“Sorry I’m late!”

“You’re quite early boy, the shop aren’t open yet.”

“Well, it’s opening now madam.”

The boy rushes inside the florist shop and take off his bag and blazer, replacing them with a vanilla apron. There are green, red, and purple apron on the hanger but he’s fond of the color vanilla. It’s calming at the same time not that transparent. The owner of the florist, Madam Choi Yuna owned a great estate and open florist shop on several towns. But this place is her favorite one among others. Sunrise Florist, located not far from his home and a fifteen minute walk from school. He applied for part time with a simple reason, he love flowers. We can find flowers everywhere around us, but it’s best when he can take care and be around them at a special place where he can enjoy the view of different kinds of flowers.

Cho Kyuhyun, currently on his busiest high school year doesn’t bother when the exam will come. He might just stay calm and chill even if the final exam be tomorrow. Or let’s say he might accidentally skip the final exam and stay behind the stage on graduation, not that he’d really want that to happen. The time in this world flow fast in his eyes to his dismay. That’s why he tends to do whatever he want and make things work the way he want. So when things don’t go work in his way, he will try harder to make things flow according to where his life baton leads.

“For you.” Yuna hand him a bouquet of red roses. Kyuhyun smiles at the red beauty, he thanked the beautiful lady standing before him.

“Someone gave it to me earlier for you.” Yuna said as she gathers flower to make another bouquet the customer favor. “I can say he’s your secret admirer?”

“Secret… admirer?” Kyuhyun flushes and smells the bouquet. Roses were his least favorite even though it has a wild scent. The flower has quite many admirers as many customers always requests for it. The second one goes to Daisy and third goes to Chrysanthemum.

“A very handsome person he was. I forgot to ask his name but he’s quite in a hurry.”

“Oh…” Quite of the customers often told him the meaning of the flowers was the reason why they bought them either for their family, friends and lastly, lovers. Red rose has meanings of deep emotions, be it love or respect and admiration. But to receive a bouquet in the middle of the day was to be said engaging. He wondered who this secret admirer is, who was bold enough to give him this. Yes, he has plenty of admirers as they thought he never noticed them. “If he is to visit here when I’m not present, please say my thanks to that person.”

“Sure.”

The rest, Kyuhyun do his part time for the day joyfully until the dusk calls him to return home. Yuna offered a dinner and he refused them politely as he’s looking forward for his grandpa delicious homemade dinner not that madam Yuna’s a bad cook, she is actually a good cook too.

“Grandpa, I’m home.”

While Kyuhyun play a part time at Sunrise Florist, his grandpa owns an antique clock shop. The Old Golden Brown clock shop was established in his grandpa’s early 20’s. With not much of a talk, Lee Moon Shik grows with creating, fixing and collecting antique clocks which given him the official title of clockmaker. The shop has been standing for nearly 60 years and didn’t stand out that much since it’s located in the deep part of the town, but what’s interesting it didn’t age much despite its old age (With the help care of his grandson.) The Old Golden Brown was passed down from generations to generations. Of course, not only because it’s within the town doesn’t mean it doesn’t deal with customers. Antique clocks attract plenty of people who found them interesting for collection. They buy them with the given price, not more or less.

The first one who greets him was always the sound of clock ticking, later follows by his grandpa’s busy-like voice in what he called the ‘Maker’ room. Whenever Kyuhyun got home from his part time, he always takes his time to admire the clocks and their regular heartbeat mixing into one. In the corner of the room there stands a tall-case clock with beautiful admirable patterns on its wooden skin. Not far beside it was the Comtoise clock and on the other side corner was the Bornholm clock which price stands too much that buyers who could and could not buy them prefers to admire them by eyes. While several small Pendulum and other antique clocks are hanged on the wall, giving out its inner beauty while some are placed on the table.

This could much said that Kyuhyun actually pretty much admire and proud of his family’s collection. They are passed through generations, including the shop. It was no doubt how his grandpa treasures them very much. Moon Shik took care of them better than how he took care of his grandson. Kyuhyun was immediately raised by his grandfather after his parents died of plane crash. He was barely five years old kid who wasn’t conscious enough of the tragic situation. Grandpa told Kyuhyun about it when he’s grown up enough to understand. The boy only commented “What’s happened had happened” and with the look of “I feel bad for them and so for myself but there’s nothing I could do.”

