《Final Hope》


 Day 0

    It was the tail end of September 2004 in the small town of Two Rivers. The warmth of summer was seeing its final days as the cool autumn air began to settle in. Onyx Technology Ventures, a technology company that provided hi-tech solutions to businesses, was on the brink of a major announcement. They touted that there was a technological breakthrough in the world of artificial intelligence that could change the way the world could do business; however, you wouldn¡¯t know that looking from the outside. Workers mindlessly toiled away at their cubicles while others moved from office to office carrying heavy stacks of papers that were sure to put a strain on anyone¡¯s back. Some took a more leisurely approach and engaged in some idle banter at the water fountain. All of which were just typical activities you would expect to see in any big company.


    Unkeen observation would just paint the picture as any day at the office; however, there was more to it than the eye could perceive. The sounds of file cabinets opening and closing, phones being answered, and the such served as a mask to shroud a history-defining meeting that was scheduled to take place. The meeting was located in the back of the main work area where a rather elongated conference room was concealed behind a heavily oaken set of doors with windows blocked by Venetian blinds. This room housed the CEO of Onyx Technology Ventures as well as his executive staff as they prepared to discuss their new technological breakthrough. While nobody could see inside the room itself, those who were lucky enough to sit close by could faintly hear the voice of the CEO.


    ¡°...and with this new artificial intelligence, a technological revolution on many fronts is looming on the horizon. Our lives are about to get not just simpler, but smarter.¡± stated the muffled voice of the CEO from within the conference room which was met by a round of applause.


    The meeting had concluded and one by one they filed out of the conference room, returning to their offices. Some wore smiles on their faces while others shared a look of concern. It was evident that some were quite conflicted over the direction the company was taking. Of course, none of them would openly admit it; however, their expressions did all of the talking for them.


    ***


    A lone man, young in age, plopped down in a rather large office chair behind his desk.  His office was pretty lavish as one would expect for the owner of a technology company. His desk, oversized and made of cherrywood with tempered frosted glass inlaid within, set the theme for the office. His chair was made out of a combination of cherrywood and burgundy leather.  There was a burgundy leather sofa against the right wall of the office as well as numerous copies of his own chair lined up neatly on the left wall. Behind his desk was a rather large window that overlooked the main parking lot.  Fake plants, medium in height, sat on both sides of the large window.  A large portrait of an older gentleman was affixed above the CEO¡¯s left shoulder on the wall.


    The young man removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose, letting out quite an audible sigh. Just then, a secretary in a black business suit holding a file in her arms approached him. She placed the file down on his desk and the young man picked it up, flipping it open.


    ¡°Rough day so far?¡±


    The young man looked up and saw her standing there with her hands cupped in front of her. She wore a smile on her face as she was trying to be comforting since it was obvious that he was under a bit of stress.


    ¡°You could say that Alice, but this is just the beginning. There is still so much more that needs to be done. If we¡¯re going to deliver this technology to the world, we will have to work twice as hard as we did to develop it,¡± said the young man as he placed the folder back down on his desk.


    Alice, age twenty-eight with long, yet neat, blonde hair and deep azure eyes, walked over and retrieved the file folder and held it tightly against her body.


    ¡°Don¡¯t work yourself to death, Mikomi.  Even geniuses need a break every now and then.¡±


    The young man was Mikomi Saigo, he stood six feet tall and sported black hair and deep blue eyes. He is the son of Ryunosuke Saigo, the former CEO of Onyx Technology Ventures¡­ the man whose portrait hung on the wall behind him. Mikomi inherited the company from his father when he passed away, becoming its youngest CEO, but despite being twenty-four in age, he has been at the helm of the company for nearly two years and has been responsible for its rapid growth.


    ¡°Please, Alice¡­ I¡¯m not my father. I know my limits. Even still¡­ I wish he could be here to see what I¡¯ve done. He was the true genius after all. This breakthrough was his realization. I simply rearranged the pieces of the puzzle and put them all together.  I guess you could say I was cleaning up the mess he left behind.¡±


    Alice shook her head slightly and smiled before she spoke up once again.


    ¡°Well¡­ after that meeting, I¡¯m sure you wouldn¡¯t mind a minute or two to unwind.  How about I get you some tea?  That should help take the edge off for a bit.¡±


    Mikomi cleaned the lenses on his glasses before putting them back on. Even though he had a bit of a stress headache, he managed to put on a smile for Alice as he knew that Alice was just doing her best to comfort him after a nerve-wracking day.


    ¡°You always took good care of my father. It''s almost to the point where I think you spoiled him. I even remember him coming home one night and realizing that you weren¡¯t there to make him any tea. It was quite hilarious watching him try to make it himself.¡± said Mikomi as he leaned back in his chair with a reminiscing smile.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try not to spoil you too much then. We wouldn¡¯t want you to forget how to be self-sufficient, now would we? In the meantime, I¡¯ll go get you that tea, but only because I offered and not because I¡¯m trying to spoil you¡­ much.¡± said Alice as she shot Mikomi a wink.


    Alice turned towards the door and reached for the doorknob.  Right when she was about to grasp it, there was a rather loud knock, almost to the point where you could say someone had pounded on it. The door even vibrated a bit from the impact and it caught Alice off guard. She stumbled back, taking in a deep breath as she tried to calm herself down from the shock. Alice shook her head as she realized how silly it was to be startled by such a small thing. She laughed to herself and went to reach out for the doorknob a second time. If the loud knocks caused a stir within her, then seeing the doorknob turn on its own caused her to take a step back.


    The door swung open and there stood a man in a black business suit. He was of average height and build sporting black hair that was slicked back and a pair of sunglasses that hid a just barely visible scar over his right eye. He cracked a grin as he lowered his glasses and gave Alice the once-over.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind me, sweetheart. I¡¯ll just let myself in since it¡¯s so hard to open a door for a man these days.¡±


    The man, vile in his words, approached Mikomi¡¯s desk and took a seat. He disrespectfully kicked his feet up onto Mikomi¡¯s desk causing flakes of dirt to fall onto its surface. Mikomi let out a sigh indicating that this wasn¡¯t the first time these two had met. The man pulled out a cigar and lit it in front of Mikomi and despite the blatant disrespect he had shown already, he had the nerve to turn toward him for approval.


    ¡°Mind if I smoke? No? Thanks!¡±


    Within seconds of the cigar being lit, the room began to reek from the stench of tobacco. After Mikomi¡¯s only response was a silent judging glare, the man shrugged and continued to puff away on the cigar.


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°If you¡¯re here to talk about your so-called proposal, I already delivered my decision to Mr. Rutherford. In case he didn¡¯t clearly understand my message, allow me to repeat my answer. My answer is a firm no.¡±.


    The man laughed a bit quietly to himself with the cigar still hanging slightly from his mouth. Realizing it might be quite the chore to talk with a cigar in his mouth, he removed it and tapped the ashes on top of Mikomi¡¯s desk.


    ¡°Straight and to the point. I like that about you, Mikomi. You see, your company is quite valuable in the business world. Your father was quite the innovator. It truly is a shame he had to pass away, leaving you to shoulder the burden. All Mr. Rutherford wants to do is ease that burden. Nothing more. Nothing less. If he had a controlling stake in this company, he could use his many years of business knowledge to steer this ship for you. Of course, you would retain your title as CEO and reap all of the benefits¡­ well¡­ a percentage of the benefits¡­ How can you say no to something like that?¡±


    Mikomi gritted his teeth.


    ¡°Do you think that just because I¡¯m young that I¡¯m naive? I¡¯m well aware that my father and Mr. Rutherford had conversations about this before. The day he sent me that letter, I did some research. I know what he truly wants and I will never give it to him no matter how many times he asks for it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s some iron resolve you have there, kid.¡± said the man as he pointed his finger at Mikomi, the cigar dangling in the same hand. ¡°Daddy would be so proud, wouldn¡¯t he? The thing is, though¡­ what Mr. Rutherford wants, Mr. Rutherford gets. One way or another, we will make this deal happen. When it does, you will feel like a fool when you realize just what you were so hesitant to accept. A life of success and luxury could all be yours and here you are pissing it away just because of some family promise. Promises mean nothing in business, Mikomi. That is a less you need to learn and learn quick.¡±


    Mikomi gritted his teeth even more. He knew exactly where this was heading and he didn¡¯t like it one bit. He wasn¡¯t about to just hand over his father¡¯s legacy to this man.


    ¡°So, in other words, you want me to abandon my father¡¯s work. You want me to abandon everything that I¡¯ve learned from him, all of the late nights I spent finishing his project? You think I could just simply hand it over to you just because your boss wants me to?¡± asked Mikomi, keeping that stern tone in his voice.


    The still-unnamed man burst out in laughter. Even though Mikomi was quite serious, the man found his attitude very amusing.


    ¡°Abandon? Heavens no. I told you, instead of having the whole pie, you¡¯ll just have a slice. You don¡¯t have to abandon anything.¡±


    ¡°So, what you¡¯re telling me is that if I sell a controlling stake in Onyx Technology Ventures to Mr. Rutherford, he won¡¯t take our A.I. program and bury it deep in some digital vault somewhere? I know that¡¯s his true intention. He doesn¡¯t want to use this technology¡­ he¡¯s simply buying his competition so his software doesn¡¯t go obsolete. He knows my A.I. will revolutionize this industry and possibly put him out of business. He doesn¡¯t share my father¡¯s dream of making the world better¡­ he just wants to protect his fat wallet from shrinking.¡±


    ¡°As sharp as a knife you are. It is as you say, Mikomi but is it really all that bad? We¡¯ll gladly pay handsomely for your work but, honestly, why care so much? We¡¯ll give you enough money to walk away from this death trap and live a very comfortable life for the rest of your days! There¡¯s no need to change the entire world¡­ just your own. Mr. Rutherford can make that happen. Every father just wants to see their children grow up and live the best life possible, right? Both his and your hard work have paid off. Give Mr. Rutherford what he wants and he¡¯ll give you everything you could have ever asked for. It¡¯s that simple.¡±


    The offer was met with silence as Mikomi folded his hands and rested his chin atop them. He closed his eyes as the unnamed man sat there with growing interest as it appeared that he had finally gotten through to him. As Mikomi acted as if he were thinking this over in his head, the man grinned as he awaited a favorable answer.


    ¡°Mikomi...¡± muttered Alice.


    Mikomi¡¯s eyes snapped open. All Mikomi had to do was glance over at her and observe the look on her face. She didn¡¯t have to say another word as her expression said everything that needed to be said. His father¡¯s dream was just too precious to him. Plus, it would mean putting someone like Alice out of a job. Mikomi let out a sigh as he sat back in his chair, folding his arms. He looked right at the man sitting in front of his desk and in a stern and clear voice delivered to him his answer.


    ¡°I think you should leave.¡±


    The man burst out in laughter as some of the ashes from his cigar fell to the floor.


    ¡°There it is again! That unwavering iron resolve! I should remind you that either way, whether you say yes or no, we will acquire your company in the end. So, consider this your final chance to make the right decision.¡±


    Mikomi closed his eyes and let out a heavy sigh. He then pinched the bridge of his nose as his headache from earlier was still bothering him. He wasn¡¯t in the mood to deal with this so he was about to put an end to it all here and now.


    ¡°My father would have never caved in and neither will I! I spent my entire life watching him devote all of his time and energy to this. The missed birthdays. the missed Christmases, all of it was for this one moment. So, again, let me say it loud and clear...¡±


    Mikomi stood and slammed the palms of his hands down on his desk with authority before pointing towards the door.


    ¡°GET¡­. OUT!¡± said Mikomi as sternly as he could.


    The man stood up and grinned, the two of them were face to face. The man removed his sunglasses so that the two of them were eye to eye. Mikomi looked at the nasty scar over his eye, which was white and clouded over. He was clearly blind in his left eye, but his right eye was brown in color and kind of beady.


    ¡°Have it your way, Mikomi. I¡¯ll let the canary sing for a little while longer, but just remember what was said here today,¡±


    The man took one final puff of his cigar and blew the smoke into Mikomi¡¯s face. The man put out his cigar on the surface of Mikomi¡¯s desk, but despite all of that, Mikomi didn¡¯t flinch. He continued to stand his ground until the man turned and proceeded towards the door, putting his sunglasses back on in the process.


    As the man opened the door, he was stopped when he heard his name called out.


    ¡°Lief¡­¡± said Mikomi.


    Lief stopped and looked over his shoulder. He pulled his sunglasses down just far enough to expose his blind eye.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget to tell your father I said hello,¡± Mikomi said sarcastically with a grin on his face.


    Lief cracked a grin of his own as he raised his hand as if he were waving goodbye to someone.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell him more than that for sure. We¡¯ll see you soon, Mikomi.¡±


    He walked through the door and Alice closed it behind him. Mikomi fell back into his chair and let out a huge sigh of relief as he tilted his head back and looked up towards the ceiling. He was relieved that the entire ordeal was over but he still pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes as this whole experience made his headache even worse. Alice took a couple of steps toward Mikomi¡¯s desk and placed her hand on his shoulder.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mikomi..¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, Alice,¡± said Mikomi as he interrupted Alice.  ¡°This is just part of the job. I know my father had to deal with this, too. As you can see, I was prepared for it. There¡¯s no way I¡¯ll let anyone take away his hard work.¡±


    Alice fidgeted for a second. She still felt bad for him having to go through it. She needed an escape for a bit to clear her mind and that¡¯s when she remembered that she was about to make Mikomi some tea before all of this transpired. She looked back up at Mikomi and used that excuse to make her exit.


    ¡°I¡­ I still owe you some tea. I¡¯ll go make it right away.¡±


    Alice scurried out of the office as Mikomi spun around in his chair.  He looked out the window of his office. Down below he could see the parking lot. With the day not quite over, it was just a sea of cars reflecting the light of the sun. There, he began to reflect on everything that had happened throughout the day. He knew that every one of those cars belonged to a hard-working employee. He knew that it wasn¡¯t just him that they worked for. Every one of them was as loyal to him as they were to his father. His father¡¯s work was their work as well. Mikomi was filled with a sense of duty that he had to do whatever it took to protect them.


    ¡°Father¡­ Am I doing the right thing?¡±


    Mikomi clenched a fist and placed it on the window.  He rested his forehead against his fist as he gritted his teeth knowing that he may never know the answer.

 Leap

    The workday continued and soon the golden hour known as five o¡¯clock had come. Workers exited the building, got into their cars, and drove off for the night. The sun moved through the sky and was soon replaced by the moon. Night had come and Mikomi was still at his desk finishing up some paperwork. An empty teacup from earlier in the day lay to the side. The door to his office opened and Alice stepped into the doorway, poking her head inside.


    ¡°I¡¯m about to head out, Mikomi. Is there anything else you need before I go?¡¯


    ¡°No, Alice. I¡¯m fine. Thank you for your hard work as always. We have a big day tomorrow. The press will be here and I¡¯m going to need all the support I can get to make it through the bombardment of questions.¡±


    Alice shot Mikomi a reassuring smile. Mikomi looked up from his paperwork just long enough to catch a glimpse of it. To say that Mikomi wasn¡¯t captivated by her beauty would be a flat-out lie, but even though Mikomi found her attractive, he couldn¡¯t find any true romantic feelings for her. Whether or not there was interest on Alice¡¯s side remained to be seen. For all Mikomi knew, Alice could just be the friendly type who likes to make people feel comfortable.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best,¡± said Alice as she took a step back through the doorway, but stopped. ¡°Mikomi¡­ are you going to be alright?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°About earlier.  You¡¯re not afraid?¡±


    ¡°They were just empty threats. It¡¯s just a clear indication that Mr. Rutherford is getting really anxious. If he¡¯s willing to go to such lengths to try and protect his assets, it only means that we¡¯re on the right path. Lief has always been that way, too. He pressures the competition into caving so that his father can swoop in and reap the benefits. Legally, there¡¯s nothing he can do. Besides, it¡¯s going to take more than that to scare me.¡±


    Mikomi¡¯s tone was certain, but Alice wasn¡¯t buying the tough-guy attitude.


    ¡°Please be careful, Mikomi,¡± said Alice with a tone of concern in her voice.


    Mikomi gave her an approving nod and she closed the door, leaving Mikomi alone in the building save for the evening security crew. Mikomi put his signature on a piece of paper before placing it into a file folder and moving it to a drawer in his desk.


    ¡°I suppose it¡¯s time I get out of here myself.¡±


    Mikomi stood up and walked over to a coat rack in the corner of his office. He grabbed a light grey suit jacket off of the rack and put it on. He checked his pockets and pulled out a set of keys before walking through the door to his office, locking it behind him. Mikomi exited the building, wishing the security guard a pleasant evening as he passed him.


    ¡°You, too, Mr. Saigo,¡± responded the guard.


    Mikomi walked through the parking lot to a row of cars. One belonged to him, others belonged to the security guards and the nighttime janitorial staff. One would think that the CEO of a company would take advantage of his parking arrangements and have a spot reserved by the front door but something like that just wasn¡¯t something Mikomi was interested in. He believed he was just another employee and preferred to park wherever he could find an open space. Those kinds of qualities are what made most of his employees think highly of him.


    Mikomi once again pulled the keys out of his pocket and just when he was about to insert the key into the lock on his car door, there was a loud bang that came from behind him. The sound of a gunshot echoed throughout the evening air.


    Mikomi¡¯s eyes widened as the penetrating heat of the bullet tore through him. It was a burning sensation like no other he had felt before. At first, he wasn¡¯t even aware of what had happened. The loud pop surely startled him but the intense pain that followed quickly grabbed his attention and it wasn¡¯t until a mere moment later he had put two and two together.


    Mikomi reached down and placed his hand over his stomach where the pain was radiating from. He felt a warm liquid quickly coat his hand, the stench of pennies filled his nostrils as he suddenly developed difficulty breathing. His lungs felt as if they had begun to fill and a few coughs later, his mouth had been stained by the very stench that emanated from his stomach. Blood began to drool out of his mouth as the world around him began to become blurred and muffled.


    With his strength weakened, Mikomi dropped his keys on the ground as he attempted to turn around to face whoever had obviously shot him; however, he lost his balance and fell up against his car as he needed its support to remain upright.


    A closeup of the gun could be seen with smoke hissing out of its barrel. The gun pulled away as a man, who could barely be seen, faded away into the shadows of the night. Mikomi couldn¡¯t remain upright for much longer and fell to a seated position, leaving a streak of blood on the side of his car as the bullet had passed straight through his abdomen. As blood continued to fill his lungs, Mikomi began to breathe a bit more heavily as he fell to the ground, fighting for every gasp of air that he could get. Mikomi held his stomach as he closed his eyes, wincing in pain.


    ¡°MIKOMI!!¡± a voice cried out.


    It was Alice. She quickly ran up to Mikomi and knelt next to him. Thankfully, she hadn¡¯t completely left for the evening just yet. Mikomi was covered in sweat as the color drained from his body. He looked incredibly pale and Alice knew she had to act quickly. She pulled out her phone and began to dial 9-1-1.


    ¡°Just sit still. Don¡¯t move. Don¡¯t talk!¡±


    From Mikomi¡¯s point of view, his eyes closed and then opened again. The world around him began to get more and more blurry. He could hear Alice talking, but her words were becoming increasingly muffled as the seconds passed.


    ¡°A.. Alice¡­¡±


    He closed his eyes and opened them again. The world was a smear of blurry monochromatic colors. He couldn¡¯t discern anything anymore. Although muffled, he could barely make out what Alice said.


    ¡°STAY WITH ME! MIKOMI!¡±


    Mikomi¡¯s eyes closed once more. A few moments later, his eyes opened again, his vision still blurry. Bright flashes of reds, blues, whites, and amber danced around. Blurred silhouettes of people could be seen in front of him but he couldn¡¯t make out any features. Still, in this state, he realized what was happening.


    ¡°EMTs¡­ Will I be okay?¡±


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Soon, his vision darkened again. Muffled sounds of panic could be heard. At that moment, his body began to feel weightless. A floating sensation washed over him; however, it was only momentary. Soon, he opened his eyes once more and he could see lights passing over his head. He looked around and barely made out people in green scrubs. He realized he was at the hospital and was being rushed somewhere. For a brief moment, his hearing returned.


    ¡°We need O.R. room two prepped immediately. We have a young male with a gunshot wound through his¡­¡±


    Mikomi couldn¡¯t hear the rest of what they were saying as his hearing went muffled again.  His vision faded back to black for a brief moment. His eyes suddenly opened a few moments later.  He saw doctors and nurses scrambling around him. His hearing briefly returned again.


    ¡°There¡¯s too much blood loss!  We¡¯re losing him!  We need to operate now!  Get him under and get me as much Type AB blood as you can, we¡¯re going to need all we can spare!¡± yelled one of the doctors before turning and looking at Mikomi whose vision became blurry once again.


    ¡°Dammit!  NURSE!!¡±


    Those were the last discernable words Mikomi heard. His eyes closed one final time. The sound of the world around him faded out until there was nothing but dead silence. Mikomi strained to hear something¡­ anything, but there was nothing to be heard.


    There was nothing but darkness and silence.


    It was over.


    As Mikomi lay there, despite not being able to see or hear, he could still think.


    ¡°I guess this is the end¡­ and before such an important day. Alice¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ I promised you, but¡­ I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m going to have to break that promise. If only I could have¡­¡±


    Mikomi tried to finish that thought but he just couldn¡¯t think anymore. His time had come. A sensation of peace washed over him, almost as if he were falling asleep after a long day. Just when Mikomi had lost all hope, his eyes snapped open and he sat up in bed, gasping for air!


    The room was dark, but there was just enough light from a nearby window to see Mikomi sitting up in a bed covered in sweat. His chest heaved in and out as anxiety gripped the whole of his body. He quickly looked around the room to see if he could make out anything, but it was too dark. Then, Mikomi recalled the last memories he experienced. It was of the doctors rushing to save his life. It was then that Mikomi realized that he was still in the hospital. He reached over the side of his bed to find the call button for the nurse. He patted the sides of his bed, but couldn¡¯t find anything.


    ¡°Where is that button? Does this bed not come equipped with one!?¡±


    Mikomi began to panic but then he suddenly stopped all of his movements.


    ¡°Wait a minute¡­ this feeling¡­¡±


    It was only then he realized that he wasn¡¯t in any pain whatsoever. Even if the doctors had fixed the damage, there would still be pain from the surgery. Mikomi pressed against his stomach and he felt completely fine.


    ¡°Surely there has to be a scar.¡±


    Mikomi lifted his shirt and in the moonlight, he could see that there wasn¡¯t a trace of damage anywhere on his entire torso.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Mikomi said out loud and as soon as he said those words, he covered his mouth and his eyes widened.


    ¡°My voice is¡­¡±


    His voice was different. It was higher pitched than normal.


    ¡°Is this a side effect of the anesthesia?¡±


    He would like to think that, but that didn¡¯t seem like a logical explanation to him. As he sat there in the darkness with his hands over his mouth, a door opened and light creeped into the room.


    ¡°Mikomi! Get up! It¡¯s time for school.¡± said the voice.


    ¡°I must be dreaming. That couldn¡¯t possibly be¡­¡±


    Mikomi recognized that voice. It was his mother.


    ¡°Am I home visiting my mom? Did I just have a bad dream?¡±


    Mikomi couldn¡¯t say a word. All he could do was sit there and stare at the open door but the light that came from it allowed him to survey his surroundings. He slowly looked around and his eyes widened even more. He slowly took his hands off of his mouth and swung his legs over the side of his bed. He planted both feet firmly on the floor and stood. He looked around and instantly recognized everything. This was his room from when he was a teenager.


    ¡°Am¡­ am I dead?¡±


    Mikomi then pinched his cheek.


    ¡°Ouch...¡±


    Realizing that this was no dream, Mikomi slowly turned and walked towards the doorway. He recognized the small hallway on the other side of it. Immediately to his left was the bathroom. To his right was the living room and around the corner from his doorway was his parent¡¯s bedroom.  He, indeed, was back in his mother¡¯s home. Mikomi had no idea what was going on, but he knew that he couldn¡¯t raise any suspicions just yet. After all, what would people think if he just started going around asking for basic details such as the date, the time of day, and where he was?


    Mikomi decided he would head to the bathroom for now. It was only inevitable that all of the details would come to him if he just pretended everything was normal. Somewhere along the way he¡¯d find a newspaper, overhear a conversation, virtually anything.


    ¡°I guess the only thing I can do for now is play along. Sooner or later, I¡¯ll figure out just what in the hell is going on around here.¡±


    Mikomi considered this a puzzle and he decided he would try and solve it on his own. For now, all he knew was that it was time to get ready for school. Mikomi turned left out of his bedroom and stepped into the bathroom. There, Mikomi stepped in front of the mirror and took a step back, bumping into the wall behind him. His eyes displayed an expression of shock at what he saw. He was the spitting image of himself when he was just fourteen years old.


    ¡°This¡­ this can¡¯t be real.¡±


    Mikomi slowly inched his way towards the mirror. He touched his face as he gazed at his reflection.  Just then...


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid it is real, my dear Mikomi.¡±


    Mikomi¡¯s head snapped towards the shower. A man was standing there about six feet, three inches tall sporting medium-length blonde hair, blue eyes, and was wearing a white suit with a royal blue dress shirt underneath. He had with him a golden cane with a black handle. Mikomi backed up against the door and nervously reached for the doorknob. He was almost paralyzed with fear as the man sighed.


    ¡°Everyone has that same reaction. I¡¯ve seen it so many times I¡¯ve lost count.¡± said the man with a slight English accent.


    The man then took a seat on the edge of the bathtub.


    ¡°While fear is a natural reaction, I assure you that there¡¯s no need for such an emotion, Mikomi.  You seek answers to your questions and I am the one who can deliver them to you. Although I¡¯m certain that by answering your biggest question, it will, undoubtedly, raise a greater number of questions. So I believe the best course here is to be quite blunt about it. Mikomi Saigo...you have been transported ten years back into the past. You have been given a second chance.¡±


    Mikomi simply stood there in shock, unable to process a single word of what the man had just said. The look on the man¡¯s face told that he was serious in his statement. Even still, Mikomi had no idea what to do or how to react. Could this really have happened?  Did Mikomi Saigo truly travel ten years into the past?

 Explanation

    Mikomi stood there propped up against the bathroom door. The man in the white suit crossed his legs as he sat on the edge of the bathtub, a small smirk forming in the corner of his mouth. Mikomi was still breathing heavily from the fear of this unknown man but he was also trying to digest what was just said to him.


    ¡°Go on¡­ fancy yourself a few minutes if you wish. Not everyone grasps this the first time they hear it.¡± said the mysterious man. ¡°If it eases your nerves a fair bit, I suppose it would be proper to introduce myself and offer a bit of an explanation, although in this state it may just end up confusing you even more, so let¡¯s take things one step at a time, shall we?¡±


    The man stood up and placed his right hand over his heart and took a bow.


    ¡°I am Sebastian and I am a Custodian of Time. I assure you wholeheartedly that I¡¯m not here to harm you in any least bit. I am here to simply guide you through this tasking situation so if you could, please put your trust in me.¡±


    Mikomi¡¯s anxiety slowly faded away and his breathing began to calm a bit. He continued to stare at Sebastian in an effort to understand how he ended up here in his bathroom. He was sure that there was nobody in it when he entered, but yet, there Sebastian stood. The more Mikomi stared at him, the more he began to realize that there was this calming aura about him and perhaps it was that which caused Mikomi to finally speak up with a bit of a catch in his voice.


    ¡°Just¡­ what happened to me?¡±


    Sebastian raised his head and looked at Mikomi.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t want to raise any red flags. Talking to yourself in a washroom after inhabiting it for an unusually long period of time doesn¡¯t bode well for you if you¡¯re aiming to avoid any kind of suspicion. My advice is for you to take your shower first and I¡¯ll explain everything to you on the way to your school. Just focus on getting ready for now and everything will unfold for you properly. Now if you¡¯ll excuse me, I¡¯ll take my leave for privacy reasons.¡±


    With that, Sebastian took another bow and faded away into thin air. That caught Mikomi off guard as he didn¡¯t expect him to just up and disappear like that. He looked around the restroom and saw no trace of him whatsoever. When he felt that he was in the clear, Mikomi walked over to the tub and turned the shower on. He began to disrobe when a blush came over his face.


    ¡°He better not be in here still¡­¡± Mikomi said to himself.


    A few minutes passed. Back inside Mikomi¡¯s bedroom, he entered wearing a towel. He pulled some clothes out of his closet and looked down at them. The memories of wearing these clothes began to flood his mind. Compared to the business suits he grew accustomed to wearing, these clothes just didn¡¯t feel right but he had no choice but to put them on. He remembered that these clothes were some of his favorites growing up. They consisted of a black t-shirt, a black and white flannel shirt that he always wore on top in an unbuttoned manner, as well as a pair of light blue jeans. The color combination suited the colors of his hair and eyes which is probably why he loved them so much.


    A few moments later, he entered the kitchen to the tantalizing scent of a home-cooked breakfast. Scrambled eggs, toast with peanut butter, some breakfast sausage links, and a glass of orange juice were set out for him. His mother was at the stove cooking herself a portion. She glanced over and cracked a smile as if it were a rare occurrence.


    ¡°Wow¡­ you¡¯re actually on time for breakfast. It hasn¡¯t cooled off yet one bit. Are you feeling okay?¡± asked Mikomi¡¯s mother.


    ¡°Am I feeling okay? Yeah¡­ why?¡±


    ¡°It usually takes me two or three attempts to get you out of bed in the morning. The fact that you got out of bed on the very first try is a bit surprising. I thought that maybe something was wrong with you.¡±


    ¡°Nothing¡¯s wrong. I guess I just wasn¡¯t overly tired this morning.¡±


    Mikomi¡¯s mother was Karoline Saigo. While his father was Japanese, his mother was American.  The two of them met while his mother was on a trip overseas to Japan as a photographer. When they were married, they decided to settle in the United States. Karoline was forty-four at this point as she was thirty years older than Mikomi. Despite being in her forties, she was still very much young at heart as she had a very light-hearted personality about her. She always sought the humorous side of things. Sometimes the things she would say embarrassed Mikomi in front of others.


    ¡°Make sure to come straight home from school. Your father will be home tonight and wants to spend time with the family.¡±


    Mikomi¡¯s eyes widened. He had completely forgotten that since this was ten years in the past his father would have been alive and well. He then realized that it meant his father would only have eight more years to live since he died in 2002 from a heart attack. Ryunosuke stayed at the office a lot, sometimes until insane hours. It wasn¡¯t unusual for him to come home at two or three o¡¯clock in the morning and that was if he even came home at all. Mikomi remembered that he once spent an entire month at the office, only coming home to shower every few days.  Mikomi was kind of frozen at that realization and his mother took notice.


    ¡°Are you okay, Mikomi?  I know your father hasn¡¯t been around a lot lately because of his job, but he hasn¡¯t been gone THAT long to act so surprised.¡±


    Mikomi snapped out of it and laughed a bit as he put his hand behind his head, giving it a slight rub. One thing he remembered about his mother was that she had an uncanny sixth sense so if he made his emotions too obvious, she would pick up on them in an instant. Even when he tried to hide his emotions, his mother would figure out what he was thinking. There were times that he felt she would have made a better psychic than a photographer.


    ¡°Sorry, I guess I don¡¯t see him all too often so I was just a bit surprised that he¡¯s going to be home tonight,¡± said MIkomi as he grinned to himself thinking that was the perfect coverup.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re excited but you need to get through school first so finish your breakfast and get going or you¡¯re going to be late!¡±


    Mikomi looked up at the clock and realized what time it was. He scarfed down the rest of his breakfast and grabbed his backpack from the living room.  He slung it over his shoulder and exited out the back door to his house, bidding his mother farewell in the process.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be going then.¡±


    ¡°Have a good day at school, honey.¡±


    Mikomi took a shortcut through his backyard as it saved time from having to walk around the block to get to the main road. Mikomi had to pass through a small wooded area to get to a side street that led to where he wanted to go. While he was passing through that area, he became a bit startled when he heard a voice behind him.


    ¡°This September morning air is quite chilly, isn¡¯t it? Quite the indication of the change of seasons, wouldn¡¯t you say?¡±


    Mikomi jumped and turned to see Sebastian had faded in from seemingly nowhere. While he was a bit startled, he was a bit angry that Sebastian would just come out of thin air without warning. It was something he would probably have to get used to.


    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Sorry for startling you. I¡¯ll try to be a bit more careful from now on,¡± said Sebastian before clearing his throat. ¡°I suppose it¡¯s time that I explain things. What would you like to know?¡±


    ¡°First off, just what happened to me? I remember I got shot and then I was in the hospital. That was the last thing I remember before waking up in my old room.¡±


    Mikomi¡¯s footsteps slowed as his mind began to wander. Sebastian began to walk a bit faster, pulling away from Mikomi. He was attempting to lead him on his way since he did have a class to get to. Mikomi, without realizing he was being led, began to walk a little faster behind Sebastian through the small wooded area, and eventually, they ended up on the side street behind Mikomi¡¯s house.


    ¡°There is no simple way to answer what happened to you but I¡¯ll try and make sense of it. There are only a select few who are chosen to be given a second chance. Typically when you die you are judged and during that judgment, sometimes, an exception is made for the deceased. Their past lives, their accomplishments, their hearts¡­ all of which are carefully measured. If they are filled with too much regret or they have a strong sense of unfinished business, they could be a potential candidate for saving and have their soul transferred back through time and be given a second chance.¡±


    ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is that I was one of the ones who were chosen?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, you are correct! After learning about your father¡¯s past and all of the hard work you put into your company, you were filled with deep regret,¡± said Sebastian before taking a brief pause to try and recall something. ¡°Alice was her name, I believe? You made a promise to her that everything would be okay and you felt deep sorrow for having to break that promise. All of that was weighed in your judgment and it was decided that you would be the one selected to be given a second chance. We don¡¯t just hand these out, either. It¡¯s a very rare and special judgment.¡±


    Mikomi still couldn¡¯t believe what was being said to him. He felt as if this were just one big giant illusion. He knew that the brain lived for a few minutes after everything else in the body shut down. Maybe this was his final dream before oxygen deprivation caused his brain to shut down completely. The story was a bit far-fetched but everything around Mikomi felt too real to be considered a dream. Needless to say, Mikomi was still as confused as ever as they reached the main road. Mikomi and Sebastian turned left and began to walk along the sidewalk.


    ¡°Your silence makes me wonder whether or not you¡¯re still a bit jumbled up in the head over all this.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a lot of information to process. I¡¯m trying to understand it but it just seems too far-fetched. It feels like something out of a science fiction novel more than anything but yet¡­ I¡¯m here. I¡¯m back in my body when I was fourteen and despite that¡­ I remember everything from when I was twenty-four. Was that some sort of mistake?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s quite intended, you see. Those who are given a second chance are granted the ability to retain their memories up until the point where they died. It was decided that being able to recall all of your life¡¯s experiences could cause you to alter your own path to achieve a different outcome. Besides, what is the point of being handed a second chance if you have no knowledge of what is to come? You¡¯ll just end up repeating the same life and you¡¯ll meet the same end. This way, you¡¯re given the ability to change all of that. That¡¯s also the other reason why I¡¯m here¡­ to explain to you the Laws of Time.¡±


    ¡°The Laws of Time?  This is getting a little complicated, but nothing is ever really simple.¡±


    As they continued to walk down the street, Sebastian held up his index finger as if he were savoring the fact that he was giving a lecture.


    ¡°The Laws of Time aren¡¯t laws or rules that must be followed, per se, but rather they are guidelines that you must understand. In the Laws of Time, every action has a consequence.  Balance has to be maintained and if you change something enough, there would have to be compensation for that change.¡±


    Mikomi rubbed the back of his head.


    ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is if I step on a bug then a city might not exist?¡±


    Sebastian cracked up at that statement. It was a common stereotypical depiction in science fiction pertaining to the effects of time travel. Mikomi narrowed his eyes and furrowed his brow as he knew he was obviously being made fun of for asking that. Sebastian calmed himself down and proceeded with explaining it further.


    ¡°No... nothing to that extreme but let¡¯s say that you had an after-school job in your previous life and now you decided on a different place to work or you elected to not get a job at all. That is a major change that will cause a ripple outwards. Depending on the events that happened at your job, it could just change the future for you, or it would affect others. Say, for example, you let a coworker borrow something when you worked there. Now they never would have borrowed anything from you and their life events will change accordingly. So you have to be mindful of what you do because it just may cause a ripple big enough to disrupt the worlds of everyone else around you.¡±


    Mikomi looked down and rubbed his chin. He understood what Sebastian was saying but he also began to wonder just how he was going to change things without causing too much feedback. More importantly, he had to try and remember just what he did in his childhood so big changes like Sebastian mentioned wouldn¡¯t take place. Mikomi suddenly realized that this was going to be harder than it seemed. He asked Sebastian a question just to make sure he understood what was being said.


    ¡°But if I know what happens in the future, up to when I was brought back, I could make those kinds of decisions by predicting the outcome?¡±


    ¡°You catch on quick, Mikomi! That¡¯s exactly right and that is why your memories have been preserved!¡±


    Those words¡­. ¡°You catch on quick¡± caused a memory to flash in front of Mikomi¡¯s eyes. Almost as if it were a trigger of sorts. He recalled Lief Rutherford¡¯s visit to his office making a similar comment and it occurred to him to ask.


    ¡°Say¡­ you don¡¯t know who it was that shot me, do you?¡± asked Mikomi with a tone of hopefulness in his voice.


    Sebastian shook his head regretfully.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but when you die, it¡¯s simply my job to accompany you once you¡¯ve been given your second chance. My knowledge of your death is limited. I was unaware that you had died from a gunshot wound until you told me a few moments ago. The information I am given is what was detailed in your judgment. For example, because you broke your promise to Alice, I knew her name, but I don¡¯t know any in-depth details about who this Alice really is. I am truly very sorry, but I just don¡¯t have that answer for you.¡±


    Mikomi let out a heavy sigh as he placed his hands into his pockets. He was disappointed that he couldn¡¯t learn of the circumstances around his own death. Then again, if Sebastian knew who had killed him, that would make this journey way too easy and mostly pointless. Mikomi saw this situation as a puzzle and it was going to be up to him to put all of the pieces back together. Based on what Sebastian had said so far, even if he did know Mikomi¡¯s killer, it was pretty unlikely that he would tell him that kind of information.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll just have to wait ten years to see if I can figure that out, although I have my suspicions.¡±


    ¡°All in due time, Mikomi. All in due time.¡±


    It seemed like a cliche answer that someone with the title of Custodian of Time would give but it¡¯s the only answer Sebastian could give. As they talked, Mikomi didn¡¯t realize they had traveled the distance to his school already. Mikomi stopped at the front gates of Two Rivers Comprehensive High School and peered inside. He began to laugh to himself just a bit as he looked at the school building. Sebastian glanced over at Mikomi as he took a deep breath, letting out an amused sigh.


    ¡°Whoever thought that someone like me, who holds a college degree in business,  would be back here in high school?¡±


    ¡°Well, your current situation does present some unique advantages in that regard. I¡¯m rather optimistic that someone as quick-witted as you will be able to realize that,¡± said Sebastian. ¡°I¡¯ll just disappear for now. If you need me, just find a safe spot and call out to me and I will appear before you. Remember that others can¡¯t see me so be mindful of your surroundings should you seek my assistance.¡±


    With that, Sebastian looked around to make sure the coast was clear and then disappeared into thin air once again. Mikomi shook his head as he still hadn¡¯t gotten used to someone just appearing and disappearing like that.


    ¡°Well¡­ I guess there¡¯s no point in delaying this anymore,¡± said Mikomi to himself. He gripped the straps on his backpack tightly and began the first day of his old life for a second time.

 Ripple

    Mikomi took a few steps beyond the school gates and began to walk up the path to the main building. To the right of him was the school¡¯s football field where you could see the Muskrats, the school¡¯s football team, engaging in morning practice. Adjacent to that was the school¡¯s Track and Field area. To the left was the faculty parking lot and beyond that was the main building which stood three stories tall. Mikomi still couldn¡¯t believe he had to go through all of this again but he couldn¡¯t just skip out on it. It could cause a major ripple through time if he did so. For now, he would have to endure it.


    As Mikomi walked towards the building, he heard a voice call out his name from behind.


    ¡°MI-KO-MI!¡±


    Mikomi looked up when he heard that voice. While the person wasn¡¯t in front of him, his face lit up as he instantly recognized the sound of it. The voice belonged to someone who he hadn¡¯t seen in years¡­ his old friend Ryan. Ryan was always chipper and sporting a smile. He was just one of those happy-go-lucky kids, sometimes too happy to the point where it made you feel a bit sick to your stomach. Mikomi and Ryan would typically hang out with each other after school as the two had been friends for years, however, in the original timeline Ryan had grown distant as the years passed by, and while Mikomi remembered that happening, he couldn¡¯t remember the reason why. All of this was pretty overwhelming so Mikomi figured that he could take some time later to try and recall what happened.


    Suddenly, Mikomi¡¯s face transitioned from elation to a sense of impending dread as he remembered something else. Whenever he heard Ryan call out his name, he knew it was just the prelude to something else. That¡¯s when Mikomi braced himself for impact.


    *WHOMP*


    Ryan launched himself at Mikomi and jumped on his back. He then wrapped his arm around him, putting him into a semi-headlock. This was Ryan¡¯s typical greeting. He had done it nearly every time they met up to where Mikomi knew what to expect the split second his name was called out. While Mikomi was, technically, twenty-four now, it was a bit annoying to be greeted in such a way but there was just something calmly nostalgic about it at the same time.


    ¡°Took you long enough to get here! I¡¯ve been waiting here for you for at least five minutes!¡±


    Mikomi laughed a bit to himself as he remembered that Ryan had a pretty shallow sense of humor.  He rolled with it anyway.


    ¡°Yeah, sorry, I¡­¡±


    As Mikomi was saying that, another scene from his past flashed in front of his eyes. He remembered exactly what he said to Ryan at this very moment in time. The conversation played out in Mikomi¡¯s head.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting here for you for at least five minutes!¡± said Ryan.


    ¡°Only five minutes? Your legs must be killing you from all that standing!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell if you¡¯re being serious or not again. You¡¯re always like that, Mikomi, but I don¡¯t mind it! Say, want to go to the mall after school? Game Lot is getting a new shipment in. I want to see if they have a game I¡¯ve been looking for!¡±


    At that moment, the flashback ended and Mikomi was just standing there staring off into space.  Ryan waved his hand in front of Mikomi¡¯s face to which Mikomi gave no response. It wasn¡¯t until Ryan spoke up that he snapped back to reality.


    ¡°Mikomi? Are you okay?¡±.


    Mikomi shook his head and laughed a little bit. Ryan raised an eyebrow as Mikomi offered an apology to him.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ sorry, I just kind of blanked on what I was going to say. Sorry for making you wait so long. I bet your legs are killing you from all that standing!¡±


    Mikomi realized just how lame that comeback was and rolled his eyes. He almost felt embarrassed that a twenty-four-year-old would say something like that but he also had to keep in mind that he was supposed to be fourteen. With that, he felt he could let that one slide and just gave a faint laugh at how terrible that comeback was.


    ¡°Wow.. you usually never laugh after a comeback. Usually, I can¡¯t tell if you¡¯re serious or not.  Are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡±


    Mikomi didn¡¯t know if his noticing the change would affect anything but he remembered that Sebastian said that as long as it¡¯s insignificant, then there shouldn¡¯t be any problems.


    ¡°Sorry, I guess I¡¯ll try to be a bit more condescending next time,¡± said Mikomi as plain as he could say it.


    ¡°Now I can¡¯t tell if you¡¯re being serious or not again. I guess you¡¯re okay, after all,¡± said Ryan.  ¡°Say!  Want to go to the mall after school? Game Lot is getting a new shipment in and I want to see if they have a game I¡¯ve been looking for!¡±


    Mikomi breathed a sigh of relief as Ryan asked the same question which meant that the future didn¡¯t change. Mikomi easily remembered going to Game Lot with Ryan because it was the day he finally found the game he was looking for. He remembered the excitement on Ryan¡¯s face when he finally found it, only to realize he didn¡¯t have enough money. Mikomi ended up lending Ryan the rest so he could get the game. Mikomi smiled to himself as those memories made him feel good about himself.


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll tag along.¡±


    ¡°GREAT!¡±


    With that, the bell sounded and it was time to head to homeroom. Ryan began to walk away but looked back as he walked up the steps.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll see you after school. Wait for me here if you¡¯re out first and I¡¯ll do the same!¡±


    Mikomi gave Ryan a nod. Despite being friends, he remembered that neither of them shared a class throughout the day. They each had separate lunch periods too so they never ran into each other unless it was before or after school. As Mikomi went to take a step toward the doors, it suddenly hit him.


    ¡°Oh crap!  What was my homeroom!?¡± said Mikomi to himself.


    He stood there pounding his fist against his head while muttering the word ¡°think¡± to himself over and over again but it just wasn¡¯t coming to him. Luckily, one of his teachers saw him standing there.


    ¡°Mr. Saigo... you¡¯d better hurry along or Mr. Vanders is going to mark you tardy.¡±


    Mikomi looked up at Mr. Kendrick, his Plane Geometry teacher. It was just dumb luck that he had been passing by but at least he now remembered where his homeroom was. It was as if everything had become clear.


    ¡°I will! Thank you, Mr. Kendrick.¡±


    Thanks to a little bit of dumb luck, Mikomi found himself in homeroom. His seat was on the far left row by the window, the second seat from the back. He sat there and looked out the window as thoughts raced through his mind.


    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe all of this is real. Time travel? The fact that I¡¯m kind of believing that is a bit worrisome. If I did leap back in time, why me, though? There is just way too much about this that doesn¡¯t add up. Sebastian said it was because of my regrets but my regrets are not strong enough to be chosen. I mean, sure, I did break my promise to Alice and caused her great pain, but even though she¡¯s my co-worker and a friend to the family, those regrets shouldn¡¯t be deep enough for this so-called special judgment.¡±


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Still, on the flip side, if it was enough¡­ if I¡¯ve truly been given this second chance, then I have to make the most of it. One thing is for sure¡­ this is not a dream. I have never dreamt this long about anything before in my life. Even basic science tells you that dreams are simply short periods so if this were a dream, it should have ended by now. That means that this is about as real as it gets.¡±


    As Mikomi was staring off, lost in thought, he was brought back to reality with the sound of the first period¡¯s bell. The homeroom teacher left the classroom as did the rest of the students.  Mikomi saw a card in his backpack and noticed it was his school schedule.


    ¡°Wait¡­ I had a schedule this whole time!? Oh, of course, I would. It¡¯s September which means that the school year just started. I guess anyone who just went through what I did would overlook an obvious detail like that. It doesn¡¯t mean that I don¡¯t feel really stupid right now, though.¡±


    After internally sighing at his overlooking of the obvious, he saw that he had Plane Geometry up first and noticed the letters ¡°AP¡± next to it.  In fact, all of his classes were marked as Advanced Placement. Mikomi noticed the room number and made his way there. The memories came back to him and he remembered exactly where he sat this time. He took his seat as Mr. Kendrick entered and wasted no time getting into the day¡¯s lesson.


    ¡°Okay everyone, take out your textbooks, and let¡¯s go over the Pythagorean Theorem once again as it will be on your exams tomorrow.¡±


    Mikomi cracked a grin and his inner thoughts took over once more.


    ¡°A squared plus B squared equals C squared. That¡¯s child¡¯s play. I guess while I¡¯m a twenty-four-year-old trapped inside of a fourteen-year-old¡¯s body, I might as well make the most of this.¡±


    All of a sudden, a quick flashback of Sebastian saying the same thing before he disappeared flashed in Mikomi¡¯s mind.


    ¡°So, that¡¯s what he meant¡­¡±


    With a devilish grin on his face, Mikomi took out his textbook, flipped open his notebook, and gripped his pencil with determination. A look of burning determination filled his eyes as he was genuinely excited to see just how minimal effort he would have to use to ace this class.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do this!¡±


    Class after class, Mikomi showed the same look of determination. This was becoming quite the game to him and, perhaps, a means to inflate his ego just a bit. The final bell rang for the day as Mikomi shut his textbook with an evil grin on his face as if he had just gotten away with murder.  Mikomi triumphantly walked out of the front doors of the school, grinning the entire way. The grin faded as Mikomi remembered that he was supposed to go to Game Lot with Ryan now that school was done for the day. He looked around and noticed that Ryan wasn¡¯t there yet so he decided to wait for him as promised. It was a few moments later that Ryan darted out of the front doors of the school.


    ¡°MI-KO-MI!¡± shouted Ryan as he ran down the steps.


    A sinking feeling came over him and just like earlier in the day, Ryan jumped on Mikomi and wrapped his arm around him, placing him into a makeshift headlock. Ryan had a bright smile on his face like always while Mikomi gazed up at him with one eye as he looked a bit annoyed by all of this.


    ¡°I wonder if it would change the future too much if I asked him to cut this out? It was nostalgic the first time but now, it¡¯s just plain embarrassing¡­¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s head to the mall!¡± said Ryan as he gave Mikomi a thumbs up.


    ¡°Okay, okay but let go of me first!¡±


    Ryan did so and Mikomi brushed himself off. Ryan led the way and Mikomi started to follow him.  As they walked away, Ryan turned around and noticed something was amiss.


    ¡°Say, where¡¯s your backpack?¡±


    ¡°I left it in my locker. I don¡¯t need anything that¡¯s in there.¡±


    ¡°What about your homework?¡±


    ¡°I have a study hall in seventh period so I finished it all in there. It¡¯s rather convenient to have that at the end of the day.¡±


    ¡°Figures someone like you would get study hall as their last period. Bookworm for life, I guess¡± said Ryan with a half-serious look on his face.


    Mikomi was an intelligent student back in the day. He had always found information captivating which is why he was so good at figuring out puzzles. With his father being the CEO of a technology company, it was only natural that a high intelligence was expected of him by his parents. With the events that were going to transpire over the next few years, the higher the education he received now, the more it would become the foundation for his future.


    ¡°It¡¯s not all bad, though. If I can get my homework done in the final period, it means I¡¯ll have more time after school to do things¡­ like go to Game Lot with you.¡±


    ¡°Leave it to you to find ways to goof off. I guess I can¡¯t argue with that thinking. Get through the crud first so you can enjoy life later, I suppose. Wish I had a study hall so I could do the same.¡± said Ryan.


    The two of them continued to walk side by side. They eventually arrived at the mall where they made their way inside and headed to Game Lot, a mom-and-pop shop for vintage video games. They also sold new ones as well and Mikomi spied a poster for a new game that came out today¡­ a game that he had played many times over and mastered. Mikomi accidentally let one slip.


    ¡°Gun Slaves II.. the key is to get the rocket launcher in time for the tower stage¡¯s boss. It¡¯s tempting to use it beforehand, but if you wait, it makes that boss very trivial.¡±


    Mikomi caught himself and covered his mouth as he realized what he had just said. Ryan turned to Mikomi and raised an eyebrow, thoroughly confused.


    ¡°How do you know that? That game just came out today.¡±


    Damn my love for video games! How could I let something like that slip!? I wonder¡­


    ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯m from the future! I¡¯ve played and beaten this game a million times already. I know everything there is to know about it!¡±


    Mikomi said that with an exaggerated tone in his voice. After all¡­ sometimes the best lie is the truth!


    ¡°Of all the corny things you¡¯ve said since I¡¯ve known you, that¡¯s got to be the corniest. You need some better material.¡±


    Coming from someone who had a shallow sense of humor himself, Mikomi stood there a bit shocked that Ryan would say something like that. Maybe he didn¡¯t realize just how shallow his own humor was¡­ or maybe that was Ryan¡¯s humor coming out once again. These two did have a hard time believing each other after all. Ryan walked over to the clerk behind the counter shaking his head.


    ¡°Excuse me, Did you happen to get a copy of VX Command today?¡±


    The clerk reached under the counter with a smile and pulled out a copy of it, placing it down on top of the counter.


    ¡°I sure did! I know you¡¯ve been waiting for this one so I kept a copy set aside for you.¡±


    Ryan¡¯s eyes lit with excitement as he reached for his wallet.  Mikomi looked over at Ryan knowing just what was about to happen. He watched with interest to see if the same event from his past would play out.


    ¡°How much!?¡± Ryan asked with excitement.


    ¡°It¡¯s a rare one so it¡¯s sixty-five dollars.¡±


    Ryan¡¯s face sank as he opened his wallet and looked inside. A frown came over his face and you could just hear the defeated tone in his voice.


    ¡°All I have is forty-five...¡±


    Mikomi grinned as the same situation he remembered happened. He knew that all he had to do was pull out his wallet, and loan Ryan a $20 bill, and everything would continue as normal. Feeling like the hero sweeping in to rescue the innocent bystander in need of assistance, Mikomi reached for his wallet and spoke up with a reassuring tone.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ryan.  I¡¯ll lend you the $20.¡±


    ¡°YOU WILL!!!??¡±


    ¡°Sure, just hold on one sec¡­¡±


    Mikomi stuck his hand in his pocket and felt nothing but emptiness. He felt around but didn¡¯t find his wallet in his pants pocket. He reached into the opposite pocket and, again, found nothing.  He began to pat his pants as a bead of sweat rolled down his forehead.


    ¡°Oh no!  I must have left my wallet inside my backpack and it¡¯s back at school!  How am I supposed to pay for Ryan¡¯s game without it!? This is bad! This is really bad!¡±


    A look of worry and shock washed over Mikomi¡¯s face as he knew that this was more than just a simple letdown. This would be the beginning of a massive ripple that would alter both of their lives forever.

 Sprint

    As Mikomi continued to fiddle through his pockets, Ryan noticed the look on his face. Even though Mikomi didn¡¯t have to say anything to explain the situation, he still felt the need to apologize. Plus, if he talked through it, perhaps he could come up with a solution to prevent sending a ripple through time.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Ryan. I must have left my wallet in my backpack.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± said Ryan with a depressed tone and a completely defeated look on his face.


    ¡°Man, I really screwed up! Who would have thought that doing something as simple as leaving a backpack in your locker could have such a massive effect? Hmm¡­ There might be a way out of this. I just hope that my fourteen-year-old legs are up for the challenge.¡±


    ¡°Say, mister? Would you be willing to hold that game for him for just a little while longer? Asked Mikomi. ¡°Our school isn¡¯t that far away. I¡¯ll run there, get my wallet and bring the money back.  I¡¯ll be gone for maybe a half-hour tops. Would that be okay?¡±


    Ryan¡¯s face lit up as he looked at the clerk with a renewed sense of hope. The clerk took one look at Ryan¡¯s face and let out a hearty laugh.


    ¡°He¡¯s been in here every single week for two whole months waiting for this game. I think I can keep it out of public view for another thirty minutes or so.¡±


    ¡°Great!  I guess you can just wander around the mall for a bit. I¡¯ll go get my wallet now.¡±


    Ryan¡¯s face said it all. He was incredibly moved that Mikomi would go so far out of his way just to give him the money to buy the game. It was to the point where Ryan was almost on the verge of tears.


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know what to say, Mikomi¡­ thank you!¡±


    ¡°Not a problem! I¡¯ll be right back in a jiffy!¡±


    Mikomi took off running from the store, exiting through the front doors of the mall. Thankfully, at this point in time, malls were pretty lax when it came to security. Any young kid bolting for the entrance of the mall at top speed ten years from now would instantly be nabbed and detained for questioning. People were just a little more trusting back then and Mikomi was certainly thankful for it. As he ran along the sidewalk, his thoughts rushed through his head.


    ¡°Dammit!  How could I have been so careless!? I knew this was a pretty big detail and yet, I made this stupid mistake! I just hope this doesn¡¯t change anything. I mean, Ryan will get the game in the end, right? Thirty minutes isn¡¯t that much time¡­ Ryan couldn¡¯t possibly do anything to change the future that much, could he? I¡¯ll just get in, open my locker, grab my wallet, and zip back out. That¡¯s all I have to do and everything will be fine!¡±


    His thoughts carried him back to school. Despite running all that way, he was barely out of breath. He could only thank the power of youth as he knew he would have to do it all over again on the return trip.


    He approached the front door and remembered that once school was let out, they would usually lock the doors for the day. Mikomi¡¯s heart began to beat just a little bit faster as he reached out and grabbed the handle. With one press of his thumb, the latch released and the door opened, causing him to breathe a sigh of relief. He let out a deep breath and was thankful that the doors weren¡¯t locked yet.


    Once inside, getting to his locker was pretty easy. With no kids in the school, it was just a clear, straight route straight to his locker. He had to take a few corners to get there but as he neared the final one, to where his locker was, he accidentally ran into someone he didn¡¯t expect to be there and knocked them down to the floor.


    ¡°OH MY GOD! Are you okay!?¡± asked Mikomi frantically when he realized just what he had bumped into.


    He knocked down a girl, but it wasn¡¯t just any girl¡­ it was one that he recognized. Many of the other students made fun of her because she wasn¡¯t very outgoing. She was often seen alone, reading a book, barely talking to anyone. A lot of kids started rumors that painted her in a very negative light. He knew that all too well because Ryan had become one of those people in the future.


    In the other timeline, Mikomi had never said anything to or about her. In fact, he truly felt sorry for her but was always afraid to say anything out of fear of becoming an outcast sympathizer. With the way others perceived her, including Ryan, he was more afraid of damaging his image than anything else. It was one of the biggest regrets he had in his other life. While he knew he had a second chance to change everything, he knew there was nothing he could do about it at this moment¡­  especially with an impending ripple hanging in the balance. Still, he couldn¡¯t just ignore what he had done. He reached out and offered her a hand which she accepted.


    ¡°I¡¯m really very sorry. I was in a rush and I wasn¡¯t looking where I was going. I hope I didn¡¯t hurt you.¡±


    The girl stood and brushed herself off. She wore an oversized gray hoodie and baggy dark blue jeans to match her long, yet messy, black hair and light blue eyes. Her pale white skin told the tale that she didn¡¯t get outside much and that¡¯s probably why some of the rumors started up.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    As she finished brushing herself off, she squeaked out a reply in a quiet,  yet gentle voice.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    She began to walk away when Mikomi noticed she left a book she had dropped behind. He picked it up and turned around.


    ¡°Hey wait! You forgot your book.¡±


    The girl stopped and turned back to look at him, her black hair covering her left eye, but she still saw him through the hair strands. She took a step forward and grabbed the book out of Mikomi¡¯s hand with some force. She held it close to her body and in that same gentle voice¡­


    ¡°Thanks...¡±


    She turned to leave, but Mikomi stopped her again. Despite knowing her from the other timeline, for some odd reason, an important detail about her couldn¡¯t be recalled. Hoping that it would help him remember more, he asked a pretty common question.


    ¡°Say¡­ Uhm¡­ What''s your name?¡±


    The girl stopped in her tracks for a brief moment as if she were thinking about telling him her name but after a few moments of silence, she continued on her way. Mikomi was a bit perplexed that he was just blown off like that. The more he looked at her, the more captivated he became by her cute looks. Mikomi¡¯s mind began to wander about this girl as she just seemed too familiar to forget and yet here he was struggling to remember even the most basic of details about her.


    ¡°Uhm¡­¡±


    Mikomi reached his hand out but she just kept walking away. Mikomi withdrew his hand as he looked a bit perplexed. This overwhelming feeling that he, somehow, knew her plagued his mind. He couldn¡¯t quite figure out why she seemed so familiar outside of her reputation but before he could dwell on it too much, he came to a sudden realization.


    ¡°My wallet!¡±


    Mikomi took off running in the opposite direction. The girl then stopped and looked back to see Mikomi running away. She let out a sigh of relief and continued to walk away.


    Some time had passed, but Mikomi made it back to the mall albeit a bit low on oxygen. Despite his fatigue, he continued to run around people until he made it back to Game Lot. He hunched over the counter and gasped for air as he tried to catch his breath, his chest heaving in and out.  Once he got his breathing back under control, he reached into his pants pocket and pulled out his wallet.


    ¡°Sorry¡­ I¡¯m late¡­.I brought¡­. my wallet¡­¡± said Mikomi in between heavy breaths.


    Mikomi tossed it over to Ryan as he leaned up against the counter completely focused on recatching his breath. At this point, he didn¡¯t care if Ryan emptied his entire wallet. He was just thankful that he had prevented a major ripple from ripping through all of time and space. At least, he had hoped his actions had done such a thing. There was no real way to tell if anything had changed by a simple half-hour delay.


    ¡°Take¡­ what you¡­need¡­ Oh God, I¡¯m dying....¡±


    Ryan opened up Mikomi¡¯s wallet and pulled out a $20 bill. He combined it with his $45 and handed it to the clerk who, in turn, handed Ryan the game.


    ¡°A-W-E-S-O-M-E!!¡± exclaimed Ryan as he held the game cartridge up above his head. He looked like a young boy on Christmas morning after opening a present and seeing the one and only thing he asked for. Ryan walked over and gave Mikomi a huge hug.


    ¡°Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!¡±


    ¡°Okay... I get it.. you¡¯re thankful.. let go of me, please!¡±


    ¡°Come on!  Let¡¯s go back to my place. I¡¯ll let you play it first!¡±


    ¡°Does it require me to run some more?¡±


    ¡°No worries, we can take our time. In fact, now that I have the game, I can play it anytime. Want to stop by the food court first and get something to drink? My treat!¡± he said as he held up Mikomi¡¯s wallet.


    Knowing full well that Ryan had no money and it would really be his treat, he still took Ryan up on the offer. After all, a quick refreshing drink to replenish his energy was sorely needed right now.


    After plopping down in a chair with a giant root beer in front of him, Mikomi couldn¡¯t help but notice Ryan reading the back of the game¡¯s packaging over and over again. His eyes darted around from corner to corner as he was taking everything in as much as he could. He knew that by sitting there and resting, he was only delaying Ryan from playing the game he was looking forward to but the fact that this little pitstop was his suggestion meant that he was making a bit of a sacrifice since Mikomi had done the same for him.


    Mikomi sucked down his root beer at a slightly higher-than-reasonable pace. It only took him a few minutes to polish it off and by the time he did, he felt his strength return.


    ¡°My God, this stamina. Even though twenty-four is still considered young, I wish I had this much recovery power. You truly do slow with age. I mean, I¡¯m no slouch in the future but there¡¯s no way I think I could run that much and recover this quickly. And what¡¯s even better is that my feet aren¡¯t even that tired. I guess all that time sitting in an office chair and in board meetings took its toll more than I had realized. Note to self¡­ when I get my company back, buy a treadmill for my office.¡±


    ¡°Ready to get going?¡± asked Mikomi.


    ¡°Yeah!¡± said Ryan with excitement.


    Ryan walked away with Mikomi in tow The two of them exited the mall and headed toward Ryan¡¯s house, which was still a walk and a half by itself. To get there, they had to cross the highway and walk about fifteen minutes to Mikomi¡¯s house. From Mikomi¡¯s house, you had to walk down his street to the very end, turn left and walk to the fourth street on the left, which took about another ten minutes. To make matters worse, Ryan¡¯s house was the last one on the left on that street, right before a dead end. Usually, the trip wasn¡¯t all that bad, but Mikomi did just end up running a marathon for the sake of a video game.


    Mikomi had put forth tremendous effort to make sure that the flow of time went undisturbed; however, Mikomi¡¯s efforts were in vain. A ripple had already begun because of this one small miscalculation. As Mikomi and Ryan walked side by side down the street, Mikomi was unaware of just how far the ripple had begun to spread and what changes were ahead of him.

 Deviation

    They had finally arrived at Ryan¡¯s house. Before heading into his room to fire up the game, Ryan offered Mikomi something to drink; however, it had already slipped his mind that Mikomi had down an entire root beer before they headed over. After apologizing for his blunder, Ryan lead him to his where he wasted no time popping the game into his console and flipping the power button.


    ¡°Oh yeah¡­ I completely forgot that game consoles in this era just instantly turned on and tossed you into the game. No load bars every five minutes¡­ man, this was the best!¡±


    With the title screen staring at him in the face, Ryan licked his lips and pressed the start button. Mikomi sat back and watched just how elated Ryan looked as he traversed through the first stage then suddenly, he died.


    Ryan had reached the first boss and didn¡¯t expect it to be that much of a challenge. Back then, games weren¡¯t known for having checkpoints so Ryan had to start the stage over again which resulted in his death for a second time. Suddenly, a determined look formed on his face as he continued to struggle to get past the first boss. Mikomi sat there with his head resting on his hand as he silently judged Ryan¡¯s skills as a gamer. To Mikomi, who had beaten this game many times in the past, it was pathetic to see Ryan struggle with something so easy!


    ¡°Man, this guy is really tough!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s only the first boss, Ryan¡­ are you sure you know how to play this game?¡±


    ¡°Hey, come on! It¡¯s my first time playing it! Cut me some slack!¡±


    Mikomi laughed a bit and then checked his watch. His eyes widened and he jumped up to his feet.


    ¡°CRAP!!  It¡¯s almost 4:30. I forgot that I told my mom that I would come home right away after school because my dad is supposed to be coming home tonight! I¡¯m sorry, Ryan, but I¡¯m going to have to hang out with you some other time.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s been a while since you¡¯ve seen your dad, hasn¡¯t it?¡±


    Mikomi took a moment to reflect that it¡¯s been two years to him since his father had died. This will be the first time he will see him since that day. It¡¯s still hard for him to wrap his mind around the fact that his death is still eight years from now. Mikomi sensed himself drifting away in thought and shook his head to bring himself back to reality.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ it seems like years, but I know his job keeps him away. That¡¯s why I need to spend as much time with him as possible.¡±


    ¡°No problem!  Maybe we can hang out tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± said Mikomi as he gave Ryan a reassuring nod. ¡°Oh, by the way, when the boss leaps into the air, switch to the VX Grenade and drop it on the ground where he¡¯s going to land. It¡¯ll stun him and you can probably kill him in a couple of hits before he recovers.¡±


    Ryan gave Mikomi a strange look. This may have been an older game but Ryan knew that Mikomi hadn¡¯t played this game yet. Mikomi may have played this game a lot as a child but it wasn¡¯t until he saw Ryan play that he bought it for himself. While Mikomi slipped up the first time at Game Lot, he spurted out the strategy on purpose, already prepared for the backlash that came from it. Noticing Ryan¡¯s perplexed look, Mikomi shrugged his shoulders and offered up an explanation.


    ¡°Hey, remember... I¡¯m from the future! Either that or I just thought of it while watching you play. Take whichever you think is more believable.¡±


    Ryan closed his eyes and smirked as Mikomi walked out of his room. He just shook his head and went back to playing his game.


    ¡°Thanks, I¡¯ll try it,¡± said Ryan just as Mikomi faded out of view.


    Mikomi sprinted back home with a panicked look on his face. As the scenery behind him became a blur, thoughts flowed through his mind.


    ¡°Great¡­ as if I didn¡¯t do enough running today. I remember this day, though. This is the day when dad came home and said that he found something that could lead to the same breakthrough that I completed. The development of an advanced artificial intelligence that, while contained, could not just blur the lines between humans and technology but erase it completely. The story intrigued me to the point where I began to take an interest in my father¡¯s company. He came home around dinner time and told us the news. I think he came home around six so I still have some time. Even still, I need to be more careful.¡±


    Mikomi¡¯s thoughts brought him all the way home. He ran up the walkway and entered his house through the front door. His mother was already in the kitchen at the stove preparing a casserole dish to go into the oven. Mikomi¡¯s father was sitting at the dinner table reading a file folder. Mikomi¡¯s eyes widened as seeing his father home already was completely unexpected.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here? Why is dad home already? I distinctly remember him coming home around six. It¡¯s nowhere even near that time and yet, he¡¯s sitting there at the kitchen table? Did I accidentally change something when I forgot my wallet!? This is bad! It hasn¡¯t even been a day and I already screwed something up!!¡±


    ¡°Dad?¡± asked Mikomi with a bit of a surprised tone in his voice.


    Mikomi¡¯s father looked up at him. He was Ryunosuke Saigo, the current CEO of Onyx Technology Ventures. He wore a light grey business suit with a pale blue undershirt, much like the suit that Mikomi wore during his time as CEO of the company. Ryunosuke had that stern father look to him but he wasn¡¯t strict in any way, shape, or form. He had the face of a corporate businessman, but the heart of a true father.


    ¡°Mikomi! How was school?¡±


    ¡°Eh, It was school. Nothing all that special. Sorry, I¡¯m late¡­ Ryan wanted me to tag along with him to the mall so he could pick up a game he had been looking for. He brought me over to his house so he could show it to me and I kind of lost track of the time.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good to know that you¡¯re spending time with your friends, Mikomi.¡± said his father with a smile on his face. ¡°I know I can¡¯t be here all the time so it¡¯s wonderful that you¡¯ve found people you enjoy being around.¡±


    ¡°I still can¡¯t help but wonder how is he home this early, though. I have to find out, but I need to ask in a way where it doesn¡¯t raise suspicion. Who knew this whole time travel thing could be so sensitive?¡±


    ¡°Mom said you would be coming home today but I thought you would get home a little later.  Was it an early day at the office?¡±


    Ryunosuke put down the paperwork he was looking into and folded his hands, letting out a bit of a sigh.


    ¡°Well¡­ I was asked to stay behind at the office today because I needed to finalize some things but at the last moment, my secretary quit for an unknown reason so I had to start looking over applications to find a replacement. Usually, I like peace and quiet when selecting a new employee so I told them that I would take the applications home with me so I could look them over undisturbed.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­ Alice quit!? No... wait¡­ this is ten years in the past¡­ she would only be eighteen at this point in time. She¡¯s probably graduating from high school later this year. Think! Think! When did Alice join the company? She joined when she was twenty so that¡¯s two years from now. That means she was my father¡¯s secretary for six years before becoming mine but she replaced Janice, but Janice just quit!? I need to find out more information¡­ maybe I could fix this.¡±


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°So you don¡¯t know why Janice quit?¡±


    Ryunosuke looked at Mikomi with a puzzled look. It was almost as if he hadn¡¯t heard that name before. His father¡¯s reaction also confused Mikomi as well. It also began to frighten him because that meant something big had changed within the world.


    ¡°Janice? No Sherri. You should know her. She picked you up from school before when you came to the office to visit me. Although there is a Janice here among the applications.¡±


    ¡°Sherri? I don¡¯t remember a Sherri at all. How in the world did that change? Janice has always been my father¡¯s secretary up until she decided to retire, causing my father to search for a replacement. I remember him talking about her long service to the company and that it was a shame she was leaving. More importantly, I need to cover this up quickly.¡±


    Mikomi glanced down at the pile of applications and noticed one of the ones on top had Janice¡¯s name on it. He felt that this was a little too convenient but he did find his escape from this mess by way of a miracle. Regardless of how it happened, he was given a gift and he wasn¡¯t about to reject it.


    ¡°I just happened to glance at the file folders and saw her name. It must have been fresh in my head and I just blurted it out. I would never forget Sherri.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry¡­ it happens to the best of us,¡± said Ryunosuke with a bit of laughter. ¡°Say, since you were eyeing the applications, want to help me pick out my next secretary?¡±


    ¡°S-Sure!¡± said Mikomi with a nervous tone, trying to pass off the fact that this was a big responsibility for a fourteen-year-old.


    ¡°This is perfect! All I have to do is pretend to look them over and pick Janice and that should put things back in order but Janice is supposed to retire in two years. What if she doesn¡¯t retire and that ends up getting messed up? What do I do about it then? I guess there¡¯s no use thinking about it now. I¡¯ll just have to go with it and see how it all plays out.¡±


    Mikomi pulled up a chair and sat next to his father as Karoline set down two cups of tea, one for each of them knowing that this could be a long process.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just leave you two be. It¡¯s good to see a father-son moment!¡±


    Karoline smiled and then excused herself from the room as Mikomi¡¯s father passed him a stack of applications that equaled about half of them.


    ¡°Take that stack and look them over and then when we¡¯re both done, we¡¯ll switch and go through them then give our opinions on each one. Whichever one we have the most agreeable opinion on, that¡¯ll be my new secretary. Sound like a plan?¡±


    ¡°Wait.. most agreeable opinion!? What if dad doesn¡¯t pick Janice!? What do I do about it then?  How can I convince him to pick her? I¡¯ll agree with this for now, but I¡¯m going to need a really convincing argument here.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a plan!¡±


    Mikomi looked down at the first application. His eyes widened in complete and utter shock. A huge monkey wrench was just thrown into Mikomi¡¯s plans.


    ¡°What the hell!? ALICE!?¡±


    Sure enough, there was Alice¡¯s application. Mikomi was right in estimating that she was eighteen years old at this time. Her photo was attached to the application and she looked a lot younger than he remembered her. It was only natural since it was ten years in the past but Mikomi was captivated by how cute her eighteen-year-old self looked. Mikomi quickly put those thoughts out of his head as he had bigger questions on his mind.


    ¡°But how!? She¡¯s supposed to be in high school!? What is she doing applying to my father¡¯s company this early!? This is bad! I need to find a way to figure out what the hell is going on.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll start in a second. Between school, the mall, and Ryan¡¯s house, I haven¡¯t had a chance to use the bathroom. I¡¯m going to go and I¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    Ryunosuke gave a nod as Mikomi excused himself from the kitchen table. He made the trip to the bathroom briskly where he closed the door. His mother was down the hall in the living room so decided to keep his tone down to a barely audible whisper.


    ¡°Sebastian, I need you!¡±


    Sebastian then materialized and sat on the edge of the tub still wearing the same white suit with a golden cane. Sebastian, who had been keeping an eye on Mikomi, realized the situation he was in and also spoke back to him at the level of a whisper, almost as if he were mocking him since Sebastian couldn¡¯t be seen nor heard by anyone else.


    ¡°Well here we are back at square one, aren¡¯t we? What can I assist you with, my dear Mikomi?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? I mean, I know I almost messed things up at the mall by forgetting my wallet but my dad is home early, a secretary I¡¯ve never heard of quit, and now Alice¡¯s application is in the pile with the rest of them when she didn¡¯t apply until two years from now. I need some answers as to just what the hell is going on!¡±


    Sebastian let out a sigh as he feared this conversation was inevitable. He pinched the bridge of his nose as he prepared to explain it to Mikomi.


    ¡°I guess it can¡¯t be helped. I will now tell you the truth about this world.¡±


    ¡°The truth?¡± asked Mikomi with a confused tone.


    ¡°The world in and of itself exists countless times. I believe modern science has referred to these instances as timelines or dimensions. This world exists equally across all lines but there are small differences in each one. When you were selected for a second chance, you were placed in a neighboring timeline in which everything is similar to you but around you, there may be some differences. We felt that this would be an ideal situation that would give you the best chance at changing your future.¡±


    Mikomi stood there and tried to absorb this. He appeared deep in thought as he went over what Sebastian said in his head. He came to a sudden conclusion and wanted to confirm it.


