Unexpected Encounter

Time Paradox? Is she referring to the "Time Paradox" theory? But then again, what does it mean to be my time paradox?

While many thoughts crossed his head, he opened his mouth and asked,

"I'm sorry, but what are you trying to say?"

He only knew about a theory about the Time Paradox, which stated a hypothetical contradiction of cause-and-effect within a timeline that results from travelling back in time, as in the bootstrap paradox or the grandfather paradox.

For him, it is a theory, but for her, it is different.

After seeing his poker face, she burst out laughing as she said,

"Haha hahaha. Look at your face. Your face is like you've been asked to give millions of dollars for a crime that you've never committed."

What type of joke is this?

"Ah…well, I was just surprised after hearing this term. Time Paradox. Isn't it a hypothesis? But you just asked me to be a Time Paradox. Is it some kind of job or something?"

Sanix replies, thinking that she may be jesting with him. And after seeing someone using the term 'Time Paradox', he gets curious to know if she is really joking or if there's something else that she's hiding.

After hearing his statement, a heartwarming smile formed on her face after getting lit by the sunlight, which felt so fascinating.

She replies,

"If I told you that 'Time Paradox' is a job, then would you be willing to perform this?"

And now, her mysterious statement is starting to attract his interest. A thought also struck his head where he thought that she may be just messing with him. But as a studious worm he is, he replies,

"There's no problem with it. However, what type of work is it?"

"It's simple. You have to accompany me on my work."

She replies while crossing her arms and giving a dedicated look.

Now, he realises that this was all just a joke. He smiled and said,

"Well, Miss Alice, I like the way you joke around."

"Hmm?"

She twisted her eyebrows after hearing that. She's not joking. But the way she talked made him feel like a joke. He turns around and says, 

"Well, we're in the same class. If you're done with your joke, let me show you the classroom."

After saying that, he stepped forward to leave the rooftop, but Alice cried out,

"Hold on right there."

He stopped while sighing as he thought that she wanted him to believe in these stupid jokes. even as an intelligent scholar. Sanix sometimes gets tired of science when somebody shows off too much by making false scientific assumptions. Like now, the knowledge he had was about theory, and Alice is telling him about a job named 'Time Paradox.' That's what made him think that she was messing with him.

He turns around and says,

"What now, Miss Ali...ce...?"

He is confused all of a sudden. He looked around, but Alice suddenly vanished out of nowhere.

'Huh? Where is she?'

He mumbled while looking around, stupefied.

"Are you looking for me?"

Her voice is heard from behind, towards the door of the rooftop.

Sanix's eyes widened in thunderstruck as he turned around in an instant, making a dumbfounded expression.

"Y-You…."

Then he looks back where she was standing, then again at her as he says,

"You were…just there. B-But now…here?... How…? How did you do that?"

Anyone would be taken aback if something like this happened to them.

But since Sanix is a genius in science, the only conclusion that came to his intelligent mind is,

Is she manipulating time?

And in the next moment, without any hesitation, he asked, while stepping backward,

"Did you just…manipulate time?"

After hearing his query, her face shaped an impressed expression as she commented while giggling,

"Kihihi. It looks like the report about you was not wrong."

"R-Report? What report?"

Sanix asked in a panicked voice. He's still in fear because he's getting the wrong feeling about it. What if Alice mistreats him? She's mysterious in his view. Maybe his luck is not good today.

But Alice, on the other hand, feels so playful after seeing the changes in expression on Sanix's face.

She stepped towards him as he stepped backward in a little fear.

Alice begins speaking,

"Name, Sanix Wilson, the only son of Mark Wilson and Jenne Wilson and the brother of Emily Wilson.

Age, 17

Hobbies include reading and researching the universe, particularly time.

Razen Higher Secondary School's Class 1-A.

Friends, barely have some but the best of them are three only. 

Am I right?"

".....!?"

Now, he is frozen in shock after hearing all this information. Is she from some sort of secret organization? This is the first time she met him. But then, how does she know that much about him? 

"H-How did you know all this?"

He asked in a wobbly voice. His voice becomes a little husky due to fear.

Here, Sanix is in fear, but there is a playful smile on Alice's face as she recites while circling around him.

"How did I know all this, huh? Well, this is a little detail that I gave you. I know more than that. But right now, I'm here to ask for your help. I need your assistance in my work to control the causality caused by people."

"C-Causality?"

He repeated that he is not familiar with this term. It is new to him.

"Yes, Causality. Let me explain it to you. Causality is the relationship between cause and effect, or the principle that everything has a cause. Or in another word, Causality is influenced by which one event, process, state, or object contributes to the production of another event, process, state, or object where the cause is partly responsible for the effect, and the effect is partly dependent on the cause."

She explains the causality so that Sanix will understand the basics of it.

After hearing this explanation, he is left in a daze, but then he responded, "I... see. But then…how can you control this?"

She smiled as her eyes fell on him as she said,

"My work is to balance the extra or unnecessary casualties. But doing it alone is so troublesome. That's why I need a partner who can accompany me on my work."

"I see. But, isn't that person who helps you called 'Time Paradox'?"

He asked since it was the only thing she asked him.

"Yes."

She says while nodding as she continues,

"The partner who will accompany the time traveller is called Time Paradox. Their work is to fight the difficulties in a way to make things easier."

Now, one sentence got his attention. 

"Those who accompany Time Travellers."

While removing his fear, he stepped toward her and asked the question that he had wanted to hear for a very long time:

"Does that mean you're a Time Traveller?"

"Yes, I am."

After hearing her replies, it was like a fountain of joy had fallen on him. Right now, his condition is becoming just like that of a scientist who spent 10 years doing an experiment but failed every day, but in the end, he miraculously got success.

And out of prosperity, he held her hands and asked,

"It means that you also know so much about time and space, right?"

"Mhm. I do."

She replied with a delighted smile as she realised that Sanix's curiosity had just returned to him.

"So, would you mind if I asked you any questions?"

"I wouldn't mind, but will you accept my request? of being my time paradox."

"Of course, I accept this job."

Sanix responded vigorously without any second thought.

After hearing him exclaim to be her Time Paradox, a delightful smile formed on Alice's face as she said,

"Well, if you accept to be my Time Paradox, then let's complete the contract."

"Contract?"

He responded, but before he could react any further, she grabbed his tie and yanked him towards her, and in the next moment, their lips touched each other.

'HUUUUUUUUUUUH!?'

After his first kiss goes away like this, Sanix is left dumbfounded with his eyes wide open.

And soon, Alice lifts her lips from his and says, with a fascinating smile,

"It's done."

While Sanix, on the other hand, thinks while turning around,

'S-S-S-S-She just kissed me. My first kiss…was gone like this. To a complete stranger.'

But suddenly, a playful smile formed on Alice's face as she exclaimed,

"Now…take a good sleep."

"Huh!?"

Sanix turns to her after hearing this odd statement and asks,

"Take a what-!?"

But unexpectedly, he starts feeling dizzy.

He put his right palm over his eye and mumbled,

'What just happened…?'

Then his eyes fell towards Alice as he said, in a low voice,

"Wh-What did you just…"

But then he becomes unconscious and falls to the ground completely motionless.

As he felt conscious, Alice knelt, still smiling, and said in her honey-like voice,

"Let's see. It looks like the time has come for you. To understand your true job. My dear Sanix."