Yonseo was seventeen years old, but sometimes she felt much older.

Every day was the same. She woke up, went to school, came home, and listened to her parents argue. Their voices filled the house almost every night. Sometimes it was about money. Sometimes it was about responsibilities. Sometimes it was about things that had happened years ago.

Yonseo had grown used to it, but that didn't mean it hurt any less.

She loved her mother more than anything. Her mother worked hard every day and always tried to smile even when she was exhausted. But Yonseo could see the sadness hidden behind those smiles.

As for her father, things were complicated.

There had been a time when she admired him. But as the years passed, she began to resent him. He rarely seemed to understand how much pain he caused the family.

Many nights, Yonseo found herself wondering the same thing.

What if they had never met?

What if they had never married?

Would her mother have been happier?

The thought always made her feel guilty.

After all, if her parents had never married, she would never have been born.

Yet she couldn't stop thinking about it.

One evening, dark clouds gathered outside the house. Soon, heavy rain began to pour from the sky. Thunder echoed in the distance.

Yonseo sat alone in her room while the rain tapped against her window.

She had no homework left to do and no desire to scroll through her phone.

Her eyes wandered around the room until they landed on an old wooden shelf.

There sat several dusty photo albums.

Curious, she stood up and grabbed one.

The cover was worn with age.

She carried it back to her bed and slowly opened it.

The first pages were filled with childhood memories.

Pictures of birthdays.

Family trips.

School events.

For a moment, Yonseo smiled.

The people in those photographs looked happy.

Almost too happy.

As she continued turning the pages, the photographs became older and older.

Then she found one that caught her attention.

It was a picture of her mother.

The photograph looked like it had been taken around the year 2000.

Her mother looked young and beautiful.

Twenty-four years old.

Her eyes were bright with hope.

She looked like someone whose future was full of possibilities.

Yonseo stared at the photograph for a long time.

It felt strange.

The woman in the picture looked so different from the tired woman she saw every day.

"You look happy," Yonseo whispered softly.

The rain outside grew heavier.

A flash of lightning illuminated the room.

As Yonseo carefully lifted the photograph, something slipped from between the pages of the album.

A folded piece of paper.

Confused, she picked it up.

The paper was yellow with age.

Its edges were slightly torn.

Someone had hidden it inside the album years ago.

Yonseo unfolded it.

Inside was a short handwritten message.

The ink had faded, but she could still read the words.

"Every choice creates a different future."

"What does that mean?" Yonseo muttered.

Suddenly, the photograph in her hand began to glow.

Her eyes widened.

A soft golden light spread across the room.

The photo album trembled.

The paper in her hands became warm.

Then warmer.

Then almost too hot to hold.

"W-what's happening?"

The golden light became brighter.

The room started spinning.

Yonseo quickly stood up, but she lost her balance.

The photo album fell onto the floor.

Pictures scattered everywhere.

The rain outside disappeared beneath a strange humming sound.

The light surrounded her completely.

She tried to scream, but no sound came out.

Everything became white.

For a few seconds, Yonseo felt as if she were floating.

Then suddenly—

Silence.

Complete silence.

Yonseo slowly opened her eyes.

The first thing she noticed was that the rain was gone.

The second thing she noticed was that she was no longer in her room.

She was standing outside.

Confused, she looked around.

The street looked unfamiliar.

The buildings were different.

The shops looked older.

Even the cars seemed strange.

People walked past her wearing clothes she had only seen in old photographs.

Her heartbeat quickened.

"What is this place?"

A newspaper stand stood nearby.

Yonseo rushed toward it.

She grabbed the nearest newspaper and looked at the date.

Her hands immediately began to shake.

Her eyes widened.

"No..."

She looked at the date again.

It was impossible.

It couldn't be real.

But the numbers didn't change.

She had somehow traveled twenty years into the past.

Before she could process what was happening, a familiar voice reached her ears.

Yonseo froze.

Slowly, she turned around.

Standing across the street was a young woman.

She was laughing with her friends.

Her long hair moved gently in the wind.

For a moment, Yonseo forgot how to breathe.

The young woman looked exactly like her mother.

Only younger.

Much younger.

Twenty-four years old.

The same woman from the photograph.

Her mother.

