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

Chapter Eighteen: Save Me

Warning: there will be mentions of suicide in this chapter. I don't entirely know what will and won't trigger people, so if you have sensitivity to talking about mental illness and suicide, then please proceed with caution or skip this chapter.
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Everyone was shocked. Kihyun mentioned that he needed to go back in time to save a friend, but he had omitted the part about his friend committing suicide. The gravity of the situation seemed to hit me all at once.

'We're trying to save a life here.' I thought. 'Can I even be trusted with that?'

"W-where?" Hyungwon asked, facial expression softening/

"I don't know..." Kihyun confessed. "When he called... I didn't answer. I have to pick up the phone this time..."

"When will he call?" Shownu asked.

"Soon." Kihyun responded. "I saved the voicemail he left me, and I used to listen to it every day. He's going to call at 9 am, and then again at 10, 11, and 12... until..."

"W-why didn't you answer?" I murmured, breaking the silence of the conversation.

"I'm at an important job interview right now..." Kihyun replied. His voice seemed empty, soulless. He still felt guilty, "I didn't want to be bothered because I needed the job... I didn't even end up getting it."

"That doesn't matter now." Hyungwon cut in, "We're here to change that. Where do we need to be right now?"

I looked at my phone and saw that it was 7 am.

We had plenty of time.

"He's staying at a hotel not too far from here." Kihyun said, "His parents kicked him out, and he had just failed his entrance exams."

"Then let's go there!" Shownu insisted.

"Yeah..." Kihyun replied, "But I don't want to encounter him. I have to help him from afar."

"How?" Minhyuk asked.

"I'll just answer the phone when he calls." Kihyun insisted. "That should be enough."

The boys and I took a taxi to the luxury hotel that Kihyun's friend was staying in. I looked up at the tall building.

"He's calling!" Kihyun said, motioning for all of us to be quiet.

"Hello?" He said.

I could hear the voice on the other side say, "Kihyun-ah..."

"Yes, Hyunki? Are you okay? Have your parents called?" He asked.

"No..." The voice replied dismally. "I don't think they care about me. Not after I failed..."

"Of course they care about you!" Kihyun replied frantically. "So many people do!"

The other end of the phone line was silent for a moment.

"Hyunki?"

"Yeah, I'm here..." His friend muttered, "I just don't know what I'm going to do."

"Just wait until I see you later!" Kihyun insisted, "Then we can talk."

"I don't know..." Hyunki replied.

"What are you doing right now?" Kihyun asked.

"Coffee."

"Just enjoy the coffee and wait for me, I should be done by 2. We can talk then." Kihyun said, "What do you think?"

"Okay." Hyunki replied.

"Then I'll be hanging up now." Kihyun said, relief in his voice. "I'll see you later."