The Best of Tomorrow

Chapter 5 – Part1

I came to Jagam High School right after school. Since night self-study began, the school was quiet. While looking around, I pulled out a notebook and permanent marker from my bag. I squatted there, put the notebook on my knees and started writing a letter.

[Do not take cold medicine with a sleeping pill]

[66 Entertainment Mangjo X]

[Cold medicine X]

[Sleeping pills X]

[Potato pancakes X]

I tore pages from the notebook and attached it to the electric poles, streetlights, and walls that I could see, so that one can see right away after coming out of the school gate.

If you can’t tell the truth of the future, you can provide objective information; the information anyone can say after searching it up on the Internet.

As a result of experimenting at home, I realised that I couldn’t tell what happened in the future.

When I left it in letters, it got erased.

When I tried to talk about it, a strange sound kept popping out of nowhere.

When I went into the bathroom and tried to yell, “Ryu Seon-jae, you will die if you take the wrong medicine!”, I heard something strange. And at the same time, water spilt from the shower. I was more terrified than I was back in the past.

It was really strange.

There are some rules in time travel, and it seems like they are watching me.

After pasting the three sheets, I added one more page.

[Ryu Seon-jae, stay away from Baek In-hyeok; a member of the school]

As I was pressing on the tapes attached to the corners of the sheet, a familiar voice flew from behind.

“What’s this?”

“O-oh…” I thought my heart was going to fall!

I was so surprised that I flinched and turned my head, slowly. Baek-hyuk’s sharp, thin eyes were looking at what I was holding; a piece of paper that was bent helplessly with less tape attached in a corner.

Whoops

With a jerk, I crumpled the paper… turning my hand into a fist.

“Give it to me, I saw my name.” Baek In-hyuk reached out his hand.

When I stepped back, Baek In-hyuk walked as much as I stepped back.

It’s not something that he would like to see.

What should I do? I nervously looked around.

I saw Seon-jae standing behind Baek In-hyuk, expressionless.

This paper should disappear.

I chewed the crumpled paper in my mouth.

Baek In-hyuk stood there, his mouth wide open at what I just did…

“Oh God, I can’t watch it! I’m not looking! Spit it out!! Did you eat it!?”

Unbelievable!

Looking at my chomping lips, Baek In-hyuk covered his mouth with his hands.

Oh my God. It seemed like I was surprised too.

I could feel the dampened paper clinging to the roof of my mouth.

I want to spit it out! It made me cry. This is ridiculous!

Looking around, I saw no one but the three of us. How and where should I go? Ryu Seon-jae and Baek in-hyuk, who were standing behind me now, started to walk towards me.

Yesterday I was so shocked and distracted that I couldn’t notice them properly. But looking at the two standing close to me now, I was speechless.

According to the profile provided by the agency, Ryu Seon-jae was 184 cm tall, and Baek In-hyuk was 186 cm tall.

They had already grown up in high school. Because of their height, their faces looked high. Looking at them, I could see Ryu Seon-jae’s dark brown hair, Baek In-hyuk’s hair was light brown in color.

If Ryu Seon-jae was a dog and Baek In-Hyuk was a cat, both were handsome enough to choke.

Looking at such handsome faces so close, I felt both mentally and physically oppressed.

Seon-jae, who put his hand in his pocket, looked at me without an expression.

The face you always smiled at on TV, could look so cold.

It was a little surprising.

The expressionless face turned towards Baek In-hyuk.

“Baek In-hyuk, let’s go.”

“I saw our names on the paper. What did she write about us? Do you know?”

Seon-jae ignored Baek In-hyuk’s words and walked first.

My eyes followed Seon-jae’s figure, walking away.

I can’t let it slip off my hand and I don’t know when I will go back to the present…

“Seon-njae is a nice person, but he’s cold.”

Baek In-hyuk lowered his upper body to match my eye level and smiled.

“You know what’s funny?”and said the next words in a whisper…

“Your first appearance was a bit shocking. But I can’t believe that you ran into us and cried…”

I still had the paper in my mouth, wide open and upon hearing his words, I closed my mouth.

Suddenly, he raised his thumb. I lowered my eyes and saw a round, long thumb.

“The paper-eating act was the best! But Seon-jae doesn’t seem to be interested. So try harder… better luck next time.”

Baek In-hyuk smiled, looking at my dumb-struck face and turned around to leave.

“…”

Spit it in the trash in front of you!!

I spat out everything I had in my mouth.

I rubbed my mouth with the back of my hand and looked at their distancing figures.

Seon-jae’s dark, silky hair fluttered with the breeze, rhythmically.

I felt weird seeing Seon-jae so young, and being alive.

Damn it!

I don’t care what it is. I shook my head at this mess.

Wake up, Im-Sol!

You have only one mission.

It’s about saving the best! Saving Ryu Seon-jae!

I clenched my fist and raised it in the air.

I went home quickly and sat in front of the computer, wearing a T-shirt and sweatpants that I had matched as a pair at the athletic meet. I had gone to a second-hand store and searched for gym suits and that is when I found these.

I had pasted a piece of paper near the gate, mentioning not to take permission and sleeping pills together before returning home.

First, I have to get into the school without getting noticed.

To do that, it was impossible to wear another school’s uniform.

[We sell gym clothes, uniforms and winter clothes. Direct transaction. Ten thousand won.]

I found a post on sale.

As there were no comments, it seemed that it had not been sold yet.

I immediately sent a message to the seller’s number.

[Hello, I’d like to buy a gym suit for my school.]

[Okay, winter uniform or summer uniform?]

[Winter uniform. Can I get it tomorrow?]

[Yes, that’s available. Since I am a student, is it okay to meet at 6pm at McDonald’s at Jagam Intersection?]

[Good, will be there on time.]

[Yes, please contact me tomorrow]

Tak

I put my phone down on my desk.

Would this go smooth? I sighed…