Time
Title: Time
Rating: PG-13
Pairing/s: Chen/Lay
Summary: Jongdae just want his time back.
Author Notes: Just some horrible idea that came up.
Warning: ending's quite rash
Length: 4130 words
Kim Jongdae had always been the type of guy to take his time in everything he does. Whenever a project is handed to him by his boss, he does the project so leisurely. The fact that he can get away from handing in project like that was peculiar to many of his colleagues but they didn’t dare mutter a single word because in whatever Kim Jongdae did, mistakes were never present. Whatever project he was given, it’ll become a big success so his boss dare not fire him even if he only does about two to three project a year when his usual employees get about ten or more of them.
--
It was Christmas Day but to Jongdae, it was just another day whereby he can wake up late and just waste the time away the whole day without colleagues trying to suck up to him. Personally, he hated how his colleagues act around him. Don’t get him wrong, he wants friends but he could see that his colleagues were too clouded with jealousy to make them worthy of a friendship with him. He merely wanted someone who he could joke or talk with without them asking work related stuff. He doesn’t like talking about work outside his workplace. That’s just how he is.
He opened his eyes and saw light peering in his room in between his dark curtains. He turned his head to check the time and it was 9:21am. He smiled and stretched his whole body. He can’t help but just be so joyous that he could wake up late and not because it’s Christmas day. He doesn’t have a family to go back to ever since they found out he could never give his heart to a woman. They threw all of his belongings at his face. Hate and disgust were sketched so clearly on their faces. Jongdae was so ready to turn his back from his whole family but the sadness that was seen on his brother’s face, Jongdae promised to himself that he’ll visit Joonmyeon in the future.
He readied himself and headed out of the door. While locking his door, his neighbour, Baekhyun waved and said hello. Jongdae waved back and smiled. Even though he lived on the top storey, he took his time and went down using the staircase instead of the lift. Once he gotten down on the ground floor, half an hour had already passed. The chilly air greeted him as soon as he took a step out of the building ground floor. He pocketed his hands and strolled down the street.
He decided to take a turn where he never went before just for the fun of it. He had all the time in the world anyway. Nothing was unusual in the street but he couldn’t help but feel so spooked. Maybe it was the silence that shrouded the road. Neither people nor even a presence of a voice was heard but Jongdae shrugged it off. He thought that it was surely from all the horror films he watched the night before.
He was whistling and looking down on the road, concentrating on his footsteps when he heard someone whisper his name. He felt the hair on the nape of his neck stand but once again, he ignored it, thinking it’s from the cold. When he looked up, he noticed a tree. It was a kind of tree that was too perfect to be on a quiet street like that. The tree had perfect trunks and shape, as if wanting to stand out as the main attraction of the street. As a result of the silence, he could hear something ticking. Curiosity killed the cat, Jongdae went to check out where it’s coming from. The sound was too audible for a watch but he didn’t really care.
He dug out the snow and when his hands were numb from the cold, he finally found the source of the sound. It was a pocket watch. It was vintage and old but it wasn’t rusty. It was that of usual pocket watch you’ll get to see in a night market but there’s something different from the object. On the cover of the watch, there was a big T carved on it, as if saying that the watch belong to a person that has a name initial ‘T’. Jongdae pouted and pocketed the watch.
“Finders keepers,” he whispered to himself.
After an hour of walking down the unknown street, he took a turn again, leading him back to a familiar road. He could feel himself shaking from the temperature so he decided to go inside a cafe.
When he had taken his order and sat down, he heard the loveliest laughter in the world. He turned around and saw a group of friends chattering loudly which was such a contrast to the cafe’s environment. Once again, he heard the laughter. The laughter was so full of joy that makes Jongdae want to laugh along. He saw that the source was from a guy with dimples on his right cheek. It makes Jongdae’s heart skip a beat. Jongdae widened his eyes and turned his sight away from him. Sure, Jongdae wants to have a boyfriend but he wasn’t one to make the first move and he is very shy when it comes to guys he likes. He hates it. No one would have thought he was that kind of guy since he was so nonchalant about everything he does.
He looked back at the guy again and he found out that he was looking directly at him. Jongdae looked away, feeling blood rush up to his cheeks.
“Damn it,” Jongdae thought.
Jongdae’s head snapped up when he saw the guy he like standing before him, smiling that made him show his dimples.
“Can I freaking cut off that dimple, it’s making my heart beat crazily,” Jongdae thought with a groan.
The guy sat in front of him and introduced himself as Zhang Yixing. Jongdae tilted his head to the side with a frown at the unusual name. Yixing explained that he was from China and Jongdae smiled as a response. Finally gathering courage, Jongdae introduced himself. Just like that, they started to talk nonstop as if they met so long ago. Whistles and words of teasing were coming out from Yixing’s friends and Jongdae wanted nothing but to bury himself six feet underground. Yixing laughed at their teasing and reassured Jongdae that they were just messing around.
