For you, My Time

This watch is talking to me. A watch! It has an adorable voice, but it should not be talking! Wait. Maybe it’s just talking AT me? I try frantically inspecting it and turning it over. Finally trying to pry it open looking for some kind of speaker or device that would let it talk. The glow has subsided by now. That was definitely just a trick of the evening sun, I try to convince myself.

“Whoa there. You trying to expose me already? Let’s at least introduce ourselves first! Hehe.”

“A watch shouldn’t speak!” I say something obvious loudly. Luckily no one is around to hear me right now.

“That’s what they all say. Humans never change, huh? I rather like that about you guys though.”

I make a face. I’m suddenly filled with a sense of unease and dread. Am I being pranked right now? Is someone recording me to upload my reaction like a new online trend? What if this thing is actually alive and it eats humans like an alien? Or worse? Calm down. Maybe I’m just going crazy? I want to just chuck this thing and get out of here but something holds me in place. Something about its warmth feels safe and comforting.

“You don’t have to make such a face. I’m harmless, see?” A pair of cute, brown bunny ears spring forth from the face of the watch. They look long and fluffy. They twitch before going back inside. “I’m a little low on energy so that’s about all I can muster, unfortunately. Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you. Just hear me out?”

I let out a sigh, feeling a bit calmer. “I’m going to trust you for now but you’re on thin ice. One wrong move and I’m throwing you in the dumpster.” I say trying to gain a little leverage in this weird situation. I will not lose to a watch.

“Oh, thanks a million! You won’t regret it! I’ll tell you about myself and everything later. For now, to gain energy I just need you to walk around a little. It’s over-simplifying things a bit, but I’m like a rechargeable battery that you need to crank, I just need movement. You can put me in your bag or on your wrist, if you want.”

“Well, I guess I have to get home anyway. It’s about a ten minute walk from here. Is that enough?”

“Should be for now!”

I’m about to put the watch on wrist but my hand stops. “Um, are you sure you don’t belong to anyone? I feel like I’m stealing. You look really valuable.”

“Haha. What a good kid you are! Japan is still really safe and well-mannered, it seems. If you found me, it means I belong to you now! This is kind of a “rare event” that only a “hero protagonist” could achieve, as the kids say.”

“Me? The hero protagonist? Am I special or something?”

“Yep. Did you feel that warm glow when you picked me up? That means you and I are connected now! No one else can hear me by the way, so take care not to look too weird in public.”

“Great. That’s just what every middle-school girl wants to hear. Maybe I should throw you away after all.”

“No! Please? How about I show you the ears again? Are whiskers up your alley?”

“I was just joking. I have to show you who the boss is if I’m taking you home. Hm. Are you more like a house pet or like equipment in a video game?” I ask as I attach the watch to my left wrist. Fits like a glove actually. Were the straps always this short? It looks so mature on me though. I love the look of it, but I’m not sure it suits me.

“Oh, so I was right that video games are still popular? Both I’d say, to answer your question. Low attack and defense stats but high in luck and magic!”

“Cool, like a lucky charm! Give me good luck in tests too, would you?”

“No promises but I’ll try my best! Maybe you could throw me across the classroom and I’ll look at everyone’s tests for you.”

“For a sentient watch, you’re about as bright as a normal watch.” I start to head back home as the wind picks up again. I just noticed it's starting to get cold and I’m starving. My spirits are high and I can’t help but smile a little. It feels like I’ve forgotten all of my worries from earlier. Fate has something special in store for me after all.

Time just flew by on the walk home as the watch was quiet the whole way. As I open the front door the wonderful smell of dinner is the first to greet me. My stomach growls while taking off my shoes. I exchange greetings with my grandma. She tells me that dinner’s done and they were waiting for me.

“Hurry up and change or I’ll feed your portion to Grandpa!”

Grandpa’s head is on the table. “It’s too late. I’ve become a Dead-pa from hunger.”

“I’m hurrying! Geez!” Like I don’t want to eat as well? Technically, Grandpa has already eaten hundreds more dinners than I have throughout his life. If anything, by law of ratios, I deserve his portion. Hunger is making me think mean thoughts as I pat my parent’s alter once, another ritual of mine.

While we’re eating, my grandma notices my new watch. Whoops. I forgot to take this off.

“Fancy watch! It looks like from when we were young. Where did you find that, Runa?”

“Oh, I just picked it up on my way home.”

“Isn’t, perhaps, someone missing that?”

Grandpa interjects. “You know what they say, dear. Finders keepers! If you look closer, it’s got no branding. Probably just a bootleg someone is trying to get rid of.”

“How strange. Even though those look like real leather straps and diamonds in the center.”

“Yeah, right? I thought so too. Haha.” I laugh nervously. I don’t have anything good to say about me not trying to return an expensive-looking watch off the ground. Not like I can tell them it started begging me to take it home with its own voice and bunny ears. “I’ll make sure to give it back if I hear about anyone missing it!” I blurt out.

