02

"Guardian?"

"Mhm. Guardian angel, that is."

My eyes widened.

What kind of bull is he trying to pull?

"If you don't believe me, look around."

I cautiously glanced around and noticed that everything was frozen. The clock that hung above the blackboard in front of the room had stopped and the students around me were frozen in action.

What the hell was going on?

•••

"Do you believe me now?"

Taehyung smiled at me as I stared in shock. My grip tightened on the golden pocket watch that seemed to match the color of his left eye.

"Are you the one who did this?"

"Well, you're going to have to be more specific."

"This. All of it. Turning back time to November, this pocket watch, freezing time just now.."

"No, I don't have the power to turn back time. And that pocket watch is to help you. But yes, I did freeze time just now."

"What's this pocket watch going to help me do? And if you didn't turn back time, who did?"

"God. Who else could do such a big thing that could alter the whole universe?"

"God?"

Taehyung nodded while pulling out a folded letter from his uniform pocket.

"He's assigned me to you for the span of 29 days. And during those 29 days, you will be completing an assignment that was given to you by him."

"What assignment? I'm already jam packed with assignments from school, I don't need any more!"

I threw my hands up in frustration. I repeatedly opened and closed the front of the pocket watch and as I

opened my mouth to mutter a line of fowl words, I felt someone clamp my mouth shut.

"Wow, how brave of you. Attempting to curse in the presence of an angel?"

Taehyung smirked at me before slowly removing his hand. I only glared at him before shoving the pocket watch high in front of his face.

"Now tell me, Mr. Glorious-Guardian-Angel, what is this for and what's it going to help me do?"

"Quit lifting it so high, they'll see you."

He growled at me as he forcefully brought my arm down, below the desk, while shooting me a glare of warning.

"Who?! Who's going to see me, and why does it matter?"

"Demons, who else? If they find out that heaven turned back time again to save another kid, they'll be out hunting for the Liberator."

"What? Saving another kid? Hunting for the Liberator?"

I watched as Taehyung rolled his eyes while mutter something I couldn't quite catch. He looked straight at me with a serious look.

"Still haven't figured it out yet? You have 29 days to stop Jeon Jungkook from committing suicide. That golden pocket watch, it'll help you in stopping him,"

"No way, quit messing around. Suicide isn't something to joke about."

I stared at him as my words nervously fell out of my mouth. He grabbed my wrist and looked me straight in the eyes. His mismatched eyes glowed and suddenly, I felt like I had been sucked into a different dimension. I stood in the middle of a dimly lit room and as I turned around, my eyes grew wide at the sight before me.

"Stop... Stop it!"

I dove at him, trying to prevent

the disaster that was unfolding before my own eyes, yet it was no use. On my knees now, I dug the heels of my hands into my eyes as vivid visions of my brother's death started to stab at me.

"Still think I'm just joking around?"

"Okay, I get it! You're not lying! Now make it stop, Kim Taehyung!!"

Immediately, I was snapped back into reality. My eyes were wide as my chest heaved. Taehyung let go of my wrist as he looked at me in anguish. He tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear before speaking to me softly.

"It's your job to stop that from happening again. Knowing you, I know you'll be able to do it. Now, may the life of the precious Jeon Jungkook rest in your hands."

He closed my fingers tightly around the pocket watch before smiling and disappearing. As time restarted, the teacher entered the class and students filed in. I spotted Taehyung in the seat in the back corner of the class. He had glasses on and his eyes were chocolate brown unlike his mismatched ones from just a moment ago. He sent me a wink before pointing at someone in front of me. I turned around to face Jungkook who looked startled for a second before hardening his look. I opened my mouth to greet him, but he sped past me before I had the chance to make a sound. I bit my lip as I clutched the pocket watch in my hand before shoving it in my skirt pocket.

•••

Classes had ended and quickly, I slung my backpack over my shoulder before dashing out of the classroom, looking for the school's 'gemstone'. As I dashed though the halls, trying to exit the large building, I

ran into a firm figure while mumbling a soft 'oof.'

