Five years after I accidentally landed in this world, the System finally flagged me as a bug. It was preparing to send me back to my own time, granting me three days to say my goodbyes. On the first day, my wife, Valentina, held a wedding ceremony with her childhood sweetheart. I smiled as I personally placed the ring on his finger. On the second day, my birthday, she sent 999 roses to her sweetheart with a heartfelt public declaration of her love. I quietly liked the post on her social media feed. On the third day, she planned to take her darling sweetheart on a honeymoon to the Lake District—the one place I had always dreamed of seeing. I helped them pack. As they boarded the train, I turned and stepped into the portal that would take me home. 1 I was reading when Sam called. His voice was a storm of indignation, all on my behalf. “Valentina has lost her mind! She actually went through with a wedding for that childhood friend of hers, Noah, just because of some whimsical promise he made.” “You’re her actual husband!” “You should have been there, Leo. All her friends and family were calling Noah ‘son-in-law.’ He was smiling so hard his face was about to crack. And Valentina? She didn’t say a word. Anyone who didn’t know better would think they were the real couple.” I wasn’t at the wedding, but I knew. After all, I was the one who put the ring on Noah’s hand. Besides, my social media feed had been flooded with them all day. Valentina, who never posted anything, had uploaded seven different stories dedicated to Noah. The funny thing was, when we got married, she’d said our friends list was full of unimportant people, that there was nothing worth posting. So now, everyone who saw their feed thought Noah was her boyfriend, her husband. I let out a soft laugh. “It’s alright, Sam. Don’t be angry.” He grumbled for a while longer before finally calming down, but his tone shifted to confusion. “Leo, how are you not angry at all?” My hand paused. Perhaps the old me would have been furious. I would have caused a scene, maybe even screamed at her, demanding an explanation. But I was leaving now. I was going back to my own time. That era wasn’t like this one, with its advanced technology and peaceful, prosperous society. In my time, many people still starved, still shivered in the cold. I needed to learn as much as I could before I left, to take that knowledge back with me. There was too much to do. I had no time for heartbreak. “Maybe I’m just over it,” I said with a wry chuckle. Then, my voice turned serious. “Sam, let’s meet up tomorrow. I think… I have to go soon.” Sam was my only real friend here, the only person I was reluctant to leave. Before he could answer, a voice came from behind me. It was Valentina, her tone sharp with a rare hint of panic. “Go? Leo, where are you going?” For some reason, hearing those words made Valentina’s heart clench. I didn’t say anything, but Noah, standing beside her, spoke up with a smirk. His eyes were full of mockery, but his voice was pitifully soft. “I knew it. The wedding today must have upset Leo. It’s all my fault. Valentina, you should comfort him. After all, in this world, you’re the only one he can rely on.” He finished with a light cough, pressing a hand to his chest. Valentina immediately rushed to his side, her eyes filled with concern. But Noah’s words had reminded her: Leo didn’t belong to this time. Where could he possibly go without her? At that thought, her expression hardened into one of disgust. “Leo! I told you, I was just helping Noah fulfill a dream! Do you have to be so difficult about it?” She snorted. “You want to go? Fine. Go now. I’d like to see how far you get.” I stood frozen as the wind from the open window chilled me to the bone. Watching them walk upstairs together, a cold smile touched my lips. She said it was to fulfill a dream. Were the red marks on your neck part of his ‘dream’ too, Valentina? Whatever. In three days, I would be free of this place. 2 I was out the door early the next morning. Sam was already waiting for me at the restaurant we’d chosen. I showed our reservation, and the waiter led us to a table by the window. The moment we sat down, Sam grabbed my hand, his voice urgent. “What did you mean on the phone yesterday? About leaving?” I paused, then told him everything. His face crumpled. “Leo, does that mean I’ll never be able to find you again?” I thought for a moment, then remembered the inter-dimensional communicators the System had given me as compensation. I handed one to Sam. I had selfishly asked the System for two, but I suppose the other one was no longer needed. Just as I was lost in thought, a familiar voice cut through the air. Valentina was standing there with Noah, her eyes narrowed at me. “Leo, what are you doing here?” She looked around. “And in my reserved