|Kris — POV|
I was in an empty place.
There was no ground, no sky—nothing to define where I was. Just an endless absence stretching in every direction.
Remembering the dream I'd had years ago, I turned around suddenly.
I expected to see that being.
I didn't.
There was nothing there.
Only the void, unbroken and infinite.
I tried to look around, to understand why I was there at all.
But when I looked down—
There was nothing.
Not emptiness.
Nothing.
My body was gone entirely.
I couldn't feel anything. No weight, no breath, no pain—no proof that I even existed.
I tried to scream into that endless void.
But I couldn't.
Then, farther ahead, I saw it.
A single owl.
Its feathers were golden, impossibly bright against the darkness. It hovered there, beating its wings slowly, calmly—watching me.
Just watching.
And then—
Beep. Beep. Beep.
I jolted awake.
"What the hell was that dream?"
I shut off the alarm, got up, and made my bed.
Yawning, I stepped out of my room and headed to the bathroom to take care of my morning routine. I stopped in front of the mirror.
There were faint dark circles under my eyes.
I'd been having strange dreams for days now.
But this one was different.
It lingered.
It felt… too real.
After washing my face, I brushed my teeth and headed to the kitchen.
My dad was at the stove, distracted as he cooked. On the table, a few pancakes rested on a shallow plate, steam already fading.
"Morning, Dad."
"Oh!"
Hearing me, he turned around with a wide smile, letting me see the stained apron tied around his neck.
"Good morning, newest taxpayer!" he joked. "I made some pancakes for us. You can start eating while I finish up."
Taxpayer, I thought, a chill running down my spine.
"Need help with anything?"
"Huh? Of course not. You're the birthday boy today!"
"All right, then."
After grabbing a plate, I went to the table and served myself a few pancakes, drowning them in maple syrup.
As I ate, my dad finished up and sat down across from me with a bowl of bacon.
"Want some bacon?"
"Nah, thanks. I've always preferred sweet stuff."
"You do you," he shrugged, before digging into his pancakes.
After that, we just kept eating in silence.
Looking out the window, the day seemed bright. Sunny.
A few minutes later, my dad lifted his head. He looked curious.
"So…" he began with a smile. "Got anything planned for today?"
"Hmm…"
Now that I thought about it, Rose did ask me out, didn't she?
Man… she really didn't let anything slip.
"I guess I've got a date with Rose…"
"Oh?"
"Well… she didn't exactly say it out loud."
"Knowing her? Yeah, that sounds about right," he replied, crossing his arms.
Our conversation was cut short by a notification on my phone.
I picked it up and glanced at the message.
I'm already outside >:3
Huh? It wasn't even 9 a.m. yet!
"Who is it?" my dad asked, craning his neck to try and see.
"It's Rose… she's outside."
"Heh," he chuckled. "Looks like someone woke up feeling impatient."
I sighed.
"I'll go get her."
I stood up from the table and walked to the door. Before opening it, I already felt irritated at the girl waiting outside.
"Hey!" she said the moment I opened it. "All set to go?"
Exasperated, I answered flatly.
"Do you have any idea what time it is?"
"Hm?" she hummed, pulling out her phone to check."It's nine o'clock."
"Exactly."
"Oh—good morning, by the way."
I sighed again.
"Can you wait on the couch? I still need to get ready."
"No problem."
Opening the door a little wider, I stepped aside to let her in.
"Good morning, Mr. Jesse!"
"Morning, Rose. You're here early, huh?"
"There's so much to do today," she said brightly. "I don't want to miss a thing."
Leaving the two of them talking, I headed back to my room to get changed, then brushed my teeth once more.
When I returned to the living room, Rose was sitting at the table with a pancake in her mouth, chatting away with my dad.
"Didn't you even have breakfast?" I asked, already irritated.
"Oh?" she replied between bites. "I was so excited I completely forgot."
Sighing for the third time that morning, I felt a vein threatening to pop on my forehead.
"Let's go."
I grabbed her by the sleeve of her coat and started dragging her toward the door.
"Wait! I'm not done yet!"
"You should've thought about that before showing up at nine."
"See you later, Dad," I said, waving as I dragged her outside.
"Hey! Aren't you listening to me?"
"See you later, kids," he called after us. "Have fun."
Out on the street, Rose and I walked side by side. She puffed out her cheeks, complaining.
"Damn it, I was almost done… why are you always in such a hurry?"
I just stared at her, deadpan.
Looking away, I noticed how beautiful the day was.
Not a single cloud in the sky. The sun shone softly, spilling its light over the city.
The smell of freshly cut grass eased my nerves, if only for a moment.
The street was quiet, with only a few familiar neighbors passing by.
"So…" I began, turning to Rose.
"What's our first stop?"
Hearing the question, she looked at me with a slightly smug smile.
"Don't worry about that. When we get there, you'll know."
