“President, once again, it’s a time machine. It’s called ‘Code Heure’. I wonder what made your day so bad that you couldn’t process what I’ve been talking about.” Kahi, the chief of the Source Code organization’s staff complained during the conference early in the morning. Everyone in the room stayed silent as they waited for the president to respond.

“So, you’re telling me you could go back to time or travel to the future with that thing?” Minki stopped biting his nail and sat straight to respond to the tall girl in front.

Kahi nodded. “Yes. You could set the time of when you want to go back or to how many years later and set the visit time for how long you want to be there.”

Minki breathed and looked at his wrist watch. “I hope we won’t be needing that 300 billion KRW machine. I need to go.”

Everyone started to murmur but eventually stood up to leave after the president left the conference room. Kahi shut down the projector thinking about the waste of time she invested to do that report.

Minki started the engine and drove the car for 45 minutes before arriving to a quiet white house. He opened the door and searched his way to the third room in the house where the most important person in his life was waiting.

“Jieun, I’m coming in.” he smiled as he twisted the doorknob and finally found the girl sitting on her bed.

“Minki? You’re here.” The girl smiled as though she smiled to the person but actually she just stared vacantly.

Jieun tried to stand up and Minki assisted her. “Thanks.” she said. “Let’s go to work. I’m sure the children wants to see you.” He said with a smile as his grip tightened around Jieun’s waist and guided her out of the room and out of the house.

After a not so long ride, they arrived at the train station and both waved their goodbyes. After the train left, Minki stood there thinking about the things that her girl is going through. It’s hard to find for a donor. I don’t understand every little thing that’s happened to her. She’s so good and beautiful. Why did God let her suffer like that? The doctor said it’ll be temporary but it’s been three years. I don’t know what to believe anymore.

He sighed one last time and decided to go back to the organization and do some work.

Jieun sat quietly on the train. She couldn’t see a thing but she could feel it. She has been taking the train for a year now because she didn’t want to bother Minki and take time from his work to drive her to the orphanage where she works. She found it annoying and she didn’t want to annoy the guy he loves. What if Minki would get tired of me and leave me? Well, I wouldn’t blame him when that time comes. That was what she thought. And she wouldn’t want that. Ever.

“Lucky little dear one..” Jieun heard an old woman’s sweet voice beside her. “You sure are lucky.” 

“Ahh.. are you talking about me?” she asked to be sure of who the old woman was talking to.

“Yes. You’re lucky.” the woman answered and Jieun could feel that she was smiling at her.

Jieun shook her head in disagree. “I don’t understand. I’m blind, why would I be lucky?”

The old lady shook her head too and Jieun could see that. “Everyday when you get on this train, a guy always looks after you here and makes sure you arrive at the orphanage safely before going back.”

“Eh?” Jieun asked in disbelief.

“But well, I don’t see him today.” the woman said in a low voice.

“Maybe he got...tired.” Jieun whispered under her breathe.

Minki sat down on his private office and rested his head on the desk with a sigh. He closed his eyes for a moment and relaxed. Just then his door opened and he stood back up to see his trusted staff chief with a deep sorrowful look in her face.

“What?” Minki asked plainly and it took a while before Kahi answered. “Jieun’s train blew up.”

There was a deafening silence between the two. Minki wasn’t sure what he just heard. He got lost into Kahi’s eyes and he knew there was sympathy in her eyes. Kahi made her way to the remote control and the TV.

“Everyone is in shock because of the explosion that happened just a couple of minutes ago here in Seoul Station, Cheonan Express for Yeongdeungpo. Authorities are still investigating as to what the cause is but it is believed that someon-“

Kahi turned off the television and looked at the guy behind him who was still muted because of the news. She bowed before leaving the room. Minki’s eyes stung and he blinked back the tears but eventually, he let them go.

The organization was in silence. Everyone bowed their heads in sorrow because of the loss of their first lady whom they loved so much. Others were shaking their head in deep sadness and others looked at each other with obvious sympathy in their eyes. Kahi looked down and sighed sadly and searched her way to her desk.