seat, no less.” I blinked. Just then, the waiter hurried over, his face apologetic. “My apologies, sir. It was our mistake. We seem to have mixed up Mr. Noah’s reservation with yours.” Valentina faltered. Noah spoke up, his voice gentle. “Valentina, I just wanted to have a nice meal with you. I didn’t realize it would bother Leo so much that he’d follow us here. Maybe I should just go.” Valentina immediately wrapped an arm around him, shooting me a cold glare. That’s when Sam’s voice cut in, sharp as ice. “Valentina, Leo is leaving for good, and you’re still taking Noah’s side?” Valentina barely glanced at me, her voice indifferent. “Sam, I know you’re Leo’s friend, but we both know where he comes from. Where could he possibly go?” Sam’s chest heaved with anger. He opened his mouth. “Do you have any idea what he—” Before he could finish, I grabbed his hand and shook my head. Valentina’s inquisitive gaze landed on me. “He what?” Noah chimed in, covering his mouth with a delicate hand. “Is Leo going to say he’s returning to his own timeline?” A mocking smile played on his lips. “That’s a fairytale for children, isn’t it? If you have a problem with me, Leo, just say so. I’ll leave.” With tears welling in his eyes, he turned as if to go, but Valentina grabbed him. She pulled him into a fierce hug. “Noah, don’t be silly. As long as I’m here, this is your home. No one can make you leave.” She shot me a threatening look. I had mentioned leaving countless times, and she had always dismissed it as a joke. But one flippant remark from Noah, and she was so distraught she would have torn her own heart out to prove her devotion. A strange, desolate feeling washed over me. My God, Leo. What a pathetic wreck you’ve become. 3 I had to drag Sam out of the restaurant, but he still shot a few last glares at Valentina. “Leo, why didn’t you just tell her the truth?” I gave him a bitter smile. “Even if I did, do you really think she’d believe me?” Sam’s words caught in his throat. It was evening by the time I got home. As I approached the house, I saw workers in the garden, digging up the camellia bushes that were in full bloom. I loved camellias. In my own time, I had planted a whole grove of them outside my home. I had only mentioned them to Valentina once or twice, and she, in an effort to make me feel a sense of belonging, had planted this garden for me with her own hands. But now… One of the workers wiped the sweat from his brow. “Miss Valentina’s orders. Said Mr. Noah likes roses, so she wants all these pulled out to make room for them.” For a moment, I couldn’t speak. I stood there for a long time before finally pushing the door open. It’s for the best, I thought. This isn’t my home, after all. When Valentina saw me, she looked away, a flicker of guilt in her eyes. It was a rare thing for her to offer an explanation. “It’s not really the season for camellias anymore.” It’s not the season for roses either. I set my things down and glanced at the dinner table. My appetite vanished. The table was laden with spicy dishes, every single one of them. She smiled, a hint of pleading in her voice. “See? All your favorites.” But Valentina, you know I have a weak stomach. You know I can’t handle spice. The one who loves spicy food has always been Noah. Still, I thought, this might be our last meal together for the next decade, or perhaps forever. So I sat down and forced a few bites. Just then, her phone rang. She had it on speaker, so I could easily hear the voice on the other end. “Valentina, the power went out at my place. I’m so scared.” Without a second thought, Valentina dropped her chopsticks. “Noah, don’t worry. I’m on my way.” She rushed for the door without another glance at me. As she reached for the handle, I couldn’t stop myself. “Valentina, tomorrow is my birthday. Will you come back?” Her hand froze on the doorknob. She paused, but in the end, she said nothing and left. Five years ago, I had stumbled into this strange, new world. I knew nothing, and it was Valentina who found me, who taught me the rules of this era. I remember my first birthday here. She bought me a huge cake. I had no friends, so she sat beside me, singing the birthday song, trying to create a festive atmosphere. The candlelight in the dim room reflected in her bright, shining eyes. “Leo,” she had said, “happy birthday.” That single glance cost me my heart. This would be my last birthday in this world. I wanted to say a proper goodbye. But Valentina never came. In the dark room, the extinguished candles dripped wax onto the untouched cake. On my phone, a new post from Valentina: a picture of her holding 999 roses, offering them to Noah, who stood beside her in a custom-tailored suit, while she made a public, heartfelt declaration of her love.
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