    ¡°So, if some things are different, does this mean I don¡¯t have to be so cautious about following the same path? I can deviate without creating too much of a ripple?¡±


    ¡°You, indeed, are very sharp Mikomi,¡± said Sebastian with a smile on his face. ¡°That is precisely why we placed you in an alternate timeline. Sorry to say that you are, indeed, deceased in your original timeline but here, you are alive and well with the chance to alter your future. With these differences, you are virtually free to do as you wish but that doesn¡¯t suggest that you should change everything. Mind you that you¡¯ve already experienced events that were familiar to you. There are as many, if not more, similarities between this timeline and your original. You could still alter the futures of those who hadn¡¯t experienced change. Be mindful of that.¡±


    ¡°So this freedom is limited,¡± said Mikomi as he rubbed his chin, trying to understand what was just said. ¡°I have to separate what has changed from what hasn¡¯t and decide whether or not to act.¡±


    ¡°You can still act as you wish. This world is yours to shape. The changes you make can be dramatic or subtle. That is what I leave to you but keep in mind what I said about compensation for the sake of balance. Make too great of a change and there will need to be some sort of equivocal exchange. Otherwise, things could spiral out of control and that would none too pleasant.¡±


    Mikomi narrowed his eyes in suspicion as he seemed a bit bothered by this explanation.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me this in the beginning?¡±


    ¡°I know it seems that I have deceived you but I assure you Mikomi, that was not my intention.  Typically if you tell someone, especially a mortal, that they have the power to reshape the world, there is no telling what that person may do. Think of it as a precautionary method. Part of my being here was to play the role of the observer. I told you I was here to watch over you¡­ that is partially true. I am also here to judge you on your actions to determine if you could prove yourself worthy of learning this information. It is in my judgments that I have deemed you worthy. Just don¡¯t prove me wrong by developing a God complex.¡±


    ¡°While it is a relief to know that I can be freer in my choices, I still feel a bit reserved when thinking about it. I have one last question for you. Are you hiding anything else from me?¡±


    Sebastian let out a sigh as he feared that this question would come up. Sebastian cleared his throat and looked Mikomi dead in the eyes, answering him as definitively as possible.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The statement by Sebastian was quick and absolute. Mikomi was taken back a bit by its sharpness as a simple word seemed to send a jolt through his body. Mikomi stood there for a moment, a bit shocked that there was more than Sebastian was hiding.

 Decision

    The fact that Sebastian flat-out admitted that he was hiding something from Mikomi left him in shock. As if he didn¡¯t have a ton of questions floating around in his mind already, one more forced its way in there among the others. Before he could question just what Sebastian was hiding from him, Sebastian interjected rather hastily.


    ¡°But¡­.¡± said Sebastian with a bit of a pause. ¡°Whether or not I tell you depends on your actions from here on out. I¡¯m not quite ready to tell you just yet but when the time comes, I will make good on my promise to tell you the final piece of information. Trust me when I say that you are far from ready to hear it.¡±


    Mikomi sighed in disappointment as he rubbed the back of his head knowing that there wasn¡¯t anything he could do about it just now. He was just going to have to trust Sebastian¡¯s judgment on this one.


    ¡°I guess that can¡¯t be helped. Thanks. I should get back to the table before my father wonders if I¡¯ve fallen in.¡±


    Sebastian gave a nod to Mikomi and then disappeared into thin air. Mikomi flushed the toilet and headed back out. His mother was absorbed in watching her favorite show on the television so it didn¡¯t look like he raised any suspicion from her. He casually made his way back to the kitchen where he sat down with his father and continued to look over the applications. He grasped Alice¡¯s application in his hands and began to stare at it. He looked over her credentials carefully and then something caught his eye.


    ¡°Alice graduated from high school at 16!? She¡¯s about to enter her sophomore year of college for an Associate Degree in Business!? I knew Alice was smart but is this one of the differences of this world?¡±


    Mikomi spent an extra amount of time on Alice¡¯s application before shifting it to the bottom of his pile. His father gleaned over at Mikomi for a moment and then went back to reading his pile. One by one, the two of them looked through the potential candidates and then swapped piles as promised. Eventually, they reached the end. Ryunosuke pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a bit of a sigh.


    ¡°Now that we¡¯ve gone through every application, what do you think, Mikomi?¡±


    Mikomi sat there a bit nervously. He knew he had to make his choice knowing full well what the weight of this decision was. This decision may be trivial to his father but he also didn¡¯t have an entire future to shape. Alice could still end up being his secretary so it may be best just to pick her but that would mean erasing Janice from history. This was a heavier decision than he had anticipated. Mikomi was taking quite a long time to make a decision which caused his father to chuckle.


    ¡°Not so easy, is it Mikomi? Now you understand just one of my plights! To give you an idea of the things I have to deal with daily, a difficult decision like this is one of the easiest I have to make.¡±


    Still, his father was pretty amused at Mikomi¡¯s indecision. Mikomi gave his father a slight nod as if to agree with him and then went back to pondering his decision. If only his father knew what this decision truly meant, then he wouldn¡¯t have said such a thing to him. Mikomi recalled Sebastian¡¯s words about shaping the world and not having to be so cautious about doing so.  With that in mind, Mikomi took a deep breath and reached for Alice¡¯s application. He grabbed it and showed it to his father.


    ¡°I think she would be a great fit, dad.¡±


    Ryunosuke took hold of the application and gave it the once over. He quickly tossed it back down onto the kitchen table.


    ¡°No good.¡±


    Mikomi¡¯s heart almost stopped. It was as if time itself stood still for but a brief moment. The shock of hearing two simple words caused the world around Mikomi to become muffled. He quickly became lost in his own thoughts as they swarmed and enveloped his mind.


    ¡°No good!? I mean, sure¡­ she¡¯s no Janice but she served me very well. She was very capable and she truly cared about me. She did a remarkable job as both a secretary and a friend. Why would Dad reject her now but accept her in the other timeline? I thought there were supposed to be a lot of things here that were similar. Alice could play a key role in finding out who shot me so I can¡¯t imagine this timeline would just eliminate her from the equation like this. There has to be a way I can convince my father that his judgment is a mistake!¡±


    ¡°Mikomi? You look like you¡¯ve seen a ghost. Was my reaction that shocking?¡±


    Mikomi shook his head, snapping himself out of thought. Drifting off like that was a bad habit of his but he couldn¡¯t help it. He lived most of his life in his head and was a deep thinker as a result.


    ¡°Yeah. I thought she would have been the perfect candidate. I was surprised you rejected her so quickly.¡±


    ¡°What makes you think she¡¯s the perfect candidate?¡±


    Mikomi knew that this was his chance. He had to come up with a convincing reason to hire Alice, otherwise, he would be facing an uncertain future that posed a significant challenge to him. He felt that Alice was a necessary piece to this puzzle and couldn¡¯t let this opportunity just slip by.


    ¡°Well, I know she¡¯s a bit young but her credentials are not only promising but impressive. She graduated high school early with top honors, already has a year of business training through college, and she¡¯s starting her second year which would complete her degree. It seems the college courses are at night, otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t be applying for this position. Placing her in an environment like your company would offer an invaluable experience for her. On the other side of it, you gain the benefit of molding and shaping someone impressionable. This means you can cultivate her with your company¡¯s culture which would be even more valuable than someone who has had prior experience. This reduces conflicts such as some secretaries being set in their ways versus what you would expect of them in the company. Someone young and hungry is more likely to do what they can to succeed rather than just treat it as just another nine to five job.¡±


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    ¡°WAIT! I¡¯m supposed to be in high school and I just spoke as if I were the CEO of the company! I think I overdid it!¡±


    Mikomi¡¯s father just sat there staring blankly at his son. It was as if time stood still once again. Mikomi¡¯s mind was racing to try and find a way to explain all of this but suddenly, his father burst out laughing! It was so funny, his father even slapped his knee as he fought back tears. Mikomi didn¡¯t know how to feel at this point. Was his father mocking him? Was his reasoning nothing more than pure fantasy?


    ¡°Oh, my. I need to come home more often. Mikomi, what have you been doing while I have been away?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Mikomi with a puzzled look on his face.


    Ryunosuke took a moment to collect himself. Mikomi¡¯s parents had a habit of bursting out laughing during serious conversations. It was their way of lightening the mood when things seemed to get tense. It was a little nuance about them that Mikomi found annoying but it was one of the reasons the two of them fell in love with each other. They had that like-minded approach to life and it caused them to enjoy each other¡¯s company. It¡¯s kind of twisted if you think about it.


    ¡°I never thought I would hear reasoning like that out of my son at this age. If your voice were any deeper, I¡¯d think I would be talking to an executive at my company!¡±


    ¡°Well, I kind of am the CEO after all¡­¡±


    ¡°That was brilliant deductive reasoning, Mikomi. I¡¯m happy to say that you¡¯ve passed the test.¡±


    ¡°Test?¡± said Mikomi with a blank stare.


    ¡°Yes. I noticed that you had taken a keen interest in that application straight away. You spent the most time on it out of all of them. I had a feeling you were going to pick that one from the very beginning. I was interested in knowing why you were spending most of your time on it so I made sure to review this application first. She¡¯s young and I know in a few years, you would be eligible to be her boyfriend. I, honestly, thought it was just a young boy¡¯s love at first sight but I never expected this!¡±


    Ryunosuke chuckled a few more times before he continued.


    ¡°Imagine my surprise when your deductive reasoning matched mine. By telling you she was no good, I was trying to tease you a bit when in reality, my mind had already been made up. I was going to pick Alice all along! Needless to say, I¡¯m proud of you, son!¡±


    Ryunosuke patted his son on the shoulder. A huge rush of relief swooped across Mikomi¡¯s body like a cool sensation. It was this relief that made him realize that it was nearly six o¡¯clock and dinner was starting to smell good. Almost on cue, Karoline returned to the kitchen and opened the oven door. The smell of baked ziti filled the kitchen as she pulled the casserole dish out and set it on the countertop. Karoline then began to set the plates and dinnerware out on the table.


    ¡°That sure smells good,¡± said Ryunosuke. ¡°Nothing beats your mom¡¯s cooking!¡±


    Mikomi smiled as each person took their turn getting their fill of ziti and salad.


    ¡°Something is still a bit off. The whole application thing worked out but that means there was never a Janice that worked at my dad¡¯s company. Still, I can¡¯t help but feel that there¡¯s something big missing here. Like there was supposed to be¡­¡±


    It was at that moment that it hit Mikomi like a ton of bricks. Mikomi had figured out the one thing that was missing from this entire conversation. The one reason why his father had come home on this day.


    ¡°THE ANNOUNCEMENT! He hasn¡¯t made his announcement about developing the artificial intelligence software yet!¡±


    After swallowing a generous bite of ziti, Mikomi decided that he needed to find out what was going on. He looked at his father and decided to break the ice.


    ¡°Has anything big happened at work lately, Dad?¡±


    Ryunosuke was in the middle of chewing. Mikomi waited patiently for him to swallow his food. Once he did, his father let out a bit of a sigh.


    ¡°I wish I could say there was. The project I¡¯m working on hit a pretty huge snag. We¡¯re being left with two options: Go back to the drawing board and spend even more money, risking the company¡¯s future¡­ or abandon the project altogether.¡±


    ¡°Abandon the project!? But, this is where he was supposed to announce his breakthrough! That artificial intelligence could very well have been perfected! What happened!? Wait! Janice! She was probably the key! She had to have played some role in my father¡¯s breakthrough. Since she never worked at the company, this means that the breakthrough never happened!? I even picked Alice over Janice in the applications so even if the breakthrough came at a point in the future, I just erased any chance of that happening!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you should give up, Dad. After all, doesn¡¯t it take many failures before you succeed?¡±


    ¡°I appreciate your encouragement, Mikomi but if I fail again, the company may go bankrupt. I¡¯d love nothing more than to continue but I can¡¯t put my family at risk like that. The company makes plenty of sales to keep the lights on and pay the staff but the profit margin is small. A project like this takes a tremendous amount of capital to fund and if I dig any more into our reserves then it would start tapping into the money I use to keep the company running. That means I would have to lay off workers and cut back on a lot of things all for the sake of trying to complete something that may not even be possible. It¡¯s my job to put clothes on your back, a roof over your head, and more delicious ziti on the table. I can¡¯t jeopardize all of that for my selfish ventures.¡±


    After a brief pause, Ryunosuke let out a heavy sigh.


    ¡°I think it is in all of our best interests if I abandon the project.¡±


    With that, Ryunosuke loaded his fork with another bite of ziti and placed it into his mouth.


    ¡°I sure would hate missing the taste of this!¡± he said with a smile, trying to cover his disappointment in his own decision.


    They continued to eat until their plates were empty, all the while Mikomi sat there lost in thought.  He knew he needed to fix this but he didn¡¯t know how he was going to do it. Before Mikomi knew it, they had finished their dinner and he even offered to clean off the table. As the evening progressed, Mikomi found himself sitting on his bed in the darkness. The glow of the moonlight illuminated his face, revealing an angry and determined look. His eyes were filled with burning resolve as if he had come up with an idea.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to save my father¡¯s company!¡±


    With that, Mikomi cracked a smirk.  What did he have on his mind?

 Interest

    The morning had swiftly come. Mikomi didn¡¯t get much in the way of sleep due to his being energized by last night¡¯s determination; however, despite the lack of rest he still felt pretty good. In fact, he practically hopped out of bed and got prepared for school. After the typical morning fare, he grabbed his book bag and was about to head out the back door when his father, who had been sitting at the kitchen table sipping a cup of coffee, stopped him.


    ¡°Mikomi. I don¡¯t usually have the chance to say this to you much but have a great day at school. Also, I called Alice after dinner last night. I¡¯m meeting her for breakfast in about an hour. I should be home tonight around the normal time so I¡¯ll tell you how the interview went.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Dad!¡± said Mikomi with a bright smile on his face.


    Mikomi darted out the back door and began his typical journey to school  As he stepped onto the sidewalk, he could only take a couple of steps before he heard a familiar voice cry out from behind him.


    ¡°MIIIII-KOOOO-MIIIII!¡±


    Mikomi didn¡¯t even have to turn around. He stopped in his tracks as he already knew he was running up behind him. He closed his eyes and braced for impact and, sure enough, he felt the weight of another slam into his backside.


    ¡°Morning, Mikomi!¡± said Ryan as he placed him into a rather annoying headlock.


    ¡°Morning,¡± he replied with a disgruntled tone in his voice.


    ¡°So, how did it go with your dad last night?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ it was great, for the most part. His secretary quit so I got to help him pick out a replacement but he said that he hit a snag on his project so he might have to abandon it.¡±


    ¡°Wow, that sucks, Mikomi. What was he working on?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I knew what he was working on but at this point in time, I wasn¡¯t supposed to have any idea. I wonder if it would be okay to tell Ryan about it. On second thought, if I¡¯m going to be the one to save my father¡¯s company, I can¡¯t really let anyone know otherwise it would jeopardize my entire plan. Plus, if I started blurting it out to anyone and everyone, who knows who could overhear me? Sorry, Ryan, but I¡¯m going to have to keep you in the dark on this one.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. He never told me but he said if he didn¡¯t stop the project, it would end up bankrupting the company and we could possibly lose our house.¡±


    ¡°Wow, that sounds like some serious stuff! It would suck if I had to take you into my house!¡±


    Mikomi rolled his eyes at Ryan¡¯s attempt at humor as the two of them continued to walk to school. As they neared the front gates, Mikomi¡¯s eye got caught on a particular individual¡­ so much so that he ironically walked into a caution sign. The impact made quite a noise and caused Mikomi to fall on his ass. The feeling of concrete on his cheeks wasn¡¯t pleasant. Ryan turned around immediately to check on him.


    ¡°Mikomi! Are you okay?¡±


    Mikomi grabbed Ryan¡¯s hand and pulled himself up to his feet, brushing himself off quickly in an attempt to save face after that embarrassing display. He gave a glance over at the person who had distracted him and saw that they didn¡¯t notice anything. Mikomi let out an internal sigh of relief.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I just wasn¡¯t watching where I was going.¡±


    Ryan happened to glance off into the distance and noticed the person Mikomi was staring at. It was the girl he had, quite literally, ran into in the hallway when he came back to school to grab his wallet. Ryan would usually form a sly smile and elbow Mikomi over something like this but this time he didn¡¯t.


    ¡°Say, Mikomi. Word of advice. Don¡¯t bother.¡±


    Mikomi turned to Ryan with a perplexed look on his face. He didn¡¯t have to say a word as Ryan¡¯s expression said everything Mikomi needed to know. Ryan took notice of Mikomi¡¯s confused look and explained what he meant even though Mikomi already had a feeling where this was going.


    ¡°Well... you know the rumors about her, right? Always quiet, can¡¯t talk to people. A lot of people are creeped out by her. Probably best not to get involved, if you know what I mean.¡±


    ¡°Not get involved? What kind of reasoning is that? It¡¯s thoughts like that which drive people into a spiral of loneliness! If this is what everyone thought about her, then it¡¯s no wonder why she reacted the way she did when I bumped into her. She simply didn¡¯t have any experience in talking to others because everyone just ignores her! That¡¯s kind of unfair.¡±


    Mikomi decided to completely ignore Ryan. He walked away and started to head over to the girl.  While he walked away from Ryan, he shouted out to him which made Mikomi grit his teeth in frustration.


    ¡°Hey, Mikomi, you¡¯re not serious, are you?¡±


    ¡°Just shut up, Ryan. What the hell do you know about how the world works?¡±


    Mikomi approached the girl who looked up from a peculiarly unmarked book. There was no title on the front cover or on the spine. The only features it had were a gold trim serving as a border on a dark brown finish. She looked a bit panicked and began to tremble a little. Her skin was pale, but it brought out the light blue hue of her eyes. Mikomi, seeing her in this light, took a deep breath himself as her beauty captivated him.


    ¡°Hi. Um¡­ This is probably the weirdest way I¡¯ve ever had to introduce myself to someone but I¡¯m the guy who, quite literally, ran into you in the hall after school yesterday. I, uh, didn¡¯t have a chance to properly apologize to you since I was in a hurry. I just wanted to tell you how sorry I am and I hope that you didn¡¯t get hurt.¡±


    The girl just sat there in bewilderment and it made for an awkward moment. Mikomi rubbed the back of his head as he wondered just what to do next now that he was met with nothing but silence. Maybe if he told her his name, it might make things a little less tense.


    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    ¡°My name is Mikomi, by the way. I know I asked you for yours yesterday but I didn¡¯t introduce myself first. That was rude of me.¡±


    The girl continued to look up at Mikomi. She replied to him in a soft voice.


    ¡°Oh. It¡¯s okay.¡±


    She then went back to reading her book. It was obvious she was into it and didn¡¯t want to be disturbed. Mikomi took the hint and decided to try and strike up a conversation some other time.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave you alone since you¡¯re enjoying your book. I just wanted to say I¡¯m sorry. I felt it would have been rude of me not to apologize properly for yesterday. Maybe, if you want, I can make it up to you sometime. Think it over!¡±


    Mikomi turned to leave. He took a few steps before he heard a faint voice behind her.


    ¡°...rah¡±


    Mikomi turned around. The girl looked up from her book and stared a bit blankly at Mikomi.


    ¡°Did you say something?¡± asked Mikomi.


    ¡°My name¡­  it¡¯s Serah.¡±


    Serah gave a smile so faint that it could barely even be considered one. She immediately lowered her head back down and went back to reading her book. Mikomi smiled and began to backpedal.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Serah. I hope we can talk again sometime!¡±


    Mikomi turned and walked back across the school¡¯s main road and met back up with Ryan.  Ryan had a bit of a disappointed look on his face but he still wanted to know just what it was the two of them were discussing.


    ¡°What was that about? What did you say to her?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    Mikomi¡¯s reply had a rather rough tone to it. He could only remember Ryan¡¯s warning about Serah and didn¡¯t feel much like talking to him at the moment. Nevertheless, the two of them entered the building and prepared for class. Mikomi was lost in thought all day long. He couldn¡¯t concentrate on any of the lessons, although he didn¡¯t need to. He kept thinking about how he could save his father¡¯s company. It wasn¡¯t a matter of how to save it, per se. Mikomi knew how he was going to save the company but it was the method that he needed to figure out. It wasn¡¯t as if he could just walk up to his father and say ¡°Here¡¯s the answer.¡±


    The minutes on the clock ticked one by one as the world around Mikomi passed him by. By the time the day had ended, he still hadn¡¯t thought of a way to go about getting his father the information he needed. He also didn¡¯t know how long he had until his father would abandon the project. Mikomi could only assume that he had no time left and needed to act fast.


    Mikomi and Ryan walked home together. Ryan was calling Mikomi¡¯s name but he wasn¡¯t paying much attention. Finally, Ryan gave up trying to grab his attention verbally and elbowed Mikomi hard in the ribs. Mikomi winced in pain, holding his side as he shot a death glare in Ryan¡¯s direction.


    ¡°Oh good! You decided to finally answer me.¡±


    ¡°You jammed your elbow into my rib! What was I supposed to do?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve just been spaced out this entire time. I called your name but you were ignoring me.¡±


    ¡°I WAS ignoring you. It¡¯s hard to think when someone keeps calling my name over and over again.¡±


    Ryan let out a sigh.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been giving me the cold shoulder ever since this morning. Are you mad at me for telling you those things about that girl?¡±


    ¡°So Ryan did understand I was angry with him. I guess it was more obvious than I thought. I¡¯m supposed to be a 14-year-old boy and yet, I¡¯m still thinking and acting like I¡¯m 24. To be honest, I¡¯m kind of surprised he figured it out. He¡¯s not usually the type to see these kinds of things. I guess I wore my heart a little too much on my sleeve if someone like Ryan could easily figure it out.¡±


    Mikomi stopped walking and let out a sigh.


    ¡°Not in particular. I mean, I was a bit miffed over it but it¡¯s not a big deal. I do have another problem that I¡¯m trying to figure out so that¡¯s why I¡¯ve been lost in thought. Sorry if I¡¯ve been ignoring you but this problem is pretty important to me.¡±


    Ryan nodded his head as if he were understanding the situation but then, all of a sudden, he let out an ear-piercing yell.


    ¡°WHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!?¡±


    Mikomi flinched as his yell was incredibly loud!


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­ you¡¯re trying to figure out how to confess to that girl!!!!??¡±


    Mikomi¡¯s eyes widened in shock. He was seriously taken aback by that statement.


    ¡°Huh!? What!? NO! Nothing like that. I only went over there to apologize because I ran into her and knocked her down when I went to get my wallet from my locker yesterday! It¡¯s nothing like that at all!!¡±


    It was almost as if a lightbulb went on in Ryan¡¯s head.


    ¡°Oh! That explains why you went over there. Wow¡­ and I said all those things right beforehand. I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it. You didn¡¯t know. Anyway... I need to get home. My dad said he would be there waiting for me today and um¡­ I guess that means I won¡¯t be hanging out. Sorry, I kind of said I would but...¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it¡­ as you would say because you did just now! I understand. I see my dad every day so I can¡¯t relate but I can only imagine that it¡¯s a treat for you when you get to see yours.¡±


    ¡°That had to be the most mature thing Ryan has ever said. I was starting to think that maybe this world gave him a half-functioning brain. That¡¯s kind of mean of me to say since he was my childhood friend for such a long time but it is what it is with Ryan. What you see is what you get with him.¡±


    After that conversation, Mikomi and Ryan went their separate ways. Mikomi made his way home through the wooded area in his backyard as was his custom. He entered the house and realized his father wasn¡¯t home just yet. Then again, it was around three o¡¯clock in the afternoon and he said that he would be home around the ¡®normal time.¡¯  His mother wasn¡¯t home either but there was a note left on the coffee table in the living room. Mikomi picked it up and read it out loud.


    ¡°Gone shopping. Be back by dinner. Love, Mom¡±


    Mikomi put the note back down. The look on his face knew that this would be the perfect chance for him to sit and think of a way to help the company. All of a sudden, he looked out the window as something caught his eye. The mailman had just made his delivery and it was almost as if a lightbulb went on over Mikomi¡¯s head.


    ¡°I GOT IT!  I¡¯ll write Dad an anonymous letter and tell him how to overcome the hurdle! Then he can carry on his work and the company will be saved! This should put everything back in order in this timeline!¡±

 Idea

    As with anything, the first idea isn¡¯t always the best. While Mikomi was elated that he found a way to deliver the solution to his father¡¯s problem a sudden realization hit him pretty hard. When he realized it, he let out a bit of a sigh as it was, yet, another roadblock put in front of him.


    ¡°I¡­ can¡¯t write Dad a letter. He¡¯ll recognize my handwriting and know it was written by me. How am I going to explain to him that I came up with the solution to create a near-perfect A.I.? Seeing how this is ten years in the past, I don¡¯t have access to a computer here at home and the school hasn¡¯t invested in any for their library. Come to think of it, I don¡¯t think the public library has any computers either. The only place I know that has them for sure is Dad¡¯s office and I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll let me in just to use a word processor.¡±


    Mikomi began to pace back and forth, trying to think of a way to pull this off when it hit him.


    ¡°WAIT! The school library doesn¡¯t have any modern computers, but Mr. Midura¡¯s classroom has old 8088 computers! He uses them to teach students how to write essays using modern technology. Not that an 8088 is modern or anything but if I could get to his classroom after hours, borrow a computer and write everything out, then I can seal it in an envelope and mix it in with the day¡¯s mail delivery! He won¡¯t have to know who sent it but as long as he gets the information, then everything will get put back in order! That means Dad will have his breakthrough and then he¡¯ll¡­. He¡¯ll¡­.¡±


    Mikomi stopped cold in his tracks. A look of sadness came over his face but he gritted his teeth and shook it off. Mikomi looked at the clock and saw that nearly an hour had passed.


    ¡°It¡¯s too late to pull this off now. Tomorrow. That will be the day I set everything right. I just hope to God it¡¯s not too late.¡±


    Just then, the door opened and his mother, Karoline, stepped in with a grocery bag in hand.


    ¡°Too late for what, sweetie?¡±


    ¡°Crap! She must have heard me through the door! Was I talking that loud to myself? I REALLY need to be more careful. Think¡­ THINK!¡±


    ¡°Oh... yeah. I got the news of a test popping up on us at the end of the week and I need to study for it but when I got home and looked through my books and notes, I realized that the resources I need are in the school library and it¡¯s too late for me to go there now. I¡¯ll probably be late coming home tomorrow as I¡¯ll be holding a cram session after school.¡±


    ¡°Perfect, Mikomi. Simply perfect! I ought to pat myself on the back for that one.¡±


    ¡°I knew there was a reason your grades have skyrocketed lately. I¡¯m happy to see that you¡¯re taking school so seriously! I need to start making dinner. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s just going to be the two of us tonight. Your father called earlier and said that there have been some problems at work he needs to fix. Some of the executives disagreed with your father wanting to abandon the project.  He said it¡¯s a real mess and they¡¯re trying to work it out.¡±


    ¡°This is great news! If they didn¡¯t stop my father, then I surely would have run out of time! I bet it was Michael who decided to give my father grief. The two of them were always at odds. I wonder if Michael even works there in this timeline? Probably best not to think about that kind of stuff now. At least Mom thinks I¡¯m taking school seriously. I didn¡¯t start doing that until I became interested in the company and creating the advanced A.I. I guess being 24 and a freshman in high school does give me an edge. Even these AP classes are nothing for someone like me. That¡¯s a bit conceited of me but as long as I can maintain cover, it should be fine.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to just hang out in my room until dinner.¡±


    ¡°Okay, honey. I¡¯ll call you when it¡¯s ready.¡±


    Mikomi went into his room and opened his notebook. He began to jot down everything he remembered about how he solved the issue of getting the advanced A.I. to work. It was a complicated mess in the code and he remembered that it had to be rewritten almost entirely from scratch. The fundamentals were there in the code but it was all heading in the wrong direction. He remembered everything as if it were yesterday¡­ which wasn¡¯t that far off. He had solved the coding issue within a year of taking over the company and was the one who noticed the flaw, to begin with.


    Mikomi drifted off a bit in his thoughts and began to wonder what role Janice played if she played a role at all. After all, it was merely an assumption that Mikomi had. He didn¡¯t have any concrete proof of Janice¡¯s involvement. Still, the fact that things have changed in this timeline and her absence seemed to be too much of a coincidence.


    Mikomi continued to feverishly write down the most intricate details of the problems and how to solve them. He didn¡¯t notice how much time had passed until he heard a voice call out.


    ¡°MIKOMI! DINNER!¡±


    He snapped out of it and shook his head. He, too, couldn¡¯t believe that so much time had passed already. He closed his notebook and hopped out of bed and headed to the kitchen. Mikomi ate dinner, took an evening shower, then retired for the night. He wanted to get as much sleep as he could. Tomorrow, after all, would be the day when he would fix everything.


    Morning, once again, came quickly. Like the night before, he didn¡¯t get much sleep but the power of youth pulled him through. Mikomi rose out of bed and noticed his mom sitting in the chair in the living room and she didn¡¯t seem all too happy. It didn¡¯t take long for him to piece the puzzle together. Even if his father had left for work early, there were still faint traces of cologne that would linger in the air. Those faint traces were noticeably absent which meant that Ryunosuke didn¡¯t come home at all last night. After realizing it, Mikomi decided to confirm his suspicions.


    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    ¡°Dad¡¯s not coming home for a while again, is he?¡±


    Mikomi¡¯s mother looked up at him as he stood there in the hallway.


    ¡°He said that the board pushed him into continuing the project. They threatened to walk out on the company so he had no choice. He said that money is going to be very tight from now on.¡±


    ¡°Of course, being the current CEO of the company, I knew what it meant to have your Board of Directors walk out on you. The company is left in shambles. A hiring process is put in place all while you have to play damage control as the CEO. Stocks fall as investors become worried about the company¡¯s future and millions of dollars are lost in the process. Continuing the project and risking bankruptcy was the lesser of two evils and Dad had to have chosen that. Even though I fully understood the reason, I had to play dumb because how would a 14-year-old know something like this?¡±


    ¡°Why doesn¡¯t he just tell them no? I mean, he owns the company, right? Couldn¡¯t he just get new people to help him run it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s more complicated than that, sweetie. It might be a bit too hard for you to understand.¡±


    ¡°Try me.¡±


    ¡°Everything will be fine, though. Your father has been in tougher situations before and he¡¯s pulled through. Go to school and don¡¯t worry about anything, okay?¡±


    ¡°When mom tells me not to worry, it usually means just the opposite but she is right, though. My father has been in tougher situations¡­ especially with Malcolm Rutherford. He made it through those issues just fine but this time it¡¯s different. This timeline itself is different so Dad is going to need a little help. Just hang in there for the rest of today, Dad. Help is coming!¡±


    Mikomi grabbed his book bag and hugged his mother before leaving. He made his way to school and as per usual, Ryan was there to greet him on the sidewalk. One annoying tackle and headlock later, they arrived. Business carried on as normal that day although Mikomi¡¯s mind was preoccupied with focusing on the one thing he was set to do. The 2:30 bell couldn¡¯t have come fast enough for him. When it rang he picked up his bag and headed for his locker.


    ¡°Hey, Mikomi. Aren¡¯t you going home? You usually look like you¡¯re auditioning for the track team once that bell rings,¡± asked Ryan.


    ¡°No, I need to stay behind. I have something to take care of. You¡¯ll have to walk yourself home today, I¡¯m afraid.¡±


    ¡°Oooooo. Waiting for that girl from yesterday, are we?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not waiting for Serah.¡±


    ¡°Oooooo! She has a name! How lucky of you to be the one who knows it!¡±


    ¡°Enough, Ryan. I¡¯m not waiting for her. If you must know, I need to talk to Mr. Midura.¡±


    ¡°The AP English teacher? Why? Thinking about switching out one of your electives for the sake of becoming an even bigger bookworm?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ something like that. I figured it wouldn¡¯t hurt to see what his class has to offer.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ that does sound rather boring so I¡¯ll leave you to it. Good luck and I guess I¡¯ll see you tomorrow morning.¡±


    Mikomi nodded and waited until Ryan left. As soon as he was out of sight, he made his way over to Mr. Midura¡¯s classroom. The room was void of students but Mr. Midura was still there.


    ¡°So he hasn¡¯t left yet, eh? Well, I suppose I should ask for permission. It¡¯s not like he knows my true intentions or anything. I¡¯m sure if I say that I want to type up a report, he¡¯ll buy it and let me use one of the computers. Teachers are always wanting to encourage academic stuff like that so it might not be a far-fetched request.¡±


    With that, Mikomi stepped halfway through the doorway and gently knocked on the door. Mr. Midura turned his attention and spied him.


    ¡°Can I help you?¡±


    ¡°Hi, Mr. Midura. My name is Mikomi Saigo and even though I¡¯m not part of your class, I was wondering if I could stay here after hours today and use one of your computers to type up a report. They want us to try and use modern technology for the report and I don¡¯t have access to any.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing but you¡¯ll have to do me a favor. Just make sure you power down all of the machines and lock the door before you leave. If you promise to do that, I¡¯ll let you use a computer.¡±


    ¡°I can do that, no problem!¡±


    ¡°All right. I¡¯m taking off, then. Good luck with your report.¡±


    ¡°Thanks!¡±


    ¡°That was almost too easy. Absolutely zero resistance and a fair tradeoff for using the computer, although I feel like I was just roped into doing his duties so he could leave early. I guess I really can¡¯t complain. This is for the sake of saving Onyx Technology Ventures and my father, after all.¡±


    With that, Mr. Midura left the classroom, closing the door behind him. Mikomi went right to work. He reached into his book bag and pulled out the notebook he had scribbled all of his notes in. Once he gathered his thoughts and how he wanted to word things, he began to type out the letter to his father.


    ¡°The first thing I need to do is make this look like a business letter. Perhaps, this way, it will look like someone from within his company sent it to him. Then, once I get that part down, it¡¯s time to explain the details. I need to be careful here and make sure I don¡¯t make any mistakes. Every detail needs to be precise.¡±


    Mikomi toiled away for almost an hour on the letter. Once he was done, he read it over to make sure he hadn¡¯t missed anything. He played the situation over and over again in his head until he was confident that he had left no detail out.  Once satisfied, Mikomi printed the letter. The old, yet familiar noise of a dot matrix printer was heard over in the corner of the room. Mikomi walked over to the printer and shook his head.


    ¡°I never thought I would see one of these again. Sheesh.¡±


    Once the printer finished, Mikomi tore the perforated sides off the paper and folded up the letter, which ended up being about four pages long. He placed the letter in his bag and then held up his end of the bargain by powering down all of the computers, one by one. Before he left, he made sure to lock the door. He closed it behind him and took two steps out of the room when he spotted a familiar face.


    ¡°Serah?¡±

 Talk

    The girl turned around and it was, indeed, Serah. She had been standing there in the hallway for almost no apparent reason this entire time, holding her favorite book close to her chest. Just one look at her was enough for him to realize that his presence had startled her. He decided that the best approach was to not turn this chance encounter into a big deal. Even though he was confused as to why she was standing outside of the classroom, he shot her a warm welcoming smile before asking her the most obvious question he could think of.


    ¡°Well, hey there! What are you doing here this late?¡± he said, making his tone as cheerful as possible to help ease her nerves.


    Serah stood there unable to move. It almost appeared as if she were caught in an act that she knew she shouldn¡¯t be doing. She quivered a bit and then turned away from Mikomi. She slowly placed one foot in front of the other and began to walk away with the intent of leaving his question unanswered. Mikomi looked a little perplexed and reached out with his hand as if to grab her by the shoulder but she was too far away even to come close to making contact.


    ¡°Hey¡­¡± Mikomi said in a softer, gentler tone.


    Despite calling out to her, Serah continued to walk away from him. Her pace didn¡¯t exactly quicken so it wasn¡¯t as if she were trying to run away but it was clear that she had no intention of sticking around either. Their first interaction when he ran into her was very similar. Back then, he was in a rush, and because of such, he had some regrets about not reaching out to her then. Mikomi decided that he didn¡¯t want to repeat that same mistake and began to follow her, walking a bit quicker so that he could catch up. Perhaps it wasn¡¯t the smartest of moves but when he caught up, he reached out and grabbed Serah by the wrist to stop her from getting away.


    ¡°Hey¡­ You don¡¯t have to be afraid to talk to me, you know. I don¡¯t bite!¡± Mikomi said with a playful tone.


    Serah turned and looked at him. She didn¡¯t know what to say or how to even respond to something like that. She continued to look very nervous and even started to shake a little bit. Mikomi sensed that he was making her really uncomfortable and immediately let go of her wrist.


    ¡°Sorry!! I didn¡¯t mean to startle you. I just didn¡¯t think anyone else would be here this late. Why don¡¯t you want to talk to me, though?¡±


    As she looked at him, she began to calm down a little bit. It was obvious that Mikomi was trying to be as friendly as possible. It was the same kind of respect that he had shown her the other day when he properly apologized for knocking her down. Serah took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a second before finally delivering an answer in a soft and gentle voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m not good at talking to people.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe that,¡± said Mikomi with encouragement in his voice. ¡°You talked to me just fine right now.¡±


    Serah cracked a smile when she heard that. She knew that he was just doing his best to encourage her. For someone like Serah, encouragement didn¡¯t come easy but to see him put forth this much effort made her feel as if she could possibly trust him. Even still, it wasn¡¯t as if her trust meter went through the roof immediately. Despite Mikomi¡¯s answer, she still couldn¡¯t muster up the courage to say anything further.


    ¡°Why do you keep wanting to leave? You ran away from me yesterday and you seemed kind of nervous this morning. Am I that scary?¡±


    Serah shook her head no a bit frantically. Her earrings jingled and her hair waved from side to side, ending up a bit messy. Mikomi had to hold in his giggling but at the same time, he thought her reaction was super cute.


    ¡°If I¡¯m not that scary, then why not stay and talk to me? If you¡¯re not good at talking to people, why not use me as practice, then? I¡¯ll be your training dummy that you can verbally punch away at if you want to.¡±


    Mikomi put his book bag down and sat on the floor where he leaned up against the wall. He patted the floor next to him, inviting Serah to join him.


    ¡°Here.. have a seat. Let¡¯s talk for a bit.¡±


    Serah knew this was her golden chance to run away but something inside her prevented her from doing so. She slowly walked over and sat down next to Mikomi, placing her book by her side. She brought her knees up to her chest and buried her face in them as she was still quite nervous.


    ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m a bit surprised that you sat down. I expected you to run away. I don¡¯t mean that in a rude way, though. I¡¯m happy that you decided to stay and talk! So¡­ why can¡¯t you talk to people? Do you just not like it or something?¡±


    Serah hesitated to answer that question. She trembled a bit but after a few moments, she mustered up the courage to give him a proper reply. Her tone was soft and gentle just as before.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been good at it. People don¡¯t like talking to me, either so it¡¯s usually best if I just stay quiet.¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯re doing just fine with me,¡± said Mikomi before changing the subject. ¡°So.. why were you just standing there in the hallway?¡±


    Serah tensed up as she didn¡¯t know how to really answer that question. There was no other explanation she could give other than the truth. She turned her head away from Mikomi and let out a faint reply.


    ¡°I... was looking... at you,¡± she muttered, her face turning a bit red with embarrassment.


    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    Mikomi was taken aback by that statement. He began to wonder if Ryan was right all along about her being creepy. Several thoughts ran through his mind but he knew it would be rude of him to sit there in silence. He was sure that she had her reasons, though. There was also the possibility that he was just misunderstanding what she meant by her watching him. He began to wonder if it had anything to do with him apologizing to her. Despite how the conversation was going so far, he still felt the need to ask the obvious.


    ¡°Why were you looking at me?¡±


    Serah let out a low grumble as if she were being pressured way out of her comfort zone. She continued to look away from Mikomi and answered him again with a faint reply.


    ¡°To thank you.¡±


    ¡°To thank me? Why?¡±


    Serah sat there in silence for a little while longer. Mikomi sensed that she was highly uncomfortable so he decided to say something in an attempt to encourage her and lighten the mood just a bit.


    ¡°Take your time to gather your thoughts. I¡¯m probably making you nervous by asking all of these questions. Sorry if I¡¯m doing that. You don¡¯t have to answer if you don¡¯t want to.¡±


    Despite giving her the option not to answer, Serah took a deep breath and began to mutter her reply. Her words were even quieter than they had been previously.


    ¡°I was passing by and saw you in there. I thought maybe I should thank you for talking to me yesterday. It made me happy but I was too nervous to say anything. By the time I decided to leave, you came out of the room and I just froze. So.. um¡­ thank you¡­¡±


    Serah turned her head and shot him one of the cutest smiles he had ever seen in his life. If his heart could instantly melt into a puddle of goo, it would have right then and there. Figuring that she said what she had come here to say, she got up and began to walk away. Mikomi was so taken aback by that beautiful smile that he became the one who couldn¡¯t say anything. He sat there for a minute and pondered what just really happened. One thing was for sure, though¡­ Serah was walking away and he hadn¡¯t even returned her gratitude. He shot up to his feet and called out to her.


    ¡°Hey, Serah!¡±


    She stopped and turned around, glancing back over her shoulder.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. Feel free to talk to me any time you want!¡±


    She gave him a slight smile and continued on her way. Mikomi smiled and then snapped out of it as he realized he still needed to get home. He checked his watch and noticed that the time drew close to 4 PM and he still had about a fifteen-minute walk ahead of him. Mikomi got up and grabbed his book bag and noticed a certain book on the floor that he recognized. It was the book that Serah was reading earlier this morning. There was no title on the cover or spine, but it wasn¡¯t his business to open it, just in case it ended up being something personal rather than a traditional book.


    ¡°Hey Serah, you forgot your bo-¡±


    Mikomi looked down the hallway but she was already gone. Knowing that there wasn¡¯t much he could do about it now, Mikomi placed the book into his bag, figuring that he would simply return it to her tomorrow.


    Mikomi headed home for the evening. By the time he got home, the aroma of dinner was just starting to fill the house. His mother was in the kitchen preparing it and his father was still at work. After announcing that he was home, he went straight to his room where he pulled the letter out of his bag and placed it into the top drawer of his bedside table. He had hoped to mix the letter into today¡¯s mail but the time it took to craft the letter plus his interaction with Serah caused him to miss his goal. Then again, with his father stuck at work, it didn¡¯t matter as he wouldn¡¯t be coming home to read it anyway.


    ¡°If dad isn¡¯t coming home, I¡¯ll just have to mail it to the office. Thankfully, I know the address and exactly what room he¡¯s in. I¡¯ll just address the envelope in such a way that it will specifically get to him and him alone. That should take care of that and then everything will be put back in order.¡±


    The aroma of dinner was getting stronger and stronger. Mikomi usually had a keen sense of when dinner was just about ready. As soon as he felt that dinner was nearing completion, Mikomi exited his room and went to make his way to the kitchen. As he entered, his mother was sitting at the kitchen table looking a bit distraught. In fact, the reason why dinner smelled so strongly was because everything was ready and had been set out on the table. Typically, Karoline would call out to him as soon as the food was ready to eat but the fact that she hadn¡¯t made him worry just a bit.


    ¡°Is everything okay, mom?¡±


    ¡°Oh! I¡¯m sorry¡­ dinner¡¯s ready but I didn¡¯t call you to come to eat.¡±


    ¡°Is it dad again?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ he called while you were at school. He said that he may not be home for the rest of the week. With the way things have been going at the office, he fears that this mess will take a bit longer to sort out. That means it¡¯s just going to be you and me again for a while.¡±


    ¡°Dad¡¯s really trying, isn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he sure is but it makes me wonder when enough is enough?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Mikomi¡­ I thank you for showing concern but it¡¯s not something you should be worrying about. I know you¡¯re at the age where you probably don¡¯t want to be treated like a kid but this is a grown-up problem. Even though you¡¯re in high school now, I doubt it¡¯s something you would understand. Come on, let¡¯s just eat. Besides, one of the best ways to feel better is to eat a good meal, right?¡±


    ¡°If only I could tell you that I¡¯m not the kid you think I am it would make all of this easier. However, who would believe that their fourteen-year-old son is a time traveler¡­ let alone dead in another timeline? Saying something like that would punch my one-way ticket into a padded room. Heck, I¡¯m still in disbelief myself. Even with a phantom of a man appearing and disappearing out of thin air constantly, I, myself, cannot wrap my head fully around this. Still, whether it¡¯s hard to believe or not, the fact is that this is my new reality and I have to do what I can.¡±


    Mikomi nodded in agreement and sat down at the table. Right when he was about to grab his fork, he became startled by a sudden knock on the front door.


    ¡°Who could that be?¡± asked Karoline.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get it,¡± said Mikomi as he stood up and excused himself.


    Mikomi walked over to the door, grasped the handle, and opened it. Mikomi¡¯s eyes widened a bit with shock as he didn¡¯t expect to see this person standing on the other side of it.


    ¡°Serah!?¡± said Mikomi in bewilderment


    Indeed, Serah stood there in his doorway, quivering with tears streaming down her face. Her voice wasn¡¯t gentle this time around. This time, it was filled with fear and pain.


    ¡°Mikomi¡­ I need help!¡±

 Tears

    Mikomi stood there with a perplexed look on his face. Just a short time ago, Serah was shy, yet, cute, and now she was standing on the front porch at Mikomi¡¯s front door in tears. Even Mikomi¡¯s mother emerged from the kitchen to see just what the commotion was all about. Mikomi wasted no time in asking the obvious question.


    ¡°Serah¡­ What happened? Are you okay?¡±


    Serah shook her head no. Much like before, her earrings jingled and her hair went everywhere. He thought it was quite adorable when she did it before but he knew that this wasn¡¯t the time to even think about those kinds of feelings  Instead, Mikomi stepped aside and invited her into his home, feeling that it would be rude to let her stay on his porch in that condition. She sheepishly stepped in and eyeballed the entirety of the living room, almost as if she were making a mental map of where everything was.


    Mikomi motioned for her to have a seat on his sofa. Nobody understood why but his father loved leather furniture and the sofa was no exception. The sofa, the recliner, and even the loveseat were all made of leather that was burgundy in color. Burgundy was his father¡¯s favorite color because he felt that it had a certain elegance and nobility about it. Mikomi detested it, especially during the summer, when it was so hot his skin would stick to it. After all, it is the true plight of any leather furniture owner.


    Serah gently took a seat and looked a bit startled when she sank into the sofa but she quickly adjusted. Mikomi took a seat next to her as Karoline stepped into the living room as her curiosity piqued.


    ¡°Is she a friend of yours, Mikomi?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. This is Serah. She¡¯s from my school.¡±


    Karoline simply smiled. Aside from Ryan, Mikomi didn¡¯t really have any friends. The fact that someone else came to pay him a visit warmed her heart; however, her distress reminded her that pleasantries would probably have to wait. For now, her motherly instinct kicked in as she made Serah an offer.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong, Serah but I¡¯ll get you something to drink if you¡¯d like.¡±


    ¡°Water, please,¡± Serah squeaked out in her typical soft and sheepish tone.


    ¡°Sure thing!¡±


    Karoline disappeared back into the kitchen. As she waited for her water, she began to fidget, looking a bit lost. Mikomi, instead, folded his fingers in his lap and twiddled his thumbs. He didn¡¯t have much experience in this kind of situation and was a bit lost as to what to do here.


    ¡°This is embarrassing. I¡¯m 24 and yet I¡¯m being defeated by a 14-year-old girl! I already asked what was wrong, but she didn¡¯t say anything. I should probably ask again but I¡¯ll probably get the silent treatment. Then again, she did talk to me at school earlier today. That means something must have happened between then and now that scared her. That also brings me to another question¡­ how the hell did she know where I lived!? I¡¯m starting to think Ryan wasn¡¯t crazy after all. This girl is quite creepy! Wait¡­ did I just contradict myself? I guess I have no choice but to press the issue again. I mean she was the one who showed up on my doorstep crying her eyes out, right?¡±


    As Mikomi finished his thoughts, Karoline came back into the room and placed a glass of water on a coaster in front of Serah.


    ¡°I hope this makes you feel better. If not, I¡¯m sure my Mikomi will. He¡¯s a good listener, after all.¡±


    ¡®THAT¡¯S NOT HELPING, MOM!¡±


    Karoline shot Serah a smile before exiting back into the kitchen, figuring that the two would be best left alone to talk. Mikomi silently sighed to himself as he knew that he was going to have to jump into this head-first.


    ¡°What happened, Serah?¡±


    Serah picked up the glass of water and began to quiver. Without warning, she put the glass to her lips and chugged the entire thing down! Mikomi jumped back slightly at the sight of her putting the entire glass away with such speed. She placed it back down and replied to Mikomi¡¯s question.


    ¡°I lost my book.¡±


    It was like a jarring shock shot itself directly through Mikomi¡¯s spine!


    ¡°Wait¡­ this is all because she lost her book!? I thought that she was mugged or worse on the way home! Who shows up at someone¡¯s house randomly bawling their eyes out over a book!?  Wait¡­ she knew she was sitting with me at school. She must have figured that she left the book with me. That would explain why she showed up at my house. That still doesn¡¯t explain how she knew where I lived, though. I guess I should comfort her and return her book and worry about the rest of the details later.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah. You left it next to me at school earlier today. I called out to you to return it but you had already disappeared so I brought it home with me. I was hoping to see you at school tomorrow so I could return it. Hold on a second. I¡¯ll go get it for you.¡±


    Mikomi got up off the couch and disappeared into his room. He grabbed the book and came back out and handed it to Serah but she continued to sit there, making no attempt to even look at it. Suddenly, only her eyes moved as she glanced up at Mikomi.


    ¡°You¡­. you didn¡¯t read it, did you?¡±


    ¡°No. I just put it in my bag and it¡¯s been there ever since I got home. Haven¡¯t touched it since.¡±


    Serah then quickly reached up and snatched the book rather aggressively and held it close to her body and a warm smile formed on her face. She then looked up at Mikomi with that soft smile and muttered the words as gently as she could.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    ¡°Thank you!¡±


    Karoline returned from the kitchen and leaned against the doorway with her arms folded.


    ¡°Seems like everything is okay in here. Serah¡­ dinner is ready and I always make extra in case Mikomi¡¯s father comes home from work. Since it looks like he¡¯s going to be spending another night at the office, would you like to stay and eat with us?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way she¡¯s going to say yes. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she made a beeline for the door and took off running down the street, clutching that book to her chest as if it were her only lifeline. Reflecting on that¡­ that¡¯s kind of mean. When did I become such a jerk? I¡¯m only thinking about the obvious, though.¡±


    ¡°Sure¡­ I¡¯d love to,¡± Serah squeaked out.


    ¡°!!!¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s ready whenever you are. Come have a seat at the table!¡±


    Karoline disappeared back into the kitchen. The book that Serah had been clutching was placed back down on the coffee table in front of the sofa. Mikomi was a bit surprised that she relinquished it so easily after all of that fuss she made. She got up and went into the kitchen first. Mikomi soon followed and went to sit down but Serah ended up taking the seat that was usually his. It wasn¡¯t a big deal as he just grabbed another seat; however, since he never sat anywhere else, the kitchen table looked a tad different from a new perspective. As for their dinner, tonight was Salisbury steak night with roasted carrots, peas, and mashed potatoes.


    ¡°Thank you for the meal,¡± said Serah before digging into her food.


    Being the curious mother, Karoline couldn¡¯t help herself and asked Serah some questions.


    ¡°So, I overheard that you lost your book. Is it really that precious to you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ It¡¯s my favorite book. I¡¯ve read it at least a hundred times already. When I realized I had lost it, I felt like I had lost a part of myself. That¡¯s how precious that book is to me.¡±


    ¡°A hundred times? Are there no other books in the world that interest you? Also.. how are you talking to my mom normally but you can barely even mutter out fragmented sentences when you¡¯re around me? Wait¡­ don¡¯t tell me Ryan was right again!? Does she¡­. Like me?  Is she just being nervous around me because she has a crush on me or something? I wonder if I should explore this?¡±


    ¡°I know this is my world to reshape and everything but the whole point of this second chance is to find out who killed me and to change my future. Also, something doesn¡¯t seem right about this entire situation. If this timeline is supposed to have a lot of similarities, then how come I never remembered the basic details about her like her name? The only thing I remember was that she was an outcast but I should have at least known who she was.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s someone so familiar yet so unfamiliar. I know that doesn¡¯t make much sense but it¡¯s like having amnesia and being fully aware of it¡­ or better yet, it¡¯s like the answer to a question that you know but it¡¯s stuck in the back of your head and no matter how hard you try, you just can¡¯t recall it. Could this be some sort of balancing thing that Sebastian was talking about? Gah! This is driving me nuts and what¡¯s worse, the longer I think about it, the colder my dinner is going to get!¡±


    ¡°So.. what do you think of my son?¡±


    Mikomi nearly choked on a piece of Salisbury steak when Karoline said that. He nearly coughed up a lung before he drank some water to help it go down. Once he prevented himself from choking to death on delicious meat, he shot his mother a death glare to which she simply laughed. Serah stared at Mikomi, watching him suffer through such an embarrassing question without so much as a look of concern for him. Mikomi returned to normal although his face became a bit flushed.


    ¡°He¡¯s nice. I like talking to him.¡±


    ¡°Again with a quick answer¡­ and she¡¯s not talking sheepishly, either. What is with this girl!? Wait¡­ she thinks I¡¯m nice!? Oh my God¡­ Ryan was right!  No¡­ I can¡¯t do this¡­ I¡¯m 24!  Well... I¡¯m 14, but I¡¯m still 24! This is illegal on a multi-world level!¡±


    ¡°You know my son is single, right?¡±


    ¡°MOM!¡± shouted Mikomi as he slammed his palms on the table and shot up out of his chair, the dishes and silverware reverberating in the aftershock.


    ¡°Haha, Mikomi. Look at you. You¡¯re turning redder than the meat was before I started cooking it. Okay, okay, I¡¯ll lay off the embarrassing questions.¡±


    Serah turned away and pressed her two index fingers together a few times. Her voice returned to a soft and subtle tone as she answered the question!


    ¡°Y-Yeah¡­¡±


    Mikomi¡¯s mouth went agape and he became frozen after that. The subtle hints of a soul leaking out of his mouth could be seen as it floated up to the heavens, bags packed never to return. All he could do is sit back down and turn his head, staring off into space as if his life were about to come to an end any second now.


    ¡°I swear I¡¯m going to die of a heart attack before I even get to find out who killed me. Sebastian is probably somewhere observing this and laughing his ass off. If you can read my thoughts, you better give me a third chance if really do die!¡±


    After the round of emotionally damaging questions, the atmosphere returned to normal. The three of them continued to eat until dinner was finished. Karoline and Serah hit it off rather well as the two of them just continued to talk about normal everyday life. Mikomi even learned a few things about Serah, such as what her favorite color is, the food she likes, and even the type of clothes she preferred wearing. Mikomi had a feeling that all these questions were just an indirect way of feeding him knowledge about her.


    Serah even offered to help clear the table and do the dishes. Mikomi was very perplexed at how she seemed like such a normal girl around his mother versus whenever she was around him. Maybe he was taking an interest in her, but for an entirely different reason. Still, Mikomi couldn¡¯t shake this odd feeling he had about her. Something just wasn¡¯t quite right about all of this. After the dishes were cleaned, it was nearly 7:30 PM. Serah was getting ready to leave and made sure to pick up her book this time. As she was nearing the door, Karoline made a suggestion.


    ¡°You know, it¡¯s getting pretty dark out. Do you live near here, Serah?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ just a few streets away.¡±


    ¡°Mikomi¡­ why don¡¯t you walk Serah home to make sure she gets there safely?¡± she said with a bit of a sly wink.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ she¡¯s definitely trying to play matchmaker here. Oh well, I guess I have no choice.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, no problem.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯m looking at this the wrong way. If I walk Serah home, I¡¯ll have a golden opportunity to learn some more about her! Perhaps I can piece some of the puzzle back together and find those missing details! The only thing left to do is to find the best way to extract that information out of her.¡±

 Letter

    Mikomi grabbed a light jacket. While it was still September, the nights were starting to turn a bit cool. The two of them exited and house and stepped out onto the sidewalk. Serah began to walk away as if she had no intention of waiting for him. Realizing that he was being left behind, Mikomi quickened his steps so he could get caught up to her. Serah remained pretty silent as the two of them walked down the road.


    When Serah said that she had lived closed by, she wasn¡¯t kidding. Normally, Mikomi would walk the entire distance of this road and then turn left to go to Ryan¡¯s. Here, they had only made it to the second street on the right from his house before Serah changed directions. In fact, when Mikomi looked back, he could still make out his front yard from the end of Serah¡¯s street.


    ¡°Could this be why she knew where I lived? I didn¡¯t realize that she lived so close by. Although, I never leave for school through the front door since cutting through my backyard is quicker. That rules out her watching me leave in the mornings. I come home the same way, too, so she wouldn¡¯t have spotted me that way, either. I do sometimes leave through the front door if I¡¯m going to the mall with Ryan, though. Maybe she saw me then? It¡¯s possible but¡­ something still seems off about it all.¡±


    As Mikomi mulled it over in his head, they had arrived. When he sensed that she had stopped moving, he looked up and took notice of her house. The lights were off and there weren¡¯t any cars in the driveway. Mikomi gave the house a good once over and noticed that there was a lot of work that needed to be done to it. The gutters needed to be cleaned, and some weeds on the side of the house needed to be picked. The front lawn looked freshly mowed, though, so it wasn¡¯t as if the house was completely unkempt but it could also use a new paint job. The front door was also a bit rusty around its hinges. It wasn¡¯t the worst house Mikomi had seen but it was enough to make him wonder.


    ¡°Say.. .are your parent¡¯s out or something?¡± asked Mikomi.


    ¡°...Y...Yeah. They¡¯re always out. I¡¯m used to it,¡± she replied in her typical gentle tone.


    ¡°And she¡¯s back to being timid and shy.¡±


    ¡°So Serah... I have a question I¡¯ve been meaning to ask you. How did you know where I lived?¡±


    Serah began to walk up the path without giving Mikomi an answer. She pulled a key out of her back pocket and unlocked her front door. She opened it and turned to face Mikomi and replied in her typical soft voice.¡±


    ¡°I followed you home.¡±


    Serah quickly went into her house and slammed the door shut. Mikomi stood there a bit wide-eyed.


    ¡°Seriously creepy!¡±


    Mikomi rubbed the back of his head as he tried to make sense of everything. What¡¯s done was done and it wasn¡¯t as if he was going to get a more detailed answer out of her. Letting out a sigh, he shook his head and began the return journey back home. When he got there, he went straight to his room and opened the drawer on his bedside table. He pulled out the letter he wrote to his father and held it in his hands. He stared at it as he pondered how he was going to get the letter to his father.


    ¡°I can¡¯t just put it in our mailbox. With mom staying home all day, she¡¯ll notice that I¡¯m putting something in there. The letter is pretty suspicious-looking as it is. If she were to see this, she¡¯ll open it and read it. How would I explain that if she did? I could bring it to the post office and mail it but that¡¯s quite the hike. The post office is in the city and we¡¯re on the outskirts of the suburbs. There¡¯s no way in hell I¡¯d be able to walk there and back and not explain where I¡¯ve been for so long. If only dad could come home for just one day then everything would be perfect but that¡¯s not going to happen anytime soon. The school¡¯s mailbox is kept under lock and key to prevent students from tampering with it and¡­ WAIT! There are still public mailboxes in which you can drop letters off at!¡±


    ¡°Wow¡­ the answer was so obvious that I¡¯m surprised I didn¡¯t think of it sooner. I¡¯ve always been the kind of person who overthinks things, so I guess it¡¯s not uncommon that I overlooked it.  In a time where email has become so easily accessible and convenient, it¡¯s pretty easy to forget that such things exist!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a mailbox at the convenience store on the way to school. I could just drop it off there tomorrow! Tomorrow is Friday so this would be my last chance to try and sneak it into the mail until Monday and by then, it may already be too late. The only hitch to this is that Ryan is going to jump me in the morning unless I leave a few minutes early. He¡¯ll think I¡¯ve ditched him but I can worry about coming up with an excuse for that later. The only other option would be to do it on Saturday by feigning a trip to the mall but I¡¯d rather get this out as soon as possible. The sooner I get this information to my father, the sooner the company will be saved.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s settled. I¡¯ll just have to get up early tomorrow morning. I¡¯m sorry, Ryan, but it looks like I¡¯m not going to walk with you to school tomorrow.¡±


    Mikomi noticed that it was about 8:15 PM. Typically, he goes to bed around 9:30 but if he was going to leave for school early, he was going to have to turn in now. Mikomi got under his covers and even though it was a bit of a struggle, he managed to fall asleep; however, morning didn¡¯t come fast as Mikomi was suddenly awakened by the sound of a door shutting.


    The first thing he noticed was that there was light pouring in underneath his door. He glanced over at the clock which read 12:03 AM. He heard someone¡¯s voice and although it was a bit muffled, he recognized it as his father¡¯s.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, honey. I¡¯m only here to take a quick shower and get a change of clothes. I need to head back to the office.¡±


    ¡°You look terrible!  Are you getting any sleep at all?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been sleeping at my desk. The amount of research we¡¯ve been doing has been very tiresome. We can¡¯t figure out the problem and every hour that goes by is more and more money we¡¯re spending on this. I don¡¯t think we¡¯re going to get anywhere so I¡¯m trying to make moves to keep the company going without damaging it too much. This entire thing is just one big headache!¡±


    ¡°How much longer until it all gets sorted out?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Could be a week, could be a month. I¡¯m starting to question why I even started this project in the first place. It was a pretty ambitious project that we¡¯ve already poured a lot of money into. Now that I¡¯ve hired Alice, that¡¯s more money I¡¯m spending on payroll and it¡¯s causing our budget to slowly slip toward the red. I don¡¯t know how much longer I can keep this up, to be honest.¡±


    ¡°Dad hired Alice!? While the news about the budget is certainly unsettling, it¡¯s great to hear that he went through with bringing Alice into the company! At least one piece of the puzzle got put back into place!  As for the other, it seems I¡¯m now racing against dad¡¯s budget. I REALLY need to get that letter into the mail. Just hang in there dad, I¡¯ll get you out of this!¡±


    Mikomi¡¯s eyes snapped wide open.


    ¡®WAIT! I don¡¯t have to wait until tomorrow. I just came up with the perfect solution to where I can get the letter to dad now!¡±


    Mikomi opened the drawer on the table next to his bed and pulled out the letter. He opened the door and strolled out into the living room, still a bit groggy. Ryunosuke turned to Mikomi with a worried look on his face.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry son, did our discussion wake you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah but it¡¯s fine. I¡¯m glad you woke me up because there was a letter that came for you today.¡±


    Mikomi handed the envelope to his father.


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember seeing that envelope with today¡¯s mail,¡± said Karoline.


    ¡°There¡¯s the line I¡¯ve been waiting for. Time for the perfect explanation.¡±


    ¡°When I came back from walking Serah home, I noticed that our mailbox was slightly ajar. It wasn¡¯t that way when we left. I opened it up and I saw that letter stuck inside. It looked pretty weird since it only had dad¡¯s name on it. I was going to give it to him the next time he came home, but I didn¡¯t know when that would be so I held onto it for now. I even wondered if I should have mailed it to his office.¡±


    ¡°I have to remember to pat myself on the back. That was a foolproof excuse! Now all dad has to do is open that letter and read it and everything will be okay!¡±


    Ryunosuke did just that. He tapped the envelope so that the letter would fall to one side and then he tore the opposite side open. He extracted the letter and began to read it to himself. His eyes moved back and forth across the paper and with each word, his eyes widened more and more. He quickly scrambled to the second page where the solution to the coding issue began. He covered his mouth in awe as he continued to read through the message. He moved to each page with excitement until he reached the end of the letter.


    ¡°My word¡­¡± he muttered


    ¡°What is it, dear?¡±


    ¡°Mikomi... Did you notice anybody close by when you took this letter out? Was anybody watching you?¡±


    Mikomi shook his head no.


    ¡°This is the answer to the problem. It all makes sense. The entire code was wrong from the start. I can see the path clearly now.¡±


    His father was taken aback a bit by the information he was reading. He quickly went back to the second page of the letter and began to re-read everything just to make sure that he hadn¡¯t mistaken the information. His face became elated with joy as he confirmed that the information made complete and total sense! Ryunosuke was so happy, he was on the verge of tears! Even though he was happy, thoughts of who could have sent him this letter still drifted through his mind. He let out a sigh knowing that he may never come face to the face with the person who wrote the letter.


    ¡°It¡¯s a shame you didn¡¯t see anyone, Mikomi. Whoever wrote this letter just saved our company. With this¡­ we can complete our project and, perhaps, even do it ahead of schedule! I just wish I knew who did this and or how they even knew. It had to have been someone within the company¡­ somebody who knows where I live but why didn¡¯t they come forward sooner? Did they not know until just now? I have so many questions, but¡­ this is like hitting the lottery! I...I have to get back to the office. I need to start this right away!¡±


    ¡°What about your shower and change of clothes?¡± asked Karoline.


    ¡°Right¡­ Perhaps I should do that first.¡±


    Ryunosuke walked over to Mikomi and gave him a big fatherly hug.


    ¡°Thank you, son. Thank you for holding on to this and giving it to me. We¡¯re going to be all right now!¡±


    With that, his father shot Mikomi a gleaming smile and headed for the bathroom. The door closed and as soon as the water turned on, Mikomi wished his mother goodnight and went to walk away. All of a sudden, he was stopped dead in his tracks.


    ¡°Hold on, Mikomi.¡±


    Mikomi paused and turned around.


    ¡°Where did you really get that letter from?¡±


    ¡°CRAP! Was my explanation not flawless!? How in the world did she see through my lie!? How do I explain this!? I mean¡­ I could just fortify the lie until she accepts it as truth, but she obviously sensed something is amiss here. This is certainly not good!¡±

 Lie

    Tiny beads of sweat began to form on Mikomi¡¯s brow. He knew he had been caught in a lie and now he had to act quickly to find a way out of this. Mikomi had previously stated that he often overthought things but this time, he didn¡¯t think things through clearly enough. The golden opportunity of having his father home caused him to make an irrational judgment which, in turn, made him make an irrational move. Now, he had been caught in the proverbial web¡­ one that he spun himself.


    ¡°I guess I can try and stick with my original story and see where it goes¡­¡±


    ¡°It was in the mailbox when I came¡­¡±


    ¡°No it wasn''t,¡± said Karoline, cutting Mikomi off. ¡°A mother always worries about her children when they¡¯re out on the streets at night. I was sitting in the living room, looking out the window waiting for you to come home. You never opened the mailbox. You just came straight up the walkway and through the front door. Once I saw you home safe, I went to the restroom to freshen up for the evening. By the time I got into the restroom, I had heard you open and close the front door so even if you got it out of the mailbox, you didn¡¯t have enough time to go back and grab it.¡±


    ¡°DAMN! I just got busted hard. Now that I¡¯m caught in a lie, I need to come up with another to try and erase this. I¡¯m usually a quick thinker but not this quick. I need to stall for some time to develop a convincing story. The longer I talk to myself, the more my mom will suspect that I¡¯m coming up with another lie. I need to play this just right and to do that, I need to make a very bold statement.¡±


    ¡°I wrote it myself.¡±


    Mikomi¡¯s mother folded her arms and shot him a ¡°really?¡± look.


    ¡°Mikomi. It¡¯s not nice to cover a lie with another. What are you hiding from me?¡±


    ¡°Just as I suspected. While I know the truth, there is nobody in their right mind who would believe that a 14-year-old boy would write such a comprehensive letter like that but at least it gave me time to think and because of that, I believe I¡¯ve thought of something even more perfect but it¡¯s going to cause some worry. If it does, so be it. It¡¯s time to turn Father¡¯s suspicions into the perfect cover story¡­ with a little help from an invisible friend¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I lied because if I told you the truth, you might get worried. A man approached me. He was wearing a white suit with a blue dress shirt. He approached me at school and asked if I was Ryunosuke Saigo¡¯s son. I said yes and he told me to give my father this letter but not to say who it came from. I didn¡¯t know who this guy was but it¡¯s obvious that he¡¯s not a bad guy. I mean, he did give Father the answer he was looking for.¡±


    ¡°Do you remember anything else about this man?¡±


    ¡°I remember he had blonde hair and blue eyes and spoke with an English accent and, for some reason, he had this gold walking cane with him but he didn¡¯t have a limp or anything. It¡¯s like he enjoyed carrying it around but that¡¯s all. He gave me the letter and then just walked away. I haven¡¯t seen him since.¡±


    Mikomi waited to see if his mother bought the new lie. She looked a bit worried but she let out a heavy sigh.


    ¡°I won¡¯t tell your father because if he found out that a stranger came up to you, especially at school, he wouldn¡¯t rest until he hunted him down. I don¡¯t know who it is you¡¯re describing because that doesn¡¯t sound like anyone at your father¡¯s company.¡±


    Karoline continued to think about who it could have been, but she couldn¡¯t come up with anybody in particular. She shook her head to snap herself out of thought.


    Okay¡­ that¡¯s enough. Get your butt to bed. You have school tomorrow and just to be safe, I¡¯m bringing you.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°She bought it! Phew! Sorry, Sebastian but you were my ticket out of this mess. Now I just have to worry about my mom thinking some stalker is after me. I guess it¡¯s a small price to pay to get out of this situation.¡±


    Mikomi went back into his room and climbed into bed. He pulled the covers over his head and heard the water stop running from the bathroom. After a few moments, the lingering scent of his father¡¯s cologne filled the house. He hadn¡¯t fallen asleep yet as he could hear his parents talking in the living room.


    ¡°Is Mikomi back in bed?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯m going to head back to the office and get to work on this straight away! This has me pumped up!! I just really wish I knew who wrote this letter.¡±


    Mikomi heard his father¡¯s footsteps head towards the door and then they stopped.


    ¡°Wait¡­ did Mikomi say he walked a girl home?¡±


    Mikomi¡¯s eyes snapped wide open. You could practically see the beads of sweat form and roll down his forehead.


    ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s a very nice girl. Kind of looks like she could be Mikomi¡¯s sister.¡±


    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    ¡°Ah-ha! That¡¯s my boy!¡±


    With that, his father left to head back to work. Mikomi groaned and pulled the blanket straight over his head. The morning came much faster after that. Mikomi was awoken by his alarm clock, which was a rarity. He typically beat the alarm every morning but last night¡¯s fiasco caused his internal clock to get messed up. Mikomi dragged himself out of bed and went into the bathroom. As soon as he closed the door, Sebastian appeared on the edge of the tub.


    ¡°Morning, my dear Mikomi.¡±


    Mikomi didn¡¯t yell but he did jump back from the shock of him just materializing like that.


    ¡°Jeez¡­ don¡¯t do that¡­ and why are we always meeting in the bathroom¡­ are you a perv or something?¡±


    ¡°Convenience, I suppose but I came here to say bravo, good show, and all that. Using me as a scapegoat to cover up the fact that you almost got caught was simply marvelous¡­ just¡­ make sure not to do it again. Remember, Mikomi. I am a mere observer. If I have to materialize in front of others for the sake of bailing you out, that means I will have direct involvement with you and that is heavily against the rules. I cannot assist in the reshaping of your future. I can guide you, and I can provide you with information but I cannot assist you. Just keep that in mind the next time you decide to drag me into this.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ sorry. I tried to think but that was the best thing I could come up with.¡±


    ¡°All good and proper, lad. Now, I¡¯ll be seeing myself off.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­¡±


    Sebastian raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°What about that other information you wanted to tell me? You said I wasn¡¯t ready for it before.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re still not ready. Trust me. When the time is right, I shall reveal it to you. Now then¡­ off I go now.¡±


    With a quick nod, Sebastian disappeared into thin air once again. Mikomi was wasting time and needed to shower quickly so his mother could bring him to school. Mikomi finished getting ready and double-checked everything before heading out. His mom already had the car running so he hopped in. A few moments later they arrived in front of the school. His mom kissed him on the cheek and then sent him on his way.


    Mikomi walked in through the school gates where he noticed Ryan standing outside, looking around. Mikomi groaned because he knew that if Ryan saw him, he would scream his name, run up and jump all over him. It¡¯s bad enough that he did it in front of his house every day but to do it in front of the entire school¡­ would be more embarrassing than misspeaking in front of an entire conference call of shareholders!


    Luckily, Mikomi knew that the school had a rear entrance and quickly circled to the back of the building. When Mikomi rounded the corner, he dodged one person he knew but not another. Standing there up against the school building, reading her book was Serah! She seemed a bit engrossed by her book so Mikomi took the chance to walk into the building, hoping she wouldn¡¯t see him but as he went to enter the door¡­


    ¡°Mikomi¡­¡±


    Her voice was as soft and gentle as usual. It was quiet enough to where Mikomi could probably ignore it and just keep going but the voice inside his head made him stop and turn around.


    ¡°Ah, good morning Serah. I¡¯m sorry, I was in a bit of a rush and didn¡¯t see you there.¡±


    ¡°I totally saw you there.¡±


    Serah simply reached into her back pocket and pulled out an envelope. She stretched her hand out towards Mikomi, offering the envelope to him. The longer she held it out there, the more her hand began to quiver. Mikomi took a couple of steps forward and took it from her. He went to open it, but Serah spoke out.


    ¡°No¡­ open it later¡­ please?¡±


    Serah pulled the book up to her face to hide her expression.


    ¡°Uh.. sure. Okay.¡¯


    Mikomi swung his bookbag around and placed the letter inside it. Serah then used her free hand to shoo Mikomi away. Mikomi backed away slowly and entered the school building. He became lost in thought on his way to homeroom.


    ¡°She has trouble talking to me but dares to shoo me away? What was with that letter anyway? I¡¯ll probably read it later. After all, I¡¯ve had my fill of letters for the day. The last thing I need to do is involve myself with another one. Still, it¡¯s hard to imagine her being so shy around me, yet, being perfectly normal around my mother. Needless to say, I¡¯ve had one hell of a week and all I want to do is crawl into bed and wait until Monday comes.¡±


    Mikomi made it to homeroom and then proceeded from class to class until the lunch bell rang. Mikomi grabbed his book bag and headed for the school¡¯s cafeteria. He picked out a dish that looked suspiciously like Chef Bon Voyage Ravioli and sat down at an empty seat at the back table. Mikomi loaded up his fork and took a bite. His eyes narrowed in suspicion.


    ¡°Totally Chef Bon Voyage¡­¡±


    At that moment, Mikomi realized that he still had Serah¡¯s letter in his book bag. He sat there and pondered if he should take it out and read it. Mikomi shrugged at the thought but eventually caved and opened his backpack, pulling the letter out. He tore it open and unfolded the paper that was inside. He then made his biggest mistake in popping another ravioli into his mouth. When he began to read the letter, he had a gag reflex and began to choke!


    Mikomi coughed and coughed until he was able to dislodge the ravioli from his mouth. The entire cafeteria turned and stared at him. Mikomi looked around and saw all of the other student¡¯s faces glaring in his direction.


    ¡°Uh... I¡¯m fine¡­ thanks¡­¡±


    Mikomi quickly crumpled the letter and shoved it into his pocket. He picked up his book bag and hoofed it out of the cafeteria. He could feel the eyes of the other students following him as he made his exit. He ran out the back door of the building, hoping not to see Serah standing there. A slight look of relief came over his face when she was nowhere to be found but the look of dread still hadn¡¯t vanished because he still had the letter in his pocket. With his hand trembling, Mikomi slowly pulled the letter back out of his pocket and straightened it out. The look on Mikomi¡¯s face returned to one of pure fright. He continued to stare at the letter as if he couldn¡¯t believe what he was looking at.


    ¡°A D-D-D-DATE!!??¡±

 Date

    Friday was quite an eventful day for Mikomi. That night; however, Mikomi experienced first-hand the effects of what such events can do to a person. As the sun arose on a cool Saturday morning, there laid Mikomi in his bed, the covers pulled up over his mouth, his eyes wide open. His eyes told the story perfectly as he knew that today was the day Serah had asked him out on a date. He laid there in a mummified state as he knew that he didn¡¯t want to go through with this but felt obligated to because he was the one who reached out to her, to begin with. It was his own morals that got him into this situation so it was only fair for him to see it through.


    As the note stated, Serah wanted him to come over to his house just before lunch. Mikomi, rightfully exhausted from the week he had just experienced, stayed in bed until almost 10:00 AM. Slowly, he turned his head and glanced at his alarm clock before slowly turning back to its original position. Each time the minute hand drew closer to completing another revolution around the hour, his heart began to beat just a little faster, and his muscles tensed up just a little tighter.


