Sherdan watched the gradually disappearing car with a grim expression. He stood there with Imogen, as he followed it with his eyes. He had that look of someone who was torn, someone who seems to be conflicted about something.
His nose were now reddish and so is the corner of his eyes. After crying like a child for so long, it was inevitable.
"Brother, are you all right?" Imogen asked. She noticed her brother crying earlier, but didn't point it out. After all, brother might be sad. If she asked him about it, it's not impossible to make him more sad.
Such a naive thought of a child.
Sherdan looked at Imogen and smiled faintly.
"Older Brother is fine. Come on. Let's head inside." Sherdan said to assure the kid.
After entering his room again, he checked the date once again in a hurry. After confirming that what he saw earlier and what he remembered was correct, his heart calmed down.
Today is 4 and a half years before his parents will die in an airplane crash. That means, even if he let them go now, there wouldn't be any threat to their lives. Sherdan wouldn't have to worry about their safety for the time being.
However, that doesn't mean Sherdan will just ignore their whereabouts just because they haven't been in an accident yet.
He still remembered the reason of their death, rather, the 'indirect' reason why they died.
On his 20, in the future, Sherdan's parents died in an airplane crash. It landed on a deserted island, and it immediately exploded after a few hours.
He doesn't want to believe it at first, he had hopes. He was praying for the God's mercy, hoping that his parents had some means to survive.
They probably remained alive.
He held on to that hope, desperately. But when he saw his parents almost completely battered body, he fell into despair.
Their faces were barely recognizable, but Sherdan knew that it was them.
God knows how much he declined it. How much he refuses to acknowledge it.
His parents went out intact and alive, but they came back dead, even missing an arm and a leg.
It was truly horrible.
At that time Sherdan fell into depression. If anyone saw that, wouldn't they be depressed too?.
Remembering that, his fist clenched and his heart throbbed once again. He doesn't want to ever see them again like this.
He will do everything, just to make sure that they'll be safe in this life.
First, he had to sort out all the points that leads to the accident, and fix it himself. He knows all the details about his parents death and all that happened before it, because it was the first thing he investigated after fully seizing the authority over his company.
His parents went to Zoel Country to form a contract with a large company. They wanted to build a hotel in City 2 and if they managed to get this contact signed, then the lodgings of the possible guest in the future will be in line with their goal.
Sherdan's parents wanted to build a hotel there with top-quality facilities, so they sought out this architectural firm. The budget that will be used is enormous and once that project fail, the company will be left in debt, and might even go bankrupt.
It was a do-or-die kind of deal, but Sherdan's parents had a gut feeling that it will be successful once implemented. Thus, they went ahead with this project.
In the end they both were successful in forming the contract, but they died on the way back.
Sherdan was 20 years old that time, and he had been studying in college for almost a year. He had barely learned all the necessities in handling a company, and he was already faced with such a heavy project.
Or course he had no idea what to do, and even though some thoughts will come to his mind, he doesn't know how to put it into action.
If not for his parent's head assistant who guided him to at least prevent the worst case scenario from happening, he doubted he'll be able to save that project at all.
"Brother, why are you staring at the calendar?"
Sherdan was startled after hearing Imogen's voice. His thoughts ended abruptly.
"Nothing, I just remembered something." Sherdan answered.
Imogen looked at him doubtfully. And asked, looking quite reluctant to do so even.
"Brother, are you sad? Why? "
Imogen's big and round eyes looked at him with pity, making him want to laugh.
He subconsciously pinched her cheeks lightly.
"Of course not. Older Brother's fine."
"How about your head back and prepare for classes. I'll send you off."
"Okay." Imogen obeyed and run out of Sherdan's room.
Sherdan was left alone in his room, he formulated a plan before he prepared for his classes.
Looking at his high school uniform, he felt nostalgic. The familiar dark blue checkered pants and white short sleeves were reminding him of his youth.
After he finished, he fixed himself in the mirror. He looked for his bag and carried it, then headed towards Imogen's room.
After arriving, he saw her having a hard time tying her hair, so he went towards her and helped.
