VR - Virtual Reality [STRAY KIDS FF] ✔️

1. Happy New Year!

The town is full of people. I'm standing in a town square, different music blasting from different cafés. People are celebrating.

There's a big machine pumping out foam. It's a foam party, and people love it, cheering louder the more the foam pours out on them.

We're all dressed in short sleeves. Why? Someone told me that it's because of global warming. It's so warm in December.

It is night, half an hour before midnight. A crowd of people surrounds me, yet I'm alone. I don't want to be here.

A girl approaches me. I don't know her. She has the most ridiculous outfit, hair, and makeup I have ever seen. She looks like she stepped out of a futuristic movie with fluorescent eye-shadow, numerous bracelets, and chocker necklaces.

The neon girl offers me a plastic cup of warm, sweet wine. Why is she drinking a hot drink on a warm night? Guess it's the tradition.

I accept the offered drink out of curtsy and smile at the hyped girl. She brings her plastic cup and presses it to mine.

"Toast to an upcoming year!" The girl smiles big and brings her cup up to continue her toast. "Let's hope that 2035. will be a great year!" She cheers and gulps down the warm wine.

My fingers crunch the plastic cup as my eyes widen in shock.

"2035?" I ask, and she nods. "Wow... I feel like 2024. was yesterday..."

The girl laughs. "Yeah. I, too, would like to return to my childhood," Then she grimaces, "Though my 2024. was all but happy..."

She shrugs and walks away, going to greet her friends. I watch after them as they all collectively dive into a foamy mass, the wine in my hand intact.

It all feels surreal... unreal. What is this reality? 2035. is upon us? How old am I? Where am I?

The more I try to remember, the more my mind goes blank. Although I know nothing except my name, still too confused about this timeline, my feet seem to know where to take me.

I leave the cup of wine on the empty table at a random bar and start walking away from the clamor. It didn't take me more than 10 minutes until I arrived at my apartment.

Opening the door, I recognized this place - I lived here with my parents and my sister. But where are they?

I lock the front door and advance into the quiet apartment. There's a small tree decorated by the TV. Fairy lights are hung around, and taped to the walls. I turn right and enter my bedroom. There's another decorated tree on my desk, lit up with colorful lights that cast their lights onto the walls and the rest of the room.

Turning my head to the right, I notice a wrapped box on top of my bed. The paper is golden and shiny, and the ribbon is red and silky. There is a note tucked under the ribbon. I take it to read the message.

"From Mom and Dad. Happy New Year!"

A smile spreads on my face. I'm not a kid anymore, but they don't miss the family tradition of New Year's gift-giving.

Sitting on the bed, I carefully peel off the paper, revealing a plain white box. I expected to see a brand, at least, but there's nothing.

I open the box, a small remote-like device nested on a silky cushion. It looks plain, like the box, with no words on the white plastic device, only symbols - play, stop, pause, replay, along with up, down, left, and right buttons.

I lift the remote but notice that there's another box under the silk fabric. This box is black and has a folded paper tucked under it. Must be the manual.

Opening the other box, I see a pair of... sunglasses? I put them on, but it's hard to see through them as if the darkness enveloped me completely and deprived me of sight. I take the glasses off to search the rest of the box's contents. Next to the glasses is a small package and opening it, I find a pair of earbuds.

I'm more confused by the second. What is all of this? Hope the manual will help.

"VR?" I mutter as I read the title. But the more I read, the clearer it becomes.

The manual says that I can connect the glasses, earbuds, and the remote to my phone, through the app and Bluetooth, and "enjoy my desired virtual life".

I chuckle. My parents are jokesters, for real. I might be delusional at times but they don't need to rub it in.

Nevertheless, I download the app, turn on Bluetooth, and complete every step as the instructions say.

Opening the app, I agree with the terms and conditions (that I don't even bother reading), enter my name and age (the last one I remember, not calculating the year 2034.), and the first thing that pops up after I enter my info is the question that takes me aback.

"What makes you happy?"

There are numerous empty slots for one to write different things.

I take a moment to think but there's no need as something, or rather someone comes to my mind immediately - a Korean boy band consisting of eight members, Stray Kids.

I smile as I type in "Stray Kids" in the first slot. Clicking "enter", the cursor shifts to the second empty slot. My mind is focused on "SKZ" but one band member lingers in my thoughts longer...

"Bang Chan..." I mutter his name and then giggle as I type it in the second slot.

I sigh. That man has surely brought me happiness, reassurance, smiles, and comfort throughout the years. I had found more positivity in him and the boys than in my own family. It's a crazy fact but a true one.

I glance back at my phone, stopping my daydream about Chan and the Kids. I stare at the blinking cursor but nothing else comes to my mind as they are my real source of happiness. Sounds sad but I don't mind.

I tap the "Next" button and the app now tells me to make myself comfortable (so I lay down on my bed), put on the earbuds and glasses, and take the remote.

This time, as I put on the glasses, I can see the same screen as it is on my phone. I use the remote to navigate through. The app asks me if I would like to change something and I click on "No".

I giggle. This app will most likely project me a video of a Stray Kids concert, Chan's room, or a compilation of their funny moments. That's nice. I don't mind spending my New Year's Eve watching Stray Kids content through VR glasses. So I use the remote to click "Start", now giddy to begin. This will be much better than holding my phone up and getting cramps in my arm.

A buzzing sound fills my ears and the screen goes black. But then bright light appears and displays colorful lights flashing all around as if I'm pulled into a vortex. Golden sparkles fly all around me and I can literally feel them dancing on and in my body in the form of tingles. It tickles and I giggle.

The sound in my ears is sizzling and my body starts to feel lighter, as if I'm really being transferred to another dimension. I feel relaxed, my mind is blank, and it's amazing.

Fireworks blast in front of my eyes.

I'm ready to begin my first VR experience.