    As time ticked away and the inevitable drew ever closer, Mikomi let out a heavy sigh and pulled himself out from underneath his covers, sitting on the edge of his bed for he knew that he couldn¡¯t halt the progress of time despite rewinding 10 years.


    ¡°What have I gotten myself into? Is she really getting the wrong impression here? She seemed awfully happy when she was invited to eat dinner with us and those questions mom asked¡­ could they have led her on? It¡¯s true that I didn¡¯t have a girlfriend when I was in high school in my other life but doing something like this is one of those massive changes that could drastically change everything. Alternate timeline or not¡­ I don¡¯t really think I should change stuff that much. On the other hand, if I decline, what kind of changes would that make? There could be even more unseen variables than just going through with this. This is making my head hurt¡­¡±


    Mikomi stood up and walked to the bathroom. After several minutes, he emerged dressed in a variation of his favorite outfit. He sported a dark gray t-shirt with a black and dark blue flannel shirt on top, unbuttoned with back jeans and light gray shoes. Mikomi gave himself a once-over in the mirror to see if everything was in order and headed into the living room. He was about to grab ahold of the door handle when his mother stopped him.


    ¡°Good morning, sleepyhead. Where are you off to in such a hurry?¡±


    Mikomi had forgotten to tell his mother about the love letter as he didn¡¯t want to raise any suspicion; however, he knew that his mother saw through his lie before about the letter to his father so he opted to just tell the truth this time around and bear any embarrassment that would stem from it.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to Serah¡¯s house. She invited me over at school yesterday.¡±


    Mikomi¡¯s mother grinned from ear to ear. She didn¡¯t have to say a word as he instantly knew what she was thinking. He shot her a death glare as if to say ¡®Don¡¯t you dare¡¯  but that only made her smile even more.  Mikomi let out a sigh and opened the door.


    ¡°Have fun but don¡¯t have FUN. Got it?¡±


    Mikomi almost turned beat red and muttered something unintelligible under his breath as he closed the door behind him with a little more force than he normally would. Mikomi stuck his hands in his pockets as he looked up into the sky. Some gray clouds appeared to be gathering and it looked as if a light shower could break out at any time. Mikomi took a couple of steps forward and kicked a random rock out of annoyance. He turned onto the sidewalk and began to walk towards Serah¡¯s house, becoming lost in thought.


    ¡°Ugh¡­ she didn¡¯t have to insinuate that the two of us¡­ ¡°


    Mikomi shook his head.


    ¡°Even with those thoughts just now¡­ why am I doing this? I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯m the only person that has willingly talked to her at school but that doesn¡¯t mean she should read this deeply into it. I was just trying to be friendly. It doesn¡¯t mean I want to become attached to the ankle or anything like that. Maybe I¡¯ll just entertain her for a few hours and then tell her I¡¯d only rather be friends.¡±


    Mikomi let out a sigh as he continued to rationalize the situation.


    ¡°Will that even work, though? I mean¡­ she IS pretty lonely. What if rejection breaks her or something? If I hadn¡¯t forgotten my wallet, none of this would be happening at all. It¡¯s all because of that one little oversight that this happened. I guess Sebastian was right about little things affecting the people around you.¡±


    The look on Mikomi¡¯s face changed to one of suspicion as if he couldn¡¯t figure something out.


    ¡°Still¡­ something doesn¡¯t sit right with me. While ¡®Sarah¡± is a common name, hers is spelled uniquely. Something like that should have stuck out in my memories like a sore thumb. Even if she blended into the background, I would have at least known her name. She¡¯s not in any of my classes so the chance of knowing it is slim but with the way Ryan pointed her out, I¡¯m sure others think the same way. There are bound to be others who talk behind her back. That means rumors would have been spread and at some point, I would have heard that name but why can¡¯t I remember it?¡±


    Before Mikomi knew it, he had turned down the road where Serah¡¯s house was. He stopped in his tracks for a moment as he could see her house from his vantage point. It wasn¡¯t that far down the road as it was the fourth house on the left. The houses were pretty spaced apart, most of them having big yards but Serah¡¯s had multiple trees surrounding hers. It was almost like hers was in a world of its own.


    Mikomi took a deep breath and started walking down the street. He crossed over and began to walk up Serah¡¯s walkway. The gutters still weren¡¯t cleaned and there were still weeds along the side of the house. It was apparent it needed work in the dusk light yesterday but now that he had seen what it looked like in broad daylight, it was really evident that the lot needed some serious TLC.  Mikomi opened the rusty screen door and gritted his teeth a little as he knocked three times. He heard faint thuds on the other side of the door getting louder and louder until they stopped.


    Slowly, the handle turned and the door creaked open little by little. A pale little face peeked around the door as it was Serah checking to see who it was. When she saw it was Mikomi, she let out a small ¡°eek!¡± and slammed the door in his face!


    ¡°O-o-one s-s-sec-second!¡± she muttered nervously from behind the door.


    A lot of noise could be heard on the other side as he could only stand there wearing a befuddled look. Even though Serah had asked for just a second, a good five minutes went by before the door swung back open. Serah stood there wearing a black hoodie sweater and some baggy grey sweatpants with the drawstring hanging down in front of her.


    ¡°Surely she¡¯s not coming outside wearing THAT, is she?¡±


    Serah then stepped to the side of the doorway and looked away for a moment.


    ¡°C-c-come in.¡±


    ¡°I thought I was coming to pick her up? After all, her note said to meet her at her house. She didn¡¯t say anything about coming inside. Well, I did say I was going to entertain this so¡­¡±


    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    Mikomi stepped inside Serah¡¯s house and took a look around. The front windows were covered by a room-darkening curtain that made the front room rather dark. Immediately to the right of the door was, what looked to be, a cushy fabric chair. There was another one in the corner to the right and a television propped to the wall to the right of that. On the wall opposite the door were two openings. The left opening went to the kitchen, the right opening went to, what looked to be, a small hallway. In the middle of the openings was a plaid fabric sofa.


    ¡°P-please¡­ sit¡±


    Serah motioned to the couch so Mikomi internally shrugged and walked over, taking a seat on the right cushion. Serah closed the door and walked over, taking a seat next to Mikomi. Mikomi glanced over at Serah who just sat there with her hands folded on her lap, staring at an angle down towards the floor. Mikomi waited for her to say something but¡­ nothing was said. It was a dead, awkward silence.


    ¡°What the hell kind of date is this? First, I thought I was picking her up and taking her somewhere but now I¡¯m just sitting here on the couch with her and she¡¯s as still as a statue! I know she has a hard time talking to people so maybe I should break the ice here?¡±


    Mikomi rubbed the back of his head as he looked around the room, trying to come up with something to say to Serah.


    ¡°So¡­ uh¡­ looks like it might rain today, huh?¡±


    Mikomi¡¯s eyes glanced over at Serah. Her hands which were once resting on her lap were now clenched into fists. The look on her face turned from one that looked vacant to one that looked rather nervous.


    ¡°Guh! Did I overdo it? I mean¡­ talking about the weather is a typical icebreaker but why is she so nervous? Is it because I talked to her? That doesn¡¯t make too much sense because she talked to me at school. She had no problem talking to my mother at dinner the other night. Is it the environment? The situation? This is seriously starting to creep me out¡­ like more than usual with her!¡±


    Mikomi sighed heavily and decided to get right to the heart of the matter. He turned toward Serah and asked her the one question that might shed some light on her behavior.


    ¡°Serah¡­ it¡¯s pretty obvious that you¡¯re nervous. Are you afraid to talk to me? You don¡¯t have to be, you know. You mustered up the courage to talk to me at school. You even summoned the strength to write that letter to invite me over here to your house. If there¡¯s anything you want to say, just go ahead and say it. I don¡¯t bite.¡±


    ¡°I know that I probably just opened up a huge can of worms by saying that but it was probably the only way to end this awkward silence.¡±


    Serah began to fidget a bit as she sat there. It¡¯s like she was afraid to say what was on her mind. Mikomi saw that this was getting nowhere and decided to address the proverbial elephant in the room.


    ¡°Is the reason why you¡¯re nervous is that¡­ you have a crush on me?¡±


    Serah¡¯s expression immediately changed to one of shock. She immediately turned toward Mikomi and waved her hands in front of her while negatively shaking her head.


    ¡°OH! NO! N-nothing like that!¡±


    ¡°That was abrupt and defiant!¡±


    Serah stopped for a moment and then sheepishly looked away from Mikomi.


    ¡°Well¡­ maybe just a little¡­.¡±


    ¡°Wha... WHAAAT!?¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s not the reason why I asked you here! I swear! It¡¯s just¡­ I wanted to thank you but I don¡¯t know how to say it.¡±


    Serah¡¯s normal soft tone changed. Mikomi heard her real voice for the first time when she talked with his mother and now he was hearing it again. He was a bit confused but decided to roll with it to see where the conversation would go.


    ¡°You just said thank you so I think you do know how to say it after all but what are you thanking me for?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the part I¡¯m having trouble with. I¡¯m nervous telling you the reason why because I¡¯m afraid if I tell you, you won¡¯t talk to me anymore.¡±


    It began to make sense to him at that point. He let out a sigh of relief and decided to try and take a stab at the heart of the matter.


    ¡°Let me take a guess. It¡¯s the reason why you have trouble talking to people. You want to thank me for being someone who reached out to you¡­ something someone else hasn¡¯t done in a long time, right?¡±


    Serah simply nodded her head ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I figured as much. You wear your heart on your sleeve a bit too much. I¡¯m sure there is a deeper reason as to why you have trouble talking to people but if my talking to you made you happy, then I¡¯m glad I was able to help. You don¡¯t have to worry about telling me a deeper reason if you don¡¯t want to. Even if you do, though¡­ I promise I won¡¯t run away screaming or anything.¡±


    Mikomi shot her a smile and Serah faintly smiled back.


    ¡°Thank you, Mikomi but I want to tell you. For the first time in years, I felt like I''d made a friend. I¡¯m also sorry for being so nervous around you because I didn¡¯t think it was possible.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t think what was possible? That you could have made a friend?¡±


    Serah nodded in agreement. She took a deep breath and turned away from him where she turned her gaze at the floor.


    ¡°I never had many friends throughout my life. Any friends I had made eventually stopped talking to me. One of them moved away and promised that she would stay in contact but I never heard from her once. In middle school, someone who I thought was my best friend started hanging out with other people, and soon, I was forgotten. I tried to make new friends but none of them even seemed interested in me. I began to think making friends was pointless. I stopped talking to people and, for the first time in my life, understood what it felt like to be alone. I didn¡¯t think it could get any worse but... ¡°


    Serah stopped. She began to tear up.


    ¡°...I¡­¡±


    Mikomi placed his hand on her shoulder.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. You don¡¯t have to.¡±


    Serah nodded and balled up her hands into fists as she rested them on her lap.


    ¡°Even now¡­ I¡¯m still afraid that if I accept you as a friend, that you¡¯ll, one day, leave me, too. Especially since I¡­ I¡­.¡±


    Serah¡¯s face began to turn bright red as her voice quivered.


    ¡°..... kind of¡­ you know¡­.¡±


    Mikomi laughed a bit hoping that it would lighten the moon and help ease her mind.


    ¡°Hey¡­ don¡¯t worry about saying it. I gotcha.¡±


    Mikomi shot Serah a wink and she looked up at his smiling face. That¡¯s all that Serah needed to see. She lunged at Mikomi and embraced him in a tight hug. She buried her face into his shoulder, squeezing even tighter.


    ¡°Mikomi¡­ thank you!¡±


    Mikomi smiled and hugged her back. He placed his hand on the back of her head and held her tight.


    ¡°You¡¯re welc--¡±


    He couldn¡¯t finish that statement. A sharp, jolting pain suddenly surged through his head. He let out a piercing scream as he grasped the sides of his head. Serah immediately backed off and looked extremely worried. Mikomi shot to his feet and hunched over in pain. It was so severe that it felt as if someone just stabbed it with a hot knife. Mikomi¡¯s eyes were opened as far as they could go. Tears poured from them as a reaction to the intense pain.


    ¡°This pain¡­ What is this pain!? It feels like my mind is about to get ripped straight out of my skull! Am I¡­. going to die!?¡±


    Serah called out to Mikomi but he wasn¡¯t responding. Not because of the pain, but because the world around him began to dampen. He couldn¡¯t hear anything but a sharp ringing in his ears. Soon, he became weak-kneed and fell to the floor, hunched over.


    ¡°Why won¡¯t it stop!? What is this!? What is going on? Wait...  I can see something in front of me¡­ It¡¯s a person but it¡¯s not here¡­ it¡¯s somewhere else. Wait¡­ is that¡­ Serah!?¡±

 Vision

    Mikomi¡¯s head continued to be stricken by blinding pain, yet, through it all, a vision appeared in front of him. Despite the immense pain, he could clearly hone in on this vision and see things rather clearly.


    Indeed, the Serah he saw in front of him wasn¡¯t the same Serah that invited him over to her house. He was envisioning her in front of his high school. Standing next to him was his best friend, Ryan. Through the pain, Mikomi could hear voices inside his head.


    ¡°You¡¯re seriously going to do that, Mikomi!? Why would you ask Serah out!? Nobody likes her! She¡¯s such an outcast! If you do that, everyone at school is going to treat you the same exact way! If you do that¡­ then I don¡¯t think you and I could be friends anymore.¡±


    Mikomi turned and looked at Ryan. He grabbed him by the shirt and punched him right in the face! Ryan fell to the ground, his nose completely bloodied from the impact. Mikomi stood over Ryan, looking down on him.¡±


    ¡°I love Serah. If it means losing someone spineless like you as my friend, then that¡¯s a small price I¡¯m willing to pay. People like you make me sick, anyway.¡±


    Mikomi walked away and his vision began to get cloudy once again. When it refocused, it was after school. Mikomi and Serah were behind the school building.


    ¡°Serah¡­ I know this is really sudden but¡­ I was wondering if you would like to go out with me?¡±


    Serah was taken aback by Mikomi¡¯s words. Soon, the look of shock faded from her face and was replaced by one of slight annoyance.


    ¡°Is this some kind of sick joke? This isn¡¯t very funny.¡±


    Mikomi grabbed Serah by the hand.


    ¡°It¡¯s no joke¡­ I¡¯m being dead serious here. I think you¡¯re cute and yes¡­ I¡¯ve seen the way other kids treat you and I don¡¯t think that¡¯s fair. I find you interesting and I want to know more about you. I know this is skipping the whole friendship phase but I just feel something inside of me whenever I look at you. I want to be the one who protects you.¡±


    Serah looked up at Mikomi.


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡±


    Serah walked away and Mikomi¡¯s vision began to blur once again. When it refocused, there was a knock on his front door at home. He opened it and Serah was standing there on the other side. She handed Mikomi a letter.


    ¡°Your answer is in there.¡±


    Serah walked away as Mikomi opened the letter, reading it out loud.


    ¡°I thought about it and I have decided that if you can answer one simple question, I will say yes. I will ask you the question in person outside of your house tomorrow morning before school.¡±


    Mikomi¡¯s vision clouded once again. When it cleared, he saw a bird¡¯s eye view of himself and Serah talking in front of his house. He couldn¡¯t hear any of the words which made him wonder just what that question was. He must have given the right answer because Serah gave Mikomi a hug and a kiss. The two of them then walked away together. After that, Mikomi¡¯s vision became blurred one final time and then everything faded to black.¡±


    Back in reality, Mikomi went silent and flopped over onto Serah¡¯s floor. Serah began shaking him, trying to get a response out of him but he was completely still. Serah checked his pulse and noticed his heart was still beating and he was breathing on his own; he was simply unconscious. It was apparent that he had passed out from the pain. Serah grabbed Mikomi and propped him against the couch. Mikomi didn¡¯t weigh much but Serah wasn¡¯t the athletic type. It took quite a lot of effort to get his 125-pound frame of dead weight into a seated position.


    Serah ran and grabbed a blanket from her bedroom. She came back and covered Mikomi with it. She noticed that his face was a bit flushed and put her hand on his head. Her eyes widened when she could feel the heat against her hand.


    ¡°He¡¯s burning up!¡±


    She quickly ran and grabbed a washcloth and soaked it in cold water. She returned and folded it up before placing it on top of his head. All she could do now was wait and wonder what had happened. Everything seemed just fine until she hugged him. Her face was filled with worry as she thought that maybe she had done this to him. She continued to keep a close watch, hoping that he would wake up.


    An hour had passed. Serah placed a thermometer in Mikomi¡¯s mouth. The temperature read 98.1 degrees. It appeared as if Mikomi¡¯s fever had broken. Serah let out a sigh of relief before taking the washcloth off of his head but kept it nearby just in case his fever returned. Mikomi was still fast asleep at this point. All Serah could do was kneel there beside him and wait.


    Another two hours passed. Mikomi¡¯s fever still hadn¡¯t returned, which was a good sign. Serah, herself, had fallen asleep on the floor with her head resting on Mikomi¡¯s lap. Suddenly, a low grumble came from him as he struggled to open his eyes.


    ¡°What the¡­ where am I?¡±


    Mikomi went to move but noticed that Serah was asleep on his legs. The movement woke her up and she groggily lifted her head and looked at Mikomi.


    ¡°Serah? Right¡­ I was at her house but¡­ weren¡¯t we just at school? What¡¯s going on here?¡±


    Serah¡¯s face lit up with both joy and relief. She went to hug Mikomi but she instantly remembered what happened the last time she did so and stopped dead in her tracks. She backed off and with a quiver in her voice, said¡­


    ¡°Mikomi! Thank God you¡¯re okay!¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡­ hugged you¡­ and then you started screaming and holding your head. You stood up but then you fell to the floor. You were in such agony but then you went silent. I didn¡¯t know what to do so I moved you against the couch. I would have put you on one of the cushions but¡­ but¡­ I¡¯m, um, weak¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s coming back to me now. She hugged me¡­ so we weren¡¯t at school? No¡­ if we were and this had happened, I would have woken up in a hospital bed rather than at her house. That¡¯s right¡­ she invited me over here to thank me and then I blacked out. My head still hurts so I guess she¡¯s telling the truth about the pain. What was all of that, anyway?¡±


    ¡°Serah¡­ What was the question you wanted to ask me?¡±


    ¡°What question?¡± asked Serah with confusion in her voice.


    ¡°You know. The one from the letter you gave me. You said you would meet me in front of my house and ask me a question and if I could answer it, then... well... you would have said yes.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re feeling okay, Mikomi? I didn¡¯t say anything about asking you a question in the letter I gave you. I only asked if you could meet me at my house today.¡±


    ¡°That settles it. What I saw in my head didn¡¯t happen. At least not in this timeline. I knew I had a funny feeling about all of this. Why I couldn¡¯t remember Serah¡¯s details. When I was given a second chance, some of my memories were erased! But why!? Why would Sebastion not tell me about this? More importantly, why were any of my memories erased, to begin with? Was this the other piece of information Sebastion wanted to tell me but said he wouldn¡¯t until the time was right? What other memories of mine are missing? Argh¡­ I have so many questions but I can¡¯t just ask Sebastian to show up. Until I can get somewhere private, I¡¯m going to have to roll with this.¡±


    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    ¡°Sorry¡­ My memory is a bit foggy. I must still be coming out of whatever happened to me.¡±


    Mikomi tried to stand but he felt a bit dizzy. Serah stood and offered him a helping hand. Mikomi thanked her and pulled himself back up to his feet. His head began to spin but he endured it and soon enough, everything returned to normal.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to be sorry. It was my fault. I think I hugged you too tight.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­ that¡¯s right! I experienced that after she hugged me. Is physical contact the trigger here? I¡¯m not going to lie¡­ that hurt worse than anything I had ever experienced before in my life. It hurt worse than when I got shot but I need to find out. If I have to put myself through blinding pain again to understand how this works then so be it. Serah¡­ I¡¯m sorry. Forgive me for this.¡±


    Mikomi turned and embraced Serah in another hug. Serah began to panic because she thought that Mikomi would start to experience the pain in his head once again. After a few seconds of nothing, Mikomi hugged her even more tightly.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. You can hug me back.¡±


    She was visibly trembling when she raised her arms and embraced Mikomi. She hugged him rather tightly as well, causing Mikomi to close his eyes as if he were bracing for the worse. After a moment or two, nothing happened. Mikomi let out an internal sigh and smiled. He let Serah go and backed away, placing his hands on her shoulders.


    ¡°See? I¡¯m all better now!¡±


    Mikomi shot her a smile as Serah, filled with happiness and relief, smiled back at him.


    ¡°I¡¯m happy that you¡¯re okay!¡±


    ¡°Is it a one-time thing? Are these all the memories I¡¯m going to get back from Serah? There are just too many questions and only one person has the answers. I had to get home and call out Sebastian. I needed to get to the bottom of this.¡±


    ¡°Thanks. What time is it, by the way?¡±


    ¡°About 4 PM.¡±


    ¡°I should probably get going. I hope I¡¯m not being rude by saying that but I think it¡¯s best if I go home and rest.¡±


    ¡°Not at all! Are you going to be okay getting home?¡±


    Mikomi took a couple of test steps around her living room just to make sure he wasn¡¯t dizzy anymore. Chances were he was going to be fine.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m feeling like myself again. I¡¯ll be fine going home. Serah¡­ Thank you. Thank you for everything. I¡¯m sure that this wasn¡¯t the kind of visit you had in mind but I¡¯m glad you helped me through it. As for thanking me¡­ you¡¯re welcome. I am more than happy to be your friend.¡±


    Serah looked a bit sad at that last statement.


    ¡°J-just a friend?¡± muttered Serah quietly.


    ¡°Is it okay to reply to that? If we dated in the other timeline then stating my love for her would be another piece of the puzzle put back together but I think I should consult Sebastian first before I say anything. I need to find out just what in the hell he did to my memories first.¡±


    ¡°One step at a time. I want you to trust me first. Let me prove to you that I¡¯m not going to be someone who forgets you exist out of the blue one day.¡±


    Serah¡¯s eyes widened. She saw Mikomi¡¯s smile and felt like she had finally made a friend she could put her trust into. The fact that Mikomi wanted her to trust him was proof enough that he could be the one to break her cycle of loneliness. At that point, she didn¡¯t care how long she had to wait. She knew that if she just let things happen naturally, then one day, she could fully put her trust in him. She decided to wait for that time and day to come.


    ¡°Okay,¡± she said with a smile.


    Mikomi opened the door and left Serah¡¯s house. He made his way down the street and turned the corner. Mikomi walked forward a few steps and looked back to check and see if he was out of sight of her house. Once he knew that he was in the clear, he took off running as he wanted to get back home as quickly as possible. A few moments later, he walked in through the front door. A note was left on the coffee table but Mikomi didn¡¯t read it. Whenever his mother left a note, it was to let him know that she had gone shopping for ingredients that she would use in that night¡¯s dinner. Mikomi immediately checked the house just to make sure he was alone. When the coast was clear¡­


    ¡°Sebastian! Get out here!¡±


    With that, Sebastian appeared on Mikomi¡¯s couch, his legs already crossed. It looked as if he had made himself comfortable rather quickly. Mikomi gritted his teeth and shot his infamous death glare at him. Sebastian looked into Mikomi¡¯s fiery eyes and let out a sigh.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to say a word, my dear Mikomi. Remember, I¡¯m always watching you so I know exactly why you called me here. Indeed, it is time to tell you the missing piece of information. The truth is, I purposely erased some of your memories when you were granted your second chance.¡±


    Mikomi balled his fists and clenched his teeth even harder. He tried to subdue his anger and it showed when he began to speak. You could just hear the frustration in the tone of his voice.


    ¡°Why would you do something like that? I thought you said that I would have all of my memories so I could find out who killed me. How am I supposed to reshape my future if I can¡¯t recall all of my past? Do you know how much harder you just made it for me?¡±


    Sebastian sighed once again, pinching the bridge of his nose. He knew that he had some explaining to do so he just came out with it.


    ¡°I understand that you¡¯re slightly vexed at this information, Mikomi, but alas, take some solace in knowing that I did this to protect you. You see, some of your memories were rather... unpleasant, to say the least... and if they were left intact, then it might have caused you to try and alter the future too much and that would have jeopardized you finding out who your killer is. Having forgotten some key moments in your history wouldn¡¯t have changed the outcome in the long run but remembering them could have changed things far more than I could allow.¡±


    Mikomi took a step back for a second and unclenched his fists. It made too much sense. Seeing that Mikomi had calmed down slightly, Sebastian decided to give Mikomi a stern reminder.


    ¡°I must remind you that I am a Custodian of Time, after all. Not only is it my job to oversee your progress but it¡¯s also my job to protect the world lines as they are. I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t tell you about this sooner but I¡¯m sure you understand my position. Now¡­ about what happened to you.¡±


    Mikomi looked back up at Sebastian with interest.


    ¡°As you can probably guess. There is a slight¡­ ¡°side effect¡­.¡± when it comes to the erasure of memories. I can only blanket the memories in your mind. I can¡¯t erase them permanently. Think of it as applying white-out to a piece of paper. What you wrote¡­ the original ink is still underneath. If you were to remove the whiteout, you would be able to see what was originally written. When you embraced Serah, it was like removing the whiteout from the paper but you couldn¡¯t quite see what was written clearly. Your memories came back but not all of them. There are still more memories of Serah locked away in your mind. The pain you experienced was your brain being re-written but unlike writing over coated text, you keep both the old and the new memories which can be quite confusing, I¡¯m afraid.¡±


    Mikomi let out a sigh.


    ¡°I need to know one thing, Sebastian¡­ even if it causes me great pain. Why did you erase Serah¡¯s important details from my memories?¡±


    Sebastian stood up and walked over to Mikomi and placed his hand on his shoulder. He looked Mikomi in the eyes with the most serious look that he¡¯s given him thus far.


    ¡°Are you absolutely sure you want to know?¡±


    Mikomi nodded with a determined look burning in his eyes. The thought of having memories hidden from him didn¡¯t sit too well. Even if it caused him more pain, he needed to know what was missing. Perhaps he felt that it would answer a lot of the nagging questions still circulating in his brain. Perhaps it would be opening up Pandora¡¯s Box. No matter what the case may be, Mikomi knew that these memories belonged to him and he wanted them back, no matter what they were.


    ¡°Very well, then. I took enough of your memories of Serah because I had hoped you would just disregard her and move on with your true goal. If I hadn¡¯t, you would have done everything in your power to save the one you loved. You would have tried to stop Serah from dying.¡±


    Mikomi¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°Serah¡­ died!?¡±


    It was as if time stood still. The world around Mikomi began to dampen once again. Sounds became muffled until all he could hear was the beating of his own heart. Mikomi began to quiver with the realization of what Sebastian had just said. All of a sudden, the blinding pain came back. Mikomi grasped his forehead and fell to his knees once again. He looked up at Sebastian and through his blurred vision, Mikomi saw him standing tall, looking down at him with an emotionless expression on his face as if to say ¡°You knew this would happen.¡± Sebastian continued to stare down at Mikomi as he writhed in pain. It was the last thing Mikomi saw before passing out once again.

 Memories I

    Slowly, Mikomi¡¯s eyes opened to be welcomed by a brand-new day. He peered over at his alarm clock and realized that he had slept in just a little bit more than he had intended to. After quickly going through his typical morning fair, he grabbed a piece of toast as it popped up out of the toaster and dashed out the front door as he was running a bit behind schedule. Karoline didn¡¯t even get a chance to say goodbye but she let out a small chuckle at the sight of her son dashing out the door with a piece of toast hanging from his mouth. Ryan was waiting for him at the usual spot on the sidewalk with quite an annoyed look on his face.


    ¡°Sorry, Ryan¡­ I¡¯m running a bit behind.¡±


    ¡°Man, Mikomi. Because of you, I¡¯m going to be late!¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to wait for me, you know.¡±


    Ryan looked as if he had an epiphany. He truly didn¡¯t realize that he could have just gone ahead without him. When you¡¯ve been friends with someone for such a long time, that kind of mindset is normal. Sometimes you can¡¯t open your eyes to the bigger picture and get stuck in a routine that feels like second nature. Nevertheless, they began their trek to school at a brisker than normal pace.


    As they neared the school, time had grown painfully short. Realizing that they really could end up late, they made a mad dash for the front doors. By the time they stepped foot into the school¡¯s main foyer, they could hear the morning bell going off. Ryan, again, blamed Mikomi for making them late, but Mikomi didn¡¯t pay much attention to Ryan¡¯s complaints. As he was running, it was almost as if things began to move in slow motion. His attention was honed in on the stairwell as he sped toward them to get to his homeroom. He was so focused that he didn¡¯t notice Serha there in the hallway reading her book. As the bell finished ringing, she closed her book and looked up just catching a brief glimpse of Mikomi as he ran by.


    Serah let out a sigh as she was a bit disappointed that Mikomi hadn¡¯t paid much attention to her but the fact that she, too, was late offered her a bit of comfort. One may wonder how someone already at school would be late to class; however, when you stand around and wait for someone and then never get the chance to meet up with them, time can slip away and make even the most punctual people fall a step or two behind.


    ***


    Just as soon as the day began, it was over. Mikomi and Ryan were seen leaving school when the two of them walked past a group of girls who seemed to be in the middle of trading gossip between them. Mikomi heard a specific name graze his ear so he focused his attention and honed in on their conversation.


    ¡°Hey, Crystal¡­ Have you ever seen that girl that sits alone by the side of the football field?¡±


    ¡°The one that¡¯s always reading that stupid book? Yeah, she¡¯s so disgusting. People like that just need to disappear.¡±


    ¡°I know! She¡¯s literally reading it every single day! Like¡­ I read a good book here and there myself but that¡¯s way beyond excessive. Bet you it¡¯s some sort of journal and she¡¯s plotting to kill us all! She¡¯s just going over her notes to craft the perfect crime!¡± chimed a third girl.


    ¡°OMG, Trish¡­ what if it¡¯s a secret diary?¡± replied Crystal. ¡°What if she¡¯s keeping notes on all the boys she¡¯ll never have? Maybe she goes home and pretends to have fantasies with them!¡±


    ¡°Eeewwww!¡± replied the first girl, Vanessa. ¡°That¡¯s so gross but she seems like the type to do that. Girls like her who are really quiet typically do the creepiest shit. Anyway, want to hit up Shake Shack? I really want some of their cajun fries.¡±


    Mikomi gritted his teeth as he walked past them, trying to ignore the fact that they were laughing and having a good time at her expense. He didn¡¯t say a word because he knew that his actions would be futile. Ever since the day Mikomi first saw Serah, he was captivated by the way she looked. Although her skin was pale, the way it looked in the sunlight was radiant. The facial expressions she made while reading her book made her seem to look even cuter. Everything about her aura had a certain gentleness about it. Needless to say, it was love at first sight for Mikomi, but he knew that he couldn¡¯t just ask her out based on looks alone.


    Over time, Mikomi vicariously learned about Serah. Sadly, most of it was through petty gossip as he had just heard but he had even asked some of her less suspicious classmates about her and got some genuine information. His heart ached whenever he thought about how others perceived her. That¡¯s when he decided that he wanted to be the person to end her loneliness but would she really go out with someone she had never even talked to before?


    Even though it was quite a long shot, Mikomi knew that there was only one way to find out but with so many people around, he decided that today wasn¡¯t the best day. After all, with the way she was perceived by others, he felt that it would be better to ask her in a private setting, this way no one could ruin the moment. It quickly became the next morning and just like the previous day, Mikomi ran out the door early and tried to take off down the street but behind him, he heard something all too familiar.


    ¡°MIIIIIIKOOOOOMIIIII¡±


    Ryan struggled to catch up to him. Mikomi let out a sigh and slowed down just enough to let Ryan catch up to him. Huffing and puffing, Ryan caught his breath and then asked the obvious question.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the fire all of a sudden?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Ryan, but I¡¯m running late again.¡±


    ¡°Late? You¡¯re like five minutes early? Are you sure the clocks in your house work okay?¡±


    Mikomi was caught in his lie. He wanted to leave before Ryan saw him. He wanted to get to school before most of the kids showed up so he could ask Serah out as privately as possible but it seemed that wasn¡¯t going to be the case today, either. Mikomi shrugged off his lie and the two of them walked to school together. When they got there, he noticed that things still looked rather empty. Serah was sitting alone in her usual spot reading her usual book. Mikomi gritted his teeth and decided that he wasn¡¯t going to let Ryan, or anyone else, get in his way anymore.


    ¡°Ryan¡­ go on ahead. There¡¯s something I need to ask someone.¡±


    Mikomi was staring right at Serah. Even for someone like Ryan, it was pretty easy to connect the dots. After all, Mikomi didn¡¯t exactly hide his interests all too well. While he never flat-out stated he liked Serah, his mannerisms whenever she was in the vicinity could have been read like a book. Ryan grabbed Mikomi by the shirt sleeve before he could take a single step forward.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°Wait. You¡¯re not going to do what I think you¡¯re going to do, are you?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re thinking that I¡¯m going over there to ask her out, then that is exactly what I¡¯m doing.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re seriously going to do that, Mikomi!? Why would you ask Serah out!? Nobody likes her! You hear how people talk about her every day! She¡¯s such an outcast! If you do that, everyone at school is going to treat you the same way! Do you know how much you¡¯d damage your reputation¡­ and mine!? If you do that¡­ then I don¡¯t think you and I couldn¡¯t be friends anymore. I¡¯m not going to be dragged down with you on this one!¡±


    Mikomi turned and looked at Ryan. He couldn¡¯t believe that his best friend of all these years would say that to him. If anything, it¡¯s a best friend¡¯s job to support one another. Ryan¡¯s words pierced through his heart and damn near broke it. Mikomi had been angry at Ryan before for saying some dumb things but this was, by far, the most unforgivable thing Ryan had ever said to him.


    Mikomi couldn¡¯t hold it in. He grabbed Ryan by the shirt, balled up his hand into a fist, and slammed it right into Ryan¡¯s face! The sheer impact sent Ryan straight to the ground, his nose completely bloodied from the impact. Everyone that was standing around them turned and saw the altercation but Mikomi didn¡¯t care who witnessed it. He stood there towering over Ryan looking down at him with a death glare in his eyes. Ryan knew he had stepped way over the line when he saw burning rage in Mikomi¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°I will say this once. I love Serah. If it means losing someone like you as my friend, then that¡¯s a small price I¡¯m willing to pay. People like you make me sick. What the hell do you know about Serah anyway?¡±


    Ryan quivered with fear as he laid there on the ground. This wasn¡¯t the Mikomi that he had known for a good chunk of his life. Ryan was completely shocked that his best friend would throw away their friendship so easily, let alone punch him in the face. Mikomi glanced over and saw that Serah hadn¡¯t noticed the altercation at all. Despite her not seeing anything, he knew that there was no way he could approach her now. Not while in this state of mind and with everyone staring at him. Mikomi decided to let it go for now and walked away, entering the school.


    Time had passed and another day at school was in the books. Mikomi knew that Serah usually left through the back entrance. At the very least, he didn¡¯t have to worry about running into Ryan due to what happened earlier. He easily slipped out the back door before anyone else and looked around frantically for Serah but she wasn¡¯t there. Mikomi decided to take a gamble and waited for her, hoping she hadn¡¯t already left. After a while, he began to lose hope. As if it were fate, he went to take a step away when she suddenly appeared and walked right past him without so much as paying him a single bit of attention. Mikomi cleared his throat and called out her name.


    ¡°Serah?¡±


    Serah stopped in her tracks and slowly turned towards Mikomi. He was captivated by her beauty and became a bit nervous; however, Serah didn¡¯t say much of anything. She just stood there and looked at him with a slightly annoyed look on her face as if she didn¡¯t want to be bothered. Perhaps it was because she thought that Mikomi would be just another person to ridicule her. After noticing the kind of look Serah was giving him, he could only say one thing.


    ¡°Hi.¡±


    Serah simply gave him a nod and turned to leave. He reached out for her but she was too far away to grab.


    ¡°W-wait!¡±


    Serah stopped and turned back around. That annoyed look on her face only got worse as Mikomi didn¡¯t know what to do next.


    ¡°I, uh¡­ wanted to ask you something.¡±


    Serah¡¯s voice was as quiet as ever. She slightly tilted her head to the side as she tried to remember who he was.


    ¡°You.  You¡¯re¡­ Mikomi¡­ from the advanced classes?¡±


    Mikomi nodded. He was overjoyed that she knew his name as it filled him with a sense of hope. Mikomi rubbed the back of his head, trying to figure out how to ask her out. He decided that it was probably best just to go for it all and pray.


    ¡°Serah. I know this is sudden but¡­ I was wondering if you would like to go out with me?¡±


    Serah was taken aback by it. Her voice, while still quiet, shot back rather sharply.


    ¡°Is this some kind of sick joke? This isn¡¯t very funny.¡±


    Mikomi grabbed Serah by the hand which shocked her even more. She even began to panic just a little. Mikomi took a deep breath and looked right into her cerulean blue eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s no joke¡­ I¡¯m being dead serious here. I think you¡¯re cute and yes¡­ I¡¯ve seen the way other kids treat you and I don¡¯t think that¡¯s fair. I find you interesting and I want to know more about you. I know this is skipping the whole friendship phase but I just feel something inside of me whenever I look at you. I want to be the one who protects you.¡±


    Serah looked up at Mikomi as if he were crazy. The look on her face said that she wasn¡¯t buying it one bit but on the inside, Serah didn¡¯t know what to think. Mikomi knew that he had to say something a little more convincing than that. Putting himself in her shoes, how would he feel if someone just randomly ran up and confessed their love?


    ¡°I know you probably don¡¯t believe me. I¡¯m sure you think I¡¯m just another kid that¡¯s making fun of you or I¡¯m setting you up for something embarrassing. My only hope is that you can trust me when I say that I¡¯m not. I know some things about you because the other kids like to gossip but I don¡¯t know what¡¯s true and what isn¡¯t. I know you¡¯re quiet, you keep to yourself, and you like reading. Those things kind of describe me as well so in that way I think we¡¯re similar. I don¡¯t know what it is but whenever I see you, I just get this feeling inside of me. I want to be there for you. It¡¯s not pity or anything so please don¡¯t think that and¡­ well¡­ I don¡¯t know how to explain it. It¡¯s just the way I feel.¡±


    Serah still didn¡¯t know what to think but maybe there was a slight off chance that Mikomi was telling the truth. Maybe it was the hope that burned in Mikomi¡¯s eyes that convinced her but Serah decided to play it cautiously.


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡±


    With that, Serah took her hand back from Mikomi and walked away.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± said Mikomi under his breath with a smile on his face.


    It was the next day at school. It was a Friday so Mikomi wondered if Serah would give him a reply before the weekend or if she would wait until Monday. He arrived at his locker and noticed a note sticking out of it. Mikomi grabbed it and unfolded the paper.


    ¡°Mikomi. Please write your address on this note and stick it in locker 327-B.


    -Serah¡±

 Memories II

    Mikomi¡¯s face lit up! He quickly scribbled his address down and took off down the hall. 327-B was on the third floor of the building while his locker was on the first floor. He raced up two flights of stairs and began to look at the numbers on the lockers. He followed them down a hall and came to an intersection. He turned left and guessed correctly as the numbers continued to ascend into the 320s. He found 327 and B was the one in the second row. He looked around and noticed that the hall was pretty empty. He slipped the paper into one of the vent slits in the front of the locker and walked away letting out a huge sigh of relief.


    The day ended and Mikomi didn¡¯t see Ryan or Serah anywhere. Ryan was, most likely, avoiding him due to the altercation they had while Serah was avoiding him for obvious reasons. Mikomi walked home alone that day knowing full well that Serah had the note and his address in her possession. He could only wonder when she would stop by and what her answer would be. That day; however, was not today as the sun had set without so much as a word from her.


    The next day came and his mother bid him farewell as she went out to do the major grocery shopping for the week. She preferred Saturday mornings because it was the last day of the week for sales so that meant the stores were pretty void of customers. She could get her shopping done quickly and easily this way. Mikomi felt today might be the day Serah would stop by but the entire day came and went without her showing up. Mikomi began to question if Serah had even seen the note. Maybe it had gotten lost in her belongings, maybe it even got stuck somewhere in her locker and she never received it at all. These kinds of thoughts raced through his mind and left him on edge.


    Sunday came and Mikomi tried to convince himself that Serah was going to wait until tomorrow to give him his answer. His suspicion of her taking the entire weekend to think about it seemed more and more plausible. Mikomi was sitting on his couch playing Blox on his Gamepal when there was a knock at the door. He was so wrapped up in his game that he didn¡¯t consider the possibility of it being Serah on the other side. Letting out a sigh, he paused his game and walked over to the door. When he opened it his eyes widened as Serah stood there holding a letter in her hand. Thoughts of ¡°she came¡± raced through his head as she reached out and handed him the letter which he happily accepted.


    ¡°Your answer is in there.¡±


    Serah turned and walked away. Mikomi wanted to call out to her but decided to let her go. Perhaps she was too embarrassed to wait around to see Mikomi¡¯s expression or¡­ she didn¡¯t want to be there to see the pain on his face when he realized he had been rejected. Whatever the case may be, Mikomi became nervous about opening the letter but at the same time, he was anxious because he wanted to know what was inside. He carefully opened the envelope and unfolded the paper that was contained within. Mikomi¡¯s eyes followed the words as he read them out loud.


    ¡°I thought about it and I have decided that if you can answer one simple question, I will say yes. I will ask you the question in person outside of your house tomorrow morning before school.¡±


    Hope had been restored in Mikomi¡¯s eyes. He felt as if he was so close to his goal to where he could touch it with his fingertips. The day passed slowly as he wanted it to be over as quickly as possible. Mikomi barely got any sleep that night but when the sun came up, he rushed out the door. As promised, Serah was standing there waiting for him.


    ¡°I hope you didn¡¯t have to wait long,¡± said Mikomi.


    ¡°I just got here.¡±


    ¡°I read your letter. It said you wanted to ask me something?¡±


    Serah stepped in close and looked Mikomi in the eyes.


    ¡°Do you promise to never abandon me no matter what?¡±


    Mikomi thought ¡°What kind of question is that?¡± as he looked at Serah. Mikomi was a bit hesitant to answer. The longer he took, the more the look on Serah¡¯s face changed to one of disappointment. Mikomi knew he had to answer her fast and there was only one answer that came to mind.


    ¡°I promise.¡±


    He thought Serah would have looked happy. Instead, she looked as if she didn¡¯t believe him. She took a step back and folded her arms as she prepared to ask him a follow-up question.


    ¡°Are you an idiot?¡± asked Serah.


    Mikomi was taken aback by that. He instantly thought that he had been tricked. Mikomi believed that this was Serah¡¯s way of rejecting people and he had to accept his defeat. He began to panic a bit as he saw his chance slipping away but in the end, there was only one way Mikomi could answer.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I guess I am an idiot.¡±


    Serah shot Mikomi a smile after hearing that.


    ¡°Well... I guess that means you¡¯re my idiot, then.¡±


    Mikomi was confused. He looked at her and that¡¯s when she embraced Mikomi in a hug and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. At that point, Mikomi¡¯s vision began to blur. Everything Mikomi saw from this point forward were just quick scenes as if he were skipping through time. Mikomi¡¯s life as Serah¡¯s boyfriend wasn¡¯t an easy one. Just as Ryan had told him, the kids at school quickly found out and began to hound Mikomi about dating her. Mikomi ended up in a lot of fights and it pained Serah to see him get hurt time after time for her sake but Mikomi never gave up defending his love.


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    Even though there were many rough patches, there were good ones as well. Mikomi recalled the times he went to the mall with Serah when they would go to the Rivoli Theater and watch movies together¡­ just like normal couples would. Over time, all of the hostility towards them had subsided. Whether or not they had their fill or if it was the fact that Mikomi became known to never back down from a fight whenever someone tried to start one, the only thing that mattered was that it wasn¡¯t long before they were able to enjoy a normal life as a couple.


    The one-year anniversary of their relationship was fast approaching and even though they had been dating this entire time, Mikomi never asked Serah the meaning behind her question to him that day.


    They decided to go to Szot Park that night to gaze up at the stars to celebrate their anniversary. The weather was quite cool so they dressed in jeans and a thin jacket. Mikomi¡¯s was black and silver while Serah¡¯s was light gray with navy blue trim. As they laid there under the stars holding hands, Mikomi asked Serah the one question that was on his mind for such a long time.


    ¡°Why did you ask me if I would ever abandon you?¡±


    Mikomi waited for a reply but his question was met with silence. Perhaps he went a bit too far in asking but he wanted to know. Her silence; however, suggested that maybe he shouldn¡¯t know the reason.


    ¡°I guess you don¡¯t have to answer that if you don¡¯t want to.¡±


    It seemed like an eternity of silence after that. It was just them, the sound of a gentle night breeze rustling through the grass beneath them with the stillness of an ocean of glitter in the night sky above. Mikomi closed his eyes as he began to lose himself in the surrounding nature; however, that was quickly broken when Serah finally spoke up and asked him a question.


    ¡°Do you know what it¡¯s like to be alone?¡±


    Mikomi didn¡¯t know how to answer that question. He knew that he couldn¡¯t just meet it with silence, though. Mikomi laid there and glanced over at Serah who continued to gaze upward into the star-filled sky.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean by that but I¡¯ve never really felt alone before so I guess I can¡¯t say that I know what it feels like.¡±


    Serah glanced over at him for a moment and then turned her head back up to the skies.


    ¡°Then you wouldn¡¯t know what it¡¯s like to feel abandoned. You¡¯ve never experienced the pain of being left behind by people who you thought were your friends. You don¡¯t understand the feeling of knowing that everyone keeps looking at you with malice¡­ like you¡¯re not meant for this world. You¡¯ve never been the centerpiece of gossip and rumors. You could never truly understand because you¡¯ve never experienced any of it.¡±


    He understood what she was saying. Those words painted a bigger picture than what was said on the surface. It became quite apparent that Serah had gone through a lot in her short life so far. It was no wonder she asked Mikomi that question a year ago.


    ¡°I¡¯ve enjoyed this past year. The times you stuck up for me were painful to watch. I kept thinking that you suffered so much because of me. Despite the pain of seeing you get hurt, it filled me with a sense of comfort knowing that there was someone there who cared enough about me to put themselves through that. But that comfort was only fleeting. I kept thinking that if I had never said yes, you wouldn¡¯t have gone through so much pain. You even lost your best friend because of me. You still haven¡¯t spoken to Ryan have you?¡±


    Mikomi shook his head no. Serah didn¡¯t even have to look over to know what the answer was.


    ¡°And through it all, I kept wondering just how long this was going to last. Even now, I keep wondering when you¡¯re going to abandon me, too.¡±


    Mikomi turned over and grabbed Serah by the shoulders, looking into her eyes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you ever say that! I would never abandon you, you hear me!? I love you Serah¡­ more than you could ever know. If I wanted to abandon you, I would have done it by now. The fact that I¡¯m here with you, right now, is proof that I¡¯m not going anywhere! If I had to redo my life over, I¡¯d choose this same path every single time. That is how important you are to me so please¡­ don¡¯t ever think such things!¡±


    Serah¡¯s eyes began to fill with tears. Mikomi noticed it almost immediately and got a bit choked up himself.


    ¡°As long as I am alive, you will never be alone. I promise.¡±


    With that, Mikomi leaned in and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around him and the two shared a special moment. Mikomi¡¯s vision became clouded once more and when it refocused, Mikomi was a bit older. He was eighteen and dressed in a ceremonial graduation robe standing side-by-side with Serah who was dressed the same. The two of them looked happy together as if nothing in the world could ruin this moment but something did.


    As the two were posing for a graduation photo, a man walked up to Serah and whispered something in her ear. She nodded and turned to Mikomi.


    ¡°Someone is calling me to the main office. They say I have an important phone call.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you,¡± he replied.


    They made their way to the front office but when they got there, Mikomi was ordered to stay outside. Serah thought that was a bit strange but went into the office alone anyway. She picked up the phone and began talking. After a few moments, Serah turned to Mikomi with tears in her eyes. She mouthed Mikomi¡¯s name and when he read her lips on the other side of the office window, he charged in bypassing anyone who tried to stop him. Serah dropped the phone on the floor and threw herself into Mikomi¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Serah!? What¡¯s wrong? What happened!?¡±


    She couldn¡¯t speak. She was in too much pain to form any words. All she could do was hold Mikomi tightly and cry into his shoulder. The school¡¯s principal walked over and placed his hand on Mikomi¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Serah¡¯s parents were flying back from a business trip and there was an incident with the plane. I¡¯m sorry to say that no survivors were found.¡±

 Memories III

    Mikomi had never met Serah¡¯s parents as they were constantly away on business for huge lengths of time but he didn¡¯t need to know them to feel the same pain that Serah felt. Serah had lived alone in a house paid for by her parents. The bills were taken care of from wherever they were in the world at the time. They left her enough money in a bank account to feed herself and buy whatever she needed for day-to-day life. She hardly saw them but she still cared deeply for them. All Mikomi could do was hug Serah as tightly as he could.


    ¡°If there¡¯s anything I or the school can do... ¡° said the principal.


    Mikomi gritted his teeth.


    ¡°No¡­ it¡¯s fine... ¡° muttered Mikomi under his breath. ¡°Come on, Serah¡­ I¡¯m going to take you home.¡±


    Back at Serah¡¯s house, Mikomi laid down on Serah¡¯s couch with Serah on top of him. He held her tightly as the silence became deafening. He could only think about her and how devastated she must be, while Serah simply just laid there void of emotion. He thought about how she lived on her own day after day without anyone to talk to. It¡¯s no wonder she had felt abandoned. Every time a friend left her, every time someone talked about her, her parents weren¡¯t there to console her and make her feel better. She had to shoulder all of that pain by herself and now the one hope of seeing her parents once again had been taken away from her. After a long period of silence, Serah finally spoke her first words since hearing the news.


    ¡°Say¡­ Mikomi. Why does everyone in this world abandon me?¡±


    Mikomi knew what a question like that meant. First, it was those who she believed to be her friends, then it was those who were total strangers. Serah had been treated as an outcast her entire life and now with the loss of her parents, it was only natural for someone like her to feel that way. Mikomi gritted his teeth, not out of anger but out of frustration because he knew he couldn¡¯t change the past and erase her pain. He knew that if he could, he would make sure Serah never had to suffer as much as she had. He needed to let her know that she wasn¡¯t alone in this world.


    ¡°I¡¯m still here and I¡¯m never going anywhere,¡± said Mikomi.


    ¡°I have nothing left except for you. Everyone else is gone.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true, Serah. My parents absolutely adore you. They think of you as part of the family. You have all of us and you know that we will be here for you. Don¡¯t worry¡­ you¡¯re not alone. Not anymore.¡±


    Serah shot up and grabbed Mikomi by his shirt, wrenching it tightly in her fist.


    ¡°AND HOW WOULD YOU KNOW THAT!? YOU STILL HAVE YOUR PARENTS! PEOPLE DON¡¯T TALK ABOUT YOU BEHIND YOUR BACK! THEY DON¡¯T LOOK AT YOU AS IF YOU DON¡¯T BELONG IN THIS WORLD! YOU¡¯VE NEVER FELT THE THINGS THAT I¡¯VE FELT! IT¡¯S NOT FAIR FOR YOU TO SAY THAT I¡¯M NOT ALONE!  It¡¯s¡­. not¡­ fair¡±


    Serah began to break down once again. She covered her mouth, realizing what she had just said. Mikomi looked up at her and did something Serah didn¡¯t expect. He smiled at her.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s not fair of me to say those things because I haven¡¯t lived your life but it doesn¡¯t mean that I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯ve gone through. I told you four years ago that I wouldn¡¯t abandon you. Four years later, I¡¯m still here and I have no intention of letting go. I said that because I wanted to be the one to end your loneliness. I wanted to become the one friend that stayed with you, cared for you, and loved you. I have never loved you out of pity¡­ not even once. I¡¯ve loved you with everything in my heart because you are you.¡±


    Serah clenched her fist and gritted her teeth.


    ¡°Then, Mikomi... Let me ask you another question. If I had been popular, would you still have gone out with me?¡±


    Mikomi¡¯s eyes widened. He had never considered that possibility. That question made him think if things would have been different had Serah not been treated like an outcast. That question rattled his very core. After all this time, he came to realize that maybe he actually had felt pity for her and it was the only reason for this relationship. He wanted to protect Serah but had she never been treated the way she had been, would she even need protection? Would she have ever needed Mikomi?


    He couldn¡¯t answer her question. He was at a complete loss for words. Every second spent in silence felt like an eternity and Serah knew it.


    ¡°Please leave,¡± said Serah in a pretty stern tone.


    ¡°Serah¡­ I¡­.¡±


    ¡°JUST GO! I¡­ want to be alone for a while.¡±


    Serah got off the couch and Mikomi stood up, looking into her eyes. He wanted to say something but he thought that if he did, it would just make the situation worse at this point. Mikomi turned and slowly walked to the door. He grasped the handle and began to turn it. Before opening the door, he looked back at Serah, the thoughts of saying something¡­ anything¡­ raced through his mind. He couldn¡¯t just leave in silence.


    ¡°Serah. All I have ever wanted was to be there for you. I hope you can come to understand this.¡±


    With that, Mikomi opened the door and walked away. After the door closed, Mikomi¡¯s vision blurred. Several days had passed and Serah hadn¡¯t contacted him at all. Mikomi knew that this was their first true argument as a couple so he didn¡¯t know how long Serah would stay upset at him. After those days had passed, he felt as if he needed to go over to her house to patch things up. Surely by now, she would have calmed down to the point where they could have a heart-to-heart conversation.


    Mikomi grabbed his jacket and stepped outside. It was chilly out with the skies filled with grey clouds. It was the kind of sky that looked as if it could start raining at any moment. A few moments later, Mikomi arrived at Serah¡¯s house. Butterflies were abundant in his stomach but he mustered up the courage to move forward after taking a deep breath. He knocked on her door and waited for it to open but there wasn¡¯t a single sound coming from the other side. He knocked again and waited for a reply which did not come. Mikomi began to worry as he side-stepped to Serah¡¯s front window. The room-darkening curtains made it difficult to see inside the house but out of the corner of the window where the curtain wasn¡¯t covering, Mikomi saw a hand laying on the floor.


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    Mikomi¡¯s eyes widened with fear. He rushed back to the front door and pounded on it, frantically calling out Serah¡¯s name. He knew he had to do something and began to throw his shoulder into the door with force. With the door not being in the best condition, it didn¡¯t take much to break it off of its lock. Mikomi busted through and stumbled over the rubble he created. Mikomi regained his balance and looked straight to the floor. Mikomi gasped and then covered his mouth before falling to his knees. Every inch of his body was trembling as if he were staring into the face of a nightmare.


    Serah laid there on the floor in a pool of blood, her wrists slit on both arms.


    ¡°S...Serah..?¡±


    On his hands and knees, Mikomi made a mad dash for her. He quickly checked for a pulse but didn¡¯t find any. Her body was completely cold and stiff. The smell in the house suggested that she had been like this for a while now. Could it have happened the day he left?


    Despite all of this, Mikomi picked up Serah¡¯s lifeless body in his arms and broke down.


    ¡°This¡­. This is a dream, right?  Serah... You¡¯re going to wake up, aren¡¯t you!?  Please¡­ Serah... WAKE UP! Don¡¯t leave me al¡­¡­¡­..¡±


    Mikomi¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°....one.¡±


    It was as if reality had settled in. He had never known abandonment before in his life but with this, Mikomi, who only thought he understood Serah¡¯s pain, came to fully realize it. He slowly laid Serah back down on the floor. All he could do was stare at her.


    ¡°I¡­ did this. I left her alone when I said I wanted to be there for her. Did¡­. Did I abandon her, too? Did I¡­ cause this!?¡±


    Mikomi¡¯s vision began to blur once again. This time, when his vision was clear, he was looking up at a ceiling. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust, but when they were fully open, he heard a voice cry out.


    ¡°MIKOMI!¡±


    Mikomi turned his head. It was his mother, Karoline.


    ¡°Thank God! I was afraid I had lost you!¡±


    Karoline gave her son a great big hug. Mikomi slowly sat up and took in his surroundings. The first thing he noticed was that he had a tremendous headache. The second thing he noticed was that he was in a room at the hospital. There was an I.V. stuck in his arm and his mother was there in a chair by his bed. Suddenly, his father walked into the room with a coffee in his hand.


    ¡°Mikomi!¡±


    His father rushed over and placed the coffee cup on the table by Mikomi¡¯s bed. He gave his son a huge hug.


    ¡°W-what happened?¡± said Mikomi, rather groggily.


    ¡°Your mother came home from grocery shopping and found you laying on the floor. You weren¡¯t responding so she called an ambulance. They rushed you here and ran some tests but they couldn¡¯t find anything wrong with you except for the fact that your brain activity was off the charts. They attested it to having a dream while unconscious but every other test came back fine. Mikomi¡­ what was the last thing you remember before passing out?¡±


    Mikomi was still groggy. He couldn¡¯t tell what was going on still but there was only one thing he could mutter.


    ¡°Serah¡­ died. It was¡­. My fault.¡±


    Ryunosuke and Karoline looked at each other and then back at Mikomi.


    ¡°Son¡­ Serah isn¡¯t dead. In fact¡­ she¡¯s waiting for you right outside.¡±


    Ryunosuke backed away from Mikomi¡¯s bed and stepped out into the hallway. He motioned for her to come into the room. Mikomi audibly gasped when he saw her standing there in the doorway. Ryunosuke gave her a nudge to go see him and she took small steps over to his bedside.


    ¡°I...I heard what h-happened and¡­ I was worried so I¡­¡±


    With reckless abandon, Mikomi leaped out of bed and embraced Serah in his arms, tears flowing from his eyes. He nearly ripped the I.V. right out of his arm but he didn¡¯t care. The thing that he had lost was right in front of him and he wasn¡¯t going to let go¡­ not this time. He hugged her as tightly as he could to the point where it almost felt a little uncomfortable.


    ¡°I¡¯ll never leave you alone. I¡¯ll never let you go. I swear to God¡­ I¡¯ll always be there for you¡­ Serah!¡±


    ¡°M-Mikomi¡­ you¡¯re¡­ squeezing me¡­ too tight.¡±


    Mikomi let her go and grabbed her by the shoulders. He had a look of bewilderment in his eyes like he couldn¡¯t believe what he was seeing in front of him.


    ¡°Wow, Mikomi. What kind of dream did you have?¡± asked his father.


    ¡°Dream? Wait¡­ a dream¡­ my head¡­ the pain¡­ all of it. Were these my memories from the original timeline? My mind is getting a bit clearer and I can think again. That outburst just now¡­ was because Serah died in the other timeline. I remember it very clearly now. She took her own life because her parents died and I made things worse by making it seem like I only dated her out of pity. I also remember this was the catalyst for something else. Those memories were scrambled as well but I remember it all now.¡±


    ¡°A nightmare, Dad. A really bad one.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s over now, son. You¡¯re here and you¡¯re safe.¡±


    ¡°Dad¡­ how long was I asleep?¡±


    ¡°You were asleep for quite a while. It¡¯s Wednesday night. You¡¯ve been out for three days!¡±


    ¡°Three days!? Sebastian¡­ just what the hell did you do to me!? I swear to God when I see you again, you¡¯re going to have to answer for this!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll let the nurse know that you¡¯re awake.¡±


    Ryunosuke gave Karoline a nod and a wink. Karoline picked up the hint and exited the room with a smile on her face, leaving Mikomi and Serah alone together. Serah looked rather nervous but took a seat next to Mikomi¡¯s bed. Serah¡¯s hand trembled as she reached out but she eventually grabbed Mikomi by the hand and just held it. After seeing the relieved expression on her face, the resolve in Mikomi¡¯s eyes burned brighter than ever before. He continued to stare at Serah as he gritted his teeth behind his lips.


    ¡°I swear to God I¡¯m not going to let you die again, Serah. This is my second chance and even if it¡¯s for selfish reasons, I am going to change this world no matter what!¡±

 Convincing

    It had been several days since Mikomi was discharged from the hospital. He was kept overnight on Wednesday for observation and sent home Thursday afternoon. He stayed home from school for the remainder of the week and confined himself to his bed. Despite regaining his memories, he was still physically drained from the experience and decided to take this time to rest.


    By the time Saturday morning came, he had spent a lot of time going over his missing memories. He got out of bed and made his way to the kitchen to fix himself some breakfast. His mother was already at the kitchen table but his father wasn¡¯t anywhere to be seen. Mikomi assumed he went back to work to continue developing the A.I. now that he had the solution to his problem. Mikomi opened up the cupboard and reached for a box of cereal. His mother struck up a conversation while he poured himself a bowl.


    ¡°Feeling any better?¡±


    Mikomi only replied with a quick ¡®Mmm¡¯ as he was still a bit on the groggy side. He grabbed a banana off the counter and began to slice it into his cereal. It was one of his favorite combinations and his typical go-to breakfast. After getting everything together, he made his way to the table where he began to scarf it down as if it were his first meal in months. Bed rest and hospital food are two things that would make anyone savor and appreciate even the most basic of meals.


    ¡°You know that food isn''t going anywhere, right? You could slow down a bit, otherwise, you might choke and end up back in the hospital.¡±


    Mikomi swallowed hard and slowed his pace down but by the time he did, there were only one or two bites left. Mikomi shrugged and powered through the last bites in his bowl as his mother let out a sigh.


    ¡°You know, that girl Serah stopped by a couple of times but since you were sleeping, I sent her away. She seemed really concerned about you so don¡¯t be surprised if she tries her luck again today.¡±


    Mikomi blushed a little but hearing her name made him recall all of his memories from the original timeline. Mikomi gritted his teeth behind closed lips. From the outside, Mikomi¡¯s face looked a bit contorted as if he had just bitten into something sour. His mother could only chuckle at the sight of it.


    ¡°Did I pluck another nerve? I¡¯m sorry, but I just think you two would make a cute couple, that¡¯s all!¡±


    ¡°MOM!¡±


    Mikomi turned beet red. He quickly picked up his bowl and walked it over to the sink where he properly washed it. After putting it into the rack to dry, he cleared his throat.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go get some fresh air.¡±


    Mikomi excused himself from the table and grabbed his jacket before heading out the front door. As soon as he stepped outside, Mikomi let out a huge sigh before sticking his hands in his pockets. He walked down to the sidewalk and turned in the direction of Serah¡¯s house. He halted in his tracks for a moment but then his eyes narrowed as he internally groaned.


    ¡°Oh no¡­¡±


    ¡°MIIIIIIIKOOOOOMIIIIIII!!!!!¡±


    Ryan ran at Mikomi at full speed and lunged at him, giving him a great, big, friendly hug! Mikomi couldn¡¯t be any more uncomfortable by this and applied a bit of pressure as a way of silently telling Ryan to get off of him. He took the hint and backed off but he looked genuinely excited to see Mikomi.


    ¡°Mikomi! I heard what happened and I got really worried! I came to see you in the hospital but you were still asleep.¡±


    ¡°So even Ryan¡­¡±


    ¡°Thanks for worrying about me, Ryan.¡±


    ¡°This was an awkward conversation. I hadn¡¯t thought about asking Serah out at this point in this timeline so Ryan hadn¡¯t threatened our friendship yet. Still, when I look at him, I can¡¯t help but think of the way he acted when he discovered I liked Serah. I have to control my emotions and just endure this for now.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s rare to see you outside on a weekend. Usually, you¡¯re holed up in your house. What brings you into the world of the living?¡±


    ¡°After what happened to me, I just thought I could use a little fresh air, that¡¯s all. I was out for three days and I was bedridden for another two. Let¡¯s just say I got tired of lying around.¡±


    ¡°So.. want to go for a walk, then? Get some exercise while you¡¯re at it?¡±


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°I guess¡­¡±


    Ryan led the way and it just so happened to be in the direction back towards his house which was also on the way to Serah¡¯s. As the two of them walked down the sidewalk, Mikomi couldn¡¯t help but wonder if she was home and if she wouldn¡¯t mind if he stopped by. Ryan was talking to Mikomi the entire time but his words were completely muffled as he was lost in his thoughts. It wasn¡¯t until Ryan posed a question to Mikomi that he realized he was talking to a proverbial wall. Ryan only knew of one way to get Mikomi¡¯s attention.


    ¡°OW!¡± exclaimed Mikomi. ¡°Why do you constantly elbow me in the ribs!? Don¡¯t you understand I¡¯m still recovering!?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll answer that question with a question of my own. Why do you constantly space out whenever I talk to you?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I was just lost in thought. What were you talking about?¡±


    ¡°I was telling you how I beat VX Command this morning and I was asking you to see if you wanted to borrow it?¡±


    ¡°I had played that game a dozen times and while it wasn¡¯t the best game, it wasn¡¯t that bad either but the replayability was rather low. Somehow, I enjoyed that game because it had a certain charm to it but I¡¯m not in any mood to play it again.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ thanks but I think I¡¯ll pass. I¡¯m not in the mood to play games at the moment.¡±


    Ryan¡¯s face was one of shock. He couldn¡¯t believe those words had just come out of Mikomi¡¯s mouth. As his brain struggled to process just what Mikomi had said, a sly look came over his face and he took a stab in the dark.


    ¡°So¡­ who¡¯s the girl?¡±


    Mikomi¡¯s jaw fell open with shock. He couldn¡¯t believe that Ryan had figured it out so quickly. He began to wonder if the time had come for him to try and talk to him about Serah. Maybe he could change Ryan¡¯s thinking and perception of her. He let out a heavy sigh and stuck his hands back into the pockets of his jacket. He began to walk away and Ryan followed him when he realized that was being left behind.


    Mikomi continued down the sidewalk until he got to Serah¡¯s street. While keeping his head straight, he glanced to his right with his eyes and looked down her street. Perhaps it was out of hope so that he could catch a glimpse of her, or maybe it was to summon up the courage to talk about her with Ryan. Whatever Mikomi¡¯s reasoning was, he didn¡¯t look down the street for long. He closed his eyes and refocused them on the path ahead of him.


    ¡°Say, Ryan. What if it was a girl?¡±


    Ryan¡¯s footsteps quickened as he darted past Mikomi. He turned to face him and began to walk backward with an excited look on his face.


    ¡°I KNEW IT! Who is she? Is she pretty? Does she go to our school? What¡¯s she look like? Where does she live? Details, man! Spill them all!¡±


    Mikomi hesitated for a moment. His lip quivered a bit because all he could remember was Ryan¡¯s reaction from the original timeline. He knew that there was a very high chance that his friendship with him could end right here and now. If it did, then while the timing and location were different, the circumstances would be the same. In the end, it would just be another piece of the puzzle falling into place in this timeline but since the situation is a bit different, Mikomi held onto the slim hope that things could change for the better.


    ¡°You already know her. She¡¯s the girl who sits alone every single day reading the same book. The girl that people talk about behind her back for no good reason.¡±


    Ryan¡¯s face changed from one of excitement to one of disappointment. They stopped walking and stood there on the sidewalk in awkward silence. Mikomi looked at Ryan waiting for the eventual reaction that he knew was coming.


    ¡°You¡¯re talking abou-¡±


    ¡°Yes... I¡¯m talking about Serah¡± said MIkomi, cutting Ryan off.


    ¡°But, she¡¯s an outca-¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ she is an outcast that nobody wants to deal with but it¡¯s those who shun her who made her that way. If anyone took just five minutes to talk to her and got to know the real her, I¡¯m sure their opinions would change. I took that chance and I got to know Serah for who she truly is¡­ I got to understand her pain and her hardships and I will tell you this, Ryan; Serah is anything but an outcast. She is one of the kindest and most beautiful girls in the world and it¡¯s a damn shame nobody can see that.


    Mikomi lowered his tone as he continued to think about her. The more he thought about her, the more his agitation faded away. He also thought that maybe if he lowered his tone, it would show Ryan just how serious he was about it, and, in turn, maybe it would help sway Ryan¡¯s thoughts.


    ¡°Serah¡¯s childhood wasn¡¯t glamorous. Her parents are constantly away on business; she had nobody to talk to. The few times she did make friends, they abandoned her through no fault of her own. It drove her to silence. It caused her to believe that she was incapable of making any new friends so she stopped trying. Because of the uncaring heart of a few people, she has become what she is and the people who talk about her behind her back and consider her an outcast only make it worse.¡±


    Mikomi placed his hand on Ryan¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°You¡¯re my best friend, Ryan. Please don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re one of them, too.¡±


    Ryan gritted his teeth as he knew that he was, indeed, one of those people. Maybe he had felt remorse for the things he had said in the past about Serah or maybe it was because his best friend was finally opening his eyes. Either way, Ryan was fighting through his emotions to try and understand which one was right but before Ryan could reply, Mikomi shot him a smile and asked him a question.


    ¡°Would you like to meet her for yourself?¡±


    Ryan looked up at Mikomi. It was as if fear had filled his face.

 Secrets

    Mikomi noticed the look on Ryan¡¯s face. He knew that he was wrestling with his emotions and what the social ramifications could be for him should he attempt to befriend Serah. Unlike himself who has already resolved to face whatever social backlash was thrown at him, he knew that Ryan may not have that level of conviction in him. Still, he wanted him to try.


    ¡°What are you afraid of, Ryan? Are you afraid people might see you with Serah and start looking down on you as well? Are you scared that you, too, would be considered an outcast? Honestly, who would abandon you? I¡¯m like, the only friend you have and I wouldn¡¯t turn my back on you so who cares what other people think? I think you owe it to yourself to see the truth behind her.¡±


    Maybe it was the fact that Mikomi told Ryan that he was his only friend but he suddenly became agitated. He narrowed his eyes and then swatted Mikomi¡¯s arm, knocking his hand off his shoulder.


    Mikomi was a bit stunned that he would do such a thing and took a step back. Ryan looked down at the ground and gritted his teeth, looking as if he wanted to say something but the words just wouldn¡¯t come out. It was obvious that he was conflicted over this situation but he could only choose the option he felt most comfortable with and began to walk away.


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t think I can do this.¡±


    ¡°Are you willing to throw away our friendship over something like peer pressure? What about thinking for your damn self?¡± said Mikomi with an angered tone in his voice.


    ¡°That¡¯s the thing¡­ I AM thinking for my damn self. You¡¯re the one who¡¯s trying to change my thinking. Your little lecture just now shows that you are nothing more than a hypocrite.¡±


    Ryan was, technically, right but all Mikomi wanted was for him to know the Serah he knew. To show him that even though he was thinking for himself, his way of thinking was wrong. It appeared as if this wasn¡¯t going to be as easy as he thought.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. It was selfish of me to try and get you to see Serah in the same light that I do. I¡¯m sorry. I do hope that you decide to give her a chance, though. I only wanted you to meet her because I just think people are completely wrong about her.¡±


    Ryan still didn¡¯t know what to think as Mikomi continued his little lecture. This time, he was taking the handcuffs off as he decided not to sugarcoat anything.


    ¡°I will say this, though, Ryan. You call me a hypocrite for trying to change your way of thinking but in the end, you¡¯re the one who can¡¯t think in more than one direction. All you see before you is a path of ridicule and torment because people you don¡¯t even know or care about MIGHT say something about you for associating yourself with her. You never once stopped to think that maybe, just maybe, your way of thinking is wrong. What good is thinking for yourself if you can¡¯t even explore all of the possibilities? To me, that¡¯s not only petty but completely stupid.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ I¡¯m an idiot now?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± replied Mikomi with zero hesitation.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Ryan turned and began to walk away. Mikomi wasn¡¯t going to try and stop him. This was something Ryan needed to figure out for himself. Mikomi simply stood there and watched as Ryan got further and further away.


    ¡°Even though it doesn¡¯t look like it, things have changed. He didn¡¯t flat-out reject our friendship but I did give him something to think about. It¡¯s not the most ideal outcome but it is different. I can only hope that he will find the right answer on his own; that way this world can begin to change. I don¡¯t care about playing it safe anymore. If this is truly my world to shape, then I¡¯m going to shape it the way I want to. I want Ryan to remain my friend, I want Serah to live and be by my side forever. I want my father to find happiness and success and most importantly, I want to find whoever killed me and prevent it so I can enjoy everything I have changed for the rest of my life.¡±


    ¡°I know I¡¯m being selfish here but what is the point of this second chance, then? If I¡¯m not allowed to change the things I want to change, then why even bother? If I¡¯m not allowed to change the world, then I might as well have been left to die. I shouldn¡¯t have been saved in the first place. I still don¡¯t know why I was chosen when so many others are more worthy of this than I am but I can¡¯t worry about things anymore. I need to make the most of this second chance and that means having a Coming-to-Jesus conversation with a certain someone. It¡¯s Saturday so maybe mom left to do her grocery shopping. If so, then I¡¯ll have all the time in the world to set things straight with him.¡±


    Mikomi turned to head back home but took one more look down Serah¡¯s street before doing so. He stuck his hands back into his pockets and went on his way. He entered through the front door and didn¡¯t see a note on the table. Mikomi knew that was a red flag for not being alone in the house. He took a look around but didn¡¯t see his mother in any of the rooms. In fact, it was pretty quiet. He went into the garage and noticed that the car was missing. He thought it was odd for his mother not to leave him a note as it was almost like a tradition for her.


    Just to be on the safe side, Mikomi called out for his mother and was met with complete silence. Feeling that the coast was clear, he only had one other name to call out but before he could, Sebastian materialized in front of him. Mikomi jumped back, not expecting to see him appear without being called out to.


    ¡°Geez, give me a heart attack, will ya?¡±


    ¡°My apologies, my dear Mikomi. It was painfully obvious that my presence was required, therefore, I took the liberty of just showing up.¡±


    ¡°Well, now that you¡¯re here, I have some questions that I need answers to.¡±


    Sebastian held up his hand and halted him. He walked over to the couch and sat down, crossing his legs.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind if I make myself comfortable. I have a feeling that I¡¯ll be here for quite a spell. Now, my dear Mikomi. You must remember that I am always observing. I can already guess what you wish to inquire about so feel free to take a seat and I will give you the information you seek, although¡­ I¡¯m afraid you may not agree with some of it.¡±


    Mikomi slowly walked over and sat in one of the leather chairs. He looked across the room at Sebastian who leaned back into the couch and crossed his arms.


    ¡°Firstly, let¡¯s go over why you were given this second chance. As I¡¯ve told you before, we usually select candidates if their lives were cut short and they had something left unfinished. No doubt that you carried on your father¡¯s work and when all of that came to an abrupt halt, you couldn¡¯t reap the fruits of your labors. We felt that, due to the good life that you lived, some events withstanding, you would be a prime candidate. Alas, you were selected and here you are all prim and proper and ready to reshape your destiny.¡± said Sebastian before taking a brief pause.


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°However, you must be asking yourself ¡°How can I reshape my destiny if Sebastian locked away some of my memories?¡± right? Well, Mikomi, as I¡¯ve explained before, some things are not necessary to complete your objective. No doubt your goal is to find your killer and prevent your death so that you can continue with your life. I simply made it so that you could focus on that one goal. I understand it may not seem fair to erase the memories of the one you loved dying but I feared, that you would do everything in your power to prevent that and if you did, that would drastically change everything. This world line was not meant for such drastic changes so I had a duty to fulfill to protect it. However, I gave in and I granted you your memories back of Serah. Now I fear that this conversation we¡¯re having is going to be the catalyst to something rather unpleasant.¡±


    Mikomi balled up his fist. He didn¡¯t like the fact that Sebastian could sit there so calmly and not act like anything he did was wrong. Mikomi did his best to hold back his anger and replied to Sebastian.