“I really like you,” Yixing said casually, “We should go out sometimes, yea?”
Jongdae smiled and nodded.
He didn’t realise that he had spent so much time in the cafe because once he went out, it was already night. Taking his time in going home, he hummed to himself, taking small steps. He took the stairs up ever so slowly because once he reaches home, he’ll do nothing.
He opened the door to his apartment and took his time to get ready for bed. He placed his pocket watch on his bedside table and once again, there was the same voice that whispered his name just now. He stood frozen for a while but ignored it. He went to bed, and he was thankful that there weren’t any scary whispers that were heard.
--
Jongdae woke up and turned his head to his clock, frowning why his alarm clock didn’t ring at all. He saw that it was 09:21 am and he immediately sat upright, thinking he was already late for work but when he checked his phone, it was Christmas Day.
He furrowed his eyebrows and he swore that he already went through Christmas Day but he shook his head because such thing as repeating a day itself was impossible. He scratched his neck, confused because he couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was definitely wrong. While readying himself, he was so lost in thought that he put on his clothes the other way around. Jongdae cursed and decided to stop thinking too much and went out of his apartment.
When locking the door, he saw his neighbour, Baekhyun, who waved and greeted a hello towards him. Jongdae smiled and waved back. When he walked away, he stopped in his tracks for a while and continued.
“Déjà vu,” he whispered.
However, Jongdae couldn’t remember any dream that was similar to what was happening to him at the moment so Jongdae did what he does best, ignore it.
--
While walking down the street, he had his hands in his pocket and was looking down, concentrating on his footings. When he was about to pass a street, he stopped in his tracks. He looked up and turned his head towards a quiet street.
Strange, Jongdae thought. He swore he went to that street but how could he when he haven’t even stepped in the creepy street before. Then there was someone that whispered his name which got him to snap his head back to look for the source but no one was looking at him. Everyone was too busy doing their own thing. Jongdae blinked, confused.
He shook his head and chuckled to himself. He thought that it must be all the horror movies that he watched the night before. He remembered watching. . .
What was it I watched? Jongdae thought. He cursed as how forgetful he became. He wasn’t a forgetful person but it feels like he didn’t watch a movie yesterday. It felt like days ago. He sighed and looked around. Everything seemed normal, though. Maybe he was just tired.
He decided to go inside a cafe and sat down when he got his order. A loud laugh caught his attention. He turned his head around to catch a glimpse of a guy with a dimple. He felt his heart skip a beat and he swore under his breath.
“Have I seen him somewhere before?” he whispered to himself.
The dimple guy seemed to notice Jongdae and smiled at him. He widened his eyes as he was caught red-handed. He looked away and took a sip of his coffee. He cursed when the hot coffee spilled a little on his hand. It was scalding hot and Jongdae banged the cup on the table.
“Be careful there,” an amused voice told him.
Jongdae looked up and saw dimple guy. Jongdae took in a sharp breath when the stranger (or is he? Jongdae thought) took his hand and wiped it with a tissue gently. Jongdae gulped at the contact and he snatched his hands away immediately which got a laugh from the latter.
“What’s your name?” he asked Jongdae.
So Jongdae introduced himself and he found out that the dimple guy is named Yixing. Jongdae knew that he was from China before the latter told him. He didn’t know how he found out but it was like a gut feeling.
While they were having their conversation, it felt as if Jongdae went through it before. Yixing’s friends were teasing the both of them and Yixing laughed as he saw how red Jongdae was. Yixing decided that they should continue their conversation outside.
“Nice weather, huh?” Yixing said, while looking up.
Jongdae scoffed and replied, “Yeah, if you love freezing.”
The older lad laughed, amused. He wrapped an arm around Jongdae’s shoulder and turned to him. Jongdae squirmed quietly at how close Yixing’s lips were from his face.
“Warmer?” Yixing whispered teasingly in his ears.
Jongdae tensed at the latter’s action and Yixing smiled cheekily.
“You’re so cute!” Yixing cooed.
Jongdae slapped Yixing’s hands away from his cheeks and huffed.
“I’m a guy, Yixing,” Jongdae mumbled, “Not a puppy.”
Yixing gave a lopsided smile and ruffled Jongdae’s hair.
“You’re so serious,” the older lad remarked.
Jongdae sighed as a response and smiled lightly. It wasn’t that he was offended by Yixing but it was because Jongdae believed that he met Yixing before or yesterday. The thoughts concerning about having déjà vu was driving him crazy.
However, as the day progresses, he was grateful that Yixing managed to get those thoughts out of his mind for a while. They bid their goodbyes and before he knew it, he was swallowed into deep thoughts. When he got home, he felt like he was doing things automatically. As if he knew what will he be doing next. It was frustrating Jongdae because he had a good memory: he can even remember his dreams clearly. But the fact that he doesn’t even know if what he remembers is even a dream was driving him crazy because everything seemed so real.
