that you did it right.
—What?!
—We only have one month to stop them before time resets again. Does the radar show where their hideout is?
—Yes, it does. But are you planning on stopping them alone?
—No, well, I was, but I'm working with more people now. We should meet up with them… are you free, like, right now?
—Yeah, lead the way.
As they got closer to the abandoned house, Seungmin started to feel like he was forgetting something, and only remembered what it was the moment they stepped inside: Changbin. He was at the entrance, and Han hadn't covered his tattoo. The moment Changbin noticed it, he saw red.
—You're one of them! —Changbin went to attack Han, but Seungmin covered him— Why did you bring him here, Seungmin?!
—I'm not one of them! I promise! —Han exclaimed.
—Let me explain, Changbin, please —Seungmin said.
—Yeah, you better explain, or I'll make sure he won't be able to walk again.
—Yes, he was with them, but they left him stranded after he tested their time travel machine.
—It's been two years already —Han added—; believe me, I want to beat their asses as much as you.
—He's also from… 1923…
—Why did you say that so weirdly?
—… Fine, I trust you —Changbin said—… Should I…?
—What's going on? —Minho asked. The others heard Changbin's screams and went to check.
—Lino?! —Han asked.
The moment Minho looked at Han, everything stopped for him, his face turned as pale as marble, and he even dropped the glass he was holding.
After what felt like hours for both of them, Minho went and hugged Han, as tight as he possibly could without snapping Han's back in half.
—Where have you been?! —Minho asked— What the hell happened?! Why are you still alive?! Why are you still young?!
—Should we…?— Felix began asking.
—Yeah, let's give them a moment— Chan said.
They returned to the living room to give Minho and Han the space they needed and not make things awkward.
—So- I- The trip I told you about —Han started explaining—, i-it was actually a time travel trip. It went bad, so bad. I couldn't go back… B-but how…?
—I spent a hundred years looking for you… They promised me they'd make me mortal again once I found you or I gave up, but they never did… And you've been alive this whole time…
—I'm… I'm so sorry, Lino, I should've just listened to you and left the damn research group… And that fucking machine… It's my fault they have it, they lied to me so I'd make the math for it…
—Hey, Han, Hannie, it's fine, you were being lied to… you couldn't have known they were going to do all of this…
—But it was so obvious, I… Oh my god, how do you not hate me…?
—Oh, Hannie…
Minho looked at Han, his eyes still as pretty as always. Minho always wondered how he didn't go crazy after all these years without Han, his Hannie. But there was one thing he wanted to do more than to look at his eyes. He wanted to kiss him. Oh, the things one kiss would fix. But he couldn't do that, so he just grabbed Han's face, and caressed it as he used to do.
—How could I hate you…?
Maybe Han could read Minho's mind, or maybe it was just what the moment was asking for, but he kissed him. Han used to dream of this moment, but he also was so scared, so scared of doing something that wasn't normal back then. But he could do it now. It's not like it's normalized nowadays, but Han simply couldn't care less.
Both of them wished they could stay like that forever, but they knew it wasn't the time for it.
—I promise I'll fix everything —Han said.
—We'll do it together, Hannie… You guys can come out now, we know you're listening.
The others awkwardly made their way to the front door to reunite with Minho and Han.
—So, you said you know where their hideout is, right? —Seungmin asked.
—Yes —Han replied, taking the radar out of his bag—, it doesn't mark its exact location, but it's in the neighboring city.
—The neighboring city —Felix mumbled—… I spent two months thinking I was garbage at searching… only for it to be in another city…
—We should split up —Chan said—; four of us should go to the city, while the other four stay here. If they start suspecting that we've located them it'll be bad.
—Before we do anything —Han said—, if we're really going there and fighting them, we'll need some gear. Do you have any info or know what we're dealing with?
—Actually, yes! The journal! —Felix replied, going for the journal and returning as fast as he could.
—I can't believe it'll actually help us —Changbin mentioned.
—… Okay, I think I can craft something with the scraps I have —Han said, after reading a bit of the journal—, but it'll take me about a week. Once I have it we should discuss who will go to the city.
Suddenly, Jeongin's phone started ringing. He wasn't planning on picking it up, but he saw it was his mother calling, so he excused himself and went to the hallway to talk to her.
—Hi, mom… I'm out with some friends, why…? O-of course I've been going to class… Okay, listen, I can explain… No, actually, I can't, but- No, I can't come back home, I'm busy… Mom-
Jeongin's mother hung up on him, leaving him a bit shocked; after he processed everything, he returned to the living room.
