NEXT DAY

Today is our summer school trip for third year high school students. My class and Minki’s class were assigned to go together but we get on different buses.

We wore school uniform and met up at school, waiting time to leave. Stella hasn’t come yet. I wonder if she is going to show up or not. As time kept passing, she hasn’t arrived yet. I started to feel worry if she’s fine. A moment later, Cherry ran to me.

“Do you know why Stella hasn’t come yet? We’re leaving soon. I can’t contact her. How about you? She turned off her phone. Oh god, what happened to her?” Cherry kept making phone-call to Stella but it can’t be connected. So do I. I can’t contact her. Other friends have tried too but nobody could contact her.

Fortunately, in the last minute, she showed up and we became relieved. She didn’t look fine. Her eyes were swollen, giving sign that she has been crying for hours… I was standing near the bus door, looking at her. She just gave me a glance then ignored me and got on the bus first. I followed behind. I stopped at her place, intending to sit on the spare seat next to her but she quickly put her bag on it. All classmates became shocked to see how she acted to me. I dared not to make her more upset so I went to sit on the last back seat. All classmates kept asking me if we argued. I tried to ignore their question and told them to just enjoy the trip.

Everyone was singing and dancing on the way to our visiting destination while Stella and I remained silent, just sitting and feeling painful inside…..

The original past, both of us were very happy, joining our classmates too but now it is changing…

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Our trip is to Muchangpo Beach which took around 3hours from Seoul. We stopped to play near a beautiful park before going to the sea.

[ At the Park ]

We got off from the bus. We had class photo taken altogether then teachers told us to have free time. Everybody went with thier close friends. Stella went with Cherry. She kept ignoring me. I had no choice so I went to find Minki.

Minki looked awkward with me since last night. To be honest, I’m not sure how he thinks about what I revealed to him last night. We were walking a bit far from everyone.

“It’s okay if you don’t believe what I said to you last night, just forget it if it bothers you.” I started the conversation.

Minki suddenly hit on my left shoulder, looked at me and gave a big sigh. “I’ve known it since before you told me last night….. The day you came to ask to sleep in my room, I heard everything. You were crying and saying many unbelievable words. I wasn’t sleeping. First I thought it’s crazy and I didn’t think much about it. But day by day, I started to notice your unusual behavior and even stalked you. However, I tried not to believe it and acted normal with you. But when you admitted to me last night, I can’t refuse to accept that it’s actually true. You’re not the person who will think of that kind of joke….. So time travelling does really exist.” Minki kept saying and became tearful….. “So you’re gonna leave us today?” Minki added and faced down, starting sobbing.

I patted his back to console. “I’m sorry for not being able to stay with you until the future but I’m really proud of you. In a few years, you’ll become a model and a year after you’ll be very famous in our country. Your dream you’ve had since kid will become true.” I tried to give him a smile through my tearful eyes.

“Why don’t you just escape from her if being together will make her die? I mean just stay away from her so that both of will stay alive. Or just run away now?... I don’t want you to die.” -Minki-

I waved my head showing a strong opposed reaction to him. “It doesn’t work. We’ll always long for each other. First I travelled here, I was trying my best to make her hate me but she still falls for me. So I understand that we can’t change someone’s love no matter what….. I must die to make her alive. I don’t want the future to be repeated. I want to save her. So please Minki, please help to look after her after I leave! I’m not asking much. Please help to look after her until she graduates from high school.”

We were talking with heart-brokenly. We could cry our sadness out loud together as we wanted since nobody was around us.

After a moment:

 “Minki-oppa!!!”

Cherry came from nowhere along with Stella, shouted Minki’s name. Both of us quickly wiped our tears, not to let the girls see.

“Annoying girl! Hey, I’m gonna leave.” Minki said and turned to leave in order to escape from his number one obsessed crush.

“I think you should spend the time with her until last minute. Go to her!” Minki turned back to say to me with a cheerful smile then left.

“Ya~ Minki-ah… Minki-oppa, wait! Can I have a photo taken with you? Ya~ Wait for me!” Cherry kept shouting, running after Minki. Stella burst out laughing at her friend’s never-give up-hope on chasing after Minki. She was smiling happily then when she met eyes with me, she lost her smile and turning to leave.

“Stella!!!”

I called her. She paused from walking but didn’t turn to look at me. I ran to her.

“Do you really hate to see me now?”

Stella still didn’t reply. She started walking again.

“If you hate to see my face then I’m gonna follow you behind. I won’t disturb you. Please just allow me to follow you! I want to be near you on this last day.”

Stella stopped walking then started sobbing. I couldn’t see her face from behind but I’m sure she must be so hurt. After a while, she continued walking. I kept following behind without making a sound to disturb her.

It started raining. None of us brought umbrella with. Stella started running, heading to take a shelter under a big tree in front of us….. I suddenly remember that in originally past, she will slip into mud while running to that tree but before I was able to prevent it, she already stuck in the mud.

“Ahhh…..” she shouted.

I quickly approached her and managed to help her from falling down. I pulled her out from the mud and we ran to take a shelter under that big tree.

It took Stella a while to realize that she was inside my arm covering over her shoulders. She pushed me from her and we awkwardly stood there without speaking to each other, waiting for rain to stop.

Finally rain started slowing down. Stella looked like she wanted to leave since it’s already time to go back to the bus but her shoes were totally covered by mud. She kept staring at the shoes sadly. She was like she wanted to clean it but this little girl is really weak with dirty stuff… at this point, I decided to treat her like what I did in our original past. I sat down and touched her leg without asking permission.

She was shocked. “Oh what are you doing?” she surprisingly asked while her hands were trying to push me from moving her shoes. I took off her left sh