While he was on his bed, a ticking watch was audible. Jongdae couldn’t remember having a ticking clock because he has an electronic clock on his bedside table. He turned his head towards the sound and saw a pocket watch. Frowning, he reached out the object and once he touched it, there was a whisper of his name- the same voice that he had heard this morning.
He snapped his head on the other side of the room, his heart pumping fast. Jongdae wasn’t that gullible. He knew that whatever was happening to him was not normal. He looked at the pocket watch that was on his hands and it was ticking like a normal rate of a heartbeat. Jongdae’s hand was shaking and he quickly let go of the watch as he felt it getting hotter, almost to the point of scalding his hands. He kicked it out of his bed and closed his eyes, forcing himself to sleep.
--
He woke up feeling so tired and he saw that his blankets were on the floor. He must have kicked it out of the bed. He rubbed his eyes and he saw that his palm looked burnt. He gasped when he remembered what happened yesterday night.
“Damn it,” he groaned, “It wasn’t a dream then.”
He checked out his clock and it read 09:21 am. He took in a sharp breath.
“It can’t be,” he whispered.
He frantically checked his mobile phone and he threw his phone away, doing the same as what he did to the pocket watch the other night.
“But it can’t be the other night,” he whispered, “I was scalded on Christmas Day but today-”
Jongdae shook his head and continued to talk to himself, “Today is still Christmas Day.”
--
Jongdae readied himself as fast as he can, wasting no time. Jongdae would have laughed if someone told him that he wasn’t wasting time because he was an expert at it. But now, he needs to check something or more like someone.
When he locked his door, he turned his head to his neighbour Baekhyun. Jongdae waved before his neighbour could mutter a single greeting. Jongdae knew that Baekhyun would do that because-
“Because it already happened!” Jongdae whispered to himself.
Ignoring the chilly wind and the freezing weather, he ran towards the cafe he was supposed to go. He has to check if he was there.
Once he had reached, he opened the door violently, causing the people inside to look at him weirdly. He looked like a mess with sweat trickling down his forehead and hair sticking all over the place. He bowed to apologise to the people and then he caught his eyes.
“Yixing,” he whispered.
He wanted to approach him so badly but he can’t. They didn’t know each other. No, Yixing didn’t know that they already met but they actually did. Jongdae just didn’t know when they met because today’s Christmas Day and they met on Christmas Day.
Jongdae closed his eyes and took in a deep breath to calm himself down. He gripped his hair to stop the pounding headache threatening to become a migraine. He ordered himself a coffee and went to sit down near the window where he remembered sitting in his dream or yesterday or-
“This is driving me insane!” he thought with a grunt.
“Are you okay?”
He froze on his seat because he knew well who that voice belonged to. He looked up to meet Yixing’s eyes full of concern. Jongdae smiled and he felt much better out of a sudden.
“I’m fine,” he answered.
Yixing smiled and Jongdae’s heart melted at the sight of his dimple. The older lad sat in front of him and introduced himself. Jongdae had the urge to complete his sentences but he has to refrain himself from doing so because if someone was to finish his sentence, it would creep him out.
“I’m Jongdae,” he said.
There goes the dimple again. Yixing commented that Jongdae made quite an entrance in the shop. Jongdae bit his lips and laughed awkwardly. The older lad continued on saying that it was as if Jongdae was looking for someone or something he needs. Jongdae thought that he was quite right because he was looking for Yixing but if Jongdae replied that he needs to see the older lad, it would be quite strange. Jongdae might be seen as a stalker.
Yet again, the day continued: Yixing with him. This time though, they went to an amusement park. Yixing’s laugh was the most precious sound Jongdae can ever hear in his whole life and he wanted to hear it every day.
Once Jongdae was home, he went to bed, smiling. He finally found something to look forward to when he restart Christmas Day again.
--
Before he knew it, he fell in love with Zhang Yixing.
--
Jongdae was starting to get sick of introducing himself to Yixing for the millionth time. He wanted the latter to know his name. He wanted Yixing to be with him officially and he wants the latter to be there when he wakes up the next morning. However, Jongdae knew that there will never be a next morning because the morning he now knew is only Christmas Day.
After the fourth time of waking up to the same day, he started to count how many times he had repeated the same day. He checked his notebook (thankfully his notes didn’t disappear when he wakes up to another Christmas Day) and counted that it has almost been a month since the last time he had experienced a new day. It had kept Jongdae awake at night, thinking what happened to let him experience such torture.
Every time he goes into the place where he would meet Yixing, he really had to hold himself back so much from going to Yixing and just cry. He needed to let out so much frustration but he can’t. To Yixing, Jongdae was a stranger. And just the mere thought of his love thinking that they never met before and didn’t share the same feelings crushed Jongdae.
He wanted his time back.
--
He lied down on his bed on another Christmas evening thinking back of what had just happened ‘last night’.
