Timelessly (ENGLISH Version- Ongoing)

CHAPTER 1

ONE: "Old golden clock."

“BEFORE we start the class, I want to call Mr. Theodore Quint Angeles, Jr. to come and stand here in front, ”said the Professor in Quint's class on the subject of Pharmaceutics 33.

Quint was slightly astounded. His classmates also looked at him. He’s currently a third-year Pharmaceutics student.

"Hey, Quint, did you do something silly again?" whispered to him by his seatmate who was also his male classmate.

"Quint, it looks like you're doomed!" said the other one.

"Good luck, boy!" one of them tapped him with a grin.

He shook at them. “No. I didn’t do anything.”

That’s the truth. He doesn’t remember what he did lately. He didn’t scold nor do anything terrible.

"You're doomed, dude!!" a few more teased him.

He couldn't help but feel slightly uncomfortable. He may have done something but he just wasn't aware he did? Maybe…

"Why, Prof.?" he asked the teacher hesitantly.

“Don't ask too many questions. Just go in front as I say,” she said sternly while crossing her arms and standing straight while looking directly at him.

The usual terror and strict-looking female professor who is scary and maybe just one mistake would make the students ’grades falter.

He shrugged and then slowly walked in front with a bowed head.

The last time he remembered, he was reprimanded in class because he was caught sleeping. After all, he woke up to study all night that night for their long quiz on a very difficult major subject so there, when he came in the next day, he was exhausted and very drowsy. He could no longer watch himself while prof. in front. He was absent-minded, no one entered what was on his mind at that moment because he was so drowsy and, he closed his eyes.

He would never forget that he was almost dreaming then if prof. didn’t just wake him up suddenly who really went where he was and intentionally raised her voice at him that moment. He almost jumped in panic, and then, later on, he realized that the teacher’s nose was smoking with anger because Quint was only sleeping in her class.

Now, what else can he do? As far as he could remember, he didn’t sleep in the class today.

The prof. sighed hard and had that particular face of being sad and disappointed when she turned to him. But what did he really do?

"I asked you to go in front because… I want to give you recognition and commend your success during our Summer’s Medical Investigatory Project." And from that, her face changed and she smiled proudly. She happily turned to the whole class. “Mr. Angeles deserves a round of applause from all of us here, doesn’t he? ”

His classmates smiled with joy and shouted, “Yes,” and then everyone, including the professor, applauded him. He, on the other hand, took a deep breath as if a thorn had been pulled out of his throat because he really felt feared for a few moments, and he finally smiled as well.

“I was one of the judges there and I saw that your output was really great. It stood out on its way among the rest. It was a unanimous decision from all five judges. Congratulations, Mr. Angeles.”

"I thought I did something unpleasant again," he laughed but said happily. "Thank you very much, Prof."

After he was commended and applauded by the whole class, he was seated again and they started class. That was the first subject out of a total of three major subjects at their afternoon class sessions. Quint's whole mind, light and super okay all day with him. Everything went fine until his aunt called him telling him that his father was suddenly rushed to the hospital.

"Auntie, how’s dad?" he asked when he arrived at the hospital.

Auntie Roberta is his father’s younger sister.

She looked at him with sadness in her eyes, shoulders slumped, face frustrated. He immediately knew what that meant so he ran inside, only to confirm that he had already lost his father. There was nothing he could do, a mixture of sadness and pain covered his whole body that he could not move but only tears flowed.

His deceased father was over fifty years old and he had been suffering for a long time ago from kidney disease and failure. 2018 and he lost him, his father really gave up after the long battle they fought through the years.

Auntie Roberta comforted him by hugging his shoulders and crying with him too.

"The two of them are together now… happy that maybe they met again," he said very sadly, pertaining to his father and his mother who both left him.

He lost his mom when he was only fifteen due to a car crash. Since then, his father has never remarried and has devoted all his time and attention to being a father to him and the businesses that make a living for them.