Yonseo stared in complete shock.

"Mom...?"

To Be Continued...

A dazzling light burst from the photo album.

Before Yonseo could react, the strange light surrounded her completely. She tried to step back, but it felt as if an invisible force was pulling her forward.

"What's happening?" she cried.

The light grew brighter and brighter until it hurt her eyes. Unable to bear it any longer, Yonseo tightly closed them.

The room around her began to spin.

The sound of heavy rain slowly faded away.

Everything became silent.

For a moment, Yonseo felt as if she was floating in endless darkness.

Then suddenly, the strange feeling disappeared.

A warm breeze brushed against her face.

Slowly, she opened her eyes.

The first thing she noticed was the sunlight.

The storm was gone.

Above her was a clear blue sky.

Confused, Yonseo looked around.

She was standing on a busy street filled with people.

Cars passed by.

Shop owners greeted customers.

Children laughed as they ran across the sidewalk.

Everything seemed normal.

Yet something felt different.

The buildings looked older.

The advertisements seemed outdated.

Even the fashion people wore looked strange.

"Where am I?" Yonseo whispered.

Her heart began to race.

She turned around, hoping to find her house nearby.

But nothing looked familiar.

Thinking she was dreaming, Yonseo pinched herself.

"Ouch!"

The pain was real.

This wasn't a dream.

Fear slowly filled her chest.

She began walking down the street, searching for answers.

After a few minutes, she noticed a newspaper stand.

Quickly, she picked up a newspaper.

The moment she saw the date, her eyes widened.

Her hands trembled.

"No way..."

She looked again.

The date remained the same.

The year was 2000.

Twenty years before the life she knew.

Her mind struggled to understand.

Traveling through time was impossible.

At least, that was what she had always believed.

Yet the newspaper was proof.

Somehow, she had been sent into the past.

Suddenly, movement across the street caught her attention.

A young woman stepped out of a small café.

At first, Yonseo didn't think much of it.

Then she looked again.

The woman's face seemed familiar.

Very familiar.

Her smile.

Her eyes.

The way she walked.

Yonseo froze.

Her breath caught in her throat.

It was her mother.

Only younger.

Much younger.

The woman looked happy and carefree.

Nothing like the exhausted woman Yonseo knew.

For years, Yonseo had only seen her mother working hard and carrying endless worries.

But this woman was different.

She smiled brightly as she talked with her friends.

For the first time, Yonseo saw the person her mother used to be.

A young woman with dreams.

A young woman full of hope.

Without thinking, Yonseo began following her.

She stayed several steps behind, careful not to be noticed.

As she watched her mother laugh with friends, a strange feeling filled her heart.

She wanted to call out to her.

She wanted to run over and hug her.

But she couldn't.

If she really was in the past, she had no idea what might happen if her mother recognized her.

So Yonseo remained silent.

The young woman continued walking through the crowded streets.

Yonseo followed closely behind.

Questions filled her mind.

Why had she been brought here?

What was the purpose of this journey?

Was it simply a coincidence?

Or was fate trying to show her something?

Taking a deep breath, Yonseo continued walking.

Whatever the answer was, she was determined to uncover the truth.

And somehow, she knew this was only the beginning.

To Be Continued...

Yonseo continued following her mother through the crowded streets.

Her heart raced with every step.

She couldn't believe what she was seeing.

The woman walking ahead of her was definitely her mother.

The same eyes.

The same smile.

The same gentle way of speaking.

But this version of her mother was different.

She looked happy.

Alive.

Free from the sadness Yonseo had always known.

For years, Yonseo had watched her mother suffer.

She had seen her cry alone at night.

She had seen the pain hidden behind forced smiles.

And now, somehow, she was standing here in the past, watching the woman her mother used to be.

"I won't let anything happen to you this time," Yonseo whispered.

She kept following her from a distance.

The young woman stopped at a flower shop and smiled while looking at the colorful flowers.

Yonseo felt tears forming in her eyes.

She had never seen her mother smile like that before.

For a moment, she forgot where she was.

Forgot about time travel.

Forgot about the mysterious photo album.

All she could think about was her mother.

Lost in thought, Yonseo didn't notice a small crack in the road.

Suddenly, her foot caught on it.

"Ah!"

