Soul Spark

6 - Yume’s Dream

It was already early January of next year. Their dynamic didn’t change, it remained the same, burrowing deeper and deeper...even more specifically, Yume’s poetry was affecting her more and more.

“Alright, that about wraps it up for today’s lecture.” Fedor said, dismissing the classroom. “Focus on preparing for your spoken exams, as well as start working on your dissertations. And don’t forget your study journals!”

The students were scattered around, all except one.

Kaito slowly approached Fedor.

“Professor Fedor, you wanted to see me...?” Kaito asked.

“I did.” Fedor said. “I sincerely hope that you won’t repeat the same...sequence of actions that you did last semester.”

“To be fair, I wouldn’t be against repeating them. Well, except the part where I insulted the dean. Although, to be fair, he deserves to get his throat slit open more than anyone else in this university...”

“That’s...” Fedor sighed. “The fact that I’ve grown to view you as one of my star students doesn’t excuse saying such things. That man is my colleague.”

“That man is probably soulless.” Kaito said. “He belongs to the larger group.”

“Larger group...?”

“Yeah. Ah, sorry...I didn’t tell you.” Kaito said. “I reworked your essay a little, I added some terminology.”

“You and that damn essay.” Fedor complained. “You’ve gotten obsessed with it.”

“I know.” Kaito said. “Anyways, I have a question.”

“Go ahead.”

“Well, this is purely hypothetical of course, but...” Kaito said. “Let’s observe two versions of our world. One where everything remains as is, and one where only the ‘lonely’ population exists, as you referred to in your theory.”

“Okay...?” Fedor was slightly confused.

“Wouldn’t the second, modified iteration of the world prove to be a better place in general for its entire population if your theory of the ‘lonely’ population getting along better with each other is true?” Kaito asked. “Compared to the pre-existing world, that is.”

“Only...wait, you’re asking me if...the world would be a better place without the common group?” Fedor tried to clarify.

“If it’s simpler when worded that way...yes.” Kaito said.

Fedor took some time to think about the question. Something about it scared him.

“Kaito...why are you asking me this?”

“Curiosity.” Kaito replied.

“Just...curiousity?”

“Well...for the most part, yes.” Get full chapters from N()velFire.net

“Well, assuming that the animosity between the sides is a key factor in suffering, then I suppose the second hypothetical world would be better...since everyone in it would be on the same mental level if it makes sense.”

“Right...thank you. That’s the answer I needed.” Kaito replied.

“Or perhaps it is the answer you were specifically looking for, Kaito.” Fedor said.

“Kind of.” Kaito said. “I was just wondering what the reason was...nevermind. I’m wasting too much of your time, professor. I’ll go now-”

“Kaito, this has to do with your personal life, doesn’t it?”

Kaito didn’t reply.

“Your partner.” Fedor said.

“We refer to each other as soulmates, but...yes.” Kaito said, a bit upset that his scheme was uncovered. “I was wondering if her fantasy of ridding the world of the common, resenting group would make for an objectively better society.”

“Kaito, that argument is fundamentally flawed. It won’t be an ‘objectively’ better society.” Fedor said. “The common group that you dislike is a group made up of people just like you and me. And those people have other people close to them, which may be people you are trying to make the world exclusive for.”

“It would be for the greater good.” Kaito said.

“It would be a devastating event.” Fedor objected.

“I would argue that some lives are worth more than others.” Kaito said. “Or, more specifically, some lives are worth less than others...the lowlifes that hurt Yume do not deserve to breathe.”

“I understand you may be upset, but such is life. There are people with more good in them than bad and people with more bad in them than good.” Fedor said.

“There are people who don’t deserve to live.” Kaito said. He turned around and slowly prepared to leave the classroom.

“You’re letting your obsessive side affect your opinions far too much, Kaito.” Fedor said.

“It’s not an obsession anymore.” Kaito replied, without even turning around. “Yume is the reason I live.”

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He slowly left campus.

“Every other story she told me portrayed her hatred of people in more and more detail.”

“And yet, she hates those people...”

“Because she is hated by them. And she wants to be loved.”

He walked outside, it was slightly raining. The sky was covered in a thin layer of clouds.

“Everyone wants to be loved and appreciated, but...not everyone gets it.”

“People get whatever their surroundings can give them. And in Yume’s case...it’s the love of just me against the hatred of so many.”

“But I’m sure that if I try hard enough for her, I’ll make her happy.”

He got his phone out. The droplets quietly hit the screen, it was a bit difficult for him to unlock it at first. He saw a message from Yume, it was another poem she had made. He read it in his mind.

“As the rain tramples on my soul...”

“It feels as if the clouds are here to stay.”

“They’d make me think they love me,”

“They’re really here to drown me.”

“Maybe it’ll quelch my thirst if I just let go.”

