Back To The Present

King's POV

Cough, cough!

Both Max and I were coughing as we looked around. We were back at the same place—the old pond. The same door.

Max let out a relieved sigh. "Finally! We're here!"

I nodded. "We must go."

Grabbing our things, we stepped out of the palace. It was still night, just like before. As we walked further, we spotted the car we had left behind. I quickly checked my cellphone. The battery was exactly the same as when we had left. Then, something even stranger caught my eye.

The date... it hadn't changed.

"Fuck," I muttered.

Max glanced at me, confused. I handed him the phone.

"Check the date," I said.

His eyes widened in shock. "WHAT?! How is this possible? It's the same time we fell into that pond!"

I sighed, looking down at our clothes. They were still the same old-fashioned garments. Nothing had changed.

"Give me the phone," I said, checking the network. Thankfully, it still worked. I quickly called someone for help.

Max groaned, running a hand through his hair. "I'm going mad just thinking about this!"

"Don't stress out," I reassured him. "Just go home, get some rest... I need a few days to relax, okay?"

Max exhaled deeply. "Yeah... I need that too."

Just then, we heard the sound of an approaching car. One of my bodyguards stepped out.

"Sir, let's go. Are you hurt?"

"We're fine. Just take us home."

He nodded, and soon, I found myself lying on my bed, staring at the ceiling, lost in thought.

The Night Before

Max handed me the letter. "Let's go."

We made our way to their room, finding them sleeping peacefully. My eyes landed on Y/N.

Slowly, I reached out, my fingers grazing her soft skin. My thumb brushed against her lips.

Soft… so beautiful.

She stirred slightly, a sleepy hum escaping her lips. "Mmm… feels nice."

I chuckled at her cute reaction.

"I'm going, Y/N," I whispered before turning away.

Max followed behind me. "Do you think this will work?"

"It has to, Max."

We took one last look at the balcony, then leaped into the pond.

End of Flashback

small smile formed on my lips as I whispered her name.

"Y/N..."

I can't stop thinking about her. How can someone so small, so delicate, make me feel this way? It doesn't make sense. Maybe... maybe we're not meant to be. Our worlds are too different, our dimensions don't match.

I let out a sigh, running a hand through my hair. The thought of leaving her behind was unbearable, but could I really give up everything here? My life, my responsibilities… my mom?

My heart ached at the thought. If only things were different... if only I could be selfish just this once.

Then suddenly, my eyes widened as a realization struck me like lightning.

"Oh no!" I muttered, jumping up. "Mom is coming tomorrow, and I have to pick her up!"

I turned to look at the clock—3 AM. My chest tightened. Great. Barely any time left to rest.

But even as exhaustion pulled at me, my mind refused to let go of one thought.

Y/N... what am I supposed to do with these feelings?

"Oh, shit! I need to sleep," I muttered, quickly setting my alarm.

I closed my eyes, trying to push everything aside and rest, but my mind wouldn't stop racing. Y/N... She was still there, lingering in my thoughts, refusing to leave. No matter how much I tried, she was all I could think about.

With a small sigh, I brought my thumb to my lips and pressed a gentle kiss against it.

"Good night, Y/N," I whispered softly.

Pulling a pillow close, I hugged it tightly, imagining for just a second that it was her warmth beside me. And finally, exhaustion won over, dragging me into sleep.

---

In the morning...

Beep! Beep! Beep!

The sharp sound of my alarm pierced through my dreams, pulling me back into reality.

As soon as the alarm blared, I quickly got up and shut it off. Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I hurried to the bathroom for a quick shower. The cold water helped wake me up, but my mind still felt a little foggy—probably from the lack of sleep.

After getting dressed in comfortable clothes, I grabbed my keys and headed outside. Sliding into my car, I checked the time. Still 15 minutes left to reach the airport.

Since I had some time, I made a quick stop at a nearby flower shop. The scent of fresh roses filled the air as I picked out a beautiful bouquet, something simple yet elegant.

A few minutes later, I reached the airport and glanced outside. My eyes immediately found Mom—standing near the entrance, looking around as if searching for me. But she wasn't alone.

Paparazzi.

A crowd of them had already surrounded her, flashing cameras in her face and bombarding her with questions.

With a sigh, I pulled out my phone and quickly dialed my bodyguards. "Get to the entrance now," I ordered, my grip tightening around the steering wheel.

I stepped out of the car, and immediately, all eyes turned to me. The paparazzi, who had been swarming around my mom, shifted their focus and started snapping pictures of me instead. Ignoring the flashing lights and the murmurs of reporters, I walked straight toward her.

As soon as she saw me, her face lit up with a warm smile. Without hesitation, I pulled her into a gentle hug.

"Here, my beautiful mom," I said, handing her the bouquet of roses.

She took the flowers, her eyes softening, but in true mom fashion, her attention quickly shifted to me.

"Oh my—J—I mean, my king! You look so thin!" she exclaimed, scanning me from head to toe. "Are you even eating properly?"

I let out a small chuckle, shaking my head.

"Mom, please, let's go home first. We'll talk then, okay?" I said

"King! King! Just one picture with your mother!" someone called out, and the cameras continued to flash.

I sighed as they snapped pictures, but I kept my focus on getting Mom to the car.

