The Best of Tomorrow-Chapter 2.7

□ ■ □

Before I knew it, I had followed Seon-jae all the way to the old school building where his classroom was. Since he’d left his coat and bag in the classroom, he headed that way, and Baek In-hyeok dragged me along behind him. Then, after leading me up the stairs, he suddenly said, “Oh, I forgot something. Wait with Seon-jae,” and went back toward the auditorium.

“Hey, isn’t that Baek In-hyeok’s girlfriend?”

A kid suddenly appeared on the stairs and said that while looking at me. He was one of the ones we saw earlier in the auditorium. I had clearly said I wasn’t, so why was he repeating this nonsense?

“No, it’s not like that.”

Seon-jae, walking ahead, turned his head and looked at me. Our eyes met.

“Yo, Seon-jae!”

The boy called out to Seon-jae.

“My friends who came to the festival today are dying to meet you. Wanna be introduced? Actually, wait—are you free later? Wanna hang out after?”

“No. I’m going with In-hyeok.”

“Oh, really? Then the introductions?”

“No thanks.”

“Why not? You don’t have a girlfriend, right? Just go meet them at least.”

“I don’t want to.”

The boy slumped his shoulders in disappointment. It was just an ordinary exchange, but it made me feel weird. Seon-jae’s really popular, I thought, glancing around. But the boy wasn’t giving up. He grabbed Seon-jae, who was heading up the stairs, and asked again.

“Do you maybe like someone? If you do, I’ll go tell my friends to give up cleanly. They’re seriously begging for your contact info right now.”

Seon-jae paused and looked down. I was staring blankly when his eyes met mine. Embarrassed, I quickly looked away.

“Even if I didn’t, I still wouldn’t give it. But I do, so don’t give it to them.”

“Ugh, fine. Got it.”

Only then did the boy back off, loudly muttering as he left, “I’m dying to know who Ryu Seon-jae likes. Whoever it is, she must be freaking pretty.”

Not even considering that maybe Seon-jae lied just to get rid of him.

Seon-jae finished climbing the stairs and walked toward his classroom. The hallway was quiet. I couldn’t bring myself to follow all the way to the front of the room, so I stood near the stairwell.

As I rubbed my dry lips, my phone vibrated. I stopped and pulled it from my pocket. The screen showed “Unknown Number.” My heart thudded loudly. I looked around the hallway. Seon-jae still hadn’t come out of the classroom. I went up one more floor. The unlit third floor was dark. I took a deep breath and answered the call.

“...Hello?”

Just like last time, there was only silence at first. Then I heard a faint murmur, and a voice mixed with static came through.

— Can’t you hear me?

“Y-yeah, I can hear you.”

I heard a long sigh.

— Do you have any idea how much I panicked thinking I’d lost that watch?

“W-who is this?”

— The person who lost the watch.

“I didn’t steal it. I found it on the street.”

— I know. Whatever. You still have the watch, right?

I slid my hand into my pocket and touched the engraved surface of the pocket watch.

“...Yes.”

— You can’t lose that thing. Is it close to the hour?

I pulled the watch out of my pocket, popped open the lid, and checked the face. The hour hand was almost on the 3.

“...Yes. It’s close.”

— Then it’s almost time.

“Time for what?”

— At every full hour, travelers return to their original time. Or so they say.

“You mean I’ll go back as soon as it hits the hour? Even if I don’t do anything?”

— Right.

The static on the other end started getting louder, making the voice harder to hear. The popping and clicking noises made me frown as I tried to think of what else to ask.

— I’m waiting in front of your house. Don’t do anything stupid. When you come back, return the watch immediately.

“My house?”

I was so startled my voice came out louder than I meant.

— Yeah. Your neighbor’s TV is ridiculously loud. You haven’t told anyone you’re a time traveler, right? You absolutely must not tell anyone. Not that you really can.

“I didn’t. I didn’t tell anyone.”

— Good. I don’t know what you’ve been doing there, but be careful. One wrong move and your whole life could get completely screwed up.

“What?”

The piercing static suddenly cut off.

“Hello?”

I pulled the phone from my ear and checked the screen. The call had ended. The backlight illuminating my face soon faded. I stood frozen in the dark, at a loss for words. Waiting in front of my house? Return the watch when I get back?

That meant... this call had come from the future, from the time I originally came from.

