Chapter 2: The World Where He Resides (2)
Fifteen years after 'The Bloody Night', the morning sun cast its brilliant rays across the bright blue sky, illuminating the earth with majestic splendor.
Soft, cotton-like clouds drifted lazily in the vast expanse above, casting gentle shadows on the landscape adorned with freshly bloomed flowers and saplings.
It was the perfect spring weather, inviting Earthlings to venture outdoors with friends, family, and loved ones.
The ground below buzzed with human activity. Children headed to schools and colleges, driven by the typical ambition to excel and secure a prosperous future.
Meanwhile, adults made their way to workplaces, serving as role models for the younger generation to emulate. Elderly individuals engaged in exercises, yoga, and other activities, striving to maintain their health and vitality in their twilight years, thereby avoiding becoming burdens to their descendants.
Amidst this bustling scene, two young women strolled through their college campus after attending lectures.
"Hey Sash! Want to grab something from the mall?" one of them asked. She wore a white top, black jeans, and black wedges, her shoulder-length wavy black hair complementing her fair skin as she carried her bag on her right shoulder.
"I'm really sorry, but I can't," replied the other. Adorned in a blue t-shirt, a long pink gypsy skirt, and peach-colored bellies, her silky long black hair framing her fair complexion and blue eyes, while clutching her laptop bag tightly.
"Why? Is there something important you need to do?" her friend inquired.
"Sigh~, nothing important. It's just—remember the thing I mentioned yesterday?" she sighed.
"Hm? Yesterday? …about that marriage thing?" her friend recalled.
"Yes, that one."
"Yeah, I remember. You were throwing tantrums about not wanting to marry and how your father was emotionally blackmailing you."
"I wasn't throwing any tantru—"
"Yes, you were," her friend interrupted.
Feeling her icy glare, her friend attempted to change the subject. "Anyway, so what about it?"
Reluctant to delve deeper into the topic, she admitted, "I've dug my own grave."
"How so?" her friend inquired.
"Well, I lied to him, claiming I have a boyfriend, hoping he'd drop the subject for a while."
"And?" her friend prompted.
"And it backfired!" she exclaimed.
"What do you mean, 'backfired'?"
"Just what I said. My foolish idea backfired, and now Papa wants to meet this imaginary boyfriend of mine."
"So, in short, you are dumb." her friend remarked.
"What?!"
"What do you mean 'what'?! Which girl in her right mind says to her parent, on top of that her 'Father', that she has a 'boyfriend'?! I mean its just— WOW!" She sounded astonished.
"…I know right …tehe" she feigned innocence, tapping her head lightly with her fist while winking.
"Don't give me that 'tehe' of yours, dumb girl," her friend scolded, gently pulling her ear.
"Ow- ow- ow- okay, sorry—sorry, I am sorry," she apologized.
With a deadpan expression, her friend remarked, "Seriously Sash, you are hopeless," before asking, "So, what are you planning to do now? Tell him the 'truth' that you 'lied' to him?"
She sighed. "It's not as easy as you make it sound. I don't know how he'll react if I tell him the truth."
"You're only complicating matters further, Sasha." her friend concluded, rubbing her eyebrows in frustration.
"Ah! Now that I think about it," Realizing her unnecessary stress, her friend declared, "why am I getting stressed out when this matter doesn't even concern me?"
Offering encouragement, her friend placed a hand on her shoulder. "Best of luck, my friend. You can do it!" With a confident thumbs-up, she bid farewell and begin striding away.
But before she could leave, she felt a firm grip on her shoulder. "My dear June." Sasha's sweet voice dripped with fury, "where do you think you are leaving to when your best friend is in trouble."
Turning to face her friend's wrathful gaze, Sash attempted to explain, "E-e-eeh— I was just—"
Unable to concoct an excuse, she confessed with a helpless sigh, "Look Sasha, you dug your own grave and honestly speaking, don't know how to help you this time. It would've been a different story if you sought my advice before lying to your father."
Sasha stared at her friend with a pleading expression, resembling a puppy awaiting a treat.
Resisting Sasha's pro puppy face, June maintained her passive demeanor thanks to her active skill 'Puppy Face Resistance' she acquired after she reached max level proficiency.
