The Man Who Could Not Stop Time (Monsta X Fanfiction)

Chapter Five: Down to Business

I walked back into the karaoke room to find the guys waiting for me. One of them was busy singing along to a Black Pink song, but the others sat up straighter when I entered the room.

I felt awkward.

"Sorry about that..." I said, coming to sit down at the end of the sofa, as far away from everyone as possible. Space seemed to help me feel better quicker.

They had ordered pizzas. Some of the guys were already eating. I reached out and grabbed a slice for myself.

"It's okay." Shownu said. "We'll pretend it didn't happen."

"Thanks." I laughed.

"So let's talk business." Hyungwon interrupted. "What do you want to know first?"

"Well..." I said, "Where did you guys find the watch?"

"We didn't find it." Wonho said, "We kinda... stole it."

"From me." Hyungwon interrupted. "But I'm lending it to them just so they can get their delusions over with."

"They're not delusions." Jooheon argued, "We have legitimate problems that this watch can fix. Areum too."

"Well, how are we... doing this exactly?" I asked. I mean, time travel was a sensitive thing. I didn't know much about science, but even I knew that. "The whole... time traveling thing."

"One by one," Hyungwon said, "I'm leading us all back to the moment that you each want to change. Then you'll all fix whatever you think will make your lives better. After you've accomplished your goal we go back in time and you stay there. At the end, there will only be me. Then I'm destroying the watch and we are never using it again."

"Wow... sounds-" I started to say.

"Boring?" Minhyuk asked, "That's what I told him the first time."

Well, it sounded kind of confusing to me.

"Business is boring." Hyungwon sighed, "I'm not here to entertain."

"Can I ask..." I started to say, "What you are all are trying to fix?"

The boys exchanged looks, everyone apprehensive about saying anything, before Shownu spoke up first, "She ought to know eventually. I'm going back in time because I need to win a dance competition. I was going to use the money to get into one of the top art college for dance. At the last second in my performance, I accidentally made a misstep and twisted my ankle." He propped his foot up on the table to show me a brace I hadn't noticed before. "It's still messed up to this day. I haven't been able to dance the same."

Minhyuk spoke next, encouraged by Shownu's little speech. "I want to stop my mom and stepdad from meeting..." The room became extra quiet. The topic of family life was a very serious topic. No one moved, I couldn't even hear the sound of anyone breathing. Even I found myself holding my breath. "Before he came into our lives, my mom and I were getting along just well together, even though my father is gone now, we still had a strong family. But now he's getting all of the attention and my mom seems to have forgotten about me."

Wonho next, "I made a really bad bet and because of it I lost my life savings."

Kihyun spoke, "I have a friend that I want to save..." He became lost in thought, spacing out.

I.M. was next, "I lost a really important rap battle against someone who cheated by stealing my lyrics. I want to go back in time and beat him fair and square."

Jooheon said, "My story is similar to I.M.'s, except I messed up on an audition. I was trying out for a rap company, AOMG. I forgot my lyrics right in front of Jay Park...It was the most embarrassing thing ever. I know them perfectly now, god knows I've practiced them nonstop since then. So I'm ready to give a good performance now."

A lot of the boys seemed to be very musically inclined. They looked like an idol group when they were together, I am sure they were confused for one all the time. I could imagine the seven of them forming a boy group. That was music I would listen to.

"You don't have anything you want to change?" I asked Hyungwon, wanting to form some sort of friendship between him. If he wasn't going to make the effort, then I would have to offer him the proverbial olive branch.

Hyungwon looked down his nose as me, as if offended I had the audacity to speak to him, "Of course not. There is nothing so selfish and arbitrary as using time travel for your own gain."

The boys seemed to simultaneously role their eyes. I was sure they heard this speech all the time.

"What do you want to change?" Minhyuk asked me, changing the topic.

"Well..." I sighed. How could I tell them I was trying to save my crush without sounding like an absolute idiot? "I need to stop someone from stealing what truly belongs to me." I replied vaguely.

"Ah, so it's about a boy." Hyungwon scoffed, smirking at me knowingly.

I looked up at him in shock.

How did he know?

"I just read your mind didn't I?" Hyungwon chuckled, the first time I had heard him do anything but speak monotonously.

"You did!" Wonho chuckled, "It's okay, it's not embarrassing to want to stop someone from stealing the guy you like."

It kind of was embarrassing. Everyone in this room were trying to change their lives from falling apart. I was just hung up on a boy. Compared to the things they wanted to change, mine was meaningless.

I just felt... small.

"Let's continue singing." Jooheon suggested, music playing again in the background.