Answers to all Questions
Seth
A few months had passed since I came back to the past, and everything had been going well. I still didn't fully understand how or why I got this second chance, but I stopped thinking too much about it.
What mattered most was that I had the chance to change Ivan's fate—to save him from the tragedy that once took him away.
In the past few months, I spent a lot of time with Ivan, especially at school. I often went to his house to study and check on him. I wanted to get closer to him and make some good memories together.
"Seth," Ivan suddenly said.
"Ah... yeah?" I replied, snapping out of my thoughts. I had been staring at him a bit too long.
He raised an eyebrow. "You weren't even listening, were you?" I gave him an awkward smile. "Sorry about that," I admitted.
He sighed and leaned back a little. "Is something wrong?" His voice had a hint of concern. He must've noticed that something had been bothering me for a while. But I didn't want him to worry, so I tried to play it off.
"Nothing's wrong," I said casually. "I'm just enjoying hanging out with you," I added with a playful grin. Ivan didn't laugh. Instead, he gave me a serious look, clearly not believing me.
I sighed in defeat. "Alright, fine. It's just schoolwork stressing me out," I said. It wasn't a complete lie—I really had been struggling with my studies.
He didn't say anything right away. Instead, he got up and quietly walked out of the room. I blinked, not sure where he was going. A few moments later, he came back with a tray of snacks and a steaming cup of tea.
"I don't know if you even like tea, but it's all we have at home right now," he said, setting it down in front of me. I couldn't help but smile. Ivan wasn't the type to show his feelings openly, but this was his way of showing he cared.
"Tea helps clear your mind," he said as he carefully poured me a cup.
I watched him, smiling at the simple but thoughtful gesture. As he was about to get up after pouring the tea, I reached out and grabbed his hand without thinking, holding it firmly.
"Seth!" he exclaimed, clearly startled. His usual calm expression slipped, and I couldn't help but grin when I saw a faint blush on his face.
"Sit beside me this time," I said as I let go of his hand.
He hesitated for a moment, rubbing the back of his neck, then gave a small chuckle before finally sitting next to me. In that moment, we just enjoyed being together, forgetting about everything else—even if just for a little while.
Every day, every moment—I made sure to make the most of it. I took every chance I had missed in my past life, and it turned out to be an unforgettable experience.
One of those moments was when I stood on stage, singing in front of the whole school during an event. The loud applause and kind support from everyone took me by surprise. In the past, I never had the courage to show my talent, but this time, I finally did. And it felt incredible.
Beyond that, I pushed myself harder in school, determined to do better this time. Ivan became my tutor, and though he was strict—sometimes scolding me when I lost focus—his way of teaching worked. He made sure I understood everything, and thanks to him, studying didn't feel as hard as it used to.
For a while, it felt like everything was finally going right, like I had truly changed the path I was on. But just when I started to believe things would be different this time, the moment I feared the most came crashing in—faster than I could have ever expected.
"Next month will be our field trip! Is everyone excited?" our homeroom teacher announced as she wrote the date on the board.
As soon as she said it, a sharp pain hit my chest. Memories I had tried so hard to forget came rushing back. My hands curled into fists under the desk, and my breathing grew uneven. I couldn't hear anything else—the teacher's voice faded into the background as my thoughts took over.
Then, I felt a light tap on my shoulder, snapping me back to the present. I turned to see Ivan looking at me, his brows slightly drawn together with concern.
"Seth, are you okay?" he asked gently.
I looked at him, and suddenly I felt sick. His face—it was the same one I had seen covered in blood after the accident. The memory hit me hard: Ivan slumped over, his head bleeding, and the van that was supposed to take us home completely wrecked after it crashed.
My chest felt tight. My vision got blurry. My heart was beating so fast it hurt. "Seth!" Ivan's voice called out to me, but it sounded far away, like he wasn't really there.
Then, everything went black.
**********
"Where... am I?" I whispered, blinking as my eyes got used to the bright white ceiling above me. When I tried to sit up, a sharp pain hit my head, and I quickly held my hand to my temple.
"Seth, take it slow!" Ivan said firmly but gently as he came to my side. Before I could say anything, he helped me sit up on the edge of the bed.
"You suddenly fainted in class," he explained, looking serious but calm. "The teacher asked me to bring you to the infirmary." His presence made me feel a little better, but I could still see the worry in his eyes.
"Sorry for making you worry," I said quietly, still feeling the pain in my head.
Ivan let out a small sigh and shook his head. "It's okay," he said, though his voice sounded a little shaky. "But you really scared our teacher when you collapsed like that." He gave a small chuckle to lighten the mood, but I could see something serious in his eyes.
Before I could say anything, he went on, "Your parents are on their way. The school nurse said you should go home and rest."
"But I can't miss class," I said, trying to sit up straighter.
Ivan's face turned serious as he looked right at me. "Seth, your health is more important," he said, his voice stronger than I'd ever heard it before.
I felt a chill when I saw something in his eyes—something stronger than I had ever seen before, even in our past life. Then, to my surprise, his eyes filled with tears. When one rolled down his cheek, I felt something break inside me.
Without thinking, I reached out and hugged him tightly. He froze for a second, then slowly relaxed, gripping my shirt and pressing his face against my chest.
"I was scared," he whispered in a soft, shaky voice.
I held him closer, feeling his quiet sobs. This had never happened before. But in that moment, all I could think about was how close he was and how heavy his feelings felt.
