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

Chapter Fifteen: Important Chat

'Am I a lost cause?' I wondered, 'No matter what I do, with or without time travel, things just don't seem to be working out.'

I was lost in thought as I trudged halfheartedly behind the boys. The group was deep in conversation about something, but I just couldn't seem to find the energy or will to join. I couldn't pretend I wasn't devastated.

'Wonho seemed really interested in me just yesterday! Or would that be considered a year ago?'

Either way, I didn't know what to think. Or how.

A pretty dress and makeup just couldn't seem to give me any confidence now.

"Hey." I heard someone say softly next to me.

I glanced up from my depressed state to see Shownu had lagged behind to walk with me, "Are you doing okay?" He asked.

"What do you think?" I replied, a bit ruder than I meant. "Sorry..." I sighed, "I just..."

"I know." He looked at me apologetically, "I'm surprised too. In all the time I knew him, I didn't know he had a girlfriend."

I looked up and watched the group. The boys were happy to be chatting with Wonho again like nothing had happened. And I noticed Hyungwon seemed uncharacteristically happy.

"I guess time changes people." I muttered.

We all walked back into the house. Wonho and his girlfriend were invited to come hang out at the house to catch up on what had happened in the past year.

I wanted to be anywhere but here.

Wonho and Jisoo sat at the table, and the boys all gathered around them. They excited to meet Wonho's fiance; me, not so much. Wonho quickly went through everyone's names.

"So how did you two meet?" Minhyuk asked.

"Well..." Jisoo started to say, blushing. I was sure she was nervous about all the attention from seven handsome boys, the same way I was.

"We were childhood friends," Wonho said, happy to tell their story.

I sat at the couch, trying to not listen to the conversation. But there was nothing to distract me. I wanted to ignore this, but I didn't want to be rude either.

He continued, "We went to elementary school together, and reconnected in High School. I finally found the courage to ask Jisoo out Senior year. After years of dating, I finally had the money and I found the guts to ask her to marry me. I proposed a little over a year ago."

'Found the money?' I thought. Then it hit me, he just needed the money he lost on a bet for an engagement ring. Why didn't he tell us the truth? He was leading me on this whole time!

Now angry, I stood up from the couch and went to the bedroom where I could be upset in peace.

I must have been loud getting up, because I noticed everyone's eyes on me as I walked to the room. I locked eyes with Wonho, his facial expression unreadable, and without a word I closed the bedroom door behind me.

'Finally, some peace'

My whole life I seemed to make a habit of getting ahead of myself. I was always naive. I thought I had a chance with Jimin, and now I had tricked myself into thinking I had a chance with Wonho.

I looked at my reflection in the mirror and I saw a fool.

A fool that prettied herself up for nothing.

"I'm such an idiot." I muttered, wanting nothing more than to go back in time and stop myself from meeting Wonho.

How did I let myself get so heart broken over a guy I barely knew?

I heard a knock on the bedroom door and then a moment later it was pushed open. Standing in the doorway was the last person I wanted to talk to.

"Can we talk?" Wonho asked, closing the door behind him and sitting down on Hyungwon's bed.

"There's nothing to say." I replied, avoiding eye contact with him. "Isn't your girlfriend waiting for you?

"Fiance." Wonho corrected me, "The guys are entertaining her now. I want you to get to know her too, because I think of you as a good friend of mine."

I scoffed, rolling my eyes.

Friend? Only yesterday he was making out with me and teaching me how to dance.

Wonho sighed once he noticed my coarse disposition. "Areum, it's been a year." He said bluntly. "I know that you may still have feelings for me..."

"You led me on!" I yelled, finally making eye contact with him. I was angry, and I wanted him to feel my anger, but all I got in return was a sympathetic expression from him.

It felt like Wonho was looking down his nose at me.

"I didn't mean to..." He muttered. He motioned towards the bed across from him. "Please, sit."

I huffed, sitting down on the bed and looking across the way at him.

"I really did like you a year ago." Wonho confessed, "Before going back in time, I was thinking that maybe you and I could be together. I thought maybe things happened for a reason and I didn't need the bet money. But after the watch took us back in time, I realized that that wasn't the way my life was supposed to be. I needed this change. Because if I had a chance, I needed to take it. I had to stop myself from making the bad bet that ended up leading to me losing the engagement ring money..."

I rolled my eyes. His life story seemed too tacky to be true.

"In the other time line, when I didn't propose to Jisoo, I started drifting apart from her. She wanted me to get serious about our relationship or for us to end things. And so we broke up. After being away from her for that year, I thought it would be okay if we didn't end up together. But after getting the money and seeing her again, I realized that-"

"I don't want to hear about your love story." I cut in. I didn't care that their relationship worked out. In fact, I didn't want it to. I would love nothing more than to hear the two break up right now. I considered barging out there and telling Jisoo about the very short love affair that Wonho and I shared.

Wonho looked at me, disappointed that I couldn't have a serious conversation with him. "My point is I don't want you to resent me because of this. After you helped me stop the bet from happening, you also helped me reconnect with the love of my life. And I want to thank you for that. You might not realize it now, but I hope you will understand that you helped me more than anyone. When you told me to make the right decision back at the club, I realized I needed to go through with it. I needed to propose."

My mind flashed back to the day before: "You should go..." I said, blushing, "You have an important decisions to make."

He nodded, a hint of a smile on his lips. "You're right..."

'Is this supposed to make me feel better?' I wondered. Because it didn't. If anything, it pissed me off even more. So he was saying it was my fault that he got engaged? All I had to do was tell him to give up? If only I had known that yesterday.

Wonho sighed, standing up and patting me on the shoulder.

"I know that you're mad right now. But just know that I do love you... like family." He said. He walked towards the door to the bedroom and before opening it he turned and said, "Come out when you're ready. I know you need time."

Wonho left the room, abandoning me with my thoughts.

Should I be happy he was happy?

I would rather he was happy with me.

Maybe I just wasn't a good person.