Wanderline

After spending that night with his friends, Minhyuk returned home and collapsed onto his bed. Exhaustion took over, and he quickly fell asleep.

When he woke up the next morning, he felt something strange. The air was damp, and a foul smell surrounded him. Opening his eyes, he was shocked to find himself inside a cart full of garbage. He scrambled out of the cart, brushing off the filth, and stood in the middle of an unfamiliar alley.

The surroundings were vastly different. The towering skyscrapers of Seoul seemed older, and the streets were less crowded. The atmosphere felt like a distorted version of the city he knew. Confused, Minhyuk wandered aimlessly, trying to find a familiar landmark.

He saw a man walking down the street and quickly approached him. "Excuse me, sir. Where am I? What's going on?"

The man glanced at him with a confused expression. "This is Seoul, kid. Are you lost?" Then he muttered under his breath, "What's wrong with this boy?" before walking away.

Minhyuk froze. "Seoul? This doesn't look right," he mumbled to himself, looking around. The clothes people wore seemed outdated, and the advertisements and signs looked like something from an old movie.

He turned a corner and saw a large banner hanging across the street. It was an announcement for an upcoming event. His eyes widened in shock as he read the date on the banner:

04/12/2008

"What?" Minhyuk whispered, his heart racing. He frantically looked around for more clues, checking every sign, poster, and advertisement. They all confirmed the same thing. He had somehow ended up in the year 2008.

Minhyuk stood frozen, unable to process the situation. "This… this is impossible," he muttered. "2008? That's… that's my birth year!"

He pinched his cheek hard to check if he was dreaming. The pain was real, and so was everything around him.

Suddenly, a thought struck him like lightning. "The hospital!" he exclaimed. "If this really is 2008, then my mom… she's about to give birth to me. I need to go to the hospital!"

Without wasting another second, Minhyuk started running through the streets, determined to find the hospital where his mother was giving birth to him. Even though he had no idea how he ended up here, one thing was clear—he had to see it for himself.

Minhyuk sprinted through the streets of 2008 Seoul, his heart pounding with confusion and desperation. He stopped several passersby, asking for directions to the nearest hospital. Most gave him odd looks, but finally, an older woman pointed him toward one not far from where he was.

"Thank you!" Minhyuk shouted as he ran toward the hospital, his chest tightening with every step.

When he arrived, Minhyuk stood outside, catching his breath. The hospital building looked much older than he remembered, yet it perfectly matched the era he believed himself to be in. Summoning his courage, he rushed inside, weaving through the corridors in search of the maternity ward.

"I need to find the maternity ward," he muttered, scanning the signs. Nurses and staff gave him puzzled glances, but he ignored them, darting through hallways and peeking into rooms.

Finally, he reached a cluster of rooms marked Maternity Ward. Slowing down, he caught his breath and carefully peeked into one of the rooms. That's when he saw him—a young man leaning casually against the wall, arms crossed, wearing a crisp white shirt over a plain T-shirt, jeans, and sneakers.

Minhyuk froze. The man had sharp features, with an effortless charm that felt eerily familiar.

The man noticed Minhyuk staring and raised an eyebrow. "Can I help you?" he asked in a calm, slightly amused tone.

"D-Dad?" Minhyuk whispered, the word escaping his lips before he could stop himself.

The young man blinked, confused, but didn't say anything. Before Minhyuk could process what he was seeing, a nurse stepped out of a nearby room, smiling warmly.

"Everything's going smoothly. It won't be long now!" she said brightly.

The young man nodded, thanked the nurse, and stepped into the room. Minhyuk stood frozen in place, his heart pounding as he tried to make sense of what was happening.

Unable to think clearly, he sank onto a bench outside the room, his mind spinning. His eyes caught sight of something under the bench—a leather satchel. Curious, he pulled it toward him and opened it, finding a few books, loose papers, and a small name card.

Holding the card up, he read aloud, "Choi Hyunwoo… Student at Seoul National University."

His hands trembled. His dad was a university student? What was he doing here?

Minhyuk recalled his aunt once telling him how his dad had been the pride of their family, the only one to graduate from university. But she had also said he gave it all up to become a train engineer, a decision that had caused pain and disappointment within their family.