“Kyuhyun ah, could you put the ‘busy’ sign on the window?”

With a grin Kyuhyun did what he told.

“What’s for dinner, grandpa?” Kyuhyun goes to other side of the room, going up the stairs he found his grandpa seated on the dining table with rice and soup steaming in delight with few dishes sparkling deliciously. “Oh, sweet!” Kyuhyun put his bag down and sit, reaching for chopsticks when his grandpa slaps his hand away.

“Wash your hands.”

Kyuhyun pout and obeyed the order. He returns with a big smile, doe eyes shine like Milky Way galaxy. They both pray, thanked for today’s food and dig on their meal wholeheartedly. Kyuhyun offer to cook for the entire meal for the weekend which earned a smile from his grandpa. When their meal is done, Kyuhyun wash the dishes while his grandpa head downstairs to handle the customer. Finished, he wanted to do the plan he’s been waiting for.

For years he was never allowed to walk into the Maker room ever for once. He never sees how his grandpa creates or fixes those clocks. Just last week he saw uncle Donghae went into that room and saw a glimpse of his grandfather with small eyeglasses, seemingly to work on something. That envied Kyuhyun. He knows it’s his 14^th year living with his grandpa. Does he not fully gain his trust yet? As a grandchild he’s always curious of how his grandpa do his job. Despite he’s at age that should focus on academic work. Unfortunately, he doesn’t entirely give a damn about academic activities. School is a place where you find knowledge and store them to use when necessary. It least helps you survive in society, but help you survive facing arrogant rivalries.

Goal for years is soon to be accomplished. Here I come and I’m sorry grandpa, Kyuhyun thought as he walks silently towards the Maker room. He turns the door knob inaudibly and slips successfully inside, closing them in a small click. Never thought it’d be that easy! As Kyuhyun make his first step inside the room, what he sees is something beyond his expectation.

The room wasn’t that small. There are papers entirely covering the wall and blue prints of what is depicted to be a small sized watch. To his another surprise there is only one clock on the wall. It doesn’t look antique or special like other collection, it looks normal like the one he has in his room. There are two tables inside, one on the left while the other right. The left one is clean and empty while other is fully occupied. The two must be belongs to someone and each two must either be his grandpa’s or uncle’s. Kyuhyun take a closer look to the occupied one.

In the middle is a small watch, its insides are open and scattered on the table. He’s curious of the right order since it look complicated than math problem. He only knows the name and small parts when his grandpa told him about it whenever he’s in charge for the store. But one object caught his attention. The small blue glowing gem-like is in the middle of the small wheel shaped item. He heard about expensive watches with diamonds and stuff but it doesn’t really attract him that much. Maybe this one is what his grandpa’s been working. A new set of expensive watch that doesn’t look much different from the ones he saw at the mall.

Kyuhyun smiled. His grandpa must’ve been bored with antique clocks. Seems like he wanted to move on to modern ones and try to cope up with it. That’s one improvement he saw there, not that Kyuhyun mind about his grandpa’s fondness of antique clocks. He tries to hold the small parts and observe them carefully. The more he stares at them, the more he prefers to solve hundred of math problems than having to put the right pieces without learning a thing before. Because the thing he holds was small, it slipped between his finger and fall to the unfinished-looking watch.

Cursing under his breath he made a quick move to take the small object. It was a bad move.

A blue wave of dust circles his hand in motion and within a second he is abruptly thrown hard to the wall. Thud! His back and head hits the wall with an unbelievably great force that the room was shaken and papers fallen everywhere to the floor. Anyone who sees that would think Kyuhyun broke his back bone and skull but in fact he felt nothing broken except for the tight pain in his chest. Kyuhyun coughs. His sight is blurry as he stared at the watch ahead. It was glowing in blue light and the blue dust was still floating above the watch.

He didn’t hear someone opening the door but he saw his grandpa’s indistinct figure walk inside the room, followed by uncle Donghae. Their screaming voices sounds muffled in his ears. Uncle Donghae looked unexpectedly troubled as he walks back and forth yet didn’t spare a glance at him. But one thing he knows he never saw his grandpa screaming like that before, nor ever seen the horror on his face. Just a glimpse he thought he saw another figure walk inside the room. Must be that customer his grandpa handled. Kyuhyun felt bad for that. His grandpa had always been looking calm until today. It was because of him. It was his fault. If only he didn’t sneak inside the room. If only he let everything be and lock his curiosity.