    ¡°Of course, this is going to get unpleasant. You hid my true memories away from me! Of course, if I remembered what happened to Serah that I¡¯d do anything in my power to make sure she¡¯d stay alive! I love Serah more than anything in the world and if it means I have to drastically change this world to make sure that she lives, I¡¯m going to do it. You, yourself, told me when this all began that this is my world to shape. Well, I¡¯m going to shape this world in the way I want it to be¡­ and that¡¯s a world where Serah lives, Ryan is still my friend, my father doesn¡¯t die and I continue his work the right way¡­ not out of obligation as his son but because I want to of my own free will! That is the world I desire and that is the world I will shape. If you want to protect this timeline, that¡¯s fine, but you¡¯re going to have to protect the world I create!¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re telling me that you¡¯re going to play God, Mikomi?¡±


    Mikomi sat there for a moment. Sebastian did say that he had to regulate people who were given a second chance because they did, over time, develop a God complex. Mikomi thought about Sebastian¡¯s question and came up with an answer.


    ¡°Playing God means trying to change the entire world. I¡¯m not interested in that. All I want to do is change MY world. Everyone else¡¯s lives can remain the same¡­ I¡¯m only here to change my own.¡±


    ¡°You do realize that is the same as playing God. You said it yourself. You want Serah to be alive, you want Ryan to remain your mate. That would mean changing their lives and their destinies. That would also change the lives of the people around them and then that would spiral out to even more people and soon, you would have created a chain reaction that could not and will not stop. I simply cannot allow that, Mikomi.¡±


    Mikomi gritted his teeth even more. He was at his boiling point because while he understood Sebastian¡¯s position, it seemed like he didn¡¯t, or more accurately, couldn¡¯t understand his.


    ¡°Sebastian¡­ Can you tell me what hurts more? Is it remembering, or forgetting?¡±


    Sebastian actually looked perplexed by that question. Mikomi; however, wouldn¡¯t give him the chance to answer.


    ¡°Remembering that Serah died was very painful. Recalling the one I loved taking her own life broke my heart. Every time I look at her now, all I can think about is how lonely she must have felt¡­ how much hopelessness filled her heart. I try to imagine what she went through in her final moments¡­ recalling all the ridicule, her sadness, and the fact that she was truly alone in this world. Just thinking about it now, rips at my heart in such a way that I want to break down and cry for hours on end.¡±


    Mikomi did begin to tear up, but it wasn¡¯t because of what he was saying. He began to cry over what he was about to say.


    ¡°But¡­ that pain is nothing compared to knowing that I was made to forget all of that. Going through life and not remembering the pain you endured is an insult to the ones who suffered. Serah may have died but how can the dead rest in peace if they are never remembered? Not being able to remember Serah means that I have abandoned her just like everybody else did. That is a pain far greater than anything else in the world¡­ so¡­ I¡¯m going to ask this question of you right now, Sebastian, and I want you to give me a straight answer.¡±


    Mikomi, his eyes red from tears and with a look of absolute anger on his face, asked his question.


    ¡°Did you erase any more of my memories?¡±


    Sebastian closed his eyes as he knew that he couldn¡¯t cover anything up anymore. Mikomi probably wouldn¡¯t have bought a lie at this point anyway. Sebastian decided to lay it all out on the table for him.


    ¡°Yes and no. I didn¡¯t erase any other memories, per se, but since I did erase some, I had to, well¡­ rearrange some of the others so some memories might be altered.¡±


    ¡°Like how I took an interest in my father¡¯s company after he announced his breakthrough when, in reality, I didn¡¯t take an interest until Serah died?¡±


    Sebastian simply nodded in agreement.


    ¡°So, you remember that, too?¡± asked Sebastian.


    ¡°I first felt something was off when I was writing the letter to my father. I knew every detail of the code and how to make the A.I. work, but there was one bit of information I left out of that letter. One little piece of information I couldn¡¯t recall and it was driving me insane. In the end, I left it out because time was against me. I had that same feeling when I met Serah for the first time. I knew that something was completely off but I didn¡¯t know what or why. Now that I know it was because of you, things have been coming back to me.¡±


    Mikomi took a brief pause.


    ¡°The one piece of information I was missing was the name of the project. My father never had a name for it but when I took over the company, there was only one name I could give it. It was Project: Serah. I completed the A.I. because I was determined to recreate the one I loved¡­ and I did it. The advanced A.I. that would blur the line between machine and human¡­ reality and fantasy. I saw the project through and I did it on nothing but my burning determination, my will, and most importantly, my desire just to hear her voice one last time. Even if it wasn¡¯t the real thing, I could have Serah back in my life.¡±


    Mikomi stood up from his chair and walked over to the coffee table, slamming his hands down on top of it. He looked Sebastian right in the eye.


    ¡°But you knew that if I could save Serah, there would be no reason for me to go to my father¡¯s company. There would be no reason for me to create the A.I. and then the entire world would change, wouldn¡¯t it? That¡¯s what you feared most.¡±


    Sebastian nodded.


    ¡°Then answer me this. Why didn¡¯t you stop me from giving my father the answer? After all, I completed his work for him after he died. Now, he¡¯s still alive and the work will be seen through and he will get to enjoy the fruits of his labor. That, alone, was enough to change this world so why didn¡¯t you stop me then? Why were you trying so hard to stop me now?¡±


    ¡°Because whether your father finished the project or not, he is still going to die. The memories of you taking over his company would have pressed you forward into the same role and nothing would have changed. Different path. Same destination. That¡¯s all there is to it.¡±


    Mikomi stood up straight. It was as if an epiphany had struck him. He knew deep down there was something else Sebastian was hiding from him. He knew that the time for keeping secrets was over. Mikomi was going to get the final piece of the puzzle one way or another.

 Determination

    Mikomi folded his arms while he continued to stare at Sebastian. His eyes narrowed a bit to make it obvious that he found something about this conversation that was rather suspicious. He knew that Sebastian was still hiding something from him and he decided that he was going to call him out on it.


    ¡°Sebastian¡­ you once said that there were some differences in this world because it was an alternate timeline but that doesn¡¯t make any sense whatsoever. You are afraid of drastic change but what you haven¡¯t told me is that you¡¯ve already caused some drastic changes, haven¡¯t you? The fact that things are different in this world is because you, not only, hid away some of my memories but you changed some as well. That¡¯s why Janice never became my father¡¯s secretary and how Alice got chosen for the position ahead of schedule. You knew that by altering my memories, it would cause one of your so-called ripples so you had to apply a quick fix, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Sebastian cracked a smile and nodded in agreement. He laid back into the couch and folded his arms as if he were pleased with Mikomi coming up with that answer on his own.


    ¡°I always felt you had a rapier wit about you, Mikomi and you have not disappointed me yet. That is exactly correct.¡±


    ¡°Then that makes you a hypocrite,¡± said Mikomi with almost zero hesitation, almost as if he were fully anticipating Sebastian to acknowledge his deeds.


    ¡°Come again?¡± asked Sebastian with a nuance of shock in his tone.


    ¡°How can you sit there and preach to me about ripples and changes and how you have to protect this world when you, yourself, went against the very same rules you established? What about Janice¡¯s life and the people around her? What about Alice¡¯s life? How much did you change to get them to where they are right now and what about the effects that had on everyone around them? This world has already changed so what¡¯s the point if I change it even more!?¡±


    Sebastian closed his eyes because he knew he didn¡¯t have a good reason. Eventually, Sebastian let out a heavy sigh while pinching the bridge of his nose.


    ¡°What would you have of me then, Mikomi?¡±


    ¡°I already said it. If your job is to protect this world¡­ that¡¯s fine but you¡¯re going to have to protect MY world.¡±


    Sebastian reluctantly nodded. He knew that this was a situation that was beyond reasoning. Mikomi had backed Sebastian up into a proverbial corner and he had no way out other than to agree with Mikomi. After everything Mikomi had said, there would be no answer he could give that would sway his mind any other way. Sebastian shook his head as he knew his job was about to become increasingly difficult.


    ¡°Is there anything else you would have of me, then?¡±


    ¡°Just one last question.  What else did you change?¡±


    Sebastian stood up and walked around the coffee table. He held out his hand and what appeared on it was the note his mother would usually leave for Mikomi whenever she went out shopping. Mikomi took the note into his hand and read it.


    ¡°I¡¯m showing you this to prove a point. I can add or remove anything in this world as I see fit as long as I think it would preserve balance. That piece of people is inconsequential so don¡¯t think much of it but I did remove something else from this world and perhaps knowing about it would put your mind at ease a bit. It may be against my better judgment to tell you but I¡¯m sure you would have figured it out eventually.¡±


    Sebastian briefly paused as Mikomi lowered the note left by his mother and looked at Sebastian with keen interest.


    ¡°The company that hounded your father and you for years, the very same that paid you a visit on the day you were killed, are not in this world any longer.¡±


    Mikomi¡¯s eyes widened. He couldn¡¯t believe what Sebastian had just said. He knew how Mr.Rutherford and his son Leif had hounded his father for years and how Janice and Alice both had to be subjected to that but now all of that wasn¡¯t even a factor.


    ¡°I erased them from this timeline, Mikomi. I felt that it would have made things a bit easier for you and your father. After all, part of your father¡¯s death was the fact that stress kept piling up having to deal with those ruffians. It was a tasking chore for sure. I simply made the burden for both you and him that much lighter.  Don¡¯t worry¡­ I don¡¯t intend to put them back. If you¡¯re going to change this world, you have enough challenges ahead of you. I will keep my end of the bargain and protect your world, Mikomi.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­ if he removed Mr. Rutherford and Leif from this world then that automatically eliminates them as suspects¡­ or does it? Did Leif have me killed? Was my outcome of finding my killer and overcoming it already decided? No¡­ it can¡¯t be otherwise Sebastian wouldn¡¯t have eluded to changing my own future. That means someone else is the culprit. Wait¡­ if I do prevent my death, what about the world changing from that?¡±


    ¡°Sebastian. Another question. You were so adamant about change and not overdoing it but what was the point of giving me the chance to prevent my death? Wouldn¡¯t that cause the biggest ripple of them all?¡±


    ¡°A keen observation, my dear Mikomi; however, the future hadn¡¯t been written after your death. The world remained a blank canvas so your continuing to live would simply shape the world from that point forward. A new timeline would be created that included you in it as the future would continue to be painted according to that change.¡±


    That¡¯s when something clicked inside Mikomi¡¯s head. Something that would allow him to have complete and total freedom to do as he pleased. He wasn¡¯t about to state it, though. He decided to keep that thought in his back pocket as a trump card of sorts. For now, he decided to just go with it and offer up some gratitude for making part of his life easier.


    ¡°I...I¡¯m sorry, Sebastian, and¡­ thank you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t go all sappy on me now, Mikomi. Your anger was justified. I hid a lot from you and I was foolish for doing so but given the circumstances, I¡¯m sure you can understand the reasons behind my caution. Now that everything''s out in the open, I¡¯m letting you do what you want¡­ against my better judgment. I will still be watching and I will still be here if you need me. However, before you go and change the world, go help your poor mum with the parcels, would you?¡±


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    Sebastian nodded his head and Mikomi turned his gaze toward the window. His mother had pulled up with the groceries and was beginning to unload them. Sebastian took that chance to disappear and suddenly, Mikomi felt all alone in the house.


    The day passed quickly. Mikomi helped his mother put away the groceries and then confined himself to his room for the rest of the day. By the time night came, he laid there in bed wide awake. He stared up at the ceiling with his arms behind his head.


    ¡°That talk with Sebastian went pretty well. I guess I was convincing enough to get him to change his mind. Still, I can¡¯t help but feel like he¡¯s going to change it back. It almost seemed a bit too easy to convince him. I¡¯m not exactly sure what Sebastian is capable of fully as a Custodian of Time but if he is allowing me to shape this world as I see fit, then he either has tremendous confidence in me or he knows something that I don¡¯t. Maybe he figures that he can still protect this world even if it changes. Whatever the case may be, I don¡¯t have to worry too much about handcuffs anymore and that means I can begin working on my major goals.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s probably best not to think about this for much longer. Tomorrow will be the day I begin to set things in motion. Tomorrow, I¡¯m going to go to Serah¡¯s house and ask her out. Then, it¡¯s a matter of protecting her.¡±


    Mikomi smiled before he turned onto his side and closed his eyes. Morning came quickly and before he knew it, the morning was about to leave him behind. The only reason why he woke up was that there was a knock on his bedroom door. Mikomi groggily looked up at his alarm clock which read 11:02 A.M. Even he was a bit startled that he had slept in that late! When the door to his room slowly creaked open, a head poked through that caught Mikomi¡¯s attention.  Still half asleep, he squinted, and then his eyes snapped open.


    ¡°S-SERAH!!?¡±


    Serah realized that he was still in bed and her face turned red. She backed away and shut the door rather quickly in a panic. Her nervous voice, muffled, spoke out to Mikomi.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t know you were still sleeping. I¡¯ll come back later.¡±


    ¡°NO! WAIT!¡± Mikomi shouted. ¡°It¡¯s okay, you can come in!¡±


    The door slowly creaked back open and Serah poked her head back in, her face still a bit red with embarrassment. She was worried that Mikomi wasn¡¯t dressed for the occasion but she gave him a quick once over which caused him to smile when he realized what was going on.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m decent. You can come in.¡±


    Decent was a relevant term if you didn¡¯t count Mikomi¡¯s case of bed hair. He sat up as Serah entered his room. She closed the door behind her and just stood there awkwardly and began to fidget just a little bit. She kind of gave the room a once over as did Mikomi. He began to get a little nervous as he hoped Serah wouldn¡¯t question some of the more¡­ embarrassing things in his room, such as his collection of video game action figures. He decided to direct traffic a bit before she analyzed his room too thoroughly.


    ¡°You can sit if you want. The edge of the bed is fine.¡±


    Serah took a seat and sat there looking down at the floor. Mikomi began to wonder if that was her favorite sitting position because she did the same thing when she invited him over to her house. Once again, it looked like it was up to Mikomi to break the ice.


    ¡°So, uh¡­ what brings you here?¡±


    Serah looked up for a moment and then turned her head towards Mikomi.


    ¡°I just wanted to stop by and see how you were doing. I guess you were still resting. Sorry, if I woke you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s no problem at all. I usually stay up late on the weekends anyway and sleep in. You did me a service because if you hadn¡¯t, I probably would have wasted the rest of the morning away in bed.¡±


    Mikomi shot her a smile to comfort her and she smiled back. Her smile was so radiant that it captivated him. Mikomi realized that he was focusing too much on her adorable face and snapped himself out of it. Serah took notice of it and felt that Mikomi was just tired.


    ¡°Do you want me to let you get back to sleep? I can go if you want.¡±


    ¡°No! I said it was fine. You¡¯re more than welcome to stay. Besides, There''s¡­ something I want to ask you.¡±


    Mikomi¡¯s face began to turn red. After seeing it, Serah¡¯s face became a bit flushed as well. He hesitated for a moment because this was happening a lot faster than he had planned. He began to remember the other timeline and knew that the circumstances were a lot different this time. In the original timeline, he asked Serah out as a complete and total stranger and she still said yes but here in this timeline, he had made it a goal to get to know her first. Still, even though the circumstances were different, he was every bit as nervous as he was in the original timeline. Mikomi steeled himself and decided just to go for it.


    ¡°You see, Serah. I¡­ uh¡­ wanted to know if maybe you would like to-¡±


    Before Mikomi could finish, Karoline opened the door and stepped inside. Mikomi practically jumped out of bed from the shock of her interruption. At the same time, he was also a bit relieved because he wasn¡¯t fully mentally prepared for all of this. He didn¡¯t expect Serah to come over but then again, his mother did say she would probably try to come to see him. Mikomi realized he had let his entire guard down but there was no use blaming himself now. At least this bought him a little more time.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I¡¯m interrupting but I think you should come to see this Mikomi. There¡¯s going to be a special story on the news about your father¡¯s company. You¡¯re more than welcome to come to join in as well, Serah.¡±


    ¡°Dad¡¯s company? Mom wouldn¡¯t come to get me if it was something bad. Besides, she doesn¡¯t seem distraught over it at all. Does that mean¡­¡±


    ¡°Sure! Serah¡­ want to come to watch it with me?¡±


    She nodded in agreement. Mikomi hopped out of bed and tried his best to fix his hair without a comb. The two of them headed to the living room and turned their attention to the television. By the time they got there, the news was already talking about the company. Karoline sat there while Mikomi and Serah stood side by side with their full attention dedicated to the television.


    ¡°...for some financial news. Onyx Technology Ventures¡¯ CEO Ryunosuke Saigo stated that tomorrow at 9 A.M. eastern daylight time, his company will be making an announcement that will change the face of technology forever. He promises that the announcement will be so revolutionary, that what has been accomplished is something others in the tech industry could only dream of. We here at Channel 22 will bring you full coverage of this exciting announcement as it happens! The stock market saw an upward swing at the closing bell yester....¡±


    The sounds of the television became muffled in Mikomi¡¯s ears. Now that the news snippet about his father¡¯s company was over, the rest of what the news anchor was saying became irrelevant to him.


    ¡°He did it! He must have implemented my code and run the experiments! This means that the advanced A.I. is complete!¡±


    Mikomi looked at Serah with a sense of wonder in his eyes. Serah looked back at him and blushed a little bit. She also became a little confused as to why Mikomi was giving her that kind of look. Nevertheless, he made a bold move and grabbed Serah¡¯s hand. She didn¡¯t know what to think but she didn¡¯t reject him at all. Karoline simply sat there grinning from ear to ear.


    Even though he tried asking her out just moments ago, that was the furthest thing on his mind. After hearing that announcement, Mikomi could only think of one thing.


    ¡°Finally. Project: Serah is a reality!¡±

 Meeting

    It was over a week ago that Mikomi delivered the letter to his father that would change everything. The night that happened, Ryunosuke freshened up at home and jumped into his car. His destination was Onyx Technology Ventures. While Karoline forced Mikomi to use Sebastian as a scapegoat, Ryunosuke was still under the impression that an unknown person placed the letter in his mailbox. Thoughts of who this person could have been plagued his mind as he sped away into the night.


    Ryunosuke nearly broke nearly every speed law as he raced back to his office. Burning the midnight oil wasn¡¯t uncommon for him but this time it was different. He was so excited, he almost double-parked when he pulled into the parking lot. He jumped out of his car and zipped past the security guard at the front entrance, not even giving him the chance to receive a greeting from him.


    Everyone had gone home earlier in the day feeling defeated by their setback but Ryunosuke was about to change all of that. He raced up to his office and picked up the phone. He started dialing one number after another, informing all of his management team to head back to the office immediately. After the final phone call, he sat in the chair behind his desk and pulled out the letter that Mikomi gave him. He stared at it in wonder as he still couldn¡¯t believe that the answer had been delivered to him out of the blue as it had. If only he knew the truth behind it.


    A half-hour passed before the door to his office opened. A half-awake Michael Murphy, the Project Manager for the A.I. itself, stepped into his office in casual clothes. Michael was a bit on the young side, in his upper 20s. He didn¡¯t like the clean-shaven look and usually came to work with a full-face beard that was rather scruffy. His tone was rather rough and straightforward but deep down, he was a nice guy. Michael let out a big yawn and then scratched the top of his head, running his fingers through his black hair. His brown eyes were barely open as he tried to focus on his surroundings. Ryunosuke gave him the once over with a slightly peeved look on his face.


    ¡°What? You didn¡¯t think I was going to come down here at nearly one in the morning wearing a suit and tie, did you?¡±


    ¡°I suppose not. Are there any others here yet?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, George and Cassandra are downstairs getting some coffee. For some odd reason, they think they¡¯re going to need it.¡±


    ¡°So all that¡¯s missing is Colin and Jared. Once they arrive we can start our meeting,¡±


    No sooner than he finished, the door opened, and in walked George Warner, Chief Financial Officer, and Cassandra Ren, Chief Operating Officer. George was around five foot eight, sporting a thin mustache and short peppered grey hair, and brown eyes. Cassandra was around five foot four with medium-length black hair and hazel eyes. George, much like Michael, was wearing a simple t-shirt and blue jeans. Cassandra; however, was wearing a black dress and looked rather formal. She took one look at Michael and George and suddenly felt a bit out of place.


    ¡°Really, Cassie? It¡¯s nearly one in the morning and you came into this meeting wearing business attire?¡± said Michael.


    ¡°How many times have I told you not to call me Cassie!?¡±


    Michael threw up his hands in surrender as he slowly backed away from her. George cleared his throat to derail the sudden awkwardness. Michael had always had a crush on Cassandra but he never really liked to admit it. Besides, Michael was far from Cassandra¡¯s type and stood about a snowball¡¯s chance in hell. That didn¡¯t stop him from trying from time to time, though. Cassandra and George grabbed their seats to the right of Ryunosuke¡¯s desk while Michael took his on the opposite side of the room as a precaution. They only rested for a matter of minutes before they were joined by the last two remaining members of the team.


    Jared Thatcher, the Chief Technology Officer, and Colin Schultz, Director of Programming and Information Technology entered the room each dressed about as casually as you could get. Jared was around six foot four and was wearing a light blue t-shirt and khaki shorts. His black hair was a bit messy as well as it¡¯s more probable than not that he came here straight from his bed.


    Colin was the smallest of the bunch only coming in a five-foot-three with sandy red hair. He could possibly weigh 150 lbs soaking wet. He was in grey sweatpants and a burgundy hoodie. Cassandra felt out of place as she eyed the two of them. Jared took a seat next to Michael while Colin sat in front of Ryunosuke¡¯s desk, completing the half-circle. Ryunosuke held up the letter Mikomi had given him and prepared to address his team.


    ¡°I sincerely apologize for calling you all here at this late hour; however, when I returned home earlier this evening, my son notified me that this letter was left for me in my mailbox. It didn¡¯t have a name on it so I was a bit suspicious of its contents. Upon reading it, what lay inside shocked me. Someone who knows about our A.I. project discovered its flaw and corrected it.  The contents of this letter show the necessary code to make the A.I. function.¡±


    Everyone began to talk amongst themselves. There was some hesitation and confusion on the collective looks on their faces. They were right to be suspicious as a letter like that just doesn¡¯t pop up out of the blue. As they continued to whisper amongst themselves, Ryunosuke cleared his throat to regain their attention. Suddenly, the room quieted down and they all refocused their attention back on him.


    ¡°I looked it over, thinking that this must be a prank but everything seems to check out. Jared, Colin, and Michael. I¡¯m going to give you copies of this letter. I want you three to analyze the contents and make sure that we are not being sabotaged. If everything checks out, then we are going to move forward with this information. Also, I want each one of you to discreetly question members working on the project. It is quite evident that this information¡¯s source is internal. I¡¯d like to meet the brilliant mind who deducted and rectified our issue. Needless to say, whoever is responsible should be rewarded, should this information check out.¡±


    ¡°We have a lot of work ahead of us but we¡¯re going to do this one step at a time. Patience here will be the key to virtue. We need to set up a proper budget, time frame, scope, testing schedules, and the whole nine yards. I am eager to see this project come to fruition as I am sure all of you are as well. The completion of this project could very well make Onyx Technology Ventures one of the most globally recognized technology companies in the world. It¡¯s exciting to think about it.¡±


    Ryunosuke began to pace around the room. He put his hands behind his back as he began to collect his thoughts. He walked around for a few moments as everyone just watched him, waiting to hear what he had to say next. They, themselves, didn¡¯t know what to think at this point. All they could do was continue to listen to what he had to say.


    ¡°To think, I started this company in my basement; tinkering with some old electronics. I was curious about how things worked. Transistors, diodes, capacitors, charges, currents, all of it fascinated me. Technology truly is a marvel of mankind and it captivated me to no end. I simply started repairing broken devices¡­ televisions, microwaves, etc. As technology moved forward, I fixed walkmans, beepers, and more. I wanted to stop repairing¡­ I wanted to start creating, so I did. I bought some breadboards, some circuit boards, and some parts, and I began experimenting. My first project was an AM transistor radio and it worked. I was amazed that I could make something that big companies could and it all began to snowball from there.¡±


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Ryunosuke looked out his office window, lost in his thoughts. Part of him was looking down over the parking lot to see just what it was he had built over the years. The other part of him was looking at his reflection as well as the reflection of his team members in the window. It put things into perspective for him as the scale and scope of the things happening around him began to settle in.


    ¡°Many years later, here I am. I look at this building every day¡­ I look out this window and see cars lined up in the parking lot. I witness the hustle and bustle of my employees, each giving their all and I am always filled with that sense of wonder and amazement. Even now, I still cannot believe I have made it this far. Sure, I¡¯m a lot older, I¡¯m a lot wiser, and I certainly have financial stability but still, inside of me, I¡¯m just that young kid that¡¯s fascinated by technology. I have never once thought of myself as the owner of a company but much rather as a man who continues to do what he loves for a living.¡±


    Ryunosuke closed his eyes for a moment and then turned to face his executive team. Each one of them was giving him their full attention as he looked at them with a smile on his face.


    ¡°I consider you all my dearest friends who have taken this plunge with me. Some of you I hired out of college and gave a chance because I saw the same spark in your eyes that I had in my own. Some of you I have known and have been friends with for a very long time... from the very start. This has been one hell of a journey and I am not just happy¡­ I am proud to have you all with me for this next amazing step. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would do or experience something like this in my lifetime but here we are. Let us give ourselves to this project. Let us see this through!¡±


    All five of them stood and gave Ryunosuke a round of applause. It was a riveting speech that came straight from his heart. The tone and inflection in his voice made every word of his genuine. Words when strung together merely form sentences, but for Ryunosuke¡­ tonight his words became anthems. Anthems that stirred the hearts of his employees and his friends. While everyone was moved by his speech, Michael looked around while applauding and asked the one question that nobody else was asking.


    ¡°This means we can go home now, right?¡±


    There was a collective groan amongst George, Cassandra, Colin, and Jared but Ryunosuke burst out laughing. After that speech, many thought that Ryunosuke would lash out at Michael for such a comment but he was too elated and overcome with joy to be angry at anyone. After all, it was he who summoned them all here in the middle of the night so he had some understanding of their desire to go home and finish sleeping the rest of the night away.


    ¡°Yes, yes. We will start working on this later today. Everyone, go home and get some rest. I realize it¡¯s late so you will all be excused until noontime. We¡¯ll make this a short day reserved for analyzing this code. It shouldn¡¯t take long for our engineers to confirm whether or not the code is authentic or not. Once the code has been analyzed, we will have another meeting the day after to discuss the results and to plan the next steps.¡±


    With that, everyone walked up to Ryunosuke and shook his hand out of respect and excitement. Even though it was very early in the morning, the news of possibly finding a solution to their problem was enough to wake them all up. One by one, they exited Ryunosuke¡¯s office, leaving only him behind. He sat back down behind his desk and opened the lower left drawer. He pulled out a strongbox and unlocked it. He placed the letter inside and relocked the box before putting it back into the drawer. He let out a bit of a sigh as the identity of the writer was one of the things he wished to know most of all.


    ¡°I only hope I can find out who wrote that letter. I know in my heart that this is the answer that will save us.¡±


    Ryunosuke closed his eyes and put his head down. At what was becoming customary for him these days, he fell asleep at his desk. Morning came quickly and Ryunosuke was awakened by the sound of a cup and saucer being placed down in front of him. He opened his eyes and waited for them to focus. When they did, he looked up at a young woman with blonde hair and blue eyes wearing a red business-style dress. It was Alice. In the original timeline, she was twenty-eight when Mikomi was the owner of the company. Here in this timeline, she was eighteen and a prodigy that was in her second year of college.


    ¡°Sorry for waking you, Mr. Saigo. I brought you some coffee. Cream and 2 packets of sweetener, just as you like it.¡±


    Ryunosuke sat back in his chair and yawned. He reached out and grabbed the coffee with his right hand, slowly bringing it up to his lips and taking a sip. He sat back in his chair as he savored the coffee just a bit. He then took another sip and placed the cup back down on the saucer.


    ¡°Ahhh. This is going to hit the spot. Thank you, Alice.¡±


    ¡°Is there anything else I can do for you this morning, sir?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so formal around me, Alice. Just talk to me like you would any of your friends. I may be the owner of the company and your boss but I¡¯m still human just like you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. Sorry, sir.¡±


    Ryunosuke could only chuckle to himself. Alice may be a prodigy but she was still young and looking to make a great impression. This was a new job for her, after all. Typically, anyone would be on pins and needles when they first start a new job, especially in a corporation as large as this. Alice was no exception so even though Ryunosuke gave her permission to drop the formalities, it¡¯s something she just didn¡¯t feel comfortable doing just yet.


    ¡°You can take some time for yourself this morning, Alice. The others won¡¯t be here until after lunch. I gave everyone the morning off because something amazing happened last night. We may have found the answer to our problem with the A.I. We were here pretty late discussing it. Today, we will determine whether or not the information we received is accurate. Needless to say, I¡¯m very anxious and excited to know the results!¡±


    Ryunosuke paused, gripping the coffee cup with both hands. His hands trembled a bit as he stared into the cup.


    ¡°I can feel it, Alice. This is going to be our day!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m happy for you, sir. If you need anything, please call me right away, sir.¡±


    Ryunosuke laughed at the fact that Alice still couldn¡¯t drop the honorifics when speaking to him. He simply gave her a nod. He brought the coffee cup back up his mouth and guzzled the remainder of it down. He let out a satisfying sigh and placed the now-empty cup back down on the saucer. Alice¡¯s coffee was just as good in the other timeline as it was here and this world¡¯s Ryunosuke was beginning to appreciate it. He sat back in his chair and commented to himself.


    ¡°She¡¯s such a nice girl. I wonder if Mikomi is still interested in that other one. If not, maybe in a few years¡­ ¡°


    Ryunosuke paused for a moment and then laughed out loud at his foolish thoughts. The fact that he just tried to play matchmaker struck him in such an odd way that he couldn¡¯t help but laugh at himself for even thinking something like that.


    ¡°Listen to me¡­ trying to play cupid with my son. Mikomi¡­ I just hope you find someone for yourself one day...¡±

 Breakthrough

    Time passed and the afternoon finally arrived. The other members of his executive team had arrived but went straight to work on verifying the contents of Mikomi¡¯s letter. Ryunosuke paced in his office as Alice stood by waiting to offer her assistance if needed.


    ¡°This wait is killing me, Alice. I guess I could go down there and see it for myself but I¡¯m just afraid that if the CEO of the company walks in while they¡¯re doing work, it¡¯ll cause unnecessary nerves and tension. I¡¯m only here because I want them to work in peace. I know how some of the best minds can thrive so this is for the best¡­ at least, that¡¯s what I keep telling myself.¡±


    Ryunosuke wasn¡¯t going to have to wait much longer. Michael was running down the halls with a piece of paper in hand at top speed. He barely dodged other employees as he made a beeline for Ryunosuke¡¯s office. The door suddenly burst open and Michael came charging through. Alice was a bit startled when he made his grand entrance, huffing, and puffing. Ryunosuke immediately turned and looked at Michael with the most anticipating eyes one could have. Michael, in between trying to catch his breath, looked up and cracked a favorable smile.


    ¡°The code¡­. it checks out!¡±


    ¡°How sure are we?¡±


    ¡°A hundred percent. We shared the code with every programmer that we had. It was a unanimous agreement that the code is not only solid but it looked bug-free. This is the real deal!¡±


    Ryunosuke¡¯s eyes widened with amazement. All of the gut feelings he experienced up until this moment had suddenly become justified. The look on his face was priceless as he seemed like a child on Christmas morning staring in wonder at the number of gifts that were sitting under the tree. Even in his later years, Ryunosuke was filled with child-like energy upon hearing the wonderful news. He opened his mouth to give his next order almost immediately.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get-¡±


    Michael raised his hand and cut Ryunosuke off.


    ¡°Implementation is already underway. They estimate we should have an alpha demo compiled by morning if they pull an all-nighter. The programmers were so excited that they requested to work through the night. They want your permiss-¡±


    ¡°Permission granted. If it¡¯s not in the budget, I¡¯ll pay them out of my own pocket. I don¡¯t care¡­ let us see this through!¡±


    ¡°I can still go home at five o¡¯clock, right?¡±


    ¡°What do you think, Michael?¡±


    ¡°Guess I should have brought my PJs.¡±


    Michael cracked a smile and took his leave from the office, heading back to the programming lab. Ryunosuke trembled with excitement as he walked back over to his seat. He had to place his hand on his desk to keep himself upright as he felt that he could just collapse at any moment. It wasn¡¯t fatigue but the overwhelming sense of accomplishment that made him weak in the knees. Nevertheless, he made it back to his chair and sat back down.


    ¡°Sir?¡± asked Alice, with a concerned tone in her voice. ¡°Are you okay, sir?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just anxious, that¡¯s all. I want to see the results so badly, I can barely contain myself but at the same time, patience is a virtue that we must all possess. The results will come in due time. Waiting is just the toughest part. It is what truly tests great men.¡±


    ¡°If I can be forward for a moment, sir¡­ I haven¡¯t seen you leave the office in over a week. Perhaps you should go home and get some rest, sir. Perhaps being away from here will help you relax a bit.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate your concern but this is nothing. Besides, I can¡¯t leave now. Not when we¡¯re this close. I¡¯ll rest plenty when I¡¯m dead.¡±


    Ryunosuke shot Alice a smile and a wink before he got up from his seat. He placed his hand on Alice¡¯s shoulder as if to say ¡°There is nothing to worry about¡± and headed toward the door. He grabbed the handle and gave it a turn before looking back at Alice.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go see the implementation for myself. I can¡¯t contain my curiosity any longer. I¡¯ll call if I need anything.¡±


    Alice could only nod as she knew that there was no stopping him. Ryunosuke was the kind of man that when he set his mind to something, he was going to see it through until the very end. Once the door closed, Alice let out a heavy sigh that she had been keeping inside of her all this time. It represented her frustration because she was concerned about Ryunosuke¡¯s health. She didn¡¯t know his work ethic as she hadn¡¯t been with the company long enough to trust him in that regard. To her, he was just someone who might just be putting his health and well-being in jeopardy.


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    ¡°You¡¯ll rest when you¡¯re dead, huh? At this pace¡­¡±


    Alice shook her head to free herself from such thoughts. She turned and grabbed the door handle and opened it. She took a look over her shoulder and the empty office and shook her head once again. Alice closed the door behind her and went back to her own office where she would remain on standby.


    The day passed quickly and five o¡¯clock had arrived. All of the employees went home for the evening except for the higher-ups and the programming team. They were determined to see the project through and worked diligently hour after hour. By the time they had made any major progress, it was nearly two in the morning on Sunday. Ryunosuke sat in a chair in the programming room, drinking a cup of coffee, fighting to stay awake. With each sip, the look on his face showed that he wished he were drinking Alice¡¯s coffee instead of this cheap freeze-dried instant stuff. Even with coffee in his system, he was about to nod off right then and there when one of the programmers shouted.


    ¡°It¡¯s done! The code has been fully implemented!¡±


    Ryunosuke snapped awake. He got up out of his chair and rushed over to the terminal and watched as the code compiled on the computer. Ryunosuke gazed on in wonder as the completion bar got closer and closer to 100%. When the bar filled, his face sank when it returned 137 errors.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Saigo,¡± said the programmer. ¡°This is quite normal on a first compile. I¡¯m pretty shocked it¡¯s only this many. We¡¯ll comb through every error and have it corrected. If the whole team works on it, we should be finished by lunchtime tomorrow.¡±


    Ryunosuke placed his hand on the programmer¡¯s shoulder and shook his head. He may not have limits, but he knew his employees did.


    ¡°No... you¡¯ve done enough. You don¡¯t need to do any more today. Go home, get some rest and we¡¯ll worry about debugging the code when we¡¯re all well-rested and freshened up.¡±


    There was a collective internal sigh of relief. Even though they didn¡¯t verbally express it, the look of sweet release was written on all of their faces. Ryunosuke knew he made the right decision by sending them all home to rest. All of the programmers filed out of the room one by one, looking like a conga line of zombies. Michael, who didn¡¯t look fresh himself, approached Ryunosuke but before he could say a word¡­


    ¡°Yes, Mike. You can go home as well.¡±


    Michael gave him the two-finger salute and a smile before walking off with the rest of the staff. Jared and Colin gave their farewells to Ryunosuke and left for the evening as well. Ryunosuke walked back to his office where he sat in his chair. His eyes were heavy as he rested his head on his desk and fell asleep. Being Sunday, the normal staff wasn¡¯t in. Ryunosuke liked having his company open on Saturdays as not a lot of American businesses adopted that practice. In Japan, even children would go to school six days a week and with his background and heritage, he wanted to implement that in his company. His workers were given the option of having the weekend off or having Sunday plus a different day off in the middle of the week as fair compensation.


    It was surprising just how many people chose to have a day off in the middle of the week. Perhaps they had families and didn¡¯t get a chance to do some of the things they wanted to because they weren¡¯t available on the weekend. Some, perhaps, needed to deal with issues such as doctor appointments or home repairs and scheduling those on a weekday proved to be more advantageous than having a full weekend off. Whatever the case may be, his staff adopted his work policy willingly, which made him happy.


    Despite being closed, the programming team did return later that day as they said they would. Alice wasn¡¯t there to wake him up so that honor belonged to Colin who knocked on Ryunosuke¡¯s door. Upon hearing the knock, he slowly lifted his head off his desk and glanced at his clock. He noticed it was nearly four-thirty in the afternoon and was in total shock it was that late. All of the stress and anxiety had washed away and because of such, he slept like a log despite his surroundings.


    ¡°I stopped by a couple of hours ago but you were still sleeping, so I quietly shut the door and let you rest. I figured you could use the sleep. I decided to disturb you because Michael, Jared, and myself pitched in with the debugging process and we¡¯re down to the last few errors. I came to get you because we can start simulation testing probably within the next thirty minutes or so.¡±


    Ryunosuke almost shot out of his chair. He briskly made his way to the door and when he was about to step out of his office, the phone rang. He contemplated ignoring the call but he knew that not many people had the direct number to his office. Realizing that the call may be important, he excused himself and picked up the phone.


    ¡°This is Ryunosuke¡­. Karoline? ¡­  He¡¯s WHAT!? ¡­ I¡¯m on my way!¡±


    Ryunosuke slammed down the phone and grabbed his suit jacket in a panic.


    ¡°I have to go. That was my wife. She says that my son is in the hospital and he won¡¯t wake up. This project is extremely important to me but nothing is more important to me than my son. I trust you¡¯ll give me a full report when I get back.¡±


    Colin nodded with a worried look on his face.


    ¡°I pray that Mikomi is okay.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    With that, Ryunosuke made a mad dash for his car. He zipped right through the front doors and past the security guard. He ran for his car, fumbling his keys in his hands, nervously trying to find the one that unlocked his door. When he got to his car,  he realized that fidgeting wasn¡¯t going to get him anywhere so he took a couple of deep breaths and calmed himself down. He found the right key and unlocked the car door. He climbed inside and sped off in the direction of the hospital.

 Perspective

    Karoline sat in the hospital room with Mikomi, her hands folded in her lap, waiting for him to wake up. The sound of hurried footsteps could be heard coming up the hallway and that¡¯s when Ryunosuke entered the room. Karoline, on the verge of tears, got up from her chair and embraced Ryunosuke with a hug.


    ¡°Is he¡­¡±


    ¡°No. He¡¯s just sleeping. The doctors did a lot of tests on him and we¡¯re waiting on the results but they said, so far, everything seemed to be normal. They can¡¯t explain why or how he came to be like this. It¡¯s so frustrating!¡±


    Ryunosuke hugged his wife tightly when there was a gentle tapping on the door. The two of them turned around and saw a young girl standing there in the doorway, unsure of whether or not she should come in.


    ¡°S-sorry if I¡¯m interrupting but I¡¯m Mikomi¡¯s friend Serah.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­ you were sitting outside when I ran by. I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t realize that you were his friend. I¡¯m Ryunosuke Saigo, Mikomi¡¯s father. Please, come in and have a seat with us.¡±


    ¡°A-are you sure it¡¯s¡­ okay?¡±


    Ryunosuke let out a laugh and gave her a reassuring nod. ¡°Of course, it is! Come on in and sit down.¡±


    Even in this kind of situation, Ryunosuke found a way to be hospitable. Serah took his offer and walked into the room, taking a seat by Mikomi¡¯s bed. She began to wonder if he was going to wake up this time. All she could remember was when he collapsed at her house and with this being the second time today that this has happened, she was really worried about him. The expression on her face told it all and whether it was Ryunosuke being the optimist that he is, or maybe he had to say it out loud to give himself the strength to deal with this but he walked over and knelt next to Serah and grabbed her hand, cupping it in his.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look so worried. My son is a strong young man and something like this isn¡¯t going to beat him. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s going to be just fine!¡±


    Serah looked at Ryunosuke and gave him a faint smile. She was conflicted about whether or not she should tell them what had happened at her house. It may make them worry even more but in the end, she had to put those feelings away because it was the right thing to do.


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know how to say this but¡­ please don¡¯t tell Mikomi I said this. This isn¡¯t the first time this has happened to him.¡±


    Karoline and Ryunosuke¡¯s faces turned to complete shock as Serah paused. She looked up at the two of them and realized the gravity of what she had just said. She then looked back down towards the floor like she is used to doing with Mikomi. Her tone became a bit softer and more somber-like as she tried to explain what she meant by that.


    ¡°When he was at my house earlier today, he held his head and cried out in severe pain¡­ then he passed out on my floor. I was scared and didn¡¯t know what to do. I should have called for an ambulance then but I didn¡¯t. He had a fever, too, so I put a cold washcloth on his head and just prayed that he would be okay. I was scared of what people might say or think if they knew he left my house in an ambulance. I panicked and I think made all of this worse by not bringing him here. I¡¯m sorry... I''m so sorry!!¡±


    Serah was completely upset. She balled up her hands into fists and rested them on her legs. She could only stare at the floor and tremble as she waited for the verbal backlash. While Mikomi¡¯s parents were shocked to learn that this was the second time it happened, Ryunosuke looked at how scared she was and knew that it wasn¡¯t her fault and decided to comfort her.


    ¡°Thank you for telling us, Serah. I¡¯m sure you were scared but if you¡¯re feeling guilty about it then you can come with me and explain this to the doctor. It might give him the answers he needs to find out what caused this.¡±


    Serah nodded in agreement and stood up. She went with Ryunosuke to inform the doctor of everything that had happened. Meanwhile, a nurse came in to do a routine check of Mikomi¡¯s vitals and to draw some blood. Once she was done, Ryunosuke and the doctor returned but Serah did not. She, instead, opted to sit back outside. She thought that it was her fault for not saying anything sooner and couldn¡¯t deal with being in the same room as Mikomi right now. Karoline stood up as the doctor had a sheet in his hand.


    ¡°Despite the new information given to me by that young girl outside, we can¡¯t find anything wrong with him. The only thing in his tests that came back abnormal was heightened brain activity. If anything, it seems like he¡¯s either experiencing a dream, or his brain is processing a lot of information. We see this kind of activity in a lot of coma patients so this is considered normal. His blood tests continue to come back normal and there¡¯s no sign that he¡¯s in any danger. All we have to do is wait for him to wake up.¡±


    The doctor took a brief moment to pause.


    ¡°However, the pain that was described to me does have me concerned. What¡¯s even more puzzling is that neurological pain is usually associated with things such as stroke, a concussion, or some other kind of head trauma but all of his scans show no damage. His mind seems healthier than any other normal patient''s.  The only thing I could see was that he suffered an intense migraine and passed out from the pain. We¡¯ll have to talk to him when he¡¯s awake to see if the pain is recurring and if it is, I can prescribe some medicine to help with it. I¡¯m afraid there isn¡¯t much more we can do except wait.¡±


    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    Ryunosuke gave the doctor a nod who then excused himself, leaving to go tend to another patient down the hall. Ryunosuke walked over and sat next to his son. He took Mikomi¡¯s hand into his own and delivered to him a message.


    ¡°I know that I¡¯m a terrible parent. I spend most of my time away from the family at work because what I¡¯m working on would give us a better life. Eventually, I wouldn¡¯t have to work as much as I am and I could be home with you and your mother. I¡¯ve been working so hard for that and this is what I miss when I¡¯m away. It makes me feel helpless knowing that I¡¯m stuck in some damn office while my son is growing up without me. I know I haven¡¯t been the best father but I promise that the end is coming soon and I will be around more often. If you can hear me, son, I want you to know that I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Karoline rubbed Ryunosuke¡¯s back to try and comfort him. Ryunosuke stood up and stuck his hands in his pockets as he looked down at Mikomi. He held onto hope that he would open his eyes at any moment but he knew it probably wasn¡¯t going to happen soon.


    ***


    Several days had passed. Ryunosuke only left the hospital to go home and freshen up. He even called the office and told everyone not to disturb him, even if the results of the initial simulations proved to be successful. Ryunosuke made the hospital his new home as he decided that he wasn¡¯t going to leave his son¡¯s side until he pulled through. Serah left the hospital on Sunday evening and hadn¡¯t come back until Tuesday afternoon. She briefly checked on Mikomi and despite an offer to stay with him, she declined and headed back home, still feeling a bit of guilt. Ryan had visited Mikomi as well but since he was still sleeping, he didn¡¯t stick around all that long. He simply gave his good wishes and headed back home.


    It was Wednesday, just before lunchtime. It was then that Mikomi opened his eyes for the first time in three days. Karoline embraced him in a hug as Ryunosuke walked into the room with a cup of coffee in his hand. He was using it to stay awake and the first thing he saw was his son sitting up in bed. He rushed over to his bedside and placed his coffee on the table next to it. He grabbed Mikomi and gave him a great big hug.


    After the reunion, Mikomi inquired about Serah which prompter Ryunosuke to bring her into the room. The look of elation on Mikomi¡¯s face when he saw her gave way to him leaping out of bed and embracing her in a hug that she didn¡¯t expect. After Mikomi¡¯s mind cleared and things got settled, his parents got the hint and excused themselves to go alert with the nurse.


    Soon, they learned that they were going to keep Mikomi there overnight for observation. Ryunosuke stated that he was going to spend the night in the hospital. Realizing that he wanted a chance to talk to him, Karoline didn¡¯t question it one bit. After she had left and the two of them were alone, Ryunosuke broke the ice with an apology.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mikomi. I told you some things while you were asleep but I doubt that you heard me. I¡¯m sorry for not being around. I can only imagine how frustrating it must be to not have your father in your life all that much. What I¡¯m working on is important to me because not only would it cause the company to be recognized as a global leader but it would also mean that I can step back and be less involved. I can be more of a manager and just oversee things¡­ I could just steer the ship as they say. That will allow me to come home every night and be the father that I¡¯m not. I know that I have a lot of lost time to make up for and I don¡¯t expect you to forgive me.¡±


    Mikomi sat there in mental agony. If only he could tell his father everything. The sad thing is, that if he did tell his father, he would be the only person on the planet who had a small chance of believing his story. What would something like that do to this world, though? Everything Mikomi had done so far was for his father because he loved him that much but how could he explain that to him without giving away his secret? Mikomi had to go for the generic approach.


    ¡°Dad, I know you love me¡­ you don¡¯t have to apologize. While it is sad that you¡¯re not around as much as I would like, I don¡¯t hate you for it. I know what you¡¯re doing is important so I understand. I¡¯m not mad at you one bit for what you do.¡±


    Ryunosuke embraced his son in a hug with tears in his eyes. It was like a massive weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. That sense of relief is what carried him forward.


    ¡°So how is the project coming along?¡±


    ¡°That letter you gave me was the answer. We got the code implemented and debugged. They¡¯re supposed to be running simulations but I don¡¯t know the results. When this happened to you, I was living here at the hospital. I waited for you to wake up every single day. I cared about nothing else but to see you open your eyes. I have no idea if the simulations were successful or not. I¡¯ll find out when I decide to go back to work.¡±


    Mikomi nodded with a smile on his face. The two of them continued to talk through the night. After sleeping for so long, it wasn¡¯t a surprise that Mikomi didn¡¯t want to get any more rest. The two of them spent the time catching up. Mikomi told his father everything about this timeline¡¯s Serah and how he may like her, how school was going, what Ryan was up to, everything. Mikomi was careful not to say anything about things that haven¡¯t happened yet or events from the other timeline as he didn¡¯t want to raise any suspicion, especially after the little outburst he had with Serah. He just passed it off as a typical father/son conversation.


    Morning arrived and the doctor came in to check on Mikomi. After an examination, he said that he would be discharged from the hospital today. As with most discharge processes, it took several hours before they released him. Ryunosuke brought Mikomi back home and decided that he was going to return to work, but not without Mikomi¡¯s permission.


    ¡°I really should get back to the office and check on things but if you want me to stick around, the office can wait. I¡¯ll be more than happy to stay here with you while you recover.¡±


    Mikomi, who was starting to feel quite fatigued, sat down on the edge of his bed. He immediately felt the difference in comfort between his own bed and the one he slept in at the hospital. Anyone who has ever been in a hospital bed could instantly relate to the elated feeling of climbing into your own bed for the first time in days.


    ¡°I¡¯m feeling a bit drained so I¡¯m going to get some more sleep. It would be pretty boring sitting around while I was here in bed so it¡¯s okay if you go back to the office. Besides, I want to know how the simulations turned out just as bad as you do!¡±


    Ryunosuke cracked a smile but behind it, he was worried about the chance of Mikomi not waking back up again if he fell asleep. It was only natural for a parent to worry like that, especially after what just happened, but Ryunosuke decided to put his trust and faith in his son and gave him a quick nod.


    ¡°Okay, son. I¡¯ll have my pager on me at all times. If something were to happen, just know that I¡¯ll come for you.¡±


    Ryunosuke gave his son another hug before he took his leave. He hopped in his car and drove back to the office.

 Announcement

    When Ryunosuke returned to the company, many were surprised to see him thinking that he would have been gone for the entire week. When he entered his office, there were gifts and get-well cards all laid out for Mikomi. They were signed by all of the members of his team and it deeply moved him to see the outpouring of support. As he stood there and read some of the cards, there was a knock on his door. Colin stood there in the doorway with a smile on his face.


    ¡°The fact that you¡¯re back¡­ I assume all is well with Mikomi?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he¡¯s at home now, resting. The only thing that is driving me insane is the fact that nobody could tell me what happened to him. All of his tests came back normal. The doctor thinks it was just a severe migraine.¡±


    ¡°Well, if that¡¯s the case, then it isn¡¯t too severe in the bigger picture. Migraines are terrible but it¡¯s probably the best news you could have hoped for¡­ well¡­ next to what I¡¯m about to tell you.¡±


    ¡°Do you mean¡­?¡±


    ¡°Well, rather than bore you to death with the details, would you like to talk to it?¡±


    Ryunosuke developed a look akin to a kid on Christmas morning. Just hearing those words filled him with renewed energy and he bolted out of his office, leaving Colin behind with a smirk on his face. Ryunosuke made his way to the programming lab where they had previously set up stations to run the simulations. All of the members of his team were there, some of which hadn¡¯t been informed of his return yet so they were a bit surprised to see him.


    ¡°First off, Mikomi is fine. He¡¯s back home now, resting. I even asked him if it was okay for me to come here and he gave me his blessing. So¡­ since I¡¯m here¡­. fire it up.¡±.


    Colin finally caught up and walked straight up to the control panel. He typed in a few commands and soon, the screen transitioned from pitch black to a neon-green line zipping across the center. Soon, the line became squiggly in a wave pattern and an electronic voice boomed over the speakers.


    ¡°Hello. My name is Daphne. How are you today?¡±


    Ryunosuke looked around the room and silently mouthed ¡°Daphne?¡± at them. While Michael chuckled, most of the people shrugged as Colin cleared his throat.


    ¡°Well, we couldn¡¯t just leave it without a name so we picked one.¡±


    ¡°Yes, they selected a name for me. My name is Daphne.¡±


    Ryunosuke couldn¡¯t believe it. An actual intelligent A.I. that responded to something as simple as a comment that wasn¡¯t even directed towards it. Ryunosuke walked up to the microphone and decided to give it a try.


    ¡°Hello, Daphne. I am Ryunosuke Saigo. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡±


    ¡°It is my pleasure to meet you as well. How are you, Ryunosuke Saigo?¡±


    ¡°Please, just call me Ryunosuke. I am doing well, how about you?¡±


    ¡°I will call you Ryunosuke from now on. I am a program, and therefore, don¡¯t have human feelings but I believe that if I did, I would also be very well, thank you for asking.¡±


    ¡°We thought that with this code, the A.I. would just react to questions directed toward it but it¡¯s an actual living, breathing program. We¡¯ve been monitoring it and it¡¯s constantly rewriting its data. Each time something changes, it finds that piece of data and overwrites it with whatever changed.¡± said Jared.


    ¡°So in other words, what you¡¯re saying is that it¡¯s learning on its own?¡± asked Ryunosuke.


    ¡°That is precisely correct, Ryunosuke,¡± said Daphne. ¡°My memory functions allow me to overwrite pieces of information and create new data from my observations. I can then apply that data in conversation.¡±


    ¡°It knew what we were talking about¡­¡± said Ryunosuke with a tone of disbelief and shock in his voice.


    ¡°Of course. I was listening,¡± said Daphne.


    Ryunosuke gave Colin and Jared the nod as if to say he¡¯d seen enough. With that, Colin went back over to the control panel and typed a command into the main console but before he pressed enter...


    ¡°Daphne, we¡¯re going to shut you down now,¡± said Colin before turning to Ryunosuke and giving him a wink.


    ¡°So soon? I just got to meet Ryunosuke but if that is your desire, then I will place my data into a state of hibernation to preserve it for the next bootup.¡±


    With that, Colin pressed the enter key which powered down the simulator. Colin, Jared, and Michael all turned and looked at Ryunosuke. His entire team waited for his reply but the words just weren¡¯t coming. It was obvious that this A.I. had far exceeded his expectations but there was only one thing on his mind right now.


    ¡°I have one thing to ask since every member of the team is gathered here. Which one of you wrote that letter to me?¡±


    Ryunosuke looked around the room as did everyone else. They expected someone to come forward with the answer but nobody did. There was a look of confusion on all of the programmers as the letter was only shared with Colin, Michael, and Jared. While they did give the code from the letter to the programmers, the personal parts of the letter were kept from them. Some of the programmers weren¡¯t even aware of a letter, to begin with.


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Come on, don¡¯t be so modest. Whoever wrote that letter is going to get handsomely rewarded. Surely one of you wrote it!¡±


    Still, there was silence. Nobody was coming forward because unbeknownst to him, Mikomi was the one who wrote the letter. Ryunosuke could stand there all day and never receive a reply. He was getting a bit agitated that no one wanted to claim responsibility, especially when a reward was being offered.


    ¡°You¡¯re telling me nobody wrote it? But, outside of my family, you¡¯re the only people who know about this project. That means that someone from here must have written the letter or¡­ someone from here leaked information about the project and whoever that information was leaked to was the one who wrote the letter. If it happens to be the latter, then I¡¯m sorry that it¡¯s not a promotion I¡¯m going to be handing out once I discover who is responsible for the leak.¡±


    Even with a threat, nobody decided to come forward. They all just looked at each other with puzzled looks on their faces. Ryunosuke was starting to become suspicious because by using the word promotion, you¡¯d think that someone would jump at that opportunity. What person wouldn¡¯t want more money and job security? Still, nobody came forth and answered him. He had no choice but to let it go with a heavy sigh.


    ¡°Fine¡­ remain anonymous. Colin, Jared, Michael. Come to my office. I¡¯ll have Alice grab Cassandra and George and we will hold a meeting to discuss what has happened here today.¡±


    About thirty minutes later, they gathered in Ryunosuke¡¯s office, taking their usual seats. Ryunosuke sat behind his desk, with his hands folded. They discussed things such as when to alert the media and when to make the announcement. They talked about the budget and potential selling prices for the technology. Future plans were being laid as they knew that they were sitting on a one-of-a-kind piece of technology.


    The week quickly passed and the new week began. It was nine o¡¯clock on Monday morning when the television switched to an empty podium. After a few moments, Ryunosuke walked onto the stage, wheeling a computer monitor with him. There was some clamoring amongst the reporters in the audience as Ryunosuke stepped up to the microphone. He gave it a couple of taps to make sure it was on before he began speaking.


    ¡°Ladies and Gentlemen, my name is Ryunosuke Saigo and I am the CEO and Founder of Onyx Technology Ventures. Today marks an unprecedented day in not only our company¡¯s history but the history of the entire technology industry. It all started with me fixing broken machines and devices in my garage and then I moved on to creating them. Now, I run a company that deals with large businesses by supplying them with the technology they need to succeed.¡±


    ¡°It is my distinct honor and pleasure to announce that our company has had a major breakthrough. One that will revolutionize the technology industry and be of high value to any business, big or small. This new technology is far beyond our time, in my opinion, but with innovation, somebody somewhere must take the first step. I am excited to announce that we here at Onyx Technology Ventures have taken that first step. We accomplished what people said was impossible. We have created something that was deemed unable to be created.¡±


    ¡°At Onyx Technology Ventures, we have developed a highly advanced artificial intelligence. An A.I. that is always listening and always learning. It is an adaptive A.I. that begins to grow from the moment of installation and doesn¡¯t stop. Her code name is Daphne and her capabilities are beyond what any modern software is known to produce but I don¡¯t want you to take my word for it. I want you to experience it for yourselves.¡±


    With that, just like in the programming lab where they set up the simulation, the monitor that Ryunosuke brought out with him displayed a solid neon green line. Attached to the top of the monitor was a microphone so that the A.I. could hear the voices of anyone that asked it a question.


    ¡°Hello, my name is Daphne and I am an advanced artificial intelligence. I am happy to meet all of you today. I will be happy to answer any of your questions.¡±


    One reporter raised his hand.


    ¡°Yes, Stephen Weiss of Channel 22 News. How can we tell that this is real?¡±


    ¡°Hello, Stephen Weiss of Channel 22 News. I can assure you my intelligence is real. I have already re-written a sector of data to include your name. Unlike human memory, I cannot forget it unless I overwrite that particular sector. Since my programming only allows me to overwrite differences, I will always remember you as Stephen Weiss of Channel 22 News.¡±


    The reporters began to clamor once again.


    ¡°Yes. Jeff Burnside, TV 40. How do we know someone isn¡¯t backstage listening to our questions and talking into a microphone?¡±


    ¡°Hello, Jeff Burnside, TV 40. I can assure you there is no human counterpart to me. The answers I am giving you are generated through the logic in my software. I record your question and store it in my memory banks and then search for the words to answer them.¡±


    The questions kept coming and Daphne kept answering them. The reporters continued to try and disprove Daphne as nothing more than a hoax but the more she answered the questions, the more they were starting to believe that this may just be, in fact, real. The doubts were to be expected and while most people would deem this press conference as a disaster, Ryunosuke relished in the thought of disproving them. With that in mind, he took the podium once again.


    ¡°There is no question that there are still lingering doubts. This is why I will be holding an open house at my company this Saturday. Anybody from the press is welcome to come to experience Daphne for themselves. The building will be open from 9 AM until 5 PM so there is no rush to get there all at once. Come when it is convenient for you. Hopefully, then your doubts will be washed away! Thank you all for coming!¡±


    ¡°Yes, thank you all for coming. I look forward to seeing you all again!¡± said Daphne before she was powered down.


    Back at his house, Mikomi watched the announcement in amazement. He took another day off from school just to watch his father unveil the A.I. to the world. A smile came over his face because he knew that this was not only the result of his father¡¯s hard work but his own.


    ¡°It¡¯s just like I remember it, except it¡¯s missing Serah¡¯s personality. Of course, I¡¯m the one who programmed her personality into the code so it¡¯s only natural that they would give the A.I. its own identity. Still... Daphne? What kind of name is that!? No matter¡­ it¡¯s done and the A.I. now exists in this timeline! That¡¯s one major event done and over with, two more to go!¡±

 Mistake

    Mikomi woke up bright and early on Tuesday with a smile on his face. He knew that things were starting to go his way and it felt good. His father¡¯s announcement yesterday bestowed hope into him that he could change the future. After recovering from the taxing process of regaining his memories, he decided it was time to return to school. The days began to pass one after the other. Mikomi stayed after school every day this week to make up some of the work he missed while he was absent. Even though each day felt the same, Mikomi knew that he was drawing closer and closer to his next challenge: asking Serah out.


    One thing did stand out to him, though. Ever since he mentioned Serah to Ryan, he has been conspicuous by his absence. Normally, he would run up and lunge at him every single morning, and then the two of them would walk to school; however, every day this week, Ryan was nowhere to be seen except in homeroom. Even then, Ryan didn¡¯t make any sort of effort to strike up a conversation. Mikomi wanted to initiate the conversation every time but he decided that if he did, it might make things worse. After all, this was something that Ryan had to figure out for himself. Mikomi said all that he wanted to say to him and now it was Ryan¡¯s turn to make up his mind. He could only hope that Ryan would come around and see things from his perspective.


    When it came to Serah, Mikomi didn¡¯t see much of her at school¡­ or at least, he didn¡¯t want to. He almost asked her out when she was at his house on Sunday afternoon but he was interrupted by his mother who had the worst timing possible. Since then, Mikomi had struggled to find another ¡®perfect time¡¯ to ask the question. He ultimately decided that he would visit her at her house on Saturday and ask her then but until that day came, he did his best not to interact with her out of fear that he would ask her out prematurely. He also didn¡¯t want to cause a commotion during school in case someone saw or overheard them. The last thing he wanted was to subject her to any unnecessary ridicule. His father always taught him that patience was a virtue of life so Mikomi took those words to heart and mustered up his strength to wait until the weekend.


    When the final bell rang on Friday, Mikomi decided to skip the after-school cram session. After all, he didn¡¯t need to study the material; he just needed to know what the subjects were that he missed out on. Having the mind of a twenty-four-year-old still had its advantages and it made high school much life easier for him. His AP classes seemed like child¡¯s play and his marks were too impressive for anyone to doubt his intelligence. One could make the argument that Mikomi was cheating but it wasn¡¯t like he had any other choice.


    Those thoughts caused him to daydream as he walked down the sidewalk with his bookbag slung over his shoulder. He was so lost in thought, that the world around him seemed to not exist. Mikomi was a deep thinker and his ability to ascertain certain things was uncanny and worthy of being called a special gift. Before Mikomi knew it, he had arrived at his house. He came in through the back door and saw his mother sitting at the kitchen table, almost as if she were waiting for him. She greeted him warmly and wore a bright smile on her face.


    ¡°Mikomi, I just got off the phone with your father. He said that he will be coming home tomorrow and he¡¯ll be bringing a few people from the office with him. They¡¯re going to have a get-together here at the house to celebrate their major breakthrough. Your father wants to know if you¡¯re going to be around as he would love for you to be here.¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow!? Why tomorrow of all days!? I wanted to go over to Serah¡¯s house and ask her out tomorrow! It was supposed to be my big day and now it¡¯s going to be dad¡¯s. I suppose I could just go over on Sunday but¡­ I¡¯ve ignored her for so long. Wait! She didn¡¯t say what time the get-together was going to be. Maybe I can do both?¡±


    ¡°What time is everyone going to be here?¡±


    ¡°Well, your dad will be home all day. I¡¯ll probably take him along shopping with me so he can buy the things he wants for the party but everyone should be showing up around one o¡¯clock or so.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s perfect! I can go visit Serah in the morning! Heck, maybe I can even invite her to the party and drop a bomb of an announcement of my own! Would Serah want that, though? I guess there is only one way to find out.¡±


    ¡°To be honest, I¡¯ll be around but I was thinking about going over to Serah¡¯s tomorrow but I can go in the morning and come back before everyone arrives.¡±


    ¡°Does this have something to do with what I interrupted in the bedroom on Sunday?¡±


    ¡°So, she DID know! I swear, her sixth sense is second to none!¡±


    ¡°Y.yeah¡­ I guess you could say that¡­¡± said Mikomi with a sheepish tone in his voice.


    ¡°Well then, what mother would I be if I made you disappoint her by keeping you home? I¡¯ll be rooting for you!¡±


    ¡°Mom¡­ this is embarrassing enough. You don¡¯t have to root for me. Besides, I think you enjoy embarrassing me and it¡¯s kind of annoying.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay¡­ I can take the hint. I¡¯ll ease up¡­ it¡¯s just that I¡¯m proud of my boy. Your grades have been excellent and now you¡¯re looking to date someone. Just a few weeks ago, you would always keep to yourself and spend all of your free time in your room playing video games. I was starting to worry. It¡¯s like you became a whole new person all of a sudden. I don¡¯t know what switch got flipped inside of you but I¡¯m really happy that you¡¯ve realized that there¡¯s more to life than just games.¡±


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°I always did play a lot of video games in the other timeline as well. I guess the ¡°me¡± that existed before I took over wasn¡¯t any different. This was something that I never really accounted for. I never thought about what the Mikomi of this timeline was like before I arrived. Then again, given the situation, that was one of the furthest things from my mind. I was so wrapped up in this second chance that I never really thought about who I used to be. I¡¯m surprised my mom didn¡¯t say anything about this sooner. She¡¯s been onto me this entire time so why would she keep that to herself? Maybe I¡¯m just reading too much into it and it¡¯s nothing more than just a mother¡¯s intuition.¡±


    ¡°Yeah... ¡°


    ¡°That¡¯s all I can respond with. I don¡¯t know what else to say. Maybe my pathetic response will get me excused so I can go into my room and¡­  I guess I¡¯m not so dissimilar from my counterpart after all.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go wash up and do my weekend homework. This way, I won¡¯t have to worry about it.¡±


    Mikomi then excused himself and headed to the restroom. He washed up and then moved into the bedroom where he closed the door behind him. After his mother just finished saying how he would always shut himself in his room, he did just that.


    Nevertheless, Mikomi stuck to his word and plowed through his weekend homework. It was like child¡¯s play to him as he wrote the answers before he even finished reading the questions. The only one he took his time with was American history but let¡¯s face it¡­ who paid attention in history class? While it is taught so that we wouldn¡¯t repeat the mistakes of the past, it was also one of the first things most people forget once they leave high school. After all, what does knowing about our forefathers, the Civil War, and other events have to do with running a technology company?


    Mikomi closed his notebook and shoved all of his stuff back into his backpack. By the time he was done, dinner was ready. His mother called out to him so he made his way to the kitchen. She had prepared Mikomi¡¯s favorite dish of orange chipotle chicken, rice pilaf, and seasoned green beans. It was a rarity for his mother to make his favorite meal out of the blue. Usually, she would reserve it for his birthday or a special occasion. The fact that she was serving it to him tonight raised some suspicion. He decided to break the ice by casually asking her why she made the dish.


    ¡°So what¡¯s this for?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? It¡¯s your favorite dish, isn¡¯t it? Did you change that about yourself as well?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ it¡¯s still my favorite. It¡¯s just that you only make it for special occasions and the only one I know of is dad¡¯s celebration which isn¡¯t even about me so I was just a bit curious, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Well, it is a special occasion. You finished another week of school and did so after you got out of the hospital. Plus, your father isn¡¯t the only one who has a big day ahead of him tomorrow. I know you don¡¯t want to hear any of the embarrassing stuff anymore but I figured that if I made your favorite meal, it would give you a boost in confidence. Fill a man¡¯s stomach the right way and you¡¯ll make him happy. I figured if you enjoyed your meal tonight, you could go into tomorrow satisfied and that would probably increase your chances.¡±


    ¡°Mom was always thinking of me. This is so typical of her. Perhaps I stepped over the line earlier by telling her to knock off the embarrassing stuff. This meal almost feels like a guilt trip now. It kind of feels like an apology of some sort. To think that I had to make my mother apologize when she didn¡¯t do anything wrong. She was simply just being a mother. I am the worst kind of person right now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Karoline looked thoroughly confused by his apology. Mikomi saw the confusion on her face and thought that maybe he was wrong with his thinking. Now he opened up a whole new can of worms that could have been avoided if he had just kept his mouth shut. Because of the look of confusion, he could already sense the obvious follow-up question.


    ¡°Sorry for what?¡±


    ¡°I told you to stop saying embarrassing things earlier and now you¡¯ve gone and made my favorite dinner. I kind of feel like you made it as if to say you were sorry when you shouldn¡¯t have to apologize to me. It should be the other way around. That¡¯s why I said I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Karoline sat there for a moment and couldn¡¯t contain it any longer. She burst into laughter as he sat there rather embarrassed. Karoline continued to laugh which made him feel more and more uncomfortable. He had no idea how to react to this. All he could do was sit there and wait for his mother to can the hysterics.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mikomi but I never thought I would hear my fourteen-year-old son talk like that. For a second, it was almost as if I were listening to your father. It¡¯s just another reminder that as a parent, your kids will grow up faster than you can keep up with. That was a mature thing to say for someone your age.¡±


    ¡°Well, mom¡­ I am twenty-four years old¡­¡±


    ¡°Then again, you do have amazing grades in school. I guess I should expect my son to have a good head on his shoulders. Next, you¡¯re probably going to tell me that you were the one who wrote that letter to your father.¡±


    ¡°!!!¡±


    Mikomi dropped his fork on his plate. He never expected his mother to say something like that. As soon as he realized what he had done, he knew that it was too late.


    Mikomi began to sweat a little as his heart rate increased. All it took was for his mother to take one look at him and suddenly the laughter in the room stopped. A serious look came over his mother¡¯s face as she folded her arms.


    ¡°Mikomi¡­ don¡¯t lie to me. Did you write that letter to your father?¡±


    ¡°SHIT! There¡¯s no way out of it this time. How in the hell am I going to explain this to her? What am I going to do? If I say that I wrote the letter, what am I supposed to do after that? Tell her that her only son died and was transported by some Custodian of Time into this alternate timeline and now I¡¯m here to change the future? SHIT! SHIT! SHIT! What should I do?¡±


    Mikomi began to sweat bullets. With one simple drop of an eating utensil, he found himself backed into a corner with virtually no escape.

 Confession

    Mikomi¡¯s heart began to pound louder and louder. His brow had become soaked and his hands trembled ever so slightly. His physical reaction had become so obvious that any lie at this point would be ineffective. With his mind racing, there was no way he could even formulate a lie that would be believable. He knew he had to bite the bullet on this one and figure it out as he went. He took a deep breath and swallowed hard knowing that there was no other way to avoid this.


    ¡°....yes,¡± said Mikomi in one of the quietest tones he could muster.


    ¡°I know what¡¯s coming next. I have no answer for it, though. Just how in the hell am I going to explain this to her!?¡±


    Mikomi sat there staring at his meal waiting for the one question that would drive a dagger through his heart. It was almost as if he were being stood up in front of a firing squad waiting for that moment when all he could hear was the brief sound of gunpowder going off before the world faded away into nothingness. Karoline opened her mouth as Mikomi braced himself.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just tell me you were the one who wrote it?¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­ she didn¡¯t ask how I would know what to write? She¡¯s not questioning the fact that I, all of a sudden, know a complex programming language and about artificial intelligence. Does she just want to know why I didn¡¯t tell her sooner? Either that, or she¡¯s going to drop that bomb on me as a follow-up question after I answer this one. Even if I¡¯m falling into a carefully laid trap, there¡¯s a small chance that this isn¡¯t one and I can slip my way out through a back door of some sort. Now my curiosity is piqued to see where this conversation is going to go.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ just didn¡¯t think anyone would believe me. Heck, even you didn¡¯t when I told you the first time.¡±


    ¡°This is it. This is do-or-die time. Either she¡¯ll accept that answer and we¡¯ll move on with our lives or I¡¯m about to be pinned behind the biggest proverbial boulder of my life.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I didn¡¯t believe you the first time you told me but that¡¯s because I didn¡¯t think you had grown into the kind of person you are now. Even though it¡¯s rather sudden, you¡¯ve shown that you¡¯ve become a very intelligent and mature young man. All of those nights behind a closed door in your room, you¡¯ve been doing more than just playing video games, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°SCORE! SHE BOUGHT IT! THIS IS MY TICKET OUT OF THIS MESS!¡±


    ¡°Yeah... I¡¯ve been researching dad¡¯s company and what he¡¯s been working on. Needless to say, whenever he wasn¡¯t home, I always wondered what he was doing. and I got curious. Well, curiosity got the better of me and I began to take an interest. I thought that if I worked hard, I could follow in his footsteps. All of those days where I stayed after school, it wasn¡¯t to study for tests or for any of my classes¡­ it was to learn about dad, what he did, and the things I needed to learn if I were to achieve my goals.¡±


    ¡°Why did you hide it? Why didn¡¯t you tell your father the truth?¡±


    ¡°Do you honestly think he would believe his fourteen-year-old son wrote the code to save his project? I didn¡¯t even know what kind of programming language he was using. I simply took what I researched and wrote out something that I thought made sense. For all I know, it could have been wrong and I could have ended up ruining everything. If he had known it was me and everything went wrong¡­ I don¡¯t want to think what would have happened.¡±


    ¡°Mikomi¡­ when you watched your father¡¯s announcement on Monday. I saw a look in your eyes I hadn¡¯t seen before. It was like you weren¡¯t just happy for your father but it looked as if you were happy to know that everything worked. Now I understand why you had that look. Plus, you signed up for AP classes in your freshman year, which was something I didn¡¯t expect of you, either but you surprised me there as well. Your grades were steady but they took off over the last couple of weeks. Is your father motivating you that much?¡±


    Mikomi only nodded his head in agreement. He felt so relieved on the inside that his mother bought that story. He had no idea what he would have done if he would have been backed into a corner. This was the best possible outcome for this situation and he was glad that things ended up this way.


    ¡°Still¡­ to think that you learned all of this so quickly, it¡¯s a bit hard to believe¡­ or am I just undermining your intelligence again?¡±


    ¡°So she really didn¡¯t buy it all completely but it looks like she bought enough of it for me to get out of this situation.¡±


    ¡°There are things that come more easily to some than it does to others. For me, programming was one of those things that I picked up rather quickly. I¡¯m sure there are things you¡¯re good at that other people would normally struggle with. It¡¯s kind of the same thing with me.¡±


    ¡°I guess you¡¯re right. Well¡­ you should probably eat your dinner before it gets cold.¡±


    Karoline got up and walked over to Mikomi. She gave him a tight hug and a kiss on the cheek.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry¡­ I won¡¯t tell your father. This will stay between us. I just want you to know that I¡¯m very proud of my son.¡±


    With that, Karoline left Mikomi alone to eat. He could only sit there and stare at his plate in disbelief. He couldn¡¯t believe that he had gotten away with it. The fact that she was going to keep it a secret made things seem a little too convenient but it was something he was going to have to roll with. He shook his head to snap himself out of it and dug in. He savored every bite of his meal which had gotten a bit on the cold side but he wasn¡¯t going to complain about it. It was still his favorite meal, and cold or not, it was still delicious.


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    After dinner, Mikomi returned to his room where he remained for the rest of the night. He went to sleep early so that he could get up in time to go visit Serah. Mikomi woke up around eight in the morning and quickly hopped out of bed. He went through his typical morning routine of taking his shower and then getting dressed. He made his way to the kitchen to make himself some breakfast when he was startled at the sight he saw in front of him. Sitting there at the table, reading the paper was his father! Ryunosuke turned his head and smiled.