“It’s a new style...interesting.” Kaito said to himself. “It’s sad too, and it’s beautiful...”

He eventually reached his apartment.

“I have to try hard for her. She’s my everything.”

“Yume, I’m home.” Kaito exclaimed.

“Ah...welcome back. I’m in the living room.” Yume’s tired voice said. “I was napping.”

“You’ve been quite tired recently.” Kaito wondered. “Anything the reason?”

“I think it’s just the workload. You know, exams are coming up soon...” she said, approaching Kaito. “And I’ve been feeling a little under the weather, I guess...”

“Maybe you’ll feel better if we go out...I heard there’s a firework show in the city later on, we can visit it unless you really do have a cold.” Kaito suggested.

Yume looked at him, feeling a little sad, even zoned out. But suddenly, her eyes sparked up. It almost looked like she was crying from happiness, even though no tears fell down.

“We could.” Yume said. “You’re right. Let’s go!”

Kaito smiled.

“I’m glad I managed to make her feel happier, at least.”

...

Quite a lot of people were gathered in the city for the occasion. They looked at the night sky, which, unlike its counterpart a few months ago, was completely pitch black. Only the moon was there to break the darkness, to appear as a beacon of existence in an otherwise empty theatre of void.

The crowds were loud, but there, in their own silence, only listening to each other, were Kaito and Yume. They held hands and slowly walked through the crowds, trying to get a better view of the fireworks. And even amongst crowds that have never tasted sadness, they looked so, so happy.

Kaito smiled more on that day than he did in some years of his life. And Yume looked like she’d write about the sun instead of the rain in her next poem. They laughed, they joked around, they didn’t have a care in the world.

And then, the first firework went off.

“There...you see it?” Kaito asked with excitement. “Looks pretty, doesn’t it?”

“It really does...” Yume said, absolutely fascinated by the sight.

“Maybe it’s good that the sky is like a...like a canvas...” Kaito said in between the loud bangs of the next firework sequence. “It outlines the colors better.”

But Yume didn’t reply. She just looked at the fireworks, mesmerized.

“Kaito...” Yume quietly said.

“What is it?” Kaito asked. “What’s wrong?”

“Thank you...” She smiled, as the reflection of the firework’s vibrant explosions were present in her eyes.

“No problem. I’ll take you here next time too, Yume.” Kaito said. “I’ll take you here every single time if you like it so much, okay?”

“Thank you for everything you’ve done for me, Kaito.” Yume smiled, staring at the sky.

A much louder bang took place, with the colors completely overtaking the sky. But instead of even looking at it, Kaito looked at Yume.

“I’m the one that should be thanking you right now.”

“Thanks to you, my life has a purpose.”

“Kaito, I...I made another poem...” Yume said.

“Say it.” Kaito said, tearing up. She just looked so damn beautiful.

Yume cleared her throat. She spoke with absolute confidence, without a single stutter present in her speech.

“Like a firework, setting the sky aflame,”

“I let myself sing one final time.”

“To all the colors I’ve never had,”

“To those that I have hurt, betrayed,”

“Please treat me with care, and hear my goodbye.”

“It’s wonderful as always, Yume.” Kaito said. “I’m sure it’ll be successful too.”

“I won’t post this one anywhere. At least this one, I don’t want it to get any hate.” Yume said. Her smile was so honest, as if all of her leftover joy was accumulated for one last showcase. “I want myself and you to be the only people who will remember this.”

“Okay then. I’ll remember it.” Kaito said, approaching Yume and kissing her.

“You will...?” Yume asked after they broke away from the kiss.

“Of course I will. Do you really think I’ll forget this day?”

“Kaito...you’ll...remember me, right?” Yume asked.

“Hah, of course! Yume, you’re asking this as if you’re gonna die or something...” Kaito said, holding her hands.

Yume laughed in response, and embraced Kaito.

“That’s so silly...” she said. Kaito noticed tears streaming down her face, which must’ve been tears of joy. She looks happier than she’s ever looked.

“I really do love you, Kaito.” Yume said. “Thanks for today. And all the other days. They were great.”

“I love you too, Yume.” Kaito said, tightening the embrace. “I love you more than anything in this world.”

“Right...”

“My purpose...”

“Is your heart.”

“Yume, thanks for making me live.”

The fireworks continued, and eventually, they stopped.

The crowd was gathered, and eventually, it dispersed. The two soulmates eventually left too, heading back to what they called their home.

Yume gathered all the plushies she had, alongside Kaito, who, to her, was the biggest and cutest plushie ever, and tucked them into bed and slept. And she slept so well that it felt like she hadn’t rested for as long as she was alive.

They were tucked in so tightly and safely that nothing would ever dare hurt them from the outside. Yume felt happy. And because of that, Kaito felt happy.