I groaned when I opened my eyes I saw that it was already morning. This had been my first night here. I turned around and felt an arm around my waist. I smiled as I remember last night.

I was sure to be limping for a while, but that was okay. I liked it that way.

 

I carefully removed Jonghyun’s arm from my body and draped the sheets around my lower body. Just as I thought, my hurt and it wasn’t a little either. I hissed and limped over to the window.

I scanned my surroundings. There were tall skyscrapers, malls and all the regular things. I wondered why it was that everyone wasn’t talking to each other, but Jonghyun was. Wasn’t he born here like all these puppets on these streets. I thought it to be truly saddening.

If science would do this to us humans, then I’d rather not be one. Now I thought of it, it had been already doing it. I had created those pills and was creating even more. How long would it be until we were at this point that we didn’t speak to one another anymore.

 

“Horrible isn’t it.” The voice I recognized as Jonghyun’s said behind me.

He wrapped his arms around me and hugged me close. I relaxed in his arms and nodded.

“Why are they like that?” I asked him.

He turned me around and gazed into my eyes.

“You don’t have it, do you?” I had no idea what he was talking about. Had what?

“What do you mean?” I was genuinely confused about what he meant. Was there something that they had and I didn’t because I was from another world?

Jonghyun tapped his head and told me that he and all the people out there on the streets had a computer chip in their heads.

 

“With it they can communicate like how we are talking normally right now.”

I frowned and thought about it. So that was the reason that they all looked straight-ahead smiling and bursting out laughing? Everyone seemed to be completely used to it. Even Jonghyun.

“So do you talk with other people as well? With that chip.” I questioned skeptically

He shook his head. “I’m a rebel. I refuse to use it because I think that we humans should communicate through our mouths, not out minds.” He explained.

I leaned forward and kissed him sweetly. I was glad he thought about it in that way. Maybe there was a way to get him back with me to my world. Wouldn’t that be something. Two Jonghyun’s in the same world.

I chuckled at the thought of what my best friend’s reaction would be when he saw his twin. I imagined that he would stare, point at him and faint. He was such a wuss sometimes.

 

“Kibum?” He moved my head away from his chest and I saw that he had a serious expression on his face.

I continued to look at him, hoping he would go on without me having to stimulate him.

“Can you answer this truthfully? Please?” He almost sounded desperate.

I nodded and made a cross on my heart. He chuckled and took a deep breath.

“Where are you from? It’s obvious that you don’t come from here. So don’t try to deny that.”

I fidgeted and at the question, pained to tell him the truth.

“I am not from here. You are right about that. However, I am not from another city either.” I seemed to have confused him, judging by his frowning face.

“This might sound ridicules and stupid, but I assure you that every single word that I am going to tell you is truthful.” I assured him as I moved in to hug him. I placed my cheek on his shoulder taking in the faint smell of his cologne from yesterday.

 

“Go on…” He pushed.

I let go of him and tried to sit on the edge of the windowsill without hurting my behind.

“I am from another world… and alternate universe if you will.” I glimpsed up at him and saw that he was staring at me with a stoic look. He didn’t believe me, I could see it.

“Look, you don’t have to believe me, but as far as I know. My planet doesn’t have plants that think by themselves, those chips in your head and telephone, slash TV screen thingies for your eye.” I explained to him.

“So you are saying that there are other universes out there? And you are from one of them?” he clarified.

I nodded and hoped he would understand.

“So are there any, people that are the same here as there. Like, me for instance?” He asked me.

I chuckled and nodded. He looked at me wide-eyed. Apparently he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“So… what am I like in your universe? Are there friends that are the same too?” I think he was curious to hear about himself. Who wouldn’t?

“Well, for one. You’re quite serious and antisocial.” That made him laugh.

I guess he couldn’t imagine that. After all, he was someone who was used to going out to bars and probably clubs.

“You’re a scientist like me. Also you have been my best friend since kindergarten.” I told him.

He hummed and flopped on the bed. “What else. I have the feeling there’s more.”

I grimaced and gazed at the ceiling. “Well, I have had a crush on you since college. However, we never got together. A year after we graduated you got married to Jessica and she is now pregnant with your child.”

Within a second he stood back in front of me. “I’m married?”

I nodded and dropped my gazed to the ground.