"Quint son, your daddy told me this before he finally disappeared. I have to give it to you. ”

Surprised, he accepted the key. With the logo of St. Damian Philippine University, which is the exact school where Quint’s currently attending; his father’s alma mater.

“What’s this, Auntie?”

“He didn't tell me, son. He just said I have to give it to you. ”

He stared and wondered about the key and its purpose. Why does his father give him the key to its former locker in St. Damian?

He waited until his father had been buried to eternal peace, and when he returned to school he decided to cut his curiosity. Surely, his father wouldn’t give this significant key to his locker to Quint without a reason or a purpose, so he will have to know about it.

The old locker could be found in the University’s library. His father was once an asset and pride of SDPU because of his academic achievements. His father was really good at school, he was always sent to local or sometimes international contests. Theodore Sr. was also the Magna c*m Laude of his batch in the Business Management course in 1991, so its name is one of the honored names in the school’s library. Its locker along with other exemplary students has forever been named after them and is already owned by them. All those excellent students were given the privilege to store their precious stuff in those exclusive lockers.

As soon as Quint opened the locker, a folded stationery fell out. He picked it up and opened it, and he was surprised to see it was his father’s letter to him…

Quint son,

First of all, I just want to say sorry for hiding the truth from you all these years. The truth was your mother wasn’t, actually, the love of my life. Before her, I had met someone else, my son. A woman I loved wholeheartedly and unparalleled. But tragedy and an unexpected turn of events happened, and we didn’t end up with each other. I met your mom and I married her, though she always knew she wasn’t my great love. Sorry for hiding this from you, sorry for not telling you during the times we were still together as a father-son. Please don’t get mad and don’t get me wrong, I love your mother. It’s just that I wasn’t able to give her my hundred percent, but I have always been thankful that she brought you to this world and you are our source of joy.

I gave you the key to my locker and I wrote to you because I wanted to ask for your help, son. I wasn’t able to save and protect my great love in those golden years so I hope you can at least go back to her and convey to her that I’ve loved her truly and apologize I wasn’t able to protect her during those times…

You may understand what I meant, son when you take out the gold clock that is also in my locker with my other belongings. Turn the gold clock’s hands into exactly 12:00 and you’ll see what I’m talking about. -Daddy Sr.

Despite what he read and found out that there was another woman in his father's life who was more than his mother, he didn’t feel any anger nor even get upset. After all, his daddy was kind and a good father to him and never failed as a father.

Still curious, Quint looked for the golden clock, and as stated in the letter. In order for him to better understand what his father was asking for in his favor, he slowly rolled the hands of the old gold clock at exactly twelve o'clock.

Moments passed and Quint woke up from a nap. He found himself in the library asleep. His head was still resting on his arm lying on the table. Without moving, he moved his eyes around first, and there, his gaze was caught by the most beautiful girl he has ever seen.

He remained like that at the first few moments and did not move, he instead kept on staring at the woman sitting in front of him who was busy with what she was writing on her notes. Every little detail of her face is beautiful; from her perfectly curved eyebrows, natural thick lashes, innocent deep-seated eyes, well-shaped nose, pinkish lips, fair skin, and those enthralling medium-length hair with white mini ribbon clips on the side of her ear. He smiled suddenly as he just stared and watched the girl. She’s so beautiful.

After a while, she seemed to have felt and noticed that he was staring at her, so he suddenly moved and seemed to be lost. Quint, on the other hand, easily straightened up and adjusted his seat while still smiling affectionately at the girl.

“Sorry. Just keep writing,” he said with friendliness.

The amazingly beautiful girl seems to be a studious student too. Why is it that he saw her in this school just today?

She tried to return her focus to writing, and because Quint couldn't help himself, he just stared at her again with an endless smile showing so much fondness of her beauty. When she looked at him, she caught him so he immediately turned away and looked the other way. He pretended no one was in front of him so she decided to ignore him. When she raised her eyes to him again, she caught him the nth time looking at her, and they looked away from each other.

