“What are you talking about?”

          The Timekeeper just looked at Luhan with a blank face, although a faint smirk was present. His cockiness really annoyed Luhan, but that’s not what bugged him the most.

          “Timekeeper? What do you mean? Like, keeping track of time?” Luhan tried again.

          “You could say that.”

          “You’re not making any sense!” Luhan exclaimed as a hand ripped through his hair in pure frustration. “Forget Haerin? I’m never going to find her? Timekeeper? Never supposed to meet her? What mistake? I don’t understand you!”

          “Exactly. When you don’t understand something, you simply leave it and forget about it. That’s what you should do,” the Timekeeper replied.

          His glib responses enraged Luhan further. “No. When you don’t understand, you don’t simply leave it and forget about it, you do work and try to understand the matter. You face it, not run away like a coward.”

          “Look, kid,” the Timekeeper started. “You won’t understand. Ever.”

          “Try me.”

          The Timekeeper raised an eyebrow at the audacity of the boy. Was a mere child challenging the Great Timekeeper? He clearly didn’t know his place. “Very well,” the Timekeeper said. He acquiesced to Luhan’s – request, the Timekeeper called it – not because he was of a lower class or intimidated by the boy, but because he was amused. Amused at the fact that this mere 18 year old boy dared to stand up against the Great Timekeeper. “You and Haerin were never supposed to meet. It was a mistake.”

          “Yeah, I got that. You told me about it, but not why.”

          “If you want information from me, then the least you can do is not get smart with me, boy,” the Timekeeper admonished. “It seems as if there was a slip with my time…managing. My duty as the Timekeeper is to keep balance with time. That slip made two people who should have never met, meet accidentally. Unfortunately, even if I have the ability to control time, I cannot modify a human’s memory, which is why you remember Haerin and everything that happened with her.”

          Luhan clenched his jaw. He hardly understood the Timekeeper, but he asked, “Why is it that I can’t meet Haerin? Are we going to destroy the world or something?”

          The Timekeeper shook his head. “No. You meddlesome children can’t do something like that.” The Timekeeper let himself chuckle, even if Luhan didn’t laugh with him. “No, you can’t meet Haerin because in your time – which is the future in my eyes, but present for you – Haerin,” the Timekeeper paused and scrutinized his fingernails, the other arm folded across his chest, “doesn’t exist.”

          “What…do you mean?” It was because of foreboding that resulted in the hesitance in Luhan’s question. Despite the fact that this random man, who called himself the Timekeeper, was blabbering nonsense, there were a few comprehensible words that helped Luhan become aware of just what situation he was in.

          “Haerin ceased to exist,” the Timekeeper repeated nonchalantly. “In other words…” the Timekeeper’s gaze drifted from his fingernails to the side, and finally met Luhan’s eyes. “She’s dead.”

          Luhan’s eyes widened. “What?”

          “You heard me.”

          “Sh-She’s dead? There’s no way! You say I’m from the future, yeah? She was alive!”

          “That’s the mistake,” the Timekeeper said. “I guess I dozed off or whatever. While I was keeping the times in place, I made Haerin’s time jolt back a bit – a week, to be precise – and it clashed with your time. You see, she was just supposed to continue on, but I somehow turned her time back, but her body was in the future – your time – despite the fact that her mind was still in the past, a week before.”

          “That makes no sense,” Luhan said candidly.

          “Told you that you wouldn’t understand.”

          “So…she’s dead? Gone? Just like that?”

          The Timekeeper nodded his head once dramatically. “Forever.” There was a slight grin on his face, an arrogant one. It looked as if he was very pleased with this situation – Luhan being confused, Luhan suffering, Luhan hurting. He seemed to like it. Was he sadistic or mental?

          But Luhan’s thoughts didn’t revolve around the Timekeeper for too long. They went back to Haerin. Was she really gone? Dead? Was there any way to bring her back? At all? The girl had made him obsessed with her, and the expectancy, anticipation, and tingly feelings he felt around and with her. Even in just a short time, that short time was enough to leave a solid imprint on Luhan’s head…and heart. He knew he could never forget Haerin. Even in ten, twenty years – even if he got married and had kids – he knew that Haerin would be at the back of his mind somewhere. That was the way Luhan functioned. If the problem wasn’t solved, it would always remain. You see, when the problem is resolved, then there’s no purpose for that problem to worry Luhan anymore. It’s solved, so what’s the point? But an unsolved issue? How can he ignore that? How can he live with that? It was impossible. There was no way he could do that. There was no –

          “But there is one way…” the Timekeeper commenced. Luhan looked up, clearly interested in what he had to say. The Timekeeper let the suspense linger, watching Luhan become more agitated by the second. The way the boy’s body involuntarily flinched, the way his jaw was clenched, the way that his fingers seemed to tremble. It was absolutely entertaining. The Timekeeper was intrigued by the boy. Why was the girl so important to him? From what he saw, Luhan had only interacted with the girl once. Their conversations weren’t exactly outstanding either, or worthy of note. So why?

          “What way?” Luhan said irritably.

          “Show some respect, won’t you?” The Timekeeper smirked. “Think about what I said. About what happened to Haerin. About my mistake.”

          The normal Luhan would have just rolled his eyes and walked away, but the normal Luhan wouldn’t have even stayed around long enough to listen to any of the Timekeeper’s words. So this Luhan, he did as the Timekeeper said. He thought about the previous words spoken by this peculiar man. His ability… “You said you can control time,” Luhan said, to ascertain. The Timekeeper nodded in agreement. “So you’d be able to manipulate time by free will? What are you – a god?”