He remembered that his 16-year-old self will be hands-on about his sister. Taking care of her needs 24/7. It was mainly because he wanted to fill the spot left by his parents. They were often left alone together with the maids while their parents works. If Sherdan just let the maids tend to Imogen, he's afraid she will grow hating her family like those kids he often sees in dramas.
So as much as possible, he wanted to make her feel that she still has him, at the very least.
However, his 32-year-old self, was distant and cold. That's why he can no longer communicate with the Imogen of the future. Thinking about how they slowly drifted apart in the future, Sherdan was remorseful.
If only he tried leaning on this sole family that he had left. Maybe things wouldn't end up like that. Maybe they wouldn't end up acting like strangers than siblings.
"Thank you older brother!" Imogen beamed and kissed Sherdan's cheeks. Sherdan smiled and carried her.
He noticed that he had been smiling a lot since earlier. Maybe he had really fused with his 16-year-old self, or maybe it was the latter.
Nevertheless, feeling positive emotions like this is pleasant. It was something he had never felt on his life in the future.
While he was drowned in his thoughts, he had overlooked one thing.
Friedde.
"Dan Dan! Took you so long! I texted you, you know."
Sherdan saw him after exiting the gate, the 16-year-old Friedde.
Unlike the 32-year-old Friedde, this one looks more clean. He had no tattoos and numerous piercings, his hair is still left alone unlike his future self who will always have his hair in a buzz cut.
Although he took off all his piercing during his wedding, and also grew his hair long. In Sherdan's view, he still looked like he belonged to a mafia.
It was obviously Friedde's way to comfort himself that he's a 'man'. Though he thinks it's petty.
Sherdan actually thought he will feel nothing even if he saw Friedde again, he thought he will feel that 'indifference' he often felt towards the latter.
However, contrary to his expectations, right now, his heart is throbbing.
He cannot make out of what he's feeling in its entirety.
He's in pain, he's in love, he's doubtful, but he also doesn't want anything to do with this man.
How can he forget? He was a martyr. A masochist.
His 32-year-old self absolutely feels nothing about Friedde, he considered that guy unimportant. And only thinks he's unpleasant.
But it turns out his 16year old can't seem to let go of this guy, despite fully knowing what this guy did.
However, he ignored his complex emotions. His mind absolutely don't like this guy.
"What are you doing here?." Sherdan asked coldly, making Friedde surprised, this is the first time he had seen Sherdan acting like this.
He was usually bright, and he will always stare at him lovingly whenever he sees him. Why is he so cold now?
Friedde felt a sense of foreboding.
"What's wrong with you? Of course I came here to fetch you, what else. You were the one who asked me yesterday to walk with you. Have you forgotten?" Friedde's voice was a little irritated.
This guy must be nuts. To treat him like this when they had only been together for a few months.
Filled with rage and irritation, Friedde frowned. This guy seems to not be afraid of losing him anymore, just before he was so gentle and caring. And now he became distant and cold.
"Is that so. Then don't do it anymore." Sherdan's fist clenched.
Imogen saw this exchange and was confused. Why is his older brother asking his friend to not fetch him? What's wrong with that?
Friedde was flabbergasted after hearing this, but before he had time to get mad, Sherdan had already walked past him.
Sherdan ignored his deathly glares and also disregards his throbbing heart.
His 16-year-old self really have to be taught of self-value. What a stupid guy, to think he will still love this scum of a man.
Friedde was so angry after being ignored that he wanted so badly to beat Sherdan to death. But before he can even lay his hands on Sherdan, he heard a loud shout.
"STOOP!"
The next moment, his hands reaching out to grab on Sherdan was held firmly in place.
A boy with a thick black hair and black eyes stared at Friedde with a scrutinizing gaze. He had a handsome appearance, and he's taller than Friedde, almost the same height as Sherdan.
Sherdan, on the other hand, was perplexed.
"Lucian?" he called out the other's name.
Can anyone tell him, why is Lucian here, when he wasn't here in the original timeline?!