A tiny beep from the computer broke the silence between the workers and a guy with glasses exclaimed, “Chief, it’s the police.”

Kahi immediately made her way to the employee’s desk and leaned over to look at the file received from the said police. It loaded for a matter of nanoseconds and the monitor flashed a picture of an object inside a grip seal bag with a caption underneath: A part of the bomb.

Kahi and the rest of the employees that were circled around the monitor looked at each other and knew what step to take next. “Get Prosecutor Hwang on line 1. Now.” Kahi ordered and a guy nodded pushing some buttons. A lilttle while later, Kahi was waiting for someone to pick up the phone and a voice answered “Hello?”

“Hello, Prosecutor. This is Chief Kahi from Source Code. We’ve just received the photo you sent us.” Kahi answered.

“I know. And there is another thing. Check it out.” Kahi looked at the guy with an ordering look and the guy pressed buttons on the monitor once more and once again, a beep beeped and it was a video they received this time.

“It’s a copy of the surveilance cameras around the station. And there’s a suspicious man holding some kind of remote.” the voice from the other line explained and Kahi focused her gaze on the screen as the guy played the video and paused it at the scene of a guy with black hood. He was looking at the CCTV and he waved his hand with the remote in it as if he was telling the whole world that he’s got a bomb planted inside that train.

“That guy’s sick.” Lizzy, an employee, commented.

“Good God. He is.” Kahi responded still looking at the screen and afterwards, turned around and left the others confused.

She stopped taking her steps as soon as she entered the office. The laptop was upside down on the ground, the papers were torn and were all over the room, the table was flipped and every little thing inside were broken or were scattered. Kahi looked around and found the guy with shoulder-length blonde hair leaning on the wall, hugging his knees and burying his face in his chest. His shoulders moved up and down and she could tell that he was crying. She looked at him for a couple of moments with sad and sympathetic eyes.

“Sir..” she called.

The moving of his shoulders stopped and took a little while before he answered. “Leave me alone.” he ordered in a deep, low, sorrowful voice without even looking at her.

Kahi sighed. “Sir, I think we have just fou-“

“I said leave me alone!” Minki yelled at her and panted after. Kahi could see the tears that wet his beautiful face. “I’m such a jerk. I’m an .” he mumbled in between his breathe. Again, he buried his face on his chest.

“Sir, please don’t say that.” Kahi softly said trying to comfort the pathetic guy in front of him.

“Of all the days..of all the years, why didn’t I went on the train with her today? Why?!” Minki screamed again, with a lump on his throat because of crying.

“Sir, we found the one who planted the bomb on the train.” Kahi avoided the question.

“I don’t care. Leave me alone. That’s an order.” Minki stood up and looked at Kahi while he pointed to the door. “Go!” he yelled.

“Sir, I believe you know him.” Kahi insisted, still trying her very best to make the guy go outside.

Minki put down his arms upon hearing what Kahi said. “Who would…who would do that? I don’t know someone crazy enough to plant a ing bomb in the train!”

“Then you’re wrong, sir.”

All eyes were on Minki as he made his way to the main desk with the screen which receieved the video. As soon as they were there, Kahi sat down in front of the computer and rewinded the video and paused it until the scene that many of them saw a while ago.

Minki stared at the figure in the screen for a while while he arched his eyebrows. “That’s..Jr.” the name came out of his mouth.

“You do know him sir.” Kahi looked up at Minki. “Who is he? And why would he plant a bomb on the train?” she asked the Minki who was still jawdropped.

“He’s Jieun’s ex-boyfriend. They broke up 4 years ago. I haven’t seen him once after that.” He aswered looking at Kahi.

“You’re wrong again, sir. He showed up here 2 years ago, when he found out that Jieun was blind and caused a ruckus. The guards had difficulty sending him out.” Kahi corrected and Minki let his eyes wander as if remembering the said incidents.

“You’re right. And I heard from Yoonjo that he was diagnosed with brain tumor few weeks ago.” Minki’s eyes widend as he explained with the suddden realisation.

