The nineteen-year-old stared down the now empty hallway, squinting through the dust. Touching his lips softly, Ryeowook blinked and let his tongue flick out. There was a definite taste of something foreign. Older…darker…a bit like alcohol…he pressed the palm of his hand to cheek and flushed harder.

If all that that strange man had said was true, then maybe studying wasn’t the best decision. Ryeowook shook his head. He would rather not run into the phantom again – or his youthful counterpart…if that was even real. His head was starting to hurt.

Turning on his heel, he headed out of the library and back into the fading light of day. Adjusting his sweater and scarf, he hunched forward and began the trek back to his apartment. Thinking back, he had been too distracted to really register the man’s face. It was definitely handsome – the most handsome person Ryeowook had ever set eyes on – but he sure was a weird one. Who randomly walked up and spouted that stuff? Had he just kissed a ghost and liked it? Ryeowook shook that thought away, feeling queasy.

Five minutes later, he was pushing the door to his apartment open and stumbling in on what looked very much like the makings of a party. Ryeowook grimaced. His two roommates weren’t like him. They actually liked to do other things besides studying. Normally it didn’t bother him since he was always at the library, but just the thought of going back was scaring him.

“What’s going on?” Ryeowook asked carefully, kicking the door shut softly and walking to the living room.

“Mixing drinks,” Heechul hollered.

“Throwing a party!” Sungmin chimed in, setting up what looked like a mini hookah bar.

“I’ll be in my room then,” he muttered, turning and heading away from the madness. They were good people; they just liked to party. That’s what Ryeowook always tried to convince himself.

He twisted the knob of his door and pushed open just as Sungmin’s high-pitched shout rocked through the apartment. Ryeowook jumped a bit, frowning and looking down the hall as he crossed the threshold. “Is everything okay?” he called, turning forward in time to see a young man standing inside the room.

His pants were skintight and black, silver studs and leather coiled around his wrist. Heavy rings clung to long, pale fingers that held one of Ryeowook’s pictures. The boy was dark haired with a shock of maroon in the messy locks. Smudged eyeliner dragged across the bottom of his eyes and the corners, standing out starkly against the white complexion.

He tilted his head, coal black eyes sliding up and down Ryeowook’s body.

“Kyuhyun?” he blurted, shutting his mouth tightly when the boy seemed to respond to the name.

Setting the picture down, the punk turned fully towards him, eyes narrowing a bit. “Who’re you?” he deadpanned.

“Get out of my room,” Ryeowook ignored the question, stepping out of the way for the boy to leave.

“How did you know my name?” he demanded with his low voice as alluring as that older stranger had been just ten minutes ago. “Who are you?”

“You’re the one in my room,” he snapped, “Now get out.”

“Sorry Kyuhyun!” Sungmin rounded the corner, looking apologetic. He glanced at Ryeowook, saying, “This is Cho Kyuhyun. He’s a freshman, but he’s really cool. I let him sleep over last night because we were drinking and I didn’t want him getting in trouble with the dorm RA.”

Ryeowook just shook his head, “Get him out of here. I don’t care.” He brushed past the fuming freshman, tossing his books onto the bed before turning and heading out of the room.

“Where are you going?” Sungmin questioned.

“Out,” he responded, snatching his keys and flinging the front door open.

Sighing deeply, Sungmin rubbed his head.

“Your roommate is a in’ .” Kyuhyun sank down on the bed while his eyes wandered grudgingly back to the picture that had caught his attention earlier. He had been planning to flirt with the pretty boy on the glossy paper but he should’ve known people who looked like that were bound to have bad personalities. Kyuhyun’s gaze dragged over the slender body in the photo, slightly twisted from hanging onto the girl beside him, but nonetheless beautiful. The skin was smooth and clear, hair wet from swimming.

“He’s really never like that,” Sungmin explained, looking distressed. “Maybe he didn’t do well on a test. Ryeowook is really cool. I mean, he puts up with me and Heechul-hyung after all.”

“That takes some mighty balls,” Heechul remarked as he passed by, carrying some supplies.

Kyuhyun rolled his eyes. “Doesn’t matter. He treated me like the plague or some like that. Is he just hostile to me then? And did you tell him my name?”

“No, I didn’t,” Sungmin frowned, “Why?”

“He called me by name before I even said anything,” he shrugged, masking the confusion. “Either way, where was he last night? I forgot to ask you yesterday.”

“Oh,” the older male smiled sheepishly, “I texted Ryeowook last night to ask him if he had somewhere else to sleep. Usually when we’re all partying, we warn him.”

Kyuhyun nodded slowly. “I see…,” he trailed off, kicking himself up and heading out of the room. “Thanks for letting me crash here. I have to do stuff tonight so have fun without me.”