How had they found me here and managed to call? I didn’t know—but then again, the fact that I was living in the past was already something that defied explanation. The thought I guess I really am going back now landed in my chest like a heavy stamp. I stood still, the dead phone in my hand, my mind as stuck as the stubborn hour hand.

Suddenly, thud—someone grabbed my shoulder. Because I’d just finished a bizarre call and was already on edge, I flinched hard. As I twisted away, I stepped wrong at the edge of the stairs and lost my balance.

With a sharp scream, my body tilted backward—but someone yanked me forward with force. I gasped as if an organ had been torn from inside me.

“Haah, ha...”

The lights were off, and it was dark. Right in front of me was someone’s chest. A lilac scent rose from the cable-knit black sweater. I lifted my gaze. Seon-jae was looking down at me, our eyes locking.

He had his arm wrapped around my back, holding my arm. He looked even more shocked than I was.

“Uh... I-I almost... that could’ve been really bad... right?”

I tried to step back, but Seon-jae tightened his grip. We were so close that I couldn’t look him in the face. My eyes darted around—his sweater, the wall, his hand on my arm.

“Im Sol.”

“...Yeah?”

Hearing my name made my eyes, which had been wandering awkwardly, finally return to his face. The strands of hair brushing his lashes, the eyes beneath them, the beautifully shaped nose—all glowed, even in the dark.

“What are you really?”

“Me? I...”

“Leave out the ‘I’m a fan’ part. Try again.”

“...”

My lips felt like they weren’t just dry but burning. My chest thudded so hard it made my teeth ache. I began to worry—had he heard my call?

I’d just been warned not to reveal I was a time traveler.

Was he asking because he overheard the call—or because he didn’t like that I kept appearing at school to see him on stage? Probably both. I must have seemed suspicious. That realization made regret surge through me. I’d made Seon-jae uncomfortable. Of course, showing up out of nowhere and claiming to be a fan when he hadn’t even debuted yet—it was weird.

“...Are you mad that I came to school again today?”

“Why would I be mad? That’s not what I asked.”

Right... that’s true... That wasn’t the question. Then why was he asking?

I scrambled for a reason. Then I realized—I was still in Seon-jae’s arms. My face heated up. If I leaned forward even a little, I’d be in his chest. Embarrassed, I stepped back. This time, Seon-jae let me go.

I stood a short distance away. His coat and bag had fallen on the stairs. He must’ve dropped them when catching me.

“I keep thinking about you.”

“What?”

I had been staring at the bag, but my head whipped back toward him.

“I said, I can’t stop thinking about you.”

My jaw almost dropped, but I forced it shut. My heart pounded. Seon-jae was looking at me with unwavering eyes.

“Do you feel the same?”

I nearly said, You’re the reason I exist.

I couldn’t breathe. It was like my heartbeat was outrunning my lungs.

It was a development I had never imagined. I felt like I had to rewind and replay his words, just to be sure. Had I misheard? Misinterpreted something?

Seon-jae took a step closer to my frozen self, eyes wide.

“Do you think about me all day too?”

“...”

My heart wasn’t just racing—it felt like it would explode. My mind was blank. Seon-jae looked at me expectantly. As I stared at him, I took a step back and lowered my head.

Maybe he just meant I stood out to him because of how weird I was. I couldn’t be sure what he meant. If anyone else had said this, I’d take it as a confession—but this was Seon-jae.

There was no way he’d have feelings for me. Not after all the ridiculous things I’d done around him.

“Hey, Chun-baek.”

“Huh?”

“Have you said anything to me that was actually true?”

I blinked and looked at him. My answer was the same as always.

“Other than the ‘Kim Chun-baek’ part... I haven’t lied about anything.”

Seon-jae stood still, then walked down a few steps and picked up his coat and bag. He looked unconvinced.

“Oh, and... that money I dropped at Gamgam Bridge... when I said it wasn’t mine...”

He dusted off his coat and let out a hollow laugh. For some reason, the edge in that laugh froze my heart.

“When you say you like me, it just feels like a joke.”

“...”

“If you really liked someone, you wouldn’t confuse them like this.”

“...”

I couldn’t say anything. The me who liked Seon-jae didn’t even belong in this world. I couldn’t accept his feelings or continue this connection.

From the second-floor hallway, I heard Baek In-hyeok’s voice.

“I really don’t get why you did this to me.”

