I got up extra early, knowing I had several hours of driving ahead. I was heading back to my birthplace, Cloud City.
Waking up in my apartment after everything gave me a strange sensation, like it had all been a dream.
I quickly washed up and put on a fresh set of clothes. My laundry pile in the corner caught my eye, but I ignored it—I'd be replacing them soon.
After a small meal, I stepped out the door at 5:34 AM.
Seeing my supercar downstairs was a relief, but since I wasn't taking it on the trip, I needed to head back to my house to get the SUV.
With no traffic, it only took about ten minutes to get there. I transferred my bags to the SUV and set off.
The GPS estimated I'd arrive around 5:00 PM. The house was several hours away, so I was glad I left early.
It was my first time driving this far, and I was excited about the trip. I had a few stops planned to refuel and rest.
Most of the drive was spent listening to music. I sang along freely, thanks to my [Parallel Thought] skill, which allowed me to focus on driving while still having some fun.
Before I knew it, I arrived at a small neighborhood I knew well, around 7:30 PM.
Even though I was young when I last lived here, the memories were vivid.
I no longer needed the GPS as I navigated the familiar streets. A little way up, I spotted it—a house with white walls and a grey roof. It looked like it had been freshly painted but kept the same colors.
I pulled into the driveway and parked, sitting in silence for a moment as memories—both good and bad—washed over me.
Shaking my head, I stepped out of the car and stretched. I'll grab my bags later.
*Ding Dong*
Walking up, I rang the doorbell and waited.
*Click*
A few seconds later, the door unlocked and quickly swung open.
"Akashic!" I was immediately engulfed in a hug.
"Haha, hey Aunt Karin." I laughed, hugging her back briefly before she pulled me inside.
"Wow, look at you all grown up! It's been so long since I last saw you." She gave me an angry look.
"Yeah, sorry for not visiting sooner. Being here again really feels like home." She smiled at my words, then looked around.
"Where are your bags? I've already set up your room. We made the bed bigger, but everything else is the same."
I glanced down the hall at the closed door of the room I used to stay in. For some reason, I suddenly felt nervous.
"Thanks. I left my bag in the car; I'll go get it." I turned and headed back outside.
I only had one bag with me. I planned to buy more clothes and stuff while I was here, so I only packed the essentials.
When I returned, Aunt Karin was on the phone in the living room, probably making sure everything was set for tomorrow.
On my way to my room, I noticed some photos on the wall. One was an old picture of all of us together.
In it, I had short, dark hair—its color hadn't started lightening until my teens.
The next photo caught my attention. It was clearly more recent and showed Aunt Karin next to another woman.
Though much older, I immediately recognized her—it was Naomi. While she had changed a lot since her younger years, her prominent features were still there.
I stopped looking at the photos and opened my bedroom door slowly. Flipping the light switch, I was hit with a wave of nostalgia.
The bed was bigger, but it was in the same spot. The desk was the same, complete with my name carved into it. Even the small TV mounted on the wall remained.
Everything about the room brought back memories.
I set my bag down and sat on the bed, relaxing as I looked around.
[+40 Satisfaction Points]
Feeling a bit tired, I decided to lie down—not to sleep, just to rest my eyes.
---
**3rd Person POV - Cloud City**
"I'm sooo tired! The flight was three hours long!" A short girl with pink hair ran into the room and flopped onto the couch.
"I'm surprised you managed to sit still that long." a girl with black hair said, following her in, arms full of bags.
"she barely made it. she spent the entire time on her phone complaining," a third girl, who resembled the first but had blonde hair, added.
"It was our group chat! There was a big commotion because an expensive car was outside our school, and apparently the driver was really good-looking. If one of us could meet him, it'd make for a great video!" the pink-haired girl explained, still face down on the couch.
"Why would your audience want to see that?" was the only response she got.
"I mostly make content for people like me. I appreciate nice things, so I like to make videos about them. A luxury vehicle and a good-looking man? It's perfect!" A huge grin spread across her face.
"I've never seen you act like this after seeing someone before…" Both girls exchanged confused looks.
"Stop staring at me like that! Oh yeah, you haven't seen him yet—look at this." Pinky shot upright and sported a mischievous smile, flipping her phone to show the others.
The photo was taken secretly as the boy got into his car. He had long, light blue hair. Though the image was blurry and in motion, it was enough to pique their interest, as no one had seen him around school.
"Oh wow. The picture quality isn't great, but it doesn't take away from him much." The black-haired girl examined the photo and nodded in approval.
"W-what? They're looking for him?!" The blonde girl raised her voice, causing the others to look at her in surprise.
"Luna! You know him?! Please tell me who he is! You'll make your sister so happy!!" Pink hair, now brimming with excitement, ran to Luna and shook her.
"so you can track him down and bother him? no, he's very nice and a good student." Luna shook her head, rejecting her sister's pleas.
"Who says I wanted to do that? Maybe I want to ask him out." She smiled innocently.
"you? you don't even like it when men approach you, Lena. besides, I think he has a girlfriend. but, um, yes, I actually have a better image." Luna wriggled out of her sister's embrace and pulled out her phone, scrolling through her gallery until she found a recent image.
It was the same boy, but this time he was looking directly at the camera with a slight smile, holding an ID in front of him. This photo was much clearer, revealing his features more distinctly.
"Ahh! Look at him! How long have you been hiding this from me?! His eyebrows, his lips, his nose, his jawline—everything!!" Lena practically had hearts in her eyes as she admired the picture.
"This is the first time I've seen you freak out this much." The other girl stood a bit further away, blushing as she felt a strange familiarity with the boy in the photo.
She shook off the feeling and turned around to put the bags closer to the rooms.
"His ID has all his information! Let me zoom in... Akashic Torre? That's an unusual name, but Lena Torre has a nice ring to it~! And he's in your class as well?! I can't wait to get back home!"
*Thud*
The sound of something hitting the ground made the excited Lena and the quiet Luna turn around.
"Naomi? What's wrong?" Lena asked, her excitement fading as she walked towards her friend, concerned.
"Akashic...?" Naomi dropped the bags and sprinted toward Luna, staring intently at the ID in the picture.
*Name: Akashic Torre*
*DOB: December 14th*
*Class: Freshman*
"It's really him...?" Tears formed in Naomi's eyes as she looked at the photo. The name and birthday matched perfectly, leaving no doubt.
"huh? how do you know him?" Luna asked, confused.
"He's my cousin. I haven't seen him in years." Naomi continued to gaze at the photo, comparing the face in her memories to the one she saw now.
"really?! when I talked to him yesterday, he said he was missing some school for an emergency." Naomi, now worried, wondered what the emergency could have been. She planned to visit her grandparents soon, hoping she might see him then.