Time has always been an interesting topic for me, because unlike what most people think, there isn't just one linear route that drags everything in the universe along with it, but rather, there are infinitely many with each one having its own universe. It's intriguing, but at the same time I could not help but be scared of what could come out of it.

I have seen many possibilities, and believe me when I say that not all of them ended happily – more than half of them involved him getting crushed by gravity just because his teacher didn't make it in time. There were a lot of cases where I couldn't butt in to help, regardless of how much I wanted to, and that is because time is already as messed up as it is untouched, and even if it isn't, it's not like I would be able to.

However, out of all the timelines, there will always be one or two that I'd lay my hands on every now and then.

They are the ones that are actually in my reach.

"But in the end, you guys still ended up going out with each other" I said, commenting on the story told by Hiratsuka-sensei, "so yes, he was totally your boyfriend!"

"I guess you're right, Yuigahama" she said as she scratched her head.

"As I thought, hehe"

Hiratsuka-sensei stayed silent for a short while, after which her expression suddenly switched to an exhausted one.

"Sensei, what's wrong?" I expressed my concern.

"Yuigahama" she said, and paused for a little, "It's about time that I should tell you the most important details, namely what happened before Cultural festival"

"Is there a significant in that?" I said.

"It's very important, I've been waiting to share it meaningfully for a decade, so I hope you listen carefully" she replied in a serious tone. I was surely surprised, especially having heard of her success story just several seconds ago.

"Several days before the festival, he had a dream, one that reminded him of those he cared about."

When I first heard of that, I did not think much into it as I thought it was just some petty coincidence. This year's Cultural Festival was held on the same day as ten years ago, which was just the day prior. Two days before that, I had my fair share of the dreams about the person I care about too, and a lucid one at that.

"Months before that, Yukinoshita ran away from home and lost her stuffed bear along the way"

"Sensei, you heard of that story too? The one where a kind stranger handed her a Pan-san plushie"

"I was there when it happened. The person who gave that to her is the same guy we are talking about, and he didn't actually gave her a plushie. He took a remaining piece of poster that was ripped from the wall, drew a picture of a panda on it with a sharpie marker, and gave it to her"

I knew that I was in the situation where such thing isn't appropriate, but I almost burst out into laughter at how twisted the reality can be compared to what was told. To be honest, I felt guilty about it, as holding those information to herself seemed to have caused her a fair amount of pain, and the least I could do to comfort her was to listen carefully.

"Two days before that, 10th of November, was when I first met him. Now, add it all up, and you get exactly three months and two days"

"Three months and two days" I repeated. Somehow, the numbers were ringing bells faintly within my mind, as if trying their best to remind me of one very important detail. I spent several clock ticks thinking, staring blank into empty space, and when it finally struck me, it did so very bluntly.

"Sensei.. what's his name?" I said, looking straight into her eyes, anticipating only one answer

"You finally figured it out, Yuigahama" she said, trying her best to smile.

Despite her indirectness, I knew exactly what she was trying to get across.

"Why didn't you tell us earlier?"

She averted her eyes, and did not reply.

"Hiratsuka-sensei!" I called her out, slowly getting agitated, "I asked you why you didn't tell us earlier?! You knew about it since the beginning, and yet you left us wondering all this time?"

"I'm sorry, I thought you girls wouldn't believe in something so unrealistic" she said, sobbing as her eyes became all teary, "When I finally get to see him during your first year's entrance ceremony, I didn't believe it either. 'It's probably his son', I thought of it that way."

Wiping the tears off her face, she said "But no, after seeing him backing off from any social interaction, trying to think of himself as being so highly and understanding of human nature, I was convinced that it's him. You won't believe how much I wanted to just walk through all the seats, grab him off to the sides and embrace him as hard as I could"

I didn't expect to hear such things from her, the person who usually has a cool and firm demeanor. It's true that I've seen her being weak, but not once have I seen her desperate, which I know I really wasn't in the position to say that since I was being equally, maybe even more so. But all that didn't really justify her keeping everything from us.

"When is he coming back?"

"I- I don't know"

"But you have been there, you said that yourself"

"It's been ten years. Do you really think I want to remember everything for such a long time?"

I couldn't hold off my tears either after learning of the truth. If anything, I felt betrayed for the fact that Hiratsuka-sensei has always been honest, although blunt. She should've known best that Yukinon and I should be one of the firsts to be told of such important information.

Not being able to handle my emotions any longer, I quickly stood up and went for the door, trying to exit the room as fast as I could. But as I was about to set my foot outside, I was startled by a figure who seemed to have just stood there for god knows how long.

"Greetings, Yuigahama-san" the figure said. It was a middle aged lady who had the bodily features that reminded me of another person that I know. Her cold, light blue eyes and her long, black hair were ones that stood out to me the most.

"Yuigahama-san, isn't it a bit inappropriate to lash out at your teacher like that?"

Lecturing me on social behaviors aside, the fact that she seemed to know what was going on was quite intriguing. For some reason, I felt as if it wasn't my first meet with her.

"Wh- who are you?" I asked the lady.

