"So what you're saying is that...you can make time travel happen?"

Mr. Park leaned back in his chair with a proud smile. "Yes, sir."

Time travel. I couldn't wrap my head around it. It seemed as possible to me as dinosaurs returning, or Seokjin learning to shut up. In other words, it meant that time travel seemed inconceivable.

"That's impossible," I said. "Is this a scam?"

Irritation rippled across Jimin's face, but it was swiftly replaced by a smile. I noticed that it looked suspiciously like a customer service smile. "No. Would you like more information?"

"Yes?" I said, as if it was not already obvious.

"So basically," said Mr. Park, "we learned that there are a very large number of alternate universes, and that our universe is not the only one out there. We figured out a way to 'fold' space-time, so that it wouldn't take thousands of years to access those universes. In addition, we also learned that people can visit different points on that universe's timeline. However, unfortunately, we cannot control which universe or what place on that universe's timeline people travel to."

I frowned. "That's...cool, I guess, albeit the last part. But you haven't shown me any proof that what you're saying is real. How am I supposed to believe you?"

"If you want, I can explain all the science behind it. To move around in time, we found a way to create a wormhole--"

"No," I said, far more brash than I'd intended. "Sorry. I meant that I wanted to see proof that you could do it. Like, a demonstration."

"Then you would have to try it yourself," said Jimin.

My head whispered a warning to me. Time travel is impossible. You don't know what you're getting yourself into. It yanked me away from adventure, sheltered me from risk and danger. But my heart. Oh, my heart. It tugged at me, its murmur becoming a roar in my brain, drowning out my rationale, my anchor. My logic was the earth--ever-secure, keeping me safe. But my passion was the fire, all-consuming, pulling me closer to the edge, encouraging me to trust, to jump.

The pull of my curiosity whelmed all logic, and despite my better judgment, I said, "So if I were to...time travel, what would happen?"

"You would experience an alternate universe," said Mr. Park. His voice was patient, but I could sense a hint of annoyance in it, like a parent speaking to a child.

"Yeah, but, if I went, then my parents would notice that I was gone. Not to mention, how safe even is this?"

"Firstly," said Mr. Park, "when you visit an alternate universe, that universe's version of you comes here, to prevent multiple versions of you from being in the same universe. The first time we sent someone, it just happened. We don't have an explanation for how or why it happens--not yet, at least. It just is."

"Wait. How many times have you tested this?"

"13. We never force people to time-travel, so we only take volunteers."

"Has it ever..." I searched for the right phrase. "Gone wrong?"

His expression seemed to shutter. "Only once, when someone attempted to travel back in time in this universe under our nose. Until then, no one had tried to travel within their own universe's timeline." He paused, as if preparing himself for what he was going to say next. "We never saw that person again. My hypothesis is that they met the past version of themselves, and chaos ensued." A sigh. "The other twelve people's trips went smoothly, though."

I nodded. But even if Mr. Park was telling the truth, I couldn't see myself opting in. I couldn't see myself visiting any alternate universes, or reliving my senior year, or interacting with Maia.

Maia.

Just thinking about her opened up the wound I'd been trying to heal. No, I could not talk to Maia. Not anymore. I couldn't even bear to look at her when I passed her in the hallway--how would I be able to hold a conversation with her?

"I still don't fully believe you guys," I said. "And I have questions about this."

Mr. Park shrugged. "Ask away."

"How do I know that you guys aren't from different universes, if the whole switching thing is true?"

"We don't let people affiliated with us travel through time. We thought it would be too risky if one of us went, because they could possibly spread information about our organization to someone. It's just a policy." Mr. Park paused. "Plus, if someone from our organization decided to try it, we would know, because they would need this...method to time-travel. And there is a high level of security on those. No one would be able to steal one without someone noticing."

"What do you mean by 'method'?"

"If you're still wary of us, I can give you a full explanation of all the science and physics that went into this. Including an explanation of how the method works."

"No, thanks," I said quickly. The truth was, I was still suspicious of Mr. Park's grand idea, but I also didn't want to sit through his explanation. Even without listening to it, I already knew that it would be a long one. I cleared my throat. "Um. I think what you've...claimed to do is very cool, but I don't see myself volunteering to help you guys." I got up, smoothing my shirt as I did so. "Good luck, though, in your future endeavors."

