Saturday August 12th, 2056

Andrew wakes up at eight in the morning, Mei is still sleeping. He quietly gets out of bed and heads to the toilet.

[Is today really, truly supposed to be the day? Can't it wait any longer? Let's say Mei is right, and there is something in there that I don't agree with… what do I do then? No, that won't be the case. May wouldn't do that to me… she would write something… nice.]

Andrew flushes the toilet after standing up and washes his hands in the sink. He looks at himself in the mirror.

[I shouldn't be doubting myself, or May. Not in times like these. I will read it, whatever is written inside.]

Exiting the bathroom and headed for the kitchen, Andrew walks as silently as possible not to wake up Mei. In the kitchen he fills a bowl with cereal and milk, which they bought in the supermarket two days ago.

[I might go to the market again today, maybe to get some pasta and rice. Mei wanted to learn some simple recipes, though she seemed reluctant about it. Can't really blame her, I was like that too when I tried cooking for the first time… back then…]

Andrew rubs his hands through his eyes.

[No. No, Andrew. No need to get all emotional… there are people that have it… way worse than you.]

He sits down on a wooden chair next to the bed, belonging to the dinner table that never gets used. There are stacks of school work on it and the wood has turned grey from the dust.

[It almost looks painted. And, is that all her summer homework? I wonder if she already made any of it.]

Andrew turns his eyes to a sleeping Mei, laying in her underwear. Just her underwear. He slowly and uninterestedly moves his eyes back to the kitchen.

[Probably not.]

A few minutes later she wakes up, and yawns loudly.

"Oh…" she says. "You're already having… breakfast?"

"Yeah, I woke up a few minutes ago." Andrew responds. "And maybe put a shirt on."

"Why?"

[She asks why.]

Andrew does not give a response, and Mei gets up from the bed.

"Sure…" Mei yawns, as she walks towards the closet. She puts on a white, sleeveless shirt with a picture of a narwhal on it. Its horn is rainbow coloured. Andrew follows her with his eyes as she walks towards the kitchen, while placing a spoonful of cereal in his mouth.

[They're sticking out through her shirt… is that like the wood that women get in the morning?]

Mei also fills a bowl with cereal and milk and sits down on Andrew's side of the bed.

[I digress. It will be an unanswered question for eternity.]

Andrew nods to himself.

"What is it?" Mei says, with the morning exhaustion slowly creeping away from her voice.

"Oh, it's nothing." Andrew replies. Mei yawns again.

[That's the fourth one just this morning.]

"So, have you read it?" Mei asks.

"I haven't. I was planning on doing it after lunch."

Mei turns her head to the side and looks confusedly at him. "After lunch? What do you want to do in the mean time? And weren't you going to read it as soon as possible?" She asks. She turns her head back and starts stuffing the cereal into her mouth.

[The multiple questions again.]

"I was planning to go to the supermarket." Andrew replies.

"The super?" Mei says, with her mouth stuffed with cereal. She chews and swallows the food before continuing. "We already went there on Thursday. What do you need?"

"Some things that are easy to prepare yourself, like pasta. You wanted to learn a few simple recipes, right?" Andrew replies.

"Well, yeah… but that can wait a few more days." Mei says.

[I guess she's right, it can wait a few days.]

"Fine, I'll read it after breakfast, if you insist."

"I need to shower first." Mei replies. She stuffs two spoons worth of cereal in her mouth again, emptying the bowl.

[Didn't she shower yesterday as well? She was in the bathroom for quite some time last night.]

"You want to read it with me?" Andrew asks.

"Of course." She says, with her cheeks looking like those of a hamster. "I'm interested as well, after all your stories."

[Eat first talk later… I won't say that out loud, she can do however she sees fit.]

After she finishes her sentence, she gets up and brings the empty bowl to the kitchen. Andrew finishes his cereal too and does the same. He cleans both their bowls, and a few other dishes settled on the counter and in the sink, all while Mei is showering. Andrew finishes all the dishes in about forty minutes, after which he falls onto the bed. The water of the shower can faintly be heard throughout the whole apartment.

[That took way longer than I had hoped, but at least the sink has finally been rid of them. Mei isn't done showering either… what else can I do?]

Hastily, he gets up from the bed again and looks at the dusty table.

[Everything here looks clean enough, except you.]

Andrew heads to the kitchen and fills a bucket with lukewarm water. After adding detergent and stirring it until it forms a layer of bubbles, he takes it to the chair he was sitting on earlier.

[The chairs are also dusty. Mei probably never uses them.]

