Mystery of Time

Chapter 5: End of present, enter a new road of mystery's journey called past

Yuri wandered the roads, lost in thought, unsure of where to go next. Her
work seemed impossible to accomplish, and she felt directionless. Then, on
a second thought, she decided to visit her old college, the Pedagogy
Golden Academy. As she neared the college, she bumped into someone
familiar—Eden.
Yuri chuckled nervously, "Oh! It's you… hi!"
Eden smiled, "Hello, class president. What brings you here?"
Yuri hesitated, struggling to come up with a plausible excuse. "I… uh… had
some work as class president, you know…"
"But the college is closed today," Eden pointed out, raising an eyebrow.
Caught off guard, Yuri felt her heart race. She was usually calm around
Voice, but with Eden, she was nervous. Perhaps it was because she didn’t
know him as well, or maybe because she did.
Suddenly, she blurted out, "I just wanted to see you."
Eden looked surprised and a little suspicious at her sudden change of
statement, but he didn’t press her. Instead, he asked, "What made me so
important all of a sudden?"
Yuri felt her heart flutter and melt. Eden noticed and laughed at her
reaction.
"Sorry. How can I help you?" he asked, his tone gentle.
"I’m here to… gather some information for Aroha. It sounds odd coming
from a class president asking a newbie like you, but I didn’t really get to
know my best friend before she passed away," Yuri explained, her voice
tinged with sadness.Eden nodded sympathetically. "I understand. But, are you investigating her
case, detective girl?"
Yuri’s heart sank. She wasn’t good at lying, and Eden’s teasing made it
harder. She remained silent, unsure of what to say.
Eden, sensing her discomfort, quickly added, "Sorry, I was just being
facetious. It’s fun to tease you."
Though they hadn’t known each other long, their interactions had been
casual and comfortable. It suited them both.
"I didn’t know Aroha well," Eden admitted. "She wasn’t great in her studies,
but she was beautiful and charming."
"I know," Yuri said softly. "She was my best friend. I just… I wanted to know
more about her."
Eden chuckled, "I get it. You don’t have to explain."
Yuri laughed nervously, "Well, I should get going then."
"Wait," Eden called out. "I know you’re busy, but can we hang out more
often?"
Yuri felt a surge of excitement. She nodded firmly and then quickly ran off
toward home. Eden laughed as he watched her retreat, sensing her mixed
feelings.
Days passed, with Yuri growing closer to Eden and spending less time on
her investigation. She was thrilled when he asked her out, and though she
wanted to ask him for a romantic relationship, she hesitated. It was
uncharacteristic of her to take the lead in such matters.
One day, as they met again, Eden noticed her nervousness. "Is there
something you want to say, Yuri?" he asked gently.
Yuri shook her head, disappointed in herself for not being able to speak up.Eden looked at her intently, then asked, "Can I spend most of my precious
time with you to get to know each other better?"
Yuri’s excitement bubbled over, and she admitted, "Yes! I’ve liked you for a
while."
Eden grinned, "That was the easiest confession I’ve ever heard. Since
when?"
"Since the day you came to college," Yuri confessed, though she suddenly
remembered Voice. His feelings for her were likely deeper than hers for
Eden, and he had never confessed.
"What’s stopping you from saying more?" Eden asked, sensing her
hesitation.
Yuri laughed and lied, "Maybe because I don’t know when I started falling in
love with you."
Eden smiled warmly. "I’m lucky to have someone like you."
They walked to a nearby restaurant, where they sat down to eat and talk.
The conversation flowed easily between them, though Yuri’s thoughts
occasionally drifted back to Voice.
"Don’t girls ask you out all the time?" Yuri asked playfully.
Eden shrugged. "It happens, but I know what I want. Do you like me for my
looks?"
Yuri was caught off guard by his directness. "Maybe not," she lied again.
"But I’m not that beautiful or smart. So why do you like me?"
"Because you’re straightforward and have a beautiful heart," Eden replied
sincerely.
