[1] TANGENT

[1] TANGENT

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"Do you love the moon?

"OMG. You startled me, mister." she heave a sigh. "Isn't obvious? ofcourse, I love the moon."

He smiled, "You love me?"

"W-what? Uh. Mister whoever you are. What are you saying?"

"I am just asking if you love me. You said you love the moon."

She bit her lower lip to suppress her laughter before saying, "You want to be my moon? Is that it?"

"I am your--"

"Then stay 384, 400 km away from me." she scoff before looking at the moon.

He remained standing there for a few minutes before turning his back and said, "I love you." he whispered but she heard it.

She looked at where he was standing but he's gone.

Years past but the she still can't forget

that man he met for an unknown reason, she felt longing while remembering that day. She tried looking for him but failed.

She got married and had one son. She named him Moon, she doesn't know what's gotten to her.

Now, she's in the bed, sick. And she knows that it's already her time.

She closed her eyes, and before she died, some strange memories entered her mind.. memories of him and her.

They're happy and loved each other. But the skies got jealous, thinking that she's taking him away from them, they curse her, that she'll be born again and again, and got only a chance to meet him. Just like a tangent line. They got only one chance to pass by each other, and never gonna see each other again.

True enough, she never meet him again. Until the end.

And the cycle goes on..

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[PRESENT TIME]

"Do love the moon?" he asked. Her gaze from the moon turn into him, curiosity is visible in her sparkling eyes.

"I do." she replied before facing the moon again.

He smiled and look at her lovingly, "You love me?"

She flinched and her eyes widened in disbelief as she face him again, "Pardon?" she gasped before adding, "Excuse me, mister whoever you are. Do I know you? Do you know me?"

With shoulders down and sad smile plastered on his face, he faced the moon, "You said, you love me." almost a whisper.

"Eh?"

"You said you love the moon."

"What do you mean?"

"I am the moon."

"Wait. What?"

"I am your moon."

Her face lit up as if she just realized something, "You meant to say, you want to be my moon?"

"I said, I am your--"

"Do you want to be my moon?"

He sighed before facing her with tired eyes.

"You'll ask me to stay away from you."

That's not a question. She fell in silence and deep thoughts. She felt familiarity from this strange man beside her.

"Why do I feel like, this already happened?" she murmured.

Seconds of silence turned into minutes, suddenly, he beg down with his knees.

"Omo!" startled, she hold his shoulder and tried to force him to stand up. "What are you doing?!"

"Please, I am begging you. Don't ask me to stay away again. It's so hard. Very hard. Almost my whole life is is covered with the dark, without you. I stayed away a lot of times because that's what you want me to do. I thought I can. But, who am I kidding?"

"Stop, please, just stop." she gave up on forcing him to stand and kneel with him.

"I love you. And if you ask me again to stay away," he smiled before standing, making her stand, too. "I will. Even if it pains me so much.. I still will do what you want."

He turned his back.. again.

She doesn't know why but her eyes starts to well up with tears. Tears of longing, sadness, pain, curiosity, and fear.

"I love you. I really do, and I will still say that until we meet again."

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Akane Daltsuki