August 20, 2033

"What do you think happened to her?"

"Oh, I hope she's alright."

"She hasn't attended her class in a week, her professor said."

"Are you sure it's okay for us to approach her?"

"Of course!"

I hear footsteps nearing my room, and I have a pretty clear idea on who they are.

"Can we come in?" asked a familiar sweet voice while knocking on the door. "The door's open, go ahead," I said with my face buried in the bed mattress.

I hear the creaking of the door opening and their footsteps as they come in. Though I can only imagine their confused expressions trying to figure out where I am.

"Y'all see two mattresses on top of each other? I'm being sandwiched by 'em," I said in a lifeless voice.

They lift up the top mattress and uncovered an empty, dead inside, Olivia.

"What happened?" asked Monika in a concerned tone.

"Nothing much, just loss my will to live as you can see," I said sounding sarcastic.

With my body still lying face-side down.

"Y... You can share anything with us, I promise you can trust us," said Minami, a member of the Literature Club, and 2 years younger than me.

"Promises? I'm done with that bullshit, this world just likes to stomp down on me," I said with visible frustration

"I...I'm sorry..." said Minami in a hesitant tone and hid behind Monika.

"You can tell us if you need help, okay? But if you insist on not telling, can you please at least tell us when are you gonna come back to class?" asked Monika with genuine concern.

I'm reluctant to say anything and just avoided any further interaction.

"We understand if you don't wanna share anything but at least promise us that you will take care of yourself, alright?" said Monika with what I could only imagine, a radiant smile, "The Literature Club is waiting for you, remember that if an old promise was broken, it doesn’t mean you can't commit or believe to a new one."

"Realize that you're not alone, we're here to tend to your loneliness," said Shanon, the oldest member of the Literature Club,

"It's because we already consider you as one of us, as our friend," said Nadine, a member of the Literature Club the same age as me.

"Well then Olivia, see you, we look forward to your recovery," said Monika in the sweetest tone I had ever heard.

After that, all 4 of them heads home.

Tears, tears flow again, spilling from my eyes.

I thought I was already too tired to cry, why must you guys visit me and make me vulnerable again.

Why, why am I not lonely?

Who am I kidding, I probably see them as Rachel's replacement.

But...

"Thank you everyone," was the words that went out my mouth while tears flow across my cheeks.

I stood up.

Ian's PoV

November 7, 2033

Semester Break has just finished and now we're all back to class.

Oh God, I barely managed to convince Rachel that we will not be able to walk home together for this day, sheesh.

Why, you say? Well, let's just say my timing sucks but I can't keep it any longer, I have to do something to break this tight shackle.

"So, why'd you call me up here?" said Olivia in an obviously annoyed voice.

And oh, we're at the sky fountain right now.

"Are you trying to mock me by bringing me to the place where you and Rachel did some lovey dovey, and you want to declare your victory?" said Olivia clenching her fists and teeth, "Well, good for you Ian, you're finally with the person you love."

"It's certainly true that I love Rachel, and that Rachel loves me but-" I said as I got cut off by her.

"But what? Get straight to the point, little prince, I don't got all day, you know," said Olivia with a piercing glare.

"I'm breaking up with Rachel and give her 1 year to decide whether or not she loves me or you," I said with no second thought.

"Are you insane?! Are you doubting Rachel's feelings for you?! I clearly saw she was the one who initiated that kiss! Are you planning to throw Rachel's happiness away just for the sake of your ego?!" shouted Rachel grabbing my shoulders and pushing me back.

"I know Rachel more than anyone, during the 8 years I had been with her, I've known how she thinks, I've known how she decided on things. If you think I was okay with Rachel being forced to love me by just putting us together for the past 8 years, you can never be any more wrong," I said while standing straight and looking at her eye-to-eye, "The results are favorable to those who had abused her, her own family forced her upon this unwanted infatuation. The process is all wrong, there is no satisfaction that comes to me every time I remember how we got together, they had her locked up in a room where there's only a bed for 1 year. And the reason? I was courting her at that time, they made it seem like I was helping her by making me deliver her needs without considering what I truly feel towards that entire process!"

She fell silent, as I continue talking.

"I don't know how to redeem myself after agreeing to that hell, of course I love her, of course I did that because I really want to help her. But does that matter when all it does was push her through her limits and brainwashing her to think there's no more option, that gives her no choice but to take my hand?!" I said with raging fury, "If only it were natural, if only if it wasn't a staged development, I would've accepted it, but no matter how happy Rachel says she is with me, I just can't compare it to the happiness she felt with you. I don't want to see her happy with me, I want to see her at the happiest she can be. Olivia, I truly believed, ever since elementary, during those 8 years, I truly believed, you and Rachel were and still are inseparable."

Olivia stood there as if time had stopped for her, with tears slowly leaving her eyes.

"Why, isn't being with Rachel enough?! Do you know how much pain she'll go through if you do this?! She suffered more than enough, she doesn't have to go through it again!" said Olivia showering me with her anger.

"But you also wanna know who she'll pick if she was given the time, won't you?" I asked her with stiff eyes.

"D... Don't say that like I'm as selfish as you! All I want is for Rachel to be happy, that's enough for m-" she said but I interrupted her.

"But it's not enough, now is it?" I said, Olivia gasped in surprise.

