Changing Faces

"Have you decided?"

"I have... Wait, I still have a few questions. Will my face become more attractive?"

"Yes."

"This won't affect anyone else's memories? In other words, they'll remember my face as having always looked this way?"

"Correct."

"And it won't change my experiences? Everything that's happened in the past thirty years, my knowledge, intelligence, work skills, moral character, social connections, the papers I've published, the professional titles I've earned..."

"None of that will be affected. Only your face will change. There will be no grandfather paradox and no butterfly effect."

"At the same time, I'll return to a year and a half ago?"

"Yes. You'll have the chance to live those 547.5 days over again. Earlier events won't change, but what happened during those 547.5 days may not happen again. The future beyond those 547.5 days won't necessarily be the same as it is now."

"So things could get better, or they could get worse."

"Yes."

"...Do you think it will work? I mean... if I become more attractive, will I have a better chance at love?"

"I don't know. But for you and the person you love, I think it will."

"The outcome could be worse? Meaning things could be worse than they are now. I might not win him over, and could even lose something else?"

"That can't be ruled out."

"...I've decided. Let's begin."

"All right. I should make this clear once more: I can only help someone once. Whatever the outcome, I won't be able to bring you back to the life you're living now."

"I know. I've decided. Let's begin."

"Sorrow has turned my hair white; years away from home have burdened my heart. Now that I've been thrown into prison, my appearance has changed as well."

Anonymous Tang Dynasty poet, Late Autumn