Jongdae’s POV
“Wha-”
I was cut off when Yixing attached his lips onto mine. He had me trapped against hid bedroom door. I couldn’t believe this was happening because to him, it is the first day we met and wouldn’t it be kind of bad to make out with someone who was a stranger to him? Nonetheless, I also wanted this.
“I might sound crazy but I feel like I have known you for quite a while now,” Yixing whispered before kissing me again.
No, Yixing. You’re not crazy because you did meet me before. You just don’t know. I wrapped my arms around his neck to take more of him. I gasped when he grinds his hips to mine and I let out a sinful moan. He went on to bite on my earlobes which got me crazy. I gripped his hair tighter because I felt so hot. I wanted to just take off my clothes. I felt I was going to overheat.
I felt him grab my ass to pull me closer to him and I groaned when our member touched each other. The friction was driving me insane. I just want more.
But he pulled away.
“I’m sorry,” he apologised.
I ignored the tug of disappointment and I just smiled. My heart decelerating to a normal rate.
“We just met-” he explained.
I just shook my head and I bit my lips to stop myself from crying out my frustration because we didn’t ‘just met’. I ignored his pleas for me to come back. I just wanted to be alone.
Jongdae’s POV ends.
--
“I must have done something,” he whispered after recalling what happened to Yixing and him.
A whisper of his name was heard again. The whisper didn’t scare Jongdae anymore. It was as normal as breathing. But he couldn’t figure out why he hears this voice.
“Have I gone crazy?” he thought.
As if pulled by something, his hands automatically went to the pocket watch he couldn’t remember getting from. He stared at the pocket watch and its strange ticking was mesmerising Jongdae.
Tick tock tick tock
Jongdae widened his eyes when it finally clicked.
Tick tock tick tock
Everything started to repeat when he took the watch.
Tick tock tick tock
And then he remembered the tree in a strange street.
Tick tock tick tock
He scrambled out of his bed and ran out of his house with the pocket watch despite that he was only wearing sleep clothing because something like this can’t wait.
--
He was huffing, the night air condensing his breath, when he reached the place he remembered going to. He scanned the street to look for somebody. He felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand because he could feel someone standing right behind him. He was petrified on his spot, afraid of turning back.
“Are you scared of me?” a deep voice asked.
Jongdae didn’t dare move.
“Who- who are you?” he stuttered.
“Turn around.”
Jongdae complied because the authority of the stranger’s voice made him obey. Jongdae’s eyes widened at the sight of the person. But that wasn’t quite right. The stranger isn’t even a person at all. The stranger was something Jongdae cannot comprehend.
“I’m Time,” the stranger introduced.
Jongdae’s mouth hanged opened at the stranger’s answer. He couldn’t believe him or her or whatever Time is. But Jongdae decided to believe Time because strange things have been happening lately so something like someone introducing themselves as Time wasn’t really peculiar.
“Why me?” Jongdae asked.
Time smiled and answered, “You see, Jongdae, I felt hurt.”
Jongdae furrowed his eyebrows and Time continued, “You were wasting me. So I decided to. . waste you.”
Jongdae started at Time in disbelief and cried, “Do you think this is funny?”
Time turned to Jongdae and answered, “Oh, no. It was quite painful to see you repeat this day again and again. Plus, you fell in love. So that kind of hurt me more. But do you think it was nice to waste me, Jongdae?”
Jongdae couldn’t answer back because Time had a point.
“Now that you finally figured it out, I hope you learnt your lesson,” Time said.
Jongdae wanted to scream that he did learn his lesson ever since he fell in love with Yixing. Not a time was wasted when he was with Yixing. However, Jongdae knew that it was a waste of time introducing himself to Yixing again and again. Every night, Jongdae wished that he didn’t have to waste time like that anymore.
“I just want my own time back,” he pleaded.
“Of course you would want me back,” Time said as if it was obvious, “But I need to take something away from you in exchange.”
Jongdae gulped because he kind of knew this wouldn’t be good.
“I’m taking away the moment you and Yixing met,” Time told him.
Jongdae wanted to attack Time but he was held back by some unknown force. He couldn’t move- literally.
“NO!” Jongdae screamed, veins sticking out from his neck, “PLEASE! NOT THAT MOMENT! ANY MOMENT EXCEPT FOR THAT, PLEASE!”
Time sighed and said, “Time is precious, Jongdae. I need something precious from you to give you back time.”
“NO! YOU-”
“It’s time,” Time announced while Jongdae was shouting at the top of his lungs while crying, “Goodbye.”
--
Jongdae gasp when he woke up from his bed. He checked the time and it was 10:21 am. He checked his phone and saw that it was December 26. He didn’t know whether to be happy or not. Tears started to drop on his mobile screen. He hugged his knees and cried his heart out silently.
--
Jongdae didn’t waste any time while waiting for the moment that he will finally meet Yixing again.
--
Finally, Yixing and Jongdae met after 2109 days later.
