17 DAYS TO GO | KWON SOONYOUNG

5

Hana

"Deal. I'll go back in time and save him"

That's all I remember saying before I felt like I was falling in a deep pit. Suddenly everything went black.

I woke up with a jolt, shuddering at the unfathomable coldness. When my eyes opened, I found myself seated at the bench on the rooftop of the school, leaning my head against the wall. "What a strange dream!" I mumbled to myself. I shrieked in horror as someone whispered in my ears, "You fell asleep here?"

As whipped my head back, I witnessed Jun towering over me with a silly smile on his face. My eyes drooped as I recalled the anguish his face had held that day but what suprised me was how it didn't have any trace of that sadness, right now.

"What did you dream?" he found his place beside me, "It was nothing!" I quickly snapped causing him to look taken aback. That smile again. How can he smile after everything? Not that I'm complaining. I'd be more than happy for him if he got over the pain.

Fishing out my phone, I scanned over the time. My feet made me abruptly stand up in shock as I noticed the date. 17 days back? "How is that possible?" My voice came out barely audible but Jun heard it. "What is not possible?" What should I tell him now?

This couldn't be real. I glanced around, taking in the sounds of screams and cheers. Leaning over the rooftop, I could see a bunch of boys playing soccer.

And there he was. Looking alive and well. Kwon Soonyoung. My heart thumped in my chest as I watched him, unable to tear my eyes away. "My friends are crazy, I know!" Jun stood beside me, waving over to Soonyoung as he waved back brightly and resumed playing.

Soonyoung suddenly stopped playing and looked up, his eyes meeting Jun's. It was as if he had sensed my presence, as if he realised who his bestfriend was talking to.

I glanced over at Jun looking confused at Soonyoung and mouthing back a "What?" in response to his friend's silent questioning gaze. I knew what Soonyoung meant by that look. He was asking Jun why he was talking to me.

"You really don't know, do you?" I said, my voice barely above a whisper. My eyes never left Jun's as he looked at me, his confusion evident on his face. "I don't know what?" he asked, his voice filled with genuine curiosity.

I waved my hands dismissively at him, offering him a smile that I hoped would hide the turmoil inside me. "Soonyoung will surely tell you what you need to know," I said, my voice filled with a mix of sadness and disappointment.

Without giving him a chance to respond, I turned and walked away, my heart pounding in my chest. As I dashed out of the rooftop, just like the last time, I felt a pricking feeling in my chest. The weight of the world seemed to be pressing down on me as I realized that Jun and I would never talk to each other again.

I knew that once Soonyoung informed Jun about my reputation and the truth behind my story, he would never want to speak to me again.

At that very moment, I wanted to have a talk with 'Death'. Come on, how can he assign such a huge and important task to me and then disappear into thin air? It was currently lunch break and so I hung out in the library, trying to pass time cause the rooftop seemed to be occupied by Jun at that moment.

I couldn't believe that I had really traveled back in time. It felt like a scene straight out of the Sci-fi books and movies that I had read and watched. I should've been feeling amazing, on the 'nth' cloud but an unsettling feeling weighed me down.

I only had 17 days at hand to save Soonyoung! I didn't know how to save him when we never even talked to each other and by the way he got protective over Jun when he was around me, made me understand how he saw me...just like how the others did.

But I couldn't give up yet, I had to do this. I had to save him and that's what had me rummaging through all the Science fiction books and novels, reasearching and studying for answers throughout the lunch period. As expected, I had discovered nothing.

Walking through the hallways towards my locker after my rampage through the books, I was immersed in my own thoughts. As I grabbed the books I needed for the proceeding lectures, I attempted to stuff them into my bag haphazardly.

Lost in my own world, I was startled when a pair of feet suddenly stood before me. Looking up, I saw Kim Jihye, the epitome of beauty and wealth. Her long, straight hair cascaded down her shoulders, framing her perfect and sharp features. She had always been the queen bee, finding ways to bully and torture me, but I refused to let her get what she wanted. Today would be no different.