Love Across Universe

What A Strange World

Soojin

10 years later

The pathway through the bamboo path had begun to darken. The sun was slowly dripping to the West, colouring the sky in a shade of orange-blue. The birds had gone back to their nests while the crickets and the cicadas had started their nightly chorus. The leaves crinkled under my footsteps, as I entered the same garden of the house where I had been residing for 10 years.

Night dawned in and I sat in the living room pondering over my latest project. This was my 1st group Robotics project. We intended to create humanoids and I was stepping towards success, I must say. Suddenly, I heard the doorbell rang. Quite a late hour, for someone to visit so I assumed it might be my best friends.

I looked through the peephole and saw Sakura. I opened the door for her as she hugged me and started crying.

"What happened?" I asked patting her back and taking her in.

"Re...Ren. I think he loves someone else."

"Sakura-calm down! You must be mistaken."

"You don't know! I saw a girl wearing a coat pulling him at the back of Mrs. Abiko's store. I secretly went there and saw her hugging Ren. She was trying to kiss h-him. I-I don't know whether they kissed or not....I ran away," Sakura stuttered and cried. It had been 2 years since they started their relationship and things like this are bound to tear your heart apart.

There came another knock and I knew who was it - Ren.

"Come in."

Came Ren inside running and hugged Sakura.

"Sshh....she was a creep. I promise, we have nothing in between. I met her back in an art gallery and despite of telling that I already found my life-mate, she tried to get me. I threatened her and she promised never to see me again. I love you, Sakura," Ren said and planted a peck on her cheeks.

I watched lovingly as the couple made things perfect and shared a passionate kiss. We decided to drink for a while.

"How's your project going?" Ren asked taking a sip of the beer.

"Ah! Soojin, you've to gift me that humanoid 1st, I swear, I will be your 1st buyer," Sakura raised the glass, indicating that she was already under the influence. She had very less tolerance, I had noticed that over the years.

"Haha, sure. You will be reaching your 30s soon, when are you both planning to marry?" I asked.

"When Miss Min finishes her robot!" she cheered and I chuckled.

Ren giggled. "I must take her home now. See you tomorrow," he said as they both left.

After a stressful day I landed on the bed waiting for sleep to engulf me.

"Can you please stop doing this work for his sake?"

"Why are you disobeying omens?"

"Everything has a meaning and you must suffer."

"AHHHHH!!! I SAID STOP!" I screamed loudly as I quickly turned on the lights, my vision still blurry with a heavy head. My hands shook while pouring water into my cup. With shaky hands, I took the cup and started running my fingers through my hair when I noticed a bright light dropping from the sky and coming towards the far-flung mountains.

It was like an asteroid coming but it was impossible. Moreover, Earth would be destroyed. In no time, it crashed and everything turned black.

The alarm clock started playing it's old mundane song and I begun to sat up slowly. Sunlight filtered from the curtains of my room, it's rays basking the bed sheets. Dust specks danced under the warm glow and I sighed.

Terrible nightmares again. I was dreaming of a nightmare within a nightmare. Human psychic is strange, isn't it?

I sauntered, half drowsy and went towards the living room connected to the terrace. I got a good view of the garden, oh Sakura admiring the bonsais.

She twirled to face me with a warm smile. "Good morning Soojinah! It's a lovely day, wanna go out to the mountains? It will be a girls day out!" she laughed earning a nod from me.

I was locking the door when I felt sprinkles of water on my hair. "Saku, stop it! I would catch a cold," I whined.

"Hurry up!" she pulled my arm and we started running like kids.

A good run of 20 mins and we were already panting. "I cannot match your speed, you're an athlete indeed. Hey, whose house is this? Never seen it before. Is it possible to construct such a big house within a night?" questions bombarded me as I stared towards the giant wooden structure.

"Don't try to be humorous Soojin, you know you can't crack jokes," she said.

"What do you mean?"

"What do I mean?" she blinked her pupils twice. "Who the fuck forgets their best friend's house?" she chuckled.

"What?! Is this Ren's house?" I said and tried to look for the name plate.

"This is Alain Abreo's house, c'mon. This isn't funny," she scoffed.

I got a shock of nearly 20,000 volts as I heard the name from her mouth and dropped the basket. I squeezed my eyes shut as the sound of thunder pierced through my mind. Everything stopped for a while - the life which was bustling around me of people going to their works, the chatting sound of market aunties and even the laughter of children playing nearby stopped.

Time stopped, as the rotation of the Earth ceased for a while.

"Soojin? Are you okay?" she shook my arm and I came back to my senses. "Oh my! Why are your cheeks wetty wetty? What happened dear?"

My tears felt cold. I tentatively held the skin of my arms and pinched it. I wasn't asleep. I took the deepest breath my lungs would allow and slowly started speaking. "But he's dead. He left the world when we were 15."

"Hey girls, what's up?" came a voice. As I turned my head towards the source, my eyes met with an ethereal being. A man that seemed around my age. Broad shoulders, full lips and eyes shinning with warmth.

"A-a-alain," my voice broke as I touched his cheek questioning the line that prevents the intertwining of imagination and reality.

"Yes, that's my name," the most purest of smiles adorned his lush lips. "Why is your voice breaking, wae wae and where are you guys upto?"

"On a girls day out!" she exclaimed but I still in shock. "Soojin let's not delay."

"I am sorry but I can't go now. I have some pending office work which I forgot. Take this Sakura and go to the mountains with Mary," I handed her the basket and rushed towards my home.

Isn't this what you wanted Soojin?

To get back the person who loved you the most?

"JUST STOP IT AT THIS POINT!" I screamed at the top my lungs, tears constantly falling, heart aching, legs shaking and what not. I felt like laughing at my own fate. I ignored the she-is-crazy look from the villagers around me . I was in too much pain to take in my mind everything.

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Hope this chapter has twisted your minds.
Please vote & comment everyone. It really motivates me to write. Take care everyone 😊