Rating: PG-13
Pairing/s: Chen/Lay
Summary: Jongdae just want his time back.
Author Notes: Just some horrible idea that came up.
Warning: ending's quite rash
Length: 4130 words
Kim Jongdae had always been the type of guy to take his time in everything he does. Whenever a project is handed to him by his boss, he does the project so leisurely. The fact that he can get away from handing in project like that was peculiar to many of his colleagues but they didn’t dare mutter a single word because in whatever Kim Jongdae did, mistakes were never present. Whatever project he was given, it’ll become a big success so his boss dare not fire him even if he only does about two to three project a year when his usual employees get about ten or more of them.
--
It was Christmas Day but to Jongdae, it was just another day whereby he can wake up late and just waste the time away the whole day without colleagues trying to suck up to him. Personally, he hated how his colleagues act around him. Don’t get him wrong, he wants friends but he could see that his colleagues were too clouded with jealousy to make them worthy of a friendship with him. He merely wanted someone who he could joke or talk with without them asking work related stuff. He doesn’t like talking about work outside his workplace. That’s just how he is.
He opened his eyes and saw light peering in his room in between his dark curtains. He turned his head to check the time and it was 9:21am. He smiled and stretched his whole body. He can’t help but just be so joyous that he could wake up late and not because it’s Christmas day. He doesn’t have a family to go back to ever since they found out he could never give his heart to a woman. They threw all of his belongings at his face. Hate and disgust were sketched so clearly on their faces. Jongdae was so ready to turn his back from his whole family but the sadness that was seen on his brother’s face, Jongdae promised to himself that he’ll visit Joonmyeon in the future.
He readied himself and headed out of the door. While locking his door, his neighbour, Baekhyun waved and said hello. Jongdae waved back and smiled. Even though he lived on the top storey, he took his time and went down using the staircase instead of the lift. Once he gotten down on the ground floor, half an hour had already passed. The chilly air greeted him as soon as he took a step out of the building ground floor. He pocketed his hands and strolled down the street.
He decided to take a turn where he never went before just for the fun of it. He had all the time in the world anyway. Nothing was unusual in the street but he couldn’t help but feel so spooked. Maybe it was the silence that shrouded the road. Neither people nor even a presence of a voice was heard but Jongdae shrugged it off. He thought that it was surely from all the horror films he watched the night before.
He was whistling and looking down on the road, concentrating on his footsteps when he heard someone whisper his name. He felt the hair on the nape of his neck stand but once again, he ignored it, thinking it’s from the cold. When he looked up, he noticed a tree. It was a kind of tree that was too perfect to be on a quiet street like that. The tree had perfect trunks and shape, as if wanting to stand out as the main attraction of the street. As a result of the silence, he could hear something ticking. Curiosity killed the cat, Jongdae went to check out where it’s coming from. The sound was too audible for a watch but he didn’t really care.
He dug out the snow and when his hands were numb from the cold, he finally found the source of the sound. It was a pocket watch. It was vintage and old but it wasn’t rusty. It was that of usual pocket watch you’ll get to see in a night market but there’s something different from the object. On the cover of the watch, there was a big T carved on it, as if saying that the watch belong to a person that has a name initial ‘T’. Jongdae pouted and pocketed the watch.
“Finders keepers,” he whispered to himself.
After an hour of walking down the unknown street, he took a turn again, leading him back to a familiar road. He could feel himself shaking from the temperature so he decided to go inside a cafe.
When he had taken his order and sat down, he heard the loveliest laughter in the world. He turned around and saw a group of friends chattering loudly which was such a contrast to the cafe’s environment. Once again, he heard the laughter. The laughter was so full of joy that makes Jongdae want to laugh along. He saw that the source was from a guy with dimples on his right cheek. It makes Jongdae’s heart skip a beat. Jongdae widened his eyes and turned his sight away from him. Sure, Jongdae wants to have a boyfriend but he wasn’t one to make the first move and he is very shy when it comes to guys he likes. He hates it. No one would have thought he was that kind of guy since he was so nonchalant about everything he does.
He looked back at the guy again and he found out that he was looking directly at him. Jongdae looked away, feeling blood rush up to his cheeks.
“Damn it,” Jongdae thought.
Jongdae’s head snapped up when he saw the guy he like standing before him, smiling that made him show his dimples.
“Can I freaking cut off that dimple, it’s making my heart beat crazily,” Jongdae thought with a groan.
The guy sat in front of him and introduced himself as Zhang Yixing. Jongdae tilted his head to the side with a frown at the unusual name. Yixing explained that he was from China and Jongdae smiled as a response. Finally gathering courage, Jongdae introduced himself. Just like that, they started to talk nonstop as if they met so long ago. Whistles and words of teasing were coming out from Yixing’s friends and Jongdae wanted nothing but to bury himself six feet underground. Yixing laughed at their teasing and reassured Jongdae that they were just messing around.