"But…" Minhyuk whispered, clutching the card. "How can this be happening? Why is everything going well? Mom's supposed to…" His voice trailed off as a memory of his aunt's words came flooding back.

"Your mother died bringing you into this world, Minhyuk," his aunt had once said, her eyes filled with sorrow. "Your dad blamed himself for not being there with her, but he had no choice."

Minhyuk's heart ached as he stared at the door his dad had entered. Why did everything seem fine this time?

Lost in thought, Minhyuk didn't notice the sound of approaching footsteps until a voice startled him.

"Excuse me, young man, do you know where the maternity ward is?"

Minhyuk looked up to see a couple standing before him. The woman was visibly pregnant, and her husband held her hand protectively. Minhyuk's breath caught in his throat. He knew them—he had seen their faces in old family photos.

"Uncle… Aunt…" Minhyuk muttered under his breath.

The woman, Kim Jiwon, tilted her head. "Did you say something?"

Minhyuk quickly shook his head and pointed down the hallway. "The maternity ward is that way."

"Thank you," Jiwon said with a warm smile as her husband, Lee Junsu, guided her toward the ward.

Minhyuk watched them walk away, his chest tightening. Seeing his aunt and uncle looking so young and vibrant was surreal. He had only known them as older, responsible guardians.

"What is going on here?" Minhyuk whispered to himself, gripping the name card in his hand. His world had turned completely upside down, and he didn't know how to make sense of it.

Minhyuk stood outside the hospital building, his thoughts racing as he muttered to himself. "Did I really travel back in time? Is this a dream or reality?" The confusion overwhelmed him, and his heart pounded in his chest as he tried to process everything. He stared at the door to the maternity ward, waiting for any sign that could explain this strange situation.

Suddenly, the door opened, and his dad stepped out. Minhyuk froze, his eyes locking onto the young man who had once been a stranger to him, yet now seemed like the very source of his existence. He took a tentative step forward, heart racing, as he approached his dad.

"Dad?" Minhyuk called softly, his voice shaking. He tried to steady himself but the words came out almost involuntarily. The man looked at him, confused, clearly unsure why this stranger was addressing him in such a familiar way.

The man blinked and took a step back, his brows furrowed in confusion. "I'm sorry, do we know each other?" he asked, his tone cautious.

Minhyuk ignored the question, his mind focused solely on one thing: his mom. He had to know if she was okay, and if the baby was safe. "Is my mom okay? Is she alright? And... can I see the baby?"

The man's confusion deepened, his eyes darting from Minhyuk to the door of the maternity ward. "What are you talking about? Why would you want to see the baby?" His voice was laced with uncertainty, still processing Minhyuk's strange behavior. He took another step back, visibly unsettled.

Minhyuk felt a pang of frustration mixed with urgency. This wasn't how he imagined meeting his dad, and the disconnect between them was too much to bear. But then, something deep within him urged him to push forward.

He reached out cautiously, trying again. "Please, just tell me. Is she okay? Is she alive?"

The man took a deep breath, his hand hovering near the door handle of the maternity ward. He turned back to Minhyuk, still uncertain, and said, "Look, I'm not sure what's going on here, but if you're here to see your mother, I—"

Minhyuk's heart nearly stopped. "My mother... I... I'm her son, Minhyuk." He struggled to explain, his words rushed and panicked, but the man seemed even more bewildered.

"Son?" the man repeated, his voice wavering as he tried to make sense of what Minhyuk was saying. "I don't have a son."

Minhyuk stood still for a moment, feeling a deep sense of loss and confusion. "No, you are my dad," he muttered, as the weight of this impossible situation began to overwhelm him. He couldn't understand why the man in front of him didn't recognize him, but deep down, he couldn't shake the feeling that this was somehow the truth.

"Wait," Minhyuk continued, his voice quivering with urgency, "Please, just hear me out. I need to know if she's okay."

The man remained silent, still visibly perplexed by Minhyuk's insistence, unsure of what to do next.

The man turned away and walked back toward the maternity ward, leaving Minhyuk standing there, frozen in place. The confusion and disbelief in Minhyuk's heart grew stronger as the situation felt more surreal by the second.