“No problem,” Sungmin waved goodbye, “see you.”

The freshman headed out of the apartment, shutting the door behind him. He exhaled heavily, expression dark with irritation. People looked at him funny all the time. People were scared of him. They talked behind his back. They also loved him. They wanted to him or be ed by him. There was never anyone who set eyes on him though and looked like that. It was as if Ryeowook had just seen an apparition or something.

Why?

Kyuhyun caught sight of the one in question walking down the road. A thick gray scarf was whipping around his head, tail billowing in the wind. He frowned, giving chase before even understanding what he was doing.

The figure was dressed in an oversized green sweater and light wash jeans. Kyuhyun was too wrapped up in his own thoughts to notice that the man was dressed differently than before.

His hand clamped down on the thin wrist, jerking Ryeowook around.

Kyuhyun was confused for a split second, not fully recognizing the thinner face. Shaking his head quickly, he looked again, verifying that it definitely was the boy…but not. “W-What…? Did you just drop like twenty pounds?”

“You’re still such a smooth-talker,” he responded dryly. Ryeowook shook his arm loose. “I can’t believe I forgot that you used to be a little punk.” His smile was gentle, delicate fingers reaching up to brush over Kyuhyun’s cheeks. “Have you met yet?”

“I am so confused.”

The older Ryeowook laughed softly, taking the boy’s hand and leading him over to a bench. They sat down in the chilly fall air and Kyuhyun was beginning to feel his stomach coiling. The older male studied him for a moment before unwrapping his scarf and tucking it around the college student’s neck. “You always wore such skimpy clothes. That’s how you caught colds so often, silly.” He patted the scarf twice, letting his hand linger for a moment. There was something dark in his aged eyes, disappearing the next moment.

“Can you tell me what’s going on? I swear I just ran into you…and you weren’t like this,” he emphasized the latter part of his statement.

Older-Ryeowook nodded slowly, understandingly. “I don’t know the exact details, but I’m going to guess that the Future You visited the younger me already.” He waited patiently for Kyuhyun to absorb that. When he got an affirmative nod of understanding, he went on. “Well, let me explain. Three years from now, you and Ryeowook are going to be married.”

His first thought: Oh .

His next thought: Damn, my spouse is hot.

His last thought: He’s still a bastard.

Older-Ryeowook leaned back against the bench. “A year ago in my timeline, I filed for divorce.”

“What the did I do?” Kyuhyun blurted.

“Uhm…,” he frowned, struggling to find the right words, “you…well, you slept around and got plastered and just in general made a mockery of marriage.”

“Why did you marry me?” he gaped at the man, “I mean, I do that now. You still wanted me.”

“I thought you would change when you got older. I thought that you would learn to accept me.” Ryeowook sighed, “It really was wishful thinking.” He glanced at the boy. “It’s all a game, isn’t it, Kyu? It’s always going to be a game to you.”

“Why would I treat it any other way?” he demanded, “Look, you’re hot, and I mean seriously ing attractive,” Kyuhyun his lips, curling his fingers in his lap, “and you seem pretty nice too…but really. Why bother trying to marry me?”

Ryeowook shrugged. “I loved you.” He smiled, “I thought I could love you my entire life if you just made a little effort. I didn’t care if you slept around. I didn’t even care that you didn’t care. But I guess I finally woke up.” He breathed in deeply, “…so please do me a favor and yourself a favor. Don’t get close to me in this time.” Ryeowook looked at the confused boy. “I know you. I know that the Future You also got hurt, but I couldn’t change that. So…spare me and yourself the trouble. It won’t be worth it.”

He was quiet for a long time, but Ryeowook said nothing, simply letting him think in peace. When words finally did form in his mouth, they were reasonable. “I got it. Don’t worry.”

“But I am worrying.” The answer was quick, confident, and wholly tired. “Because you’re saying that now, but you chased after me. You came looking for me. You could’ve kept going on your way, but you were curious.”

“Now that I know what’s going on, it won’t happen again,” Kyuhyun assured.

Ryeowook smiled, exasperated. “That confidence is what always tricked me.” He touched the boy’s hair gently, slowly rising to his feet. “You always break your vows, because everything is a game,” he shook his head, “Anyway, I could never say this all to the Future You. He’s far more aggressive at that age. At the least, I wanted the younger you to know.” Ryeowook glanced over his shoulder. “I’ll be getting married to a man named Kim Jongwoon soon. I think I could be happy with him. Will you give me your blessing?” he peered down at the boy.

Kyuhyun shrugged, ignoring the pinching in his heart as the fingers in his hair trailed away. “Sure. I hope you’re happy with him.” 

“Thanks.” Ryeowook smiled.

One blink. Just one. And then Kyuhyun was alone.