“I really like you,” Yixing said casually, “We should go out sometimes, yea?”
Jongdae smiled and nodded.
He didn’t realise that he had spent so much time in the cafe because once he went out, it was already night. Taking his time in going home, he hummed to himself, taking small steps. He took the stairs up ever so slowly because once he reaches home, he’ll do nothing.
He opened the door to his apartment and took his time to get ready for bed. He placed his pocket watch on his bedside table and once again, there was the same voice that whispered his name just now. He stood frozen for a while but ignored it. He went to bed, and he was thankful that there weren’t any scary whispers that were heard.
--
Jongdae woke up and turned his head to his clock, frowning why his alarm clock didn’t ring at all. He saw that it was 09:21 am and he immediately sat upright, thinking he was already late for work but when he checked his phone, it was Christmas Day.
He furrowed his eyebrows and he swore that he already went through Christmas Day but he shook his head because such thing as repeating a day itself was impossible. He scratched his neck, confused because he couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was definitely wrong. While readying himself, he was so lost in thought that he put on his clothes the other way around. Jongdae cursed and decided to stop thinking too much and went out of his apartment.
When locking the door, he saw his neighbour, Baekhyun, who waved and greeted a hello towards him. Jongdae smiled and waved back. When he walked away, he stopped in his tracks for a while and continued.
“Déjà vu,” he whispered.
However, Jongdae couldn’t remember any dream that was similar to what was happening to him at the moment so Jongdae did what he does best, ignore it.
--
While walking down the street, he had his hands in his pocket and was looking down, concentrating on his footings. When he was about to pass a street, he stopped in his tracks. He looked up and turned his head towards a quiet street.
Strange, Jongdae thought. He swore he went to that street but how could he when he haven’t even stepped in the creepy street before. Then there was someone that whispered his name which got him to snap his head back to look for the source but no one was looking at him. Everyone was too busy doing their own thing. Jongdae blinked, confused.
He shook his head and chuckled to himself. He thought that it must be all the horror movies that he watched the night before. He remembered watching. . .
What was it I watched? Jongdae thought. He cursed as how forgetful he became. He wasn’t a forgetful person but it feels like he didn’t watch a movie yesterday. It felt like days ago. He sighed and looked around. Everything seemed normal, though. Maybe he was just tired.
He decided to go inside a cafe and sat down when he got his order. A loud laugh caught his attention. He turned his head around to catch a glimpse of a guy with a dimple. He felt his heart skip a beat and he swore under his breath.
“Have I seen him somewhere before?” he whispered to himself.
The dimple guy seemed to notice Jongdae and smiled at him. He widened his eyes as he was caught red-handed. He looked away and took a sip of his coffee. He cursed when the hot coffee spilled a little on his hand. It was scalding hot and Jongdae banged the cup on the table.
“Be careful there,” an amused voice told him.
Jongdae looked up and saw dimple guy. Jongdae took in a sharp breath when the stranger (or is he? Jongdae thought) took his hand and wiped it with a tissue gently. Jongdae gulped at the contact and he snatched his hands away immediately which got a laugh from the latter.
“What’s your name?” he asked Jongdae.
So Jongdae introduced himself and he found out that the dimple guy is named Yixing. Jongdae knew that he was from China before the latter told him. He didn’t know how he found out but it was like a gut feeling.
While they were having their conversation, it felt as if Jongdae went through it before. Yixing’s friends were teasing the both of them and Yixing laughed as he saw how red Jongdae was. Yixing decided that they should continue their conversation outside.
“Nice weather, huh?” Yixing said, while looking up.
Jongdae scoffed and replied, “Yeah, if you love freezing.”
The older lad laughed, amused. He wrapped an arm around Jongdae’s shoulder and turned to him. Jongdae squirmed quietly at how close Yixing’s lips were from his face.
“Warmer?” Yixing whispered teasingly in his ears.
Jongdae tensed at the latter’s action and Yixing smiled cheekily.
“You’re so cute!” Yixing cooed.
Jongdae slapped Yixing’s hands away from his cheeks and huffed.
“I’m a guy, Yixing,” Jongdae mumbled, “Not a puppy.”
Yixing gave a lopsided smile and ruffled Jongdae’s hair.
“You’re so serious,” the older lad remarked.
Jongdae sighed as a response and smiled lightly. It wasn’t that he was offended by Yixing but it was because Jongdae believed that he met Yixing before or yesterday. The thoughts concerning about having déjà vu was driving him crazy.
However, as the day progresses, he was grateful that Yixing managed to get those thoughts out of his mind for a while. They bid their goodbyes and before he knew it, he was swallowed into deep thoughts. When he got home, he felt like he was doing things automatically. As if he knew what will he be doing next. It was frustrating Jongdae because he had a good memory: he can even remember his dreams clearly. But the fact that he doesn’t even know if what he remembers is even a dream was driving him crazy because everything seemed so real.