Minhyuk stood there for a long moment, trying to process everything. Finally, with no other choice, he pushed through the heavy door of the ward and stepped inside. The quiet hum of the hospital filled the air as he walked cautiously down the sterile hallway, his footsteps echoing off the walls.

As he approached the glass partition of the nursery, he saw his mother lying on a bed, weak but alive. Her eyes were closed as she rested, holding a tiny bundle in her arms. A small, peaceful smile curved her lips as she looked down at the baby in her arms. Minhyuk's heart ached, seeing her so fragile yet so serene.

There, next to her, lay the newborn—the baby who would one day be him. The little face was soft and innocent, sleeping soundly in his mother's arms. Minhyuk stood frozen, staring at the glass separating them. His mind raced as he struggled to comprehend what he was witnessing.

Then, unexpectedly, his mother softly spoke. "Minhyuk...," she whispered, her voice faint but unmistakable.

Minhyuk's heart skipped a beat. He leaned closer to the glass, his breath fogging the surface as he strained to hear her. "Mom…" he whispered back, as if his words could somehow reach her through the cold barrier between them.

She called out his name again, her voice more urgent this time. "Minhyuk…"

His mind swirled with thoughts and emotions he couldn't control. How was this possible? How could she know his name if this was the past? Had he really traveled back in time? The realization hit him like a wave, and he struggled to hold onto his composure.

He reached out a hand, pressing it gently against the glass, yearning to bridge the gap that separated them. His heart longed to hold his mother, to comfort her, but all he could do was watch from the other side, helpless.

As he stared at his mother, something deep inside him urged him to stay strong, to not let go of this chance, no matter how impossible it seemed. Minhyuk couldn't shake the feeling that his presence here was part of something much bigger than himself. A twist of fate, a strange intervention. He had to make sure things went right this time. For her. For the baby. For his future.

But for now, all he could do was watch and wait, hoping that, somehow, everything would fall into place.

Minhyuk walked out of the hospital, still feeling disoriented and conflicted. He wandered through the streets of the city, trying to make sense of everything. The sights, sounds, and smells of Seoul felt like an alternate version of his world—familiar yet entirely foreign. He didn't know where he was going, but he just needed to clear his mind.

He walked through narrow alleyways, passing old houses and small shops. The air was cool, but it felt heavy with uncertainty. He finally found a bench tucked away in a quiet corner of the neighborhood. Exhausted from everything that had happened, he sat down, letting the exhaustion take over. His eyelids grew heavy, and before he knew it, he drifted into a deep sleep.

In his dream, a figure appeared in front of him. It was a shadowy silhouette of a person, their features obscured, but their presence was undeniably intense. The voice that spoke from the figure was calm, yet carried an eerie weight.

"Do you want to know why you're here?" the voice asked, as if it already knew the answer.

Minhyuk's heart raced. He wanted to speak, but his voice caught in his throat. He had so many questions—so many things he didn't understand. But before he could respond, everything around him began to blur and shift. The dream felt unstable, like a reality slipping through his fingers.

Suddenly, Minhyuk jerked awake, gasping for breath. He was back on the bench, under the dim light of the streetlamp. The quiet of the night surrounded him, but his mind was anything but peaceful. He rubbed his face, trying to make sense of the dream.

He thought about his father, how he had been kind and understanding in the hospital, yet there was so much Minhyuk still didn't know about him. There was a part of him that wondered if his father was truly who he appeared to be. But then, his thoughts turned to his mother. He recalled how she had looked at him earlier in the nursery—had she known something he didn't?

His mind kept returning to the dream. Could it have been a warning? Something guiding him? He closed his eyes again, his thoughts spiraling. He remembered the things his aunt had said about his mother's past. She'd never talked much about it, but he always felt like there was something hidden there, something she kept buried deep inside.

Minhyuk's thoughts kept racing. "What if my mother has a past she's not telling me about? What if there's more to this story than I realize?" he thought, feeling the weight of the mystery pressing down on him.

He tried to push the thoughts aside and went back to sleep, hoping for more answers, but a nagging feeling lingered in the back of his mind, as if the truth was just out of reach.

In the quiet of the night, he drifted off once again, his dreams unanswered and his questions still hanging in the air.