Seon-jae slung his coat over his arm, grabbed his bag, and walked down the stairs. I stood there, unable to say a word, just watching him disappear from view.

□ ■ □

Lying flat on my bed, I replayed everything that had just happened.

Before I could even process Seon-jae’s song, a wave of strange emotions had come crashing over me, flooding every corner of my heart.

It felt like an ocean had formed inside me. If I lay on one side, the waves tilted that way. If I turned the other way, they tilted back. And when I lay flat staring at the ceiling, my racing heart sent ripples through it all.

I couldn’t tell if my insides were fluttering or just churning, but it kept rising, swelling, and expanding.

I can’t stop thinking about you.

That’s what he said. Definitely.

My face burned red in an instant. I cupped my cheeks with both hands, breathing in and out. At first, I couldn’t believe what Seon-jae had said. Then, I was so nervous I thought I’d die. But now... I didn’t know why, it just hurt.

I picked up the pocket watch lying next to me and pushed open the lid. According to the watch’s owner, when the hour hand reached 3, I would return to my original time. The moment I heard him say, “It’ll cross over soon,” a crushing sadness swept over me. If Seon-jae really remembered me, just like he said that time, then to him, I’d probably remain as nothing but a painful memory.

My heart kept pounding loudly. I was someone who had to return anyway, so thinking about anything here was pointless. No matter what Seon-jae said to me while I was here, I couldn’t stay. Maybe even the self living in this time was a lie. When Seon-jae asked if there was even one thing I told him that was true, I should’ve answered differently. That everything except being a fan was a lie. That the person you’re seeing now... isn’t real.

I turned on my side and drew my knees to my stomach. A blank wall faced me. That empty wall felt like the world I’d fallen out of. It didn’t matter how Seon-jae thought of me. It was okay if he didn’t remember me. All I wished was that when I returned, Seon-jae would still be alive.

□ ■ □

I couldn’t focus on a single thing in class. Before I’d spoken to the watch’s owner, I’d told myself I couldn’t just give up on studying—since I didn’t know how long I’d be stuck in the past—but now I had no motivation left at all.

I jabbed at my notebook with my pencil lead, then glanced at the calendar. The day after tomorrow was Seon-jae’s birthday. I pulled out the pocket watch and checked the time. 2:52 p.m.

I’d probably have time to give him a gift. Snap—my pencil lead broke and flew off. Will I be able to give it to him?

A choked sound slipped from my lips as I dropped my forehead to the desk.

□ ■ □

I cleaned out all the emergency cash I had at home. I even fished out money tucked between books and cracked open my piggy bank. What I’d saved from New Year’s money and gifts over time added up to a decent sum. I felt bad for my past self who’d have to relive this timeline without it, but... well, that’s still me. I consoled myself with the excuse, I’ll use it well, for something meaningful, and stuffed it all in my wallet before heading out.

I debated over what to buy Seon-jae and ended up choosing an oatmeal-colored sweater with thick cable-knit stitching. I picked it thinking it would suit the current Seon-jae, not the one from the future. I wrote a birthday card and slipped it into the gift box:

[Seon-jae, happy birthday. I bought this because I thought it would suit you. I hope you like it. Please stay healthy so I can keep celebrating your birthday every year from afar.]

I debated whether to draw a heart at the end, but decided not to.

I hooked the shopping bag around my wrist and wandered out of the department store. As I walked, I noticed a row of movie posters outside the theater. Among them was a film that had performed abysmally at the box office, disappearing from theaters within days of release. Reviews had called it the worst film of the year, a snore-fest, a yawn generator. The real issue was that the director’s previous works had gotten similar reviews. Maybe that’s why he quit the industry after this one.

Then, a brilliant idea struck me.

“I’ll give Seon-jae the Blu-ray of that director’s movie!”

□ ■ □

I loitered around the area near 66 Entertainment, but when snow started falling, I ducked into a nearby building. I peeked out, waiting for Seon-jae to appear. He might not even be at the company, but it was the weekend—he’d probably have practice, so I figured he’d show up eventually. I was debating whether to call him when I spotted Seo Yun-jae walking by, both hands full with plastic bags labeled “Grandma’s Tteokbokki.”

“Oh!”

I only said one word, but Seo Yun-jae turned around. Squinting, maybe because he couldn’t see well, he stopped and turned toward me.

“Chun-baek noona?”

“Hey.”

