January

Chapter 20

Erine kept pacing back and forth inside her room. Honestly, she hasn't done anything the moment she get home but to walk in the same circle and think of the problem at hand.

And the problem at hand was none other than the mysterious diary that just mysteriously writes entries, and at the moment it mysteriously just writes entries more ahead of the current date.

Everything is just a twist that even she just get confused with the huge amount of mysteries that are happening right now.

But other than that, there's something that has been weighting her mind now.

"A date..." Erine muttered, unconsciously bitting on her thumb, more aggressively than she ever did when she was little. "With Prince?"

Wait, is the writer of this diary is Prince?

Now, Erine has her own doubts.

Travelling to the past only the start, and now she's bound to date someone who is not even her future husband. And what's worst is that she couldn't even remember even dating other than Luke. Honestly, she's only been ever interested in Luke.

And Even though the kid Prince looked very handsome, she couldn't even feel the slightest bit interested in that kid.

Come to think of it, when that brat appeared, strange things has been happening. Not that the events are becoming strange because of him. But that guy has been spouting nonsense. Like he knew her even the people she knows.

Could it be...

Erine bit her lower lip and sat on her desk. After she pulled out a piece of paper and a pen, she jot down the things she knew for this timeline.

She's met three people, people she haven't before.

Liliane.

Lana.

Especially Prince.

She has been turning a blind eye on it since the first day she have met the guy. If normal people who hasn't gone through time-travel hears him, he might come off as a stalker. But to people like, her, it actually makes sense.

He talks in a way that he knew her perfectly, he talks in a way that she may have done something to the guy that might offended him. This just concludes that he might came from the future, the same as hers.

But the real question is, where has she met the guy?

Where exactly in the future?

Erine unconsciously kept forming a circle on the word future back and forth until the paper broke from all the pen's stroke.

She's already going crazy from all the possibilities she thought of, but one thing is for sure. That she wouldn't know the answer if she isn't going to ask the person in question.

So, the next day, without having barely enough to sleep, Erine set out to school early. There were barely any people present at the train that time so it helped calm down a bit considering that she'll be facing a bigger battle today.

Well, the brat Prince were certainly a kid that will be hard to handle. They're not really in a good relationship if someone asks, as a matter of fact they don't have any relationship at all.

And if they do start talking, it's like their siblings fighting each other. Does she really have to reply to someone so troublesome?

Clutching the diary in hand, Erine waits in front of the gate, her eyes fixed in every students entering the school.

"Aren't you coming in yet?"

Erine looks up to the guard post where the bodyguard is sitting by the table, having a cup of coffee.

"I'm waiting for someone."

Both of his eyebrows perked up, "Boyfriend?"

"No." Erine said with a smile. "It's a boy but I am not allowed to date yet."

The bodyguard looked a bit surprised by this.

"That's a bit unexpected."

Erine only smiled at this. "Unexpected?"

The guard blows on his coffee and watched the students who is now attending the school, all the while greeting those who is familiar with him.

"I didn't get to see too much of few these past few days."

Erine was taken aback by this. As she begin to think about it, since her first day as a time-traveller, that was the only day that Erine gets to talk to him. It's either she was preoccupied by her own thoughts or she was rushing going home. That's they weren't able to catch on for quite a long time.

"I'm just busy." Erince muttered that went to the guars ears.

"I know Miss Piggy, your friends told me."

"Beth?"

The guard added, "And Michelle." He said taking a sip on his cup of coffee, "And what can I say? I felt happy that you finally found some hobby. One that involves your future."

Erine couldn't say anything but avoid letting the older man see the tiny blush on her cheeks.

Somewhere deep inside her, she founds a tiny sensation that keeps her warm despite the cold morning breeze.

"What is it you choose? Fashion designing?"

Erine nodded.

"Then take care of this newly found interest." Again, he proceeds to blow on his coffee. "Think if it as a seed."

"A seed?"

He nodded, "A seed that you plant on the ground. A seed that you must take care of. One that musn't be pressured to grow, if you take big steps ahead, the plant will just grow everywhere, uncontrolled and without any proper direction. But if you take your time and cherish it, watering it one at a time, then it can go properly and I am sure fruits will bloom in the right direction."

Erine can't help but to stare in awe at the person in front of him.

Having to outgrow all the illiterate knowledge she once had, Erine can't help but to get back on the undeniable truth she realized then.

That no matter how much you are educated, you can't get full wisdom if you never experience the harsh challenges that the world has to offer.

And he may have the highest educational attainment, he had the richest wisdom he have learned by his hard work.

"I-I'm going to marry a decent man and have two wonderful kids." Suddenly, Erine couldn't stop her mouth as she mumbles all the things she wanted anyone to hear but she knew it wouldn't be wise. But now she was spouting it like a double edged blade.

"That seems like a wonderful ending."

The guard said with a smile.

"But," Erine hid her face between her bangs as she fought the urge to cry. "Even though I wanted it only to be this way, I can't help but feel as if something else is lacking. That's why I've been trying my best to find out if I can actually be useful. Not some dumbass girl who was still stuck in her own fantasies. I want to be something than just be that kind of girl... I want--"

Erine stopped midway when she felt something touch her temple, as if to silence her. But other than that, she could help but feel reassured by that simple gesture.

"You're not being greedy at all."

Erine looked at the bodyguard, his heart being a bit hopeful.

"But if one needs to gain happiness, they must lose something in return." Erine said, her head bent done. "I mean choosing both happiness, isn't that a bit painful for those people who has to choose between her dreams over the person they like?"

"I see." The bodyguard said, nodding his head. He was quiet all of a sudden. She was all bout ready to accept that the silence is that she was probably right.

But he gave her a smile, and it was more than reassuring than ever.

"Choices are made because two of the same desires happen to be placed at the same time." He said. "If two important things became a choice, it becomes a burden. But the fact is, you don't need to weigh which is more important. What you need to consider is the time."

"Time?"

The guard nodded and looked ahead, his stare was a bit far away.

"Well, everyone had choices. Others choose family, and others chose to be alone. They didn't get to achieve two of those desires but it doesn't mean that they can't be happy about it. As long as you are satisfied, then that's when you knew you've chosen the right path.

"But if you want both, you should achieve one at a time. There is no need to rush things. Everything can be accomplished and it's just a matter of time.

And just like that, Erine's anxiety went away.