30. The Helper
T he next day, Jihoon tries dodging Wooju to little avail.
Wooju can’t blame Jihoon for choosing to stay dry on the shore instead of joining the group in the water. He did say some peculiar things last night, which led to Jihoon calling him crazy before leaving him in shock.
Jihoon already missed breakfast, and now he’s trying to avoid the swimming lessons as well. Yunho won’t be happy if he finds out the reason behind Jihoon’s actions.
Wooju releases a defeated sigh as he watches Sangheon firmly grasp Jihoon’s arm and steer the brunette in their direction. Wooju grinds his feet into the sand, his gaze straying toward the boundless horizon.
It takes Yunho’s topless body coming into his line of sight again for Wooju to recollect his thoughts.
While Wooju stands out as the only one wearing long sleeves at the beach, Yunho’s bare-chested, chiseled build gleams in the morning sun, a sight that would make anyone drool—just like Wooju does now. Luckily, he knows how to hide his inner turmoil with a calm expression.
“Yunho, did you say something?”
“Yeah. I said, ‘Try floating again.’ I don’t think you’re doing it right. You’re not floating. You’re sinking.”
“How do I do it right?”
“Here, I’ll guide you.”
Yunho gently extends an arm toward him, but instead of taking it, Wooju retreats by immersing himself in the water.
I’m sorry, Yunho, but my cheeks are burning. I need something cold right now.
Wooju manages to stay there for at least five seconds before Yunho pulls him back, hands anchored on his shoulders. “What the hell is going on?”
“Well, you see,” Wooju starts, thinking about how now would be a good time to devour Yunho’s kissable lips, but instead, he comes up with a lie, “I slipped.”
“No, you didn’t. You obviously did that on purpose,” Yunho counters. “Do you hate my floating lessons?”
“No,” Wooju answers quickly. Then, his eyes travel elsewhere, to Jihoon, who has just joined them. “Jihoon, didn’t you say you had something to tell me?”
“You do?” Yunho retrieves his hand from Wooju’s shoulders, shifting his body toward Jihoon.
“I really don’t,” Jihoon says, his uneasy laughter drowning out the waves. “I have absolutely nothing to say.”
“You have something to tell me,” Wooju insists. “Let’s go.” He doesn’t let the brunette protest any further. With a solid grip on Jihoon’s wrist, Wooju yanks him out of the water, leaving their two giant friends fuming with jealousy.
Wooju drags Jihoon toward the cabin, halting as soon as they reach the tallest pine tree next to it.
“You said you’d think about it,” Wooju reminds Jihoon of last night. “Are you avoiding me now because I’m from the future? Do you really think I’m crazy?”
“Will you stop saying that? It’s freaky!” Jihoon flails his arms. Wooju senses his towering stress.
“You do think I’m crazy.” Wooju releases a chuckle. “But hey, this is a new side of you.”
“What?”
“You used to be cold. You didn’t make any other expressions aside from this.” Wooju imitates Jihoon’s stern face and then laughs, but the laughter has a wistful quality to it. He remembers then. Wooju wasn’t the best of friends with future Jihoon, but after meeting a few times for business purposes, they became each other’s confidants.
Future Jihoon was not much of a talker, though. He wasn’t an alcoholic either, but once indulged, he somehow always ended up sharing intimate details about his life. That’s how Wooju found out about Jihoon’s feelings and the story behind them.
“Whatever. I’m not helping you.” Jihoon’s declaration snaps Wooju back to reality.
With a soft smile, Wooju wraps his arms around Jihoon. “Please,” he whispers. “Just this once. I’m begging you. Help me save Yunho from my manager.”
Jihoon tugs away from the hug, but Wooju’s embrace becomes ironclad, unwilling to let go.
“I swear I didn’t lie about the future. I can prove it,” Wooju pleads, desperation evident in his tone. “A few days from now, you’ll meet your biological dad while you’re on your way to school. After extorting money from you and hurting you, he escapes. You’ll go to the police station alone, but the cops won’t just believe what you tell them; they’ll ask for proof, and you won’t have any. Trust me, Jihoon, he will come back to haunt you again in the future. If you call Yunho over, maybe that will change. You’ll not only save yourself, you’ll save Yunho, too.”
“Do you like Yunho that much?”
Wooju flinches, then he untangles himself from Jihoon, looking straight into his eyes with guilt.
“Wooju, are you trying to use me to distract Yunho?” Jihoon asks. “Why? What are you planning?”
“What?” Wooju stutters.
“Forget about me and my father. Let’s talk about you. Let’s say you’re really from the future,” Jihoon considers. “I heard a saying... of course, it’s probably just a saying, but if you’re really from the future, then you should know better. If you save someone in the past who’s supposed to die in the future, won’t someone else die in their stead?”
Wooju ponders this.
Every time Yunho died, the murderer roamed free as if nothing happened. But when he framed Yunho, nothing happened until Yunho was exonerated, and only then did tragedy strike again when a psycho inmate stabbed Wooju. Wooju is sure that if the doe had not come to his rescue, he would have died that day, and Yunho would have lived.
Maybe his plan won’t change anything right now. But it will make a difference in the future.
Wooju promises to pay the price.
Even if the price is his own life.
“It’s just a saying,” Wooju says convincingly. “Don’t worry. I told you, right? This isn’t the first time I’ve traveled through time. There’s no such thing as a butterfly effect.”
“What will you be doing while I’m distracting him?”
“I’m just gonna talk to my manager,” Wooju tells him. “I’ll convince him to go out of the country with me, and he’ll never bother Yunho again.”
“You’d do that for Yunho?”
“Yeah. I’d do anything for Yunho.”