I looked around and stepped outside to meet him. Inside the plastic bags was packed tteokbokki. Grandma’s Tteokbokki was a place near 66 Entertainment that the members of Potato Pancakes had loved during their trainee days—a taste tied to their tears. Since Seo Yun-jae was the youngest, he was probably the one sent to pick it up.

“Hey, you’re carrying all that alone? You could’ve asked someone to come with you.”

I glanced at his arms as I asked. Seo Yun-jae looked at the shopping bag hanging on my wrist and frowned.

“Don’t tell me... that’s for Seon-jae hyung?”

“Huh? Oh. Yeah.”

Even I felt embarrassed by how persistently I kept showing up, so I gave him a sheepish grin. Seo Yun-jae mumbled something, then bent down and set his bags on the ground. I watched silently. When he stood back up, he held out his hand.

“What?”

“Give it to me.”

He gestured «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» at the shopping bag.

“You’re giving it to Seon-jae hyung, right?”

“Huh? I mean, yeah... but you’re already carrying all that...”

“It’s fine. Just give it.”

He stretched out his hand a little farther. I looked at that small hand for a moment, then handed him the bag. Seo Yun-jae took it and cleared his throat.

“I did what you asked.”

I looked at him in confusion. He glanced away, a little embarrassed.

“The CEO didn’t even listen.”

He must’ve been talking about our one hope, Ryu Seon-jae. I let out a short laugh. Maybe taking it the wrong way, Seo Yun-jae scowled. I stopped laughing and nodded.

“Thanks anyway. That bastard Kang Geun-soo has zero talent.”

Seo Yun-jae blinked wide-eyed at me. He looked genuinely shocked at the way I casually tacked a curse onto his company’s CEO’s name.

I hadn’t even thought before speaking. Worried I’d said something weird, I awkwardly smiled and picked up the tteokbokki bags he’d left on the ground.

“Want me to carry them to the office door?”

“It’s fine. Just give them to me.”

He hooked the shopping bag onto his wrist and took the plastic bags from me.

“Take care.”

Seo Yun-jae gave a polite bow and turned to go. Was he always this polite?

I missed my timing and didn’t say goodbye. Watching him walk away, I murmured, “You’re gonna do well no matter what you do, our maknae-on-top.”

The snowfall had grown heavier. The road had already turned white. There wasn’t a soul around. I walked, leaving fresh footprints behind. It’s pretty, I thought, when my phone buzzed. I stood at a crosswalk, pulled it from my pocket. A call from an unregistered number. But now I knew immediately—it was Seon-jae.

I hesitated with the phone in hand. He must’ve called after getting the gift from Seo Yun-jae. What was he going to say? Why did you give this to me through Yun-jae?

As the phone continued vibrating in my palm, I stared at the screen showing Seon-jae’s number—then the call ended.

“You’re not answering ‘cause you don’t recognize the number?”

A voice came from behind me. I turned.

There was Seon-jae, standing on the snow-covered road. His breath puffed white—he must’ve run.

“Uh... why are you...”

“You mean, why am I here?”

I hesitantly nodded. Seon-jae, now standing right in front of me, stopped and stared silently. Then he pulled something from his pocket and held it out.

I looked down.

It was the birthday card I’d placed in the gift box.

“How did you know?”

“Huh?”

“My birthday. How did you know?”

Ah... I opened my mouth but couldn’t answer. Did I mess up again? My head hung low. I couldn’t exactly say, Wikipedia told me.

If I borrowed Seo Yun-jae’s words, that kind of excuse wouldn’t fly.

Since I’d be returning soon, and since this might be the last time I ever saw this version of Seon-jae... maybe it was okay to throw Baek In-hyeok under the bus.

“Baek In-hyeok... told me.”

“In-hyeok?”

I nodded, cautiously watching him. Seon-jae put the card back in his pocket, shoved his hands in too, and looked at me. That silent gaze made me shrink again. I lowered my head and stared at the snow settling on his shoes.

“My birthday isn’t today.”

“I know.”

Seon-jae’s birthday was tomorrow. But somehow, I felt that if I waited until then, I’d miss my chance and the time travel would end before I could give him the gift.

“Here. Take this.”

I looked up. He’d pulled one hand from his pocket and held something out.

It was an iPod with its earbuds neatly wound around it. I looked at it, then at Seon-jae.

“You said if I gave you something, you’d give me something too.”