"S-sorry, my bad!"

I lifted my eyes slightly to see a boy around my age with a devilish smirk. His eyes flickered from my face to my pocket before walking off. He threw a wave along with a 'whatever' behind his back. Bewildered, I looked ahead of me and then glanced back again to see nothing.

"Jimin. Hurry, or you'll miss him."

I felt someone's hand on my shoulder and I turned to see it was Taehyung with a stern look on his face. I just nodded in reply and continued my dash towards the exit. As I ran down the stairs, I saw the person I was searching for.

"Jeon Jungkook!"

He turned his head to see me walking towards him. His eyes hardened again before curtly turning away and starting his walk home.

What's up with him? Did I do something wrong?

I caught up to him anyway and walked next to him. I tried to start a conversation, but he stayed silent, not even giving me the slightest glance. We arrived at the crossroad where we went our separate ways. I mentally sighed before waving goodbye to Jungkook who continued to ignore me. I hid my sour look and walked the rest of the way home alone. Once I unlocked the door, I walked to the kitchen and grabbed myself a snack before running up the stairs.

"So, I see you haven't made any progress today."

I squeezed my bag of chips at the sudden deep voice from behind me and before I knew it, the bag had popped at the bottom and chips were at my feet. I heard the same deep voice chuckle from behind me. I turned around to see Kim Taehyung leaning against

my bedroom door, trying his best not to explode in laughter. I glared at him as I bent down to throw away the wasted food.

"I don't appreciate you barging into my house, and my room, without permission. What are you doing here anyway, go home."

"I don't have a home on this earth. Well I did. Just not anymore."

He scratched his head and looked away, his other hand dug deep in his pocket.

"Oh. Shー"

"Hey, hey, now what did I say about cursing?"

He sent me a smirk and shook his head. He walked over and helped me clean up the mess on the floor before sitting on the floor by my bed stand.

"When do you plan on making progress? You only have 28 days left."

"I know, Taehyung. I'm trying, but I can't do anything when he's being such a douchebag."

"Sure you can. He has his reasons though, so just keep at it. Whatever you do, just don't give up on him."

I nodded my head as I cautiously turned around in my chair to start my homework. I could feel eyes on my back as I continued to do page after page of homework.

"Taehyung, quit staring at me. I can literally feel your eyes burning into my back."

"Sorry, my bad."

I shrugged it off as I finished up the pile of assignments I had already done before this whole time warp had happened. I wondered if the future had just been erased now as I stared at the pocket watched I had received this morning. I sighed softly and packed my bag for tomorrow. I stood up to stretch and saw Taehyung laying on the floor with his arms crossed behind his head. His eyes were shut and his legs were crossed, his right foot tapping as he hummed softly to a random tune.

"Taehyung."

"Hmm?"

"How did you die?"

Taehyung stopped humming and froze for a moment before opening his right, electric blue eye. His face broke out in a wistful smile before closing his eye again.

"In a way you probably don't want to think about."

"You won't tell me?"

"Nope."

He popped the 'p' as he restarting his subtle humming. I decided to back off as I felt like it wasn't something I should be sticking my nose in. I stepped over Taehyung and faltered onto my bed.

"So how does this Liberator thing work? How'd you get assigned to me anyway?"

"Well, there are different units in heaven. The one I'm in is the suicide unit. We're each assigned to a kid who God picks out and guard them until their time span to save the other kid ends."

"Does every kid who commits suicide get a chance to be saved?"

If time was turned back to save Jeon Jungkook, why hadn't time been turned back to save my little brother?

Taehyung shrugged his shoulders as he continued to hum softly to himself.

"This is a new thing, we've only been doing it for a few months so I'm not sure."

I just nodded my head and rolled around on my bed, hugging a pillow. I wondered why I was picked to save Jeon Jungkook as I stared at the ceiling. After thinking for a while, I rolled off the bed and grabbed a pair of pajamas before heading to the bathroom to get ready for bed.