Those lips I dreamed of every night were a few inches away. I could just go for it and claim them for myself, that kiss could last forever in my mind. And that's the problem: I don't want a lasting memory with a dying person in my arms.
I can't help but wonder if there's even the tiniest chance he could avoid his death.
"Do you see that?" Wei asked.
"It says kiss the other," Wei said, and I snapped out of my conflicting thoughts.
"What?" I asked.
"That priest was talking about how wishes need to be fulfilled." Wei parked his car in the parking lot of a huge building.
"He is full of nonsense," I replied, thinking back to the moment I laid my eyes on that priest.
"Just in case, why don't we try it? I know it's absurd. Just forget it." Wei spoke, hitting his head on the steering wheel.
"Alright, it's just a kiss, right? Let's do it. If I can go back, that would be the easiest way," I replied.
Wei, Wei, Wei... I was desperate enough to think of kissing you by surprise, but now when you, out of your own will, asked me to kiss you, is it even possible for me to reject it? It's taking everything I have to suppress the need to quench my thirst for your lips. I don't want you to run away, so I'm putting myself on a leash.
"Alright, I'll make it quick," Wei said, nodding his head as he got closer. His seatbelt was on, and the light had been turned off, with only the distant streetlight penetrating the tinted window.
I held my breath as he came closer. I moved closer too. He held my head to the side as he unintentionally brushed my hair back a little. His lips made contact with my lip balm, barely touching, brushing the edge, causing a ticklish and itching sensation at once. My heartbeat went crazy. He smelled like rain and blood. I tilted my face a little, moving closer. He exhaled softly, pressed his lips, and pulled back quickly as we heard a car entering the parking lot.
The world's longest kiss, I bet.
Both of our hands glowed, from number 111 to 110. A blue light illuminated on top of our hands. I saw it, and we looked at each other.
"You saw that, right?" he asked, his eyes wide open.
"Yeah, it went from 111 to 110, but it's not there anymore," I replied. I could barely believe it. But that's not the strangest thing I encountered today, like vanishing from my bed and appearing in front of Wei and the priest in a country I had never been to.
"Yeah, we should ask the priest when we get back," Wei said with a smile.
Right, I would be happy if I went back and if he got to live his life without dying. For him, it's a lifeline. He smiled for a couple of seconds until his phone buzzed. The call was from his manager. He put it on silent, and the little smile he had was gone.
He looked exhausted. His lips were torn a bit, and his cheeks were slightly swollen, not from a romantic altercation, unless he likes it. The dark circles and puffy eyes under his makeup added another layer of mystery.
"Stay here. I'll be back after signing the documents. If he is there, I might be late. I have some snacks in the back if you need anything," Wei said, looking into my eyes, his mind elsewhere even as he looked at me and spoke to me.
I nodded, and he took off his seatbelt and unlocked his door. I was aware of every rustle he made. Maybe one day I will go back to this memory and relive everything.
Maybe when I sleep, things will go back to normal, like a bad dream. I do want this to be a dream. I don't want Wei to die.
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A Young Spiritual Practitioner
Five energies are always wrapped around us: fire, water, air, earth, and ether. I, who have studied the ways to bend a person's energy for twenty years, have never failed to bring happiness.
In the long life I have lived, I have made only one promise to my master, that I will never provide a solution without his approval, no matter how urgent it is.
But eventually, like every other tale, my word of promise saw the end of its journey. I treated a man without his approval, and now, hung upside down.
It all happened exactly three hours ago. A young, handsome actor came running to our temple, soaked in rain, with tears in his eyes. He begged me to help him reminded me of a family puppy I had long time ago. As usual, I sought my master, but he denied it for some reason.
Usually, my master refuses to guide people who are evil, but this man, he was pure as snow. It didn't make any sense, but I didn't ask for a reason. One thing everyone in the temple is painfully aware of is my master's anger when we ask for a reason.
As soon as we stepped out of the temple, the handsome man got slapped by his manager. Even I know how famous he is, and looking at him personally, I can see how much of a saint he is, but his luck seems to be 180 degrees compared to his looks.
My master probably didn't want to get involved with celebrities, that is what I randomly thought and I decided to help him. That was my life's first mistake. The second one came soon after my good luck charms and rituals did not work and decided to pour all my energy to get results.
As a person devoted to the five energies, I was looked down upon by him a guy who has never had a good day in his life. A famous and talented actor without any awards, blessed with crazy fans who will always be with him stalking his every move and lovers who can't put up with his negative luck. That same guy looked at me as if I had never solved anyone's problem. I, who have the most spiritual power in the world, was being looked down upon.
That was the trigger for me to unleash all my power, to the point that I created a ritual of my own, splitting dimensions apart and summoning his unlucky soulmate to balance his negative luck. A simple math trick: negative and negative equals positive, a happy ending by showing my full power. Yes, a foolish, spur-of-the-moment decision, changing all three of our lives forever.