Seeing June's passive demeanor, Sasha gave up on pursuing her further and sighed, "Seems like I am royally messed up." She muttered helplessly while looking at the sky blankly
"Oye! Don't say something like that," her friend chided, lightly smacking the back of her head.
"Ouch," Sasha winced, snapping out of her daze. "Sorry, my bad."
Ring— Ring—
Something juddered inside Sasha's bag. Opening her bag, she saw her phone ringing. As Sasha's phone rang with 'Papa' displayed, panic ensued. "Oh, shoot!" Sasha exclaimed.
"What happened?" June inquired.
"Papa is calling," Sasha replied.
"Connect your earphone and give one to me and pick up the call."
"O-ok." She hurriedly connected her earphones and handed one to June and picked up the call, "what now?"
"What else? Reply to the call, idiot."
"Hello? Sasha?" her father's aged voice crackled through the phone.
Responding with trepidation, Sasha greeted, "H-hello, Papa."
"Sasha, where are you?"
"I'm on my college campus, Papa."
"Are you with June?"
Looking at June who was motioning her to say 'yes', she responded, "Yes, I am with June."
"So June is coming as well?"
"June is coming? Where?" Sasha questioned.
"At home, where else?" her father replied.
"Wait- wait- wait, why would she come to our home?" Sasha's surprise was evident.
"Why not? Since she's with you, she can come home with you and your 'boyfriend'."
"Boyfriend?!" Sasha exclaimed.
Beside her, June stifled a laugh, struggling to contain her amusement.
With a serious glare, Sasha warned June, "I'll deal with you after this mess is over."
"What did you say?" her father inquired.
"H-huh?! N-nothing!"
"So, is June coming?" her father pressed.
Sasha glanced at June, receiving only a shrug in response. "Maybe?" Sasha replied uncertainly.
"Maybe, huh. When are you coming home? Let me know in advance." her father requested.
"Um, I'll call you before we leave for home. Okay, bye," Sasha hastily ended the call.
June burst into laughter, tears streaming down her face. "Hey, don't laugh! You know how serious this situation is?" Sasha scolded, hitting June on the back.
"Sorry, my bad. It's just—this situation is more funny than serious to me," June explained, wiping away her tears.
Ignoring Sasha's glare, June continued, "So, what are you going to do about this imaginary boyfriend of yours?" with a hint of sarcasm.
Sasha sighed wearily. "I don't know, yaar. If I knew it would become such a mess, I wouldn't have lied in the first place."
"It's not too late. You can still apologize and confess your true feelings about not wanting to marry right now," June suggested.
"I wish it was as simple as you make it sound. You don't know how he'll react," Sasha replied, even I don't know how he'll react, feeling overwhelmed.
"Well then," a mischievous smile appeared on June's face. "How about we go on a boyfriend hunt?" she proposed, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Why do I feel like you're enjoying my misery?" Sasha quipped.
"I'm not." June replied casually.
Observing June's excitement, Sasha remarked, "Do you think this is some kind of fantasy?"
"Isn't it?" June retorted. "Well, maybe not, but does it really matter?"
Sasha sighed, conceding defeat. "What's the point in regretting now when the deed is done. So, what's this 'boyfriend hunt'?"
"What else?" June grinned mischievously. "Just as the name suggests, it's time to hunt some fresh cherries," she declared with pure malice visible on her face.
"But we only need one, not many," Sasha pointed out.
"It doesn't matter," June insisted.
"Spring is here, the sun is shining, the flowers are blooming, the birds are singing, and love is calling. It's time to hunt."
"Hunt?" Sasha sounded confused, failing to grasp the hidden meaning in June's words.
"Yes, hunt," June confirmed, her excitement palpable.
"Wait, we're not actually going to hunt anything—"
"Let the hunt begin!" June exclaimed with vigor, dragging the bewildered Sasha along by her hand.
"Ah! Wait!"
As they departed, the campus onlookers watched the two girls, puzzled by their unusual behavior.
And with that, the two hunters embarked on their journey to collect some fresh cherries of spring.
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