"I'm sorry," I whispered, gently rubbing his back to comfort him. In that moment, I hated myself for being the reason he cried. I had been so caught up in my own fear of what might happen that I didn't notice what was right in front of me. But could anyone really blame me?
All I wanted was for him to live—to avoid the accident that took him from me in our past life. I wanted to see his smile every day, to understand him more, to learn everything about him. And if I had to do whatever it takes to protect him, I would.
We stayed like that for a while, holding each other, until the nurse came back with my parents. She told them to take me home and let me rest, so I ended up leaving school earlier than usual.
My parents were really worried, but I told them it was just stress from school and the upcoming final exams after the field trip. After a while, they calmed down and let me rest.
When I woke up, it was already two in the afternoon.
I had a bunch of messages from my friends and even our homeroom teacher, all asking if I was okay. I let them know that I had gotten some rest after going home and was feeling better.
Of course, I also messaged Ivan—I knew I must've really worried him. He replied saying he was at the café with the others, like usual. That made me smile. It was nice to know that even without me there, he was spending time with them.
Since I had already rested enough, I thought it wouldn't hurt to join them for a bit. After getting permission from my parents, I headed out.
On my way to the café, I saw the gentleman—the one who had given me the watch—sitting on a bench in a nearby park. He looked calm and at peace, simply watching people walk by as the breeze gently moved around him. But as I got closer, each step felt heavier, like the air itself was filled with something I couldn't see but could definitely sense.
Without even looking up, he spoke. "You're here at last." His voice was calm, like he had been waiting for me. Then he motioned to the empty spot next to him. "Come. Sit with me," he said. "I'll answer the questions you've been wanting to ask."
I quickly sat down beside him, my heart beating fast with a mix of excitement and nervousness.
"There's no need to be nervous," he said with a gentle, knowing smile. "You can call me Reiji," he added, finally introducing himself.
I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself before finally asking the question that had been on my mind for so long. "Why did you give me that old pocket watch, Mr. Reiji?"
He looked at me for a moment, then smiled softly. "Everyone deserves a second chance—to fix their regrets and change the things they once wished they could," he said. His voice was calm, but his words felt deep and meaningful. "I just gave you that chance."
I stayed quiet, letting his words sink in as he went on. "Isn't it something? To finally do the things you never had the chance to before? To live without all the 'what-ifs' hanging over you?" His eyes held a deep wisdom, like he had seen many people walk the same road of regret.
"I've seen so many chases perfection, trying to be the best at everything," he said. "But in the end, very few of them find real happiness in what they achieve. Along the way, they forget what's truly important."
His words settled heavily in my chest. Then he turned to me again, his expression softer now.
"Tell me," He said gently, "are you satisfied with what you've done so far?"
I paused, letting the question sink in. My mind wandered over the past few months—the times I spent with Ivan, the laughter, the simple joys of living without holding back. Since getting this second chance, I had found a kind of happiness I never thought I'd have.
A small, true smile appeared on my lips. "Yes," I said, my voice calm and sure.
"But there's still something you have to do, isn't there?" he said, finishing the thought I had been too afraid to say out loud.
I opened my mouth to answer, but before I could speak, he went on, his voice calm but with a hint of something deeper—something I couldn't quite understand.
"I might not be able to tell you what you should or shouldn't do," he said quietly, "but I can give you some advice." He paused, choosing his words carefully. "Everything you do will change the present, but it can never erase what has already happened."
My heart skipped a beat. "You mean—" I began, but my words faded away.
"You'll understand when the time comes," he said, his face hard to read, but a small smile touched his lips—one that felt both comforting and heavy.
I wanted to ask more, to know exactly what he meant and what my choices might bring. But before I could say anything, a familiar voice called my name from far away. I quickly turned toward the sound, and when I looked back, the man was already standing up.
"Looks like your friends are here," he said, sounding almost amused. "We'll meet again someday."
And just like that, he walked away, leaving me sitting there with even more questions swirling in my mind. Before I could gather my thoughts, I felt someone coming quickly toward me.
"Seth! What are you doing here?!" James called out, his voice full of relief but also frustration.
I barely had time to react before the rest of my friends surrounded me. Ivan was at the front, his sharp eyes scanning me as if checking if I was okay.
"Seriously, man, you just collapsed earlier! And now you're out here like nothing happened?" James said, arms crossed.
Travis shook his head and added, "You scared everyone today, and now we find you lost in thought in the middle of a park? What are you, the main character of some drama?"
I gave a nervous laugh, but before I could say anything, Ivan stepped forward. He didn't say a word, but the way he looked at me told me he was more than just a little worried—he was really concerned.
"Are you really, okay?" he asked quietly, his voice softer than the others but full of care.
I smiled, pushing away the thoughts of my talk with the café owner. "Yeah, I'm fine," I told them. "I just needed some fresh air, that's all."
Ivan didn't look convinced, but before he could ask more, James huffed and said, "Fine or not, you're coming with us. No more wandering off like that, okay?"
I laughed a little and shook my head. "Alright, alright, let's go."
As we walked toward the café together, their voices filled the air—James complaining, Travis joking, and Ivan quietly glancing my way now and then, still worried.
And even with all the questions still in my mind, in that moment, surrounded by them, I felt a warm feeling in my chest.
A second chance. A chance to get things right.
No matter what the future held, I wouldn't waste it.