Yuri smiled, "I guess it’s our hearts that brought us together."As they talked, Yuri received a message from Voice, which Eden noticed.
She excused herself to reply, feeling a pang of guilt for being so distant
from her old friend. It was even questionable if Voice was really her friend
or more after the kiss they shared and the confession Voice hid in his heart.
"Why did you text me? Are you trying to disturb me?" she typed quickly.
Voice’s response was brief, "I…"
Before she could finish reading, Eden interrupted, "Are you done yet?"
"Yeah, all done," Yuri replied, setting her phone aside. She wanted to ask
Eden how long he had liked her, but she held back, fearing the answers
might complicate things.
Their relationship continued to develop, and Yuri began to believe this was
true love. But deep down, she wasn’t sure how Eden felt.
One evening, on their ninth rendezvous, which also happened to be Yuri’s
birthday, they had a special dinner.
"This is such an expensive dinner," Yuri remarked.
"Why worry? Let’s just enjoy it," Eden replied, smiling.
Yuri changed the subject abruptly, "What’s your favorite dish?"
"I like Italian cuisine," Eden answered.
"Do you think we make a cute couple?" Yuri asked, surprising him.
Eden was taken aback. "We haven’t even kissed yet!" he exclaimed.
Yuri paused, thinking of Voice again. "So do you…"
"And I don’t even want to," Eden interrupted, misunderstanding her
hesitation.Yuri stopped herself from finishing the sentence. She had been about to
reveal that her first kiss had been with Voice, but she knew it was
inappropriate.
"What do you want to do, then?" she asked, trying to steer the conversation
away from uncomfortable territory.
"Let’s write a song together," Eden suggested.
Yuri was surprised by his studious idea. "I thought I was the only one with
such ideas."
Eden started to compose lyrics out loud, "Why is this dark night so clear?"
"What are you talking about? It’s full of clouds, and it’s not even dark," Yuri
responded, puzzled.
Eden clicked his tongue in frustration. "You don’t get it. I’m trying to write a
song!"
"Oh, sorry. I’ll try to help," Yuri said apologetically.
They bantered back and forth, creating playful rhymes. The tension
between them eased, and they fell into a comfortable rhythm. But Yuri
couldn’t shake the feeling that something was missing. She didn’t feel the
same excitement she once did. Had her feelings for Eden been real, or was
she just caught up in the moment?
As they were about to open up to each other, Eden’s phone rang. He
excused himself and answered, "Oh! Yes, about Voice…"
Yuri’s heart skipped a beat. She eavesdropped on the conversation and
overheard a deep voice, possibly an assassin or contract killer, saying,
"Don’t worry, sir. Voice is dead…"
Yuri shot up from her seat, her worst nightmare seemingly confirmed. She
panicked, realizing that Voice might have been in trouble when he texted
her. She called him frantically, texted him repeatedly, but received noresponse. Tears streamed down her face as she ran, her heart pounding
with fear and guilt.
Unwittingly, her steps led her to the deep jungle where her mother had
died. She didn’t realize it was the very place where her life had taken a
dark turn. The path seemed to be guiding her, as if by some cruel twist of
fate.
As she ran, Yuri’s thoughts spiraled. She felt like every person she had
ever cared about had been a mistake. Her friendship with Aroha, her
relationship with her father, her connection with Voice, even her budding
romance with Eden—it all felt like one big, tragic mistake.
Yuri stopped abruptly in front of a pine tree. Was this the tree where her
mother had crashed? She couldn’t remember. Everything was a blur. She
was ready to give up on life, to end the pain, but something stopped her.
The ring on her finger began to glow brightly, as if it held the promise of a
brighter future.
The logo on the ring seemed to float up, and Yuri wondered if it was all a
delusion, a dream, or some kind of magical hope. She screamed out in
confusion, "What is happening to me?"
Before she could make sense of it all, she fainted, collapsing to the ground.
When she awoke, she found herself lying in a comfy but old-fashioned bed.
The room around her looked like something out of a different era.
What had happened? And where was she now?