Jimin turned to look at me. "Taehyung--"

"I'm sorry," I said. "I just--I don't think I can--"

"No," he said. "It's okay. But don't tell anyone about this. It has to remain confidential."

"What? Is this illegal?"

"It is not illegal, thank you very much," Mr. Park cut in. "But we need to keep it a secret, or the public will start mobbing."

I didn't say anything, just nodded. Jimin jumped up from the couch. "I'm leaving too. See you."

We descended the stairs and walked past the receptionist. I lifted a hand to push the door open, but Jimin had turned to speak with her. "No luck?" she asked.

He shrugged. "No."

The receptionist nodded, and Jimin and I exited the building. "See you on Monday," I said.

He nodded and turned away.

~

Jimin waited until Monday to spring the question on me. I could sense that he'd been waiting since Friday, but I had avoided talking about anything that might lead to the topic of time travel. His question had become a ticking bomb that I had tried to ignore over the weekend, but now that he was sitting next to me in AP World, it was on the verge of detonating.

"Jimin, I don't think I can do it," I replied to him. "I don't know if I can see her without thinking of our breakup."

"That Maia won't know of your breakup. Think about it. You can spend some time with her. Enjoy her company."

I don't even know if I want to enjoy her company, I thought. But instead, I said, "Would it be illegal if I theoretically spent my whole life in an alternate universe?"

He put his folder on the desk. "Probably not. You would just have to get used to the possible changes that might be in that universe, such as your social circle or your classes. But it shouldn't mess anything up if you stayed there long-term. I'm telling you--it won't hurt to go, as long as you follow all the safety procedures, of course."

"And if I were to go, and that version of me replaced me, would you feel weird?"

"No. That Taehyung has the same personality as this Taehyung. There are no major differences that anyone will notice."

"That's nice," I said. Then quieter, "But I'm not even over her yet. I'm just trying to move on, yet you're trying to force her back into my life. I don't want to see her, okay?."

He paused as if contemplating something. After what seemed like a long while, he said, "I'm only being this desperate because we haven't had a volunteer in four months." Jimin's shoulders drooped. "My dad and uncle are physicists, you know. Their income depends on what they do. And my uncle's boss is becoming more and more reluctant to pay him. If they don't perfect this time travel stuff, they might be forced to abandon the project." 

I waited for him to continue, but he didn't. "Jimin," I said in a low tone, "your uncle's organization seems more and more sketchy the more you talk about it."

He didn't reply. I watched as Jimin massaged his temples, and suddenly, I noticed the bruised purple of his undereye circles, the pallid skin on his face--his family's financial situation had affected him more than he'd let on. He's your friend, I thought. Don't you care about him?

You're supposed to support him when he's struggling.

And even if I thought Mr. Park was wild for believing so much in time travel, I would never wish financial instability on him. No one deserved to have to worry about whether they could keep their home, or where they would get their next meal. Yes, Mr. Park's financial situation certainly took precedence over my girl problems. After all, if I didn't want to see Maia, I could just avoid her. Hopefully.

I exhaled, making my decision. "Jimin," I said. He looked up. "You know what? I still think you guys might be scamming me, but I'm willing to give it a chance. Do you happen to have one of his business cards on you?"

a/n: this is a legitimate thing i've noticed, but i find myself plagiarizing myself a lot?? like for example in my past books i might have a phrase/line/paragraph that i really like so i just use it again when i'm writing newer stuff like this book. i also found myself doing it a lot when i wrote/am writing my research paper ?? like for example in a past paper that i wrote, i have a sentence that goes,

"Cults, especially religious cults, have been an issue for hundreds of years. They have caused both psychological and physical harm to individuals and societies. While some measures have been taken to stop their influence, more actions should be taken to further minimize their effects on people and society."

(that was from a paper i wrote last semester. and yes i did a project on cults). but anyway i found myself copying that paragraph into my current research paper and changing some words to fit what i was writing. so yeah im basically plagiarizing myself. anyway that was a long authors note oops