Quint just laughed softly. Maybe it's time to approach her…

"Uhm, assignment?" he asked casually with all his sincerity.

She looked at him and then she nodded.

"What course and year are you in?" he continued asking.

“Third year. AB Philosophy. ”

Quint no longer knew what to say or ask next. The delicate young lady in front of him looked very shy and it was as if this was the type of woman that is a one-question-one-answer person.

She continued her focus on reading her book.

He glanced at some parts of the interior of the library and he noticed something strange, he just couldn’t realize exactly what it was. He also looked for the clock that was usually on the wall next to the counter but he didn't find anything there.

Did they take that away from here? He asked in a low whisper in the air. That clock is still very useful so that he wouldn’t be late for his classes whenever he has had a short vacant time that he spends here in the library.

"Huh?" the girl asked him.

He smiled at her then shook his head. "Nothing."

She came back to reading again. He couldn’t help but fill his eyes with her pure beauty. Also, one that did not escape his attention was that she wasn’t wearing her school uniform, she was wearing an old-fashioned but beautiful and elegant blue dress. Her beauty seems to be classic and vintage but is not fading through time. Why is that so? He feels that he has known her for a long time even though this is the first time he sees someone like her here in St. Damian ...

He rested his back on the chair he was sitting in and continued glancing at her moment to moments. When he looked around the library, he also noticed a calendar hanging on one side. The first thing he looked at was the month and number of days. Yesterday was Monday, July 16, so it's probably Tuesday today, July 17 and he's right. It’s July 17, 2018— his forehead suddenly frowned and he was almost terrified of the year he saw stated in the calendar year. July 1990.

He later laughed that he just nailed himself. 1990? What is this, St. Damian, even the calendar can't seem to be updated at all!

When his eyes returned to the beautiful woman in front of him, he saw her looking at him and seemed to have been watching him for a while and then for a moment glanced at the calendar he had been looking at and looked back at him again.

He simply smiled at her and snatched the smartphone from his khaki pocket. Asking for the girl’s number wouldn’t be a bad idea, right?

He pressed the power button only to find out that his cellphone was not turning on. He tried to long-press it but no effect. Annoyed, Quint just shook at himself. Low battery and I haven't been able to charge it even for just 10 percent! How can I ask for her cellphone number now?!

When he looked up at the girl, he saw her staring hard at the cellphone he was holding as if asking or wondering. He just simply smiled. Maybe she also wants to get my cellphone number! He couldn't help but feel happy with his imagination!

Before getting totally carried away, Quint remembered that he was still busy with other subjects. The girl, who was wearing a vintage designer’s wristwatch, did not escape his sight.

"What time is it, Miss?" he asked her.

She took a glance at her wristwatch and looked at him. "10:37 AM."

“Thanks. I'll go ahead now,” he said letting her know because he has to go and he still has other classes to attend.

She nodded. "All right."

Carrying his book, he left the library, and then he was completely overwhelmed by what he saw when he got his feet outside. Everything was old and gray! The buildings aren’t yet much innovated. The students passing the corridor weren’t wearing the uniform that the school requires. The women wore dresses, and the men wore polo shirts. And oh, one thing’s for sure— this is not 2018!

2018 is already a modern-day world, but this? From where he stands right now, all of this is old and far, far away from the modern world that he grew up in!

What is this place? Or is it even right to ask, ‘What in the world did he get himself into?!’

Suddenly he remembered the calendar he saw when he was inside. 1990. No, it isn’t possible… he was convincing himself.

He decided to quickly go back inside and go to the girl still in her seat.

She was even slightly shocked to have seen him. "You came backー"

"What year is it now?" he asked seriously and directly.

She stared at him with the kind of his question and at the seriousness of his face.

"What is the exact date today?" he even added.

Frowning and seeming curious about what he was asking, she said, "July 17, 1990. Why?"

He couldn't say anything anymore because he was completely shocked.

What seriously is going on, and why suddenly he time-traveled here in the year 1990?! The year that his mother hadn’t even yet given birth to him!