She stumbled forward and fell hard onto the pavement.

The people nearby turned to look at her.

Embarrassed, Yonseo tried to stand up.

Her knee hurt from the fall.

Before she could move, someone stopped in front of her.

A familiar voice spoke softly.

"Are you okay?"

Yonseo froze.

Slowly, she looked up.

It was her mother.

For a moment, the world seemed to stop.

The young woman stretched out her hand.

Concern filled her eyes.

Yonseo stared at the hand.

The same hand that had comforted her when she was sick.

The same hand that had wiped away her tears when she was little.

The same hand she thought she would never hold again.

Tears immediately filled Yonseo's eyes.

Her body trembled.

The young woman looked worried.

"Miss? Are you hurt?"

Yonseo couldn't speak.

She slowly reached out and grabbed the offered hand.

The warmth felt real.

Too real.

As her mother helped her stand up, years of emotions burst from Yonseo's heart.

"Mom..." she whispered.

The young woman blinked.

"What?"

Yonseo's lips trembled.

Tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Mom."

The word came out louder this time.

The young woman looked confused.

Before she could say anything, Yonseo suddenly wrapped her arms around her.

"Mom!"

People nearby stopped and stared.

Yonseo didn't care.

She hugged her tightly.

Tears soaked her mother's shoulder.

"I found you," she cried.

"I finally found you."

The young woman froze in shock.

Yonseo held her even tighter.

"I missed you so much."

Her voice cracked.

"You don't know how much I missed you."

The young woman tried to pull away, but Yonseo wouldn't let go.

"Please," Yonseo sobbed.

"Don't go near Dad."

The young woman looked completely confused.

"What?"

Yonseo shook her head.

"I won't let you be with him."

Tears continued pouring down her face.

"I won't let the future happen."

"I'll protect you this time."

The young woman's expression changed from confusion to fear.

She forcefully pushed Yonseo away.

Yonseo stumbled backward.

The sudden distance felt like a knife through her heart.

The young woman stared at her nervously.

"Who are you?" she asked.

Yonseo opened her mouth, but no words came out.

The young woman took another step back.

"I don't know you."

Yonseo's eyes widened.

"Mom..."

"Stop calling me that."

The words hit harder than anything.

"I'm not your mother."

For a moment, Yonseo couldn't breathe.

She knew this was the past.

She knew this woman didn't recognize her.

But hearing those words still hurt.

The young woman glanced around anxiously.

People were beginning to stare.

Fear appeared in her eyes.

Without another word, she turned and ran.

"Wait!"

Yonseo immediately chased after her.

"Mom, wait!"

The crowd filled the streets.

People walked in every direction.

Cars passed by.

Voices echoed everywhere.

Yonseo pushed through the crowd as fast as she could.

She caught a glimpse of her mother's white dress.

Then it disappeared.

"No!"

Yonseo ran faster.

Her chest burned.

Her legs hurt.

But she couldn't stop.

She finally reached the end of the street.

The road ahead split into several directions.

The young woman was gone.

Completely gone.

Yonseo looked around desperately.

"Mom!"

No answer came.

Only the sounds of the busy city.

She searched every corner.

Every shop.

Every alley.

Nothing.

It was as if her mother had vanished.

Slowly, Yonseo stopped running.

Her shoulders trembled.

The excitement she had felt moments ago disappeared.

In its place was a painful emptiness.

She had finally found her mother.

Yet she had lost her again.

Tears streamed down her face.

With nowhere else to go, Yonseo walked to a nearby bench.

She sat down quietly.

People continued walking past her.

Nobody noticed the girl crying alone.

The bright afternoon sky slowly began turning orange.

Yonseo stared at the ground.

Questions filled her mind.

How could she change the future?

How could she save her mother if her own mother wouldn't even talk to her?

And most importantly...

Why had the photo album brought her here?

As she wiped away her tears, something caught her attention.

A small photograph lay beneath the bench.

It looked old.

Very old.

Yonseo picked it up carefully.

The moment she saw the picture, her eyes widened.

The photograph showed her mother.

Standing beside a young man.

A young man Yonseo recognized immediately.

Her father.

And written on the back were three words that sent chills down her spine.

"Don't trust him."

To Be Continued...