He submerges a yellow cleaning cloth in the water and wrings it out, before using it to cleanse the chair of dust. Smooth, dark brown oak unveils itself from underneath the dust.

[Oh, wow. I had a lighter colour in mind.]

He also cleans the other chairs, and starts on the table. The shower turns off right after he had begun, and he can hear the curtains being pulled back.

[Took well over an hour. It seems like her showers are taking longer every day.]

Andrew finishes cleaning the table and empties the bucket in the sink. Mei exits the bathroom letting out a heavy sigh, and with a towel wrapped around her body. She turns her eyes to Andrew, who is letting litres of water flow into the sink.

"What did you use… wait, did you do all the dishes?" Mei asks surprised.

"And got rid of the dust." Andrew responds, while he points to the table. Mei looks in awe at the dark brown wood, and then back to Andrew.

She quickly walks towards Andrew and embraces him tightly, with Andrew returning the embrace with just his left arm. Mei's towel is only being upheld by being pressurised between her and Andrew.

[I can feel everything. The softness, the, well things. Yet, I still don't feel anything. It feels so… odd. I used to love this. I used to try and embed this within my mind for the coming week, but… I don't feel a need to anymore…]

She lets go of him, and Andrew lifts the empty bucket back up.

[Stop rambling, Andrew. There is no need to. This is not important right now.]

Andrew sits down on the bed, next to a now clothed Mei. He picks up the purple card from the desk.

[The time has finally come… I will read it, right here and now.]

Mei's eyes move back and forth between Andrew and the card, as he gradually opens it. Andrew reads it. Each and every sentence, thoroughly. Mei follows his movement precisely, and they finish the paragraph at the exact same time. Mei slowly turns her eyes to Andrew.

"Hey…" She starts, but she can not follow it up with anything else. Her smile disappears. Andrew's smile, hope and curiosity had already disappeared at the first sentence.

-----

Dear Andrew,

Way ahead into the future, at the moment you are reading this, I want you to forget about me. Even if you wake up at a time where I could still be alive, you should not take your time to search for me.We will both go separate ways, in separate times. At the moment, it has been a week since it happened. I am devasted, but I have realised life will move on, for both you and me. Thus I decided to write this message in my letter. I will not show it to anyone, they would think my actions are heartless.Remember, Andrew, that at the moment I still love you, and that I will never forget our time together, but my life is more than just our relationship. Keep that love deep in your heart if you need to, but forget it if you want to move on. I prefer if you would follow the second part, as I will do the same. I will meet other people, in other times, and so will you.

Do not fill your mind with me, but with the people you meet.

May Kerone.

-----

[…]

Andrew closes the letter, and throws it towards the kitchen. It lands on the floor in front of him, and folds itself open again.

[Don't…]

Andrew stands up. "Wait! Andrew…" Mei exclaims, but Andrew doesn't look back. He picks up the card from the floor, and stares at it for a while, before turning around. He walks past the bed and to the window, and opens it. He raises his arm, with the letter in his hand. Mei jumps out of bed and grabs his arm before he can do something. "Don't throw it out! I know, this must suck, but don't give up immediately! You can still find her! Didn't I tell you not to…"

"Follow what she says?" Andrew finishes her sentence, while turning his eyes to her face.

"Exactly." Mei takes the card from his hand and places it in the back pocket of her pants. Andrew lowers his arm again and looks out the window.

[Find her… is that really worth it?]

"Andrew." Mei says. He turns her way again, and she grabs his shoulders. "Don't shove away all that hope you built up. After writing the letter, she could have changed her mind." Mei's expression is serious. Resolute. Hopeful. Her eyes are drilling through Andrew's, piercing his mind. With his mouth continuing to open wider and his breathing becoming heavier, he stares at Mei's fierce eyes. Her lips and eyes are trembling.

[She… is feeling the same. She doesn't want to give up. She doesn't want me… to give up. What should I do? What is it that you want me to do, exactly? She's too friendly. Too compassionate. What if she's in the complot with May… Mei and May. It makes sense… she knows something that I don't, doesn't she? And now she wants me to pursuit May… meaning that she must have some benefit in that as well. The lazy, bedridden and shameless Mei forcing me to help her achieve her own goals, is that what…]

"Andrew!" Mei shouts. Andrew snaps out of his endless chain of thoughts. "I'm doing this for you. I want you to find her, because that's what you've all been about the past week."