While he was on his bed, a ticking watch was audible. Jongdae couldn’t remember having a ticking clock because he has an electronic clock on his bedside table. He turned his head towards the sound and saw a pocket watch. Frowning, he reached out the object and once he touched it, there was a whisper of his name- the same voice that he had heard this morning.
He snapped his head on the other side of the room, his heart pumping fast. Jongdae wasn’t that gullible. He knew that whatever was happening to him was not normal. He looked at the pocket watch that was on his hands and it was ticking like a normal rate of a heartbeat. Jongdae’s hand was shaking and he quickly let go of the watch as he felt it getting hotter, almost to the point of scalding his hands. He kicked it out of his bed and closed his eyes, forcing himself to sleep.
--
He woke up feeling so tired and he saw that his blankets were on the floor. He must have kicked it out of the bed. He rubbed his eyes and he saw that his palm looked burnt. He gasped when he remembered what happened yesterday night.
“Damn it,” he groaned, “It wasn’t a dream then.”
He checked out his clock and it read 09:21 am. He took in a sharp breath.
“It can’t be,” he whispered.
He frantically checked his mobile phone and he threw his phone away, doing the same as what he did to the pocket watch the other night.
“But it can’t be the other night,” he whispered, “I was scalded on Christmas Day but today-”
Jongdae shook his head and continued to talk to himself, “Today is still Christmas Day.”
--
Jongdae readied himself as fast as he can, wasting no time. Jongdae would have laughed if someone told him that he wasn’t wasting time because he was an expert at it. But now, he needs to check something or more like someone.
When he locked his door, he turned his head to his neighbour Baekhyun. Jongdae waved before his neighbour could mutter a single greeting. Jongdae knew that Baekhyun would do that because-
“Because it already happened!” Jongdae whispered to himself.
Ignoring the chilly wind and the freezing weather, he ran towards the cafe he was supposed to go. He has to check if he was there.
Once he had reached, he opened the door violently, causing the people inside to look at him weirdly. He looked like a mess with sweat trickling down his forehead and hair sticking all over the place. He bowed to apologise to the people and then he caught his eyes.
“Yixing,” he whispered.
He wanted to approach him so badly but he can’t. They didn’t know each other. No, Yixing didn’t know that they already met but they actually did. Jongdae just didn’t know when they met because today’s Christmas Day and they met on Christmas Day.
Jongdae closed his eyes and took in a deep breath to calm himself down. He gripped his hair to stop the pounding headache threatening to become a migraine. He ordered himself a coffee and went to sit down near the window where he remembered sitting in his dream or yesterday or-
“This is driving me insane!” he thought with a grunt.
“Are you okay?”
He froze on his seat because he knew well who that voice belonged to. He looked up to meet Yixing’s eyes full of concern. Jongdae smiled and he felt much better out of a sudden.
“I’m fine,” he answered.
Yixing smiled and Jongdae’s heart melted at the sight of his dimple. The older lad sat in front of him and introduced himself. Jongdae had the urge to complete his sentences but he has to refrain himself from doing so because if someone was to finish his sentence, it would creep him out.
“I’m Jongdae,” he said.
There goes the dimple again. Yixing commented that Jongdae made quite an entrance in the shop. Jongdae bit his lips and laughed awkwardly. The older lad continued on saying that it was as if Jongdae was looking for someone or something he needs. Jongdae thought that he was quite right because he was looking for Yixing but if Jongdae replied that he needs to see the older lad, it would be quite strange. Jongdae might be seen as a stalker.
Yet again, the day continued: Yixing with him. This time though, they went to an amusement park. Yixing’s laugh was the most precious sound Jongdae can ever hear in his whole life and he wanted to hear it every day.
Once Jongdae was home, he went to bed, smiling. He finally found something to look forward to when he restart Christmas Day again.
--
Before he knew it, he fell in love with Zhang Yixing.
--
Jongdae was starting to get sick of introducing himself to Yixing for the millionth time. He wanted the latter to know his name. He wanted Yixing to be with him officially and he wants the latter to be there when he wakes up the next morning. However, Jongdae knew that there will never be a next morning because the morning he now knew is only Christmas Day.
After the fourth time of waking up to the same day, he started to count how many times he had repeated the same day. He checked his notebook (thankfully his notes didn’t disappear when he wakes up to another Christmas Day) and counted that it has almost been a month since the last time he had experienced a new day. It had kept Jongdae awake at night, thinking what happened to let him experience such torture.
Every time he goes into the place where he would meet Yixing, he really had to hold himself back so much from going to Yixing and just cry. He needed to let out so much frustration but he can’t. To Yixing, Jongdae was a stranger. And just the mere thought of his love thinking that they never met before and didn’t share the same feelings crushed Jongdae.
He wanted his time back.
--
He lied down on his bed on another Christmas evening thinking back of what had just happened ‘last night’.
