AN:
So I said in the AN of my last one shot that I published a month ago that I had 2-3 one-shots backed up so I could start weekly releasing. That was a lie. I planned on writing 2-3 one-shots, so I just said that I had already and then I was going to do them. Then I didn't. Today I got really fed up with myself so I turned off the PC and sat down in a chair outside with a writing book and forced myself to write. I sat there for nearly an hour before I actually started writing because I couldn't think of what to write.
Listening to my Spotify playlist, a song began playing that FINALLY spurred my imagination. I thought of Eri smiling and wandering through a forest. I sat there with that for like another half an hour, and instead of a one-shot an idea for a continuation of 'Colour' came to mind instead. So, here we are.
I'm no where near as happy with this chapter as I was with the original 'Colour' one-shot, but this is alright. Hopefully you all enjoy.
It was on a warm, beautiful spring morning that Eri found herself wondering through the Mustafu Botanical Gardens. She couldn't help but smile as she leisurely wandered down the cobble paths and admired the beauty surrounding her.
Although a summer child, spring was undeniably her favourite season of the year. For her, there was something magical about watching the Earth shrug off the cold and quiet to make way for new life. Even when she was young, she would count down the days until the cherry blossoms bloomed.
After a particularly long and harsh winter, it was with much excitement and joy that Eri left her home early in the morning to indulge in the beauty of new life once again.
She wandered for hours through the park, just as she had done in previous years. There was no sight or sound that she ignored. The birds chirping as they flew overhead, the flowers that lined the paths lightly swaying in the breeze, even the shouts and laughter from other people that were spending their day the same as her. All of it gave her a profound sense of contentment and peace.
Eventually she found herself back at the main entrance of the gardens. She smiled as she watched the myriad of couples that sat together on the lawn. Making her way over, she found space for herself and laid down, staring up at the bright blue sky.
As she lay there, the excitement of the morning fading, her smile slowly dropped as the familiar weight of guilt settled in her chest. With a huff she sat up and drew her knees to her chest, resting her chin on her knees. She watched as an old man in uniform swept away dirt and grass from the path. The man had stopped to jealously stare at all the couples fawning over each other before he spotted Eri watching him and returned to work. Clearly, he was one of the unlucky few who hadn't found their soulmate.
It was a sad but simple truth of their world that from birth, everyone only saw in shades of grey. It hurt Eri to imagine living life and being unable to fully appreciate how beautiful it truly was, but for some people it was all they'd ever known.
However, the purpose of being blind to colour made the experience worth it. Upon finding your soulmate, both people will suddenly see clearly for the first time. When she was a little girl, Eri loved listening to her parents tell her the story of how they'd first met. Fuelled by fairy tales she spent hours daydreaming of the day her own knight in shining armour would arrive. Though as she grew up, she had come to accept that day would probably never come due to one problem.
Eri was special. For as long as she could remember, she had always been able to see colour.
It was her fifth birthday that her parents had noticed Eri was different. Out of concern, her parents took her to a doctor her dad trusted to make sure there wasn't anything wrong with her. Despite her best efforts, the doctor was unable to find anything out the ordinary.
As far as Eri knew, there had never been a recorded case anywhere on Earth that someone could see colour without first finding their soulmate. Not wanting to become famous or a guinea pig for some scientist, she and her parents decided to keep this to themselves.
However, this came at a cost. Since she could already see colour, there was no way she could tell who her soulmate was.
In her young mind, this didn't immediately register. It wasn't until she was a few years older that she could understand what it meant. With her parents close by, a nine-year-old Eri grieved for her future self.
Eventually, she moved on. As the years passed, she came to understand that not everyone met their soulmates. Some people even got married and had kids together despite that.
Eri learned to appreciate that unlike everyone else that remained without their soulmate, she would still get to see life in its fullest brilliance.
It was once Eri understood this that the guilt began to gnaw at her. Why was she able to see? Why her? Surely there were others smarter or kinder or funnier than her who deserved this ability? What made her so special.
It was a loud grumble from her stomach that knocked Eri from her thoughts. Shaking her head, she got back onto her feet, dusted off her legs and left the park to go buy lunch from the local mall.
Despite the hunger, Eri continued at a slow pace as she walked down the street. Even in the built-up areas, the world looked so much livelier and beautiful under the spring sun that rushing through it felt criminal to her.
She stood by a crosswalk across from the mall, waiting for the green light to appear when she noticed the large crowd of people in the town square. They surrounded a stage, where a salesman was throwing out products to the crowd. She watched with sadness as some of the crowd fought with each other over the free samples.
Going by the flashy advertising and most of the crowd being young adults, it was clearly an illegal 'Colour Bomb' sale.
With the light ahead of her flashing green, she turned away from the sight and crossed the road, trying to push the thoughts from her mind. Undeterred, the guilt again crept up inside of her.