"Why, why did you even talk to me about doing it, why don't you just go ahead and do it!" she said not facing my direction.

"The 1 year that Rachel will suffer, the 1 year that Rachel will have to think over her decision, that 1 year is essential to achieve a future that is true and genuine," I said while slowly walking towards Olivia, "I know you already know this by now but, only one of the two of us can make Rachel happy."

"But she picked you, she already love you, why must you still do all this unnecessary process?" she asked finally able to look me into the eye.

"You're right about me being selfish, this is just me wanting to, say, "win fairly," 'cause I feel like it wasn't at all fair that her family was pushing me to her and pushing you away from her," I said with a gentle smirk as I reach out for a handshake, "We'll see who Rachel really loved all this time, someone who she was forced to stay with, or someone she made a promise with?"

"If that's the case, then I will surely not lose!" she said with a determined smile, all the while accepting my handshake, "Good luck on that plan, Ian, thank you, for giving me this chance."

"You're welcome, but don't forget that I'm not doing this like I'll hand Rachel to you so easily. I will also fight for my love," I said while doing a weird love salute.

"Then it's the same for me," she said while offering a brief hug, which she was almost reluctant at doing.

I gave a smile and we gave a hug to each other, which none would've thought will ever happen but it just did.

"Go kick Rachel's family's ass!" she said enthusiastically while giving a somewhat violent grin.

"I'm not really gonna inflict any physical damage on them, but sure, thanks!" I said as I head off to take care of business.

"And that is why, I hereby declare that parting ways for 1 year will be beneficial to our future marriage," I said with much confidence even though I was lying as I haven't told them the deal I had with Olivia.

"Oh, I see, I see, but are you sure you're not just tired of Madam Rachel anymore?" asked Rachel's granny, damn this is tough.

"I have fully dedicated my heart to my one and only, Rachel, but seeing as we're adults now, we are able to realize that there are things that needs to be taken care of," I said with my fist clenched in my left chest, "And I feel as if we should decide things on our own now, so we won't have to rely on our family."

"I certainly get where you're coming from, but are you sure you're not scheming something?" said Rachel's granny but I managed to look unfazed as if clueless of what she's talking about, "And more importantly, how are you gonna inform Madam Rachel about all this?"

"I will deliver her this message once you've approved it, no room for failures," I said still with that dedicated crap, it's getting harder the longer it goes on.

"Then I suppose I can trust you with that, Ian," said granny with a smile on her face, "This will most certainly be interesting but after this, you are to be married immediately!"

"Yes Ma'am!" I said as I walked out of the mansion on my way to the apartment room me and

Rachel lives in.

It was already night time when that finished. I guess I still couldn't tell them the truth after all, but I managed to have at least this opportunity. I'm sure Rachel will understand, I will make Rachel understand.

When I got back, Rachel was already waiting for me at the front of our door and jumped to hug me.

"Oh, where have you been?! It's so late in the night, don't tell me you cheated?!" said a panicking Rachel, almost suffocating at the thought of me cheating.

"That wasn't it, more importantly, I have an important matter to discuss to you and I would like to discuss it immediately," I said after letting out a sigh.

"Oh sure, but first, you have to eat, no, we have to eat! I haven't eaten 'cause you still hasn't come back," she said with puppy eyes, how could I possibly resist those.

"Fine," I said with a smile.

I guess it'll be worthwhile to have our final dinner together like this. I truly treasure the times we spent together and the memories we created Rachel, but...

A deafening silence reverberates around our room after I had explained everything from the thing I discussed with Olivia to the things I said to granny.

*Sigh

I knew it was at least gonna be like this but, I guess it's time to prepare for the second bazooka before it's too late.

"W... Wh... Why? A... Af... After all this time?" said Rachel with a broken voice, "You love me right? Th... Then why? I... Is thi... This even n... Necessary?"

I looked at her void-filled eyes, I could feel the shock she's having right now.

"Oh... I get it... Then I choose you, isn't it obvious? I just have to choose if it's either you or Olivia, right? It's that simple, then I choose you!" she shouted as she grips my clothing, "There, all finished, no need for that 1 year bullshit thing, right?"

"Rachel, please understand," was all I could say amidst her visible breakdown.

"Understand what?! Do you seriously think that the things I said when I was a child holds any significance to the feelings I hold in the present?!" she shouted while tears start to fall off her eyes.

"No-" I said and got interrupted.

"Then what is it that you're trying to achieve?!"

"You should never abandon your true feelings no matter the reason, I'm giving you this 1 year to regain those true feelings and know for yourself, who you really love all these years."

"But it's you..."

"I'm sorry Rachel, I just want the best for you, I'm not trying to be insecure, in fact I'm fairly confident that you'll pick me in the end anyways. I just want to make sure."

( Lying through my teeth, huh? It really does feel different when I lie after all )

"Then, you don't just hate me? You're not just tired of me? You're not doing this because you found someone you love, other than me?"

"No, absolutely not, I just want the best for you, that's all, and in 1 year, you have that much time to pick who's the best for you."

"Will you still be by my sid-"

"No, you should make a decision without having to base it on your intimacy with someone. You must decide this on your own, without pressure from your relatives, no pressure from who are you with the most."

"I... I understand... Thank you, Ian..."

"You're welcome."

*Thump *Thump