“You’re a sweet girl, Runa.” Grandma smiles but doesn’t say anymore on the topic.

They think I stole it. I can feel it. They’ve told me so much about their wild stories back in their days and they think I’m just going through that phase of life. There’s nothing I can say to convince them otherwise. I accept the fact that my grandparents are too nice to their only grandchild and eat my dinner in peace.

Later, I am in my room sitting on my bed. Fresh, moisturized, in my pajamas. The watch is laying on the other side of my bed, emitting soft ticking noises. It still has not spoken since the last time. I have a mission should I choose to accept it. That mission: find out what this mysterious watch is and where it came from. I have already accepted the mission but I don’t know where to start. It’s not like there was an on-and-off switch on the thing and I have already tried shaking it. Guess it’s still just in sleep mode. How uncomfortable.

My leg is shaking. I’m restless and bored. I don’t know if it’s the best idea but I decide to whip out my phone and tell my friends about this. I can at least talk about the fact that I found a cool watch today. I just won’t mention the weirdness surrounding it. My finger taps the screen to take a picture and I send the photo to the group chat. Before I have a chance to type an explanatory message, I get a reply from Yona.

Yona: Kewl watch. Did you mug an old man for it? Next time bring me, I want to help.

Runa: What??? No! I found it on the ground today.

Yona: On the ground? It must have been real special for a clean addict like you to pick it up. Are those real diamonds?

Ageha: Amazing! Lovely! Let’s do a photo shoot with it sometime! Wear your nicest clothes, girls. We’ll call the photo book: Watch for my destiny.

Runa: I don’t know if it’s real. Grandpa said it might be bootleg. I’m down for the photo shoot though.

Ageha: Wear green accented clothing! I’ll edit the photos to be all black and white except for the green to match the watch. It’ll be so cool and professional looking!

Yona: I’m free this weekend. Still think we should bring it to a pawn shop to see if they’re real. Just in case.

Runa: Just in case what? Never mind. Yeah, that sounds fun. Let’s meet this weekend. I’m going to bed now. Talk more tomorrow.

“Hey, what’s that? Are you and your friends talking about me on it? I’m flattered you think I look so nice in watch form! I’m quite proud of it, too. I wanted to go for a “timeless” look. Get it? Because I’m a fancy watch?”

I try not to scream and let out a squeak instead. When I drop my phone there is a cute, white rabbit sitting next to me. Except it’s definitely not a normal rabbit. Its eyes are like sparkling emeralds. Its long ears and the tips of its paws are brown like the leather straps. The ends of its bent ears are adorned with a small diamond on the back. I didn’t notice those before. This thing is way cuter than an average rabbit and that’s saying something. I’m suddenly struck by a thought: which form came first to match which, the watch or the rabbit?

“What do you think of my rabbit form? Pretty cute, right? Nice room, by the way! You have so many things from my home time! I knew there was a reason we connected.” The rabbit spoke as it inspected my room.

There are so many questions right now but it’s late and my brain is pretty much fried at this point. All I manage to say is, “Hello, small bunny.”

“Hello, human girl. Are you tired? That’s no good, there’s a lot of explanations to cover. Then I’ll try to keep this brief. Maybe we should start with introductions. I’m a Time Hopper! Time Hopper Number 137, to be precise. You may call me Hota for short.”

“I’m Runa. Runa Imatoki. You have a number?” Did it say number 137? That’s a lot. How many are there of these things? I kind of thought this might be the only one of its kind.

“Don’t you know how long romance has been a thing throughout history? There are numerous Time Hoppers scattered across all time and place on this Earth.”

“Oh. I guess that makes sense. Um, let’s see. Are you a boy or girl rabbit? And what’s a ‘Time Hopper’?”

“Neither. We Time Hoppers are beings of pure kinetic energy. Though you may refer to me as a ‘he’, if you wish. We can hop around to any time via worlds created from memories. We don’t age but we are not indestructible, per say. We are born to a home time. It’s a time period that we are most comfortable in and make our home base there. Mine happens to be Tokyo in the 1970s.” The rabbit hopped from its front paws to its back while talking to emphasize its point.

“Wow. Pure kinetic energy?” I reach out and poke its cheek. Hota giggles. It felt like normal soft fur on the outside but different inside. It’s hard to explain but it seemed to be made of some kind of rubber underneath. Hota is such a cute name. It takes the “ho” from hopper and the “ta” from time.

“Ok, Runa. I’m going to tell you why I time hop and what your job is. My mission is to rid the world of Dust Bunnies that attack people’s memories. They are beings of rest energy, opposite of me, but I can’t do it alone. I don’t understand human relationships that well. Also, I can’t interact too much with the world. I need you to help me restore memories by time hopping with me!” Hota looks at me with a fire in its eyes. 

I can’t say I’m not invested in traveling to the past and helping people. It sounds fun. I give my answer without thinking too hard about it. “No promises that I’ll do a good job but I’m in.”