          “A time god, you could say. But not ‘god’ as in the sense of the God. I am not omnipotent. My powers are limited. I can simply stop and resume time, which explains the little slip,” the Timekeeper elucidated.

          “Same thing,” Luhan muttered under his breath. “How can you even do that? Are you superhuman?”

          “A time god, you dumb boy. I wouldn’t call myself a human.”

          “What the –” Luhan scoffed, skeptical. “Wait a minute. Time god? Time manipulation? Who do you take me for – an idiot?”

          “Yes.”

          Luhan shot him a dirty look. “Prove it.”

          The Timekeeper raised an eyebrow.

          “Prove that you can manipulate time,” Luhan stated.

          “Prove that I can stop and resume time? Why should I, to a mere human being?” the Timekeeper questioned.

          Luhan snorted. “This is absurd. Absolutely preposterous. You’re insane, sir.” He turned away and begins to walk, but he had only made a few steps before he reluctantly turned around. Haerin. “Insane, but I need you and your…abilities, or whatever. I swear, if this is some random bull prank by Sehun –”

          “This is between you and me. The only reason why you even know me, or can see me, if because I, in a way, owe you.”

          He owes me, Luhan thought. In other words, he needs to do a favor for me. Keeping that thought in mind, Luhan continued to think about what the Timekeeper had told him before. Next thing… The mistake… wait. “So the Haerin in the past – her original time – is still alive?” Luhan asked cautiously, confusing himself. The Timekeeper’s grin widened as he nodded. “Wait, so the Haerin in my time is dead. But the Haerin in the past, one week before, the Haerin I met…she’s alive?” The Timekeeper nodded once more. “And she remembers me?!” Luhan demanded expectantly, taking a step closer to the man. The Timekeeper hesitated, but he nodded anyway.

          Luhan let out a chuckle, a lighthearted chuckle, it was. Relief. It overwhelmed him. Relief swept over his whole being, and he didn’t think he felt this relieved before. The infectious and warm happiness infected his body, continuously coursing through his veins. He was happy, he was excited, he was relieved. He took a deep, gleeful breath. “She’s alive.”

          “The problem is, the time difference,” the Timekeeper reminded Luhan. “She’s a week behind you. It’s impossible for you to cross paths.” Luhan’s shoulders dropped heavily. His knees went weak and he fell down on the ground. A knee was propped up and he felt so forlorn, so disappointed. He felt as if his heart sank to the lowest pit possible. The sky seemed a lot darker too. He felt so blissful and relieved for one second, and now absolutely desolated. It was horrible.

           “Unless…”

          Luhan’s eyes widened. That one word gave him hope. “Unless? Unless what?” The Timekeeper only smirked, and that vexed Luhan. The blonde hissed, “Unless what?”

          The Timekeeper sighed as he examined his fingernails once more. Just as Luhan was about to get up and – punch the Timekeeper? Just, do something – the Timekeeper spoke. “Unless you’re willing to rescue her.”

          “How? How do I do it? So it’s possible to meet her again, to – to yeah? Rescue her?” Luhan asked, desperately clinging to the thin string of hope. He know he sounded pathetic, and his words sounded much too cliché for comfort, but he couldn’t think straight or of any other words that were more suitable. He was lost – lost in pure, insurmountable-seeming enigma.

          “I don’t know,” the Timekeeper said, mocking Luhan and his innocent desire to meet the girl again. “I don’t think a little boy like you is capable of –”

          “I am. I am very capable. I understood what you told me, right? I’m capable of many things, and I swear I’m capable of saving Haerin. I will save Haerin, no matter what it takes. Anything and everything. Just tell me what I have to do, and I’ll do it. Just – please. I need this chance. I need this so, so much and I can’t explain how much I – I just – need this.”

          Luhan never understood the burning desire to save Haerin. He had only met her once. You can call him crazy and a madman, but it wouldn’t affect Luhan at all. He thought that he had gone insane for a second, but his words made sense and his intentions were real. He didn’t say those things in the “heat of the moment”. He said them because he meant it. He wanted to save Haerin and prevent her death. He wanted to see Haerin at the coffee shop and hear her laughter. He wanted to feel her presence, to see the expression of pure joy at the sweet flavor of a frappucino. Above all, he wanted to engrave her beautiful smile into his memory for an eternity.

          The Timekeeper contemplated on the boy’s sincere endeavor. He was so eager – why? The Timekeeper didn’t understand. He wasn’t a charitable or a generous person. No, not at all. But seeing this boy, Luhan, suffer and be confused was very amusing. Seeing Luhan struggle was like the entertainment that the Timekeeper had been derived of for too long of a time. Perhaps, this show won’t be a waste of time, the Timekeeper thought. This will be very fun.

          “Alright.”

          Luhan’s face brightened at the Timekeeper’s agreement. He shot up and a huge smile was plastered on his face. “Thank you! So…um…” Luhan’s face darkened. He was experience some serious mood swings today. “How am I doing this…mission? What do I do? What do I need?”

          The Timekeeper grinned. “I’m going to give you three things and a gift.” The Timekeeper stepped forward, closing the distance between them, a malicious glint flickering in his eyes. “A pen, an address, and one week.”

          “Yeah. Great. Okay, that makes perfect sense.”

          “I’ll explain everything soon, you insolent brat.”

          Luhan suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. “What’s the gift?”

          The Timekeeper’s grin enlarged. “I’ll be giving you the privilege to stop and resume time whenever.”

A/N: First chapter by me as the coauthor! ^^ Hope it was enjoyable. Please look forward to future chapters~ It's going to be exciting >:D

-deardeerhan