"Please, guys, Mom is tired from the long journey. We need to go, okay?" I said, trying to keep my voice calm.

Still, some of my fans eagerly reached out, asking for pictures. Seeing their excitement, I couldn't ignore them completely. I stopped for a moment, posing for a few quick photos before my bodyguards finally arrived. They stepped in, creating a path as they helped us into the car.

Once we were safely inside, I started the engine and pulled out of the airport. The chaos outside slowly faded as we drove through the streets.

After a few moments of silence, Mom suddenly spoke.

"So… do you have a girlfriend?" she asked, catching me completely off guard.

"No, Mom. Why do you ask?" I said, glancing at her briefly before focusing back on the road.

She let out a small sigh, giving me a sad look.

"Jerry, you need to do something about this… I want to see my son with a partner," she said, her voice laced with concern.

I smirked slightly. "Well, I have one."

Her eyes widened in shock. "What?! Really? Who is she?"

I bit back a laugh and looked at her with a teasing smile. "You."

She huffed in frustration, crossing her arms. "Jerry! Can't you see how serious I am? You're getting older now!"

I chuckled at her reaction, but deep down, I knew she wouldn't let this go so easily.

"Okay, Mom, I'll think about it. But for now, let's just get you home," I said, trying to change the subject.

She gave me a knowing look but didn't push further. I focused on driving, and soon, we reached home.

As soon as I stepped inside my room, I let out a deep sigh.

"Aah…" I flopped onto my bed, staring at the ceiling.

Mom's words from the car echoed in my mind. Why does she always pressure me to get a girlfriend? I shook my head, deciding not to think about it too much. Soon, sleep took over.

After a short nap, I woke up feeling a little refreshed. I freshened up and went to find Mom. The delicious aroma from the kitchen guided me straight there.

She was busy cooking, stirring something in a pot.

"So, how was your trip with your batchmates?" I asked, leaning against the counter.

Mom sighed dramatically. "Ah, don't even ask me, Jerry! It was so much fun! Some young boys and girls joined us too, you know. They were really sweet…"

She suddenly brightened up and gestured for me to come closer. "Come, come, taste this!"

I walked over, and she handed me a spoon filled with the steaming dish. I took a sip, letting the flavors settle on my tongue.

"Mmm! Yummy, Mom!" I said with a childish grin, making her laugh.

"Right! Let's go, I brought some gifts for you from there," Mom said excitedly.

We walked into the hall, and my eyes immediately landed on two big luggage bags lying on the floor.

"You brought this much, Mom?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

She chuckled sheepishly. "Heehee… actually, I did a lot of shopping! I got a flower pot, some clothes, a beautiful frame, and—"

"Whoa, that's a lot, Mom," I interrupted with a playful smirk.

"Hey! Don't tease me," she pouted before suddenly brightening up. "Oh! Look, we clicked these pictures there!"

She handed me an album, and I sat comfortably on the sofa while she started unpacking her bags.

As I flipped through the pages, I saw pictures of Mom with her friends, all smiling and having a great time. She looked truly happy, and for some reason, that made me smile too

Mom glanced at me as she continued unpacking. "Hey, Jerry, actually, I have this friend, and she told me that her daughter is also an actress."

I looked up from the photo album. "Oh, really?"

She nodded eagerly. "Look, she even sent me her picture!"

I knew exactly where this was going. With a sigh, I took the phone from her and glanced at the photo. The girl was beautiful… but not as beautiful as Y/N. Keeping my expression neutral, I simply nodded and handed the phone back.

Mom studied me for a moment before casually dropping the bombshell. "You know… she and her daughter are coming here tomorrow."

"What?!—Why, Mom?" I asked, sitting up straight in shock.

She gave me an innocent smile. "She's my friend, Jerry…"

I groaned, running a hand through my hair. I should've seen this coming…

"Fine… but I'm staying out of this meetup, okay?" I said, crossing my arms.

Mom sighed but gave me a hopeful look. "At least say hi to them when they arrive, okay?"

I opened my mouth to refuse, but one look at her expectant face made me sigh in defeat.

"Okay… fine."

She smiled happily, satisfied with my response.

"I'm going to my room—I need to make a call," I said, standing up.

"Alright," she nodded, still unpacking.

As I walked to my room, my mind kept racing. Why do I have to do this? I don't want any other girl…

Closing the door behind me, I sat on my bed, lost in thought. My gaze drifted to my thumb, and without thinking, I brought it to my lips, pressing a soft kiss against it.

"Y/N…" I whispered, my heart aching. I need her. Only her.

My mind drifted back to our last fight—the way we had been so close, her small body fitting perfectly in my arms. In that moment, I had wanted nothing more than to kiss her, to make her mine.

But before I could get lost in those thoughts, my phone buzzed, snapping me back to reality. I glanced at the screen—Max.

I answered with a sigh. "Hey, what is it?"

Max's voice came through, sounding almost distant. "Hey, man… I can't stop thinking about that place. It keeps coming back into my head."

I sat up straighter. So I'm not the only one stuck in the past…

"Hmm… What are you thinking?" I asked.

There was a pause before Max spoke again, his voice lower this time.

"I think I like her, King."

I froze.

Shock ran through me like a jolt of electricity. Did he just say what I think he did?

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