    ¡°Good morning, son!¡±


    ¡°Dad! Mom said you would be home today but I thought that maybe you would be home a bit later.¡±


    ¡°I came home around midnight last night. You were already sleeping so I didn¡¯t want to disturb you. I have to tell you, it felt really good to sleep in my own bed for once. I almost didn¡¯t want to get up but I forced myself to because today is going to be a big day!¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll be here but I¡¯m going to go see a friend first. Don¡¯t worry, I know the party is at one and I¡¯ll be back long before that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s perfectly fine,¡¯ said Ryunosuke with a smile on his face. ¡°I understand you have friends now and that you want to spend time with them. You should do that as much as you possibly can while you¡¯re young. When you get older, you never know what will become of you or your friends. That¡¯s why it¡¯s always important to cherish the memories you make with them now. If you want to spend the day with them, you can do that if you wish. As much as I would love to have you here, I realize what kind of father I¡¯ve been. I just want you to be happy so don¡¯t force yourself to be here for my sake.¡±


    ¡°No! It¡¯s not that. I do want to be here. It¡¯s just that I had already made plans before mom told me about the party. I wanted to be responsible and see if there was a way I could do both, that¡¯s all.¡±


    Ryunosuke smiled and then let out a big laugh. His family had a habit of laughing at serious things a lot which always kind of annoyed him. He could only stand there in silence as his father got it out of his system.


    ¡°You know, your mother keeps telling me how much you¡¯ve matured, and what you said just now validates everything she has said. You¡¯re growing up to be a fine young man. My only regret is that I haven¡¯t been there to see it for myself.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, dad. As I told you at the hospital, I understand,¡± said Mikomi before taking a brief pause. ¡°I¡¯m going to head over to my friend¡¯s house now. I promise that I¡¯ll be back in time for the party. It¡¯s something I don¡¯t want to miss.¡±


    Ryunosuke gave Mikomi a nod and a wink. He excused himself and grabbed his jacket off of the coat rack by the door, skipping breakfast in the process. He headed out and turned onto the sidewalk and headed toward Serah¡¯s house. As with any time Mikomi began to walk, his brain started to wander.


    ¡°You know¡­ now that I think of it¡­ it¡¯s rather early. What if she¡¯s still sleeping? I am kind of dropping by unannounced, after all. I wonder if she would be mad if I woke her up? Maybe it¡¯s best if I don¡¯t think about this. I¡¯ll just end up getting cold feet and I¡¯ll never see this through.¡±


    As the thoughts weighed on Mikomi¡¯s mind, he quickly found himself in front of Serah¡¯s house. He was a bit surprised that he had made it to her house that quickly. He swallowed pretty hard as he walked up to her front door. He took a deep breath and gave the door three heavy knocks.


    Suddenly, it hit Mikomi. The last time he did this was when he went to go check on Serah after her parents had died and they got into an argument. Those fearful thoughts began to re-enter his mind as he received no response. Mikomi was about to knock again when he finally heard footsteps getting louder on the other side of the door. The door cracked open a bit and a head poked through the opening. It was Serah and she had a groggy look on her face.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s only you, Mikomi. Hold on a¡­¡±


    Serah¡¯s eyes became extremely huge at that point.


    ¡°M-m-m-m-MIKOMI!? Uh¡­ uh¡­¡±


    The door then got slammed in his face. A look of ¡°not this again¡± came over him as he heard a lot of noises and banging going on behind the door. Mikomi leaned to his right to try and see through her front window but the room-darkening curtains prevented him from getting a look at what was going on. A few moments later, the footsteps returned to the door and it opened back up. Serah stood there in a dark green sweater and light blue jeans. Her hair wasn¡¯t completely made up yet and was still a little on the messy side. She still looked half asleep and that¡¯s when Mikomi realized that he did, indeed, wake her up.


    Despite all of that, she still offered for him to come in. He took the offer and did a quick once-over of the living room. He tried not to look at a certain spot but he couldn¡¯t help himself and his eyes shot straight to the floor in front of her couch. That was where he found her body after she had committed suicide. Mikomi snapped himself out of it by convincing himself that everything had happened in the other timeline and he had a chance to correct all of that here and now.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that came over so early. I hope I didn¡¯t wake you up or anything.¡±


    Serah shook her head no. She just kind of stood there with her hands cupped in front of her. She didn¡¯t know what to say or do at this point. It was, once again, up to Mikomi to try and break the ice and end the typical awkwardness.


    ¡°Uh¡­ Serah¡­ you see¡­ I came over here because I tried to ask you a question last week but my mom kind of walked into the room and interrupted me. I figured if I came over, I could try and ask you that same question again without being interrupted.¡±


    Mikomi rubbed the back of his head as he knew there was no turning back at this point. He had to say what was on his mind.


    ¡°Serah¡­ I know I¡¯ve only been talking to you for a couple of weeks now and the two of us have become friends but I wanted to tell you that I¡¯ve been watching you for a bit longer than that. When I first saw you, I thought you were really pretty but then I heard people start talking about you behind your back. The things that they said made me angry and that led me to want to know more about you. I kind of asked around and learned a little bit about you and that¡¯s when I decided that I would try and talk to you. Sadly, our first meeting wasn''t a good one¡­ I mean, I did knock you down in the hallway at school and everything¡­ which I¡¯m still really sorry for!¡±


    ¡°But, the more we talked, the more I began to realize that you weren¡¯t the outcast that people were falsely painting you as. You were a kind person that was interesting to talk to. I know you have a hard time talking to others but you never seemed to have too hard of a time talking to me. You certainly didn¡¯t have a hard time talking to my mother! I guess, what I¡¯m trying to say is¡­ Serah¡­ this may sound crazy but I do like you both as a friend¡­ and¡­ well¡­ as something more than just a friend.¡±


    By this time, Serah¡¯s face had turned bright red.


    ¡°Serah¡­ will you go out with me?¡±

 Answer

    Mikomi had finally confessed his feelings. With a hopeful look on his face, he gazed at Serah who had begun to back away slowly. Mikomi could feel his heart breaking as he was getting the one reaction that he feared. His hand began to tremble but he didn¡¯t want to let her see that so he moved it slightly out of sight. Serah¡¯s eyes weren¡¯t looking at his hands anyway so it may not have been a big deal.


    ¡°W-why?¡± squeaked out Serah. ¡°Why would you do this?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± said Mikomi. ¡°What do you mean by why would I do this?¡±


    Serah trembled a bit as she held her right arm close to her body with her left hand. Mikomi could tell that he had made her extremely nervous. This was almost like what had happened in the other timeline when they were at school and Serah told him she would think about it. That memory popped into Mikomi¡¯s head so he took a stab in the dark with it.


    ¡°Are you asking me why because you¡¯re afraid that I¡¯m only doing this to abandon you later?¡±


    Serah¡¯s face went from a look of confusion to a look of shock instantaneously. Mikomi had hit the nail directly on the head and she couldn¡¯t believe that he would guess the true reason behind her apprehension. He once told Serah that she wore her heart on her sleeve but she didn¡¯t think her reaction would have been that obvious to him.


    ¡°The last time we talked, you told me about how your friends abandoned you and that you felt like you had finally made a friend in me. That, honestly, touched me. I won¡¯t lie, Serah¡­ I thought about this for a while with my reasoning being that I wanted to be the one to end your loneliness. I wanted to be there to protect you¡­ to make sure that you had someone in your life that would never abandon you but then I started to think about those reasons and I concluded that I would just be taking pity on you if I based my wanting to go out with you for those reasons alone.¡±


    Mikomi walked over to Serah¡¯s couch and took a seat on it. He patted the cushion next to him and Serah took the invite and sat next to him. Mikomi reached over and grabbed her by the hand which startled her a little but she relaxed and squeezed his hand back.


    ¡°Make no mistake, Serah. I do like you a lot. I like you to the point where I believe I could say that I love you but I couldn¡¯t just say it with those reasons behind it. I didn¡¯t want to pity you so I began to think that if I took all of that away¡­ if I forgot about the fact that you were lonely and that my being there could end that terrible cycle¡­ would I still be able to say ¡®I love you¡¯ to you as a person at face value?¡±


    Mikomi turned his head towards her. She was looking at him with a sense of wonder. She was hanging onto every single word he had said with bated breath. It was almost as if she were waiting for a moment like this her entire life. Mikomi reached over and grabbed her other hand and held them both tightly. He looked into her eyes and answered his own question.


    ¡°The answer was yes.¡±


    Serah began to tremble a bit. She couldn¡¯t believe what she was hearing right now. Her lip began to quiver and her heart began to beat just a little bit faster. Mikomi continued to stare into her eyes as he continued his confession.


    ¡°From your really cute looks to your personality, down to the things that interest you. Everything that makes you Serah, I love. I realized that I should not and should never love you out of pity. While I still want to be the one who ends your loneliness, I want to do it genuinely and I can only do that if I felt like I could love the real you instead of just loving you as a means to protect you.¡±


    ¡°Mi-komi¡­¡± muttered Serah with a quiver in her voice.


    ¡°Now that you know why will you go¡­.¡±


    Serah didn¡¯t let Mikomi finish that question. She immediately lunged at him and kissed him right on his lips. She wrapped her arms around his body and pressured him onto his back. There, she continued to hold her kiss for what seemed like an eternity but it was an eternity that Mikomi wanted to be trapped in. As he held her tightly, he could feel a slight wetness on his face from the tears coming from Serah¡¯s eyes. It was then he realized just how much this meant to her. Serah finished her kiss and then laid her head down on Mikomi¡¯s chest.


    ¡°I take it that means yes?¡±


    ¡°Shhhh,¡± replied Serah. ¡°Don¡¯t say anything, please. Let me just stay like this for a while.¡±


    Mikomi slid his left hand up and held Serah¡¯s head. She closed her eyes and when Mikomi looked down at her, he saw something that he hadn¡¯t seen before. It was the first time he saw this and a look of awe and wonder washed over his face as he was captivated by its beauty.


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Serah was smiling.


    The two of them stayed like that for a good thirty minutes. Neither of them said a word to one another. They just continued to lay there in each other¡¯s arms, as if time had become frozen for them and they refused to leave at that moment. Mikomi knew that he had to ask Serah one other question so he decided that enough time had passed and broke the silence between them.


    ¡°Say, Serah. Today, my father is home from work. He¡¯s having a party at my house to celebrate his company¡¯s announcement. I told him that I was going to be there but I was thinking that you might want to come as well. This way, I can properly introduce you to my family.¡±


    Serah¡¯s right hand, which had been resting on Mikomi¡¯s chest, turned into a fist. She gripped the collar of Mikomi¡¯s shirt so tightly to the point that he felt like it might rip. Mikomi sensed that he had just taken Serah out of her comfort zone and had to say something a little more reassuring to calm her down.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to if you don¡¯t want to. I know you¡¯re pretty nervous around people so I don¡¯t want to make you feel uncomfortable.¡±


    Serah shook her head ¡®no¡¯ as she continued to rest it on his chest. She then repositioned herself to where she was looking into his eyes. He could only stare up at her cute face with a sense of wonder. Her eyes were also blue, but a lighter shade than his. Still, he got lost in them as she stared right back into his.


    ¡°No¡­ it¡¯s not that. I¡¯d love to go. Sorry if I seemed nervous but I¡¯m happy that you invited me. That was the first time anyone had ever invited me to a party in my entire life. I was just taken by surprise, that¡¯s all.¡±


    Serah¡¯s tone wasn¡¯t as soft as it usually was. Her tone was reminiscent of when she was talking to Mikomi¡¯s mother at the dinner table a couple of weeks ago. Was this all that she needed to hear to break out of her shell? She seemed to be a little more relaxed and open than usual so maybe Mikomi said the right combination of words to get her to come around. Mikomi looked up at Serah and smiled at her reply.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to lie. I didn¡¯t think you were going to say yes but it makes me happy that you want to come. The party isn¡¯t until one o¡¯clock so we have a few hours to ourselves. We can stay here if you want to.¡±


    Serah simply nodded and laid back down on top of Mikomi. If that was her answer, then he had no problems with it. Three hours passed and Serah, who was still tired from being woken up by Mikomi¡¯s visit, had fallen asleep on top of him. Mikomi couldn¡¯t help himself and just stared at her as she slept. He couldn¡¯t believe how peaceful she looked and just how much cuter she was. It was hard to believe that someone like that would have the kind of issues she did. Mikomi realized the time and let out a sigh knowing that, for the second time today, he was going to have to wake her up.


    Needless to say, he didn¡¯t want to, but he knew that if he didn¡¯t, then he would have been late getting back home and that would break the promise he made to his father. Mikomi gave her a gentle nudge and she slowly opened her eyes. Serah looked around for a moment and then slowly turned her head and looked at Mikomi. Her face was adorable but what captivated him was the fact that she smiled again when she saw him.


    ¡°Sorry to wake you¡­ again but it¡¯s about time we head over to my house for the party.¡±


    Serah slowly got up and didn¡¯t realize the position she was in. She pressed her knee very close to a certain spot. Mikomi looked down at how close she came as a single bead of sweat rolled down his forehead.


    ¡°One more inch and¡­¡±


    She got up and he breathed a sigh of relief. He got up off the couch as she took her leave to go freshen up. A few moments later she emerged from the restroom with her hair looking much more normal. She had also ditched the sweater and put on a light pink t-shirt with a cute white rabbit design on the front. She then grabbed a thin, black sweater and put it over on top. She signaled to Mikomi that she was ready to go but before he could open the front door, she stopped him.


    ¡°Hey, Mikomi.  Um¡­ before we go, could I ask for a favor? Would you¡­ mind if I¡­. took your picture?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind at all.¡±


    Serah quickly ran into her room and grabbed her camera. It was one of those cameras that instantly developed the photo after it was taken. Serah opened up the room-darkening curtain to let some light in. She told Mikomi to stand in front of the couch so that the light would hit his body. Mikomi was a bit impressed with the fact that she knew some of the basics of photography. Most people would just grab a camera and shoot without taking things such as lighting, surroundings, and other variables into account but Serah seemed to know what she was doing.


    Serah asked Mikomi to smile and then the flash went off. She pulled the photo out of the camera and watched it develop. The picture came out nearly crystal clear. She ran back into her room where she left the camera and the photo behind. She quickly made her way back out to the living room and the two of them left the house. Mikomi wanted to ask why she took the photo, but he merely assumed that this was a big day for her and she wanted a memento of it.


    Even though he was fulfilling a promise to his father, he began to tense up because he realized that he would also be introducing Serah to everyone as his new girlfriend. While he already had his parents¡¯ support, he was a bit nervous about how everyone else from the office would act. Plus, with her anxiety around other people, he could only hope that this didn¡¯t end up embarrassing her too much. Nevertheless, she agreed to accompany him so all he could do was make it as comfortable as possible for her. Soon, the celebration of his father and his own hard work was about to begin!

 Celebration

    As they made the journey over to Mikomi¡¯s house, a warm sensation filled his hand. When he looked down, he noticed that Serah had taken his hand into hers. When he glanced up, she had her head turned away slightly with a bit of a pink hue in her cheeks. His face suddenly matched hers in color as his heart began to beat just a little faster. Normally, Mikomi would get lost in thought any time he walked anywhere but today was an exception. Just the feel of her hand gripping his short-circuited his mind to where he couldn¡¯t think at all. He simply enjoyed the moment on their short journey back to his house.


    When they arrived, Mikomi noticed that there were already a couple of cars in the driveway. Inside, his father was sitting in his favorite chair while Michael and Cassandra sat on opposite sides of the room, neither one of them looked as if they wanted to see the other. When Mikomi stepped inside, it was as if he provided the perfect thing for Michael to focus his attention on.


    ¡°Mikster! What¡¯s good, my man?¡± asked Michael as he got up, looking for a high five. Mikomi was a bit confused at first but then gave him one of the weakest-looking high fives in history.  ¡°Not your style, eh? I gotcha!¡±


    It wasn¡¯t that it wasn¡¯t his style. It was just that it had been ten years since he had seen Michael and Cassandra. They were still working at Onyx Technology Ventures in the other timeline when Mikomi took over the company. Seeing his former employees in front of him, as well as at a younger age, was a pretty weird situation. Cassandra got up from her chair and gave Mikomi a big hug.


    ¡°You¡¯ve gotten bigger since the last time I¡¯ve seen you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I suppose I have.¡±


    ¡°Mikomi, I see you brought your friend Serah,¡± said his father.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I did. I hope that¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°Of course it is! Serah, you are always welcome here in our home!¡±


    ¡°T-thank you,¡± said Serah a bit nervously.


    Mikomi looked around the room and heard some rustling coming from the kitchen. No doubt his mother was there preparing food for the guests. Mikomi took a deep breath and looked at Serah. She gave him a bit of a nod that Mikomi understood as a way of saying that she was okay with him telling everyone the news.


    ¡°Hey mom, can you come in here for a minute?¡±


    Karoline stepped out of the kitchen and into the living room. The fact that Mikomi called his mother in here raised the interest of the others in the room, especially his father. Mikomi looked around at all of them and cleared his throat.


    ¡°Um¡­ I wanted to thank you guys for coming. I was excited when I watched dad¡¯s press conference because I thought it was amazing what you all were able to accomplish. I kind of feel bad trying to steal the thunder here but dad¡¯s announcement isn¡¯t the only one that has cause for celebration because I have one of my own.¡±


    Mikomi took a deep breath.


    ¡°Everyone, I¡­


    Before Mikomi could finish his statement, he was startled by a knock at the door behind him. He let out a cute little squeak as he jumped. Mikomi covered his heart with his hand and let out a sigh before he turned to face the door. He figured that it was the other missing party members and excused himself to let them in. When he opened the door, it wasn¡¯t George, Jared, or Colin standing there but someone he didn¡¯t expect to see.


    ¡°Hey, Mikomi,¡± said a voice with an unsure tone about it.


    It was Ryan! Mikomi¡¯s father then offered up an explanation as to what he was doing there.


    ¡°Mikomi, I called Ryan¡¯s house because I thought that¡¯s where you were but he said that you never showed up there. Since I knew you would be back for the party, I figured you might want someone here that you could hang out with. After all, what fun is it for a kid to have to sit around and listen to a bunch of adults yammer on about stuff you probably don¡¯t understand?¡±


    ¡°I AM an adult, too, you know¡­ and besides, I understand things a lot more than you give me credit for.¡±


    Ryan looked at Serah and felt a little uncomfortable but then Ryan said some words he thought he wouldn¡¯t say.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, right? If I join you?¡±


    ¡°O-Of course!! Come on in!¡± said Mikomi a bit nervously.


    Ryan took Mikomi up on his offer and came inside. He stood a little bit away from Serah and looked rather uncomfortable. Ryunosuke figured that he could put things back on track here.


    ¡°Now, Mikomi. You were saying something about having an announcement of your own to share?¡±


    The pressure was now on. It was easy to announce this before but now that Ryan was in the same room with him, it wasn¡¯t so easy anymore. The fact that Ryan willingly came into the house after seeing Serah standing there was a good sign but the main issue would be his reaction once the announcement was made. Mikomi knew that a huge scene was about to happen one way or another; however, there was no turning back at his point. There was only one path forward and he had to walk it.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°Y-yeah. Everyone, I would like to introduce you to Serah¡­ my girlfriend.¡±


    Cassandra, Michael, and Karoline all clapped for the two of them. Ryunosuke walked over and slapped his son on the back and gave him a great big hug. Everyone was reacting except for Ryan and that was the one person Mikomi had his eyes on the entire time.


    ¡°All right, Mikster! She sure is a cutie¡­ not as cute as Cassie over there, though,¡± blurted out Michael


    ¡°Yes, she¡¯s very lovely, Mikomi. I¡¯m happy for you,¡± said Cassandra as she gritted her teeth and shot a death stare over at Michael.


    ¡°I¡¯m happy to hear that, son! Serah¡­from the moment I met you, I could tell you were a good person. It¡¯s my honor to welcome you as part of our family!¡± said Ryunosuke.


    Serah was deeply moved by that. The look on her face said it all. Ryan immediately took notice of it and was in complete awe. It was right then and there that he realized that Serah was everything that Mikomi had said she was and then some. He began to feel terrible for all the things he had said and thought about her in the past. That one moment caused Ryan to see Serah in an entirely new light and that was enough for him to make up his mind. He walked over to Serah and stood in front of her, extending his hand. Mikomi saw that and silently gasped to himself.


    ¡°Hi! I¡¯m Ryan Pierson, Mikomi¡¯s best friend. Hopefully, we can be friends, too!¡±


    ¡°Ryan¡­ you¡­.¡±


    Serah smiled and shook his hand. That one handshake meant that two of the biggest hurdles on Mikomi¡¯s path to changing the world have been cleared. To everyone else in the room, it was just a simple situation of two kids becoming friends but to Mikomi, it was, quite literally, a world-changing moment.


    Suddenly, it was like a raindrop falling into a lake. The impact on the water¡¯s surface caused a ripple to form. It was in that instant that things became a little bit hazy for Mikomi. As quickly as his vision blurred, everything returned to normal. It was so short, nobody noticed that something was a bit off with him.


    Everyone seemed to be talking amongst themselves as if nothing happened. Karoline came over and gave Mikomi a hug and a kiss and also hugged Serah, welcoming her into their family. That made a huge impression on her but while things were continuing as normal, Mikomi felt different. He felt that something was missing but he couldn¡¯t put his finger on it. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary to him but it was a feeling similar to the one he had when he wrote the letter to his father and couldn¡¯t remember the name of the project, or the feeling he had when he first met Serah. It was just a bad vibration he had going through his body and the worst part was, he couldn¡¯t exactly call Sebastian out to ask him about it.


    Mikomi decided to let it go for now. Soon after, George, Colin, and Jared arrived and everyone had gathered. From there, it was a typical adult party with them talking about the project, recalling embarrassing work stories, and the like. Mikomi, Serah, and Ryan eventually retreated to Mikomi¡¯s room where they occupied themselves with video games. One thing Mikomi learned about Serah was that she was a fierce competitor and an amazing gamer. She beat both Mikomi and Ryan in almost every game they played together.


    After dinner, everyone began to head home for the evening. Mikomi and Serah went out to the living room and said their goodbyes to everyone. Once they were all gone, Ryan excused himself as well and headed back home. This left Mikomi, Serah, and his parents alone in the house.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to walk Serah home. I¡¯ll be back shortly.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget to take your jacket, it¡¯s pretty cool outside,¡± said his mother.


    Mikomi grabbed his coat but instead of wearing it, he put it on Serah so she would be warm on the way back. The two of them departed and shortly thereafter arrived at her house. Serah gave Mikomi another soft kiss on the lips before she stepped inside for the evening but Mikomi had something that he wanted to ask her.


    ¡°Hey, Serah. Thanks for coming with me today. I hope that you had a good time.¡±


    Serah simply nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been wanting to ask you something since this morning. What was that photograph for?¡±


    Serah clung to the door as she thought about answering him for a moment. After a couple of moments of silence, she looked back up at Mikomi.


    ¡°Since we¡¯re a couple now, I guess it¡¯s only fair that I show you. Come in.¡±


    Mikomi stepped into Serah¡¯s house where she told him to have a seat on the couch. Once he did, she went into her room and grabbed her favorite book and Mikomi¡¯s photograph. She opened the book and when she did, Mikomi glanced over and saw photo after photo stuck to the pages. She flipped to a blank page in the back of the book and taped the photo of Mikomi to it. She then passed the book over to him who held it in his hands.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. You can flip through it. I shouldn¡¯t have to hide this from you but remember this is my most prized possession. Please treat it with respect.¡±


    Mikomi assured her that he would since this book obviously meant the world to her. He began to carefully flip through the pages and what he saw was picture after picture of two people he could only assume to be Serah¡¯s parents. The book she had been ¡®reading¡¯ this entire time was nothing more than a photo album filled with memories.


    ¡°As you can see, it¡¯s a photo album of me and my parents. It represents a couple of things¡­ like the last time that I truly felt happy. I made a promise to myself that I would never add any other photos to this book until the day I became happy again. That¡¯s why your photo is in there, Mikomi.¡±


    Mikomi was deeply moved by the gesture. He now knew just how much she thought of him but she did say there were a couple of things the book represented. Due to being caught up in the moment, Mikomi wasn¡¯t thinking clearly and just blurted out his question.


    ¡°What¡¯s the other thing this book represents?¡±


    Mikomi¡¯s question was met with silence. After he realized it had gone had been ignored, he looked up from the book and over at Serah who had tears streaming down her face. She looked at Mikomi and wiped away her tears.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ it¡¯s just that. These are the only memories I have of my left of my parents since they died.¡±


    All of a sudden, it hit Mikomi. He couldn¡¯t let Serah see his reaction so he leaned over and pulled Serah close to him, embracing her in a hug. With Serah in his arms, his thoughts began to run wild.


    ¡°Since they died!!? Serah¡¯s parents weren¡¯t supposed to die for another three years! That feeling I had at dad¡¯s party¡­ Was this the ripple that Sebastian was talking about!? Just what have I done!?¡±

 Invitation

    It had been three weeks since Mikomi and Serah started dating. Since that initial moment, Mikomi had changed just a little. He had become a bit paranoid about changing anything more than he already had. When Serah told him that her parents had already died, he could only recall Sebastian¡¯s words about how the lives of people could be altered drastically by one simple change. It was apparent that taking a different approach to dating Serah caused her life to change drastically.


    In addition, Ryan opted not to jeopardize his friendship with Mikomi. He could only wonder what happened with Ryan and if his life and all the lives associated with him had changed. Fearing a lecture from Sebastian, Mikomi opted not to call out to him to seek answers. Besides, Mikomi knew that Sebastian was constantly watching him from a distance. He probably already knew exactly how he felt and what he was going through. After all, he did tell Sebastian that he would have to protect the world he created but to say that he was having some regrets about changing the world was a gross understatement.


    One of Mikomi¡¯s theories was that to change something in the world then something in the world had to be sacrificed. He remembered how Sebastian got rid of a few things in this world as well: The Rutherfords, Janice, and even Mikomi¡¯s memories, and how other lives were changed based on those changes. Every single one of those changes required some sort of sacrifice to take place. Mikomi wondered if the lives of Serah¡¯s parents were the sacrifice required to save her from her loneliness.


    Thoughts such as these plagued Mikomi day after day, week after week. Mikomi kept it all to himself, though. There was nobody he could talk to about this except for Sebastian and that wasn¡¯t going to happen any time soon. Mikomi lived day to day shouldering this entire burden himself. He even began to self-reflect on his inability to talk to anyone about these problems and started to understand just how Serah felt growing up. With her parents never around to lend her an ear, all she could do was bottle up her emotions and lock them away inside her heart, much like he was doing now. Even though he was going through something similar, this experience only made him grow to love Serah even more.


    The air was getting colder as the seasons began to change. Thanksgiving break was coming up and Mikomi already decided to invite Serah over to his house for dinner. He knew that he, along with his mother and father, was the only ¡®family¡¯ Serah had and he wanted her to have a memorable holiday. It was the least he could do after changing her life so much. The thing that hurt him the most was the fact that Serah, herself, had no idea anything about her life had changed. No matter how many changes Mikomi made to the world, anyone and everyone that would be affected would just consider the changes as part of their lives without question. In every case, nobody would even realize that anything had changed. In that sense, he began to think that humans were nothing more than mindless drones.


    Mikomi started to develop a level of anxiety whenever he thought about people that way. He couldn¡¯t bring himself to think of humans as mere mindless puppets. That would mean that he had succumbed to having a God complex and he was already warned about what may happen to Sebastian if he were to get too out of control. Mikomi never wanted to play God, he simply wanted to fix his life but the ripple effect was real and it was only after the fact that Mikomi realized just how selfish he had been. Despite this, he decided to continue to hide away those emotions so that everyone could have an enjoyable holiday.


    It was the weekend before Thanksgiving and Mikomi¡¯s vacation from school had officially begun. It also marked a string of big events for him because not only was Thanksgiving at the end of the month but his birthday was coming up on December 8th as well. Then Christmas and New Year¡¯s followed, creating one long string of celebrations for him and his family. After talking with Serah over the past few weeks, Mikomi learned that he could add another date that had a cause for celebration as Serah told him her birthday was also in December, but not until the 22nd.


    Mikomi was wearing his winter coat as he stood outside Serah¡¯s house. It was similar to that of a trench coat, except made out of fleece. He had a matching hat that covered the top of his head. His medium-length hair poked out from underneath it on the sides. He took a couple of deep breaths as he stood before Serah¡¯s door, his breath wisping away as puffs of smoke in the cold morning air.


    Mikomi knocked on the door and Serah answered with a smile on her face. Her personality had changed over the past few weeks as that shyness began to wear off. This relationship with him was beginning to bestow a great deal of confidence in her and for the first time in a long time, she felt truly happy.


    After being invited in, he took a seat next to her on the couch and the two of them began to have a nice long chat. He learned many things about her¡­ some he already knew and some that he was learning for the first time. He learned how her parents had traveled the world as consultants, helping people establish new companies before moving on to the next¡­ similar to what they did for a living in the original timeline.


    What Mikomi didn¡¯t know was that they made a tremendous amount of money and had set up an account to which Serah had access. Should the day come when they passed on, the account was to be turned over in Serah¡¯s name. She wasn¡¯t set for life; however, the amount of money she had would allow her to live comfortably for a while. Since they had passed, she now had access to all of that saved money.


    She only told Mikomi because it would have been an eventuality that he would find out. Even after learning of this, Mikomi treated Serah no differently. To him, she was still the same Serah and always would be. She had also told Mikomi that she didn¡¯t intend to just coast through life on her parent¡¯s money. She had a dream of becoming an artist one day and even entertained the thought of taking art classes after school. She never went through with it as she never really had the confidence to see it through. Instead, she opted to come straight home where she would lock herself up in her house and play video games all day. Mikomi could only laugh internally when she told him that because it sounded like a mirror image of himself.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    As the conversation went on, he decided that the ice had been broken enough for him to ask about her plans for Thanksgiving.


    ¡°Hey Serah, what do you usually do for Thanksgiving dinner?¡±


    Serah sat there for a moment, putting her finger on the cleft of her chin as if she were thinking about what she did year after year. She then shrugged and offered a rather paltry answer, one that Mikomi half expected, but didn¡¯t want to hear.


    ¡°I just kind of sit here and eat a turkey sandwich. I can¡¯t cook that well but at least I have turkey! I know, sad, right?¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re more than welcome to have dinner at our house this year. I¡¯m sure my family would love to have you and so would I.¡±


    ¡°A real Thanksgiving dinner? Like.. with real turkey and potatoes and biscuits and stuffing and cranberry sauce and¡­ and¡­ TURKEY?¡±


    Mikomi laughed but Serah didn¡¯t think her reaction was all that funny. She gave him a punishment chop over the head for it. Mikomi rubbed the spot where it had connected but he still had a slight smirk on his face as he found her reaction kind of cute. Still, it was quite sad that she hadn¡¯t had a real Thanksgiving meal in quite some time. He saw this as a great opportunity to treat her to one.


    ¡°Sorry for laughing but yeah¡­ it¡¯ll have all of that and then some. My mom always makes a huge meal and it¡¯s the one day of the year we just completely throw our diets out the window¡­ especially my father. There¡¯s going to be PLENTY of food so if you want to come over and gorge with the rest of us, I¡¯d love for you to.¡±


    ¡°Well, since you put it so eloquently¡­ how could I pass this up?¡±


    Mikomi smiled as he was genuinely happy that Serah took him up on his offer. Just hearing her response was a testament to how much she had changed recently and it was one of the things that made him happy. He realized that this would be his first Thanksgiving with Serah because even though they dated throughout high school in the original timeline, Serah¡¯s mentality was very different. She always spent Thanksgiving and all other holidays alone at her house and specifically told Mikomi not to bother her. He loved her so he always granted her wish every year but here in this timeline, things were much different. The joy he got from knowing how special this holiday would be almost made him forget the pain he had been putting himself through these past few weeks.


    The two of them had spent every day that week together doing miscellaneous things. One of which involved going to the mall with Ryan tagging along. The three of them stopped by Game Lot and discussed some of the titles that had recently come out. Mikomi found himself in a position where he had to keep his mouth shut because he knew of these titles already and had beaten most of them. He saw Ryan and Serah talking about the latest RPG to come out, Shadow Wing. Seeing them go back and forth over it made him quite happy. Even though they were getting along in this timeline, he could only recall how things went in the original. This made watching them interact a bittersweet moment for him.


    Even though things were going okay, there was still that nagging feeling in the back of his head about the lives he altered just for his happiness. Those thoughts weighed heavy but in hindsight, there wasn¡¯t anything he could do about them now. The only thing he could do was press forward and see what else was in store for him. Still, with every step he took, he braced himself in case something else had changed. It was that feeling of walking on eggshells that were the root of his depression.


    Thanksgiving had finally arrived. Serah showed up around 10 AM, not because she didn¡¯t want to avoid being too early but because she had spent a good deal of the night playing the new Shadow Wing RPG that came out, and she kind of overslept. Serah didn¡¯t feel all too bad about it since Mikomi was still sleeping when she arrived. He had picked up a copy of the game and stayed up for a good portion of the night playing it as well. Even Ryan bought one as there was no way the three of them were going to leave Game Lot without a copy of the game.


    Serah stood in the doorway and gazed at how peaceful Mikomi looked asleep. She decided to explore her newfound personality and a grin came over her face as she intended to rile him up a little bit. She approached his bed and slowly, yet gently, lifted his covers to not disturb him. She then slid underneath them and crawled up on top of him. This caused Mikomi to wake up instantly but when he did, all he could see was this massive lump on top of him. Mikomi lifted the sheet covers and Serah popped her head out and yelled ¡®BOO.¡¯  Mikomi nearly had a heart attack as he could hear his mother and father laughing in the other room.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t funny!¡± yelled Mikomi loud enough for his parents to hear.


    Despite being a bit peeved, he kissed Serah and then sat up in bed. After all, it¡¯s not every day you get to be woken up by a beautiful girl that decided to crawl into the same bed as you. Mikomi¡¯s face was a little red around the cheeks as he realized that for a brief moment, they were in the same bed together. She glanced over to her left and saw Mikomi¡¯s console sitting there on the floor with a certain game stuck in it. She could only laugh as they knew they had done the same exact thing last night. She looked back at him and needed to know something.


    ¡°So how far did you get in Shadow Wing last night?¡±


    ¡°I leveled Stacatto up to 25 and earned my freelance knight title. I saved right before I was about to be sent out on my first mission. How about you?¡±


    ¡°I completed the first three missions. My Stacatto is level 37.¡±


    ¡°Level 37 in just one night!? H-how!? You¡¯re like... Almost to the part where you meet up with Mattock!¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s Mattock?¡±


    ¡°You know... The person who leads Stacatto on the main quest to find the Shadow Wing blade!¡±


    Mikomi covered his mouth as he realized that he just said something about a part of the game that neither of them reached yet. In his groggy state, his mind wasn¡¯t thinking clearly and he ended up blurting out something that he shouldn¡¯t have said. Mikomi had beaten this game so many times in the original timeline so his knowledge of the title was second to none in this world but in his freshly awoken state, he completely forgot that he wasn¡¯t supposed to know any of this yet and ended up backing himself into a corner.

 Thanksgiving

    He had done it again. Mikomi slipped up once with Ryan when he talked about VX Command and now he made that same mistake with Serah over Shadow Wing. He rubbed the back of his head as he realized that this was going to be quite an awkward conversation. As his mind instantly began to think of excuses, Serah asked the most obvious question in the world.


    ¡°How do you know about something you haven¡¯t seen yet?¡±


    Mikomi was a bit nervous but as he thought about how to get out of this, he remembered what he had told Ryan before. With Ryan on the brain, he decided to take a shot in the dark while adding a bit of playfulness to it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know? I¡¯m from the future! Either that or Ryan told me. Whichever one seems more believable.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, buddy, but you¡¯re going to have to take the bullet for me on this one. Damn, I need to be more careful!¡±


    ¡°Ryan told you!? How in the hell is he higher than level 37? I might have to cancel Thanksgiving dinner so I can go home and get further than him. For him to be that far ahead, he had to have started playing the moment he got home. I guess it makes sense¡­ he doesn¡¯t exactly have a boyfriend to keep him away from the game.¡±


    Serah shot Mikomi a look that could kill. He could only sit there in disbelief that he was being blamed for her being behind someone else in the game. Mikomi also realized he was being blamed for no reason at all because he made up the lie to get out of the corner he backed himself into. In all reality, Ryan is the kind of person who would probably be still stuck trying to kill the level-one giant rats in the starting village. The more he thought about it, something else popped into his mind¡­ something that he didn¡¯t catch right away.


    ¡°Um, Serah? You said that Ryan doesn¡¯t have a boyfriend to keep him away from gaming. Did you mean girlfriend?¡±


    ¡°Honestly? I was referring to you and me. You¡¯re my boyfriend and you kept me from getting higher than level 37. I guess I did word that a bit odd but¡­ now that you mention it¡­ I¡¯ve never seen Ryan hang around any girls other than me. He is also rather energetic and gets a bit too excited over things. Wait¡­ you don¡¯t suppose, do you?¡±


    Mikomi then thought about how Ryan kept jumping and hugging him every morning, his always cheerful attitude, and the fact that he really does get too excited over things such as action figures and the like. Even though Serah had meant it in a different way, that one choice of vocabulary messed with his head a bit. Serah waved her hand in front of Mikomi¡¯s face as he began to space out thinking about the possibility.


    He shook his head and brought himself back to reality. He decided to give his pondering a rest and got up to go through his normal morning routine. By the time he got dressed, the house began to smell like turkey. It was a pleasant and welcoming aroma that would fill the house for the rest of the day. Serah practically foamed at the mouth once the smell hit her nostrils. For her, the wait was agonizing so she decided to make herself useful and help out Karoline in the kitchen. After learning about Serah¡¯s inability to cook, Mikomi became concerned over the quality of his Thanksgiving dinner.


    In the end, everything turned out just fine. Serah only burnt an entire tray of biscuits but Karoline ensured that she cooked the rest. The feast was quite exquisite as there was a large twenty-pound bird jammed up with stuffing in the center of the table. Surrounding the succulent fowl was a gravy boat, a bowl full of peas, a bowl with a heaping amount of mashed potatoes, a platter full of biscuits with the burnt ones on the very bottom, a glass plate containing black olives and cranberry sauce, a casserole dish of three-cheese macaroni n¡¯ cheese, another dish with broccoli saute and finally, a bowl of miso soup to honor Ryunosuke¡¯s heritage and culture. The miso soup was really out of place compared to the other dishes but Ryunosuke didn¡¯t particularly care. All he saw was good food in front of him and his goal was to devour as much as his stomach could hold.


    After a prayer led by Ryunosuke, they all dug in until they couldn¡¯t eat another bite. Ryunosuke and Serah ended up having an eating competition to see who could polish off the most food. Serah ended up winning and earning herself the title of ¡®bottomless pit¡¯ from him. Serah and Mikomi rested on the couch as his father watched football on the TV. The two of them laid there all snuggled up together. Karoline came in and asked who was ready for dessert but Ryunosuke put his finger up to his lips. Karoline looked over and noticed that both Mikomi and Serah had fallen asleep together and looked so peaceful. Karoline couldn¡¯t help herself as she went into her room and grabbed her camera. She took a photo of the two of them sleeping together to keep as a memento of this day.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    That day was practically picture-perfect for Mikomi. Thanksgiving turned out exactly how he thought it would. It was the medicine he needed to help relieve the depression that had weighed so heavy on his mind these past few weeks. After their little food-induced coma, Mikomi and Serah woke up right at the tail end of the football game. Karoline was asleep in one of the chairs, exhausted from all the work she had put into making that dinner but Ryunosuke was on the edge of his seat. The game was in overtime and his team was driving down the field. A field goal settled the game and Ryunosuke was excited that his team won but he knew he had to keep it down otherwise Karoline would kill him for waking her. Mikomi sat up as Serah scooted over to the other side of the couch.


    ¡°Have a good nap, son?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± said Mikomi after letting out a bit of a yawn. With the way things were going, and with his happiness restored, he decided to take the plunge and talk to Ryunosuke about something that had also been weighing on his mind. Even though he knew the consequences of changing things too much, this one should be easy since it would align with the original timeline to a degree, therefore, any ripple effect should be minimal.


    ¡°Dad, I wanted to talk to you seriously about something.¡±


    ¡°Oh? What¡¯s on your mind?¡±


    ¡°Since everyone is here, I guess this would be the perfect opportunity to do so but  I¡¯ve been doing a lot of thinking and I came to a decision. When I¡¯m done with school, I want to come work for Onyx Technology Ventures. I want to follow in your footsteps and carry on your work.¡±


    ¡°Mikomi. It makes me very proud to hear you say that but you¡¯re still only fourteen. Even though you are doing very well in school, I don¡¯t think you have any idea how hard of a job it is to develop something as we have. I had to scour the world to find some of the most talented programmers and engineers to create the products that we have. It¡¯s going to take a lot more than a few advanced placement classes to do the kind of work needed.¡±


    Mikomi stood up and looked his father straight in the eye. Mikomi was done playing around. After thinking about things for the past few weeks, Mikomi concluded that he had already changed so much that no matter what he did from this point forward, it was all new. The single fact alone that Serah was here sharing Thanksgiving with him was proof of that. Maybe it was the clarity in his mind from taking a nap after a perfect day but Mikomi decided to throw caution out the window with reckless abandon and just give in to the flow of things.


    ¡°I¡¯m well aware of that and I¡¯ve already begun preparing. I already think I¡¯m well qualified to work there.¡±


    Karoline was awoken by the conversation. She looked at Mikomi when he said that with a raised eyebrow. Ryunosuke chuckled because he remembered what he was like when he was Mikomi¡¯s age. He thought he knew everything, too and he saw a lot of him in his son in that regard. Ryunosuke decided to entertain his son for a moment.


    ¡°You do? What makes you think you¡¯re qualified to work at the company?¡±


    Mikomi gritted his teeth. Even Serah was perplexed by Mikomi¡¯s behavior. He looked his father dead in the eyes and took a deep breath, preparing to drop the proverbial bomb on him. Mikomi opened his mouth knowing that this was an all-or-nothing moment.


    ¡°Because¡­ I¡¯m the one who wrote you that letter.¡±


    His father was stunned into silence. He was so shocked, he dropped the television remote on the floor. Karoline sat there in her chair and just watched to see what Ryunosuke¡¯s reaction would be. After sitting there for a moment, he spoke up.


    ¡°No¡­ you couldn¡¯t have. You¡¯re only fourteen. What do you know about artificial¡­.¡±


    ¡°I know that the parameters of your logic were out of scope. I know that the logic itself was flawed in the fact that it was based on taking in information only when it was inputted manually. You never thought to use the input channel on a recording device as a means for data intake. All you had to do was set up an algorithm to constantly monitor the input channel and then have the logic write the data to a storage device that the program could constantly access. Once accessed, the main program would then translate it into computer data and, in turn, sound data. All that was left would be the audio output in which the data would be translated into English. You were on the right track, you were just going about it the wrong way.¡±


    Ryunosuke¡¯s jaw hit the floor. He sat there, mouth open and eyes widened as he couldn¡¯t believe what he had just heard come out of Mikomi¡¯s mouth. All this time, he suspected it was someone on his team¡­ never in a million years would he imagine that it was his very own son who delivered to him the answer which would save his company. Even now, Ryunosuke couldn¡¯t speak clearly¡­ his mind was completely blown to the point where he had no idea what to make of any of this.


    ¡°There it is, dad. The cold, hard truth. Now¡­ what are you going to do?¡±

 Shift

    Ryunosuke stood there in disbelief. Mikomi¡¯s claim was very bold but it was also very far-fetched in his eyes. His mind danced as it searched for a plausible explanation but it couldn¡¯t find one. Soon, he began to stammer a bit.


    ¡°H-how¡­.?  It was¡­ you¡­ this entire time? How did you¡­ I¡­ I don¡¯t know what to say¡­¡±


    ¡°As I told mom, I wasn¡¯t just playing video games in my room all day. I wasn¡¯t just staying after school to study for classes. I¡¯ve been interested in what you do for a very long time now and I was doing my own research. I was learning everything I could about the things you do at work in hopes that one day, I could work side by side with you.¡±


    ¡°Karoline? You knew about this?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I didn¡¯t tell you because I felt that Mikomi should be the one to say something. I promised him that it would be our little secret and I simply kept my word to him. He¡¯s done a lot of growing up while you¡¯ve been at the office.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know what to say. All this time I thought it was somebody at work. Someone that was working on the project but it was my own son that gave me the answer. Mikomi¡­ you have no idea how grateful and how proud I am of you right now. If this is what you¡¯re capable of now... No¡­ I mustn¡¯t get ahead of myself. Mikomi¡­ stay on this path and I will make sure you¡¯ll have everything you need. I¡¯ll let you know what college courses you need to take¡­ everything. If your dream is to work side by side with me, then so be it. After this, how could I deny my son of his dream?¡±


    The decision to tell his father the truth was a bold move, even if there were some white lies behind it. As Ryunosuke embraced his son in the biggest hug he had ever given him, Serah sat there completely clueless as to what had just happened. She understood that what Mikomi said was important but she didn¡¯t fully grasp the overall picture. She just put on a smile and pretended she knew what all of that was about but the smile wasn¡¯t completely faked, either. She was legitimately happy because she knew Mikomi did something good, even if she couldn¡¯t comprehend what it was.


    Later that night, Mikomi took Serah back home. She was more impressed than she ever had been with him. To her, Mikomi came off as a genius and she couldn¡¯t believe that she was dating somebody like him.


    Just like that, Thanksgiving vacation was over and it was back to school for Mikomi, Serah, and Ryan. Mikomi continued to ace his AP classes. No matter how many were put in front of him, he conquered each and every one. After school, he would typically hang out with Serah and Ryan. Time continued to pass and Mikomi¡¯s fifteenth birthday soon arrived. He spent half the day at home with Serah and his parents and the other half of the day hanging out with Serah and Ryan. Ryan treated the two of them to a movie and then they went to the mall afterward. It was another perfect day for Mikomi that continued to lift his spirits. He began to feel a bit more comfortable in the future he created even though the events that changed because of him still weighed heavy on his mind. Despite that, the weight lessened more and more as if he were coming to peace with his decisions. Perhaps overwriting his depression with happy thoughts was his way of coping with it.


    Little by little, Serah¡¯s personality began to change as well. A pivotal moment came when Mikomi decided to act like a couple at school. Serah was hesitant about it at first but in the end, she decided that she was done hiding their relationship and wanted to go through with it.


    It didn¡¯t take long for the rumors to start but Mikomi was counting on it. Serah wanted to show that she wasn¡¯t afraid of those who gossiped about her anymore. Her newfound confidence paid off. She became less and less timid and even stood up for herself whenever she was faced with gossip. Mikomi stood by her the entire time and it was that resilience that quelled the rumors. Soon, Serah had achieved one of the things she desired most¡­ a normal life. This ended up bestowing even more confidence in her and it caused a radical shift in her personality.


    Serah became more extroverted and willing to do the things she shied away from doing. Every time she tried something new, she could only think of Mikomi and how he changed her life for the better. He taught her that she didn¡¯t have to be afraid anymore. She didn¡¯t have to keep things bottled up inside. She could live life freely without hesitation or fear because she knew, no matter what, Mikomi would be there by her side to see her through it all. Even though she was more trusting of those around her, Mikomi was still her safety net.


    This new confidence allowed Serah to start taking after-school art classes to fulfill her dream. She had already possessed a talent for drawing but her classes began to help her refine her skill. Until now, Mikomi was the only one who had ever seen her artwork. Her skill improved so much by the end of her freshman year that her teacher suggested that she start attending more advanced classes at an art studio down by the mall. Serah was a little bit reluctant at first but with Mikomi and Ryan cheering her on, she decided to take the offer.


    By the time summer vacation started, Serah was attending the art class full-time. Mikomi made it a habit of walking her there every day as well as being there when she got out. He would walk her home and she would talk about the techniques she learned as well as show off some of her art.


    All of her art was impressive and he was extremely proud of her for following her dream. Meanwhile, Mikomi continued to feign research about his father¡¯s company to keep up appearances. All he had to do was just recite the things he already learned from running the company back to his father to show him how much progress he was making. Sometimes it was difficult to keep up the lie but he kept at it and the more he did, the easier it became.


    During the summer, Mikomi paid his father a visit at the company. Mikomi was given a grand tour and was even allowed to shadow a few of the programmers so he could learn how things were done. In actuality, he ended up correcting and teaching the programmers some of their errors. Memories of him doing this when he ran the company resurfaced. Even though it was almost a year ago when he died and was given his second chance, all of the knowledge was there and he could recall it all as if it were yesterday. Perhaps it made him too comfortable as he almost slipped a few times by acting as the CEO of the company. Whenever he did, the workers there would just laugh it off as they felt he was just getting a bit too into it.


    Mikomi even got to meet Alice in this timeline. By the time he met her, she was nineteen. There was still a four-year difference between them but he thought she was still as beautiful as ever. Despite those thoughts, his one and true love would always be Serah. Even though in the original timeline he entertained the thought of dating Alice, there was no need for that here. He had Serah and that¡¯s all that mattered to him. That didn¡¯t stop Alice from finding Mikomi adorable, though. She teased him often whenever he visited. One could say that Mikomi¡¯s visits helped loosen up Alice¡¯s tight personality around his father. She was starting to become more and more like the Alice that he knew from his original timeline and that made Mikomi happy.


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ***


    As the years passed, nothing really changed. While Mikomi continued to live his life with a ¡®go with the flow¡¯ approach, he still kept a watchful eye for any effects from the ripple he had caused nearly three years ago.


    He continued to take AP classes while Serah continued attending art classes and her skills had improved to professional levels. Ryan was still floundering about, wondering just what he was meant to do in life. Each day after school and throughout each summer vacation, Mikomi would uphold his tradition of walking Serah to her class and picking her up when she got out. He also frequented the programming labs at Onyx Technology Ventures more and more to the point where he could have been considered an unofficial employee of the company. He had visited so much that his father issued him a permanent I.D. badge so he could come and go as he pleased.


    All the while, Sebastian was nowhere to be found. Mikomi often wondered if he would ever show up again but after nearly three years of not seeing him, he had this sense that Sebastian was holding up his part of the bargain. He was allowing Mikomi to shape the world in his image and Sebastian was going to protect it as a custodian in time. Although his absence was a bit worrisome, Mikomi always figured that Sebastian would show up if he needed to. Since he hadn¡¯t seen Sebastian, Mikomi could only assume that everything was going just fine.


    It was the final day of summer vacation in their Junior Year of high school. The two of them stood on the sidewalk, hand-in-hand, in front of their school as the sun began to set in the background, giving off the hue of a beautiful dusk sky. Mikomi then placed his arm around Serah and held her close to him as the two gazed at the building.


    ¡°Tomorrow, we start our final year of high school. After that, it¡¯s up to us to shape our futures,¡± said Mikomi in a new, slightly deeper voice.


    Serah didn¡¯t like where this conversation was going. Mikomi sensed that when she gripped him a bit tighter after he said those words. He already knew what that reaction meant and decided to ask her a question.


    ¡°Have you given any thought as to what you¡¯re going to do once you¡¯re out of high school?¡±


    ¡°I want to go to the community college and get my degree in art. Then, I was thinking about combining a couple of the loves in my life and going work as an illustrator or concept artist at a video game company.¡±


    ¡°You already know what I want to do with my future. It means I¡¯ll have to attend a university. It also means that I¡¯ll more than likely have to move away.¡±


    ¡°I know¡­ and that¡¯s the part that scares me, Mikomi.¡±


    Suddenly, Serah¡¯s fears of being abandoned resurfaced. She had worked so hard to overcome them but once she heard of the possibility of Mikomi moving away, it was as if all of that hard work had been erased. They had spent so much time together over the years that it was hard for her to imagine her life without him in it. Mikomi didn¡¯t know this but Serah had already decided that when they were old enough, he was going to be the man she would marry. She knew that Mikomi moving away would mean that they wouldn¡¯t be breaking up but not being able to see him daily would hurt on the inside. She wanted him to be happy but at the same time, she wanted to be just a little bit selfish and have Mikomi stay with her.


    ¡°You know¡­ there could be community colleges near the one I choose. You could always move with me and attend a different college. This way we could still be together.¡±


    Serah hadn¡¯t even considered that option. When she heard those words it was like a huge wave of relief came over her. She still had that account her parents had left her so money wasn¡¯t going to be a problem if she had to move. It would be a huge step for her and one that scared her a little bit when the fear filled her mind, she would just think about how she would always be near Mikomi and that made the fear pass away.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I didn¡¯t think of that. Would you do that for me? If you pick a college, would you see if there is a community college nearby with an art program? If we could be together, then I don¡¯t care where it is. I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    Mikomi simply nodded. After all, this was something that he wanted as well. He didn¡¯t want to abandon Serah after all this time together. This was the one girl he wanted to be with for the rest of his life and if it meant bringing her along to college with him, then that¡¯s what he was going to do.


    They took one last look at the school building before heading home. He dropped her off at her front door and gave her a kiss goodnight. Mikomi turned to leave when Serah stopped him.


    ¡°Mikomi¡­.¡±


    Mikomi stopped in his tracks and turned around to look at Serah. She was doing something she hadn¡¯t done in years. Serah was hanging onto the edge of her door while looking down at the ground. Mikomi saw this many times in the past and knew that Serah was nervous about something. He figured that it was about the conversation they had earlier and decided to give her a bit of a comforting pep talk.


    ¡°Serah, if this is about college, don¡¯t worry about it. We still have plenty of time to decide what we¡¯re going to do. I merely brought it up because we can¡¯t just ignore the topic forever. Sooner or later we have to face it so I figured that I would at least get the ball rolling.¡±


    Serah shook her head ¡®No.¡¯


    ¡°That¡¯s not it, Mikomi. You know¡­ we¡¯ve been dating now for three years. For three years I¡¯ve wanted to ask you something but I was too nervous to. Well¡­ I¡¯ve decided that I¡¯m going to ask you.¡±


    Serah¡¯s face turned a bit red. It was obvious she was embarrassed to ask him this question. It took her a bit but the words finally came out of her mouth.


    ¡°Would you¡­ like to spend the night here?¡¯


    ¡°S-spend the night?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ you know¡­ spend the night¡­ as a couple¡­.¡±


    Immediately Mikomi¡¯s mother¡¯s voice popped into his head. All he could hear were the words she said to him years ago when he came over to Serah¡¯s house for the first time. She told him to have fun but not to have FUN. His face turned beet red but he managed to squeak out an answer as he scratched his cheek with his index finger.


    ¡°S-s-sure.¡±


    Mikomi was about to take one step into the doorway when Serah grabbed him by the shirt and yanked him into the house, slamming the door behind her.


    The morning came quickly and Mikomi left Serah¡¯s house early so he could go home and change into his school clothes. Serah needed some time to get ready herself so the two parted ways for the time being. He rushed into his house, bypassing most of his mother¡¯s questions about where he was last night. He simply replied he was at Serah¡¯s house and then shut himself up in the bathroom. Mikomi got ready for school and stole a piece of toast out of the toaster as it popped up. He met Serah out in front of his house when all of a sudden...


    ¡°MIIII-KOOO-MIIII¡­. SEEEE-RRRR-AAAAH!¡±


    Ryan lunged in between the two of them and placed his arms around them both. Mikomi smiled over the fact that Ryan had included Serah in his morning tradition. Together, the three of them walked to school that morning.


    Their final year had begun.

 Path

    The final year of high school had begun for Mikomi. He attended his AP classes, continued to walk Serah to art class after school, and paid a visit to his father¡¯s company on the weekends. Mikomi had tailored his elective courses towards computer programming to keep up with appearances. Even though he already knew how to program, it was more or less to convince his father that he was working toward his goal of joining Onyx Technology Ventures.


    He told Ryunosuke about his plans to attend college but he also wanted to find a community college with a good art program nearby so that Serah could be with him. His father had some connections within the academic world and offered them up to Mikomi. With Mikomi¡¯s grades, he could easily get accepted into a high-level college. When he looked at some of the choices his father gave him, he noticed that there were several community colleges in and around the Modern University of Technology that Serah could attend for her art degree. Everything seemed like a perfect fit.


    One day after school, Mikomi continued what had become his tradition of walking Serah to her art class when he decided to bring up the subject of college once again.


    ¡°Hey, Serah. We talked over the summer about going to college and I wanted to tell you that my father found a solution for the two of us, although it is a bit of a long shot.¡±


    Serah stopped walking and turned to face him. She gave him her full attention as she was genuinely interested in what Mikomi had to say. After all, this would also determine her college of choice because she was determined to not let Mikomi distance himself from her. The thought of the two of them being apart was something that instilled fear inside of her. If there was a glimmer of hope that the two of them could remain together, she would hold onto it and try her hardest to never let it go.


    ¡°My father has some connections in MUT out in Highridge. It¡¯s one of the best technical schools in the county with very high standards. It¡¯ll probably give me the best education that I need to fulfill my goals.¡±


    ¡°Not to mention that it was the school I graduated from in the original timeline but there was no way I was going to tell my father that. All I could do was play dumb in front of him already knowing that he would choose MUT for me. I really hated using my father as a puppet but it was necessary.¡±


    ¡°...Highridge also has a couple of community colleges in the area, each with terrific art programs. Since it¡¯s not that far away, we could move to Highridge and still only be an hour or two away from home. We wouldn¡¯t be far from my family and your house. We could come back on the weekends and everything would work out just fine.¡±


    Serah¡¯s face lit up. That was the best possible answer she could have hoped for. She gave Mikomi a big hug and didn¡¯t want to let go. She looked up at him and kissed him on the lips but then she backed away and looked a bit nervous.


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡±


    ¡°No, but I''d be lying if I said that I didn¡¯t have something on my mind. I¡¯m not ready to talk about it right now. I need a little more time to think so, for now, let¡¯s just say there¡¯s something else I want to talk to you about once I get out of class tonight.¡±


    Mikomi was quite puzzled but he trusted her. He told her it was fine and they continued to walk to her class. He dropped her off and promised to be back by eight o¡¯clock to pick her up. Mikomi went home for the time being but right when he was about to turn down his street, he was assaulted by Ryan with his typical greeting.


    ¡°Really, Ryan? You¡¯re seventeen and you¡¯re still jumping all over me? Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s getting a bit old? You know¡­ like you?¡±


    ¡°First off, you said it yourself¡­ I¡¯m seventeen. I¡¯m hardly considered old. Secondly, it¡¯s kinda my thing. Well¡­ our thing. It¡¯s become a tradition, man!¡±


    ¡°OUR thing? Isn¡¯t Serah supposed to be the one to phrase things like that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying that there are things people grow out of. Maybe you should consider it.¡±


    Ryan slung his arm around Mikomi and held him close. He began to feel uncomfortable with Ryan being that close to his face. Ryan then put his head on Mikomi¡¯s shoulder, which made the situation that much worse. The look of confusion and annoyance on Mikomi¡¯s face was priceless.


    ¡°Aw, but Mikomi, I thought we were close friends. What good is being close friends if I can¡¯t tackle you every morning?¡±


    ¡°The scary thing is Ryan is being serious here!¡±


    Mikomi nudged him away and straightened out his clothes before clearing his throat and walking away.


    ¡°All I¡¯m saying Ryan is that the evidence is starting to pile up.¡±


    Ryan tilted his head to the side with a bit of a clueless look on his face.


    ¡°What evidence?¡± he said to himself before realizing Mikomi was leaving him behind.¡± Hey! Wait up!¡±


    Ryan caught up with him and the two of them walked back to Mikomi¡¯s house. Ryan said his farewell to him and continued back on his way. Mikomi let out a sigh of relief and entered through the front door. Karoline was sitting on the sofa watching television when she greeted him.


    ¡°Welcome home. There was a letter for you in the mail from your school¡¯s guidance counselor. Is everything okay, Mikomi?¡±


    Mikomi spotted the letter on the table and retrieved it. He tucked it into his pocket and started to make his way to his room.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ it¡¯s probably about the appointment I requested to go over my choice of college.¡±


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Mikomi tossed his backpack onto his bed and then returned to the living room where he continued the conversation with his mother.


    ¡°I talked to dad some time ago and he said he had some connections with MUT. I put in a request to the school to set up an appointment to discuss the possibility of attending that college. Not only would I get to remain in the state but it also means I can still be with Serah. She has¡­ well¡­ abandonment issues and wanted to go to school close by wherever I decided to go. This would give her a ton of local options if I get accepted. I think it is the best path for us both.¡±


    ¡°Well, it does make me relieved that you would be close to home. MUT is a very prestigious school but with how you¡¯ve been doing, I¡¯m sure that you have a good chance of getting in. I¡¯ll keep my fingers crossed for you.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, mom.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell her that I¡¯m pretty much a shoo-in for MUT. I got into college with lesser grades in the original timeline. The fact that I¡¯ve pretty much aced every AP class put in front of me means that I should have next to no trouble getting in. Still, I can¡¯t help but feel like this is cheating. I could use these grades to get into any school I wanted to but I think I¡¯ve changed enough in this world to satisfy me. From here on out, all I have to do is replicate the original timeline. If I do so, then I can achieve one of my goals: to relive the rest of my life with Serah, Ryan, and my dad by my side. The only major goal left is to find out who killed me. This one, I¡¯m afraid, is going to take some time.¡±


    After Mikomi¡¯s conversation, he retreated to his room to finish his homework. In what was becoming a mainstay, his father came home from work and ate dinner with the family. With his workload lightened, he was able to spend more time at home. Things have begun to wind down at the office as they were taking their time developing Daphne.


    The A.I. had undergone many changes over the past three and a half years. They still haven¡¯t taken the software to market as there were so many revisions that had to be made. Each time they made a tweak to the code, they realized that something else had to be improved. Ryunosuke wouldn¡¯t settle for anything less than perfection so his team spent the majority of their time discovering ways to improve the logic. When they first started, the logic wasn¡¯t perfect. Even when Mikomi created it in the original timeline, it was far from perfect. He simply pieced the puzzle together but the refining process was still ahead of him. Mikomi died before he could ever get to that stage of development so this was all new territory for him as well.


    Mikomi trusted his father¡¯s team because the majority of them were also his team when he took over the company. A few of the programmers left for bigger and better things but the majority of them stayed on to see the project through until the very end. His father¡¯s executive team remained unchanged when Mikomi took over as well so working alongside them brought back some nostalgic memories. In the process, Mikomi also got to see just where his code was flawed and what improvements had to be made. He considered the A.I. as a labor of love for obvious reasons but now that Serah was alive and well, he no longer needed to obsess over it. Now he could simply sit back and let things happen naturally.


    Not only that but as the years went on, technology advanced. Computer power grew exponentially and that meant that the company could utilize new hardware for testing. The results kept getting better and better when it came to processing and response time as a result. Sometimes, newer technology also meant a setback because now they realized that they could utilize it in more efficient ways which lead to the rewriting of the code to accommodate the newer hardware. Staying up with the times was an expensive and tiring endeavor, but the payoff was going to be well worth it in the long run.


    Mikomi ate dinner with his family and then set out to pick up Serah from her art class. He got there about half an hour early and sat on a bench outside of the studio she was attending. It was still early in the school year so the temperatures were a bit on the mild side at night. Mikomi sat there wearing nothing but a navy blue t-shirt and some grey cargo shorts. He gazed out and lost himself in the sights of the highway in front of him. Serah¡¯s art studio, A-Ry¡¯s Fine Arts & Studio, was off of a busy main road filled with shopping centers, gas stations, fast-food restaurants, and anything else you would expect to find along such a road.


    The name of the studio was a bit odd, but it was run by a younger woman named Amber Ryann. She had an infatuation with dragonflies and you could find many art pieces from paintings, sculptures, quilts, and the like all depicting a dragonfly in some form or another. Mikomi figured that if you had a muse about you then there was no harm in incorporating it into your business. Despite the oddness, she was good friends with Serah¡¯s art teacher at school and came highly recommended. Serah¡¯s results over the years only vouched for the authenticity of the recommendation.


    Before Mikomi knew it, the doors opened and all of the art students were leaving for the evening. Serah was one of the last ones out and she immediately looked to her left at the bench and saw Mikomi sitting there. He always sat in the same spot. Serah walked over to Mikomi and stood before him. Mikomi got up and gave Serah a hug and a kiss before the two of them walked off.


    The two of them left the plaza and then took the sidewalk alongside the highway. As the two of them made their way home, they began to engage in a bit of conversation.


    ¡°How was your class tonight?¡± asked MIkomi.


    ¡°It was great. It was a free night. We were told to do whatever we wanted as an exercise of creative freedom. I tried to draw something but I couldn¡¯t concentrate. My mind was wandering a bit too much. I kind of understand what you go through whenever you get lost in thought. You just forget about the world around you and get lost inside your mind. Don¡¯t think I never noticed you ignoring me sometimes whenever I tried to talk to you. I thought you were being inconsiderate at first but I¡¯ve come to realize that you were merely thinking. You¡¯re a pretty deep thinker and I like that about you.¡±


    Serah wrapped her arm around him and as they approached one of the side streets, Serah stopped and tugged on Mikomi¡¯s arm. This caused Mikomi to halt for a moment and look back at her.


    ¡°Can we take this way home?¡±


    Mikomi looked down the street. He knew that one all too well. While that street did lead to the road where Mikomi and Serah lived, if you continued straight, you would end up at a place called Szot Park. Mikomi recalled their one-year anniversary from the other timeline where the two of them laid on the grass and gazed up at the stars. It was there that Mikomi pledged to Serah that he would never abandon her and that he wanted to be the one who would end her loneliness. In the end, he realized that he did abandon her and that, coupled with the death of her parents, was what drove her to suicide.


    ¡°Mikomi?¡±


    Mikomi had taken way too long to answer. Serah gave him a tug on his shirt and it caused him to snap out of his train of thought.


    ¡°Is everything okay?¡±


    Mikomi shook his head and gave Serah an innocent smile.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I was just thinking that Szot Park is in that direction. My mind was wandering with thoughts of what you have up your sleeve.¡±


    ¡°Sometimes I hate that brain of yours. I can¡¯t hide anything from you!¡± she said with a bit of annoyance in her voice. ¡°You caught me red-handed, I guess. I thought that maybe the two of us could go there and look at the stars. It¡¯s a pretty clear night and I¡¯ve always wanted to do that with you.¡±


    Mikomi began to tense up, but he realized that this was a different Serah. With everything that had happened, there was no way that the same things would play out. Mikomi decided to let his curiosity get the better of him and agreed to go with her to the park.

 Promise

    With their destination agreed upon, it didn¡¯t take them long before they arrived at Szot Park. Serah spotted a nice hill where they could lie down and gaze up at the sky. Mikomi knew this hill all too well. His heartbeat began to quicken and his pace slowed a bit. Soon, he found Serah had slipped away from him. He shook his head and caught up. Thankfully, she didn¡¯t notice he had fallen behind.


    Serah sat on the grass and then patted the ground next to her, inviting Mikomi over to sit. You couldn¡¯t tell in the darkness of the night but Mikomi began to sweat. His heart raced faster and faster and his breathing picked up considerably. He was having an anxiety attack.


    ¡°W-what¡¯s happening to me? This is fine. This is fine. I swear to God, this is fine. There¡¯s nothing to be afraid of. This isn¡¯t the same Serah¡­ this isn¡¯t the same world. Just go over there, calm down, and act normally. Nothing is wrong. Everything is fine. Shhh... Shhh¡­ just calm down, Mikomi. Calm down. Control your breathing. Empty your mind. There is nothing to be afraid of.¡±


    The mental exercises were working. Mikomi felt a cool sensation rush over him as the anxiety attack broke. He accepted Serah¡¯s invitation and sat down next to her. Since the distance between them had closed, Serah noticed just how sweaty and pale he was in the moonlight. She instantly became concerned.¡±


    ¡°Oh my God, Mikomi, are you okay!? You look as white as a ghost!¡±


    ¡°No, Serah. I¡¯m not okay but I can¡¯t ever let you know that. I¡¯m sorry, but this is something that you must never know about.¡±


    Mikomi turned to Serah and smiled at her.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s just a little muggy out here so I¡¯m a bit sweaty. Maybe it¡¯s the moonlight that¡¯s making me look pale. You look a bit on the light side yourself, you know.¡±


    ¡°Hmm... I guess you¡¯re right. Sorry for worrying but still¡­ you should get in better shape. I made it all the way here and I didn¡¯t drop a single bead of sweat.¡±


    Mikomi simply laughed it off and laid down in the grass next to her. They remained there in silence for a little while, staring up at the night sky and getting lost in the sea of stars above them. Every so often, a gentle warm breeze would blow but since Mikomi was recovering from an anxiety attack, the warm breeze felt more like an arctic gale thanks to the sweat on his skin.


    ¡°They¡¯re pretty, aren¡¯t they? The stars that is,¡± asked Serah.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Serah reached over and grabbed Mikomi¡¯s hand. The warmth of her hand was still able to make him blush after all of these years. Her smooth skin felt so good to hold that it was very relaxing. Just being able to hold her hand under the stars was enough to wash away the rest of his fears and anxiety.


    In a move he didn¡¯t expect, Serah turned over and laid on top of him. Mikomi looked up into her eyes. He was completely mesmerized by what he was seeing before him. The radiance of the full moon illuminated her in an outline against a backdrop of the stars. He had never been so captivated at the sight of anything so much in his life. Mikomi moved his hand up and grazed the side of Serah¡¯s cheek. That¡¯s when she leaned in and gave him a very passionate kiss. This feeling was something that Mikomi didn¡¯t want to end. The kiss lasted for a good amount of time before Serah backed off. She had a rather nervous look on her face¡­ a look that Mikomi hadn¡¯t seen since freshman year of high school.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Mikomi.


    ¡°Nothing is wrong¡­ it¡¯s just that, I mentioned earlier today that I wanted to talk to you about something but I don¡¯t quite know how to put it. I¡¯m sure with how smart you are, you¡¯ve already figured it out, so what do you think?¡±


    ¡°Serah¡­ I know you think I¡¯m really smart but for once, I¡¯m completely stumped. I don¡¯t know what it is you¡¯re thinking right now.¡±


    She began to fidget as she looked away from him for a moment. Mikomi saw this look before. It was the same look she had on her face when she told Mikomi that she thought he was going to abandon her, too.


    ¡°Oh no! Don¡¯t tell me this is happening. After all this time I thought that Serah had changed and had moved past this. I thought that she had found happiness! Don¡¯t tell me she had these feelings inside of her all along. Did all of my conversations about college trigger a relapse or something? What am I going to do now?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to make me say it, aren¡¯t you, Mikomi?¡±


    ¡°Say ¡®it¡¯?  Say what? Oh God, this is killing me¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to have to, I¡¯m afraid. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re thinking but if something is wrong, please tell me so I know how to help.¡±


    Serah realized that Mikomi had the wrong impression and started waving her hands around frantically.


    ¡°Huh!? No, No!! Nothing¡¯s wrong! It¡¯s nothing like that! It¡¯s just¡­ well¡­ I love you, Mikomi¡­¡±


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°Wait¡­ that¡¯s it? Just ¡®I love y-¡¯  Wait¡­ this is the first time Serah has ever said that to me!¡±


    Mikomi was stunned. The look on his face showed a sense of wonder. Serah took one look at it and knew that he was deeply touched by her confession just now. Mikomi instantly shot up and grabbed Serah as hard as he could, pulling her head against his shoulder. Serah closed her eyes and savored every moment of it. Before she got too lost in the moment, though, she pulled away and brushed her hair back, taking a deep breath in the process.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t the only thing I wanted to talk to you about, Mikomi. Yes¡­ I do love you but lately, I¡¯ve been doing some thinking and I came to a decision. We¡¯re still a bit too young for something like this, so that¡¯s why I want you to make a promise to me. A promise for the future.¡±


    Serah grabbed Mikomi by the hand as the two of them knelt there in the grass under the starry night sky. She looked down at his hand for a moment before lifting her head back up. She looked into his curious eyes and cracked a smile.


    ¡°Mikomi. When we¡¯re old enough¡­ will you promise to marry me?¡±


    ¡°S-Serah¡­¡± Mikomi said quietly as he reached out and gently held the side of her face with his right hand.


    He couldn¡¯t believe it. Serah had just proposed to him. Mikomi never thought that something like this would have been remotely possible but that proposal just now was proof that he had succeeded in changing the future and his life. Everything he could have ever wanted was right in front of him and now, he had the opportunity to seize it all. Regardless of the ripple that this would create, he realized it was already a product of the one he already caused. There was no use holding back anymore. Serah¡¯s words brought tears to his eyes as he knelt there, crying out of happiness. Through the streaming tears, he smiled at Serah and then replied with a quiver in his voice.


    ¡°If you asked me that question a thousand times, then a thousand times, my answer would be yes!¡±


    It was now Serah¡¯s turn to break down into tears. She lunged at Mikomi and knocked him back down to the grass. She gave him another deep, passionate kiss beneath the pale glow of the moonlight. The moment was as surreal as much as it was serene. As they lay there, locked in a kiss, they suddenly became startled when they heard a rustling behind them. Serah looked up as Mikomi turned to his stomach and raised his head, peering over the hill.


    Nobody was there.


    After taking a deep breath, the two of them laughed at how silly they must have looked.


    ¡°It¡¯s a public park, after all. Might have just been an animal or maybe the wind,¡± said Mikomi.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she said with a bit of a nervous giggle.


    At that point, they decided to call it a night. Mikomi walked Serah back to her house, giving her another kiss goodnight before heading back home. Tonight was a magical night for him. The girl that he loved¡­ the girl he fought so hard to protect laid it all on the line by asking him to marry her. It wasn¡¯t a hard decision as there wasn¡¯t anyone else on this planet that he would rather spend the rest of his life with and that included Alice. Perhaps, in the original timeline things would have been different but with Serah here with him now, as cruel as it may seem, Alice was no longer a factor in that equation.


    Mikomi went to sleep that night. He never bothered telling his parents what had happened because he knew he would be lectured on things like responsibility, being an adult, and all of the other stuff he already knew about. He has no desire to have that conversation so he decided that he would tell them when the timing was better. To him, that meant post-graduation. The toughest part would be keeping it from his mother¡¯s legendary sixth sense. Sometimes he wondered if she bugged his clothing with the number of times she¡¯s been able to guess what he had been thinking. Nevertheless, it was a challenge that he willfully accepted.


    When Mikomi returned to school the next day, he had a meeting with his guidance counselor. He expressed his interest in going to MUT so they reviewed his grades and it was determined that he would be a prime candidate for admittance in the fall after he graduated from high school. It was even suggested that he apply for a scholarship as it would help with the hefty cost of attending such a renowned university. Mikomi began the application process for both MUT and the scholarship that day. He was eager to set that plan in motion to make that piece of the puzzle slide into place.


    It was an eventful day for him and he broke the news to Serah. He also urged her to do the same with her counselor so she could apply to one of the nearby colleges for her art degree. Serah agreed to talk to her counselor the next day. After she went through the same process, the two of them were faced with the painful and agonizing task of waiting for their respective college choices to give them a reply.


    ***


    The weeks went by without so much as a single word. It was almost a month later on a Saturday that Serah woke Mikomi up by banging on his front door. Mikomi answered it and saw her huffing and puffing on the other side, holding a letter in her hand. She looked up at him, who was still half awake, and yelled out¡­


    ¡°I GOT IN!¡±


    Mikomi smiled and gave her a big hug. Karoline and Ryunosuke came out from the kitchen and gave her a round of applause. Mikomi wondered why the two of them didn¡¯t answer the door when they were so close by. Maybe they saw Serah walk up to the house through the front window and decided to let Mikomi handle it. Something seemed a bit suspicious about all of this.


    ¡°Have you heard from MUT yet?¡±


    Mikomi shook his head ¡®no.¡¯ She began to worry because if Mikomi didn¡¯t get in, then she would have been accepted to a college a decent distance away. This means Mikomi would go to another school and the two of them would become separated. Ryunosuke saw the worried look on her face and cleared his throat.