Jongdae’s POV
“Wha-”
I was cut off when Yixing attached his lips onto mine. He had me trapped against hid bedroom door. I couldn’t believe this was happening because to him, it is the first day we met and wouldn’t it be kind of bad to make out with someone who was a stranger to him? Nonetheless, I also wanted this.
“I might sound crazy but I feel like I have known you for quite a while now,” Yixing whispered before kissing me again.
No, Yixing. You’re not crazy because you did meet me before. You just don’t know. I wrapped my arms around his neck to take more of him. I gasped when he grinds his hips to mine and I let out a sinful moan. He went on to bite on my earlobes which got me crazy. I gripped his hair tighter because I felt so hot. I wanted to just take off my clothes. I felt I was going to overheat.
I felt him grab my ass to pull me closer to him and I groaned when our member touched each other. The friction was driving me insane. I just want more.
But he pulled away.
“I’m sorry,” he apologised.
I ignored the tug of disappointment and I just smiled. My heart decelerating to a normal rate.
“We just met-” he explained.
I just shook my head and I bit my lips to stop myself from crying out my frustration because we didn’t ‘just met’. I ignored his pleas for me to come back. I just wanted to be alone.
Jongdae’s POV ends.
--
“I must have done something,” he whispered after recalling what happened to Yixing and him.
A whisper of his name was heard again. The whisper didn’t scare Jongdae anymore. It was as normal as breathing. But he couldn’t figure out why he hears this voice.
“Have I gone crazy?” he thought.
As if pulled by something, his hands automatically went to the pocket watch he couldn’t remember getting from. He stared at the pocket watch and its strange ticking was mesmerising Jongdae.
Tick tock tick tock
Jongdae widened his eyes when it finally clicked.
Tick tock tick tock
Everything started to repeat when he took the watch.
Tick tock tick tock
And then he remembered the tree in a strange street.
Tick tock tick tock
He scrambled out of his bed and ran out of his house with the pocket watch despite that he was only wearing sleep clothing because something like this can’t wait.
--
He was huffing, the night air condensing his breath, when he reached the place he remembered going to. He scanned the street to look for somebody. He felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand because he could feel someone standing right behind him. He was petrified on his spot, afraid of turning back.
“Are you scared of me?” a deep voice asked.
Jongdae didn’t dare move.
“Who- who are you?” he stuttered.
“Turn around.”
Jongdae complied because the authority of the stranger’s voice made him obey. Jongdae’s eyes widened at the sight of the person. But that wasn’t quite right. The stranger isn’t even a person at all. The stranger was something Jongdae cannot comprehend.
“I’m Time,” the stranger introduced.
Jongdae’s mouth hanged opened at the stranger’s answer. He couldn’t believe him or her or whatever Time is. But Jongdae decided to believe Time because strange things have been happening lately so something like someone introducing themselves as Time wasn’t really peculiar.
“Why me?” Jongdae asked.
Time smiled and answered, “You see, Jongdae, I felt hurt.”
Jongdae furrowed his eyebrows and Time continued, “You were wasting me. So I decided to. . waste you.”
Jongdae started at Time in disbelief and cried, “Do you think this is funny?”
Time turned to Jongdae and answered, “Oh, no. It was quite painful to see you repeat this day again and again. Plus, you fell in love. So that kind of hurt me more. But do you think it was nice to waste me, Jongdae?”
Jongdae couldn’t answer back because Time had a point.
“Now that you finally figured it out, I hope you learnt your lesson,” Time said.
Jongdae wanted to scream that he did learn his lesson ever since he fell in love with Yixing. Not a time was wasted when he was with Yixing. However, Jongdae knew that it was a waste of time introducing himself to Yixing again and again. Every night, Jongdae wished that he didn’t have to waste time like that anymore.
“I just want my own time back,” he pleaded.
“Of course you would want me back,” Time said as if it was obvious, “But I need to take something away from you in exchange.”
Jongdae gulped because he kind of knew this wouldn’t be good.
“I’m taking away the moment you and Yixing met,” Time told him.
Jongdae wanted to attack Time but he was held back by some unknown force. He couldn’t move- literally.
“NO!” Jongdae screamed, veins sticking out from his neck, “PLEASE! NOT THAT MOMENT! ANY MOMENT EXCEPT FOR THAT, PLEASE!”
Time sighed and said, “Time is precious, Jongdae. I need something precious from you to give you back time.”
“NO! YOU-”
“It’s time,” Time announced while Jongdae was shouting at the top of his lungs while crying, “Goodbye.”
--
Jongdae gasp when he woke up from his bed. He checked the time and it was 10:21 am. He checked his phone and saw that it was December 26. He didn’t know whether to be happy or not. Tears started to drop on his mobile screen. He hugged his knees and cried his heart out silently.
--
Jongdae didn’t waste any time while waiting for the moment that he will finally meet Yixing again.
--
Finally, Yixing and Jongdae met after 2109 days later.