Chapter 10

The librarian stared at me with a criticizing gaze. "It's your last year together before you two go to college. You should treat her better."

I smiled at her, "Thanks… we just had a little misunderstanding and she thought we were breaking up when I told her I was going to go visit my cousins."

Suddenly the tables flipped and she looked disapprovingly at Alice, "Alice… you have to be more considerate of your boyfriend, okay? He's also going through his own problems."

"Bu- but, I didn'—"

"She gets a little jealous sometimes, and even thinks I'm replacing her for my cousin. We spend a long time together every day but sometimes I also need to dedicate my time to other people."

I sighed and tickled her chin.

"I thought you were better than that, Alice." The librarian shook her head. "Bring your boyfriend more often Alice. You should introduce him to the wonderful world of reading."

"Uh, I will… don't worry."

"Alright, give me your Student ID and the books you're checking out. You have three weeks to return or renew them."

I nodded and handed her my ID.

"Hmm… it's an old ID. I need your Senior ID, not your ID from two years ago."

I smiled awkwardly, "Haha… don't worry about it… My sophomore ID works."

"No. IDs only work for your current year. C'mon just hand the other ID over? Or did you lose it?"

"Ah ha… Don't worry about it… It works, just try scanning it."

There was a beep as it went through the scanner. "Oh!" her eyes widened, "I see. I didn't know they made the ID expiration date longer…"

I nodded with a smile as Alice tried hiding her laughs from the side. "Ah, don't worry… It's just Senior privileges, you know?"

She laughed and handed me my books and ID.

As we walked side by side outside of the library, Alice could not hold her laughs anymore.

"Pffft~ Senior privileges? Really? Aww, you little sophomore baby," she cooed.

"Ha? Who's this pedophile aiming for a little baby? Huh?"

She smiled and wagged her finger at me, "I'm a year younger than my classmates. I was put into the education program a year earlier than everyone else. We're only a few months apart."

Uh? When's her birthday again?

Ah, this was a doomed case for me from the start.

"You were still born in a different year…"

"It doesn't count… my birthday is near the end of the year anyway, and yours is at the beginning of the year."

Knowing I would lose this argument, I settled for a different tactic.

"Hmm… I see… So how do you know my birthday, anyway?"

"Shut up."

"Ha? Do I have a little stalker beside me?"

"Zip it."

I purposefully hummed a tune happily to annoy her.

"Just remember that you said you'd do anything," she shot back and I immediately stopped humming.

Ah, fuck. That's right.

Aghh!

I looked down at my shirt and saw the wet patch that hadn't dried yet. She grinned seeing my expression.

What an exasperating person. She should be a politician instead of a corporate manager.

Seeing my silence, she said with a proud expression, "As Sun Tzu once famously said in The Art of War, 'Don't argue with a woman if you don't want to die a thousand deaths,' very wise, no?"

I almost tripped and the vein on my forehead bulged. "Yes, right right. Sun Tzu definitely said that in his The Art of War."

…

…

…

ALICE

Hmmm, I'm so smart. I hugged Ivan's arm as I hummed a tune. One of my favorite songs ever…

"What are you humming?"

He inquired. He looked at me with nostalgic eyes, as if it reminded him of a very happy memory.

"Hmm? Just a song I really like…"

Music has been one of those things that I always listened to when I was sad or feeling very empty… Or even when I was really happy.

To be honest, it's helped me go through a lot of things.

"Dreams, right?"

My eyes widened and I smiled happily, I didn't expect him to know them, "Yeah! You listen to them too?"

…

IVAN

Haha, no. The you in the future just recommended the songs to me.

"No… I just think their songs are pretty good."

Hmm?

Wait.

This feels a little weird.

Wait, wait wait.

No.

This song came out years into the future.

No.

No way.

…

ALICE

Wait… Didn't this song come out… Later?

Haha…

No, way, right?

You're joking.

You're fucking kidding me.

Haha, no way, no way, no way.

No, no no no no.

This can't be possible.

I looked at his suddenly widening eyes as we both froze in our steps.

He looked at me and gulped.

A long silence passed between us.

I closed my eyes and breathed. Once, twice. Breathe in, breathe out. Inhale, exhale.

"...Ivan."

"...Manager?"

I sighed as everything came dauntingly and at once, "Ah. You're in big shit you fucking piece of garbage."

He laughed, "Haha… there must be a misunderstanding here."

"The only misunderstanding here will be when I cut your salary, and your balls, you fucking—"

…

And this is how their day went. A little too dramatic, but that's what happens when teenagers are infused with hormones.

The rich and very talented girl starved of love who couldn't be honest with herself, and the playboy who had emptied his heart of love, and instead filled it with regrets.

What would become of them?

…

[Flashback— Wait, no, Flash… forward? A flash back of the past that is in the future.]

"Congratulations on your promotion, manager,"

I received many compliments and felicitations with a nod. Naturally, I had worked hard to attain this, so it's an expected result.

I met their smiles with a dignified look and after passing through everyone, I arrived at my new desk.

After one year, I had been promoted early on with my outstanding work and was now in the same position as co-workers who had been working for quite a longer time than me.

-

It was a few months later…

"Manager Alice," I looked up from my work to one of my older seniors.

"Executive," I affirmed.

"We've got young blood entering your department. I interviewed him myself and he seems to be pretty talented. I expect you two will get along very well."

"I see… when will he begin working with us?"

"Hmm, well he's having a talk with other Directors. He'll be coming by soon."

I nodded, "Then I'll get him settled when he comes by."

I glanced at the workers in my department staring intensely at their computers. "Announcement," the typing stopped immediately. "We'll have someone new with us soon. Please welcome him nicely."

They all gave me thumbs up and returned to their work.

The executive smiled and walked to the exit.

It wasn't until around an hour later that a tall young man near my age walked in and began introducing himself to the others.

Seeing the friendly new man, they all stopped working and began chattering with him as he politely answered their questions.

I did say to welcome him nicely… but this is getting out of hand.

My heels were loud as I walked to him, "Settle down everyone."

I exhaled, seeing them all follow my orders and quietly return to their tasks.

He looked at me and I felt slight sparks of familiarity in my brain… I recognize this guy.

"What's your name?"

"Hello Ma'am. Nice to meet you, I am Ivan Hayes."

That's right. I remember him now.

I frowned at him and walked away. "Your desk is over by that corner," I pointed.

Great, it just had to be this guy. I frowned as I stared at him patiently heading over to his place.

He put down his backpack and smiled delicately at his desk neighbors.

…