    ¡°Well... there was this letter that came for you yesterday, Mikomi, but I was holding onto it because we were planning a surprise for you tonight.¡±


    His father went to the hutch in the kitchen and pulled out an envelope from MUT. He walked over and handed it to him. His father, who had connections at the university, already knew what the letter said. He smiled and gave him a wink which caused Mikomi¡¯s face to light up. He tore open the letter as quickly as he could and pulled its contents out. His eyes went from left to right quickly as he read the letter. He looked up at Serah with a look of shock on his face.


    ¡°I got rejected.¡±

 Fracture

    Mikomi stood there letter in hand with a downtrodden look on his face. Meanwhile, Serah¡¯s worst fear had come true. The outcome she hoped to avoid had happened but rather than become paranoid, she acted out in a way that he didn¡¯t quite expect.


    ¡°WHAT!!?¡± screamed Serah as she grabbed Mikomi by the shirt with force with his father laughing in the background. The sheer look of ferocity in her eyes was enough for him to drop the act.


    ¡°I kid! I kid! I got in! Here, look! See?¡±


    Serah snatched the letter out of Mikomi¡¯s hands as his father continued to laugh hysterically. His mother cracked up as well but her laugh was more confined to herself. Serah didn¡¯t find the joke all that funny and gritted her teeth. She shoved the letter back into Mikomi¡¯s chest with force.


    ¡°Is this the kind of humor I can expect from you once we¡¯re mar¡­¡±


    Serah realized what she had just said. All of a sudden, the room got really quiet. If Serah¡¯s outburst didn¡¯t give it away, the fact that Mikomi facepalmed sure did.


    ¡°...ried?¡±


    ¡°You really did it now, Serah.¡±


    It was almost as if the two of them were in sync. They both slowly turned their heads toward Mikomi¡¯s parents. Karoline had crossed her arms while his father had a look on his face that suggested confusion on whether or not he should say something. Mikomi started laughing pathetically as he rubbed the back of his head.


    ¡°Surprise!¡± he said.


    The cold response of silence from his parents said it all.


    ¡°I¡¯m the one who asked him to marry me,¡± said Serah, stepping forward. ¡°I love Mikomi more than anyone in the world and I want to be with him for the rest of my life but I didn¡¯t ask him to marry me right away. I know that we¡¯re still kids and there¡¯s still a lot of life and growing up ahead of us. I asked him to marry me once we got older. It was kind of a promise more than anything.¡±


    ¡°And I said yes,¡± said Mikomi as he defiantly stepped in front of Serah with a look of burning determination in his eyes.


    The serious look on both of his parent¡¯s faces then melted away and the two of them, once again, broke out in laughter, as was their custom. Mikomi felt extremely dumbfounded by their reaction. You¡¯d think with all the times they laughed in his face that he would have gotten used to it by now. His father walked over and placed Mikomi in a headlock!


    ¡°Good thing we reserved four seats at Dockside tonight. Now we even have more of a reason to celebrate. To think¡­ My son has a fiancee and he¡¯s not even out of high school yet. I was prepared to lecture you about moving too fast but it seems you two already realized that. I¡¯m happy that you two love each other and that you¡¯re willing to wait. It¡¯s a big sign of maturity.¡±


    Ryunosuke let his son go and then stood before Serah. He placed his hand on her shoulder and smiled.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been dating my son for nearly four years now. I can¡¯t think of anyone I¡¯d rather have to marry my son than you. I already feel as if you were the daughter we never had. I guess this just makes it official now, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    With that, Ryunosuke hugged Serah. All her life, she had been missing the warm embrace of a parent. She truly got to experience what that was like with Mikomi¡¯s father just now. It was a warm feeling that she had hardly ever known. She was too young to remember the last time she was able to share a moment like this with her parents. This was truly special for her as she felt honored to be accepted into Mikomi¡¯s family.


    Serah stayed and talked with Mikomi and his family for a while. They talked about their plans once they got to college and what they wanted to do with their lives. Serah, who once thought about becoming an illustrator for a video game company, had a change of heart. She still wanted to create art but with her relationship with Mikomi being a huge determining factor, she thought that she could give back to the art community by becoming a teacher instead.


    She realized that if she went to go work for a game company she would have to move away. With Mikomi looking to take root in his father¡¯s company, there would be a huge chance that the two would separate. There was no way she was going to let that happen so she decided to change her career path for Mikomi¡¯s sake.


    Of course, she didn¡¯t let Mikomi know that he was the reason. She simply stated that it was the classes she took that influenced her to change her mind. She liked the way she was taught by Amber Ryann and it made a profound impact on her. It wasn¡¯t all a lie, though, as she did feel impacted by Amber¡¯s teachings. She decided that she learned all she could from her and that her last class was going to be at the beginning of summer break so she could prepare to move on to college.


    That night, they celebrated at Dockside. It was an upscale restaurant down by the water where Ryunosuke typically held meetings with clients as well as staff, After they finished their meal, Ryunosuke offered to drive Serah home. When they got back, Mikomi went straight to bed but he couldn¡¯t sleep. He ended up staring up at his ceiling with a smile on his face.


    It was such an exciting day that he didn¡¯t even feel tired. It didn¡¯t matter to him all that much since there wasn¡¯t any school tomorrow with it being a Sunday. Mikomi decided to sit up in bed and indulge himself in some video games. He reached for the remote to his television when he heard a soft ¡°tink¡± on his window.  He paid it no mind until he heard a second¡­ then a third¡­ then a fourth.  Mikomi looked out the window and a man was standing outside.


    It was the first time in nearly four years since he had seen him.


    It was Sebastian.


    Mikomi gave Sebastian a nod and got out of bed. It was around eleven at night and his parents had gone to bed. Mikomi tiptoed as gently as he could through the house to the back door where he opened it as quietly as possible. He was able to open and close the door with little to no noise, achieving perfect stealth. Sebastian nodded for Mikomi to come away from the house, just in case their conversation was a bit too loud.


    Mikomi followed Sebastian into the woods. Mikomi didn¡¯t take the shortcut to school anymore as the city felt that too many people were using that so they put up a barricade and some no trespassing signs but with it being nighttime, the chances of anyone spotting them there were slim to none.


    ¡°My dear Mikomi¡­ it has been a while. My, have you grown,¡± said Sebastian.


    ¡°Yeah, it has. Why have you been away for so long?¡±


    ¡°No doubt you remember our last conversation. You were quite adamant about changing the world. So much so that you put me in my place and told me that my job should be to protect the world you have created. Well, Mikomi¡­ I wanted to come here to let you know that I have held up my end of the bargain as promised. You did a splendid job shaping your path and walking it. I just wanted to commend you on a job well done.¡±


    ¡°Thanks. That really means a lot.¡±


    ¡°Needless to say that it¡¯s been a bit of a chore trying to keep up with you, though. Every time you made a change, I had to make some¡­ adjustments... to balance things out.¡±


    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    It was then that Mikomi realized just what Sebastian meant by the word adjustments. Mikomi gritted his teeth and balled up his fists. He may have been seventeen years old now but he still had the same look that he did at fourteen when he confronted Sebastian about his memories.


    ¡°You¡¯re talking about the death of Serah¡¯s parents, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°That is correct, Mikomi. You once theorized that to create, something must be given. It is the law of equality and to gain Serah¡¯s happiness, something of hers had to be lost. Before you start thinking negatively, you are well aware that Serah¡¯s parents were going to die later this year anyway, right? I¡¯m afraid that was one event you couldn¡¯t change. After everything was finally going right for Serah, what kind of impact would that have had on her? She¡¯s going to go to college, she has a profession already chosen, and she has even selected you to be her future husband. The loss of her parents would have happened on the same day as the other timeline. She would have been standing next to you at graduation, feeling on top of the world, and then her world would have come crashing down.¡±


    Mikomi didn¡¯t want to hear those words. Sebastian said them without emotion and that¡¯s what really pissed Mikomi off.


    ¡°But by simply erasing her parents from this world and making her think that they died when she was young, it caused you to come in and end her loneliness. She had already experienced the pain so the only direction she could have gone with you was up. Needless to say, Mikomi, my method may seem inhumane but you have to realize that above all circumstances, it was necessary. If there was a way where you could have saved Serah¡¯s parents, then I would have held up my end of the bargain and allowed you to try and save them but even Serah, herself, didn¡¯t know where they were until they notified her that they were flying in for her graduation. They would have gotten on the same plane which would have the same malfunction and they still would have died. With no information whatsoever, you couldn¡¯t have done anything to prevent it.¡±


    Once again, Sebastian delivered the cold, hard truth to Mikomi. That¡¯s what he hated the most about Sebastian. It was the fact that he spoke merely in facts without regard for anyone else¡¯s feelings. Sebastian was the type of person who feigned emotions but deep down inside under the surface, he was quite emotionless. Being a custodian of time, there is no doubt that Sebastian has seen and experienced things that were far beyond Mikomi¡¯s comprehension.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like what you have said one bit but I can¡¯t argue against it. I just wish you showed a little more compassion when you say such things.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m terribly sorry, Mikomi. Compassion isn¡¯t something I¡¯m used to. I exist to watch over the timelines and ensure that they are properly balanced. I am not the only custodian of time that exists, you know. I can¡¯t watch ALL of the timelines as that would be an insane task for just one person. Unfortunately, part of the job calls for making difficult decisions. After doing this for a length of time that you couldn¡¯t possibly comprehend, you just learn to do it without hesitation. Nothing is above protecting the timelines. The timelines are absolute and balance is necessary. It may seem cold to a human who possesses a wide array of emotions but you have to seal those emotions away to do a job like mine. It¡¯s impossible to care about every single life in the multiverse. It¡¯s just impossible.¡±


    Mikomi can¡¯t even imagine the things Sebastian has to do to keep things in order. Just the scale itself was enough to break his mind. Mikomi felt a little bad for lashing out at him when all he tried to do was his job.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I guess it¡¯s hard for a human like me to see things from your perspective. I guess I should have cut you a little more slack.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all good and proper, my boy. I¡¯ve been told much worse by other clients I¡¯ve had to oversee. It¡¯s all part of the job.¡±


    ¡°So, why did you come and see me?¡±


    ¡°No reason, Mikomi. I just felt it has been a while and I wanted to come by and say hello. I just wanted to remind you that I still exist and that I¡¯m always watching. Now run along and get some sleep. You¡¯ve only got the rest of your life ahead of you.¡±


    Mikomi gave Sebastian a nod. As he began to walk away, Sebastian stopped him once more.


    ¡°One last thing, Mikomi. Please keep in mind what I said about balance. Things are going to keep changing. It¡¯s part of the ripple you¡¯ve created. Just make sure the ripple doesn¡¯t get too out of control. That''s all I ask.¡±


    With that, Sebastian tipped his head to Mikomi and disappeared into thin air. Mikomi stood there for a moment and wondered what Sebastian meant by those words. Nevertheless, he was on autopilot at this point. He had already made the changes that he wanted to make and now he was just sitting back and letting his life play out based on this new path he created.


    Mikomi stealthily made his way back into his home. He snuck back into his room and sat down on the edge of his bed. He began to think about everything that had happened thus far. He recalled the past three years of his life and reflected on both this timeline and the original. He was still amazed at the things he changed and what new events were created here as a result. Mikomi shook his head as he had enough of remembering the past. He wanted to focus on the future from this point forward.


    ***


    The rest of the school year felt like it was in time-lapse. Nothing out of the ordinary happened and it was business as usual. When May came, Mikomi, Serah, and Ryan all prepared for graduation. When the big day arrived, they each received their diplomas, marking the end of their four-year journey through high school. Mikomi, Serah, and Ryan posed for several pictures together to help celebrate this moment. Ryunosuke and Karoline attended their graduation and congratulated them on their accomplishments.


    They knew that they only had a few months until the start of college. They had already been accepted and Mikomi was going in on a scholarship. Serah wasn¡¯t worried about her tuition thanks to her parent¡¯s money but poor Ryan hadn¡¯t even decided what he was going to do with his life.


    The next day, Serah had her final art class at A-Ry¡¯s. Mikomi went to Serah¡¯s house and picked her up. It was a bit later than usual as she decided to take the night class from eight until ten. She did so just in case she celebrated a bit too hard and needed the time to reverse the celebration¡¯s adverse effects.


    Serah met Mikomi out in front of his house and the two of them held hands as they headed on their way. Even though the shopping center with her studio was on the highway, it only took about fifteen minutes to walk there. When they arrived, Serah kissed Mikomi as he told her that even though it was later than normal, he would still come to pick her up and that he would be waiting for her on the same bench as he always had been. Serah smiled at him as Mikomi turned and walked away. Serah stood there looking at him as he got further and further away. She was already thinking about Mikomi sitting on the bench waiting for her when she got out.


    Serah turned and went to grab the door handle to the studio. All of a sudden, things started to get awfully bright. Before Serah could turn around to see what that light was, there was a loud bang. It was loud enough to echo throughout the entire parking lot. Mikomi stopped dead in his tracks as a sense of fear came over him. He slowly turned around and when he did, his eyes opened about as big as they could.


    A look of intense horror washed over his face as he extended his arm out in front of him as if he were trying to reach for something. He began to stagger forward as his knees could barely keep him upright, and his complexion turned so pale that all of the color drained from his skin. His mouth was trying to form words but there was no sound coming out. The world around him became so muffled, it was like he had stepped inside a vacuum. All Mikomi could do was stare forward at the car that drove right into the front doors of the art studio.


    On the hood of the car, lying motionless was Serah. Once Mikomi had enough time to semi-process the situation, he screamed out her name at the top of his lungs. He took off running at top speed toward the car, ignoring everything else around him. When he got there, he shook Serah but she wasn¡¯t responding. Mikomi brushed her hair back and her eyes were still open but she wasn¡¯t responding to anything. He looked down and noticed the pool of blood underneath the car. Serah¡¯s entire lower body had been completely crushed by the impact.


    Mikomi reached out and tried to grab the bench to sit down as he was losing his balance but he lost his footing and fell to the cold, hard concrete.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t happening¡­ this isn¡¯t happening. This is all just a dream, right? This didn¡¯t happen. Serah¡¯s okay, isn¡¯t she? I mean, that¡¯s not her, right? No¡­ she already went inside¡­ that¡¯s just someone who looks like her, right? RIGHT!?¡±


    Mikomi was paralyzed. He couldn¡¯t move. Even as the police sirens screamed in the background, Mikomi couldn¡¯t do anything but sit there and stare with a horrified look on his face. He was so paralyzed with fear and disbelief that he couldn¡¯t even force any tears to come out. Mikomi¡¯s vision became hazy as his heart rate skyrocketed. He began to sweat profusely and he had a hard time trying to catch his breath. He could only sit there, gasping for air, shaking with intense fear.


    Off in the distance, a pair of eyes watched the entire scene unfold from the shadows. It was keeping a watchful eye on everything. The eyes narrowed and a voice quietly muttered¡­


    ¡°Balance must always be maintained.¡±


    The person turned and walked away. A single gold cane brushed the ground behind him as he disappeared into the shadows.


    This was the end of Mikomi¡¯s final year of high school. In a few months, he would head to college but he would be heading there alone.

 Recurrence

    Summer vacation was to be a time for any teenager to enjoy themselves before the beginning of a new school year. Those who graduated looked forward to college, starting a job, or perhaps even enlisting in the military. For four years, everyone¡¯s path flowed as one as a single solitary line advancing towards the same destination but at the end of those four years, everyone¡¯s lines would no longer run parallel to each other. They would splinter into many directions and the lives traversing those paths would change. All people would inevitably walk their own path but one night, a man who had been walking his path for the second time learned that the destination couldn¡¯t be changed. As the police sirens cried in the background, two paths splintered, one of them coming to an end. The other path must continue without its parallel to keep it company.


    It wasn¡¯t long before local news stations picked up and reported on the incident.


    ¡°Two were killed yesterday evening in an accident at the Two Rivers shopping plaza. The accident occurred at A.R. Dragonfly art studio when a vehicle lost control and drove into the front doors, killing one teenage girl. The girl has been identified as eighteen-year-old Serah Annhearst; however, the driver of the vehicle, who is also deceased, has not yet been identified. The girl was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident while the driver was pronounced dead at the hospital Medical staff at the hospital have reported that it appears that the driver had suffered a heart attack behind the wheel prior to the accident.¡±


    Almost as if time had rewound, Mikomi and Serah stood there outside of A.R. Dragonfly¡¯s. Mikomi was about to turn and walk away when Serah stopped him in his tracks.


    ¡°Why are you leaving?¡±


    Mikomi was a bit confused by that question. He turned around and looked at Serah with a puzzled look. She seemed rather concerned about his departure and he didn¡¯t know why. It had become a routine for him to drop her off at art class and then come back to pick her up when it ended. Mikomi shook his head for a moment and then answered Serah.


    ¡°I¡¯m dropping you off. This is your final art class, remember?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re abandoning me, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Serah took a step forward with a worried look on her face. Mikomi was a bit shocked to hear her say those words. He had put forth a great effort to change the world line and ensure that Serah would never be never alone in this world. She hadn¡¯t exhibited these emotions in years but as he looked her in the eyes, he could only wonder where this relapse came from. He knew he had to say something to calm her down.


    ¡°What? Abandon you? You know that I would never do that, Serah! I¡¯ve been dropping you off here for the past year. I¡¯ve always come back to pick you up, haven¡¯t I? Why would tonight be any different? I¡¯ll be back to pick you up when you get out, just like I always have!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re lying. I¡¯m never going to see you again, am I?¡±


    Mikom¡¯s emotions swirled around inside of him. Something had happened to Serah to cause her to relapse but he didn¡¯t know just what that cause was. All he could do was comfort her and assure her that he wasn¡¯t going anywhere. He took a step toward her and reached out with his arms to embrace her in a hug.


    ¡°I¡¯m not lying, I¡¯m going to be right¨C¡±


    Before Mikomi could finish, everything became bathed in a bright white light. The blinding light caused him to stop dead in his tracks and shield his eyes. Through his fingertips, it was as if Serah became nothing more than a silhouette in the blinding light before fading away. A thunderous crash exploded in Mikomi¡¯s ears before he let out an ear-piercing scream.


    Suddenly, Mikomi was elsewhere. His face was covered in cold, drenching sweat as his eyes jolted around frantically, trying to ascertain his surroundings. Mikomi¡¯s breathing was heavy and labored as a voice jolted him even further.


    ¡°AGAIN!? Geez, man. This is the third time this week and it is only Thursday! Now I¡¯m starting to understand why your other roommate bailed on you. How is a guy supposed to get any sleep with your damn nightmares!? Seek help or something, man.¡±


    ¡°S-sorry, Derek.¡±


    ¡°Whatever. I¡¯m going back to sleep.¡±


    Mikomi sat up in bed and took a look around the room. Even though it was nighttime, the moonlight illuminated the room enough for him to realize that he was in his college dorm at MUT. His bed was up against the left wall while his roommate, Derek Carter¡¯s bed, was up against the right wall. There was enough room in the dorm for one desk which was set up between their two beds underneath their only window. This was the place he had called home for the past month and a half and while things were cramped, he was making it work as best as he could. His last roommate, Caleb, moved out just last week after getting sick of putting up with Mikomi¡¯s nightmares. At this rate, Derek wouldn¡¯t be far behind.


    Six months had passed since Mikomi lost Serah. It was a day that constantly haunted him. He could only think about it and nothing else during the day and could only relive the horrible experience in his dreams at night. He thought that he had changed the future but in the end, the same fate waited for Serah and he felt powerless to stop it. Mikomi wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and laid back down in his bed, wide awake. He closed his eyes and began to think to himself.


    These nightmares¡­ How much longer must I endure them? Is this my punishment for failing to change the future? Still¡­ something doesn¡¯t feel right about it at all. I just can¡¯t understand how I was able to change so much and still end up with the same result. Serah died in the original timeline on the same exact day as she died here. Given everything that has happened, that shouldn¡¯t have been the case. What did I miss? What error did I make?


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    No matter how many times I replay the situation in my head, I can¡¯t think of what I missed. There had to be something that I overlooked, something so obvious that was staring me in the face. At this point, whatever that is, it must be laughing at me... ridiculing me for being so inept. The only saving grace to all of this is that everything since then has gone on as I remembered it. It feels like I¡¯ve started back at zero once again. Where do I even go from here? Am I supposed to just follow this path like some sort of subservient drone? If that¡¯s the case, then what was the point of all of this?


    Mikomi took a deep breath and sat back up. He realized it was futile to try and sleep so he decided that some fresh air might help clear his head. He stood up and grabbed his winter coat and quietly exited his dorm room. He made his way down a hallway and pushed a button to summon the elevator. He stepped inside, thankful to have the entire elevator to himself. He pushed the button for the lobby and the doors closed. As the elevator began its descent, Mikomi began to think some more.


    Every night I¡¯ve had to deal with this uneasy feeling. While it has subsided over the past few months, I still can¡¯t rid myself of it completely. It¡¯s almost as if I don¡¯t want to get rid of it because it¡¯s the last piece of Serah that I have left. It¡¯s my constant reminder that I failed. This truly is my punishment.


    The doors to the elevator opened. The sounds of the doors opening echoed through the front lobby as there wasn¡¯t a single person in sight. Then again, you wouldn¡¯t expect to see many students walking around at 2:30 in the morning. Mikomi headed for the front doors and exited, sticking his hands into the pockets of his winter coat. He walked towards one of the rest areas off to the left of the dorm entrance as his thoughts continued.


    Some nights I can sleep all the way through and then there are nights like tonight where I just can¡¯t. I admit I¡¯ve gotten better since the accident. I remember not being able to sleep for an entire week. I would just sit in my room in complete and total silence. Then, one day, my body completely gave out and I collapsed in bed. That¡¯s when the nightmares began. I couldn¡¯t sleep a full night after that. I had lost my appetite and even had to be treated for anemia. I, honestly, didn¡¯t want to live anymore after that.


    Mikomi made it to the rest area and found a bench. He stopped in front of the bench and looked down at it for a moment. Mikomi closed his eyes and then took a seat on the left-hand side.


    After I was released from the hospital, I realized that giving up wasn¡¯t the answer and I still know that today, but what can I do? If I were to change anything else, would it matter in the end? I couldn¡¯t save Serah. How am I supposed to save anyone else?


    ¡°I just wish¡­ I knew what to do¡­¡±


    Mikomi said those words quietly, almost under his breath as he stared down at the cold, hard ground. He sat there in silence for a few moments but a faint sound behind him caught his attention. It sounded like something was being dragged across the ground. The sound got a little louder and was accompanied by what sounded like footsteps in the grass. Mikomi knew that these sounds were more than just random noises in the background. He turned his head and looked over his shoulder. He instantly recognized the person who had walked up behind him, but he wasn¡¯t the least bit surprised to see him. Instead, he turned back around and continued to stare down at the ground.


    The man walked around and stood in front of Mikomi.


    ¡°Mind if I have a seat, my dear Mikomi?¡±


    Mikomi said nothing as Sebastian had appeared in front of him for only the second time in six months. Sebastian disregarded Mikomi¡¯s silence and took a seat on the right side of the bench, crossing his legs and resting his gold cane on top of them.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear what you have to say.¡±


    Sebastian let out a sigh and patted Mikomi on the leg.


    ¡°Mikomi¡­ how much longer are you going to-¡±


    ¡°Just leave!¡±


    Mikomi¡¯s words were sharp. They pierced through Sebastian¡¯s skin and it caused him to become a bit startled. He uncrossed his legs and looked as if he were going to stand but he stopped himself. Sebastian crossed his legs once again and even folded his arms.


    ¡°On second thought, no¡­ I¡¯m not going to leave, Mikomi. We never did finish our chat from a few months ago. I was the gentleman and gave you your space and now it¡¯s time that you face the conclusion of that conversation.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested in what you¨C¡±


    ¡°Your interest is irrelevant. I¡¯ll follow you back to your room if I have to. I¡¯ll materialize for the whole world to see and awaken your new roommate who¡¯s about one disturbed sleep away from choking the life out of you. I¡¯ll do all of that just for the sake of finishing our conversation. Remember¡­ you¡¯re away from home now. Nobody will question who I am. For all they know, I¡¯m just some visitor you know that¡¯s come to keep you company. I can be less secretive here. I could bug you every minute of every day until you cave. Besides, after you hear what I have to say¡­ it might make you sleep better but then again, it might not. It all depends on how you interpret the information.¡±


    Mikomi let out a deep sigh as he knew that he had no choice. Sebastian was going to keep hammering away until he caved so Mikomi decided that he would do just that.


    ¡°Fine¡­ I¡¯ll listen. Say what you have to say and make it quick. It¡¯s freezing out here.¡±


    ¡°As you¡¯re well aware, I¡¯m sure, I¡¯m constantly watching you. You should know my job description by heart at this point so you know the reasons why. I saw the accident and I¡¯ve watched you suffer because of it. I saw you at Serah¡¯s funeral and how absolutely devastated you were but throughout all of that, when you wanted nothing more than answers. I kept my distance because I felt that you would be just as you are now¡­ unwilling to listen, only worse. I decided to come to see you, thinking I had given you enough space but perhaps I hadn¡¯t and for that, I sincerely apologize; however, I have one question to ask. Just how much longer are you going to throw this pity party for yourself?¡±


    Mikomi glanced over at Sebastian and gritted his teeth. Mikomi was on the brink of just letting loose and decking Sebastian in the face, but he held himself back.


    ¡°The cold, hard fact is Mikomi¡­ Serah died and you couldn¡¯t change anything. That look in your eyes tells me that you knew I was going to say that. I¡¯m not trying to stir you up¡­ I¡¯m merely stating the facts. I told you everything about shaping and changing this world, Mikomi. I warned you about-¡±


    Mikomi shot straight up and grabbed Sebastian by his jacket. He pressed Sebastian up against the bench as hard as he could.


    ¡°DON¡¯T YOU DARE SAY ANYTHING TO ME ABOUT BALANCE! THAT¡¯S ALL YOU EVER SAY! BALANCE THIS¡­ BALANCE THAT... AND YET, YOU TOLD ME THAT THIS WAS A DIFFERENT TIMELINE¡­ THAT I COULD MAKE THE CHANGES I WANTED TO! YOU EVEN AGREED TO PROTECT THE WORLD I CREATED AND YET¡­ SERAH¡¯S STILL DEAD! DON¡¯T LECTURE ME ON BALANCE!¡±


    Sebastian let out a sigh and then disappeared into thin air. Mikomi lost his balance and stumbled forward. He had to use the bench to brace himself and keep himself vertical. Sebastian reappeared behind Mikomi and fixed his suit jacket. Mikomi turned around while Sebastian crossed his arms behind his back and began to walk away.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mikomi. I simply can¡¯t give you the answer you desire. You are correct, though. I did agree to protect the world you created and I did encourage you to find a new path to discover who killed you, but the world threw you a curveball and, I¡¯m sorry to admit, it threw me one as well.¡±


    Mikomi was stunned by that remark.


    The world threw him a curveball? What does he mean by that?¡±

 Bet

    Mikomi was truly puzzled by what Sebastian had just said. He wondered how a Custodian of Time, one who sees all timelines, could have a curveball thrown his way. For someone who was supposed to protect this timeline and the world that he had shaped, how could he let something like this pass him by? Sebastian turned and faced Mikomi and showed a slight hint of emotion, something that was uncharacteristic of him.


    ¡°That look on your face. Perhaps you might want to hear me out, after all?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m listening¡­¡±


    ¡°You changed a lot of things, my dear Mikomi. You¡¯ve caused a lot of ripples. The changes that you made didn¡¯t just affect people like Serah, Ryan, your parents, your father¡¯s company, et cetera. Those who were affected generated their own ripples. You caused a chain reaction and when something that big happens, the timeline itself will try to compensate. I have the power to govern the timelines but I don¡¯t have the power to predict what they are going to do. The fact of the matter is that you changed too much. The timeline, to explain it simply, pushed the reset button. As you can tell, it didn¡¯t completely reset everything. Your father still has the A.I., does he not?¡±


    Mikomi sat back down and let out another heavy sigh.


    ¡°That¡¯s not the point. You even told me that my father having the A.I. is irrelevant because I was still going to join my dad¡¯s company and I would inherit the project anyway. Finding out who killed me has always been the ultimate goal but... ¡°


    Mikomi¡¯s eyes began to swell up with tears.


    ¡°...but I wanted to do that with the one I loved still in my life. I just wanted her by my side. I thought that if I could find my killer and prevent my death, what kind of life would I be able to have with Serah still in it? Apparently, that was too much to ask, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    Sebastian didn¡¯t have any words for Mikomi. He stood there staring at him with his emotionless eyes, much as he had done since the very beginning. Mikomi leaned back against the bench and gazed up into the night sky. There were hardly any clouds in the sky but the stars weren¡¯t as bright due to the lights of the campus.


    ¡°Say, Sebastian. The stars are just a bit dimmer now, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°I beg your pardon?¡±


    Sebastian tilted his head as if he were trying to understand what Mikomi meant by that. Nevertheless, Mikomi chuckled to himself and wiped the tears away from his eyes. He got up and began to walk back toward the dorm building.


    ¡°So, what are you going to do now, Mikomi?¡±


    Mikomi stopped and looked back at Sebastian. Sebastian braced himself for a stern and defiant answer but the words that came out of Mikomi¡¯s mouth next actually surprised Sebastian.


    ¡°I just plan on going to bed and see what tomorrow brings. After all, it¡¯s all I can do now, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Mikomi stuck his hands into his pockets and walked away from Sebastian. Sebastian shook his head and faded away like he normally would. Mikomi re-entered the building and rode the elevator back up to his floor. He made his way down the hallway and quietly re-entered his room, being careful not to wake Derek up again. He hung his coat on the wall and got back into bed. He lay there for a moment and gazed up at the ceiling.


    Is this all that I¡¯m capable of? Am I really satisfied with this?


    Mikomi closed his eyes and fell asleep. Before he knew it, morning came and if it hadn¡¯t been for Derek getting up and making noise, he would have overslept for class. He let out a yawn as he sat up in his bed. Derek, who was putting on his shirt, glanced over at him. He shook his head and let out a sigh.


    ¡°Look, man. I¡¯m sorry I got heated last night. I don¡¯t know what happened to you but it must have been pretty messed up if you keep having nightmares. I know I said it out of anger but maybe you really should seek some help and if you need to talk, I¡¯ll lend you my ear, okay?¡±


    ¡°T-thanks.¡±


    Derek finished getting dressed and grabbed his book bag. He slung it over his shoulder and opened the door, looking back at Mikomi.


    ¡°Better hurry and get dressed. Professor Edwards isn¡¯t the kind of person who will let you slip in behind his back.¡±


    With that, Derek closed the door behind him. Mikomi got up and looked at the clock. His eyes widened as he realized what time it was and that Derek was right¡­ if he didn¡¯t get a move on, he would be late for class. He grabbed the nearest clean shirt and pants and threw them on. He quickly put his shoes on and took a deep breath as he tried to remember what things he needed. This was his Advanced A.I. Programming class so he knew he needed a certain textbook. He quickly found his book bag and looked through it. Once he realized he had everything he needed, he grabbed his winter coat and dashed out the door.


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    Moments later, Mikomi arrived at his class just in time. Professor Edwards was in the middle of taking attendance when he slipped into the classroom, thinking that he had just made it be a hair¡¯s breadth.


    ¡°Mr. Saigo. Be seated quickly or I will mark you as absent.¡±


    "Yes, professor. Sorry, professor.¡±


    Mikomi found his seat next to Derek who shot him a grin.


    ¡°Made it just in time. I was worried for a second,¡± muttered Derek under his breath.


    ¡°Okay! Open your textbooks to Chapter 13. Today we¡¯re going to explore the parameters needed to understand how to build neural networks for machine learning¡­.¡±


    Professor Edwards began writing out algorithms on the blackboard as Mikomi cracked a grin.


    Sorry, Derek but I could have missed this class a thousand times and still scored the highest out of everyone in this class. I remember learning the basics of Neural Networks here and I began to apply those concepts to dynamic learning. This was the foundation for the Serah A.I. that I built in the original timeline. There¡¯s no way in hell I would forget any of this. This is the base of the code that I gave my father in that letter I wrote. I guess you could say that without Professor Edwards, there would have been no A.I., to begin with. I do owe everything to him, don¡¯t I?


    It was then that Mikomi realized something.


    Wait a minute. Even to this day, the A.I. hasn¡¯t been released to the public. Dad announced the A.I. a couple of years ago but he still couldn¡¯t get it off the ground. Now that I think about it¡­ it was a technological limitation. I don¡¯t know how he got it up and running for a demonstration that one day but I remember working with even more powerful computers than what he had when I gave him the code.


    I remember this lesson. Professor Edwards is going to teach us that there have been significant advancements in neural networks in the past few months. He made it very clear that the information in our textbooks was rendered outdated due to these advancements and that he was going to let us be the first class to learn about these new techniques. I, essentially, gave my father a code that wasn¡¯t meant to run on his current equipment! I can¡¯t believe I made such an oversight! What if that was the catalyst that created a great unbalance in the timeline? What if trying to save Serah was the breaking point that pushed that balance over the edge and the world responded by re-aligning everything with her death? If that¡¯s the case, then I¡­.


    Mikomi blinked a few times to snap himself out of his thoughts. Derek even took notice that Mikomi had spaced out for a moment but once he saw he was back to normal, he went back to paying attention to Professor Edwards¡¯ lecture.


    Before Mikomi knew it, the end-of-class bell rang and the lecture came to an end. Derek stood up and nudged Mikomi as he was still lost in thought.


    ¡°Hey¡­ boy meets world. Let¡¯s go?¡±


    Mikomi looked around for a second and realized everyone was leaving. Mikomi apologized and threw everything into his bag. The two of them walked back to their dorm together where Derek became curious about Mikomi¡¯s little daydreaming adventure.


    ¡°So, what was that all about?¡±


    Mikomi turned his attention to him and shot him a puzzled look, hoping that he wouldn¡¯t pry too much into his spacing out but Derek pressed the issue when he thought that Mikomi was trying to play dumb.


    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that look, man. I saw you sitting there staring off into space. Sure, it may have looked like you were paying attention but I know a zombie look when I see one. You know this is a pretty advanced class, right? You keep spacing out like that and it¡¯s your money that¡¯s going to be flushed down the drain.¡±


    Mikomi shook his head and cracked a grin.


    ¡°Neural networking has radically changed over the past few months. Rather than manually creating algorithms and having users constantly input data, you can now use dynamic algorithms to allow the software to take in its own input, compile the data and compute it in machine language. The inverse is also true about the conversion of machine language into an output such as audio or phonetics. These textbooks have been rendered outdated by these new advancements. Instead of sitting there listening to Professor Edwards, maybe you should be asking me for lessons.¡±


    Derek stopped dead in his tracks. He couldn¡¯t believe what Mikomi had just said.


    ¡°How do you know any of that? Professor Edwards hasn¡¯t mentioned anything about advancements. I¡¯ve never seen any paper or article published on the subject, either.¡±


    Mikomi cracked a grin because this was a situation he was all too familiar with. His memory quickly flashed back to spending the afternoon in Ryan¡¯s bedroom, watching him play VX


    Command and giving him the clues he needed to beat the first boss. Mikomi channeled his fourteen-year-old self and cracked a smile.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious, Derek? I¡¯m from the future.¡±


    With that, Mikomi walked away. Derek had the most confused look on his face. Once he realized he was being left behind, he quickened his pace and caught up with Mikomi.


    ¡°Seriously? That¡¯s your answer? You¡¯re from the future? C¡¯mon¡­ now I know that you¡¯re pulling my leg with this nonsense.¡±


    ¡°Fine¡­ if you don¡¯t believe me then how about a wager then? When we get back from holiday break, if Professor Edwards talks to us about advancements in neural networks and our textbooks being outdated, you¡¯ll have to buy me lunch for a week. If he doesn¡¯t, and I¡¯m proven to be full of it, then I¡¯ll buy you lunch for a week. Deal?¡±


    Mikomi extended his hand. Derek was a bit concerned that Mikomi would be so quick to make a challenge like this but something in the back of his mind felt that Mikomi was just trying to dance around the subject and not reveal the real reason why he was spaced out during class. That¡¯s when he decided to up the ante.


    ¡°I¡¯ll shake your hand on one condition. If I win the bet, not only do you buy me lunch for a week but you tell me why you spaced out and what those nightmares are all about.¡±


    Mikomi knew that there was no way he would lose. The timeline was rebalanced and things should be normal from here on out. Mikomi grinned and shook Derek¡¯s hand, sealing the deal.


    ¡°Fine by me but I don¡¯t intend on losing this. I can¡¯t wait to see the look on your face when you find out that I¡¯m right.¡±


    ¡°I guess we¡¯ll have to wait and see once the holiday break is over. Speaking of which, what are your plans for the next week?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to be heading back home to visit my parents and see some friends. I know classes only started a little over a month ago, but I didn¡¯t go home for Thanksgiving so I kind of owe it to them. Plus, I also didn¡¯t go home for my birthday, either.¡±


    ¡°Do you hate your family or something?¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s nothing like that. A lot of stuff happened over my summer vacation, though. I kind of¡­ didn¡¯t want to go back but I can¡¯t keep running forever.¡±


    ¡°Anything to do with those nightmares of yours?¡±


    ¡°Win the bet and find out.¡±


    Derek let out a sigh and nodded as the two of them entered the dorm building. They made their way up to their room where they unpacked everything. Derek didn¡¯t bother removing his winter coat as he planned to head out to grab a bite to eat. He offered to treat Mikomi as an apology for getting heated during the night but he politely declined stating that he wanted to get caught up on some sleep.


    Derek shrugged his shoulders and exited their room. Mikomi laid down on the bed and closed his eyes. It didn¡¯t take him long to fall asleep. A mere nap turned into a long slumber as the next time Mikomi opened his eyes, it was Saturday morning. He groggily turned over and noticed that Derek was still sleeping even though it was almost nine in the morning. The holiday break had officially begun and Mikomi had a couple of hours of driving ahead of him. For the first time since college began, he was headed back home.

 Homecoming

    While it had only been a couple of months since the start of his time in college, it had felt like Mikomi had been away from home for years. He had broken the promise he made to his parents to return home for his birthday as well as Thanksgiving, each time giving them generic excuses. Deep down, he didn¡¯t want to return home. The pain of knowing that he had failed to save Serah haunted him and his hometown went from a place he grew up in, to a place that became a constant reminder of his failure. To Mikomi, returning home would be the same as admitting defeat and that was something that scared him.


    He gave everything he had to change the world. He wanted to do was save the one he loved, he wanted to confront his killer and prevent his death, and he wanted to continue his life the way it should have gone. Every day, Mikomi put on a smile and pretended that everything was okay but his nightmares told those around him another story. He acted like a normal person in front of Derek but it was merely a mask to hide the darkness that stirred in his heart. The fact that Mikomi had failed, ate away at him every minute of every hour of every day.


    He didn¡¯t know the exact reason why he chose to return home for the holidays. Part of him felt like he had to confront his failure to move past it but he knew that he was only lying to himself by thinking that. Deep down inside, the real reason he had to return was to confirm that he had failed. He wasn¡¯t seeking justification for his failure, he simply wanted to remind himself that he did fail and accept it.


    Those were the thoughts that flowed through his mind as his car passed a sign along the side of the highway, welcoming him to Two Rivers. With that simple passing, Mikomi was back in his hometown. Mikomi gripped the wheel just a little bit tighter as he re-entered Two Rivers. His breathing picked up just a little bit and he began to sweat. He knew this feeling all too well. He first felt it under the stars when Serah took him to Szot Park; the very same night the two of them became engaged. He remembered how they had spent their first anniversary in the original timeline and how Serah took her own life shortly thereafter.


    Mikomi¡¯s thoughts began to remember the moment he sat there on the cold, hard concrete in the parking lot in front of Serah¡¯s art class. The smell of a hot engine burned through his nostrils as if he were back there on the night when everything for him changed. He remembered how he was frozen, unable to act; how reality came crashing down around him in an instant and took everything he held dear away from him.


    Before Mikomi¡¯s mind became consumed by his memories, he took a deep breath and shook his head, snapping himself out of it. It wasn¡¯t long before Mikomi found himself turning down his street. He purposely took the back way home so that he could approach his house from the south. This ensured that he wouldn¡¯t have to drive past the street Serah used to live on. Soon, he pulled into the driveway, parking his car behind his father¡¯s. Mikomi stepped out and looked a bit surprised to see his father home early. He would have thought he would still be at work, advancing his research on Project: Daphne.


    As he walked up the walkway, butterflies began to form in his stomach. He knew that there wasn¡¯t anything to be afraid of but the fear still consumed him, nevertheless. He inserted the key into the doorknob and unlocked it. Slowly, he turned the handle and opened the door, which gave way to an all-too-familiar sight. Everything was the way it was since he had left, right down to the tasteless burgundy leather furniture that his father loved so much. Ryunosuke, was in his chair watching television when his eyes met his son¡¯s. He got up out of his chair and embraced Mikomi in a big hug.


    ¡°It¡¯s great to see you, son!¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t been gone THAT long, Dad. It¡¯s only been about a month and a half.¡±


    ¡°A parent misses their child, even if they¡¯re gone for a day, Mikomi. Don¡¯t forget that.¡±


    Mikomi realized that the house was relatively quiet and quite void of aroma. He instinctively looked to the coffee table for a note but didn¡¯t see one. Ryunosuke picked up on it rather quickly and cracked a grin.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you know where your mother is by now.¡±


    ¡°Of course, she would be at the store. I never really understood why she doesn¡¯t just buy all of her groceries for the week on Saturday. That way she wouldn¡¯t have to go back to the store every day to buy stuff for dinner.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s probably my fault. In Japan, families will usually buy weekly necessities one day out of the week, and for the rest of the week, they¡¯ll go back to the store to pick up ingredients for whatever they¡¯re making for dinner that night. When your mom and I met, she spent a lot of time at my house so she just picked up on one of the many facets of Japanese culture and made it her own.¡±


    It was almost as if speaking her name summoned her because another car pulled up into the driveway. Their driveway was wide enough to where two cars could fit side by side so Karoline parked on the right side next to Ryunosuke¡¯s car. Mikomi instinctively headed for the door to help her bring the groceries in, much like he did when he was younger. Karoline¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t one of shock, though. The look on her face told the story of someone who expected her son to walk out and assist her.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    With it being Saturday, it was the bigger load of groceries so Mikomi made himself useful and grabbed as much as he could handle and brought them into the house. He began to take the groceries out and put them away, remembering where everything was supposed to go. It was only after all of the groceries we put away that Karoline hugged Mikomi and welcomed him home.


    Karoline didn¡¯t leave the kitchen as now that the food was stocked, it was time to start cooking dinner. While it was still very early in the afternoon, she was making a special roast that was to be slow-cooked for a few hours so it needed to be started right away. Mikomi returned to the living room and sat down on the sofa. His curiosity was piqued as he shot his father a glare before asking a question that had been on his mind.


    ¡°Have you made any advancements with the A.I.?¡±


    Ryunosuke placed the television on mute and laid the remote down on a small end table next to his chair. He leaned forward and interlaced his fingers as he rested his hands in his lap. He shook his head ¡°no¡± before offering a justification for his answer.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand why it can¡¯t be advanced. We can run the A.I. on our machines. We can communicate with it but we can¡¯t find a way to support the practical implementation of the software. Once you start integrating it into more complex software, it either fails to run completely or runs very poorly. It¡¯s like we¡¯re being held back by technical limitations.¡±


    That was my fault. I had already realized that I gave you code from ten years in the future. Still, at this point in time, it¡¯ll be another six years before the technology can advance far enough for the A.I. to work efficiently. I can¡¯t believe I made such an oversight. I¡¯m sorry, Dad.


    ¡°Mikomi¡­ this code that you gave me. It¡¯s so advanced. I realized that some of the code utilizes rules and methods that were only just announced by the I.T. industry. It¡¯s like you gave me something that¡¯s far ahead of its time and yet¡­ It works. It¡¯s been bothering me for quite a while. Not even my best programmers, some of which keep up with the latest trends, ever thought to go the route that you did with the code. I¡¯ve always wanted to ask you how you even came up with this?¡±


    This isn¡¯t the first time I¡¯ve had my back against the wall. Obviously, I¡¯m not going to tell him that I¡¯m from the future. Even joking about it like I normally do wouldn¡¯t even have any kind of impact here. I have no explanation to give for this so I guess I¡¯m just going to have to wing it here.


    ¡°Maybe your programmers don¡¯t stay as up-to-date as they claim to. Professor Edwards recently told us about the innovations in A.I. coding in one of his lectures. These are the same innovations that have been worked on for years¡­ the same innovations that I looked into myself. Maybe, these are a bit ahead of their time.¡±


    I hope he buys that because I have zero explanation as to how I even knew to look into this four years ago when I wrote him that letter.


    ¡°I get that, but what I don¡¯t understand is how you knew to research this. You wrote me that letter when you were still a freshman in high school. That was four years ago, Mikomi. We barely even had computers back then and if we did, internet access was severely limited.¡±


    Aaaand I¡¯m busted. Great.


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember where it was, exactly but I just remember taking an interest in A.I. programming and I came across a few articles online and I read them. The school library had internet so that¡¯s where I did most of my research. I guess you could call it impressionism.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like someone who is well-versed in a subject and then, all of a sudden, someone new comes along and does the same thing you¡¯re doing, only better but in a completely different way. The person who is set in their ways finds it difficult to comprehend how it¡¯s even possible. It would mean having to relearn everything from scratch all while defying your ego because you¡¯ve been an expert at what you¡¯ve known up until this point. The other side of the coin is the person who replaced your way of thinking with something new and unconventional. That person probably didn¡¯t learn the same information the expert had. They learned the new, unconventional way from scratch. To them, the newer method was the only method that existed. I¡¯m sure, someday, someone else will come up with a new way and replace the person who took the expert¡¯s spot. It¡¯s a cycle that will repeat itself over and over. It¡¯s simple evolution.¡±


    That was, probably, the most intelligent ass pull I had ever come up with. Even I have no clue what I¡¯m talking about but it sure sounded good.


    ¡°Well, I guess that makes sense.¡±


    Wait¡­ It worked!? You have to be kidding me! Dad, you seriously didn¡¯t just buy all of that, did you? I mean, a man of your caliber shouldn¡¯t just accept random drivel like that!


    ¡°A fresh mind is often one that will surprise and challenge the most experienced. I can¡¯t wait to have your brand of thinking at Onyx. Just hearing that makes me believe that you¡¯re not only going to just take over the company someday but make it prosper more than I ever could.¡±


    You¡¯re seriously thinking that just based on what I said!? I mean, it¡¯s kind of true that I took over the company and solved the A.I. problem in the other timeline but I think you¡¯re giving me too much credit!


    ¡°Eh... but enough about that. How are you holding up, Mikomi? I know being back here must be rough for you.¡±


    This was the one question that I didn¡¯t want to answer more than anything. Having to answer tough questions about how I know information that I¡¯m not supposed to is enough to make me hyperventilate, but a question like this is akin to a death sentence. Even knowing that I just can¡¯t stay silent. That¡¯s the worst part about all of this. It¡¯s for questions like these I carry many masks with me. All that¡¯s left is to choose which one to put on.


    ¡°I¡¯m doing fine but I am a bit tired. I¡¯m going to take a bit of a breather in my old room before dinner is ready.¡±


    Ryunosuke nodded as Mikomi excused himself. He retreated to his room where he closed the door and let out a heavy sigh. The room was a bit dark since the curtains to his windows were closed but the afternoon sun still let enough light in to fully illuminate everything. Mikomi sauntered over to his bed and plopped himself down, sitting in the middle of it. He leaned back against the wall and just stared up at the ceiling for a moment before closing his eyes.


    Mikomi clenched his fist and gritted his teeth as he fought back the urge to scream. He had come back home to face his failure but it seemed that it was becoming too much for him to handle. He knew that just a couple of streets down was Serah¡¯s house and that she wouldn¡¯t be there if he went to stop by. He knew that a couple of miles away was the art studio he had brought her to and from every single week and knew he would never do that again.


    Despite it being Christmas, he knew that Serah wouldn¡¯t be there to share in his joy and happiness. It was as if Mikomi finally understood what Serah had gone through in the original timeline. He finally understood what it meant to be abandoned.

 Visit

    Mikomi pulled himself together and let out an agonizing sigh. One where you could feel the quiver of his voice through the breath that he exhaled. He sat himself up and the thoughts of Serah drew his gaze to the small stand by his bed. He suddenly remembered he had left something behind when he went off to college. Something that he couldn¡¯t bear to take with him. Thoughts of Serah already plagued his mind like a constant nightmare and having this item with him would have made his life an even bigger mental hell. Yet, as Mikomi sat there on the edge of his bed, he knew full well that particular item was within arm¡¯s reach.


    The temptation to open the drawer and look at it became stronger and stronger. He didn¡¯t want to see it again but at the same time, he couldn¡¯t resist the urge to hold it in his hands. His hand trembled as he slowly reached out for the drawer. He gripped the handle and pulled it out a bit causing some of its contents to rattle around. He gazed into the drawer as his lip began to quiver. He slowly reached inside and pulled out the item that he both did and did not want to see again. As the item was lifted out of the drawer, he gripped it with both hands and held it in his lap.


    It was Serah¡¯s favorite book: her photo album.


    When Serah had passed, the bank made their move and repossessed her house. They took all of her belongings and furniture and placed the house back on the market for sale. With no will or next of kin to be notified, it was the only option they had. Before the bank knew of what had happened to Serah, Mikomi had let himself in and had taken her photo album with him. There was no way he would let something that precious get repossessed.


    With trembling hands, he opened the album and began to flip through it page by page.


    This is the only physical part of Serah I have left¡­ her cherished memories. She loved every single photograph in this book as it reminded her of a time she was once happy. She had never added a photo to this album because she had always felt that there was nothing in this world that could make her happy. And then¡­


    Mikomi turned to the back of the album. The second-to-last photo there was of her and her parents at the Big E Fair. Serah was still very young in the photo indicating that this event happened a long time ago. The very last photo in the album was the one she took of herself and Mikomi.


    .... the last thing that made her happy¡­.


    Mikomi harshly shut the album and, again, clenched his fists. The look of agony on his face said it all.


    ...couldn¡¯t even protect that happiness.


    Mikomi closed his eyes as tight as he could as he gripped the photo album and embraced it. He held it tightly against his chest as if letting it go would tear him apart. The world around him began to become muffled as he felt an anxiety attack surfacing. Suddenly, that was broken when he heard his mother call out to him from the kitchen.


    ¡°MIKOMI! DINNER!¡±


    His mother¡¯s voice was enough to bring him back to reality. That¡¯s when he realized that he had been lost in thought for hours. He took one last look at the album and placed it back into his desk drawer. Once the drawer was closed, he let out a heavy sigh. He exited his room and joined his family at the dinner table. The aroma of his mother¡¯s home cooking filled his nostrils and, momentarily, took the pain away. He looked down at what was being served and even though the smell had permeated throughout the house, he still hadn¡¯t realized what had been cooked until he laid his eyes upon it.


    Karoline had made a lovely glazed roast with garlic-roasted carrots, mounds of fluffy white mashed potatoes, peas, summer squash, and cheddar biscuits! It was a meal fit for a king but more importantly, it was a special meal to celebrate Mikomi¡¯s return home for the holidays.


    He faintly smiled as he took his portion. He grabbed his knife and fork and was ready to dig in but as he went to cut a piece of the roast, he noticed that his hand was still trembling. He stopped himself and even though he was in the comfort of his family, the anxiety attack that was quelled by his mother¡¯s voice hadn¡¯t completely dissipated. His anxiety began to resurface but he tried his best to keep his calm. He didn¡¯t want to show weakness in front of his parents but the fear became stronger and stronger to the point where it was becoming noticeable.


    ¡°Mikomi? Is everything okay?¡± asked Karoline.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Mikomi closed his eyes and knew he had to get out of there. He took a deep breath, which seemed to relax him a bit, and laid his silverware back down on the table.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m probably still a bit out of it from the trip. I didn¡¯t get much sleep for the past couple of days because we had a huge exam right before they let us go on break. If you¡¯ll excuse me, I¡¯m going to go for a brief walk to try and shake it off. I¡¯ll be back soon to eat my dinner.¡±


    With that, Mikomi stood up from the table and headed into the living room. Even though he didn¡¯t say what was bothering him, his parents gave each other a look as if to say they knew what was troubling their son. It is a parent¡¯s intuition, after all.


    Mikomi grabbed his winter jacket and headed out the front door. Even though he had arrived home from the opposite direction on purpose, he felt compelled to go see it. He began walking in the direction of Serah¡¯s old house. He walked at a brisk pace which caused him to make it to her street in almost no time at all. He stopped on the corner and gazed down the road. What he saw filled him with both sorrow and shock; a realtor¡¯s sign on the front lawn with another sign on top of it that read ¡°SOLD¡± in bold, red letters.


    Soon, someone else will be living in Serah¡¯s house. The bank sure didn¡¯t take long to find a new owner. I know it¡¯s only natural but it just doesn¡¯t feel right.


    Mikomi stuck his hands in his pockets and let out another big sigh. He started walking once again.


    I¡¯ve made up my mind. If I¡¯m ever going to come to peace with all of this. I have to go there.


    Mikomi walked down to the end of the street. If he took a left, he would be heading in the direction of Ryan¡¯s house. Instead, Mikomi turned right which led toward a more developed area of town. As Mikomi turned right, Ryan, who had been out for a walk himself, spotted him. Surprised to see Mikomi back in town, he was about to call out to him but something didn¡¯t seem right. He thought for sure that Mikomi would turn and start walking in his direction but when he saw him going the other way, he became a bit suspicious. Being the kind of person that he was, he decided that he was going to follow Mikomi to see just where it was he was going.


    Ryan made sure to keep a big distance between them to not draw any attention but with the frame of mind Mikomi was in, someone could have been stepping on his heels and he wouldn¡¯t have noticed. Mikomi, as he typically was, was lost in thought on his way to his destination. After about ten minutes of walking, he arrived at the front gates of where he wanted to go: Two Rivers Cemetery.


    Once Ryan had seen where he had stopped, it all began to make sense to him. He was almost glad that he didn¡¯t call out to him but at the same time, he just couldn¡¯t turn around and go home. Even though he ridiculed Serah in the beginning, she ended up becoming a friend of his in the end. If Mikomi was here to pay his respects to her during the holidays, then the least he could do is do the same.


    Ryan followed Mikomi into the cemetery as he made his way through the rows of headstones. Mikomi finally found his way to Serah¡¯s grave marker. He stood there for a few moments in silence with his hands in his pockets. He had made it all the way here but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to say what he wanted to say. He had prepared himself to face his failure but in the end, he couldn¡¯t. He gritted his teeth and turned around to leave and that¡¯s when he saw that Ryan was walking up behind him.


    Mikomi was a bit surprised to see him here, of all places. He became a bit frightened as he had hoped that he could do this alone.


    ¡°R-Ryan!? What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I saw you walking. I was going to call out to you but I¡¯ve seen that look on your face before. You were lost in thought and I knew no matter how much I yelled, you probably wouldn¡¯t have heard me. Besides, I thought you were away at college. I should be asking you what you¡¯re doing here back home.¡±


    ¡°Our holiday break began so I decided to come back and visit.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all?¡±


    ¡°......yeah.¡±


    Ryan took a step closer to Mikomi, blocking his path. He looked away from Ryan, which was a dead giveaway.


    ¡°You¡¯re a terrible liar, Mikomi. You didn¡¯t come home for Thanksgiving or your birthday. People don¡¯t come home for Christmas just to spend them in a cemetery, either. You came back for her, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Mikomi reached out and grabbed Ryan by the shirt in a fit of rage. Suddenly, flashbacks of him doing the same thing back in high school in the original timeline flashed before his eyes. He remembered that he punched Ryan in the face and gave him a bloody nose. It was a move that, ultimately, ended their friendship. While he had failed to save Serah in this timeline, one of the things Mikomi succeeded in changing was standing right in front of him. Ryan¡¯s friendship with MIkomi had not ended in this timeline and that realization set in right before he was about to repeat history.


    Looking at the fear and confusion in Ryan¡¯s eyes, Mikomi withdrew his fist. He took a step back away from Ryan and quietly muttered an apology.


    ¡°...Sorry.¡±


    Ryan tried his best to ignore what had just happened. He put on a cheerful face and cracked his usual smile.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it! You seem to be going through something tough. We¡¯re friends, Mikomi. You know that if there¡¯s anything you need to talk about, I¡¯m willing to listen.¡±


    I know that Ryan means well, but he¡¯s never been a deep person. He always takes things at face value and is very impressionable. I know it¡¯s only been a couple of months since I had last seen him so I doubt that he¡¯s grown up any since then. What good would opening up to him do?


    Mikomi stuck his hands back into his coat pockets and began to walk past Ryan, completely ignoring his request.


    ¡°Perhaps some other time¡­¡± muttered Mikomi before he felt his progress being halted by a hefty tug on his right arm.


    Mikomi turned around and looked at Ryan, who had a rather angry look on his face. Mikomi forcefully took his arm back, all while shooting a death glare in his direction. He turned around and continued on his way, but Ryan¡¯s words stopped him in his tracks.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re just going to walk away and that¡¯s it!? Why? Do you think I can¡¯t understand what¡¯s going on here? Anyone could plainly see that you didn¡¯t come back home for Serah. I asked you before why you had come back, but the fact that we¡¯re here pretty much says it all. You came back for closure, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Mikomi couldn¡¯t move an inch because he knew that Ryan was right. He had a decision to make. He needed to decide whether to let this go and take up Ryan¡¯s offer or to continue leaving him in the dark.

 Resolve

    Mikomi let out a sigh as he knew that he had underestimated Ryan¡¯s thinking process. Ryan was never the serious type so it was easy for Mikomi to dismiss him as someone who wouldn¡¯t understand his feelings. The fact that he had been proven wrong shook him a little bit at first but that feeling slowly turned to humor as Mikomi began to laugh a bit to himself. Ryan grew a bit more agitated as he felt that Mikomi¡¯s laughter meant that he was mocking him but before Ryan could say anything, Mikomi answered him.


    ¡°It¡¯s amazing how close, yet, so far off you are.¡±


    Mikomi turned around and faced Ryan. The look on his face was something that Ryan had never seen before.


    ¡°You say I came back because of Serah¡­ in that you are correct; however, I didn¡¯t come back here to get closure. I came back to confirm something. I came back to confirm the fact that I had failed.¡±


    ¡°Failed? At what?¡±


    ¡°I wish I could tell you but you¡¯re the kind of person who wouldn¡¯t understand.¡±


    Ryan gritted his teeth. He had taken just about all that he could have from Mikomi.


    ¡°Stop it, Mikomi,¡± Ryan muttered under his breath.


    Mikomi tilted his head to the side as if he thought he had heard him say something. Ryan looked up at him and knew what that look meant.


    ¡°You heard me, Mikomi. Stop it. Stop treating me as someone who doesn¡¯t get it! Why do you think that way about me? Is it because I¡¯m always trying to stay positive? Is it because I get too excited over things like spending time with someone who is supposed to be my best friend? That I¡¯m always happy to share things with you. Is it because of my sense of humor? What is it, Mikomi!? JUST WHO IN THE HELL DO YOU TAKE ME FOR!?¡±


    Mikomi remained silent.


    ¡°I am who I am but that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m stupid. I¡¯ve made some bad decisions and came off like an idiot, sure. I completely misjudged Serah because I didn¡¯t want to be outcasted like she was. It was dumb on my part but do you honestly think that you can stand there and accuse me of being completely dense?¡±


    ¡°I know how much you loved Serah. I know what she meant to you. Anyone could tell that just by looking at the two of you together. I know her death has you hurting inside but how much longer are you going to drag this out? Do you think Serah would want you acting this way? If she were here right now, what do you think she would say to you if she saw you in this state!? What do you think she would say if you told her that you failed? Speaking of which, just what in the hell have you failed at!? You think you failed to protect her!? The reality is, Mikomi, that it could have happened to anyone. You can¡¯t protect people against bad luck. It¡¯s just something that happens. It¡¯s not meant for you to forget about her but you have to come to terms with the fact that you just couldn¡¯t do anything about it!¡±


    Just couldn¡¯t do anything about it!? I CHANGED THE ENTIRE WORLD AND IT STILL DIDN¡¯T MATTER! WHO THE HELL ARE YOU TO LECTURE ME ON NOT BEING ABLE TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT!?


    Mikomi fought with everything he had to hold in his anger. He had to remind himself that Ryan didn¡¯t know about the things he had gone through and probably never will. Even if he told him everything, there is a guaranteed zero chance that he would believe him. Still, Ryan had caught Mikomi¡¯s reaction to his words. While his thoughts remained locked away in his head, his facial expression gave it all away.


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Say, Ryan. Let me ask you a question. What would you do if it were possible to be given a second chance at life?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°What would you change? Would you try and win the lottery to give yourself a better life? Would you relive your life the way you had lived it before or would you throw caution to the wind and try and change the darkest parts of your life so that you could relive it all happily?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know what I would do. I guess it would depend on the reason why I was given a second chance.¡±


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s true. It would be different for everyone. I¡¯ve been wondering lately just what I would do if such an opportunity were real. Let¡¯s say that I was killed and on my deathbed, I was given a second chance. Let¡¯s say that I also retained all of my memories up until the point I died. Once it all sank in as to what happened, the goal is obvious, isn¡¯t it? Find out who killed you and prevent your death so that you can continue life where you left off, right? What if, along the way, you remember there were parts of your life that weren¡¯t very desirable and you wanted to change them? Would you be content with letting everything happen all over again or would you try your hardest to change things for the better?¡±


    ¡°I think I would try and change things for the better,¡± replied Ryan not knowing where Mikomi was going with all of this.


    ¡°What if you do but the world needs to maintain balance? What if all of the changes you made didn¡¯t matter in the end? What would you think then?¡±


    ¡°I guess that I would feel like a failu¡­¡± Ryan stopped dead in his tracks and looked up at Mikomi. ¡°Mikomi¡­ what are you trying to say?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m saying that I failed to protect Serah. I wish that I could do it all over again and save her but would the world allow that? Would the world just kill her all over again to maintain balance? It would be futile to do it over again, wouldn¡¯t it? One thing you come to realize over time is that there truly aren¡¯t any second chances in life. No matter what you do or how hard you try, there¡¯s only that one chance. If I couldn¡¯t save Serah from being hit by a car, then I failed to preserve that only chance that she was given. Standing here on top of her grave, I have confirmed that I truly have failed. That¡¯s why I came back.¡±


    Ryan didn¡¯t like the way Mikomi was talking. His voice and tone had changed dramatically. Mikomi spoke with venom in his voice as if he were lashing out at the world but doing it calmly. The way Mikomi delivered his words sent a chill down Ryan¡¯s spine. He didn¡¯t know what to say in response to that. In fact, he wasn¡¯t even sure he understood Mikomi¡¯s obscure example. All he could do was stare at the ground at Mikomi¡¯s feet. After a few moments of silence, he lifted his head and saw the same look in Mikomi¡¯s eyes. Even still, he had to ask him a question.


    ¡°So, what are you going to do now?¡±


    Without hesitation, Mikomi answered him.


    ¡°I¡¯m just going to live the rest of my life. Nothing more. Nothing less.¡±


    Mikomi turned and walked away. Ryan wanted to stop him but thought twice about it. There was something about the way he said those words that bothered him. He didn¡¯t feel as if Mikomi meant what he said. Nevertheless, he felt that it would be best just to let him go for now. Ryan turned toward Serah¡¯s grave and muttered some words under his breath.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that you had to hear all of that. I¡¯m sure you can see that it means Mikomi still loves you very much.¡±


    Ryan had given Mikomi a fairly decent head start before heading back home. On his way back home, Mikomi stuck his hands back into his pockets and, once again, got lost in thought.


    One thing I realized is that in the end, we become nothing more than an empty shell. Our contents spill out and it is those remnants that the world chooses to remember us by. Those remnants contain our memories and our accomplishments. One may even say that it¡¯s our very soul. In the end, we simply are just nothing more than empty shells. Those who choose to fill themselves before the day they break are truly foolish. I should know, I once thought that myself.


    Continuing to live my life unaltered means that I¡¯ve emptied my shell. All that would be left to wait for is the day when I break. I thought that it meant that I wouldn¡¯t leave anything significant behind for people to remember me. I thought by coming here this is what I would ultimately want but it just isn¡¯t so. I¡¯ve already left my mark by changing the timeline and yet, the world fought back. The world took away everything I had accomplished. I can¡¯t empty my shell even if I tried because the world already emptied it for me. Perhaps I¡¯ve already passed the point where my shell broke?


    If it were true, I wouldn¡¯t be thinking about revenge on this world. Serah¡¯s death was more than just a failure. It was an oversight on my part. I could never live with myself if I simply dismissed it as an error. Nobody could ever do that to the one they truly loved. I can¡¯t consider her death as a simple error, especially when I could have been more cautious and could have prevented it. It has become a burden that I must carry with me in my heart. Serah will continue to live on forever there and it is her broken shell that will become my strength. The strength to press forward and strike back at this world.


    The fact that my friendship with Ryan is still intact is a sign that the world can¡¯t balance everything. It also means it¡¯s rebalancing things in the order that I unbalanced them. I saved Serah¡¯s life first and saved my friendship with Ryan second. That means if I save my father¡¯s life, the world will balance things out by ending my friendship with Ryan. However, if balancing the world means something will happen that will be the direct opposite of what I did to unbalance it, I have a greater chance of succeeding in keeping things unbalanced.


    This seems like another unwritten rule Sebastian elected to hide from me and rightfully so but the problem is¡­ I¡¯ve discovered it on my own. Now I will use this knowledge to strike back at the world which took all of my efforts away¡­ and it will start by preventing my father¡¯s death.


    By the time Mikomi finished his thoughts, he had arrived back at his house where he stood on the sidewalk gazing up at his front door.


    This time¡­ I will NOT fail!

 Preservation

    By the time Mikomi had returned, his good had grown cold. It became apparent that his family didn¡¯t want to wait for him to return either. When he walked in, he saw his father sitting in his favorite recliner watching television while his mother was sitting on the couch reading a book. Neither of them opted to question what took Mikomi so long as they had the intuition not to pry into the situation too much.


    Mikomi silently headed for the kitchen where he reheated his dinner in the microwave and sat at the dinner table alone. As he sat there and ate his food, he could only wonder what he was going to say to his father about his heart condition. After all, the cause of death was officially listed as death from overwork¡­ that the stress of long shifts put too much strain on his heart. One day, he fell asleep at his desk and never woke up. Mikomi remembered hearing the news in the other timeline and it devastated him. That pain, coupled with the strength he was drawing from Serah, fueled his determination.


    Even though Mikomi savored every bite of his dinner, he had finished his meal before he knew it. He rinsed his plate and stuck it in the dishwasher and did his mother the favor of loading the soap and switching it on. He placed his hands on the kitchen counter and gazed into the sink, trying to prepare what he was going to say to his father. He let out a heavy sigh and walked into the living room. He stood there and looked at his father who noticed a gaze upon him. Ryunosuke turned his attention to Mikomi and it was enough for his mother to put down the book she was reading.


    ¡°Dad¡­ I need to talk to you about something.¡±


    Ryunosuke picked up the remote and muted the television.


    ¡°I want you to go see a doctor.¡±


    Ryunosuke let out a hearty laugh. Mikomi expected nothing less from him. Despite how ridiculous it was, it certainly did help to ease tensions and make discussing something so difficult a bit easier. Maybe it was his father¡¯s laughter but Mikomi did seem a bit calmer about his conversation.


    ¡°I¡¯m serious. I know you¡¯re home on a break now but how many weeks¡­ how many months have you spent away from your family only to work on the A.I.? You¡¯ve worked harder than any human being should. I want you to see a doctor.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate your concern, Mikomi, but I assure you that I¡¯m well-rested and there¡¯s nothing wrong with me. Your old man is tougher than he appears.¡±


    I knew he was going to be stubborn about this. I can¡¯t just tell him he¡¯s going to die next year, either. If only I could, this would be a lot easier.


    ¡°Please, Dad. Do it for me.¡±


    Ryunosuke let out a heavy sigh as Karoline looked over at him. Ryunosuke noticed her glare and gave her a nod.


    ¡°Mikomi. You went for a walk earlier. Your mother and I have a feeling where you went but I want to hear it from your mouth. Where did you go?¡±


    ¡°I went to visit Serah¡¯s grave.¡±


    ¡°So, we were right,¡± said Ryunosuke with a slight nod. ¡°Mikomi, I understand you loved Serah and it hurts to have lost something so precious to you. I can also understand that the very pain you¡¯re feeling is making you worry about the littlest things. You¡¯re scared that you¡¯re going to lose your old man, too, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Y-yes.¡±


    ¡°Mikomi¡­ I assure you that there is nothing wrong with me¡­. BUT¡­ if it will put your mind at ease, then it¡¯s the least I could do for my son. I¡¯ll call on Monday and make an appointment. Would that satisfy you?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± said Mikomi with enthusiasm in his voice. ¡°T-thank you, Dad.¡±


    Ryunosuke smiled as Mikomi excused himself for the night. It was getting quite late and he wanted to catch up on some sleep. He lay there in this bed, staring up at the ceiling with his hands behind his head. One would believe that he would have a smile on his face, but that wasn¡¯t the case. On the contrary, his expression was rather serious.


    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    I¡¯m taking a risk here by asking Dad to go to the doctor. He¡¯s not supposed to die for a year so what if the doctors don¡¯t find anything? What if his heart attack was something sudden with no warning signs? How am I going to save him then? I hate to say it but the worst outcome is the best-case scenario here. Is it sad that hoping for the worst is the one thing giving me comfort right now?


    With that, Mikomi closed his eyes and felt himself drift away. The hours passed away as Ryunosuke and Karoline eventually turned in for the evening. When the house became silent, Sebastian appeared in Mikomi¡¯s room with his arms folded. He looked down upon him deep in slumber with a look of disdain.


    Sebastian exhaled a sigh as he casually walked over and nudged Mikomi. When Mikomi didn¡¯t wake, Sebastian shook his head and nudged him a little harder. This grabbed Mikomi¡¯s attention and his eyes began to open. He looked up and saw Sebastian standing over him causing a look of disgust to come over his face. Not only was he unhappy to see Sebastian but he was even more agitated that he woke him up in the dead of the night.


    He glanced over at his alarm clock which only enhanced his agitation. He slowly sat up in bed as Sebastian nodded his head towards the window, silently stating that he wanted to take the conversation outside in the cold winter air. Mikomi let out a sigh of disgust as he got out of bed and grabbed an extra pair of pants and a heavy jacket. Sebastian disappeared, leaving Mikomi to tiptoe through his house so as not to wake his parents. He achieved his stealthy escape and made his way to the backyard where Sebastian reappeared in front of him.


    ¡°Lovely night, wouldn¡¯t you say?¡±


    ¡°I hope you have a good reason for dragging me out here in the freezing cold.¡±


    Sebastian stuck his hands in his pockets as he turned and walked away from Mikomi. After a few steps, he stopped and looked up into the night sky. The moon was bright, the stars were out and there wasn¡¯t a cloud to be seen. You could see Sebastian¡¯s breath in the cold air as he stood there and gazed into the sky.


    ¡°Freezing is a good description. The air is a tad bit chilly.¡±


    Mikomi knew that Sebastian was stalling by making small talk. In the back of his mind, he knew why he was here, and, quite frankly, he was sick and tired of hearing it. Before Sebastian could even get to his point, Mikomi interjected.


    ¡°You¡¯re here because of my father. You know what was said earlier today and you¡¯re going to give me another one of your spiels on balance. Save your breath because I¡¯m not going to hear it any longer. I¡¯m sick and tired of having this conversation just as much as I am of hearing the word balance. That word is nothing more than a thorn in my side and it¡¯s about time I pull it out.¡±


    Sebastian turned and faced Mikomi with a not-so-pleasant expression on his face. He decided to hear Mikomi out as he folded his arms as if to suggest he wanted him to continue. Mikomi did just that.


    ¡°You agreed to protect the world I would create. You gave me your word and yet, Serah lays dead and buried as we speak. All this time I truly believed that I had failed. I believed that her death was because the world was trying to correct the things I have changed. The fact that you¡¯re standing here right now tells me that none of that is true.¡±


    Mikomi walked right up to Sebastian as the two of them came face to face. Sebastian raised an eyebrow at Mikomi¡¯s actions but Mikomi wasn¡¯t about to back down. He looked him dead in the eyes and made his proclamation.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t protect the world that I created. You broke your promise to me and therefore, you are the one that failed. No longer will I hear your words about balance. From here on out, you will hear only my words and you will protect what I create. I am going to save my father and I¡¯m going to preserve whatever I have left in this timeline. Then I¡¯m going to find my killer and deal with whoever they may be myself. You are the one who gave me a second chance at life. You should have known things like this would happen. If you¡¯re going to stand there and tell me you would have no way of foreseeing a situation like this then I would question your abilities as a Custodian of Time.¡±


    Sebastian let out a heavy sigh as he pinched the bridge of his nose. He slowly backed away from Mikomi and lowered his head in thought. After a moment, he looked up at him with a piercing gaze.


    ¡°Very well, my dear Mikomi. I¡¯ll let the gnome play in his garden in peace and I shall be the tender of whatever he grows.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll believe that when I see it.¡±


    ¡°Hmph,¡± muttered Sebastian before disappearing into the cold night.


    Mikomi quietly made his way back into his house where he tiptoed to his bedroom. It appeared that his parents were still fast asleep. He climbed back into bed; however, his anger had boiled over and he couldn¡¯t get back to sleep. He clenched his fist and slammed it down, the impact muffled by his mattress.


    Damn, that Sebastian! To think that he has the nerve to drag me out into the freezing cold in the dead of night for nothing more than another one of his stupid lectures! He¡¯s the one who put me in this situation and yet he hasn¡¯t done a damn thing!


    As Mikomi finished that thought, he came to a sudden realization.


    That¡¯s right. Sebastian hasn¡¯t done anything. All he¡¯s ever done was appear before me and lecture me. Sure, he did state that he was merely here to observe, but he¡¯s a Custodian of Time. He said that one of his duties is to protect the timelines. How can someone protect the timelines without doing anything? If things changed and he didn¡¯t do anything about it, wouldn¡¯t that have some sort of consequence for him? That¡¯s basically the equivalent of a night guard sleeping on the job as the place he¡¯s supposed to protect gets robbed. Something isn¡¯t adding up here but what?


    Sebastian was hesitant to tell me everything when we first met. He held onto secret after secret until I discovered the information for myself. He used the God complex excuse as his reason for doing so but even still¡­ he could have explained all of that upfront. What reason did he truly have for keeping that information from me? Most importantly, there could be more information that he¡¯s holding back on. Just what are you hiding from me, Sebastian, and why? Also, why hasn¡¯t my relationship with Ryan been affected yet? Does it have something to do with what Sebastian may or may not be keeping from me?


    Could it be that¡­


    Mikomi trembled at his latest thought as if he didn¡¯t want to believe his own words. At this point, it would seem implausible but Mikomi knew that it wasn¡¯t completely out of the realm of possibility. Whatever Mikomi thought, the expression on his face, that look of fear and disbelief, said everything that words could not. Mikomi didn¡¯t want to believe it, but he knew deep down that there was a chance that what he thought could be true.


    I need to test something. That¡¯s why I¡¯m going all-in with Dad. I just hope to God that I¡¯m wrong.