“Ah... but I didn’t give that to get something back. That was your real birthday gift.”

“Doesn’t matter. You gave it.”

“...”

I quietly looked at Seon-jae’s hand. His clean, trimmed nails, his smooth fingers—they were pretty.

“You gave me so much, and you can’t accept just one thing?”

I raised my gaze to his face.

“Why... why are you giving it to me?”

“I don’t use it anymore. I saw your MP3 and it reminded me. So I pulled out my old one.”

Now that I thought about it, Seon-jae still had my MP3. I’d handed it over under the pretense of borrowing it, since I figured he wouldn’t accept it as a gift. I remembered how he’d said he’d return it. If he called after I went back, it would create a bizarre situation. A girl he didn’t know showing up out of nowhere to return his MP3?

I accepted the iPod from his hand.

“Then you can just keep the MP3.”

Seon-jae put his empty hand back in his pocket, looked at me for a while, and nodded. The crosswalk light changed. Snow continued falling, landing on his shoulders in tiny flakes. I followed their path, looked at his face. Our eyes met. He didn’t look away.

I studied him—his parted bangs revealing his eyebrows, his round eyes, tightly closed lips, cheeks red from the cold.

“Seon-jae.”

As I said his name, my breath dispersed into the air.

He held my gaze silently, as if waiting. That stillness made my heart race.

“If someone else had come here instead of me... they’d have done the same. They would’ve looked for you.”

“What do you mean?”

I meant time travel.

If anyone else who loved Seon-jae had come here, they too would’ve done everything they could to stop his death. Even if it caused problems for him now, they would’ve found him and tried to help. Because Seon-jae is that precious. Because we all want him to be happy.

“You said it, remember? You didn’t understand why I acted that way toward you.”

Seon-jae quietly listened.

“It’s because you’re important. Anyone—anyone who loved you would’ve done the same.”

“Anyone.”

“...People who love you.”

“What, like those fans you mentioned? The ones from that ‘We Love Seon-jae’ fan café?”

There was something dissatisfied in his voice. He let out a long sigh, his breath fogging up the air. I turned my head. The crosswalk light had changed again.

“You make simple things sound complicated.”

“...Huh?”

“So I really don’t get it.”

“....”

As I said nothing, Seon-jae let out a short sigh like he couldn’t believe me. Like I was just too dense to understand.

But the truth was, I did understand—I just couldn’t believe it. That Seon-jae liked me.

And that knowledge—it made me feel like I’d cheated. Like I’d peeked at the answers before taking a test.

Because I’d come here knowing everything about him.

Seon-jae pulled out his phone and checked the screen, then looked at me. It was probably a call from someone wondering where he’d gone during practice.

“Get home safe.”

“Okay,” I replied in a timid voice. Seon-jae slipped the phone back into his pocket and looked at me. Then he reached out his hand—and brushed the snow from my head.

“Thanks for the gift.”

I bit down hard on my lower lip. I couldn’t say anything back. My heart pounded violently. I turned to watch Seon-jae’s retreating back. I felt strange. I’d always thought I loved Seon-jae, but the one I’d been saying that to all along... was Ryu Seon-jae of Potato Pancakes. The fifth member of the group.

Watching him walk off through the snow-covered world, I placed a hand on my chest.

The words I love you wouldn’t come out.

On the way home, I powered on the iPod Seon-jae gave me. I opened the song list, hoping to see what kind of music he liked. But there was only one track.

A duet by Yoon Sang and Kim Hyun-chul.

I stared at the title in a daze. The four syllables of Saranghao (I Love You) made my chest tremble and ache. I plugged in the earphones and hit play. A soft melody flowed out.

On the snowy road, my steps slowed and eventually stopped. My pounding heart wouldn’t calm down.

I bit my lip and scrunched my face. My nose stung and tears welled up fast.

They streamed down my cold cheeks in long lines. Why am I crying? I asked myself.

The lyrics are just too sad, I answered, wiping my eyes with the back of my hand.

I was breathless. My chest pounded.

What Seon-jae gave me wasn’t just the iPod. It was this one song.

The lyrics were so calm, so much like Seon-jae. Like words he would say.

That thought made my tears unstoppable. I scrubbed at my cheeks—but eventually, I buried my face in my hands and cried. The single song replayed on loop.

The snow kept falling. The cold wind slipped into my collar.