She hated feeling this way. She knows she shouldn't feel guilty. She didn't ask to have the ability to see. It was random, dumb luck. Besides, most of those kids will find their soulmate one day and be able to see clearly anyway. She'll never have that. If anything, she should be feeling sorry for herself!
… But that's not how she feels. She just felt sorry for those kids her age that, along with all the stresses involved with navigating school and puberty, don't get to experience life to the fullest. And she hates the opportunistic adults that use those people to buy their shitty drugs that don't even work properly!
Wrapped up in her thoughts, Eri didn't notice the boy walking towards her until it was to late. Colliding with the boy, they both crashed to the floor.
Eri landed hard on her right shoulder. She groaned and rolled onto her side, clutching at her shoulder. What the hell? What asshole knocks a lady to the floor like that? She had half a mind to kick this guy's ass… until she looked up.
"Miss, are you alright? I'm so sorry!"
The boy was leaning down, hand outstretched towards her. He wore a rough, patchy pair of black jeans and a light blue hoodie. He had spiky jet-black hair and serious looking eyes. His mouth was set in a firm line and he looked away as she stared up at him, face flushed red in embarrassment.
The anger melted away, replaced by a sudden shyness that Eri had never felt before, accompanied by the lightest blush on her cheeks. He was…
Where had that come from? Snapping out of it, she gave him a pained but grateful smile as he pulled her to her feet. She quickly inspected her sore shoulder, but it seemed fine. She looked back to the boy to say something to him, but quickly lost her train of thought and watched him in confusion.
The boy had stumbled back a bit, and was now whipping his head around looking at… everything. He looked confused, and a little scared, but also incredibly excited to an almost infectious level. She had never met someone so weird in her life.
She begun to speak again, only for the boy to quickly stride forwards and grab her hands, lacing her fingers with his.
"Do you see it?" He asked franticly. "You see it too, right?"
Eri recoiled slightly, and quickly pulled away, putting two feet in between them.
"What do you mean? See what?"
As if she had pressed a switch, all the excitement and delight in the boy's face died and he collapsed to his knees. He blankly stared at her dress as if his mind had suddenly vacated his body.
Concerned and a little frightened, she stuttered out a parting word before stepping past him and quickly walking towards the entrance of the mall.
Now feeling much safer inside the mall entrance with people all around her, Eri stopped to consider what had just happened. Who did that guy think he was? Knocking someone over then acting like a crazy person. And she almost thought he was cute!
And what the hell did he mean? Did she see it? See what? There was no one else around! It was just them. The way he looked around like everything was suddenly interesting, it was so weird! She'd never seen anyone act like that before.
…
Well… actually…
She had seen new couples act like that before.
Her heart sunk as a sudden realisation shot through her. Was that… no, it couldn't have been. There was no way!
Was that her soulmate?!
Eri bolted back outside, shouting a quick apology to the old couple she had nearly ran over. She ran faster than she had ever run in her life. Where had he gone? It was only a minute ago, he couldn't be far!
Turning the corner, her heart skipped a beat as she saw him. He was stumbling down the street, shuffling mindlessly like a zombie. The sight of him caused her to pause for a moment. Even if it turned out she was wrong and it was a big misunderstanding, she felt horrible. Surely she hadn't affected that much?
She pulled herself together and started running again. She felt her hat blow off her head as she moved even faster, not stopping to give it a second thought. Even if she was wrong, she had to try! She was so stupid; how did she not work it out right away!
She started calling out to him, but to no avail. She nearly cried as a bus pulled up to the curb and opened the doors for him. She shouted and pumped her legs as fast as she could, more determined and focused than she had ever been in her life. But it was all for nothing.
Having taken on the waiting passengers, the bus pulled out of the curb and back onto the busy street just as Eri reached the stop.
Her lungs heaved and she doubled over, holding her stomach and panting. She watched with misery as the bus pulled further and further away until it was finally out of sight.
She let out an angry scream, letting out her pent-up frustration and sadness before turning away. She was wrong. She was just overreacting! That wasn't her soulmate, it… it…
Damn fate, damn soulmates, damn this bullshit unfair world! Even if that wasn't her soulmate, she'd be now be forever tormented by maybe's and what-if's. It wasn't fair!
With a heavy heart and teary eyes, she pulled out her phone to call her mother.
Meanwhile, a lonely miserable boy sat at the back of a bus, desperately holding back tears as flashes of blue cotton and silver locks tormented his mind.
As circumstance, took these two further and further apart, both were now convinced that soulmates were bullshit. That it didn't make sense. That it wasn't necessary.
However, unbeknownst to them, this wouldn't be the last time they'd see each other.
After all, fate has a funny way of bringing people together.