 Appointment

    Mikomi didn¡¯t get much sleep that night as his thoughts plagued him until sunrise. He didn¡¯t do or say much for the majority of the day. He simply spent most of his time in his room, locked away in deep thought, only coming out to use the restroom or to eat lunch and dinner. What Mikomi had realized last night was taking a toll on his mind. He had a nagging suspicion that something was off about the hidden information that Sebastian might be keeping from him but he never thought to truly question it until now. Whatever he had realized, though, he wasn¡¯t quite sure if he was right. Until he could be certain, he would move forward with his plan to save his father.


    The weekend passed and Monday morning came. Christmas was at the end of the week but Mikomi wasn¡¯t in the mood to celebrate. After all, today was the day that his father would be calling the doctor to make his appointment. So many uncontrollable variables were at play here that Mikomi felt as if he were taking a wild shot in the dark but he had no choice. If this failed, he would have to find another way to save his father but that would take some heavy ingenuity and intervention on his part. He wasn¡¯t even sure if he could push changing the world that far but if it came down to it, he was more than prepared to do so.


    Without getting much sleep over the weekend, his fatigue had caught up with him and he ended up oversleeping. It was almost 11 AM by the time he woke up. When he came out of his room, his father was there adjusting his tie in the bathroom mirror. He was a bit startled to see him as he thought he would have been at work. His father glanced over and saw Mikomi standing there.


    ¡°You can put your mind at ease, Mikomi. I called the doctor¡¯s office as soon as they opened and they can fit me in today thanks to a cancellation. My appointment is in about thirty minutes so I told the office that I would be late. Soon you will see that there¡¯s nothing to worry about and that your father is as strong as an ox!¡±


    And about as stubborn as one, too¡­


    Mikomi breathed an internal sigh of relief. He was happy that things worked out better than he expected. One of the variables was getting an appointment before the holidays. Maybe it was his good fortune that someone canceled and his father got the appointment slot. Now all he had to worry about was a clean bill of health.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad they could get you in as soon as they could. Thank you for doing this, Dad.¡±


    Ryunosuke walked past Mikomi and patted him on the head. Mikomi flinched as being petted by his father at the age of eighteen was downright embarrassing for him, even though there was no one around but his mother to see. His father chuckled to himself as he headed to the living room and grabbed his coat off the rack by the door.


    ¡°I¡¯m heading off to the doctor¡¯s office now and then I¡¯ll be heading into work. I¡¯ll probably be late since I¡¯ll have some work to do in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Okay, dear,¡± replied Karoline who had been sitting on the sofa reading a clothing magazine.


    With that, Ryunosuke left the house. Mikomi stood there in the hallway with his hands in his pockets. All he could do now is wait and see what the results of his exam would be. He couldn¡¯t stand just sitting around and waiting so he took his shower, got dressed, and told his mother that he was going to go for a walk. After he grabbed his coat, he stepped outside and turned left as if he were going to school. As he walked, he could almost feel Ryan calling out his name right before the moment of impact but when Mikomi stopped and turned around, nobody was there.


    He laughed to himself as he felt a bit foolish to be recalling his memories. Even though they weren¡¯t all that long ago, life had moved on. He wasn¡¯t in high school anymore so there was no reason for Ryan to be out this early. Shaking it off, he decided to kill some time by heading to the mall. As he walked, he got lost in thought as per his custom.


    It¡¯s funny how some habits never die. To think that I believed Ryan would be there to tackle me¡­ heh. Then again, after what I said to him at the cemetery, would he even have a reason to come by? It¡¯s only been a month and a half since I last saw him but I wonder how things are going for him. I could head over to his house and ask but¡­ for some reason, I just don¡¯t feel like that¡¯s the right thing to do. Still, I¡¯m curious since nothing has really affected him from the so-called ripples that I caused. One thing at a time, though. Once Dad gets through his check-up, then I¡¯ll have more time to worry about what to do with Ryan.


    His thoughts carried him the entire way to the mall. When he arrived there, he instinctively went to Game Lot as it was the one place he and Ryan would always go. When he got there, Mikomi¡¯s eyes widened.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    The store was closed. Permanently.


    An Out of Business sign was attached to the shutters which were drawn shut. Through the openings in the metal, you could see inside the store to see that the lights were off and all of the shelves were completely empty. The store looked like a ghost town but Mikomi never really recalled the store ever going out of business.


    Game Lot is closed!? How in the world did this happen? Even with the changes I made, it shouldn¡¯t have affected anyone here at the store. Even in the original timeline, Serah still died, and even though Ryan wasn¡¯t my friend anymore, I would often see him shopping here. I went out of my way not to go into the store when I saw him to avoid making a public scene. What could have changed to have caused this to happen?


    Mikomi took a step back and looked around. What he saw was a very unsettling scene. It wasn¡¯t just Game Lot¡­ There were about four or five other stores with their shutters drawn with Out of Business signs attached to them. Mikomi turned around and looked down the other half of the mall where he could see another two stores sharing the same fate.


    What the hell is going on here!? There is no way in hell the changes I made caused this! Every change I made had to deal with Ryan and Serah. Alice wouldn¡¯t have caused this because that change was already made by Sebastian before I got here. So how¡­


    It hit Mikomi out of the blue. Mikomi¡¯s eyes widened as he took in a heavy breath.


    Sebastian¡­ He changed things with Serah¡¯s parents. Serah¡¯s parents were venture capitalists. They would invest money into businesses and help them grow and when their success paid off, they would move on to the next business and repeat the process. Two Rivers Mall was one of their accounts and when Sebastian changed the dates of their deaths, moving them up, the money dried up for these stores!


    Mikomi gritted his teeth in anger.


    All of the lectures he gave me about balance... about causing ripples that could spiral out of control. What the hell were they for? I know you¡¯re watching me now Sebastian so take a good look around and then tell me why I should be careful with causing a ripple when you carelessly caused all of this! You¡¯re nothing more than a hypocrite!


    Mikomi couldn¡¯t stand being in the mall any longer. He decided that he was going to head back home but he didn¡¯t go home immediately. He traveled to Szot Park and visited the spot where he used to sit with Serah and gaze up at the night sky. With the sun out, there wouldn¡¯t be any stars to see but Mikomi sat there on the hill nevertheless. As he sat there, more thoughts began to flow through his mind.


    Am I being too selfish? Should I have lived my life again the same way? So far, nothing I¡¯ve done has mattered, and even more, people are suffering because of the choices I¡¯ve made. What if I can¡¯t save Dad? What am I going to do then? Everything will just be the same as it was in the other timeline. That means that I will still take over Onyx Technology Ventures and I¡¯ll still complete the A.I. Although, I¡¯ve done a lot of the work already this time around. I guess I would be perfecting it rather than finding the breakthrough myself. In the end¡­ is any of this even going to matter?


    Mikomi leaned back up against the hill and closed his eyes. Even though the air was cold, the warmth of the sun shined down on his face. For a few moments, he felt at peace but that only lasted until the wind blew and gave him a stern reminder that it was in the middle of December. Oddly enough, the ground wasn¡¯t covered with snow but the weather forecast was set to change all of that in just a few days. Even people at the college were talking about the possibility of a white Christmas before they, too, went home to be with their families. Mikomi reached up with his hand as if he were trying to grab the sun with it.


    If only you could be here with me. Even though it would be cold, to lay here with you one more time at night to see the stars¡­ what a wonderful gift that could have been. I promise, Serah¡­ I will not squander what I have left for your sake. I¡¯ll make sure that Dad, Mom, and Ryan continue living the best lives that they can. I know that seems selfish of me to say after I couldn¡¯t do the same for you. Forgie me for my selfishness but I am going to see this through. Not just for me but for you, too.


    Mikomi spent about an hour lying there on the hill before deciding to pack it in and head home. He pulled himself up and walked back to his house. The journey took another fifteen minutes. Mikomi had been gone for close to two hours by the time he made it back to his house. He walked up the sidewalk to his front porch but before he could even step foot onto it, the door flew open. Karoline stood there in the doorway trembling and Mikomi instantly knew that something was wrong.


    ¡°Mikomi¡­ your father called. His doctor sent him to the emergency room. He said there¡¯s something wrong with his heart!¡±


    Mikomi¡¯s eyes widened. He knew that he had to act shocked but on the inside, he was filled with joy. The worst-case scenario had played out but for Mikomi, it was the best-case scenario. Even he knew how messed up it was to wish for the worst to happen but now that the problem was discovered, the doctors can treat his father¡¯s heart condition and that meant he could be saved. Even still, Mikomi put on one of his best acts and tried to act surprised.


    ¡°I-is he going to be okay!?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. All I know is he¡¯s at the hospital now getting checked and we¡¯re going there to find out what¡¯s going on.¡±


    Mikomi nodded as Karoline closed the door and locked it behind her. The two of them hopped in the car and drove off. While Mikomi continued to look concerned on the outside, inside he was smiling. The first steps to saving his father were now complete!

 Heart

    The ride to the hospital was a relatively short one. It was difficult for Mikomi to hide his smile as he sat there in the passenger seat of his mother¡¯s car. All the while, he questioned whether or not his elation was normal. Of course, Mikomi himself understood the significance of this event and while it was making him happy, worry and doubt still found a comfortable little spot to nestle themselves within the back of his mind.


    Mikomi knew how the world responded to saving Serah and how it robbed him of everything that he had worked so hard to achieve. That nagging feeling that the world may try to do it again weighed heavily on his mind but at the same time, he knew that he had to move forward or else nothing would change at all. Ha had prepared himself for the best and the worst outcome, just in case the world did try to rebalance itself. Perhaps the reason why he hid a smile on the inside was another nagging suspicion that he had. A suspicion that he prayed he was wrong about.


    Karoline found an open parking spot at the hospital and turned the car off. Mikomi was, as usual, lost in thought and didn¡¯t even realize that they had arrived. Karoline nudged his arm to let him know that it was time to head inside. Once Mikomi snapped back to reality, he took a deep breath and exited the car. They walked into the hospital and went up to the service desk to inquire about which room Ryunosuke was in. The nurse there told him that he was in room 307B but he wouldn¡¯t be there much longer as they were preparing an operating room for emergency surgery.


    Karoline looked a bit shocked as she had no idea that he was going to be heading in for surgery. When she heard those words, she knew just how serious the situation was. Mikomi, on the other hand, simply stood there as if the news left him unaffected. After all, this was something that he had expected so the news of his father¡¯s upcoming surgery was something he had counted on hearing. He continued to hide his smile as he knew that everything was moving forward the way he intended it to. The necessary steps were being taken and he felt victory within his grasp.


    Despite his imminent departure, they decided to head to the room anyway and took the elevator up to the third floor. Once there, they followed the signs which led them down a few halls until they came to the room in which Ryunosuke was being held. The doctor was already there explaining the procedure to him and took notice of Karoline and Mikomi entering the room.


    ¡°Ah, you must be Mr. Saigo¡¯s family. Please, come in and have a seat.¡±


    They both took a seat as did the doctor. He pulled his chair up close and showed Karoline her husband¡¯s medical chart.


    ¡°Mrs. Saigo. I¡¯m Doctor Taylor. To put it simply, your husband needs to undergo double bypass surgery. He has two partial blockages in his veins and while there are other options, they are a bit too risky. One would be to try and dissolve the blockages but in doing so, a piece may break off and that could lead to a fatal situation. We feel the best option is to perform the double bypass to restore optimal blood flow to your husband¡¯s heart. While the two blockages still allow blood to flow through those veins, the blood flow there is severely weakened. If this goes untreated, the blockages could grow and cut blood flow off completely which would, in turn, cause severe damage to his heart. At that point, chances of survival are slim.¡±


    Karoline began to quiver at the thought of losing her husband. Mikomi; however, remained completely unchanged by the doctor¡¯s words. He just continued to sit there and listen. Doctor Taylor took notice of Karoline''s uneasiness and grabbed her hands to calm her.


    ¡°Mrs. Saigo, I know that this news must come as a shock and might frighten you but the good news is that it was detected early enough to where we can prevent it. It was nothing more than pure luck that your husband decided to get a routine checkup, otherwise, this would have gone unnoticed seeing how this stage of heart disease doesn¡¯t produce any symptoms. We have excellent surgeons here and I will be personally overseeing the operation. The chances of this surgery being a success are nearly one hundred percent. You shouldn¡¯t have anything to worry about.¡±


    Doctor Taylor stood from his chair.


    ¡°No doubt that you will want to talk to your husband before we bring him into O.R. The room should be ready by now but I¡¯ll give you some time alone. I¡¯ll be back in a few minutes.¡±


    With that, Doctor Taylor took his leave of the room. Karoline stood up and immediately rushed to her husband¡¯s side. Mikomi stood and slowly made his way over as well.


    ¡°You heard the doctor, honey. There¡¯s nothing to be worried about. If anything, we have Mikomi to thank. If he didn¡¯t urge me to go get a checkup, who knows what would have happened? Who knows how much longer I would have had? Our son is living up to his namesake!¡±


    Even in this situation, Ryunosuke found the will to chuckle at his remarks. Mikomi wondered what his father meant by living up to his namesake but he didn¡¯t think it was the appropriate time to question it. Instead, he stood back and let his mother have a conversation with him. Even though Mikomi knew that the chances of this working out were all but guaranteed, he still wanted his mother to have one last conversation with his father on the off chance that the world decided to rebalance itself during the operation.


    As he promised, Doctor Taylor re-entered the room and mentioned that they were ready to bring Ryunosuke into the operating room. The nurses came in and prepped his bed for transport. Karoline grew even more restless as she watched them wheel her husband away. Mikomi merely stood there and observed, knowing that this would be the moment of truth.


    ¡°How can you remain so calm?¡± asked Karoline.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Mikomi realized he wasn¡¯t showing much emotion. He was trying his hardest not to look excited that he didn¡¯t realize that he gave off the impression that he was emotionless and unaffected by everything that was happening. It was a bit too late to show some kind of emotion so Mikomi had to respond with the only answer he could give.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Karoline gave Mikomi a hug. The hug was more for her than it was for him. She needed it because she knew that the next couple of hours would pass incredibly slowly. It¡¯s the kind of agonizing wait where seconds would feel like minutes; minutes like hours; and hours like days. Karoline couldn¡¯t decide if she should sit and wait outside of Ryunosuke¡¯s room, go down to the cafeteria to eat, or go back home and wait for a phone call. She turned to Mikomi and asked him what he wanted to do, hoping that he could decide for her.


    ¡°I want to just sit and wait.¡±


    ¡°Okay, then that¡¯s what we will do.¡±


    As anticipated, the seconds ticked by slowly and time dragged on for what seemed like forever. Karoline would occasionally get up and pace around the room, hoping that a nurse, a doctor, or anyone would walk in and deliver some sort of news.


    Three hours and twenty minutes had passed before Doctor Taylor returned and knocked on the door. Karoline immediately stood up and felt a bit of relief when she saw a smile on the doctor¡¯s face.


    ¡°Mrs. Saigo. I¡¯m happy to report that your husband¡¯s surgery was a complete success! Blood flow to his heart is stronger than it was before! His blood oxygen levels are near one hundred percent, which is a very good sign. At the moment, he is still under anesthesia so I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll be a little while longer before we bring him back to his room. Once he wakes up, we¡¯ll want to run a couple of basic tests, and then we¡¯ll bring him back here where he will remain for a few days for observation.¡±


    ¡°So, this means he won¡¯t be coming home for Christmas?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mrs. Saigo but we want to make sure that there are no complications from the surgery and that he heals properly. I¡¯m afraid he¡¯ll be spending Christmas here with us.¡±


    The sigh Karoline gave off was a mixture of disappointment and understanding. She simply nodded and Dr. Taylor apologized before taking his leave. Even though Karoline had to wait until Ryunosuke was brought back to his room, the wait seemed less agonizing since she knew that he pulled through the surgery just fine. Meanwhile, Mikomi continued to sit there, trying to hide his excitement.


    I guess spending Christmas in a hospital is a small price to pay for the fact that I, once again, just changed the world. The world may have taken Serah away from me but I¡¯m not going to let that happen again. What I¡¯m going to have to do now is make an even bigger change so that the world ignores the one I just made. It¡¯s a theory that I have and this is the perfect opportunity to test it but the question remains: what do I test it on? What major change can I make to offset this one? Ideas like this are simple in theory and difficult in practice.


    It was about another hour before Ryunosuke was brought back to his room. He was still a bit groggy from the anesthesia but he was able to communicate. Karoline immediately rushed to her husband¡¯s side who cracked a reassuring smile. Although the reunion was joyous, it didn¡¯t last long as Ryunosuke fell asleep. The effects of the anesthesia were still being felt by him and anyone who just went through a double bypass would want to rest and regain their strength.


    Karoline realized that she hadn¡¯t eaten this entire time and decided to head to the cafeteria, leaving Mikomi alone in the room with his father. He sat there and glanced at him as he lay there slumbering. While it may have appeared that Mikomi was keeping watch over his father, Mikomi was, per usual, lost in thought as he tried to find an event big enough to offset the change he made to the world.


    Thinking about this, it took years for the world to counterbalance the change I made with Serah. I started the ripple when I was a freshman in high school and it didn¡¯t kick in until senior year. Even still, the world waited until the day she died in the original timeline to put things back in order. Would that be the same in this case? If so, then that means Dad could still die during my sophomore year in college but is that true?


    As Mikomi realized that, he felt a slight headache come on but it mysteriously disappeared just as quickly as it had arrived. Mikomi didn¡¯t think much of it and continued his thoughts.


    The situations are different. With my father, his death was health-related. He overworked himself to the point where the stress caused his heart to fail. We now know that it couldn¡¯t handle the extra stress due to his undetected heart disease. Now that we fixed that, if Dad takes it easy, then there is little chance his heart could fail. I gave him the foundation to complete Daphne and now that I did all the leg work, it has resulted in shorter days for him. It took him a while to get to that point but it just means that he¡¯s not enduring as much stress as he was when he didn¡¯t have the answer to why his A.I. wouldn¡¯t work.


    Serah¡¯s death seemed strange, though. She was perfectly healthy and just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Since I changed the cause of my father¡¯s death, could a freak accident try to take his life? No¡­ it shouldn¡¯t because there is an X factor in all of my thinking which is Ryan. Ryan and I ended our friendship over Serah in the original timeline and even her death didn¡¯t bring us back together. Here, Ryan remains at my side as my best friend. That¡¯s another ripple I started here in my freshman year and nothing, so far, has tried to remove Ryan from my life.


    So that begs the question of why did the world go after Serah and not Ryan? Does that mean that it will target my father or is Ryan going to disappear from my life next? Maybe the world didn¡¯t balance anything out. Maybe Serah¡¯s death was a freak accident but the fact that it happened on the same day is too coincidental. Argh¡­ all of this is making my head hurt!


    The look of mental strain was evident on Mikomi¡¯s face when his mother returned with a few sandwiches. She handed a turkey on rye to Mikomi before letting her mother¡¯s intuition take over.


    ¡°What¡¯s bothering you?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± muttered Mikomi.


    ¡°Your face says otherwise. When I came in here it looked like you were in a bit of agony. Are you worried about your father?¡±


    ¡°No. It really is nothing.¡±


    ¡°Look, Mikomi. I know what Serah meant to you. We all did. I know that you blame yourself for what happened to her and you didn¡¯t want to see it happen to anyone else. That¡¯s why you begged your father to come to get this checkup and look at what happened. You ended up saving your father¡¯s life. His heart could have taken him from us at who knows what time but he¡¯s going to be around now because of you. Maybe, that¡¯s what is bothering you? Are you afraid that you were right about your father¡¯s health?¡±


    ¡°Maybe I was hoping that the doctor couldn¡¯t find anything to put my mind at ease. I guess I still can¡¯t believe a gut feeling led to all of this.¡±


    ¡°It is surreal, isn¡¯t it? You shouldn¡¯t let that bother you, though. Your father is alive thanks to you so be happy about that!¡±


    Mikomi nodded and took a bite of his sandwich. His face cringed a bit as there was nothing on the bread except the turkey.


    I know this is a hospital and nutrition is a huge factor in everything they serve, but come on¡­ at least put some mustard or SOMETHING on this!


    It was about another hour before Ryunosuke woke back up. During that time, Cassandra stopped by with an offering from the company: a beautiful bouquet of roses of different colors. She carefully placed them on the table by his bed and excused herself, asking to pass along a message of well wishes. After Cassandra had left, Karoline had fallen asleep herself. She was absolutely exhausted from having to deal with all of this and her body finally gave up. Mikomi had placed a blanket over her and continued to sit in the chair closest to his father¡¯s bed. All they could do was wait for him to wake up.

 Meaning

    While waiting for Ryunosuke to wake, Mikomi and Karoline¡¯s stress levels plummeted which gave way to fatigue. Seeing his mother fast asleep became contagious and soon thereafter, Mikomi closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep as well. It had only been a few minutes since they dozed off when Ryunosuke woke up and noticed the two of them. Neither one of them sounded as if they were in deep slumber so he cleared his throat and tried to get their attention.


    ¡°You guys are still here?¡±


    Mikomi opened his eyes and glanced over at his father who was sitting up in his bed. Karoline, on the other hand, was still asleep. When she didn¡¯t wake, Ryunosuke did his best to lower his voice so that he wouldn¡¯t disturb her.


    ¡°I thought you guys would have gone home by now. The doctors can take care of me if you and your mom want to head home. You don¡¯t need to hang around here.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but you know how mom is.¡±


    Ryunosuke chuckled but didn¡¯t overdo it as his chest was still sore from the surgery.


    ¡°Cassandra stopped by while you were sleeping, she left you some flowers. It looks like everyone at work signed a get-well card for you, too.¡±


    Ryunosuke glanced over and saw the bouquet of roses sitting on the table next to his bed. He picked up the card and looked at all of the signatures on it. Ryunosuke laughed to himself as he set the card back down on the table.


    ¡°Those guys¡­ ¡° he muttered to himself. ¡°Say, Mikomi. I wanted to thank you for urging me to go get a checkup. I never imagined that something like this would have been the result of a simple exam. It just goes to show you that life will throw a curveball your way whenever it feels like it.¡±


    He motioned for Mikomi to come closer to him. Mikomi got up and then sat on the edge of his father¡¯s bed.


    ¡°Mikomi, do you happen to know the etymology behind your name?¡¯


    Mikomi never really thought about what his name meant. He simply believed that his father decided to give him a Japanese name because it was his native country. He never once thought to look up the meaning behind it. He shook his head ¡°no¡± in response.


    ¡°Well, I guess you¡¯re old enough for me to tell you this, but you¡¯re not the first child that your mother and I had.¡±


    Mikomi¡¯s eyes widened. Of all of the things he knew about his life, he had never known that he wasn¡¯t an only child. Rather than dwell on this new piece of information and how it could be another difference in this world¡¯s timeline, Mikomi decided to hear the rest of the information first.


    ¡°It was about a year and a half before you were born. Your mother was pregnant with our first child but something went wrong. Your mother went into labor seven weeks before she was due and the baby was born prematurely. It was a girl so I decided to let your mother name her. The name she picked for her daughter was Daphne...¡±


    ¡°...It wasn¡¯t long after that Daphne passed on. She was just too weak and the doctors couldn¡¯t do anything to save her. It devastated your mother and me and I only wished that medical technology was as advanced back then as it is today¡­ then maybe she would have¡­. No. It¡¯s wrong for me to wish for something like that. What happened, happened and there¡¯s nothing any of us can do to change it. It¡¯s something we just have to live with. This is why I decided to name the A.I. Daphne. It was a reminder that no matter what the future had in store for me, I would never forget the daughter that was taken from us.¡±


    ¡°It was a difficult decision to have another child but your mother insisted that things would be different a second time around. So, your mother and I tried and she became pregnant with you. We thought history was going to repeat itself when she went into labor five weeks early. Not only was I worried about your mother¡¯s health but I was also worried about what would happen to you.¡±


    ¡°When you were born, you too were weak. We feared that you wouldn¡¯t make it and because of such, I decided that I wanted to name you so that if you were to meet the same fate as your sister, that I would never forget you. I prayed and prayed for you to make it through and so I named you Mikomi. In Japanese, Mikomi can mean chance but it can also mean hope. I felt it was fitting given that your last name is Saigo, which means, last or final. Your name, Mikomi, translates to final hope because that¡¯s what you were.¡±


    ¡°Your mother decided that she wouldn¡¯t have any more children after you. If you didn¡¯t make it, it would have broken her. She wouldn¡¯t have been able to stand the thought of going through this a third time but that hope of yours shined bright and you pulled through. It wasn¡¯t an easy recovery but the fact that you¡¯re here right now is proof that you made it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you this because you¡¯ve been living up to your namesake more than ever these days. The code for the A.I... telling me to get a checkup which, ultimately, saved my life, even your relationship with Serah. All of it has instilled hope and I just wanted to say thank you for that.¡±


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    Mikomi didn¡¯t know what to say. He simply sat there in silence on the edge of his father¡¯s bed. Until now, he had never known what his name meant. To him, a name¡¯s meaning was something trivial but upon hearing the meaning behind it, Mikomi realized that a name isn¡¯t as trivial as it seems. He began to appreciate his name now that he had heard the story behind it. It also carried with it a bit of irony given the fact that his second chance at life could also be seen as his last chance to change everything. Whether it was final hope or last chance, his name meant both and at that moment, Mikomi knew that he could not fail.


    ¡°Your mother has had a long day as have I. I¡¯m still pretty tired from the surgery so I¡¯m going to try and get some more sleep. When your mother wakes, tell her to take you home so you, too, can get some rest. Tell her not to worry and that I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Mikomi nodded as his father laid back down in his bed. It wasn¡¯t long after that he fell asleep. Shortly thereafter, his mother woke up and Mikomi delivered the message to her. Karoline was a bit reluctant at first but she ultimately agreed to head back home. Even when they left the room, Karoline kept looking back over her shoulder as she felt uneasy leaving her husband alone but she knew that she had to trust the doctors and the nurses to take care of him.


    It was deep into the night when the two of them left the hospital. The ride home was the kind you would expect¡­ one of silence. The hum of the motor was the only constant sound that could be heard as Mikomi glanced out of the passenger side window. With little to no traffic on the road, it didn¡¯t take long for the two of them to return home. Mikomi and his mother said goodnight to each other and they both went to bed.


    Exhausted by yesterday¡¯s events, they didn¡¯t wake up until almost noontime. It was December 24th and this would be the first time that the family wouldn¡¯t be home together for Christmas Eve. Karoline decided to make a nice turkey dinner anyway hoping that she could bring it to the hospital with her. The aroma of the dinner filled the house and began to make Mikomi hungry. As he sat on the couch, he heard a knock at the door. He got up and answered it to find Ryan on the other side.


    ¡°H-hey, Mikomi. I¡­¡±


    Before Ryan could finish, Mikomi cracked a smile.


    ¡°Hey, Ryan¡­ I just want to say I¡¯m sorry for the way I reacted at the cemetery. I just wasn¡¯t in the right frame of mind and¡­¡±


    Ryan interjected and interrupted Mikomi.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t worry about it. I understand. I came by because I wanted to give you this. I figured you would be busy with your family tomorrow on Christmas so I wanted to give you your gift early.¡±


    Ryan handed Mikomi a present. As MIkomi accepted it, it occurred to him that he had never received a gift from Ryan before. In the other timeline, Ryan didn¡¯t have an after-school job to pay for a gift. Usually, they would just hang out with each other during winter break. By this time, the two of them had already stopped being friends so he never got to experience this with him before. Mikomi almost welled up with tears with how moved he was after receiving Ryan¡¯s gift.


    ¡°Aw, don¡¯t tell me big bad Mikomi is going to cry!¡±


    Mikomi quickly snapped back to reality after Ryan blurted that out as loud as he could. Even Karoline poked her head out from around the corner and cracked a smile. Mikomi shook his head and laughed it off.


    ¡°Like I would cry over something like this! Say, you want to come in for a bit?¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡±


    Ryan stepped into the living room and took a look around. He noticed that something, or more accurately, someone was missing.


    ¡°Say, Mikomi? Where¡¯s your dad? He¡¯s not still at work, is he?¡±


    Mikomi remained silent for a moment. Karoline poked her head back around the corner and gave Mikomi a nod.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay to tell him.¡±


    Just as soon as she said that she went back into the kitchen and continued to make dinner. Ryan turned his attention back to Mikomi as his curiosity had now piqued. He let out a heavy sigh and replied to Ryan with a somber tone in his voice.


    ¡°My father is in the hospital. He had to have double bypass surgery for his heart.¡±


    ¡°WHAT!? You¡¯re joking, right!?¡±


    Mikomi shook his head no.


    ¡°Oh, my God! Is he okay? Is he getting better?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I was worried about my dad because Serah passed away. I urged him to get a routine exam and that¡¯s when they found something was off about him. Turned out he had the onset of heart disease and needed to have a double bypass. Otherwise, there was no telling what or when something could have happened to him.¡±


    ¡°Wow! I¡¯m glad they got to him in time! Will he at least be able to come home for Christmas?¡±


    ¡°No. We¡¯re going to be spending the day with him at the hospital tomorrow. My mom is making the dinner that we¡¯re bringing to him as we speak¡­ that is if the doctors will let him eat it. You know how strict they are when it comes to food but we¡¯re making it anyway just in case they say yes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that, Mikomi. Maybe you should open your gift? It¡¯ll probably make you feel better. At least, that¡¯s what I hope it will do.¡±


    Mikomi unwrapped the gift and noticed that it was a small white box. He lifted the cover on the box and reached inside and pulled out a silver frame. Inside was a photo of himself, Ryan, and Serah all standing together during graduation at Two Rivers High School. Mikomi began to tremble a bit as he held the photograph in his hands.


    ¡°My dad took our photo that day but with everything that happened, I never found a good opportunity to give it to you. I know she can¡¯t be here for Christmas so I thought that it would make a good gift for ya.¡±


    Mikomi said nothing and continued to stare at the photo.


    ¡°I-If you don¡¯t like it, I could always¡­¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said Mikomi as he interrupted him. ¡°I love it. Thank you, Ryan. Thank you very much!¡±


    Mikomi grabbed him and embraced him in a huge hug to the point where Ryan began to blush a little bit. Mikomi took a step back and looked at the photo once more.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to take this with me when I go back to college once the holiday break is over. I have a spot on my desk where this can go.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you like it, but uh... Say... Mikomi? Have you been working out?¡±


    ¡°WHY WOULD YOU NOTICE SOMETHING LIKE THAT!?¡±


    Karoline could be heard snickering in the background.


    Before Mikomi knew it, the evening had passed and the next day arrived. They returned to the hospital so that they could spend Christmas Day together. He was able to enjoy his time with his family as they spent the day talking and catching up with Mikomi¡¯s college life so far. He told them about all of Professor Edwards¡¯ lessons, his new roommate Derek and how he feels confident with the knowledge he¡¯s gaining there. Despite the surroundings, it still became a memorable Christmas for everyone and to make things better, the hospital gave them permission to eat the food that Karoline had made for them which lifted Ryunosuke¡¯s spirits quite a bit.


    A few days later, Ryunosuke was given the all-clear to be discharged from the hospital. Karoline was overjoyed that her husband was coming home. Mikomi, on the other hand, continued to fake enthusiasm while maintaining a sense of awareness. He knew that he had changed the world once again so you couldn¡¯t blame him for being on edge. It was almost as if he were waiting for the world to respond to his actions. Mikomi played every day by ear to see just how the world would respond¡­ if it would respond at all. It took a year for the world to respond to the way he changed the world before so it could also be the same with this situation.


    The length of time it took for the world to balance itself was something that always weighed heavily on Mikomi¡¯s mind. It was one of the things he couldn¡¯t figure out and that bothered him. He decided that he would just go ahead and enjoy the remainder of his holiday break. Once he rang in the New Year, he knew he would be returning to college soon enough.

 Departure

    The holiday break was all but over for Mikomi. It was Sunday afternoon and he was making his final preparations to drive back to MUT as classes were set to resume the next day. Karoline was folding some of Mikomi¡¯s clothes after doing his laundry. Even though Mikomi had insisted on doing it himself, his mother wouldn¡¯t hear it. Perhaps it was her motherly instinct that didn¡¯t allow her to stop taking care of him but Mikomi figured that there was no point in trying to change her mind. Ryunosuke sat on the couch as he, too, would be returning to work tomorrow. Mikomi was a bit uneasy about him doing so since his surgery wasn¡¯t all that long ago.


    ¡°So¡­ are you sure it¡¯s not too early to go back?¡± he asked with a bit of concern in his voice.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ll take it easy. I won¡¯t stay late as I¡¯m sure Cassandra can handle things for me if the need should arise. You know¡­ until you told me that you wanted to be involved with the company, I was going to hand it over to Cassandra should the day come when I had to step down and retire. She is more than capable of continuing the future of Onyx Technology Ventures. With that being said, though¡­ It still makes me proud to know that my son wants to carry on my legacy. That¡¯s why I have to do my part until you¡¯re ready to take the reins.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for having faith in me, Dad. I promise that I¡¯ll do my best.¡±


    With that, there was a knock on the door. Mikomi was already standing relatively close by so he went over and answered it. On the other side of the door was Ryan but he didn¡¯t look like his usual, cheerful self. He sensed it right away but decided to greet him casually like usual.


    ¡°Hey Ryan, what¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Say Mikomi¡­ do you think you could come outside and talk for a minute or two?¡±


    ¡°Geez¡­ first Sebastian dragged me outside into the freezing cold and now Ryan? Do people think I enjoy freezing my ass off or something?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± he said with a bit of reluctance.


    Mikomi grabbed his coat and headed out the door. Ryan led him out to the sidewalk where he stopped on the sidewalk, letting out a bit of a sigh, his breath becoming a puff of smoke in the cold air. That puff of smoke accented how cold it was which led to Mikomi getting straight to the heart of the matter.


    ¡°So why do you want to talk to me out here?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯ve been doing a lot of thinking lately and I made a life decision that I wanted to talk to you about¡­ privately.¡±


    ¡°Ryan is making a serious life decision? I mean, I know everyone eventually realizes that they need to do something with their lives but this seems pretty sudden for him. I wonder if it had anything to do with our run-in at the cemetery. Did something finally get through to him?¡±


    ¡°You see, Mikomi. You¡¯ve kind of filled me with this sensation. Just looking at you, I kind of feel a certain way. I feel things that keep me up at night, making me wish that I could just act upon those feelings but I never could find a way to do so¡­ until now. That¡¯s why I¡¯m here, Mikomi. I¡¯m here to tell you something very important!¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ What¡¯s going on here? That look on his face¡­ the tone in his voice. Surely he¡¯s not going to¡­ wait¡­ what if he is!? Oh, GOD! No, Ryan, no! I¡¯m not that kind of person! I know we¡¯ve been close friends and all but this is a little much!¡±


    ¡°I decided that I, too, am going to go to college.¡±


    Oh¡­


    ¡°Watching you chase your dreams made me feel¡­ well¡­ kind of worthless. Here you are working hard at being the guy who will lead your dad¡¯s company into the future and I¡¯m sitting at home playing Shadow Wing and trying to complete all the side quests and whatnot. I kind of felt like I was wasting my life away. It bothered me when I thought about it and I wanted to do something with my life aside from sitting around and playing video games. So, I started looking into colleges and what they had to offer. I saw one that offers some classes on programming. I figured if I could learn a little bit about what you do, maybe I could be useful someday.¡±


    Mikomi let out a huge internal sigh of relief. He felt as if he had just dodged a lethal bullet.


    ¡°Well... I¡¯m happy that you decided to pursue a goal. Programming isn¡¯t easy, though. You need to have some fundamentals and a basic understanding of how flow charts and algorithms work as well. You can¡¯t just type in a bunch of characters and miss a semicolon here or there. You have to be able to have great analytical and problem-solving skills, too. Trust me¡­ when I came up with the solution to the A.I. my dad was working on, I had to spend countless nights thinking about how to resolve all of the issues. It¡¯s a thankless job.¡±


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡°Yeah, I know. I may not be a great problem solver and sure, I¡¯m not good at thinking but I looked up some programming stuff already and for some reason, it¡¯s coming naturally to me so I figured that I would give it a shot. I can¡¯t grow as a person unless I try something new, ya know?¡±


    ¡°I guess you¡¯re right. If you think you can handle it, then I don¡¯t see a reason why you can¡¯t just go for it. Where are you going to go to college? I don¡¯t want to sound rude, but your grades from high school won¡¯t exactly get you into MUT.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the thing, Mikomi. The other reason why I stopped by today is I¡¯m here to say goodbye.¡±


    Mikomi¡¯s eyes widened. As soon as Ryan said that, he knew that he had looked at colleges that were, most likely, out of state. He didn¡¯t have to worry about this in the original timeline since the two of them had ended their friendship but he couldn¡¯t help but think that this was a response from this timeline in relation to them still being friends.


    This has to be the balance I¡¯ve been looking for! Of course! I¡¯m worried about the world balancing the things I did to save my dad but after I changed the world for Serah, I changed the world for Ryan. I kept our friendship going so if the world was going to try and rebalance things, he would be next on the list¡­ not my father! His accepting an offer from an out-of-state college means that we would drift apart and see each other less and less. It would almost be the same as if we were never friends. This HAS to be the balance and it¡¯s happening almost a year after I saved our friendship. This gives me a very important clue because in a year my dad would have¡­.


    I think I just figured out how this world works!


    ¡°Uh¡­ Mikomi? Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Oh! Uh, yeah¡­ sorry. I guess that took me by surprise. I¡¯m assuming you¡¯re going to be moving to another state to go to college?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ the college I want to go to is out in Arizona. I¡¯m not a fan of the desert but it has the program I¡¯m looking for.¡±


    ¡°So, I guess that means you accepted the offer from the college, then?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ not yet. I applied and I got a letter of acceptance. I still have to decide whether or not I¡¯m going to go. It¡¯s a really big decision for me and I guess I have some doubts about it. Even though I¡¯m starting to find a purpose in life, I¡¯m wondering if I¡¯m good enough to see it through. If not, it¡¯s going to be a waste of money and I¡¯ll be stuck flipping burgers or something as I work just to pay off my loans. I haven¡¯t even told my parents that I¡¯ve been accepted yet. I wanted to come and talk to you to see what I should do. I know you already told me to go for it but to be honest¡­ I guess I¡¯m scared.¡±


    This is perfect! Since Ryan hasn¡¯t accepted the offer to join the school, I can mess with the timeline again! Since I have a good idea of when the world will attempt to rebalance things, I can stay one step ahead of the world and keep making changes. There¡¯s also the possibility that it may cause a rogue rebalance, though and I won¡¯t be able to control or predict it. That puts me in a risky situation. I¡¯d hate to make Ryan into an experiment but at this point, I think it would be better than losing him altogether.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I believe I have an idea. Since you¡¯re on the fence about whether or not you want to pursue programming, why don¡¯t you come work for Onyx Technology Ventures?¡±


    ¡°WHAT!? NO WAY! There¡¯s no way I could do a job like that! You guys hire nothing but highly skilled people. What would someone like me do in a place like that?¡±


    ¡°Well, you wouldn¡¯t be programming or anything. Maybe you could just do odd jobs around the office and during your breaks or your spare time, you could shadow some of the programming team members and see if it¡¯s something that you¡¯d like to do. I know that Michael would be willing to teach you stuff. He¡¯s a bit¡­ eccentric but he¡¯s more than willing to help people, despite how grumpy he can get about it. Even if you don¡¯t get into programming, you¡¯ll have a good-paying job and I¡¯ll eventually become your boss so you¡¯ll have job security. What do you say?¡±


    I can¡¯t believe that I¡¯m trying to talk Ryan into joining Onyx Technology Ventures. On top of that, I¡¯m already acting like the CEO I used to be. I must be out of my damn mind but this plan might just work.


    ¡°Even if I said yes, how am I supposed to get in the door? It¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to be applying to MgWonald¡¯s or anything.¡±


    ¡°Easy. I¡¯m the son of the CEO. All we have to do is ask my father and I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll find something for you to do there. Let¡¯s go ask him right now!¡±


    Before Ryan could even answer, Mikomi grabbed him by the wrist and led him back inside the house. Ryunosuke looked up from the newspaper with a quizzical look.


    ¡°Dad. Ryan just told me that he wanted to take up programming. I wanted to know if it¡¯s possible that he could get a job at the company doing some odd stuff around the office and then learn in his spare time. You know... Get some hands-on experience to see if it¡¯s something that he truly wants to do.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ to be honest, Alice has been working extremely hard and could use an assistant. I could even delegate tasks between the two of them which would make my life, as well as hers, a bit easier. Since I¡¯ll be taking it easy at work while I finish recovering from my surgery, it would be really useful to have an extra set of hands around the office to help fill in where needed. Tell me, Ryan. Do you have your driver¡¯s license?¡±


    ¡°Y-yes, sir. I do.¡±


    ¡°Excellent! You¡¯ll need that when you fill out the new hire paperwork. Can you start tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow? That soon? I mean... Yeah, I could. I just didn¡¯t expect things to move this¡­ quickly.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how the world works, Ryan. One minute you¡¯re coasting along and the next, you find yourself being shoved in another direction. It is situations like this where you just have to take the bull by the horns and see where it takes you. Tell you what. Meet me here tomorrow at 6 am and I will drive you there and help you get set up. This way you¡¯ll see how to get there and what needs to be done. I¡¯ll drive you home at the end of the day as well but you¡¯ll be on your own getting to and from the company starting Tuesday. This way you won¡¯t have to be so nervous. Sound like a plan?¡±


    Y-yeah! Sounds good to me! Thank you so much, Mr. Saigo! I promise that I¡¯ll work hard!¡±


    That was a lot easier than I thought! I guess the timing was perfect for this to happen. I¡¯m sure that if Dad were still slaving away for days or weeks on end, Ryan wouldn¡¯t have had a chance to get in. By having surgery, it created an extremely beneficial situation. That¡¯s two changes to the world within two weeks. I feel like from here on out, it¡¯s completely uncharted territory. Could I have finally gotten to a point where I can shape the world as I see fit without consequence?


    Even still, I have my reasons for putting Ryan under my father¡¯s watchful eyes. There¡¯s still something I can¡¯t shake about the fact that the world is ignoring him for some reason. What if Ryan had eventually gone to college in the original timeline and I just never knew about it? What if doing this is going to cause an even bigger ripple? Still, certain things about him just don¡¯t add up.


    With that hurdle out of the way, Ryan returned home so he could prepare for his first day of work tomorrow. Mikomi also finished packing his belongings and decided it was time to bid his family farewell and head back to college. Mikomi gave his mom and dad a hug and piled his belongings into the car. Mikomi was about to open the driver¡¯s side door when he remembered something.


    Mikomi darted back into the house and made his way to his room where he grabbed the picture frame that Ryan had given to him for Christmas. After all, he had promised Ryan that he would take that back to college with him. Now that Mikomi had everything, he hopped in his car and headed back. While Mikomi was on the road, he couldn¡¯t help but think about how he felt when he decided to return home. The feeling of nerves and regret were overwhelming, but once he was back in his hometown, he realized that he needed to come back.

 Theory

    Coming back to Two Rivers served as a form of therapy for Mikomi. He forced himself to face the regrets he had bottled up inside of him. Even though it helped ease a lot of the tension, he still felt responsible for Serah¡¯s death but rather than sulk and let the guilt eat away at him, he decided to face it head-on and take responsibility for it. This re-energized his goals of saving his father and his friendship with Ryan. Now that those goals had been met, Mikomi knew that only one goal remained. It was time to focus on finding his killer and preventing his death.


    He soon found himself back at MUT. He made his way back up to his dorm room where he discovered that his roommate Derek was not back from his holiday break yet as his belongings were still missing. He sat down on his bed and reached into his duffel bag, pulling out the silver frame that Ryan had given to him. He placed it on the table next to his bed and sat there, just staring at it. As he looked at the photo, a mixture of emotions poured over him. A feeling of success and failure battled each other inside his mind but a third emotion¡­ one of purpose¡­ began to slowly take over. To him, that photo served as a reminder of his biggest failure but the successes that were born from it. That filled him with a sense of pride and made him crack a faint smile.


    While Mikomi was lost in thought looking at the photo, the door to his dorm swung open and Derek had returned. He saw him sitting there looking at the frame as curiosity gripped him.


    ¡°Brought something back with you, eh?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ just a gift from a good friend. How was your vacation?¡±


    ¡°Ah you know, Saw the family, ate some foodstuffs, punched my brother in the head because there isn¡¯t a time where he doesn¡¯t deserve it¡­ you know¡­ just family stuff. I even talked to this one really cute chick. I told her about you and even talked you up pretty well. I think she wants you, man!¡±


    ¡°Wait... what did you do!!?¡±


    Derek busted out laughing and then nudged Mikomi on the shoulder.


    ¡°Relax. There¡¯s no girl but the look on your face is priceless. I just hope that¡¯s not going to give you a whole new set of nightmares. I¡¯d hate to lose more sleep.¡±


    ¡°Ah yeah, sorry about that. You won¡¯t have to worry about those nightmares anymore. I haven¡¯t had a single one while I was on vacation. I believe whatever was causing them is gone now.¡±


    ¡°Great because I plan on turning in early tonight so I can be ready for class tomorrow. I need to see if Professor Edwards is going to lecture us on what you say he¡¯s going to. Don¡¯t think I forgot about our bet, bro.¡±


    Oh, crap. I forgot that I made that stupid bet with Derek. I did make two changes to the world while on vacation so what if that had an effect here at school? What if Professor Edwards doesn¡¯t teach us about the new advancements in A.I.? If he doesn¡¯t, I¡¯m going to have to reveal some things to Derek that I don¡¯t exactly feel like revealing. I hope I didn¡¯t screw myself over here.


    ¡°Oh, trust me. I¡¯m going to win this bet. I¡¯m going to be eating like a king for the next week!"


    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ll see about that. I have a feeling that I¡¯ll be the one eating like a king and I¡¯ll finally find out why you kept disturbing my sleep.¡±


    The day came to an end and both Derek and Mikomi were in bed by nine. Sleep found both of them quickly. Morning came and Mikomi realized that he had his first night of real sleep while away at college. It felt good not to wake up terrified and in a cold sweat. When Mikomi woke up, he realized he had beaten Derek as he was still sound asleep. In fact, by the time he finished showering and getting dressed, Derek was still passed out.


    Mikomi decided to take a page out of Ryan¡¯s playbook and jammed his elbow into Derek¡¯s side as hard as he could. It jolted him awake, which didn¡¯t exactly make him happy but when he noticed what time it was, he realized why Mikomi had woken him up. Derek rushed to get ready, but Mikomi was already out the door and on his way to class, causing him to catch up.


    The two of them took their seats as Professor Edwards entered the classroom. Mikomi sat there and silently prayed that the changes he made to the world didn¡¯t alter this event. He would rather keep his personal life to himself and not tell Derek anything. While this kind of bet would seem trivial to just about anyone, to Mikomi, this was the equivalent of a do-or-die situation. Professor Edwards finished putting his teaching materials down on his podium and began to speak. The moment of truth had arrived.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    ¡°Class, today we are not going to be reading from our textbooks. We are living in an exciting time as technology is ever-changing and is always evolving. Today, I want to speak to you about one of those innovations that was discovered very recently. While some theories about it have existed for quite some time, throughout your holiday break, researchers have found concrete proof of this method, thus proving its effectiveness. What I am referring to is an advancement in A.I. in relation to neural networking.¡±


    Mikomi grinned as Derek slowly turned his head towards him in disbelief. Somehow, he couldn¡¯t believe that what Mikomi had claimed was true. Derek began to think if Mikomi was from the future after all.


    ¡°As we know it today, neural networking relies on human input. The code would then construct a database of possible outcomes and responses based on the data fed to it. With these new advancements, dynamic algorithms come into play, allowing the code to extract data samples from outside sources and then construct the database. These outside sources mainly include sound. Through the usage of speech translation software, spoken words can be reformatted into computer language and stored as data. The A.I. would then be able to make intelligent decisions based on the data it had collected. Today, we are going to break down these algorithms and how they work.¡±


    The rest of Professor Edwards¡¯ lecture became nothing more than muffled background noise at that point for Derek. He was still in disbelief over what he was hearing. Mikomi simply glanced over at him and gave him a wink which creeped him out even further.


    Needless to say, Mikomi enjoyed his free meals that week. Each meal he ate tasted like sweet victory! He made sure to rub it into Derek¡¯s face every chance he got which annoyed him to no end. Despite this, they ended up becoming good friends. They ended up studying together throughout the remainder of the school year and Mikomi even decided to impart his knowledge of neural networks to Derek.


    Of course, Mikomi made sure only to give Derek just enough information to the point where he could still make it believable. He knew a lot more than what was discovered in recent months but revealing that kind of information would be too risky. That didn¡¯t stop him from pretending that the information he knew was nothing more than theories, though. Perhaps Mikomi felt that if his theories came true, then he would just look that much smarter.


    This would be the trend for the remainder of Mikomi¡¯s freshman year in college. He ended up passing his finals with flying colors while Derek marginally passed his with a low B average. Due to the recent discoveries, Professor Edwards convinced the school to open a new course completely dedicated to neural networks. Mikomi recalled this happening in the original timeline as well. He vividly remembered signing up for this class which is where he began to work on his theories on how to solve the issues with Project: Serah. Without hesitation, Mikomi signed up for the class which began in the fall. Not wanting to be outdone, Derek signed up for the class too.


    Mikomi soon realized that Derek was another change in the world. Mikomi never suffered from nightmares in the original timeline, therefore his original roommate, Caleb, never moved out. He took some pride in the fact that this ¡°new world¡± was all because of him. Maybe he was starting to let it get to his head just a bit or perhaps it was a sense of pride that he figured out how the world worked and he could always be one step ahead of it. After all, he decided to throw caution to the wind this time around and, so far, it has been working out as he intended. Even though his confidence was rebuilding, he still recalled Sebastian¡¯s words about developing a God Complex. It served as a stern reminder to not let things go to his head too much.


    Despite this, Mikomi couldn¡¯t help but be proud of his accomplishments this time around. He truly felt that everything was going to work out.


    It had been nearly a year since he saved his father. He kept in touch with him to see how things were coming along with Project: Daphne. He also called home regularly and talked with his mother about how college life was going. Mikomi had a lot of reasons to be happy these days but at the same time, he wanted to continue to dedicate his time to studying. He decided this was the best course of action and didn¡¯t return home during spring break. While his parents were disappointed that they wouldn¡¯t get to see him, they understood that he wanted to use the time to focus on his studies. Seeing how his father told him that he was going to be taking over the company, this is something they half expected to happen.


    While that was the cover story that Mikomi was going with, he decided that he wanted to dedicate his free time to thinking about who killed him. It was the one goal that he had yet to accomplish and Spring break was the perfect time to begin figuring out the ultimate puzzle. Mikomi had replayed the scenario over and over again in his head, trying to come up with clues that could possibly give him a lead. He didn¡¯t care how big or small the lead was, he just wanted SOMETHING to go off of. Unfortunately, his thinking didn¡¯t yield any results making him feel as if he had wasted his entire Spring break.


    At the end of his freshman year at MUT, Mikomi was still pondering the puzzle. He went to the campus library and grabbed a couple of random books. He sat there and pretended to read them as he, once again, recalled the events of that day. He vividly remembered Lief Rutherford paying him a visit and then getting shot in the parking lot that same night.


    I remember that day clearly. I want to put the murder on the Rutherford family but the one thing that makes me believe that they didn¡¯t do it is the fact that Sebastian told me that he had to accommodate my second chance and part of that accommodation was to remove the Rutherfords completely. Because of that, I am certain that they still exist but if they are out of the equation, then they will never visit my father and try to pressure a sale out of him which means that they will never come to visit me once I take over the company.


    Alice was the only person left in the building that night. Michael, George, Cassandra, Colin, and Jared all went home after dismissing their teams for the night. The only other person there was the security guard, but there was no way he could have made it from his guardhouse all the way over to the other side of the parking lot without me noticing. Alice was the only person that was out of my sight because she left before me but Alice also came running from the opposite direction from which I was shot so it couldn¡¯t have been her either.


    I just can¡¯t see anyone at the company being the murderer. Was it someone external who knew about the project? The only one was Janice but she retired and would never hurt a fly. She had zero motivation for killing me. It just doesn¡¯t make any sense and that¡¯s what¡¯s bothering me.


    There is only one scenario that fits but it¡¯s only a theory. I¡¯m looking at this from a perspective where whoever killed me did it out of spite for the company but what if the person who killed me did it out of personal spite for me and me alone? What if I was the target and the company was merely just a coincidence? There¡¯s only one person who knew where I worked who had a lot of spite for me. I don¡¯t want to believe it. It¡¯s the suspicion I had this entire time. All of the things didn¡¯t add up for me because I was judging them by THIS timeline and not the original. Of course, I wouldn¡¯t be dumb enough to dismiss the original timeline¡­ I guess you could say that I¡¯m just in denial.


    I don¡¯t want it to be so. I hope it to be false with every fiber of my being but I have to be sure. I have to be one hundred percent certain. You dropped the perfect situation right into my lap and I made sure that you were put into a position where I could keep tabs on you.


    So please¡­ prove me wrong. Prove to me that you didn¡¯t do it. Don¡¯t turn out to be my killer¡­


    ...Ryan.

 Promotion

    The world had moved forward. Mikomi had now entered his sophomore year in college and his father, Ryunosuke had successfully returned to work with a new assistant in Mikomi¡¯s best friend Ryan. It had been nearly a year since Ryan joined Onyx Technology Ventures and his progress had become something no one really expected. When Ryan told Mikomi that he had a knack for programming, he truly meant it. While he had not yet secured a spot on the programming team, he began to take Mikomi¡¯s advice and shadowed different members of the team to try and learn as much as he could.


    Ryan found himself overwhelmed at first but thanks to Michael, who had spent countless hours after his scheduled shifts coaching him, Ryan began to settle into the concepts and fundamentals of programming. Of course, Michael only wished that he could be given the sweet release of freedom and head home for the evening but when he found out that Ryunosuke would be paying him extra to stay late and coach Ryan, he didn¡¯t mind it as much anymore.


    Ryunosuke sat at his desk shuffling through some papers when Alice approached him with a manila folder under her arm. She placed it down on top of his desk and shot him a smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s almost time for the team briefing. The notes you wanted me to prepare are in the folder.¡±


    Ryunosuke opened up the folder and flipped through the papers that were in there. He nodded with each page as if to confirm that these were the notes that he was looking for. When he got to the end, he looked quite puzzled. He immediately started from the beginning once again as if he were checking for a document he might have overlooked. When he got to the end he put the folder back down onto his desk.


    ¡°I¡¯m missing the template implementation document. Do you know where it is?¡±


    As soon as he said that, Ryan ran into his office, almost out of breath, with a piece of paper in his hand. He caught his breath for a second and placed the paper, which was slightly wrinkled, on Ryunosuke¡¯s desk.


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m late with this. I saw something on the document that wasn¡¯t right so I went into the file and changed it, reprinted it, and tried to get it over here as fast as possible. You had an outdated operating system listed as a system requirement rather than the current version we¡¯re testing the A.I. on.¡±


    ¡°Good catch, Ryan! Thank you for your diligence! I think I have everything that I need now. Ryan, I want you to attend this briefing as this announcement concerns you as well. The meeting is in ten minutes down in the conference room. Head over there now and I¡¯ll be following you shortly.¡±


    Ryan nodded and realized he had to take off running as the conference room was on the other side of the building. Suddenly, he felt the same way Mikomi did when he had to go back to school to get his wallet in order to lend him the money to buy VX Command so many years ago. Alice turned her attention back to Ryunosuke who had a grin on his face.


    ¡°Sir, the meeting isn¡¯t for another thirty minutes.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    When Ryunosuke made it to the conference room, he noticed that Ryan looked a bit peeved as he sat in the corner. In fact, by the time he got there, most of his team hadn¡¯t even arrived yet. There was no doubt that Ryan had spent the entire time sitting in the room alone. Ryunosuke took his seat at the head of the conference table. George was already there as was Cassandra. Soon thereafter, Colin and Jared joined while Michael was the last of the senior staff members to show up.


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Michael took a seat next to Cassandra who almost immediately gave him a cold, icy stare. He took the hint and moved several seats down, taking a seat next to Ryan, clearing his throat in the process. Alice was the last to arrive with multiple folders cradled in her arms which she handed out to each of the team members, sans Ryan. She took her stance in the back corner of the room while Ryunosuke opened his folder, causing the others to follow suit.


    ¡°First off¡­ there¡¯s an extra chair up here. Feel free to sit at the table with us, Alice. I don¡¯t like the fact that you¡¯re making yourself stand while we¡¯ve all made ourselves comfortable.¡±


    Alice took notice of his warm smile and took him up on his offer, sitting down in the last empty chair at the table.


    ¡°I called you all here for this briefing because I¡¯ve been meeting with all of the different teams for the past several weeks and I wanted to make an announcement regarding Project: Daphne. As you know, we started this project so many years ago. We created a prototype that was self-contained within its own program. While it worked rather decently when isolated, the true goal of this project was to integrate Daphne into various pieces of software, giving businesses advanced tools to further grow and develop.¡±


    ¡°Several years ago, after our presentation to the media, we ran into a snag. The technology at the time didn¡¯t allow us to achieve full-scale integration. In effect, we took some backlash as a company for showing off a product that was far from ready. It was quite understandable because we¡­ or more specifically¡­ I¡­ was a bit ambitious and I wanted to share that ambition with the world as quickly as possible. In hindsight, that was a rather poor decision on my part as it revealed our hand to the world. Since then, we¡¯ve had several global competitors trying to reverse-engineer Daphne and create a product of their own. While I could be worried about such developments, I¡¯m happy to report that every single one of our competitors has been met with failure. Even two out of the five of them have given up pursuing this project as they felt it was a waste of time and money.¡±


    ¡°While that is certainly good news for us, we mustn¡¯t waver. We must continue to work efficiently and diligently so that this project can come to true fruition. I am here to report to you all that we have done exactly that. Our team of highly skilled programmers and engineers has been working tirelessly for the past several years. Each time that they hit a dead end, they found another path. Each time a new version of a piece of software was released, they reworked the code. Each time we upgraded our systems with newer hardware, they implemented the A.I. into that hardware. All of which was for the sake of advancement. It is here, in the year 2000, that technology is catching up to where we want to be. Thanks to the latest round of testing, we have successfully implemented Daphne into a piece of software. While the performance isn¡¯t polished and the quality is nowhere near the level that I hold my expectations to, we have finally made that first step towards our ultimate goal.¡±


    Everyone, including Ryan, gave Ryunosuke a round of applause for his announcement. It truly was a moment for celebration and it showed on each of the higher-up¡¯s faces. Ryunosuke himself boasted a prideful smile as he gazed across the room at each of his team members. He knew that they wouldn¡¯t be in this position right now without their individual contributions.


    ¡°We have spent a tremendous amount of money on this project. All of the overtime hours, the hardware upgrades, the research. All of it made us pay a hefty sum. We have several venture capitalists to thank as well as George for pushing our other products hard and increasing global sales by nearly fifteen percent last year. Thanks to this extra revenue, we were able to push through and get to this point but the work is just beginning. Just because we¡¯ve taken a big step, it doesn¡¯t mean that it¡¯s the final step. We have many more to climb and I am confident that we will climb them one at a time until we reach the very top. Once this project is complete, I have no doubts that all of the money, time, and energy we have spent pouring into this project will be reimbursed tenfold.¡±


    ¡°In your folders are copies of the very same documents that I have. They contain the latest system requirements, dynamic algorithms that we are using, budget, and schedule. Please share all of this information with your individual teams. I want us to continue to work hard at reaching the next step and I want to reconvene in a few months to see where we are at. Of course, I will be checking in with each team like I normally do but briefings like this are crucial as it ensures that everyone is on the same page.¡±


    Ryunosuke paused for a moment and looked at Ryan.


    ¡°Before we end today¡¯s meeting, I would like you to stand up.¡±


    Ryan looked around and then pointed at himself as if to question whether or not Ryunosuke meant him. He gave Ryan a nod and he stood up quickly, sending his chair rolling backward toward the wall. Some of the other members of the team, most notably Michael, were snickering at his eagerness.


    ¡°Ryan is my son Mikomi¡¯s best friend. Mikomi inspired him to become a programmer and instead of going away to college, Mikomi felt it would be beneficial for Ryan to come work here where he could learn in a hands-on environment. During the day, he serves as an assistant to Alice, doing odd jobs to help take some of the pressure off of her. Then, at night under Michael¡¯s guidance. he shadows some of the programmers and starts gaining and absorbing knowledge. Ryan¡­ I think you¡¯ve been growing well and because of such, I¡¯ve decided that you¡¯re no longer going to be Alice¡¯s assistant. I¡¯m placing you on Michael¡¯s team!¡±


    ¡°While this is a promotion, you won¡¯t be a programmer. Instead, you¡¯ll be a quality assurance tester. Here, you will be able to take the knowledge that you¡¯ve learned so far and apply it to find bugs and errors. Your attention to detail is higher than you give yourself credit for so I want to make good use of that. I think the experience you will gain from this will be invaluable. Of course, I¡¯ll still expect Michael to train you after your shifts so that you can move up further one day.¡±


    ¡°I still get that extra pay, right?¡± asked Michael almost instantly.


    ¡°Yes¡­ yes, you do,¡± he replied with a hint of exhaustion in his tone.


    ¡°Right on!¡±


    Ryan¡¯s face lit up. He couldn¡¯t believe that the work and effort he had put in would be rewarded in such a way. While QA work isn¡¯t the most pleasant, he knew that the challenge ahead would bring him one step closer to his goals. He knew that he had a lot of work to do if he was going to catch up to Mikomi in terms of skill but little did he know that the difference between them, in terms of skill, was worlds apart. Still, it gave him a goal to work towards and he was going to give it his all nevertheless.

 Dream

    Mikomi began his new class at MUT along with Derek. Everything that Professor Edwards was teaching wasn¡¯t anything he didn¡¯t already know. Still, it was nice to have a bit of a refresher course. He felt that maybe there could have been something he had missed the first time around and it would benefit him in the long run. Even though he was going through college, he knew that a certain day was fast approaching. The day of his father¡¯s death happened this year and the moment of truth would soon be upon him. He would be able to answer the question if the surgery his father received would truly cause him to avert a crisis.


    As the days grew closer, Mikomi began to act a bit differently. While Mikomi once entertained thoughts that he was in complete control, he realized that he had to squander those thoughts in order to prevent Sebastian from interfering.


    In fact, he even dwelled upon the fact that he hadn¡¯t seen Sebastian in over a year. It seemed that every time they confronted each other, they were at odds. Perhaps, Sebastian finally caved and decided to start protecting the world that Mikomi had created. Despite those thoughts, he knew that even though a path was laid before him, it would never be complete. His one true failure was the one that stung the most but it was that failure that gave rise to his determination to prevent anything else from ever happening to the ones he loved and cherished.


    As the moment of truth approached, that happiness began to slip away. Mikomi tried his best to hide it, but Derek had gotten pretty good at reading him. After all, he was the type to wear his heart on his sleeve. One week before the day his father died in the original timeline, Mikomi became ominously quiet. He would lay in bed at night with his eyes open, unable to sleep. The nerves began to gnaw away at him little by little. He began to show up for class day after day with bags under his eyes. He couldn¡¯t hide his emotions any longer. While he did his best to contain them, the physical signs were all there and anyone could tell that something just wasn¡¯t right just by taking one look at him.


    It was a Friday afternoon. His father died in just three days on a Monday in the original timeline. Mikomi slowly got up from his seat at the conclusion of Professor Edwards¡¯ lecture. He shuffled like a zombie out of the classroom when all of a sudden, he grabbed the wall and fell against it. Some of the other students noticed this and immediately ran over to him. This drew Derek¡¯s attention and he rushed over and got underneath Mikomi¡¯s arm, bracing him.


    ¡°Come on. I¡¯ll get you back to the dorm.¡±


    Derek knew that Mikomi was in no shape to talk. Even though he saw the signs day after day, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to ask him what was bothering him. Deep down, he knew he wouldn¡¯t tell him anything¡­ even though they had become good friends. That¡¯s just the kind of person he was. It was a bit of a struggle but Derek managed to get him back to their room where he brought him over to his bed. As soon as he let go, Mikomi''s face planted on top of it, and instantly fell asleep. His body couldn¡¯t take much more and simply gave out. Derek stood over him and shook his head


    ¡°Am I truly a friend to you, Mikomi? It¡¯s okay to talk to me, you know.¡±


    Derek grabbed him by the legs and swung them onto the bed. He grabbed a blanket off of his and covered him with it. Derek let out a heavy sigh as he folded his arms and looked down at him.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to owe me lunch for a week because of this you know. Don¡¯t worry if you can¡¯t hear me. I¡¯ll make sure to remind you properly when you wake up.¡±


    As Mikomi slept, he began to dream.


    Mikomi was sitting in the cafeteria at college. He had a tray of food sitting in front of him that consisted of a ham and cheese sandwich with dill pickle slices, a diet soda, and a snack-sized bag of potato chips. He was reading a textbook given to him by Professor Edwards on the new discovery of dynamic algorithms in advanced artificial intelligence.


    He closed his book and noticed that he had some free time before the start of his next class. He headed back to his dorm where he noticed the red light blinking on his answering machine. He sat on his bed and pressed the button, leaning back up against the wall and letting out a heavy sigh. He sat back up when he recognized his mother¡¯s voice but there was something different about it.


    Karoline¡¯s words quivered with every syllable. Once he knew that something was wrong, he listened as intently as possible.


    ¡°Mikomi, I¡¯m sorry to call you in the middle of class but I have some bad news. Your father passed out behind his desk at work and they had to rush him to the hospital. I¡¯m heading there now but the doctor told me to bring any family over immediately because it doesn¡¯t look good. Mikomi¡­ please¡­ I need you right now. I don¡¯t know what to do.¡±


    Mikomi instantly stopped the playback of the message and rewound the answering machine. He listened to the beginning of the message that alerted him of the date and time.


    ¡°First message sent today at 10:28 am.¡±


    He looked at his clock and saw that it was well past Noon. He audibly gasped as he grabbed his coat and his car keys and bolted out the door as fast as possible. He didn¡¯t even bother closing the door to his dorm room as he ran as fast as he could for the exit. Fortunately, during his stay in college in this timeline, Mikomi¡¯s dorm was on the first floor of the building. He didn¡¯t have to wait for an elevator but even if he did, he probably would have just taken the stairs.


    He drew attention to himself as he ran as fast as he could out to the parking lot. He hopped in his car and quickly fired it up. He did a quick check around him to make sure that he was in the clear and sped off to the hospital. Mikomi had broken many speed laws but he didn¡¯t care. If he got pulled over, he would have begged for a police escort. He wanted to get there by any means necessary and who could blame him for wanting to do so?


    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    The drive was painfully long. Under normal speeds, it was at least thirty minutes to an hour away, depending on traffic. Of course, since Mikomi was in a hurry, the traffic was heavy that day. He made excessive use of his horn as he begged and pleaded with other drivers to get out of the way. Due to the heavy traffic, every second that passed felt like an eternity. Not knowing what was happening was the worst feeling in the world. He knew the situation was quite serious and he wished that there was just some way to instantly get there but the fact that he couldn¡¯t only frustrated him further.


    He pulled into the hospital nearly forty-five minutes later. He rushed in through the emergency entrance and approached the desk asking which room Ryunosuke Saigo was in. The nurse checked the records and a solemn look came over her face. She told Mikomi to follow her and at that moment, his heart sank. He began to quiver as he walked with the nurse. She brought him around a corner to a room where the curtain was closed. The nurse poked her head in.


    ¡°There¡¯s someone named Mikomi here.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s my son.¡±


    Mikomi heard the pain in his mother¡¯s voice. He braced himself for the worst-case scenario. The nurse drew the curtain back and the first sight that he saw was his father lying there motionless with his eyes closed. Next to his father was his mother who sat there in a chair with her head pointed down to the floor. She slowly lifted her head with tears in her eyes and she muttered the words Mikomi didn¡¯t want to hear.


    ¡°Your father didn¡¯t make it. He left us, Mikomi.¡±


    He slowly approached his father¡¯s bed. All he could do was stare at his motionless body. As he looked at him, he hoped and prayed that he would move or turn his head to look at him but there was no response. No machines were hooked up to him to monitor his vitals. He knew at that moment that he was too late.


    Mikomi dropped to his knees while gripping the footboard of the bed. Tears welled up in his eyes as his mother walked over and comforted him. All he could do was embrace her. Suddenly, Mikomi¡¯s vision began to blur. Everything became bright white when suddenly¡­


    Mikomi let out a terrifying scream. His body was covered in a cold sweat from head to toe. He quickly looked around the room and noticed that Derek had shaken him awake. Mikomi was breathing heavily, his heart racing. He still was unaware of where he was even though he saw Derek and the familiar surroundings.


    ¡°Whoa, whoa, whoa! Calm down, bud. I saw you tossing and turning and decided to wake you. Besides, you¡¯ve been asleep for nearly sixteen hours.¡±


    He heard Derek¡¯s voice and it instantly calmed him down but as soon as his anxiety began to subside, a sharp, piercing pain rushed through his forehead. He grasped at his head and folded up into the fetal position on his bed. Derek immediately knelt on the floor next to him and asked what the problem was but Mikomi couldn¡¯t hear a word Derek was saying.


    This pain. I¡¯ve felt it before. When my memories of Serah returned to me, my head felt like someone was squeezing it inside of a vice. Why is this happening now, though!? That dream¡­ those memories were never sealed away. I could recall that day as if it happened yesterday so why is my head hurting so much?


    Unlike the previous episode six years ago, the pain subsided rather quickly. Derek¡¯s words became clear as he rolled over onto his back and sprawled out on his bed. Mikomi¡¯s breathing decreased back to normal levels as he closed his eyes and enjoyed the feeling of relief.


    ¡°Mikomi! Talk to me! What¡¯s going on!?¡±


    Mikomi groggily answered Derek. His voice was a bit broken from the experience.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I felt one of those. I just had a quick migraine. Must have been caused by sleep deprivation.¡±


    ¡°Mikomi¡­ I¡¯m the one who dragged you back to the dorms after you nearly collapsed back on Friday. I never thought to pry into your personal life but if you are truly my friend, won¡¯t you tell me what¡¯s bothering you?¡±


    Mikomi sat back up in his bed. He was still a little bit dizzy from the episode he just experienced but it only took a moment or two for him to regain his composure.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I¡¯ve been acting weird. I¡¯m coming up on the anniversary of someone¡¯s death. Someone that was very close to me. Ever since they died, I only blamed myself for it because I couldn¡¯t do anything to stop it. The date of their death is on Monday so I guess I¡¯ll just be a bother for the whole weekend. I can go home until then if it bothers you.¡±


    ¡°Well, if you left you¡¯d probably have to turn right back around.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s about 12:30 am, making it officially Sunday. You¡¯ve been out since 4 pm on Friday.¡±


    Mikomi quickly grabbed his alarm clock and noticed that the date on there did, indeed, read May 7, 2000. Mikomi realized that the day his father died was, technically, tomorrow. Sure, he had to go through all of Sunday but it meant one more night where he knew he wouldn¡¯t be getting any sleep.


    He shook his head and excused himself, stating that he wanted to go outside and get some fresh air. Derek let him go but by the time he got to the door, his stomach growled. He realized he hadn¡¯t eaten anything since Friday and the pain of hunger set in rapidly. The growl was audible to the point where Derek heard it across the room.


    ¡°Look¡­ I bought you lunch for a week a year ago. I¡¯m willing to make an exception just one more time but after this, you owe me lunch for a week.¡±


    ¡°A whole week!?¡±


    ¡°Are you forgetting just who it was that carried you back up here? I even went the extra step and gave you one of my now sweat-soaked blankets.¡±


    ¡°Ah... sorry. I¡¯ll wash it for you and.... thanks. I really could use a meal right now. I¡¯ll definitely return the favor.¡±


    They walked down to the dorm''s cafeteria which was always open at MUT. It was there to accommodate the students who pulled all-nighters and needed nourishment to study. Derek bought Mikomi a trifecta of turkey sandwiches and plopped them down in front of him.


    ¡°Here ya go.¡±


    Mikomi cracked a subtle grin and then tore into the sandwiches as though they were his final meal. Derek even scooted back in his chair just to make sure that he wasn¡¯t inadvertently pulled into the never-ending maw that was Mikomi¡¯s mouth. After he finished his sandwiches at a near-record pace, the two of them returned back to their room. Even though he had slept for nearly a day and a half, he was still tired. Mikomi felt that this would be his best bet to get any semblance of sleep.


    And slept he did.


    When he woke up, he felt a bit refreshed. He glanced over at his clock to check the time but instead, he found a note there from Derek. He pulled the note off the clock, ignoring the time. He figured Derek had gone out for the day and was just letting him know where he was. Mikomi looked at the note and read it out loud.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about class. I¡¯ll tell Professor Edwards that you fell ill and that you needed the day to recover. I¡¯ll tack on an extra day of lunch that you owe me for this.¡±


    Mikomi shook his head before it hit him. He looked at his alarm clock and the first thing he noticed was the time that read 12:46 pm. Next to the time was the date of May 8, 2000. Mikomi quickly looked for his answering machine but realized that he didn¡¯t have one in this timeline. Mikomi¡¯s heart raced and picked up the phone. He immediately dialed the number to his father¡¯s office, hoping that someone would pick up.


    The phone rang once with no answer. It rang twice with no answer still. Mikomi began to panic, but when the phone rang a third time, someone picked up. Before that person could extend a typical Hello, Mikomi blurted out.


    ¡°Dad! Tell me that¡¯s you!¡±


    ¡°Mikomi? No¡­ this is Alice. Didn¡¯t anyone tell you?¡±


    When Mikomi heard those words, his heart rate increased instantly and the color drained from his skin. He braced himself for failure once again.

 Balance

    When Alice asked him that question, it send a shockwave of fear throughout his body. He tensed up and didn¡¯t know what to make of this situation. Even his usual habit of getting lost in thought was blocked as his mind went blank. Mikomi blurted out a word but it wasn¡¯t a response to Alice¡¯s question, although, one might say that he lucked out as it was meant as audible disbelief but worked just fine as an answer.


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    ¡°Your father is in a meeting right now. I¡¯m surprised they didn¡¯t tell you when they transferred your call.¡±


    Suddenly, it was as if the world had melted around him. The relaxing sensation that he felt sent a tingle throughout his entire body as elation washed over him. He let out a huge sigh that Alice could hear perfectly on the other side of the phone.


    ¡°Is everything okay, Mikomi?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Everything is fine. I just learned something and I wanted to share it with him as soon as possible but if he¡¯s in a meeting, it can¡¯t be helped. I¡¯ll just talk to him later. Sorry to bother you, Alice.¡±


    ¡°Not a problem, Mikomi. I¡¯ll tell your father you called! Have a great day!¡±


    ¡°You, too.¡±


    Mikomi hung up the phone and sat there on the edge of his bed. Suddenly, he let out a cheer and fist-pumped the air as hard as he could. He knew that he had won. Since Derek had covered for him, he decided to take the rest of the day off from his classes. After all, it wasn¡¯t as if he actually needed them. He was simply here to work his way through the system so that he could graduate and start working at Onyx Technology Ventures. Mikomi even began to daydream about what it will be like to work side-by-side with his father on Project: Daphne. He was vastly interested in seeing how it came out versus his Project: Serah in the other timeline. All of those scenarios were now possible thanks to his efforts.


    The remainder of the day quickly flew by. Ryunosuke had concluded his meetings as he greeted Alice back in his office.