—I know you were listening, you don't need to pretend you weren't —Jeongin said—… I guess my mother is grounding me, so I'll have to stay here.
—That's okay, we can still discuss the rest later —Han mentioned.
—I'll tell you about my punishment tomorrow… if they even let me go out.
Since it was pretty late, they called it a day and went to their respective places. However, since he didn't want Hyunjin to walk alone this late, Felix decided to go with him.
—So you have a place now? —Felix asked.
—Yeah, well, it’s the hotel —Hyunjin replied—. They have a new manager and, even though they told her about me, she still let me stay.
—Well, at least she sounds like a good person.
—Yes, I guess my bad luck was really the pills’ fault…
There was something off about Hyunjin; Felix noticed it by the way he was talking, but he didn’t want to press on it. Besides, Hyunjin would bring it up himself.
—Felix? Can I be honest with you for a second?
—Yes, of course.
—… Would breaking the loop help us in any way? Because I don't think all this effort is worth the result.
—… Huh? Not worth… in what way?
—It's just not worth it, Felix. It wouldn't change anything.
—What do you mean…? We'll finally be free from them…
—Yeah, and then what? I don't have a permanent house, I don't have a job, I barely have savings. Not being unlucky anymore doesn't matter if I can't live the way I want.
—B-but it'll be easier from then on!
—How do you know that?! My family cut me off, I don't have real friends, I have an awful reputation. Being lucky or not doesn't change that!
—You have us! You have me! Hyunjin, I know how being lonely feels like. I know how thinking that living isn't worth it feels like. I know how feeling like you aren't worthy of love feels like.
—It's not like I don't feel worthy of love… I just don't think I've done enough to deserve it. It's not even about helping Seungmin with this or not anymore… I just don't think I deserve to have a life…
—Hyunjin, did you know you were the first person who talked to me after I was kicked out of the adoption center?
—… Really?
—You were the first one who saw me as a person, as someone else like the rest, and not just a burden. You were the one who made me recover my faith on the world. You were the one who made me feel alive, cared for… and loved. I didn't know what love was before meeting the rest, and only then I realized that my love for them was different from my love for you. So yes, you deserve to be loved. And you'll keep being loved until the day I die.
—Felix…
—And after we go and smash that fucking machine into pieces I'm taking you out for lunch. Or whatever you want to do. Any suggestions?
—… There's this ice cream place I wanted to go to for the longest time… I heard it's perfect for first dates…
—Okay, then we’ll go there… And you can tell me the truth now.
—Huh?
—I mean, you were saying some serious stuff before you started rambling and, since you took this opportunity to make me confess, you should be truthful too…
—… Okay, I just think it’s too dangerous for us… I mean, Changbin and Chan have no problem when it comes to fighting; Lino, Han and Seungmin have faced them before… Hell, even Ayen seems to know how to deal with them…
—Hyunjin, listen, we might not be the strongest, or might not have enough experience, but you know what we are? The fucking best. We could be a distraction, we could come with a strategy, we don’t even need to face them directly. We just need to help the others.
—Heh, since when are you this optimistic?
—Since people finally acknowledge my existence.
Finally, they made it to the hotel. It took some convincing and a few promises, but Hyunjin let Felix sleep in his room; after all, it was already too late and too dark outside to return to the forest safely.
The next day, Seungmin woke up to a lot of texts from Jeongin, explaining that his parents were going to follow him to class to make sure he didn’t skip, and after class he could only stay out until 9pm. Still, since they didn’t have to spend time searching for The Union anymore, it didn’t affect their plans too much.
The next week, Han finished crafting the stuff they’d need, and he was showcasing it to the others.
—Okay, so, this thing first —he explained, grabbing what looked like a bracelet and putting it on—. This is a force field that works as a shield, it adapts to your body and to whatever you’re holding. And only to what you’re holding, so other objects can’t break through it.
—I didn’t understand a single word you said —Changbin said.
—I’ll show you how it works —Han activated the bracelet, and the force field appeared around him—. As you can see it follows me and the movements I make, and if I pick up, let’s say this cup, it covers it too. Now, Lino, can you throw the knife at me?
—Do you really trust him that much? —Chan asked.
—Of course.
Minho grabbed the knife and threw it full speed at Han –more specifically, Han’s face–, bouncing against the force field.
—See? Not even a scratch. Now, the only downside of it is that the bracelet doesn’t protect itself. That’s why I have this —Han grabbed what looked like a shirt sleeve—. To protect the bracelet we just need to hide it under this sleeve, which camouflages like a chameleon and acts like a piece of armor.
