1oo.
epilogue:
under the starry skies!

It was like the slow drag of the violin: time. The melody only made sense when the strings were pulled that way, but in order to do so, one had to be patient. No matter how many violinists gathered in an orchestra, the notes remained the same. 

Time remained the same; only "us" had changed. It had changed from "we" to "me" in two years of being apart; three years of being broken up. 

Nevertheless, when chocolate met ocean, a storm that had been keeping its calm until then waged eagerly to destroy anything and anyone in its path until we were together. 

"Guys, I hate you." 

"We love you too, Ash. Just hand over the keys, and—hmph—get out!" I was forcefully dragged out of my haven, the instrument to the start of my baby snatched from my hand and pushed to the curb where she was standing, blinking and wearing an expression of utmost confusion. 

After finishing our final years at Kalos High, we parted: Serena choosing Sinnoh while I left for Alola to get an MBA along with Gary and Misty. We barely spoke on video conferences, but the everyday good mornings and good nights remained throughout the two years. 

But they weren't enough to release the pent-up emotions I had felt in her absence. Now that she was standing before me in flesh and bone, I had no idea where all the physical pain I had faced in my chest had wandered off to; nor did I know how to greet her. 

Thankfully, she saved me the awkwardness by starting with a simple word. "Hi there." 

Her smile was back—the one that reached her eyes and left a twinkle of femininity in them. She hadn't grown her hair long, but it now fell right below her shoulders in the very same curly fashion. A mumble left my lips when I realized I had been staring. "Hey." 

Serena giggled, the sound still resonating with something in me, I realized with a start. The promise had always been there, but I was afraid of losing her to someone inexorably better, given how it had been one-sided at the start of our final year. 

"Well, hop in. Let's go home." 

Home. But I already felt at home, didn’t I?

Regardless, I nodded and took the passenger seat. Déjà vu was high this time, the history of four years prior repeating itself like a broken record. The very same airport, the very same girl, the very same feeling. It was too hard to ignore. Too damn hard to push away. 

"So, how have you been?" Serena questioned as we got onto the main streets of South Boulevard. I took a moment to respond under the pretense of admiring the city we were driving through. Lumiose had developed over the years. More skyscrapers towered over us, and the population simply bustled even as night fell. 

"Never better." 

We passed the streets in a flurry, getting onto the road to Vaniville. Highway lights whirred past us in a blur, and I was amazed at how Serena had mastered driving. 

"How was... Sinnoh?" I asked, shifting in my seat to a more comfortable position. Serena noticed the movement and opened the window, letting cold air pinch my face. "Thanks." 

"Don't mention it. Sinnoh was cool. I've been recruited to be a fashion designer for one of Lisia's upcoming shows," she answered. Pride bubbled within me, and I hurried to congratulate her. 

"Hey, that's cool! Congratulations, girl." Serena chuckled and added a thank you, after which we were mostly silent. 

I noticed, with a minute of observing her, just how much she had changed. A new passion burned in her eyes, her stance speaking volumes of confidence even as she manipulated the car to glide between lanes and heavy vehicles chugging through the highway. 

All of a sudden, she was staring back. "How was Alola for you? I see you've tanned," she observed before her gaze went back to the road ahead. I scratched my cheek. 

"Awesome, but it was tropical weather there." She nodded, as if wanting me to continue. I obliged gladly. "I came in fifth in the entire uni, though I really wanted to be among the top three ranks." 

Serena's head whipped to face me. Glee melted into her posture. "Fifth is a rank, Ash! Congratulations!" 

"Haha," I laughed nervously, running a hand through my hair. The inevitable question graced my mind when she smiled at her phone, which buzzed with what might be a text. "Hey, Serena. If you, er, don't mind, can I ask you something which might be classified as private?" 

Serena's focus now shifted from her phone to me. She locked the device and placed it on the dashboard before humming. "Mhm?" 

My throat burned, the hum of the engine suddenly ringing in my ears. Voice it out, Ash! "Um, are you... seeing someone?" 

The girl did not shift, nor did I observe any noticeable difference in her tone. "Are you?" 