[That's what I have all been about? I hardly talk about May, or my past in general. And… doing this for me? Sure…]

"Stop zoning out! I know… that it is hard to accept." Mei says. Andrew now looks at her with his mouth closed, and his eyes at the point of breaking. "Whenever I looked at you in your eyes… I could see it." Mei continues. "The stress… anxiety… and that small amount of hope. You're thinking about her constantly, aren't you?" Tears well up in his eyes. "I want you to know… that I am here for you… and that I want to help you." Mei continues. Her emotions are starting up as well. "So don't suffer alone… please…" She cries.

Andrew lets out an awkward noise of sorrow, before he starts flooding his cheeks with tears. His arms move around Mei's waist, and he embraces her tightly. Mei her eyes are filling up as well.

"Hmm!" Andrew exclaims, as a signal to accept Mei's words. They hold each other tightly, letting out their sorrow for themselves and each other, which had been building up since they met.

Orange rays enlighten the room through the window. Andrew lays on the bed on his back, drifting off from reality while staring at the ceiling light. Mei returns from the kitchen with a salad, and Andrew sits up straight.

[Forget about her… she tries to obey me to forget about her, through a letter. Sorry, but… I think I won't. Mei is right… I mustn't follow what she writes.]

Andrew takes the salad from Mei's hands and gives a thankful nod.

"No problem." Mei says softly, as she sits down next to him. Andrew has the opened letter in front of him.

[Devasted. Were you really? You don't seem devastated in this letter. You seem… simple minded. Monotonous. Lackluster. Those are fitting for this letter… there's no emotion.]

"She's quite ruthless, isn't she?" Mei puts forth.

[Ruthless… is also fitting.]

"Yeah…" Andrew replies. "She didn't used to be like this. Her letter… is not from the May I know."

[She's different. Completely different. She has changed more than Melissa, with just this single letter… over the same amount of time.]

Mei notices Andrew is trembling all throughout his body, so she leans in and embraces him.

"Let's go to bed early again, okay?" Mei says. "I've got the feeling you really need it." Andrew lets his head rest in his palm.

"I need to shower first." He tells her. Andrew stands up and walks towards the closet for a fresh set of clothes.

"That's fine." Mei responds. "Remember to keep the door unlocked." Andrew doesn't give a response and heads into the bathroom. He doesn't lock the door.

Andrew steps under the shower and turns the temperature handle to the right. Steaming hot water comes out of the head after a short while, and he steps under without flinching. Looking up at the ceiling, Andrew's lets the scorching water rinse his hair. He reaches for the shampoo bottles, and grabs the one Melissa sent in the box.

[She went to Hulive, so she knows that I am back. Alive and well. Yet… she doesn't let me know. She let me wait and wait and wait… all for… nothing.]

Andrew clenches his fist around the bottle.

[Even Melissa… the Melissa from this future could sympathise with me more. May was just… harsh… and nothing else… there was no emotion, no personality in that letter…]

He raises the bottle up above his head and slams it to the ground, while letting out a growl consisting of his anger and frustration. His unacceptance. The sounds of both the near empty bottle hitting the ground and his scream reverberate through the bathroom. The door of the bathroom opens right after, and Mei rushes towards him. Andrew makes an attempt to smash his head against the back wall of the shower, but Mei blocks it with her hands, hurting herself. She throws him onto a chair afterwards and turns off the shower. A thick cloud of water vapor fills the entire room, diffusing the ceiling light and giving only a few inches of sight to them.

"Andrew this isn't good! The water was way too hot, I can't see!" Mei exclaims. She slowly walks towards Andrew while reaching for things around her to find a clear path.

"Maybe that's a good thing." Andrew responds. Mei follows his voice and walks straight towards him. Andrew looks up.

[She's crying… . Don't cry, Mei… please… you've cried enough. You have had it so much worse than me… so don't sympathise with me… please.]

"I'm not sad." Mei says. "I'm just scared, frustrated, and... angry." She says. Her shirt and underwear are wet from the shower and the water vapor in the air. Gradually, the fog disappears. Andrew's face is barren. Barren like a grass field in November. No flowers. No trees. No insects or animals. Nothing.

Mei leans in and slowly wraps her arms around him, but he doesn't return the embrace. "I don't want someone to leave me… again." Mei cries. "And I don't want you to feel like you don't have anywhere to go. You always have me… I am always here for you."

[Yes… you are… but…]

Mei kneels down to be more level with him while embracing. She cries continually, and holds him around his arms and chest, tightly.

"Don't go… don't leave me… Please!" Mei weeps.

[…but… it is not your problem. It's mine.]