—These… are actually really useful —Seungmin said—, I didn’t really expect it…
—Still, I think I’ll need to tweak them out a bit since we don’t really know how they operate in their hideout, or if they have other kinds of weapons. That’s why I was thinking Lino and I could go to the city first.
—… Felix and I could go with you —Hyunjin said—, after all, they know who you are, and it wouldn’t be safe for Seungmin either, so Felix and I searching for the hideout would be less obvious.
—That works out —Seungmin said—… It’s not like there was another option anyways; Changbin can’t go without a disguise, if Chan went Chris could act up, and Ayen can’t even leave.
—I was thinking of leaving tomorrow morning —Minho mentioned—, and text you once we’re completely sure we’ve found them and we’ve come out with a plan.
—I can tell my parents I have a field trip coming up —Jeongin said—, that I’ve already paid for it and stuff so I can go.
—I’ll leave you some of my savings —Felix said to Chan and Changbin—, if you need to buy something urgent you can use them.
They discussed a few more things and called it a day, since Jeongin had to go home soon. The next week they got a few updates: “We’ve seen some members of The Union walking around”, “They hang out mainly downtown”, “There’s a cafe that looks suspicious”… Until they received the most important message: “We’ve found it. We know how to enter, and we thought of a simple plan. You can come whenever you’re ready”. After thinking about it for a few days, they finally decided to go in five days. They’d have enough time to get Changbin a disguise and to buy the bus tickets to get to the city.
The day before, Jeongin was hanging out with Seungmin at his house; they were discussing some things about the plan and stuff, but Jeongin suddenly became quiet. Really quiet.
—Seungmin, can we talk for a second? —Jeongin asked— Like, serious talk?
—Huh? Yes, of course.
—You know, when we first talked, you said that we were best friends… Is that actually true?
—Of course! I wouldn't lie about that… Why do you ask?
—It's just… I think I've fallen in love with you, and… the feeling is just so intense… And not just love, jealousy too… it made me wonder if I had felt like this before I lost my memory…
“Oh, no”. That was the only thing in Seungmin's mind. It couldn't be true. It couldn't be happening. He had to think fast, to come up with something convincing.
—O-oh, well, I mean, you might have, but… definitely not towards me.
—R-really? Is it because you… don't feel the same…? Or-
—No, no! I do, I've always felt like that…
He messed up. He messed up badly. He accidentally confessed, and now he had to make up a new excuse, but he had less time to think. He couldn't afford to mess up again.
—It's just… It's just that you were already seeing someone during high school, and I think it would be unfair to her… I'm sure those feelings are for her, they just resurfaced at the wrong time…
Jeongin looked at Seungmin, his unreadable expression worried Seungmin a lot. Jeongin was always unexpressive when he was mad, or when he had a lot on his mind. Or when he was planning something.
Jeongin stepped closer, grabbed Seungmin's face and kissed him. He definitely wasn't expecting that, but he wanted to reciprocate so badly. He actually did for a second, before realizing it and pulling away.
—Ayen-
—Why are you lying?
—H-huh?
—You said you moved a few years ago… how could you know I was with someone if you weren't even here?
—Ayen…
—Why? Why can't we be together?
—It's just that I don't want to lose you. I don't want to love you knowing that, if I mess up, everything will reset again. And I know for a fact that they wouldn't let me find you again… I couldn't live knowing I've lost you.
—Seungmin… you won't lose me, I promise. We've already found their hideout, we have the plan ready, everything will work out perfectly. Trust me, okay?
—… You promise?
—I swear.
Jeongin kissed Seungmin again, and this time he reciprocated instantly. He could let a lifetime worth of romantic feelings finally out, and just enjoy the moment.
—Please stay over —Seungmin said, hugging Jeongin tightly—, I don't want to be away from you tonight.
—My parents would kill me —Jeongin replied—, you know I'm still technically grounded for missing so many classes, and they think the field trip is tomorrow.
—I don't care, I need you tonight.
—Minnie… How can I say no?
—You haven't called me Minnie in so long… I didn't even tell you that you used to call me that…
—It just felt right…
—You can tell your parents that you’ll stay with a friend that’s going to the field trip too.
—Yeah, that’ll work.
At the same time, Changbin was alone at the abandoned house. He guessed that Chris was doing Chris things, and he was a bit worried that he wouldn’t be home early enough for the trip. However, Chris returned with a few bags. Shopping bags.
—What the fuck did you do with Felix’s money? —Changbin asked.
—Chill, I bought the stuff Chan wanted to use for your disguise —Chris replied—. I didn’t even use all the money.
—… Really?
