Kaito had begun to understand one thing clearly—whenever he changed anything in the timeline, the impact was always significant. It could lead to both good and bad outcomes, but so far, every change he had made had only resulted in worse situations.
Fear started to grow inside him. What if changing the timeline again only made things worse? Or… was there still a possibility of creating a better future?
Unsure and troubled, Kaito called Yuna and asked her to come to Toru's house. Since Toru's parents were away on a business trip, it was the safest place to discuss everything without interruption. Kaito knew that making decisions alone could be dangerous now—he needed both Yuna and Toru involved.
When Kaito arrived, Yuna was already there.
"Why did you call us?" Yuna asked.
Kaito replied seriously, "We can't change anything on our own anymore. We need Toru. The attack happened at his party—he's connected to this somehow."
Together, Kaito and Yuna explained everything—about the time travel and the mysterious attack. At first, Toru didn't believe them. It sounded too unreal, almost like a joke. But seeing their serious expressions and noticing how much Kaito had changed, Toru slowly began to accept it.
"Whether it's true or not," Toru said finally, "I'll help you. Let's change this timeline together."
Kaito then told him about the little girl and the strange incident in the elevator. Their next goal became clear—they had to find that girl.
Toru suggested, "If you met her on that island… why don't we go back there?"
Yuna immediately shook her head. "That's basically suicide. We'd need a ship and the same map. Even if we somehow get the map, getting there safely is nearly impossible."
Kaito thought for a moment and said, "Maybe we can't go to the island… but we can go back to the resort jungle—the place we returned from. We might find some clues there. And even if not, we could at least learn more about that old man."
All three agreed.
But there was a problem—Kaito and Yuna's families would never allow them to return to that place after what had already happened.
While they were thinking, Yuna suddenly noticed a newspaper.
"There's an acting competition in Shikan City," she said. "And the resort is nearby."
Kaito's eyes lit up. "If we go for the competition, our families might allow it."
However, there was another issue—the competition required a team of at least five members.
"I can arrange one more member," Toru said. "You two find the last one."
Kaito and Yuna called all their classmates, but everyone refused. With time running out, they were stuck.
After a long silence, Yuna hesitantly said, "There is one person we can call…"
Kaito stayed quiet.
Toru sighed, "We don't have any other option. Just call Jin."
Finally, Kaito agreed.
They completed the team registration and managed to get permission from their families.
Soon, the group prepared for their journey to Shikan City by train.
Kaito arrived early at the railway station and waited for the others. While standing there, his eyes were drawn to a girl wearing a black short dress. She looked around his age, and there was something striking about her presence—especially her sharp, captivating eyes.
He couldn't stop looking.
Just then, Toru, Yuna, and Jin arrived.
"You're late," Kaito said. "And weren't there supposed to be four of you?"
Toru laughed. "The fourth member arrived before all of us."
He pointed toward the girl in the black dress.
"This is Aeri—my childhood friend. She moved to another city long ago, but she's here for summer vacation. She's joining us."
Aeri walked up to Kaito, smiled, and extended her hand.
"So you're Kaito. Toru talks about you a lot."
Kaito shook her hand, slightly surprised.
Yuna, watching this, quietly made an annoyed expression.
Soon, the train arrived, and everyone boarded.
They reached Shikan City before evening, checked into a hotel, and rested for a while. Later, they decided to explore the city at night since it was famous for its lively night market, fireworks, and festival atmosphere.
As they prepared to leave, Aeri came out wearing a beautiful traditional Japanese outfit. She looked stunning, and everyone couldn't help but notice.
Moments later, Yuna appeared as well, wearing a soft white and baby pink gown. She looked equally beautiful.
Together, they headed to the market.
The night market was full of dazzling lights, decorations, and excitement. Everyone enjoyed the rides and explored different stalls.
At one point, Yuna noticed a poster.
"Kaito, look," she said.
It was a Grand Opening poster of the resort—the same place where everything had begun.
While the group continued exploring, Kaito found himself standing alone for a moment. Aeri approached him and gently led him away toward the edge of the market. They reached a quiet spot, away from the noise. The sky was clear, filled with stars, and the soft festival lights made everything feel like a dream.
"I like places like this," Aeri said softly. "It feels more real."
Kaito looked around, feeling a bit nervous. "It's nice… but why did you bring me here?"
Aeri smiled mysteriously. "You really don't understand, do you?"
Before he could ask again, a group of excited kids rushed past them. Aeri lost her balance.
"Ah—!" she cried out.
She instinctively grabbed Kaito's shirt to stay upright, but the sudden pull made them both slip. They fell together onto the soft grass. Kaito landed on his back, and Aeri fell right on top of him.
For a few seconds, neither of them moved. They were too close. Kaito could feel her warmth clearly. Their bodies were pressed together from the fall, and his heart started hammering against his ribs. Aeri's long hair fell around his face, smelling sweet like summer flowers.
Their eyes met in the moonlight. Kaito's breath became uneven. "Aeri…" he whispered, but his voice felt weak.
Aeri looked at him quietly, her face only inches from his. "So… you finally noticed?" she said in a low, husky voice.
Kaito couldn't reply. His mind was spinning. Suddenly, the first firework exploded in the sky above them. The bright flash of light illuminated Aeri's face, making her look incredibly beautiful—almost unreal.
Aeri slowly leaned closer. Kaito's eyes widened. He could feel her warm, soft breath on his lips. She was closing the distance, her eyes fluttering shut as she prepared to kiss him.
But just as their lips were about to touch, a face appeared in Kaito's mind.
YunNa. He remembered her smile and the way she had held his arm earlier. Reality hit him like a cold wave.
Before the kiss could happen, Kaito reached up. He placed his hands firmly on Aeri's shoulders and gently but decisively pushed her back, stopping her.
"I… I can't do this," Kaito said, his voice shaky but honest. He was breathing fast, his heart still racing. "I like YunNa."
Aeri froze. She stayed silent for a moment, looking into his eyes. Then, instead of looking sad or angry, she let out a small, confident smile.
"YunNa, huh…" she said softly.
She leaned just a little closer again, whispering in his ear, making his skin tingle. "Then next time… I won't let you stop so easily."
Kaito didn't know what to say. He stood up and helped her to her feet. His heart wouldn't calm down. As they walked back toward the bright lights of the festival, the world looked the same, but for Kaito, everything had changed.
When they returned to the group, it seemed like no one had noticed they were gone. YunNa came running toward him, smiling brightly, completely unaware of what had almost happened between Kaito and Aeri.
"Kaito! Come here, I have to show you something!" YunNa said, grabbing his hand.
She led him to a small, old historical shop nearby. Kaito's heart stopped for a completely different reason. Behind the counter sat the Old Man from the resort—the same man who had started this entire nightmare....