Everything would be fine.

Without doubt, curiosity killed the cat.

Afternoon—Kyuhyun woke up with heavy headache that his eyes hurts every time he avert them. The sight was wobbly and he nauseously feel horrible than he ever felt. Yet between the painful throb, the scene in the Maker room repeated endlessly out of his will until he eventually throw up on the floor. His body aches, his lips feel dry and his throat stings. Was it a dream or not, the fact he could remember them clearly didn’t feel good.

A knock was heard and his grandpa came in. Kyuhyun tried to smile—he tried but it fails when he remember the hurt on his grandpa’s face. Moon Shik made a move to hug his grandson and Kyuhyun embraces back tightly as possible—he’s frightened and guilty of what he done. He needs at least an explanation of yesterday’s event, every bit piece of it. He needs to hear them from Moon Shik.

“It wasn’t your fault. It was mine. I’m sorry, my son.”

Kyuhyun denies, “No…No…No…It’s mine! I’m so sorry grandpa I won’t ever do it again.”

“…”

“Grandpa…?”

Seated on the bed on that beautiful sunny day is when he listens to every bit of what his grandpa said.

The watch he accidentally made contact was one that passed down from generation to next, the current holder was uncle Donghae. It doesn’t have a name but what made it special was the blue small gem-like that was buried inside. According to his grandpa it possesses something powerful and special to which give its holder the ability to travel through time. His grandpa was one of the ious holders. Such secret was passed down until those who left took it to their grave. It was broken for the first time in every part and in the midst of fixing by his grandpa whom also said was utterly impractical. They plan to pass it on Kyuhyun once he reaches 18 however a mistake was occurred yesterday. The gem and watch were not in a very good condition and they didn’t know it would cause havoc. They never thought it happened to Kyuhyun and are clueless of what’s going to happen to him. As soon as Kyuhyun finished listening he wished he would wake up knowing everything was only a dream. But the warm sensation from his grandpa’s hand told him otherwise.

Everything sounded inaudibly real, yet he wished everything he heard was unreal. Were they another made up bed time stories? When he was young, his grandpa and uncle at times told him bed time stories about people’s time travel journey. Were they real and…were they hint because he’s the next holder?

“How are you feeling, son?”

“I’m okay.” The pain on his grandpa’s face made Kyuhyun forced a smile. “Just a small headache, it’ll get better soon grandpa.”

Kyuhyun washed up to cool his mind and head downstairs with small towel on his hair. He blankly gazes down at the untouched rice bowl. He somehow doesn’t have the appetite despite seeing the delicious looking beef before him. His grandpa is currently seated oppositely waiting for his grandson to eat his homemade meal. After a few minute passed, Kyuhyun dig his meal like he hasn’t eaten in a week.

Finished, Kyuhyun finally opens his mouth to talk.

“So grandpa…you really travelled before?”

“Yes.”

“All these time… The bed time stories you and uncle told me are real?” Kyuhyun doesn’t recall them saying they were fake either.

“Yes they are.” He heard that right even though he wished to hear a different answer.

“Did you perhaps know that will happen to me, grandpa?” Kyuhyun frowns. “Do you?”

“No.” Moon Shik remove his eyeglasses and rest it on the table. “I honestly didn’t know, son. I never thought the gem could do something like that.”

“Then… can you still travel back in time?” Kyuhyun never thought he would be a little bit interested in the topic despite the awful experience that night. Time travel is something that always comes up as fiction either in books or movies. Growing up he always admire the bed time story his grandpa and uncle made and even wished they would be real. For finally been told it’s real and that it was passed down from his family silently surprised him. He never thought it’d be real, not that he really experience or saw them with his two eyes. “Grandpa, this is the chance! If you can…”

“Not anymore, son.” Moon Shik smiles, the wrinkles on his face moves. Kyuhyun stared at him long with lots of questions in mind. He ended up opening and closing his mouth as he doubts his own questions. His grandpa’s hand move in motion to fill the empty tea cup before his grandson,

“Today will be a long day, I will tell you everything you need to know son.”