False Hope.

Time travel is a fascinating topic that has an intriguing rule,

"The future changes if the past is altered."

But what if the opposite is also true? If someone goes and changes the future, will the past also be different? I wondered.

I believe I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm Jin Haroki, a first year in high school. I'm in the science club at our school. Anyways, here's something interesting. Today's news said that 5 days from today, there will be a meteor shower. The scientists called it the "Mirai meteor shower". Fun fact, "Mirai" means future in Japanese.

The news said it's gonna be in the early hours of the day, probably around 6 or 7 am. Naturally, I was excited to see that event. So much so that on that I overslept one that day. When I woke up, it was 7 am.

"What? No way. No way I missed it. Ah dammit."

Feeling depressed, I went out on the balcony. As I put a step inside the balcony, I felt a crack under my feet. It hurt.

"What's this?"

There were some broken-up stones on the balcony. The stones had an interesting color. I guess they were deep-purple-ish? I can't exactly define it. But one thing was for sure, Those stones were extremely fragile. But before that, I have to hurry up to school.

I have a friend at school who is also in the science club. Well, let's just say, he has some crazy ideas every time we meet. This time was no different.

"Oi Jin. Come over here for a sec."

"Sure, what is it."

"Now-"

I was ambushed. He forcefully made me drink a potion he made. Not surprised tho.

It tastes horrible. Before I knew it, I lost consciousness.

When I came back to my senses, I was in a different world.

"Where am I? A dream?"

It was not. Not long before I realized it, but I somehow traveled far into the future. But how I knew it was not so pleasant...

I looked around for a bit in this new world that I'm in. The technology here sure is advanced. I walked around for a bit, but then I saw a cemetery. It was packed with people.

"Wow, there are a lot of people. The person who died sure is famous-"

Then I saw something... horrifying. It was.... my body. My dead body... Did I die?

I entered the cemetery. There are people that I didn't know. Wait, are those my Kids and my future wife?

That isn't a matter of concern for me now. I asked some people,

"Excuse me, sir, do you know how this person, Jin Hiroki died?"

"Oh, The CEO? He died in a building crash."

"Oh, thank you-"

Before I could finish, I came back to my previous world. Beside me was my friend, worried that he might have gone too far.

"Jin, I'm sorry-"

I grabbed him by his shoulders.

"How did you make this potion?"

"I know that you are mad. I'm sorry."

"I'm not mad. I need that potion. Tell me how you made it."

"Huh?"

He didn't understand the matter, but he told me how to make it. He made it with the meteor rocks that fell on his balcony the previous night. I was surprised, but I can't just sit around knowing that my future self died.

I rushed home, skipping school.

After reaching home, I started to make the potion. It was 1 pm.

I drank the potion and fell unconscious. I again returned to the future, but now, it was different. Somehow I appeared one hour early at the cemetery. Then I figured...

"Wait, I was drugged at noon, almost 5 hours after the meteor shower occurred. I again drank the potion one hour after and appeared one hour before the cemetery. Wait.."

I went to ask when I died in the future. I came to know that I died 4 hours before. Just as I expected. That means if I drink the potion again at 5 pm, 10 hours after the meteor shower happened, then I will arrive exactly at the time when I died. And if I did, then I could save myself.

That was the plan.

After some time, when the effect of the potion ran out, I woke up in my room. It was still 1 am. Not even the second hand moved after I fainted. Then, I just waited for 4 more hours and made the potion. At 5 pm sharp, I drank it and traveled into the future.

This time, an unpleasant coincidence came. I saw my future self right in front of me. My mind went blank. What was I supposed to do? Should I tell him that I came from the past or the future? Do I even tell him that he is going to die soon from a building crash?

"Come with me."

He said. I was surprised. I just followed him without question. I saw him going to his house. He opened the door and introduced me to his wife. Her name was Michie. As soon as she saw me, she fell into tears. My future self said nothing more and left. I followed him. He left without saying anything. At the very end, he said,

"Goodbye."

His wife's cries were even louder after that. I followed and followed until he said,

"This is the end."

A pile of heavy debris was going to fall on me, but he pushed me and saved me, killing him.

I killed him, it was because of me that he died. I regretted trying to save my future self, it was indeed, a false hope.

"Don't regret what you did. You did your best. From now on, enjoy your life."

It was his last words that he told me. Soon after, I woke up. Feeling depressed, I went out. I waited at the crossroad for the green signal. There was a girl who was also waiting. The green light was on, but I saw a truck speeding. The girl was going to cross. But I pulled her back and saved her. But we both fell.

"That was dangerous."

She stood up and said,

"Thanks for saving me. My name is Michie. Nice to meet you."

...

At that moment, I got my answer,

If the future is changed, the past doesn't change. Because the future depends on the past, but the past doesn't depend on the future...