Chapter 20: An Unwelcome Change

Aqua's pov

'What's taking her so long?' I groaned internally as I sat there on the couch in silence, while I scrolled Instagram. ( I had already read all the books in the house in my past life. )

The session had already been extended for 30 minutes, and I, who had arrived 15 minutes earlier, had just been sitting there for 45 minutes with nothing better to do than to scroll through Instagram reels. 

"I should have gotten more sleep," I complained as I rubbed my weary eyes, "Why didn't I just sleep earlier?" 

All of a sudden, an idea struck me. Buy a sweet drink. 

'Should I get my favourite orange juice? It'll wake me up, but it isn't exactly sugary and I honestly have grown quite sick of it from drinking it so much in the last life. Why not try something new?' I mused. 

'Honestly, I could use a burst of energy right about now. I know, the apple juice from the supermarket downstairs. The one that I always see Ruby drinking. Oh, I've been dying to try that one, now is the perfect opportunity.'

Seizing the moment, I stood up and headed downstairs, praying that the session would not end while I made my brief exit. 

Thankfully, my prayers would end up coming through, as when I returned after swiftly purchasing the long-anticipated beverage, there was still no one in sight. 

"This shit is honestly so overpriced," I swore, disgruntled at the expensive price tag labelled on the carton. 

Sitting back down on the couch, I unwrapped the plastic straw from its wrapper and stabbed it into the carton. 

"This better be good," I muttered as I wrapped my mouth around the tube and sucked in the liquid. 

It was like liquid gold, like heaven's fabled streams of milk and honey both merging into one stream of tantalising goodness that slid down my throat almost too fast, washing away all my drowsiness and leaving me with only one thought on my mind.

'This stuff is really good.'

At that precise moment, the door burst open and three beautiful girls drenched in sweat came out of the room. 

"Sens ...!" I heard before I felt a heavy load being added to my shoulders. 

"I'm beat ...! Bro, gimme your juice," Ruby commanded as she slung her hands over my shoulders. 

"No way. Just buy one yourself," I rebutted, wanting the hoard the sugary goodness to myself.

"Too late, I'm drinking already," She said as she placed her mouth around the straw and started slurping up the drink furiously until there was nothing left. 

"Phew, I feel much better now," Ruby sighed in relief. 

"Let go, you're all sweaty," I complained as I felt her sticky sweat drip all over me and my clothes. 

"Whaaat? Just a little longer," Ruby whined.

'Why does this all seem so familiar?' I wondered as a strong sense of deja vu entered my mind.

"Something must have happened!" Kana screamed in shock upon seeing the entire scene. 

"Whoa, you startled me. Why did you suddenly shout?" Ruby asked. 

"I'm the one who's startled!" Kana responded, "What's with that distance?! You're too clingy!"

"Well, Aqua and I have been fighting a lot right? But the other day, we finally patched things up. And now everything is reversed," Ruby replied as she rested her head atop my patch of hair. 

"It's too extreme!" Kana shouted in disbelief. 

"You too, Aqua! You should be more stern in rejecting your sister's speech and conduct ...!" Kana chided as sweat poured down her face with a hint of ... jealousy?

'Who was she to judge how I permit Ruby to act? I have denied her of too many things the last life.'

"Well, can't I just let her do whatever she likes?" I challenged. 

"Oh yeah! He has a serious case of sister complex!" Kana continued shouting. 

'Is she jealous? Well, I mean we're a little more than siblings now.' 

The thought popped into my mind after learning about the fact she was in love with me the last life. 

"We've always been this close from the beginning," Ruby countered as she slid onto my lap and snuggled into my chest. 

"Let him go!" Kana demanded angrily.

"Wait!" Mem-cho shouted, which caused everyone's activities to grind to a halt.

"A beautiful twin couple makes for a perfect picture! Let me take a pic for my insta!" She screeched excitedly, as she whipped out her phone and started snapping shots of us while whooping cheerfully. 

"Curse you, you numbers freak ..." Kana whispered under her breath loud enough that we could all hear.

"Well, if you don't mind, me and Aqua have someplace to go, let's go, bro!" Ruby invited as she jumped up, offering me her hand with a mischievous glint in her eyes. 

"We do?" I asked but I was cut off by her yanking me to my feet and dragging me out of the building.

"Let's go on a date sensei!" Ruby cried once we were out of the building.

"We're in public Sarina! You can't shout things like that. And no, we're not going on a date, remember the terms of the agreement? Only after a concert, or album. Besides, you should go home bathe," I answered and instantly regretted my response. 

"*gasp* Am I smelly? I'm going to go home first Sensei, don't come back too late!" She announced as she ran away. 

"Hold on!" I shouted as I ran after her. 

'Did I make her so subconscious of her odour? I couldn't even smell anything to be honest.' 

*zzzzt*

My phone vibrated in my pocket, notifying me that I had been sent a message. 

Looking at my phone, I saw the message came from one Akane Kurokawa. Which was shocking since she hadn't contacted me since we broke up two months ago. 

But the most horrifying and startling part was the message itself. 

It read "Goodbye Aqua. I love you."

'That's something only someone who is about to commit suicide would send right? What did she mean by goodbye? She isn't actually going to end herself right? This didn't happen in my last life, what could have caused this change?'

A bunch of thoughts ran through my head as my heart rate quickened and my veins pulsated with a surge of adrenaline. 

'This is stupid.' 

I thought to myself as I dialled in her number and hit the 'call' button.

'Please answer. Please answer.' I prayed. 

But all that was left for me was just silence. 

Surprising how much of an impact silence can have. It's like author Gerard De Marigny opined "Of all the most devastating sounds in the universe, silence is the most powerful."

'Where could she be trying to do it? It couldn't be right? She wouldn't try to go for the same bridge she tried to kill herself on last time right? Whatever, it's my best bet. But how am I going to get there in time, for all I know she might already be dead. Needless to say, the authorities certainly won't be able to reach her. What do I do? What do I do? I'm running out of time.' 

Without another option and running out of time I didn't know if I even had, I called out to the only person I knew could help me.

'GRIM! ARE YOU THERE?! I NEED HELP!'

'PUT ON THE MASK YOU FOOL! THIS IS GOING TO COST YOU!'

The mask. The mask. Where was it?

Reaching into my back pocket, I pulled out a small opera mask. Was this it?

Putting it on my face, I instantly collapsed as I lost all control of my bodily functions. 

All I could do was hope and pray I would make it in time. But every second that passed, that future seemed more and more bleak.