“Kibum… “ He raised me head by my chin. “ Why did you hold back your feelings? You said that you were in love with me right?”

I nodded slightly while drowning in my memories. How many days had I stayed up drawing hearts and drawn my love on paper. How many nights had I cry because I missed that loving warmth behind me as I slept… I couldn’t even count them.

 

“Then why wouldn’t you sing it from the rooftops?” He cupped my cheeks as he gave me a peck on the nose. It felt so good to be cherished by him. This was the only thing I wanted all this time.

To be loved by Kim Jonghyun.

All my frustrations and love were unleashed. I cried, yet I was happy. I knew it wasn’t crying of happiness. It was more that I could finally let my barriers down. Be myself again. How I missed being just me.

When did everything become so complicated? I turned my attention back to the man I loved.

Oh yes, that’s why. I felt that I wasn’t good enough for him, so I tried to be perfect. But I am far from it.

“I wanted to. I wanted to scream and tell the whole world, but I didn’t want to robe you of the chance to get a normal life, get kids, a wife, and normal friends. Not some geek that has nothing to give. I can’t give you children or a wife.” I confessed while sobbing loudly.

Jonghyun embraced me and cradled me like that one time in the park. It was a déjà vu. I guess Jonghyun was the same here, but I was just in time to prevent Jessica from taking him. I didn’t want lose him again for a second time.

 

“Why would I care about that? So what you can’t be a wife? You can be a good partner for me. And yes you can’t get children, but what about adoption? There are enough children that deserve such a wonderful person like you as their mother. As for being a geek. That’s a stereotype. I don’t judge or live by them.” He assured me.

I smiled and attacked his flattering lips. He twirled me around in the air and put me back down.

But I kept kissing him feverishly, not wanting to let go and lose the comforting warmth of his body.

I felt his hand supporting my neck and twiddling with the strands of hair between his fingers. The kiss became rough and was full with my confined love.

I let go when I felt the strain in my tongue. Maybe I was a bit to rough...

I gazed at Jonghyun while panting. He wan't any better, I could judge that by his rapid heaving.

“Wow. You really held back all these years. Didn’t you?” He remarked.

I giggled and caressed his hair. “You have no idea.”

 

When we recovered from the kiss,  we clothed ourselves and Jonghyun kept commenting that he was a beast in bed while I was limping all over the place. I groaned and told him he was amazing, and he never seemed to get enough of that statement.

We went out for a walk and some grocery shopping. Mostly to get my muscles some exercise and we needed food to survive of course.

That’s when I saw something strange.

A couple of people were bowing down in the middle of the street and started worshipping or something. I looked and Jonghyun and saw him gaze upon them with pity. What was going on here? To whom were they worshipping?

“Jonghyun, why are they worshipping and to whom?” I asked him.

This universe was getting more and more peculiar. 

He pulled me away and told me to follow him. Like I had any choice really. I had no idea where I even was. So I just followed him.

 

After a few minutes of walking and going up the tower, I saw what he wanted me to see.

There was this huge tree in the middle of the city. It’s roots extended to the far corners of the slums and even the fields outside it. It looked almost magical…

“This is why we are this advanced. This tree has some kind of power that lets us create whatever we want out of nothing.” Jonghyun told me.

I was curious to the reason of him pitying those people. But something told me I was missing something.

This tree, was it the one that dragged me down here? Did that one root belong to this enormous tree? And why did it bring me down here?

“Why did you pity those people?” I grabbed the rail of the tower’s lookout and saw that there were more people that were down on the ground.

Was this like the Islam or something? Did you have to pray at a certain time to something? To what? The tree? Did these people dedicate their lie to this tree? A headache was slowly forming, but I needed answers.

 

“It’s sad. Those people that are not worshipping have been dry of their own life. You see, that’s what it does. We offer it humans so it can continue to grow and protect us.” Jonghyun explained. He was pained by this, I could see it in his eyes.

“I’ll tell you this. One day, that tree is going to be our undoing.” I could imagine why. If it would continue to grow it would absorb the whole city. Though it was really pretty.

I made me wonder why I hadn’t seen it before. It rose above every tower and skyscraper yet I hadn’t seen it. Strange for sure.

“I hope I’ll be able to return to my world someday before that happens.” I told him.

I didn’t express that I wanted him to come with me. That would come in time.