"You're that lady.." Hiratsuka-sensei said.

"Huh?!" I exclaimed, looking back and forth between the two.

"Hiratsuka-san, how have you been doing?" said the lady, shifting her attention to the Japanese teacher, "I can't believe it's already been a decade for you that we last met – the last time I saw you was just yesterday"

"You haven't changed at all"

"Neither did you, Hiratsuka-san" the lady said, "the only thing different about you now is that you got taller"

The conversation left me a little clueless about what was going on. A moment ago we were being emotional, but then we changed to some kind of a reunion?

As I looked back at her, she already had the tears wiped off, smiling slightly.

"Now, Hiratsuka-san" she added, "I know that you wouldn't be able to remember everything from ten years ago, but do you at least remember a certain promise?"

"Of course" she said, "after all, that's exactly why I became a teacher in the first place"

After finishing with the statement, she turned her eyes to me.

"Yuigahama"

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry about all that I've put you through. For now, please follow that lady over there, she'll fill you in with all the details you'll ever want to know"

I had not once expected to be confessed to by any sensible girl, let alone having to accept from one. Looking back where my life was when I entered High school, I thought I had disconnected myself from this one thing I believed was created by those who failed in the past.

I did, but that wasn't until I was assigned a paper that I wouldn't be able to write had I stuck with the original topic. It was that point in life where, initially, you thought things are going downhill fast.

"Man, I'm really tired", Shizuka said as she rested her head on my shoulders, "people are just using Service Club for labour work, aren't they?"

"Not that I don't get how you feel" I replied, "but it's not like you were denying their request either"

"Hmm! Not you too, Hikigaya-kun" she said, looking up to my face and pouted.

Throughout the train ride, I ran through a couple of things in my head, one of them was me deciding or not whether my life was still going downhill.

Even then, I was still untrusting of others. Me deciding to chase after her wasn't due of the fact Hanasaki successfully convinced me, even though she surprisingly did, or that I suddenly made a decision to change my stance on this whole thing, but that the very little shard of empathy that I had drove me to do so.

I remember that feeling after getting rejected by Orimoto, it wasn't a very pleasant one, even if it was a coating for what I actually felt, which was just disappointment. It was fortunate of me that I didn't have any friends, or else I would've had create unnecessary drama, an action that people normally use the phrase "consulting your friends" to refer to.

My train of thought was put to halt as the train itself was gradually stopping.

"Huh? Its stopping?" Shizuka said.

"Seems like so" I said as the train came to a complete stop.

I then heard footsteps from the cabinet behind me, which I thought was weird, since I didn't remember anybody else who regularly used the line at that particular time other than Shizuka and I. Well, it wasn't as if I remember people in general anyway. But the sound was gradually getting nearer and nearer, and when It finally stopped, there was a person visible within my peripheral vision. Responding to my own curiosity, I decided to turn to the person's to take a quick look at who it was, I immediately regretted boarding the train.

The person who stood there at the cabinet door was the same police officer who attacked us months earlier. Physically, there was nothing being emitted from him, but I somehow was able the sense the killing intent coming my way.

It was one of those moments that I hoped I was just having a bad dream.

"To give you a simple explanation," said the lady as she entered the train, "there are many different timelines running in parallel, each holding its own possibilities – some are the same, but they're mostly different"

"So" I said, barely made it past the warning beeps before the door closes, "right now he is in a different timeline?"

"Yes, Yuigahama-san" she said, "luckily, the layout of events in that timeline so far is exactly the same as this one"

"But you just said 'they're mostly different'"

"True, there has to be a difference somewhere – it has always been the case" she said, "Yuigahama-san, do you remember when your teacher said she doesn't recall when Hikigaya-kun went back?"

"Yes, what about it?"

"The truth is, even if she does, there is no guarantee that it would be the same here."

"What do you mean?" I asked, slightly confused.

"Yuigahama-san, the reason why timelines are created, according to one of the theories at least, is to provide alternative outcomes for a scenario. If everything that has happened in that timeline has been the same so far, then there will definitely be a difference sooner or later."

When I heard of the explanation, fear struck me. If the Hikki I met when I was younger was able to go back to his timeline, then there is a chance that Hikki from this timeline wouldn't be able to come back. That was what I thought.

"But then again, Yuigahama-san," she added, "since we're going to be meddling with the timeline anyway, all of that would be irrelevant – we can always make those changes be in our favor, can't we?"

It was probably due to her very calm and occasionally soothing tone of voice, but her words reassured me to nonetheless. Nothing having anything else I wanted to say, I simply smiled back at her.

"Yuigahama-san, as soon as we reach the halfway between Tsuga and Yotsukaido stations, we should already be in a different timeline. Initially, it wouldn't feel any different because there is no visible transition of any kind, and also because the time on the clock is exactly the same as they are here. In any case, you should get yourself ready"

"Alright" I said, trying my best to be confident.

I tried all the ways possible to mentally prepare myself for what was to come – it would be proven useful to me later on, after I stepped into the place that I'm familiar with, yet at the same time I knew nothing of it.

A/N: It's not over yet :)