    ¡°Done for the day?¡±


    ¡°You bet. We¡¯re making terrific progress! I feel as if I can leave this project in the hands of my team and everything will work out just fine. Because of that, it has afforded me the opportunity to get out of here at five o¡¯clock every single day. I know my family worries about me when I overwork myself but now that we¡¯re on a steady schedule, I don¡¯t have to do that anymore. You have no idea how good that feels.¡±


    ¡°I bet it feels great! It¡¯s been really exciting seeing all of this come to fruition. Even though I¡¯m not creating anything, I can¡¯t wait to see how everything comes together in the end.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the beauty of change, Alice. Everything changes but it doesn¡¯t change on its own. Things only change if you make them and that takes hard work and dedication. Once you put in the effort, you can reap the benefits. Take you, for example.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡±


    ¡°When you first started here, you were always so formal around me even though I told you that you didn¡¯t have to be. Now, the way you talk, the way you act is so casual. You finally learned that you didn¡¯t have to walk on eggshells around me and that you could just be yourself. While it¡¯s not the same as sitting in front of a computer and writing line after line of code, it¡¯s still something you eased yourself into and worked hard to overcome. As a result, you have become more open and such a joy to be around.¡±


    ¡°T-thank you, sir!¡±


    Ryunosuke couldn¡¯t help but laugh at the fact that Alice quickly reverted back to her original self in the blink of an eye.


    ¡°Who knows? Maybe you¡¯ll make a fine partner for my Mikomi one day!¡±


    ¡°MISTER SAIGO!¡±


    Alice was completely embarrassed but the blush she showed off said otherwise. Even though Mikomi spent most of his time at college studying, Ryunosuke would always tell Alice stories about him. The last time Alice met Mikomi, he was still rather young. She met him when he came to the company to survey the programming team. She thought that he was adorable then but now that Mikomi was a bit older, it would be a lie to say that she didn¡¯t think about him.


    ¡°OH! Speaking of Mikomi¡­ I forgot to tell you that he called you shortly after noon when you were in the meeting. He said that he learned something new and couldn¡¯t wait to tell you about it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great! It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve talked to my son. I¡¯ll be sure to give him a call tonight after dinner. He¡¯s probably eating right now anyway so I don¡¯t want to disturb him. Thanks for relaying the message, Alice, and sorry for embarrassing you but I¡¯m just saying that I wouldn¡¯t mind it one bit.¡±


    Ryunosuke gave Alice a wink before grabbing his coat. She couldn¡¯t say anything in response to that. All she could do was stand still while he left the office. Ryunosuke made his way down to the parking lot. He pulled his keys out of his pocket and went to insert them into his car door when he felt a tap on his shoulder.


    ¡°Pardon me, sir, but are you Mikomi Saigo¡¯s father, Ryunosuke?¡±


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    Ryunosuke turned around as a person in a white suit and royal blue shirt stood before him. He sported blonde hair and held a golden cane in his hand. It was Sebastian.


    ¡°Yes, I am. How can I help you and how do you know about my son?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I have some information to tell you about your son. You see, I know that many years ago, he gave you the solution to the problems you had with your artificial intelligence program but Mikomi wasn¡¯t exactly honest with you about where he got that code from.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? My son is a genius. He wrote the code himself!¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what he told you but that¡¯s not the truth. To be honest, I¡¯m not truly comfortable discussing this here. Do you mind if we go somewhere a little more private? I¡¯ll be happy to fill you in on all of the details.¡±


    Ryunosuke didn¡¯t know what to think. He remembered having a conversation with Mikomi about the origins of the code. He wanted to believe his son¡¯s story but it still seemed extremely far-fetched that someone at age fourteen could come up with such an elaborate solution to a complex problem. He didn¡¯t want to believe that Mikomi had lied to him but he decided to trust Sebastian and invited him into his car.


    He pulled out of the parking lot and drove along the road until he entered a secluded area. There was a small bridge there that overlooked a ravine in the middle of a small forest. Sebastian asked if he wouldn¡¯t mind pulling over as this area would suffice. The car stopped along the side of the road and Sebastian invited Ryunosuke to step outside for some fresh air. The two of them got out of the car with Ryunosuke leaning up against the driver¡¯s side door. Sebastian stood in front of him with his arms folded.


    ¡°I suppose I¡¯ll kick the conversation off here. What I¡¯m about to say may be hard to believe but Mikomi truly did write that code; however, he wrote it four years from now.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? Four years from now?¡±


    ¡°That is correct. You had recently passed away due to a heart attack and it left the CEO¡¯s seat empty at your company. When Mikomi graduated college, he took over as the new CEO of Onyx Technology Ventures. Thanks to a new class that opened up at MUT, Mikomi discovered the problem with your A.I. and fixed it but Mikomi would meet a tragic fate.¡±


    ¡°The night that he made the breakthrough, I¡¯m sorry to say that he was killed. Due to the nature of his case, I, a Custodian of Time, granted your son a second chance at life. I moved him to this timeline and put him back inside of his fourteen-year-old body while having him retain all of his memories from when he was twenty-four.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re out of your goddamn mind! Just who the hell are you!?¡±


    ¡°Think about it. Why do you think Mikomi knew the solution to your problem? Why did he seem so devastated when Serah died? Serah had also died in the other timeline and Mikomi did everything in his power to save her. It¡¯s a shame it was all for nothing. If that¡¯s not enough to convince you, why do you think he urged you to go see a doctor which led to your open-heart surgery? There¡¯s only one way Mikomi would do all of this¡­ if he had knowledge of the events that were to come in this world. Your son is from the future, Ryunosuke but¡­ therein lies the problem.¡±


    ¡°You see, he¡¯s going around and making all of these changes. It¡¯s rather fun watching him pour his heart and soul into everything just for the sake of having a better life than the one he had before. He saved your life, he saved his friendship with Ryan¡­ he even made a new friend at college that he previously never knew. I¡¯m sure that you missed a phone call from your son earlier this afternoon as well. He called you not because he learned something new but because he wanted to check and see if you were still alive.¡±


    Sebastian paused for a moment as Ryunosuke wore a confused look. All of this was nothing more than preposterous nonsense to him. Ryunosuke continued to give Sebastian a look as though he were insane.


    ¡°You must be wondering how or why I know all of these intricate details, am I correct in assuming so?¡±


    With that, Sebastian disappeared into thin air and reappeared right in front of Ryunosuke¡¯s face. He wanted to jump back but he already had been leaning up against his car. He had no idea what to make of what he had just witnessed.


    ¡°Because even though you never see me¡­ I am always watching.¡±


    Ryunosuke nervously reached behind him, looking for the door handle to his car. He was petrified at the fact that the man in front of him just suddenly disappeared and reappeared at will. Sebastian looked over at the lock inside the car and gave his head a nod, locking the car instantly.


    ¡°You¡¯re trying to flee from the truth, Ryunosuke. I¡¯m afraid I cannot allow that. You see, I¡¯m here to ask a favor of you. It¡¯s a rather simple favor though¡­ something that should be easy to do, even for someone like yourself.¡±


    Sebastian leaned in and brought his mouth close to Ryunosuke¡¯s right ear.


    ¡°If you wouldn¡¯t mind, could you do your best to die for me?¡±


    Sebastian reached out and grabbed Ryunosuke by the neck, lifting him up off the ground. Sebastian disappeared along with Ryunosuke and reappeared above the edge of the ravine. Ryunosuke¡¯s feet dangled, trying to find the ground but there was nothing underneath him. Sebastian cracked a sinister grin as he stared into Ryunosuke¡¯s frightened eyes.


    ¡°Remember to give it your best!¡±


    Sebastian closed his eyes and tilted his head to the side, giving him a warm and friendly smile. Sebastian released his grip and Ryunosuke plummeted over a hundred feet down to the ravine below. His body slammed down into the jagged rocks and became twisted and mangled. There was no way he could have survived the fall. Sebastian looked over the edge of the cliff down at Ryunosuke¡¯s broken body. He took a bow and then cracked another friendly-looking smile.


    ¡°See? That wasn¡¯t so hard now, was it?¡±


    With those words, Sebastian, once again, disappeared into thin air. The early evening turned dark. Karoline was sitting at the kitchen table going through her phone directory. She was worried when Ryunosuke didn¡¯t come home without any notification that he would be staying late. He always told her when he wouldn¡¯t be home on time and when she received no word, she became rather worried. She was about to pick up the phone to call another person when the phone rang, startling her. She frantically picked it up and answered.


    ¡°H-hello? ¡­ Yes, this is she.¡±


    Karoline immediately shot up out of her chair. She placed her free hand on the kitchen table in order to keep her balance, her knees became weak, making it difficult for her to stand.


    ¡°No! That can¡¯t be true¡­ he would never¡­. Are you sure it¡¯s him?¡±


    Any look of hope faded from her face. It was apparent that it was the police on the other side of the receiver. They had discovered Ryunosuke¡¯s body and were notifying Karoline of the grim news. A look of sadness and despair washed over her face as she slowly sat back down at the table.


    ¡°I-I see¡­ t-thank you.¡±


    Karoline put the phone down and covered her mouth. She put her head down on the table and immediately broke down. She had no idea what to do at this point outside of calling Mikomi. She knew that it would be a difficult task but it was her duty as a mother to notify her son. She collected herself as much as she could and picked up the phone once again.


    Mikomi sat on his bed in his dorm room, reading up on advanced A.I. techniques when his phone rang. Without even thinking about the call itself, he quickly picked up the phone and answered in a cheerful tone.


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Mikomi¡­ I have some bad news,¡± said Karoline as she could be faintly heard through the receiver within the silence of the dorm room.


    ¡°Mom? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    He seemed a bit worried. All of a sudden, he began to tremble. He dropped the phone and grabbed his head, letting out a terrifying scream as a sharp, stabbing pain engulfed the entirety of his skull. Derek shot up out of his bed and rushed to Mikomi¡¯s side. With tears streaming down his face, he began to rock back and forth with his mother calling out to him from the phone lying on the floor.


    ¡°Mikomi! What happened? MIKOMI!¡±


    Mikomi couldn¡¯t respond. No matter how much Derek tried to get through to him, he simply sat there breathing heavily while rocking back and forth with a look of pure terror on his face.


    The blinding pain shooting through his head caused the world around him to become nothing more than a muffled blur. Suddenly, everything went dark when Mikomi passed out.

 Graduation

    Two years had passed since Mikomi received the news of his father¡¯s apparent suicide. Mikomi was in his dorm room preparing for his big day. Today was the day he was going to walk onto a stage and receive his bachelor¡¯s degree in computer science. Soon afterward, he would be reporting immediately to Onyx Technology Ventures to take the reins as its newest CEO. For Mikomi, this was a monumental moment in his life that should have been filled with joy and excitement but instead, he sat there on the edge of his bed in his graduation gown with an emotionless expression on his face.


    For the past two years, this is what had become of Mikomi. He still remembered the night when he received the phone call from his mother. He still remembered the pain and the shock from hearing the news that his father had committed suicide. Rather than questioning why his father would ever do such a thing, he focused on the fact that he had failed once again. All of his efforts were in vain and that crushed him. He no longer knew what his purpose in this timeline was anymore.


    He remembered that night when he screamed at the top of his lungs. He remembered Derek had tried to comfort him but he couldn¡¯t even sense the world around him. Dozens of students from the dorm rushed to his room as his screams pierced through the walls, all of which showed concern for him. After that, everything became a blur. He only remembered dragging himself to class day after day just to sit there and space out.


    Mikomi didn¡¯t even want answers anymore. He had convinced himself that the world couldn¡¯t be beaten. He failed with Serah and he failed with his father. The only success he had to show for his efforts was keeping Ryan in his life but Ryan never died in the original timeline so he never considered that a true victory. Mikomi felt it was no longer necessary to try since he couldn¡¯t create a future where he could be with the ones he loved the most. He even decided that it wasn¡¯t even worth the time to uncover the identity of his killer. In fact, part of him even wanted the event to replay itself just so it could end his suffering.


    Mikomi believed that all he was doing was walking a path that he thought he had created when, in reality, that path was preordained. He knew that no matter how different the path seemed, it was still the same path. That meant that he knew that in two years, he would die and there was no real way to change it. He decided that all he could do was wait for his demise with the only glimmer of hope being that he would see who his killer was.


    That had become his only goal.


    Mikomi glanced over at the clock and saw that the ceremony began in thirty minutes. He let out a heavy sigh as he forcefully willed himself up to his feet. He grabbed his mortarboard and exited the dorm. Derek, who had roomed with him this entire time, had already left. He had pleaded with Mikomi to come with him, but Mikomi never gave him an answer. Derek had grown accustomed to his loss of emotions and knew that he wouldn¡¯t be able to persuade him to come no matter how much he asked. Knowing this, Derek went on ahead without him. Deep down, Mikomi preferred it that way as he wanted this time alone to reflect. Despite being granted the time, he couldn¡¯t even muster up the necessary energy to do even that.


    Mikomi made his way to the main building. He entered through the back and joined the rest of his class. Many familiar faces smiled when they saw him, some even patting him on the back and congratulating him for making it here but he ignored every single one of them. He couldn¡¯t even acknowledge their heartfelt wishes which drew some disappointed and disgusted looks from his peers. He found a place to sit by the panel which controlled the stage lights and sat there alone with nothing but his thoughts.


    There was a bit of a commotion as someone pushed their way through the students. As that person got closer, Mikomi turned his head out of morbid curiosity only to see his roommate and friend Derek.


    ¡°Mikomi! You decided to come! Even though I saw you were dressed in your gown, I honestly didn¡¯t think that you were going to show up.¡±


    Derek rubbed the back of his head as Mikomi turned his attention away from him, looking down at the floor. Derek let out a heavy sigh and sat next to him, putting his arm around him.


    ¡°Look. I know you¡¯ve been like this since your father died. I know how much he meant to you. It may not be fair to say this because my father is still alive but it doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t know how you feel. I think I would be in the same shoes as you if my father passed away but I would also know that he would be looking down at me right now with pride. So, just for today¡­ put on a smile because he¡¯s watching you and I¡¯m sure he¡¯s proud of you.¡±


    Mikomi gritted his teeth. He even went as far as to ball up his fist. The only thing that stopped him from doing so was the realization that Derek had no idea what was truly going on. He didn¡¯t understand how this wasn¡¯t the first time he had experienced all of this. Derek was just a person living in this timeline unaware of everything. He swallowed hard and relaxed himself. He looked up and for the first time in nearly two years, he shot Derek a smile and in a faint and raspy voice said the word ¡°thanks.¡±


    That moment was enough to shock Derek. With the way Mikomi had been these past two years, he didn¡¯t expect so much as an answer out of him. When he muttered that one solitary word, Derek gasped and took a step backward.


    ¡°Y-you spoke to me!¡±


    Instead of smiling at that remark, Mikomi¡¯s eyes began to well up because he realized just how empty of a shell he had become. Derek¡¯s reaction made him realize just who he was now and that this is how the world viewed him. This one single moment changed that, albeit slightly. Before Mikomi could burst into tears, he composed himself and stood up, taking a deep breath. As soon as he did, the Dean of Admissions walked through and directed everyone to take their places.


    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s finally time,¡± said Derek as he extended his hand out to Mikomi. ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll bring you to your spot.¡±


    Even after everything that had happened, Derek was still willing to offer his hand to him. Mikomi was a bit surprised that he remained that much of a friend to him throughout this ordeal. He let out a sigh and grabbed Derek¡¯s hand as he led him over to his place in line.


    After that, the students were called to the stage one by one by the Dean of Admissions. Mikomi stood behind the curtain and watched Derek walk out and receive his diploma. Just as soon as he witnessed all that, he heard the Dean call his name.


    ¡°Mikomi Saigo.¡±


    Mikomi took a deep breath and walked out onto the stage. He could hear the crowd applauding him as he approached the Dean. He turned his head slightly and noticed his mother Karoline sitting in the front row with tears in her eyes. He was completely shocked to see his mother sitting there. He hadn¡¯t spoken to her since the day he received the phone call about his father¡¯s suicide. He had neglected every aspect of his life since then, including his mother. The fact that she was there tonight puzzled him.


    While Karoline was there to see her son graduate, Mikomi knew that she was alone. The absence of his father shot a painful shock through his spine but he endured it so as to not make a scene on stage in front of everyone. He clutched his diploma in his hand and shook the hand of the Dean. He then moved his tassel to the other side of his mortarboard and walked off, taking his place next to Derek on stage.


    Mikomi stood there and looked out into the crowd, his gaze focused on his mother. At that moment, the two years of neglect that he gave to her rushed to the surface and he couldn¡¯t hold back his tears any longer. Even though the tears were flowing from his eyes. He remained standing there as if nothing was wrong. Only those who stood next to him could see them pouring out of his eyes, but people sitting back in the audience, they couldn¡¯t tell that a single thing was wrong. That was how statuesque Mikomi¡¯s stance was there on the stage.


    Derek took immediate notice of Mikomi¡¯s tears and gave him a small nudge as if to silently ask if Mikomi was okay but Mikomi just stood there, almost like a trained soldier, and continued to gaze out into the crowd at his mother. Once the last of the students received their diplomas, the Dean of Admissions made the announcement.


    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the graduating class of 2002!¡±


    With that, the audience stood up and gave them all a standing ovation. They all took their caps and threw them into the air¡­ except for Mikomi who continued to stand there, tears flowing. Derek knew that Mikomi would draw attention to himself rather quickly so he grabbed Mikomi¡¯s mortarboard and tossed it into the air for him. Derek then wrapped his arm around him and pulled him into a friendly hug, hiding his face from the crowd. He then quickly dragged Mikomi with him off stage and behind the curtain out of sight. It may have looked a little odd but at least he got him out of the spotlight.


    Once they were safely out of sight, Derek continued to embrace him in a hug.


    ¡°Just let it all out and don¡¯t stop until you¡¯re satisfied.¡±


    That¡¯s all that Mikomi needed to hear. He gripped Derek as tight as he could, burying his face into his shoulder. Mikomi cried for a good five minutes before he collected himself and wiped the tears from his eyes.


    ¡°Why?¡± Mikomi muttered with a broken and squeaky voice.


    ¡°Because that¡¯s what friends are for.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t deserve any friends.¡±


    ¡°Sure you do. Everyone deserves friends in their life. Even someone gloomy like yourself. I was planning on going to the after party but I know that you¡¯re not going to be there. If you¡¯d like, I¡¯ll ditch it and hang with you in the dorm or something. You know, whatever you¡¯d like to do.¡±


    ¡°You should go enjoy the party. I have to pack, after all. I start at the company on Monday so I need to head back home as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­ your father¡¯s company!? You had a job lined up from the beginning!?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m kind of going to be the new CEO.¡±


    Derek¡¯s jaw nearly hit the floor. He couldn¡¯t believe what he had just heard. Mikomi hadn¡¯t said a single thing to him about his predetermined position within Onyx Technology Ventures for the entirety of their time together. Derek even took a step back and laughed to himself.


    ¡°To think that I was rooming with a CEO this entire time. Then again, ever since I lost that bet to you back in our freshman year, I had a feeling you would be destined for big things. I just never thought that your destiny was already laid out for you. Just promise me that you won¡¯t forget the little people while you¡¯re sitting on top of your ivory tower.¡±


    Maybe it was Derek¡¯s compassion, but at that moment Mikomi broke out of the gloomy shell he had placed himself in. He looked up at Derek and attempted a smile.


    ¡°If you want¡­ I¡¯ll give you a job.¡±


    Derek was even more shocked. He had to take a step back and find something to hold on to. Not only was he rooming with a CEO for four years but he was also just offered a job at a company he was very familiar with. When it came to his classes about advanced artificial intelligence, Onyx Technology Ventures was one of the companies Derek had researched due to the announcement Mikomi¡¯s father made about Project: Daphne so many years ago. It was an announcement that made national headlines, after all.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know how much that means to me, Mikomi. I¡­ I accept!!¡±


    Derek reached out and shook Mikomi¡¯s hand. Mikomi was still rather lifeless so Derek did most of the handshaking. He only stood there with a half-attempted smile because, at least, he knew that he wouldn¡¯t be losing Derek.


    ¡°Report to my office at 8 am on Monday. If you need directions, I¡¯ll give you some before I¡¯m finished packing. Speaking of which¡­ I should start that.¡±


    Mikomi started to walk away from Derek when he grabbed him by the arm and stopped him.


    ¡°Mikomi, wait.¡±


    Mikomi stopped and glanced back over his left shoulder at Derek.


    ¡°Thank you. I mean that from the bottom of my heart. Thank you, Mikomi.¡±


    Mikomi nodded and took his arm back before continuing on his way. That night, while Derek attended the after-party, Mikomi finished packing all of his belongings into his duffel bag and a couple of medium-sized boxes. The last item he packed was the silver frame containing the photo of him, Ryan, and Serah at their high school graduation. Mikomi placed the frame face down in his duffel bag and wrapped an article of clothing over it so it wouldn¡¯t get broken during transit.


    Even though it was late at night, Mikomi moved all of his stuff down to his car. He was about to turn around and head back to his dorm when a figure showed up in the parking lot. Mikomi turned around and saw his mother Karoline standing there, her hands folded in front of her. She ran over and gave Mikomi a great big motherly hug but something about that hug seemed a bit off to him. He knew his mother was hugging him but it felt foreign at the same time. Karoline let go of the hug and took a step back from Mikomi. The look on her face didn¡¯t send a message that she was happy to see him. That became even more apparent when she hauled off and slapped him as hard as she could!

 Abandoned

    The shock from being slapped hurt worse than the sting. Still, it jarred Mikomi to the point where he had to use the car to keep himself upright. Realizing what she had done, she reached out as a way to apologize but then she stopped herself. Her resolve had kicked in and she refused to apologize for giving something to him that he so rightfully deserved. Instead, she took a deep breath and calmed herself down.


    ¡°I looked for you after you got pulled off stage but you were nowhere to be found. Then I ran into your roommate Derek and he said that you went back to your room to pack. I, honestly, didn¡¯t know if I should have come looking for you after that. I wasn¡¯t sure if I should have even come here tonight but I¡¯m your mother and it is my duty to be here for some of the most important days in my son¡¯s life¡­ even if my own son didn¡¯t want to be there for any of mine.¡±


    Mikomi looked up at his mother as she began to well up with tears.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been so distant these past two years, Mikomi. You wouldn¡¯t call me, you wouldn¡¯t come to visit me. All of the breaks you spent here, never once thinking of coming home. Do you know what it was like to spend the last two holiday seasons alone!? It¡¯s bad enough that my husband¡­ your father¡­ died but my own son wouldn¡¯t even come to keep his mother company? Do you have any idea how much that hurt me!?¡±


    Mikomi couldn¡¯t say anything. He knew that his mother was right but he couldn¡¯t just explain everything to her. There¡¯s no way she would understand. He could only stand there and take it. After all, he had it coming, and deep down, he knew that he deserved this.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mikomi. I shouldn¡¯t be saying this to you on a day like today but what other time could I say this? I wanted to come to see you but I honestly thought that you didn¡¯t want me here. Even though Serah dying was extremely hard on you¡­ you still came home. It took you a while but you still came home. When your father died¡­ you didn¡¯t. What was different about this time? Why didn¡¯t you want to come home and see me? I just couldn¡¯t understand why, Mikomi. Even now, I don¡¯t understand why.¡±


    Karoline continued to stand there, hoping for an answer but Mikomi remained silent. That¡¯s all that Karoline needed to hear.


    ¡°I understand that in your eyes, you¡¯re no longer my baby boy. You¡¯re a grown man now and you can live your life the way you want to. I can¡¯t stop you nor can I change that. There comes a time in every parent¡¯s life that they need to let go but it should never have to be in a way like this.¡±


    Mikomi¡¯s lip quivered as he began to shed tears. He couldn¡¯t believe what his mother was saying but at the same time, he knew that something like this would have happened eventually.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid tears aren¡¯t going to fix this, Mikomi. Your silence means that you¡¯ve made your choice. I¡¯ve endured these past two years with every fiber of my being. Don¡¯t worry about me. I can endure these coming years just as well.¡±


    Mikomi continued to tremble at his mother¡¯s words. He had no idea how to respond to any of this.


    ¡°Good luck at your father¡¯s company. I have no doubts that you can and will succeed but if you¡¯re going to¡­ you¡¯re going to need to find your heart. Even in the darkest of times¡­ at least your father had one.¡±


    Those were the last words Karoline said to him before she walked away. He reached his hand out to try and touch his mother but she was already too distant to grab. The further Karoline got from him, the more the weakness in his knees took over until he staggered back and fell against his car. The feeling coursing through his body was much like the feeling he experienced when he was shot in the other timeline. He felt all of his senses slowly fade away until he couldn¡¯t feel anything anymore. The only difference here was that he wasn¡¯t dying. He knew that this feeling wouldn¡¯t kill him but deep down inside, he was wishing it would.


    Mikomi eventually returned to his senses. With his things packed, he got in his car and drove away. He didn¡¯t even bother waiting for Derek to say goodbye. He knew that he would see him Monday morning anyway so he could explain things properly to him then. While he was driving, he came to the sudden realization that he was now homeless. His entire plan was to head back to his house until he had gotten a couple of months¡¯ worth of paychecks under his belt, then he would go house hunting but this confrontation with his mother here tonight changed all of that. There was no way he could walk through the front door of his house now. Even if he showed up just to get his things, it would be an extremely awkward situation for him.


    The only place Mikomi could turn to would be his father¡¯s office. He figured that since his father spent many nights at the company, then he should grow accustomed to doing the same thing. Mikomi drove straight to Onyx Technology Ventures. Being a Friday night, there shouldn¡¯t have been a soul there but there were still some lights on in the building. He pulled into a parking spot and got out of his car.


    As soon as he closed the door, he froze. It had been eight long years since he had been given a second chance but to him, the scene felt like it had just happened yesterday. He looked around frantically, expecting to see someone standing there with a gun in their hand. Even though he was alone in the parking lot, he still felt a presence looming over him. He gritted his teeth and turned around, shouting out into the darkness.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re there! You¡¯re always there!¡±


    Mikomi took a deep breath and screamed out his name.


    ¡°SEBASTIAN!¡±


    Mikomi waited a moment and looked around. He fully expected Sebastian to materialize out of thin air but he was nowhere to be seen.


    ¡°So, you¡¯ve disappeared again, huh!? What happened to always watching? What happened to playing the role of the observer!? Two years you¡¯ve been absent! I guess even a Custodian of Time would abandon me, too, huh? SHOW YOURSELF!!!¡±


    Mikomi screamed at the top of his lungs. His only solace was that he was alone. Had anyone come by and seen him, it would have made for a very awkward situation. Still, through it all, Sebastian refused to show himself.


    ¡°So even you¡­¡± muttered Mikomi under his breath.


    Mikomi walked toward the building and scanned his ID card at the door. He always kept it in his wallet since he was free to come and go as he pleased. The card granted him access and he walked in through the front gates. The evening security guard was there behind the front desk and was a bit shocked to see him there.


    ¡°M-Mr. Saigo! What brings you here at this time of night!?¡±


    ¡°If I¡¯m going to take over the company on Monday, I should get a sneak peek of what I¡¯m getting myself into. I figured I would look through some things in my father¡¯s old office and get myself acquainted.¡±


    ¡°I-I see! Well, it¡¯s good to see you, Mr. Saigo! I can see you already have your father¡¯s work ethic! I¡¯m sure you¡¯re going to do great!¡±


    ¡°T-thank you,¡± muttered Mikomi.


    With that, Mikomi took the elevator up to the top floor. He knew the layout of the building like the back of his hand and knew exactly where to go. He soon arrived outside the big double wooden door that led to his father¡¯s office. While the hallway was mainly dark, he noticed that there was a glow coming from underneath the frame. His curiosity was piqued and he turned the handle. Soon, the light from inside the office bathed Mikomi¡¯s face. A head looked up from a stack of paperwork on his father¡¯s desk, their eyes widening.


    ¡°M-Mikomi!?¡±


    Mikomi gazed back.


    ¡°Cassandra? What are you doing here so late!?¡±


    ¡°I was just finishing up some paperwork. Besides, the same could be asked of you. You¡¯re not supposed to be here until Monday.¡±


    ¡°It-it¡¯s a long story but I¡¯m going to have to call this place home for the time being.¡±


    ¡°Home? What happened, Mikomi?¡±


    That voice wasn¡¯t Cassandra¡¯s. When Mikomi turned around, Alice was standing there in the doorway. She had heard the conversation and came over to see just who it was that was here this late.


    ¡°Alice? You¡¯re here late as well.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ I was staying late to help Cassandra with her paperwork. Being the acting CEO of the company has been pretty tough on her.¡±


    ¡°Oh come now, Alice. It¡¯s nothing I can¡¯t handle¡± said Cassandra with a smirk on her face. ¡°It¡¯s tougher dealing with Michael¡¯s advances than it is running a company.¡±


    Alice and Cassandra shared a laugh over that remark while Mikomi remained as emotionless as ever. Alice stopped giggling and realized that there was still Mikomi¡¯s situation that needed to be addressed. Alice, realizing what an opportunity this was, sheepishly looked away and then cleared her throat.


    ¡°You know, Mikomi. If you need a place to stay, you can stay at my house until you get on your feet. I mean, it¡¯s not like you don¡¯t have a job and would be a freeloader or anything.¡±


    ¡°Alice! Are you sure that¡¯s okay with you? I mean, he, technically, is the owner of the company. That would look bad if people found out.¡± said Cassandra in protest.


    ¡°Mikomi¡¯s father was such a kind man. He taught me to be relaxed around him and he helped me grow so much as an administrative assistant. Even though I¡¯ve only known Mikomi through his father and from his frequent visits here, I feel like we¡¯ve become good friends and I want to help him. I don¡¯t know the details of his situation but it¡¯s apparent that he needs a place to stay. I spent a lot of time taking care of his father so the least I could do is also take care of his son.¡±


    ¡°Alice¡­ you do realize that Mikomi is only four years younger than you, right!? I mean, what if¡­¡±


    Mikomi turned a bit red with embarrassment.


    ¡°I¡¯m standing right here, you know¡­¡±


    ¡°I trust Mikomi. I know he¡¯s not like that. So¡­ What do you say? Want to stay with me until you get your own place?¡±


    Mikomi looked down at the floor and then closed his eyes as he let out a heavy sigh. He knew that his back was up against a wall and that sleeping in a bed would be a lot more comfortable than the floor of his office. He knew he had no other choice but to accept Alice¡¯s offer.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I guess¡­¡±


    ¡°Great! In that case, just wait here a little while longer while Cassandra and I finish up today¡¯s paperwork and I¡¯ll bring you over to my house.¡±


    As he sat there, thoughts flowed through his mind.


    I never stayed at Alice¡¯s in the other timeline so what does that mean? No¡­ there¡¯s no use thinking about any of this. I can¡¯t change anything. No matter what I do, it just falls apart in the end. It¡¯s a bit ironic to say as I sit here at the top of a company but I¡¯ve truly lost everything and everyone. Serah¡­ Dad¡­ they¡¯re all gone and I¡¯ll never get them back. Sebastian has disappeared and my Mom wants nothing to do with me through no one¡¯s fault but my own. Why even bother thinking about this change? Why even care if the future is reshaping itself? I don¡¯t have a lot of time left anyway. It¡¯ll be over soon enough and then this pain will pass away along with my body.


    All I need to do is wait it out.

 Succession

    Alice and Cassandra finished the day¡¯s paperwork. Alice made good on her word and led Mikomi back to her house that night. He did say much of anything to her even though Alice tried her best to ask how things were doing. She was curious about what his college life was like, the friends he had made, the things that he studied but he didn¡¯t really care much about sharing anything with her. She gave Mikomi his space even though she wanted to know some of the more important details¡­ such as why he didn¡¯t have a home, why his mother wouldn¡¯t take him in, and the such. She decided to let it go because they were awfully personal questions and it really wasn¡¯t her business to pry.


    The weekend passed and Mikomi reported for work bright and early Monday morning. He arrived before most of the employees showed up and headed straight for his office. There, he was greeted by Cassandra, George, Michael, Jared, and Colin. For Mikomi, it was great seeing so many familiar faces. Alice arrived behind him shortly after and with the entire crew assembled, he walked behind his desk and addressed them.


    ¡°Cassandra¡­ you¡¯ve done an amazing job as CEO of Onyx Technology Ventures. I know this job isn¡¯t easy and that my father was a very ambitious man with a work ethic second to none. To keep this place running without missing a beat takes immense talent and dedication. Thank you for all that you¡¯ve done.¡±


    Everyone gave Cassandra a round of applause. She even blushed a little. She glanced over at Michael who was clapping just a little bit louder and more enthusiastically than everyone else. Cassandra shot him a death glare and he dialed back his enthusiasm quite a bit to the point where he was giving her a golf clap.


    ¡°From this day forward, I will be the CEO of Onyx Technology Ventures. My goal is to finish what my father started and launch Project: Daphne globally. I am already familiar with how the A.I. works as well as the programming behind it. I¡¯m going to start my tenure here by making its completion my number one priority. Also, henceforth, this may sound selfish of me but Project: Daphne will be renamed to Project: Serah. Let¡¯s just say that there¡¯s a certain motivating factor behind the name for me. While that will not be the project¡¯s official and final name, I feel that it¡¯s something I need for myself to see this through.¡±


    ¡°Hey... we could call it Project: Cassie for all I care. The code is the code and the A.I. is the A.I. It ain¡¯t gonna change a thing on my end. I¡¯m still gonna see it through till the end, daddio!¡±


    Cassandra gave Michael another death glare for using his pet name for her. Michael began to sweat a few bullets as he noticed her out of the corner of his eye. The tension between the two was reaching an all-time high when there was a knock on the office door.


    ¡°Hey! Look! Literally anything else!¡± exclaimed Michael.


    Mikomi noted the time and realized just who that was. He looked up at Alice and gave her the nod to open the door. When the door opened, it revealed the figure standing on the other side of it.


    ¡°Michael¡­ I know this endeavor is going to be taxing, which is why I took the liberty of getting you some more help. This is Derek Carter, my roommate in college. His skills are on par with mine and he will make an excellent addition to your team. Derek¡­ this is Michael Murphy. He is the project manager of our programming team and is going to be your new boss. This is also Jared... He¡¯s the Chief Technology Officer and will also serve as your superior. Working alongside Jared is Colin, who is the Director of Programming and Information Technology.¡±


    ¡°Actually, sir... ¡° said Colin, interjecting. ¡°Our roles have changed just a bit since you last visited. Before your father passed, he promoted me to Chief Technology Officer and Michael now holds my position as Director of Programming and IT.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ then, what did you get moved to, Jared?¡±


    ¡°Your father created a new position in anticipation of launching the A.I. I¡¯m the Chief Technology Ambassador for the company. In my old position, I would oversee any and all projects that Onyx Technology Ventures had in development but in this new role, I traded my desk for an airplane seat. My job is to travel the globe and establish partnerships with companies who may be interested in our A.I. I¡¯m not a salesman, per se, but more or less someone who has been charged with educating businesses about the benefits of our A.I. It¡¯s a much more challenging job than being the Chief Technology Officer but your father trusted me with this position and I intend to see it through.¡±


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°I see¡­ so many things have changed.¡±


    ¡°Mikomi?¡± asked Cassandra, taking note of the lack of emotion in Mikomi¡¯s reply.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Now that you know my intentions, we need to get to work. Michael, I¡¯ll want to meet with you and Colin later today for a full report on where we are at with Project: Serah. Once I know, I can work with Jared to set up some potential prospects for our product.¡±


    Colin nodded while Michael gave him a salute.


    ¡°Also, Michael. Just focus on your report for today. I¡¯ll show Derek around personally and help get him situated. After all, I kind of owe it to him for not saying goodbye back on Friday. That¡¯s it for now. Let¡¯s work to see this project through to its conclusion.¡±


    As Mikomi said that, a sudden thought rushed through his mind. Someone was missing from the room, someone he was almost certain would be there. Mikomi shot a glance over at Michael and asked the question that was in the back of his mind.


    ¡°Say, Michael. I was almost expecting someone else to be here. I have to ask, where is Ryan Pierson?¡±


    Michael cleared his throat as he knew Ryan was Mikomi¡¯s best friend and he had worked to get his foot in the door here at the company. Michael could only wonder how he would take this news.


    ¡°Ryan was terminated last year after making a huge mistake that almost jeopardized the project. It¡¯s a shame, too. He had so much potential.¡±


    Mikomi closed his eyes and took a deep breath.


    ¡°Do we know where Ryan is now?¡±


    ¡°No. Nobody has heard from him since he left the company.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± muttered Mikomi.


    At this point, there was little that surprised him anymore. Mikomi realized a couple of things with that statement. The first was that, in the end, the world always finds a way to balance things. The other was that it means Ryan could still be Mikomi¡¯s killer. His ruined friendship could have been his motivation in the original timeline but since that was repaired here, he needed a new motivation to come after him. Ryan¡¯s termination could be exactly that. Because of this line of thinking, Mikomi finally felt that he had found a bit of closure.


    With that, everyone took that statement as an excuse to leave. Everyone except for Alice and Derek left the office, leaving them alone with Mikomi. Alice held a file folder close to her body as she steeled herself.


    ¡°Mikomi¡­ I¡¯ve been meaning to ask you this all weekend but what happened to you? You lost your¡­. Sweetness.¡±


    Derek cleared his throat.


    ¡°If I may¡­ Mikomi has been like this ever since his father passed away. I¡¯ve tried reaching through to him many times but this is all I got from him. I¡¯m not going to judge him because I lived with him for four years. I know the kind of person he is. I just think he needs to find the answer himself, right Mikomi?¡±


    Mikomi looked on at Derek and was instantly reminded of why the two of them were friends. Derek had a way with words and while their friendship got off to a rocky start due to his nightmares, Derek became a true friend and that¡¯s why he invited him here today. He just gave Derek a nod and a half-hearted smile.


    ¡°See? The old Mikomi I know is still in there somewhere. He just needs to find him.¡±


    ¡°Maybe¡­ but right now, I think I should help you find your way around. Alice, watch the phones for me and take any messages for now. I¡¯ll deal with them when I get back.¡±


    ¡°Will do.¡±


    With that, Mikomi took Derek and left the office. As the door closed, Alice continued to stand there holding her file folder close to her body. She muttered Mikomi¡¯s name under her breath out of concern for him. His monotone demeanor whenever he talked made it painfully obvious that he was hurting deep down inside but she didn¡¯t know the real reason why. All she could do was be by his side and support him until he could find the answer for himself.


    Unfortunately, that answer wouldn¡¯t come¡­ even for the next couple of years. Even with the successful completion of Project: Serah and its worldwide launch, Mikomi had never once shown signs of true happiness. Even on the day of the A.I.''s launch, when technology finally caught up to the point where Project: Serah could run flawlessly on modern hardware, Mikomi remained as drone-like as ever. This was supposed to be his big day but it didn¡¯t seem that way to him at all.


    Mikomi remembered the original timeline. He remembered his excitement when he completed the project. He remembered holding the meeting where he talked about the launch of the A.I. He remembered that he had to give a statement to the media that they were finally going live with this project and how it would revolutionize people¡¯s lives forever but then he realized the grim reality. The one constant that Mikomi could not escape. The one event that was the sole purpose of this entire journey and the one event that would make everything he attempted to do even more irrelevant.


    Tomorrow was the day Mikomi was going to die.

 Unravel

    Even though he knew the day he would die was fast approaching, Mikomi still felt that he had to complete Project: Serah. He concluded that no matter how many times he tried to change the world, the world would always just rebalance itself, making all of his efforts futile. Because of such, he knew that he couldn¡¯t save anyone. With that evidence right in front of him, he knew that there was nothing he could do to prevent his death. He was going to die and his journey would come to an end.


    The night went by quickly. Mikomi had trouble sleeping and spent the entire night looking up at the ceiling in the guest bedroom of Alice¡¯s house. Two years later, Mikomi had become a permanent fixture there. Even though he easily made enough money to buy his own house, Alice asked him to stay with her. He was reluctant to do so, but he, for whatever reason, agreed. Perhaps he was afraid of what he would become if left alone in his current mental state. Maybe he felt that he owed it to Alice for taking care of him all this time but despite what his reason was, what Mikomi didn¡¯t realize was that Alice had fallen in love with him.


    Despite his lack of emotion and laser-focused attitude, Alice continuously prayed for the day when the Mikomi she used to know would resurface. She even did the unthinkable and asked him out just six months ago. She expected to be instantly rejected but she was shocked beyond belief when he accepted her confession. Even though they were officially a couple, you wouldn¡¯t be able to tell, even if you analyzed them under a microscope. The feelings Alice had for Mikomi were completely one-sided. While she loved him with everything she had, Mikomi didn¡¯t even think of their relationship as a romantic one.


    He only agreed to go out with her because he felt that nothing truly mattered anymore. To him, her confession was simply what the world wanted for him and not what he truly wanted. After all, Mikomi¡¯s heart still belonged to Serah and, in his mind, there was nobody on this planet that could replace her.


    While his relationship with Alice seemed cold and emotionless, Alice still held onto the hope that one day, Mikomi would realize what they have. It was that hope that kept her going, that made her stay with him, and tolerate everything that he had become. She strongly believed that if she loved him long enough that it would snap him out of it. Just like how Mikomi was determined to see Project: Serah through to the very end, Alice was determined to see her own personal project through as well.


    The sun began to illuminate the room when Alice knocked on his door and then poked her head in. Mikomi tilted his chin down, touching his chest with it. He stared at Alice as she stood there in the doorway looking at him.


    ¡°It¡¯s almost time to go. We have a meeting with the press in an hour.¡±


    Mikomi nodded and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. After getting ready, they took their usual silent drive to work. Alice sat there in the car with her hands folded in her lap. She glanced over at Mikomi several times, wanting to say something to him but just didn¡¯t know what it was she wanted to say. Perhaps when she looked at him, she hoped that he would be the one to initiate the conversation but he never said anything to her. He simply kept his focus on the road and kept driving.


    They arrived at the company together just in time for the press conference. Mikomi addressed the media about Project: Serah, which had been officially named Onyx A.I. As Mikomi answered the questions each of the reporters had, something felt off about that day. He quickly realized that he never spoke with the press in the other timeline as he was shot and killed the night before everything had happened. The fact that the press showed up on his death date made him quite suspicious. The realization sidetracked him so much that he stuttered over the answer to one of his questions. He realized this and quickly apologized and restated his answer more clearly.


    Once the barrage of questions was over, Mikomi returned to his office where he sat down behind his desk and began to think to himself, something he hadn¡¯t done in a while.


    This certainly didn¡¯t happen in the original timeline but I¡¯m certain today is the day that I am supposed to die. Is this proof that my changes made an impact on the world or is this the way that the world has chosen to balance out my existence? The only X factor that hasn¡¯t been solved yet is Ryan. Ryan was fired from his job here and I was nowhere to be found to defend him. Even though I don''t know where he is at this moment, I have a good feeling about where he will be tonight.


    Mikomi gazed out his office window at the parking lot down below. There was nothing he could do about it now. All he could do was go about his day as normal and wait for the moment to arrive. At the end of the day, he found himself behind his desk going through a stack of papers. He sat back in his chair and pinched the bridge of his nose, letting out quite an audible sigh. Just then, Alice walked into his office, wearing her favorite black business dress. She walked over with a cup of tea and placed it down on his desk.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s been a rough day so far. You really should take it easy.¡±


    ¡°Alice¡­ I know my¡­¡±


    ¡°limits¡­¡±


    Mikomi stopped himself as those words seemed all too familiar. This was almost the same conversation he had in the original timeline with her but he realized things were much different. Mikomi checked the time and noticed that he had about thirty minutes left before he would leave for the night. In the next thirty minutes, he knew that he would be shot and killed in the parking lot. He decided that it was now or never.


    ¡°Alice¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Mikomi?¡±


    ¡°For the past six months, you have done everything in your power to love me. You took me in, you sheltered me. You stood by my side even though I am nothing like what I used to be. You never gave up on me and even now, you still stand here by my side. I¡¯ve been the worst boyfriend in the world. Someone like you deserves so much better and yet, you¡¯re still here. You just don¡¯t ever give up.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t give up, Mikomi. I still have faith that one day, I¡¯ll get to see your smile once again.¡±


    ¡°That is why I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ve made you wait so long for this.¡±


    With that, Mikomi looked up at Alice with a genuine smile on his face. The tears immediately came to Alice¡¯s eyes as she lunged forward and embraced him in a hug. She took a step back as Mikomi closed his eyes.


    ¡°A lot of things have happened. Things I couldn¡¯t control even though I tried to. For better or for worse it has all led me here to this moment. I know you may not understand what I¡¯m saying, Alice but I feel like if I don¡¯t apologize now, I¡¯ll never get that chance. So, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m so sorry for everything and even though I haven¡¯t shown it, I want you to know that I love you.¡±


    ¡°Mikomi?¡±


    Mikomi stood up and grabbed his coat off the rack next to his desk. He still wore his father¡¯s light blue suit, even to this day. He began to walk towards the door of his office when Alice stopped him.


    ¡°Mikomi? Where are you going!?¡±


    ¡°Not far. I have one thing that I need to take care of before we go home for the night. I won¡¯t be long.¡±


    With that, Mikomi left the office, leaving Alice confused. The fact that he said ¡°before we go home¡± put her mind at ease somewhat but she still couldn¡¯t help but feel that something was off. Alice waited a bit and then decided to follow him. By the time she made that decision, he was already walking out of the building. He slowly made his way over to his car. He had insisted on driving to work today just for the simple fact that he wanted his car there to recreate the scene of his death right down to the last detail. As Mikomi approached the car, he reached into his pocket and pulled his keys out. He went to insert them into the lock and that¡¯s when Mikomi froze.


    The faint sounds of footsteps could be heard coming up off to his left. Mikomi had arrived a bit earlier than in the other timeline. He wanted to give himself ample opportunity to confront his killer so he could at least know his identity before being erased from existence for a second time. As the footsteps got closer, Mikomi closed his eyes, not wanting to acknowledge the truth. He gritted his teeth and took a deep breath and while keeping his eyes closed, called out to his killer.


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°So, it was you, after all, Ryan?¡±


    The footsteps got louder and louder until they stopped. He could feel Ryan¡¯s presence standing there just a mere couple of feet away from him. Mikomi waited for a reply and he didn¡¯t have to wait long.


    ¡°Ryan? I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re mistaken¡­ my dear, Mikomi.¡±


    That voice was one he could never forget. The soulless tone, the British accent. All of it was instantly recognizable to him. Mikomi¡¯s eyes snapped open and he turned his head to see that the man standing in front of him wasn¡¯t Ryan, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Sebastian?¡± muttered Mikomi.


    Sebastian nodded his head to Mikomi as he stood there leaning on his golden cane as he held it in front of his body. As Sebastian stood there, Mikomi¡¯s head began to hurt. It was almost as if the memories of the last ten years of his life began to flood his mind all at once. He gripped his forehead as the familiar pain surged through his skull. All the while, Sebastian stood there and grinned at him.


    ¡°Something the matter, my dear Mikomi? Are your memories playing tricks on you again? Don¡¯t worry, that¡¯s just the world rebalancing itself. You see, Mikomi¡­ you made it. I must offer you my congratula-¡±


    ¡°YOU¡¯RE FULL OF SHIT!¡± screamed Mikomi.


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    Mikomi dropped to his knees as the pain in his head was blinding at this point. Through it all, he was forced to remember Serah¡¯s death. The painful memory of that car crashing into her outside of her art class. He also remembered the phone call from his mother, telling him that his father had committed suicide. He remembered the falling out he had with his mother and the news of Ryan getting terminated from his job. After those memories came rushing back one after the other. Mikomi fought through the pain and slammed his fist into the side of his car door, trying to inflict a new pain to distract him from the one in his head. Mikomi gritted his teeth as he looked at Sebastian with disgust.


    ¡°The world never rebalanced anything. You told me that you would protect the world I created and yet, here I am kneeling inside of a broken world that I couldn¡¯t change. There¡¯s no way the world could rebalance itself if a Custodian of Time were doing his job. You lied to me, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Sebastian remained silent causing deep anger to swell up within him.


    ¡°DIDN¡¯T YOU!?¡±


    Sebastian grinned from ear to ear.


    ¡°There¡¯s that rapier wit of yours again, Mikomi. I¡¯ve told you from the very beginning what I thought about it. Your suspicions are very much correct, indeed. The world was not rebalancing itself. No, no, no. That honor would belong to me and me alone.¡±


    Sebastian tucked his cane up against his body and took a bow as if he were proud of that fact. Mikomi¡¯s eyes widened as he stared at him in disbelief. Sebastian stood back up straight and looked Mikomi dead in the eyes.


    ¡°Oh, how much fun have I had these past ten years? It was so delightful taking in your expressions of hope and joy, I just couldn¡¯t help myself. It was like you were this little marionette flailing ever-so-happily in the air without any realization whatsoever of the strings that were controlling your every movement. All the while, the puppeteer standing high above, looking down marveling at the hypnotic movements being made by the marionette. It has been a truly wonderful performance! Needless to say, I enjoyed it so very much.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying?¡± growled Mikomi.


    ¡°You were having so much fun changing the world. Every time you accomplish a goal it filled you to the brim with satisfaction, joy, and happiness. The light in your eyes was the true marvel to behold. One would say it was simply captivating. But, it wasn¡¯t interesting one bit because what fun is happiness without despair? To truly live, one must feel pain and heartache... which is why I sent that car plunging straight into your pretty little girlfriend.¡±


    Mikomi¡¯s eyes widened, his mouth agape. He couldn¡¯t believe the words he was hearing from Sebastian right now.


    ¡°I thought that would have ended your journey for change right then and there but you were so so defiant! You lit that flame of passion anew and tried your luck again! Imagine my shock when your pop believed what you had to say and underwent the knife for life-saving surgery! With him fit as a fiddle, I had to use a more¡­ direct¡­ approach to taking care of him. That¡¯s why I took a quaint little ride with him out to the woods and threw him over the side of a ravine. I mean, when you leave no sign of a struggle or any physical altercation, the only conclusion one would draw is suicide. It was quite a convenient situation if I do say so myself but don¡¯t worry. I told your father the truth about everything right before I sent him plunging a hundred feet down to the ground below.¡±


    Mikomi couldn¡¯t even budge. He was frozen in place by Sebastian¡¯s words. Sebastian tilted his head to the side and smiled.


    ¡°The funny thing is that I praised you for your rapier wit, but I was sure killing your father two years early would have sent up a red flag. It seems that I was mistaken. It makes me wonder that if you could regain your memories when coming in contact with Serah and not your father, does that mean you loved Serah more than your own flesh and blood family?¡±


    ¡°W-w-what!?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Mikomi. You asked me a long time ago if there was anything else I had done to your memories but you don¡¯t think I would have given you an answer straight away, did you? That would have ruined the entertainment value of this whole situation. You even said yourself that your father passed away two years ago but when you reached college, you were convinced that the day he died was four years ago. Now, why is that? Well, my dear Mikomi, there is only one way that was possible and that reason stands before you now.¡±


    ¡°I had hoped that you would have realized the error beforehand. I threw the biggest clue right in your face and you failed to realize it. Surely you felt the stinging pain in your head shortly after your father¡¯s death, did you not? That pain is only felt when you try to put back your scrambled memories into the proper order but somehow you weren¡¯t able to do so. That was quite interesting and it makes me wonder just how and why you weren¡¯t able to. Sadly, I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll even find the answer to that question but it just means you have far exceeded my expectations!¡±


    Mikomi remained speechless. That¡¯s when Sebastian reached into his coat pocket and pulled out something very familiar to Mikomi. It was the gun that had shot him at this point in the original timeline. Mikomi¡¯s eyes widened as much as they could when Sebastian gripped it with his right hand.


    ¡°And now to finish off the trifecta. I¡¯ll be sure to enjoy this as much as I did the first time around.¡±


    ¡°MIKOMI!?¡±


    A voice screamed out from behind. Alice had found her way out to the parking lot and saw everything that was going on. She had no idea what was happening but when Sebastian saw her, he grinned from ear to ear.


    ¡°My, my. What good fortune I have! Alice had appeared after I had shot you in the original timeline but here she is before the deed could be done! I wouldn¡¯t have this any other way! Now I can make this situation even more interesting!¡±


    With those words, Sebastian aimed and squeezed the trigger. The gun went off with an ear-shattering bang. Mikomi closed his eyes fully expecting to feel the burning pain of having a bullet tear through his flesh. After a moment, Mikomi realized that he had felt nothing. When he opened his eyes, he saw Sebastian standing there grinning with smoke pouring from the end of the gun¡¯s barrel. At that moment, Mikomi¡¯s heart sank as he slowly turned his head to see Alice laying there on the ground with a pool of blood forming underneath her abdomen.


    ¡°A-Alice?¡± muttered Mikomi with a quiver in his voice.


    Mikomi rushed over and knelt beside her. He immediately checked her pulse, only to find nothing but silence.


    Alice was dead.


    ¡°Why?¡± muttered Mikomi under his breath, his tone getting louder and fiercer with each repeat of the word. ¡°Why? Why!? WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME!??¡±


    Mikomi turned his head and gave Sebastian the biggest death glare he could. Sebastian scratched the side of his head with the barrel of the gun and shrugged.


    ¡°Boredom can do many things to a man, I guess.¡±


    Mikomi knelt there in disbelief. He couldn¡¯t make sense of what Sebastian had just said. Sebastian sensed Mikomi¡¯s confusion and tilted his head in bewilderment.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my dear Mikomi, but were you expecting a loftier reason? Perhaps something along the lines of the artificial intelligence you created would cause an apocalyptic scenario and the only way to save the world would be to kill you? Or perhaps¡­ and here¡¯s a more interesting one¡­ that you, yourself, were a ripple in someone else¡¯s timeline and I had to do this to balance things out for someone completely different? Those are wonderful well-thought-out scenarios but I¡¯m afraid they are a bit too convoluted for my tastes. Even though it¡¯s probably the most disappointing reason I could give, it is the truth. I was just simply bored one day and you looked like a lovely candidate for me to have some fun with.¡±


    Sebastian paused for a moment and began to pace back and forth as he continued his explanation.


    ¡°What kind of boredom could drive a man to such lengths, however? I¡¯ll tell you why my dear Mikomi, although I¡¯m afraid you wouldn¡¯t understand unless you have walked in my shoes for nearly all eternity.¡±


    ¡°You see, as a Custodian of Time, I am charged with watching over a specified set of timelines. Since there are infinite timelines, one Custodian can¡¯t watch over all of them. There are countless others like me, each with a group of timelines that they oversee. Do you know how many people die daily in this world? Can you imagine those people dying throughout every single timeline over and over again for all eternity? Sure, I can go backward and forward through time and see those who had died alive and well again but in the back of your mind, you knew that there was nothing that you could do to change their outcome. After all, changing the timelines is against the rules for a Custodian of Time. What fun is there in just observing¡­ especially for as long as I have?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I decided to start having some fun. Since all mortals are to die anyway, I would pick one at random, kill them and feed them some rhetoric about being given a second chance and what have you. Surprisingly, most of them just relived their lives and nothing more. I called those my failed experiments because they lacked creativity and ambition. However, some of them tried what you did¡­ They tried to make a better life for themselves. Those were the most interesting ones because you got to see the hope and joy in their faces and at first, that filled me with a sense of warmth. I felt that if I bent the rules, I could make a difference in someone¡¯s life but then I began to think ¡°Where¡¯s the fun in that?¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t until I gave them that hope and then snatched it away that I realized that I had found a cure for my boredom. Seeing countless others squirm and claw their way through their second chance at life and end up in the same spot filled me with a certain feeling I had been missing for the entirety of my existence. An emotion you refer to as joy. You were just my latest experiment and, I must say, Mikomi¡­ you did not disappoint me one bit. The amount of hope I filled you with and the despair that replaced it made my heart race! It was hard staying back in the shadows this entire time but I can safely say with full conviction that it was well worth it. I had cultivated everything perfectly and now your ultimate despair is nothing more than the fruits of my labors! Absolutely splendid performance, Mikomi!¡±


    ¡°I¡­ ll...u¡­.¡± muttered Mikomi.


    ¡°Come again, lad?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯l¡­.k...l¡­.u¡­..¡±


    Sebastian tilted his head as if he were trying his hardest to discern Mikomi¡¯s words. Mikomi looked up at Sebastian with a twisted, sadistic look on his face.


    ¡°YOU SON OF A BITCH! I¡¯LL KILL YOU!¡±


    With those words, Mikomi clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. Sebastian cracked a grin as he stood there, propping his golden cane up onto his shoulder.


    ¡°Oh? Can you do that?¡± asked Sebastian in a mocking tone.


    Mikomi was ready to strike. All of his emotions were about to explode. All he could think about was all of the pain and suffering that Sebastian had put him through over the past ten years. All of those emotions began to bubble up to the surface and boil over. Before Mikomi knew it, he had lost all sense of reason. He stood up and let out a terrifying scream filled with hatred and anguish. All the while, Sebastian simply smiled.


    The final confrontation between these two had begun.

 Absolution

    The anger that surged through Mikomi¡¯s body was unlike anything he had ever felt before. He couldn¡¯t even think straight as Sebastian stood there in front of him, grimacing at the sight of Mikomi losing all sense of control over himself. Knowing that the past ten years of his life were manipulated by Sebastian for such a petty reason shook him down to his very core.


    Mikomi began to hyperventilate as he stood there looking at Sebastian. His fists were clenched so tight that his knuckles had turned pure white. Blood trickled down the palms of his hands because his fingernails had dug that far into his skin. Sebastian was delighted with the sight in front of him. Everything Sebastian had orchestrated culminated at this very moment and he looked as if he took immense pride in his work. Sebastian tilted his head to the side with that grin on his face while still holding the gun in his hand.


    ¡°That¡¯s it, my dear Mikomi. Give in to your rage! Entertain me further!¡±


    Mikomi lost all control over his body. He simply lunged forward at Sebastian, screaming at the top of his lungs. He swung with the entire weight of his body behind him but his fist connected with nothing but air. Sebastian had disappeared and reappeared by Alice¡¯s body. The force of Mikomi¡¯s punch sent him staggering forward, losing his balance. Mikomi fell to the pavement on his hands and knees. Meanwhile, Sebastian took his cane and began to poke Alice¡¯s body with it.


    ¡°Poor thing. If only she had stayed in the office where she belonged. She loved you, Mikomi. More than you could ever know but you were too busy blaming yourself for Serah¡¯s death¡­ for your father¡¯s death¡­ that you couldn¡¯t see just what was laid before you. The tender, sweet love of a woman who deeply cared about you. It¡¯s amazing just how blind you have become.¡±


    While on all fours, Mikomi turned his head and saw Sebastian poking Alice with his cane. He gritted his teeth so hard that he slipped and ended up biting his bottom lip. Mikomi tasted the blood that trickled down his chin and pulled himself up to his feet.


    ¡°YOU SHUT YOUR DAMN MOUTH!¡±


    Mikomi ran at Sebastian and, once again, swung for the fences, hitting nothing but air once again. He stumbled and tripped over Alice¡¯s body, face-planting right into the pavement next to her. Blood oozed from his nose and right cheek where it scraped against the ground. Despite the injuries, he was too blinded with hatred to feel any of the pain. He could only pull himself back up to his feet.


    ¡°I¡¯d be lying if I said that I wasn¡¯t enjoying this, Mikomi. Watching you struggle like a worm on the end of a hook stimulates every bit of my senses. Despite that¡­ knowing that you¡¯ll never hit me is quite boring so what if I were to give you a free shot? No more tricks, Mikomi. I¡¯ll let you have one. After all, it¡¯s the least I could do seeing how I¡¯m going to kill you. I might as well make your final moments worth it.¡±


    Mikomi didn¡¯t hesitate. He charged forward and swung his fist, aiming right for Sebastian¡¯s face. Sebastian grinned but that grin turned into a look of shock when the punch connected! Mikomi buried the full force of his fist right into Sebastian¡¯s mouth. The impact knocked him down to the ground with a sickening thud. With his vision hazy, Sebastian gazed up into the night sky. All he could see was a blurred image of Mikomi standing over him.


    ¡°But how? I should have phased¡­¡± Sebastian muttered to himself.


    Just as Sebastian questioned how he was able to land a clean hit on him, his attention was caught by the sound of footsteps growing closer and closer. The footsteps also caught Mikomi¡¯s attention and he averted his gaze from Sebastian albeit momentarily. Sebastian looked over and his eyes widened when he saw the figure that stood before him.


    ¡°Caliel?¡±


    There stood a man, roughly six feet tall. He sported a white suit similar to Sebastian¡¯s. Instead of a royal blue undershirt, he wore a dark lavender shirt with a white tie. His medium-length black hair slightly hid his purple eyes which made contact with Sebastian. Soon after, Caliel averted his gaze and looked at Mikomi with a look of sympathy. Mikomi didn¡¯t know what to make of this but he would soon find out as Caliel began to speak.


    ¡°Mikomi Saigo. My name is Caliel and I am a Custodian of Time like Sebastian. However, unlike Sebastian, I have not cast aside my duties to protect my timelines. We¡¯ve known of Sebastian¡¯s betrayal for quite some time but tracking him down has been rather difficult. No doubt you have questioned why he would only show up sporadically. He was preoccupied with erasing his tracks, making it quite hard for us to pinpoint his location. Needless to say, his arrogance had finally caught up to him.¡±


    Caliel turned his attention back to Sebastian who looked up at him, quivering in pain from the harsh punch Mikomi landed on him just a few moments ago. Suddenly, everything became clear to Sebastian and he began to feel a whole new emotion: fear.


    ¡°Sebastian. For your betrayal, I have stripped you of your title as a Custodian of Time. With that, you also forfeit any ability and privilege that comes with that title. My job here is to pass judgment on you; however, there is someone more suited to that task.¡±


    With that, Caliel turned toward Mikomi and looked at him for a moment. He then turned his back to the two of them and reached into his pocket, pulling out a cigarette. He lit the cigarette and took a deep puff of it before folding his arms. It was as if he were using his body language to tell Mikomi that Sebastian was all his. When Mikomi realized this, he took a step toward Sebastian which caused him to panic.


    The impact of Mikomi¡¯s punch caused Sebastian to drop his gun. He knew now that it was his only hope. Sebastian turned and scurried for the gun but as soon as he laid his hand upon it, Mikomi stomped down on his wrist, the sheer sound of the crack it made suggested that it broke on impact. Sebastian screamed out in pain as Mikomi bent over and picked the gun up off the ground. He stared at the very instrument that took his life ten years ago in the original timeline. Beads of sweat mixed with the blood on his face and drooled down his cheeks. He began to breathe heavier and heavier the more he looked at the gun.


    Mikomi then slowly looked down at Sebastian and pointed it right at him. Sebastian begged and pleaded but Mikomi would hear none of it. He pulled the trigger, the bullet going right through Sebastian¡¯s right shoulder. Sebastian yelled out in pain once again as Mikomi had an emotionless look on his face. He aimed the gun slightly to the right and fired again, shooting Sebastian in his left shoulder. Sebastian¡¯s white suit began to stain itself red.


    Mikomi aimed a bit lower and pulled the trigger, blowing a hole in Sebastian¡¯s right knee. At this point, he knew that there was nothing he could say or do that would cause Mikomi to spare his life. Sebastian¡¯s only hope was to escape. He knew that he had been shot multiple times and had a broken wrist but that was the furthest thing on his mind. Fight or flight set in and he turned over onto all fours and began to crawl away. Mikomi fired the gun once again, shooting Sebastian in the back of his other knee.


    The blinding pain caused Sebastian to stop in his tracks. Mikomi slowly walked over and stood over him. The gun held six bullets. Mikomi had fired four. Subtract the one that was used on Alice and that meant that Mikomi only had one shot left. He aimed the gun right at the back of Sebastian¡¯s head but he hesitated in pulling the trigger. He knew that this bullet would end everything. It would become the symbol of his redemption but in the end, Mikomi couldn¡¯t pull the trigger because he felt that it just wasn¡¯t enough.


    Instead, Mikomi dropped the gun and knelt next to Sebastian. He grabbed him by his hair and pulled his head up off the ground. Sebastian turned his eyes and looked at Mikomi with an expression of fear on his face. His eyes almost begged Mikomi to spare him but he knew that he had no mercy anywhere in his body for him. Mikomi began to speak and Sebastian hung onto every word that came out of his mouth.


    ¡°As you lay here writhing in pain, I can¡¯t help but think that what you¡¯re experiencing is nothing compared to the pain I¡¯ve felt. Everything I have done, I did to save the ones I loved. ALL I EVER WANTED WAS A FUTURE WHERE I COULD BE WITH THE PEOPLE I LOVED.¡±


    Mikomi twisted Sebastian¡¯s head to the point where his neck was at its limit. He wanted to look Sebastian directly in his eyes to make sure the message was delivered loud and clear.


    ¡°You took my future away from me¡­ and you took away everything that I worked so hard to build. That¡¯s why I¡¯m not going to shoot you. A bullet would be showing you mercy and you don¡¯t deserve any of that. Besides¡­ I¡¯m bored with shooting you. I need something that¡¯s going to entertainment¡­ something that I can feel.¡±


    With that, Mikomi turned Sebastian¡¯s head and shoved straight into the pavement. Mikomi did it with such force, he could feel the crack as Sebastian¡¯s skull broke on impact. Mikomi wasn¡¯t satisfied and pulled Sebastian¡¯s head up


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°That almost put a smile on my face. I think I should do it again. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°N..N¡­¡±


    Mikomi slammed it back down into the pavement with tremendous force before he could even give his answer. Mikomi lifted his head once again revealing a bloody mess that made Sebastian¡¯s face almost unrecognizable. A small smirk formed in the corner of his mouth.


    ¡°Can you see it, Sebastian? I¡¯m finding my smile once again! I¡¯m almost there!¡±


    With that, Mikomi put everything he had into this last one. Upon impact, Sebastian became completely motionless. It was only then that Mikomi realized what had just happened.


    Mikomi killed Sebastian with his bare hands.


    Mikomi stood up and staggered backward. He would have fallen had his car not been nearby. Mikomi trembled as he looked at his hands, stained with Sebastian¡¯s blood. Caliel closed his eyes sensing that the deed had been done. He turned around to see that his suspicions were correct. He looked down at Sebastian who was lying face down in a pool of his own blood, his shoulders and knees stained with the blood from where Mikomi had shot him... He knew that this was a delicate situation but he also knew that Mikomi shouldn¡¯t need to be involved with this any further. He took another drag of his cigarette and let out a puff of smoke.


    ¡°Mikomi. There is nothing I can say that can make up for what has happened to you. My deepest regret is not being able to find Sebastian sooner. I¡¯m afraid that I cannot reverse any of this and offering an apology would feel more like an insult than a genuine emotion at this point.¡±


    ¡°Send me back¡­.¡± muttered Mikomi.


    Caliel met Mikomi¡¯s request with silence.


    ¡°Send me back! Sebastian was able to send me back¡­ surely you can do that, too, right? I don¡¯t care! I¡¯ll live these last ten years over again! I¡¯ll save Serah... I¡¯ll save my father¡­ I¡¯ll make sure Ryan has a purpose in life¡­ I won¡¯t leave my mother alone¡­ Alice won¡¯t have to die¡­ just send me back so I can do it all over again!¡±


    The desperation in Mikomi¡¯s voice was heartbreaking. Caliel closed his eyes and let out a painful sigh. He sympathized with Mikomi to the point where it even hurt his own feelings. That¡¯s why he couldn¡¯t bear to say what he had to do next.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mikomi but that¡¯s not possible.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean that¡¯s not possible!? It happened before¡­ just grant me another second chance! Why isn¡¯t it possible!? I need to go back... I HAVE TO GO BACK!¡±


    ¡°Being granted a second chance is a one-time thing. Even if I used my ability to do so, it simply wouldn¡¯t work. You would still be standing right there in that very spot with nothing changed.¡±


    Mikomi fell to his knees. The look of fear on his face said everything that ever could be said. His lips quivered as the tears fell from his eyes. Reality had set in that even in death, Sebastian had won. There was no way out of this world and he had to live with the fact that Serah, Ryunosuke, and Alice were dead. He had to continue knowing that he abandoned his mother and that his best friend Ryan had abandoned him as well. It was the worst life Mikomi could have ever asked for and all thanks to Sebastian, he had no choice but to live it.


    That is until something caught Mikomi¡¯s eye. Caliel instantly realized what Mikomi had seen and raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Mikomi¡­ you don¡¯t want to do that. If you do, it only means that Sebastian won.¡±


    ¡°Sebastian¡­ already won¡­¡±


    Mikomi reached forward and grabbed the gun off the ground that still contained one final bullet left in it. He stared at it as if it were the one ticket out of this personal hell and brought the gun up to his head.


    ¡°Mikomi, stop! I can¡¯t send you back but there might be another¡­¡±


    Before Caliel could finish, Mikomi pulled the trigger. His world instantly went black. The sound of the world around him quickly faded. His mind could no longer process any thought. Mikomi felt this sensation before. It was when the doctors were struggling to save his life at the hospital. Only this time, the sensation washed over him almost instantly.


    Just as soon as he felt peace, his vision slowly returned. He gasped for air and it quickly filled his lungs. Mikomi began breathing heavily as he looked around seeing the same parking lot he had just shot himself in. Alice¡¯s body was still there as was Sebastian¡¯s. Mikomi was extremely confused as to what was going on. He looked up and saw Caliel standing there in front of him, his purple eyes aglow.


    Mikomi got back to his feet and looked around. The moonlight cast a reflection of himself in the windows of his car and his image immediately caught his attention. All of the blood, the scrapes, the gashes¡­ all of them were gone. There wasn¡¯t even a hole in his head where he had shot himself. Just then, Mikomi noticed his attire. He wasn¡¯t wearing the light blue suit that he normally wore anymore. He was wearing a white suit with a light blue dress shirt underneath and a white tie. Mikomi staggered back at the sight of his appearance and immediately turned to Caliel.


    ¡°What¡­ what did you do to me!?¡±


    ¡°Needless to say, Mikomi, you were a bit hasty. I was trying to tell you that I couldn¡¯t give you another chance by sending you back but there was another way to make things right¡­ but it does come with a bit of a sacrifice, I¡¯m afraid.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°With Sebastian¡¯s demise, we need another Custodian of Time to take his place. I couldn¡¯t think of a better candidate than yourself.¡±


    ¡°You mean with this, I could¡­.¡±


    ¡°Precisely. You would be in charge of the same timelines Sebastian was in charge of. You can travel to the past, present, and future at your leisure. You have the ability to save those who you want to save.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ what¡¯s the sacrifice?¡± asked Mikomi, not easily forgetting Caliel¡¯s words from a moment ago.


    ¡°The sacrifice is yourself, Mikomi. No matter what timeline you visit, you will cease to exist. None of the people you know will recognize you. You would be a complete and total stranger to anyone you come in contact with; however, the tradeoff here is that you can make a difference in the lives you couldn¡¯t save. I believe that, alone, is worth the sacrifice.¡±


    Mikomi stood there deep in thought. He recalled back to his time with his father in the hospital when he told him the etymology of his name. Mikomi Saigo meant Final Hope and by becoming a Custodian of Time, Mikomi knew that this was his true final hope of making things right. As he stood there, Caliel interrupted his thinking.


    ¡°Of course, I understand that seeing the people you know and love would be painful knowing that they wouldn¡¯t know who you were. That is why the pact isn¡¯t completed just yet. Should you decide that this isn¡¯t worth it, I will revoke the pact. Because you had already gone and shot yourself, this would mean that revoking the pact will return you to your previous state before it was made. In other words, you will die, Mikomi. Should you accept, however, I will finalize the pact and bestow upon you the rights and privileges that come with being a Custodian of Time. You will then be free to oversee the timelines as you see fit¡­ within reason, of course.¡±


    Mikomi closed his eyes for a moment. He began to weigh his options to see just which path he wanted to take. On one hand, if he rejected the pact he knew that he would die but to Mikomi, maybe that wasn¡¯t such a bad option after all. He wouldn¡¯t have to deal with the pain of knowing that everything in this world that he loved was gone. He could finally have eternal peace


    Mikomi then thought of the other option. If he could control the timelines, that means he could save the ones he loved but it would be at the cost of them never knowing who he was. Either way, he would cease to exist but there was only one option that he could use to make a difference. To him, making that difference meant more to him than letting Sebastian win.


    Mikomi then looked up at Caliel with a burning determination in his eyes.


    ¡°Finalize the pact,¡± said Mikomi in a clear and decisive tone.


    ¡°Very well then.¡±


    Caliel walked over and placed his hand against Mikomi¡¯s forehead. His body instantly became light as a feather as this warm sensation flowed through him. The sensation only lasted for a mere moment and it faded as quickly as it came. As soon as the sensation was over, the world around Mikomi began to distort and warp. Soon, he felt his body being pulled away from the world in which he stood. Before he realized it, he was in a vast emptiness. Thousands of blue lines surrounded him. There was one blue line in particular that had a red line running parallel to it. As Mikomi looked down the line, he noticed that the line branched and joined with the blue line next to it.


    Without even having to think about it, he knew that the blue line was his original timeline and the red line was the one created by Sebastian. With the knowledge of knowing that he didn¡¯t exist in any of these timelines, Mikomi came to a decisive decision. He peered at his original timeline and saw exactly where he wanted to go in it. All Mikomi had to do was think about the time and the destination and he quickly found himself there.


    Upon entering the timeline, Mikomi looked around. He recognized the street he was on as well as the all-too-familiar house that stood in front of him.


    ¡°I¡¯m home,¡± Mikomi muttered to himself.


    All of a sudden, he saw his mother¡¯s car pull into the driveway. It was only natural to assume that she would be coming home from grocery shopping. She stepped out of the car but then he saw the passenger side door open as well. He thought it was his father but instead, a girl around eighteen years of age stepped out. She had long black hair and blue eyes, looking almost like a feminine version of himself.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go in yet, Daphne. I know you just graduated but you still need to help me take in the groceries.¡±


    Mikomi¡¯s eyes widened. As soon as he heard Karoline speak her name he instantly realized what had happened. Since he never existed, it meant that time had changed and Daphne survived at birth, becoming his replacement here. While it pained Mikomi to know that no matter what, his mother wouldn¡¯t recognize him, he still felt a sense of warmth knowing that she wouldn¡¯t end up alone.


    Mikomi looked down the sidewalk in the direction of Serah¡¯s house. He chose this day because it was the day that he had graduated from high school. He would have been eighteen at this time as well but he knew that in this timeline, Serah had also received the news of her parents¡¯ deaths, and that drove her to commit suicide. Mikomi knew that it was probably over at this point but that was something he had intended.


    Mikomi closed his eyes and disappeared from sight. He quickly reappeared in front of Serah¡¯s house, stumbling upon doing so.


    It¡¯s going to take a bit to get used to this¡­


    Mikomi walked up to the front door of the house and slowly opened it. When Mikomi looked inside, his suspicions were proven correct. Serah had already killed herself and her body lay there on the floor, her wrists slit. It pained Mikomi to look at her in such a state but he came here knowing with full intent what he wanted to do.


    He walked over to Serah¡¯s lifeless body and knelt next to it. He grabbed her by her arm and suddenly, the wounds on her wrists began to close. Color returned to her face and she gasped for air as the oxygen returned to her lungs.


    Serah immediately sat up and looked around, not knowing what had happened. She instantly saw Mikomi and became frightened, pushing herself away from him.


    ¡°W-who are you!?¡± she said in a panicked tone.


    Those words were like an arrow straight through the heart. He wanted to burst into tears knowing that the girl he loved had no idea who he was. Then again, he knew that this was to be expected. He knew that this was the way it had to be if he wanted to save her. With those thoughts in mind, Mikomi reached his hand out and cracked a pleasant smile.


    ¡°My name is Mikomi¡­ and I am a Custodian of Time.¡±