The world around me faded into a blur, the only thing clear being her and how the highway lights glinted off her eyes, hair, and face as we passed one post after another. "You could say so," I whispered, unable to trust my voice. Serena nodded, then gave her reply, her face contorted in concentration on the road. 

"Same, to be honest. There was this guy back in Sinnoh." For whatever reason, I felt my heart drop the way it did whenever she dropped a bomb on me. A knot formed in my chest as she continued, wearing a dreamy expression. "Classmate, group mate, fellow intern. He asked me out." 

I let out a humorless laugh, quickly swiveling to look outside. Tears burned my eyes, and I forced myself to blink them away.

The promise had been one-sided, after all.

I couldn't believe her words — how easily she had moved on — nor could I believe what I said. "That's great news. Hope you guys are happy... together." 

"What about us?" The question caught me off guard, and notwithstanding how I looked at that moment, I caught her eye. A sheepish look masked her features, and she turned away for a minute to pull up and turn on the stopping lights. The orange illuminations lit up our faces through the rearview mirror and served as the only other light. 

"Didn't 'us' go down the drain because of a fault in me?" I asked, trying to keep the tone light, but it was anything but that. Serena regarded the question before taking in a deep breath and biting her lip. 

"Wasn't it supposed to be a break and nothing serious?" 

I narrowed my eyes at her. "Serena, I love you and all, but can you please stop getting my hopes and heart up, only to break them with one fall of the hammerhead?" 

Serena looked at me as if I had sprouted two heads before falling into echoing laughter. It all but loosened the knot I was housing within me. 

"What? You thought I'd really move on?" 

Huh?

"Pardon?" 

"You thought I'd forget my teenage dream even after turning twenty-three?" she wheezed out, clutching her sides. Whether in her daze or on purpose, she set a fire in my heart by grabbing the helm of my jacket. "Tell me, Ash, is there any other girl in your life?" 

Her tone was serious, her brows knitted together. I shook my head honestly. Who among us was beating around the bush now? 

With another chortle, she pulled me down to match her height. Our breaths lingered on the other's skin, sending goosebumps throughout my body as our eyes met—chocolate melting into the ocean of passion she offered. 

"What about that guy?" I asked, my voice very unlike mine. 

Her breath collided against my jaw in a rush. "It was a test to see if you'd get jealous." 

A smirk grew across my features, Serena mirroring the flush. Whatever unraveled next seemed like something taken out of a dream, a novel, an anime. 

"Did I pass?" 

"Hell if you didn’t." 

"Do I have the permission to kiss you?" 

"What do you think?" 

"That I should." 

"Please." 

All the teasing—I could no longer take it. I crashed my mouth onto hers, savoring the familiar warmth I had been yearning for these past three years. Fireworks erupted in my stomach, its bright fuzziness spreading to every nerve ending in my body. 

I felt her shift, so I reached out and grabbed the back of her head, tilting it ever so gently to let our lip-lock flourish. We still fit each other perfectly, as everything that built up until then had molded into this passionate rendezvous. 

Suddenly, time was redefined. It was no longer the dance of the violin but of the blue electricity that sparked through the darkest of nights, sending terror yet a sense of calm right after the thunder struck. 

A version of my past would have been impatient—reckless even—to have waited for so long. It might have been a teenage nightmare. 

But now, it felt like all those sufferings, all the trials and tribulations, all the nightmares, had paved the way to a blossom of something better, something sweeter, someone worth it. 

We broke apart, breaths tickling against each other's lips, laughs escaping parched throats. I fluttered open my eyes to see her shivering, her own orbs unfocused. It took us a minute to recover, and when we did, bright smiles were exchanged. 

"Do I pass to have you as my girlfriend, girl?" 

Serena smiled and nodded. I stopped her movement, placing my forehead against hers and intertwining our hands over the gear of the car. 

"Now, let me forget my teenage nightmares, will you, Serena?" 

She smiled, a blush creeping to her cheeks, and I felt satisfied. Perhaps I had been able to fulfill the promise after all. 

The End.

— 💌 —

The curtains close on this book! What are your thoughts on the epilogue and the entire book in general? Put them down in comments! I'd love to hear from you all!

Please do read the next two chapters as well! I've got some questions for the next book!

Thank you for reading my work!

Miyoko xoxo