Your POV 

Ten years has passed. 

"(y/n), it's another clear night! The stars are out again!"

Like how we spend most evenings with clear skies, I make my way to snuggle Shu on that one sunchair, resuming the position I always do that reminds me how close he is to me. 

We talk in quiet, hushed whispers to not wake anyone else in the apartment complex, but it is extremely hard to be quiet when you're laughing so hard that your sides hurt. 

Though sometimes we fall into silence, gazing into the cosmos and thinking. And that one thought always drifting into mind.

Are the others looking at the very same sky?

And like always, I answer myself that they can't possibly be looking at the same sky since everything but the Basuto constellation is different. They see Basuto and other things that are not in this galaxy. 

'Others' and 'they' refer to those I have left behind on Earth. My parents, Blair, Layla, Chanel, Esme, all of them. Of course, I haven't left them permanently, although it was tempting to do so ten years ago when I had somehow convinced myself that no one would be missing me. 

My mind was changed when that one month was over and I had gone back to Earth to find everyone waiting in the airport to surround me with hugs and apologize. Everyone from my parents to Ashley. Yes, Ashley. 

And I forgave all of them, including Ashley. Now, I'm glad I did so, as Ashley and I have now managed to sort things through and slowly build a healthy friendship. I helped her get with Jack and she even helped me think through what I'm going to do about the Earth and Shinwa situation.

Caprice never showed up to apologize, and I haven't seen her since socials. The stupid Elite system has been abolished including the hierarchy. At least, in Claritate it has. 

Blair and Chanel definitely apologized the most, feeling guilty at how they needed to ask for my forgiveness for a second time in a year. It doesn't matter though, and I told them so. They too, along with Ashley, Layla and my parents helped me come to a conclusion for my future. 

I decided to stay in both Earth and Shinwa. Shinwa isn't home to me yet, but its still a dream of happiness, it is home to my lover and yes, maybe I was supposed to live here instead of Earth. But whatever deity is out there still placed me on Earth, accident or not and while I may loathe Earth at some points, it is still my home. 

So I spend one month or two in Earth before going back to Shinwa and spending the same amount of time there. Shu does the same, so we're always together no matter what. Sometimes in addition to Aaliyah, my parents, Blair and even Layla and Chanel come over to Shinwa. Those are my happiest days. 

Concerning our education, Shu doesn't need one as he's already appointed to take over Theodore Glass as the manager of Raging Bulls as Theodore busies himself with being Ashtem more. 

I attend the University of Sydney, and when I'm in Shinwa, I'm still able to learn through the University of Beigoma, whose professors had met up and discussed my education through with the Sydney professors. 

In a few years or even months, I'm thinking of writing a book detailing my journey to Shinwa and joining my parents, Aaliyah and Ashtem with finding if there are any more realms out there that lead to fictional worlds. Because I found someone I had always longed for, I'm determined to make that dream come true for others. 

Speaking of that someone, I'm now engaged to him and we're getting married in three months. Once we marry, we'll still continue with the usual plan, but once we have a baby, we're deciding to settle in Shinwa, where we'll have more financial support. 

"What're you thinking about?" Shu asks when my cheeks light up and I smile like a maniac and a giggle slips out.

I lean my head against his chest, "Our marriage. It hardly seems real."

"I know, right?" Shu grins. "Ten years ago, I would've never thought I would get married to the supposedly fictional character I had a crush on."

"Same," I sigh before smiling up at him. "I'm so glad that you were scouted by the Raging Bulls."

"Me too," he rubs his thumb in slow circles around mine, his own smile widening. "I love you."

"I love you too," I whisper the words meant for him, and only him. I close my eyes and lean into him even more. 

We whisper these words every night under the stars before falling asleep. Although it's pointless, because even without words, we know how much the other loves us. Even when we never spoke about it, we knew. 

I used to always think that maybe the heavens had made a mistake. It is obvious to me that Shu and I belong together, so why would we live in different realms? But the heavens don't make mistakes. 

Maybe living in different realms was the start of our love story and also the biggest hurdle to overcome. Or maybe it truly was a mistake, yet we managed to carve away even with destiny against us. I would like to think that even destiny and fate can be broken by our love, the hopeless romantic inside me rejoicing at that thought.

It doesn't matter. Because the end result is still the same. Shu Kurenai is still the person I'm going to be married to, the person I proclaim my feelings to every night with the heavens watching us in the form of bright twinkling stars. 

It doesn't matter that Shu Kurenai was somebody I was supposed to know, because now he's here, right beside me. 

It doesn't matter as long as we're together.

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final chapter; done!

wow, i cannot believe that this series is finished. i do admit, i was unsure of continuing and writing a second book considering how cringey i found everything about the first book.

but it was my eleven-year old self's greatest wish that this story came true to her and shu kurenai really met her, so i figured that that was the least i could do for her. i'm glad i did, and i'm glad that people actually read and enjoyed it. 

thank you for coming with me on this journey.

- ryu :D