a story by:
𝔚𝔬𝔩𝔣_𝔔𝔲𝔢𝔢𝔫_101

WHAT CONNECTED FATE TO the human
world was dreams. Through the unconscious mind, Fate could show people her prophecies. Dreams were considered by the population to be the most beautiful of prophecies, even if the meaning wasn't entirely clear at first. They showed how things would inevitably play out in a vague, obscured fashion.

Scientists dubbed the phenomena as such:

soulmate dreams

/ˈsəʊlmeɪt driːm/

noun

where one has the same reoccurring dream with their destined soulmate(s). although the clarity of the dream is poor, upon meeting one's soulmate(s), the face(s) will clear up.

Sakura-ko thought the concept was illogical. Being able to dream about your soulmates? How absurd. She believed that the universe was playing tricks on humanity. Sakura-ko was more interested in finding out who would inevitably capture her heart rather than dreaming about predetermined relationships. Besides, what good was a dream, anyway? Dreams were a manifestation of one's mind. They served no other purpose but to make one feel better and give rise to feelings of comfort. They didn't mean anything.

They weren't real.

Hence, Sakura-ko, based on logic alone, concluded soulmates weren't real either.

And she was right. The universe wasn't going to reveal her soulmates' identities just because some random people somewhere in the world had dreamed up an unlikely future together. Soulmates were just a figment of an overactive imagination. A ridiculous idea designed to keep them apart at all costs.

Sakura-ko Yoshiyuki spent eighteen years sticking to those beliefs. She kept them close to her heart, never letting anyone get too close to her. It worked like a charm, for a while anyway.

Life was full of ups and downs for Sakura-ko after that. She found someone she loved more than a friend, but not quite like a lover. She was the one who taught Sakura-ko the beauty of her dreams. She was the one who taught her the beauty of loving someone and being loved in return. And she was also the one who taught her that losing someone who was alive hurt more than losing someone who had died.

Therefore, Sakura-ko, at the age of twenty two, decided that love wasn't worth it.

As long as she had her job and could teach, she was fine. She didn't need anything else. She would be alright without romance—without letting anyone into her heart. That way, she wouldn't have to suffer any more loss.

Well, that was before four striking individuals waltzed into her life. Now, Sakura-ko was left at a crossroads. Would she risk the fall and hope her soulmates would catch her?

Only time could tell.