—He was too scared to go to the city alone because of me. Ironic, if you ask me. I’ll leave the stuff here, you can tell Chan that I got it for him. Or you can lie and, I don’t know, tell him that Seungmin dropped it off. I don’t care.
Chris left the bags on the table and sat on the sofa. A few seconds later, Chan was himself again and, before he could even ask what Chris did, he noticed the bags.
—… How did that get here?
—Chris bought it for you because he knew you were scared to go to the city.
—He did? Really?
—I’m just as surprised as you are.
Chan checked what was inside the bags; everything was in order.
—I can try the makeup to see if it’s good —Chan said.
—You really think makeup will work?
—I’ll make it work.
After fifteen minutes of Chan applying makeup, Changbin started to wonder if it would work, but he didn’t want to doubt Chan.
—You… seem pretty familiar with this stuff —Changbin mentioned.
—Oh, I… wanted to be a makeup artist before I, you know, ruined my life. My siblings and I would do each other’s makeup all the time…
—This is the first time I’ve heard you mention you have siblings.
—I moved as soon as I turned 18 and didn’t keep in touch with them… I should’ve waited a few years… Then nothing of this would’ve happened.
—If you had stayed… maybe we wouldn’t have met.
—… In that case I’d go through everything I’ve gone through over and over again if it meant I’d get to meet you… D-don’t cry! You’re going to ruin the makeup!
—I-it’s just that I don’t understand why you love me, I really don’t…
Chan kissed Changbin, he didn’t need to tell him anything to make him understand why he loved him. Changbin understood just by the way he kissed him. His kisses were always so soft, so tender, but this one was full of love.
A few minutes later, Chan finished the makeup, and showed Changbin the result.
—Oh my god, I look like a normal person…
—Now that I know how to apply it it’ll take less time for me to do it tomorrow. Oh, you should try the gloves Chris bought to see if your claws don’t break them.
The gloves were a perfect fit, and so were the rest of the clothes Chris bought, so they prepared everything for the next morning, since they had to wake up pretty early. Once they had everything ready, they met with Jeongin and Seungmin at the bus stop.
—Oh my, Changbin, you look amazing —Jeongin said.
—This is all Chan’s work.
—It’s not that special…
—Look, the bus is here —Seungmin mentioned.
They got on the bus without any problems, and Chan, Changbin and Jeongin fell asleep almost instantly; after all it was extremely early. However, Seungmin couldn’t sleep at all. He kept repeating in his head the same questions: “What if Han’s stuff suddenly doesn’t work?”, “What if Changbin wasn’t strong enough to break the machine?”, “What if breaking the machine doesn’t break the time loop?”. He was so deep in his thoughts that he almost missed the stop, since the others were still asleep. When they got off, the others were already waiting for them at the stop. They took them to a nearby safe restaurant and started explaining everything.
—So, their hideout is actually the entire cafe we told you looked weird —Minho explained.
—This also means that there’s no optimal hour to get inside —Han added—; during the day it’s way too busy, and during the night they’re all at the labs.
—Then… what will we do? —Jeongin asked.
—Our best shot is going during the night, getting through the back door and work out our way to the labs —Hyunjin replied—, and then finding the machine as fast as we can.
—And when we will go? —Chan asked.
—I mean, we only have a week left —Han said—, if you want to go today… We still have the entire day to fully prepare.
—Yes, let’s do it today —Seungmin said.
They spent the entire day planning, making sure everything would go right: Felix and Hyunjin would stay outside, making sure no one from The Union could see them trying to break in, and warning the others once they’re inside if anything happens, Minho and Han would enter the labs first and disable any alarms or security measures, and Seungmin, Jeongin and Chan would cover Changbin using the force fields until they reached the machine.
Everything sounded good in theory, and worked out until Han and Minho disabled everything they could find. They underestimated the amount of members that would be at the labs, so they decided to move forward stealthily until they found the machine. Once they finally saw it, it was time to act.
—Okay, quick recap —Chan said, whispering—, I go first, you two stay back covering Changbin until we’re close enough, and then Changbin just goes for it, right?
—Yes, that’s it —Jeongin replied.
—Alright… let’s go.
Chan, Jeongin and Seungmin activated the shields, and ran as fast as they could. The shields worked perfectly fine, and they reached the machine without any injuries.
—Changbin, now! —Seungmin shouted.
Changbin charged at the machine and punched it as hard as he could. Fortunately, his strength was enough to shatter it to pieces, which also resulted in a bright explosion, blinding the others. This was it, what Seungmin fought so hard for these past five years, and he’d see the results of his, their efforts once he recovered his vision.