“He really is sick.” Lizzy commented again and received nods of agreement from the other employees.

Minki stared in the air for a little while before he walked towards the door that says ‘For Authorized Personnel Only’ and asked. “Where’s that time machine you were talking about?”

Kahi was taken aback by the sudden question and she knew she would never have to answer that question. “Sir, I’m sorry but you are not allowed to use it.”

“Why?” Minki stopped and turned around to face her, who was walking behind him.

“Because we cannot guarantee your safety. Sir, you’d die! And you can’t go back!” Kahi yelled just to realize her action and then apologized.

“I don’t care. If you’re not going to use that ty machine then you shouldn’t have spent 300 billion won. You could’ve just donated that money to charity..or any other project that’s useful. Don’t you think?” He snapped back. He was right, Kahi thought.

Getting no response from Kahi, he continued his way to the room and there, found the metal machine. It was not huge. It looked like just a coffin.

“Sir, no one has tried the machine before.” Kahi let out a worried tone in her voice.

Minki smirked. “Then I’ll be history.” And in just a matter of seconds, lied down inside the coffin-like time machine. Kahi gave up knowing she wouldn’t stop the sir from that suicide mission. She went on her way to the control system and started pushing the buttons that controlled the machine. She set the time and place and then waited for Minki’s signal.

Minki breathed a heavy breathe and closed his eyes. Beep.

Kahi looked at the machine. He was gone.

Minki opened his eyes and saw himself beside Jieun standing in the Seoul Station waiting for the train. He realized why he was there and immediately searched for Jr. He held Jieun’s hand and wandered his eyes around looking for the guy. His heart hammered in his chest when he couldn’t find him. The train came and everyone went inside. He hurriedly told Jieun to sit down and don’t worry about him because he needed to talk to a friend. And after seeing Jieun nod and smile, he immediately searched his way to find Jr.

After not a long time of search, he found him sitting on one corner of the train, impatient to press the button on the remote. Slowly, Minki attacked him. He kicked Jr’s hands and the remote flew. Jr was surprised and he battled Minki. They fought for a couple of minutes and finally, Minki held him captive. He held his arms from behind and he searched for his phone in his pocket. When he found it, he let go of him as they were both squatting on the train’s floor. Minki dialled something on the phone and he spoke, “Yes 911, I am Kim Jonghyun and I planted a bomb on Cheonan Express. I am a mentally disturbed person and I was diagnosed with brain tumor a few weeks ago. I am turning myself in. Wait for me at Yeungdeungpo when the train arrives. Thank you.” then pressed the end button and gave the phone back to Jr. The other guy glared at him but he didn’t mind. He was more interested to know where the bomb is so he forced Jr to stand up and lead him there where Jr reluctantly deactivated the bomb. Minki sighed with a relief and went back to where Jieun was sitting. He sat down beside the girl and typed an email on his phone, pressed send and smiled to himself. He knew now that he would not lose someone very important to him whom he always put first and never second.

“Jieun..” he called and the girl faced him with a smile but her eyes looked at a definitely invisible person.

“Yes, Minki?” she answered.

“I thought lost time is never found again but here I am, back with you..and I want to stay this way...forever.” He whispered under his breathe as their foreheads kissed. They could hear each other’s breathe.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about but thanks for coming back.” The girl smiled one more time and that smile made Minki’s heart beat even faster.

He smiled back even though he knew she couldn’t see that smile, but still he smiled. “Jieun, do you believe in going back to time?” he asked.

Jieun shook her head. “No. But I believe in correcting the mistake you’ve made in the past.” Minki smiled again at the thought of the velvet voice he always loved before he put his lips on hers.

Kahi’s phone beeped and the screen flashed words in small font: You’ve got one mail.

She tapped the screen and the message was revealed.

I never believed in going back to time but if you’re reading this message, you got to start believing now. Thanks Kahi for letting me go back and for trusting me to save people. 

Word count: 2, 555