…
Did she even plan anything at all?
Turning a corner, we passed a street performer.
He was playing an acoustic guitar.
A calm melody drifted into my ears.
He was pretty good.
We kept walking. I tossed a five-dollar bill into his open case, earning a grateful nod in return.
After walking in silence for a while longer, we stopped in front of a building.
Above the doors, a simple sign glowed with a single word:
Arcade.
I looked at Rose in disbelief.
"An arcade?"
"Hmph. Surprised?" she asked, wearing a smug smile.
Airhead…
She said she had planned everything—and this was her big plan? Taking me to an arcade?
Before I could say anything, she was already inside.
I followed her into the arcade, the noise of the street swallowed by the music of old games.
Rose was at the prize counter, looking for something.
Glancing around, I noticed the place was relatively empty, with only a few teenagers hanging around farther back.
"Ready?" Rose asked when she returned from the counter. She looked decided, like she already knew what she wanted.
"Sure," I said, curious to see what she was up to.
So we spent the next few hours playing all kinds of games—with Rose still losing to the ghosts—and somehow earning enough tickets to head back to the prize counter.
"Good morning. How can I help you?" the clerk asked.
Rose puffed out her chest, tickets clutched proudly in her hands.
"I'd like to claim a prize!"
"Alright. Which one would you like?"
"I want that teddy bear."
…Huh?
A teddy bear?
Rose… wants a plush?
My confusion didn't last long.
She turned to me and shoved the bear into my arms, wearing that same smug smile.
"Heh… a present. For you."
…What?
"What's this?"
"A teddy bear. Obviously. Did you go blind?"
"No, I mean—"
A teddy bear? Seriously?
Thinking about it… up until now, she really did feel like a kid asking someone out for the first time.
"Pfft."
"Huh? What are you laughing at?"
"It's nothing."
"Alright, next stop!"
"Yeah, yeah."
—
|Some time later|
"Why here, specifically?"
"I really like their cake. You should try it."
After we left the arcade, Rose led me back to the café we'd visited a few weeks ago.
As we stepped inside, I was greeted by the aroma of coffee and a warm, welcoming atmosphere.
This time, the place was empty. The only sound was a lone melody playing softly from a jukebox.
"I guess I'll try it, then. What flavor did you get last time?"
"If I remember right… bubblegum."
"Bubblegum? That's a new one…"
"It was surprisingly good. Why don't you try it?"
"If you say so."
After placing our orders, we sat at a table near the window.
As I watched a yellow dog chasing a red squirrel outside, I took a bite of the cake.
"Wow. This is actually really good."
"Heh. Told you."
In a comfortable silence, we kept eating slowly.
Suddenly, Rose lifted her head, looking a little anxious—like she'd just remembered something.
"By the way… what time is it?"
I glanced at a clock farther down the wall.
"It's three in the afternoon."
"Damn. We're not going to make it."
"Make it where?"
"Uh—y-you don't need to know that."
She's hiding something, huh?
"Well then, why can't I know?"
"Because you don't need to, duh," she said, looking away.
"Hey—what do you say we head back to your place? I feel like playing the bass."
I looked at her, a little suspicious.
There's definitely something else going on.
"…Sure. I'm kind of tired anyway."
After paying, we left the café and headed toward my place.
The sun had already begun to sink, casting long shadows from the buildings—quickly swallowed by the glow of streetlights.
The street was quieter now.
Looking up at the orange, cloudless sky, I noticed a lone airplane flying in the distance.
When we got home, I went up the stairs ahead of her to unlock the door.
As soon as I opened it, I froze.
The house was darker than I expected.
"Dad? I'm home."
I stepped inside, a little uneasy.
Suddenly—
"Surprise!"
The lights snapped on as my dad shouted.
On the table, a large cake rested proudly, decorated with the words Happy Birthday.
"Surprise? Heh… how long have you been planning this?"
"Well, it wasn't just me."
Ah. I see.
Turning to Rose with a smile, I asked,
"So this was it, huh?"
She puffed out her chest, wearing that smug grin again, and let out a small laugh.
"Heh. Told you—I planned everything from start to finish."
I let out a soft laugh.
"By the way… what flavor is the cake?"
With a smile, my dad replied,
"You'll find out in a moment. But first."
Holding a candle, he placed it carefully on top of the cake, then pulled out a chair and gestured for me to sit.
As I sat down, the two of them took their seats as well. My dad lit the candle with a lighter, the small flame flickering gently.
"Why don't you make a wish?" he asked.
A wish, huh?
I looked at the two of them and smiled.
I wish this moment could last forever.
I took a breath.
And blew—
Suddenly—
A flash.
It was the last thing I saw before everything went dark.
Then came the pain.
I tried to scream, but my voice was cut short as my vocal cords burned.
Rose!
In a desperate attempt, I reached out for her.
It hurts.
It burns.
I can't breathe.
Please—