When the Universe Conspires

00: A Memory of Pluto

"Pluto? Pluto," Connie whispered, the familiar phrase tumbling from her lips like a secret spell shared only between best friends.

The warm afternoon sun cast a golden hue over the schoolyard, where laughter and chatter created a symphony of youth. Connie sat cross-legged on the grass, her eyes sparkling as she traced patterns in the clouds above. Aki, beside her, was lost in a book—his fingers skimming the pages of a science textbook, yet his ears were attuned to her every word.

"Do you think Pluto still believes it's a planet?" Connie mused, her voice soft and dreamy. "I mean, what if it's out there, just waiting for someone to recognize its worth?"

Aki looked up, a teasing smile playing on his lips. "Connie, it's not a planet anymore," he replied, the warmth of his laughter contrasting with her wistfulness. "But maybe that's why you like it so much. It's a rebel—just like you."

She grinned, her heart fluttering at his words. "Exactly! It's all about chaos and new beginnings. Just because others don't see its value doesn't mean it's not there."

As they shared a moment of silence, the air thick with unspoken emotions, Connie couldn't shake the feeling that something—some great adventure—was waiting just beyond the horizon. The universe, with its swirling stars and hidden constellations, felt alive with possibilities.

But beneath the surface, Aki's heart wrestled with his own thoughts, the weight of unconfessed feelings pressing against his chest like a storm cloud. In that fleeting afternoon, as the sun dipped low and painted the sky in hues of orange and pink, both friends felt the stirrings of change.

Fate was whispering, and they were too young to understand its implications.

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Do soulmates really exist? And even if there is . . . would you choose it over love that persists?

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