FOR THE FUTURE ⋮ nohyuck/markhyuck/markhyuckno

Chapter Fourteen

"I told you, Papa. You didn't believe me!"

Noram jumped up and down, as he was still pointing at the invisible portal.

"I thought it'll be obvious! But it's transparent? How could I know?"

"The portal in my time isn't transparent. It's visible, and Papa thinks it's because of air pollution!"

"You sound really smart right now," Donghyuck chuckled but never looked away from the portal that he couldn't even see.

He had mixed emotions about this, but he sure felt damn curious. It wasn't something that happened to him every day! Therefore, Donghyuck didn't feel it when he went closer to the portal, one of his arms extended to see where exactly it was.

Nothing happened at first, but then Donghyuck wasn't even near that. When he was, though, he not only saw it but also felt it.

His fingers got in touch with a cold and sticky substance, and all five of them went out of his sight, disappearing into the transparent portal. Both the feeling and view were weird and made the student dizzy. Donghyuck heard his breath hitching during the process—his hand looked like it had its fingers chopped.

Before he could stick more of his hand, a pink note hit him right on the forehead. As Donghyuck was in anxiety, he drew back and even screamed. But then he snapped and saw Noram laughing at him.

Embarrassed, Donghyuck bent to pick up the note. Out loud, he read:

"I'm glad to know that. Take care. Both of you."

Donghyuck smiled at the note at first. But then reality hit him. If it came out just now, could it be that the Future Donghyuck was at the other end of the portal?

If so, Donghyuck had to see himself. No, not only see but talk! Talk and ask questions to get answers that Noram had no clue of.

However, he didn't really know how the portal was working and it frightened him.

"Hold my hand, Noram," he ordered as he turned at the boy.

The kid gladly took Papa's hand, obviously not knowing why. Because when Donghyuck went towards the portal, the kid freaked out.

"What are you doing, Papa? You can't go!"

"Why? Why people from the future can, but I from the past can't?"

Noram shrugged his small shoulders. "I don't know. But my time papa said that you can't."

"Okay then. I won't go all in, I'll just stick my nose a bit, alright? And when I squeeze your hand, you'll pull me out of it?"

Noram seemed to hesitate, but he couldn't keep that for long. No matter which Papa, he listened to the last one giving orders.

"I'll count to three, okay?"

Donghyuck counted while slowly approaching the portal. Just as his fingers got in contact with that uncomfortable substance, Donghyuck looked over his shoulder.

"Three."

He closed his eyes and stepped inside the portal. The biggest half of his body experienced something that Donghyuck couldn't even explain. His limbs got cold all of sudden, which was weird as the hand Noram was still holding felt so warm...

On top of that, dizziness took all over his head. Donghyuck tried to take a deep breath, but then he got nauseous. When he was about to throw up, it all stopped, however.

Donghyuck thought about opening one of his eyes to look around but instead opened both wide as never and froze.

He saw himself. Right in front of him. A bit older and visibly tired, but it was still him. The same face, the same posture... Even the same reaction. Both of them stared at each other with wide eyes and agape mouths.