Chapter 37 - You can change the ending

"Is she playing with me?" He looks for her around. "Did someone give her a lift?"

Worried, he calls her number. It's unreachable. He wonders whether he should call her home. He sits inside the car and waits. Maybe, she will come out of her hiding place. But, there is no hiding place. In just seconds, she managed to get into another car and leave?

He rubs his forehead. She has him wrapped around his finger. What does 'not taking responsibility for my future self' even mean? It should be not taking responsibility for her past self.

Does it mean that she won't take any responsibility if she tries to seduce him again in the future as she did in the past?

His head hurts when he tries to decipher the words. The more he thinks, the less it makes sense to him. Anyway, who is this Li Jun? He won't let her wander to that guy.

***

Awesome. The newspaper is in English. I am not far in the future in E country. Only ten years in the future from my present time.

The city looks lively. The weather is not cold or hot. I only understand half of what I hear. For the umpteenth time, I deeply regret not listening to my father. I should have studied diligently and learned the languages that he wanted me to learn. If I am correcting my aunt's actions, then she should also be here. I should try to find her this time.

I keep walking on the sidewalk. One of the positive sides of being a time-traveler is that you can travel to different countries for free. However, you can also end up hungry without a penny or any ID card in your pocket. I have never spent much time in the future except when I met Kang Si An back then. I have never spent much time in the past either except when I was with Li Jun. I wonder if it is related to timekeeping ability. But, Li Jun is not a timekeeper. Nothing makes sense in my life anymore.

I bump into someone. I apologize in the broken language. The man grumbles something. I can't understand him completely. I apologize again in English. He looks at his watch and walks away. Now, I wonder if I have changed something. The world is big. I don't know how I am fixing my aunt's mistakes or how many of my little actions changing someone else's fate. Not knowing is also good.

A figure on the opposite side of the road catches my eyes. Even after ten years, she still looks like someone in the early twenties. I follow her. She is walking fast. I don't want her to see me. She goes inside an elite hotel. She talks to the receptionist in fluent English. The receptionist smiles and picks up the phone. I can't hear them. She walks out of the hotel. I keep following her. She doesn't go far. She walks into a closed alley and stops. She turns around and looks at me.

"Don't come too close. Don't touch me." She warns me when I get closer. "If you touch me, you and I will become one."

"What does that even mean?" I feel frustrated for some reason. "Did Kang Si An kill me or not?"

"If time-traveler from the future touches her past self, the past self is replaced by the time-traveler from the future," She answers me in a quiet voice. "Whether Kang Si An will kill you or not, it depends on whether you can find the time crystal or not."

She's being cryptic. I hate it. "You should touch me. If you do that, you can take my place and change the future. You might be able to find the time crystal earlier."

She smiles at me sadly. "I can't do that."

"Why?" I don't understand. I don't mind disappearing. She and I are same.

"If I touch you, I will lose my body. Your soul and mine will synchronize." She steps backward. "If I do that, I will lose my child."

I take a deep breath. "You are pregnant. It means that Kang Si An hasn't tried to kill you yet."

She takes another step backward. "I don't have much time. If you can find the time crystal, you can change the ending."

I see her disappear right in front of my eyes. I wonder if she went to the past or the future. It doesn't seem that she has much control. Then, she hasn't found the time crystals yet.

I look up at the sky. It's getting dark. I have no money or place to stay. I squat on the ground and run my fingers through my hair. Frustrated. How do I find the time crystal?

"Kyuri?"

"..."

The person is Kang Si An. He looks a bit older. He should be around 30 now. He looks a lot more like Li Jun physically. Was I tricked by my future self? I stand up awkwardly.

The hotel. Receptionist. Bringing me to this alley. She screwed me up big time.

"You are here." He looks at me with widened eyes.

"Hi, Kang Si An... long time?" I wonder if it's been a long time.

"It's been ten years." His eyes are full of pain. "Ever since you disappeared from my arms, I never saw you again. You are really a time-traveler."

"..."

"Your family told me." He touches my cheek. "I didn't believe them, but I couldn't find you anywhere. I waited for a long time for you to come and see me. Finally, you are here."

Awkwarder. I didn't expect Kang Si An to speak like this. His personality has changed. He is no longer twenty years old hot-headed guy who would argue with me at every chance. This Kang Si An is mȧturė and solemn.

"These clothes... " He scrutinizes my clothes and chuckles, "You disappeared on the highway that day."

"You still remember?" I am surprised. For me, it might have been only a few hours. For him, it's been a decade.

"How could I forget?" He smiles at me. "I remember each moment that I spent with you."