1 Return

Exiting the airport I took in a deep breath and as I looked around at my surroundings. A bright blue sky, clear of clouds is above as the streets around me are filled with people entering and leaving the airport. A number of them take cabs or are picked up by relatives while others just begin walking away.

I was going to be the latter, so after taking my belongings I started on my walk after another glance around.

My eyes dart around the architecture of most buildings around as I compare it what memories I had of them in the past. There were quite a few new buildings, but most of the buildings hadn't been bulldozed. The changes that were apparent weren't too different so instead of thinking about what changed, I just reminisced about the past and thought of nostalgia.

Every once in a while as I walked past a building a memory or two from the past sprang up. Some more meaningful than others and some less, just like one where I had bought an ice cream and thought it was really good. Eventually I went into a fairly open, yet very empty walkway between some 2-3 story buildings and a river on my right.

'It's been 11 years since I last came here, yet it all looks the basically the same. There's been plenty of changes to how the exterior designs look, but the shape of the buildings all look just like how I left them.

Now that I'm 19, I have freedom to do whatever I want... and I don't know what to do with my life. How do I start it? I guess I'll have to find out when I get back. I can think about this later, now it's time reach my apartment.'

As I was thinking a soft feminine voice asked from my side "Ip Cheng is that you?"

The voice made me flinch while also instantly stopping me in my tracks. "WHO THE FUCK?!?! Oh *ahem* *ahem* you scared me uh... Yao Ya?"

"En, that's right I'm glad you remember me! Hehehe" The woman in front of me showed a simile in response.

'That laugh, something doesn't feel right. Wait, how did she even get behind me without me noticing? Does she not make noise when walking or was I just thinking too hard and stopped paying attention to my surroundings?'

"How did you get so close to me without me ever noticing? That's like a superpower of something."

"You were clearly lost in your own thoughts, but you've changed so much since we were children playing around the neighborhood." She stared at me, a fairly handsome Oriental 6ft tall man with short black hair and brown eyes. But a part which seemed to catch her attention was my gut.

I was a little overweight, but on the bright side was that that fat only seemed to stay in my gut region instead of spreading throughout my entire body. I was wearing some black pants and similarly black sweatshirt, but you could see a bit of a protrusion where my belly was. Noticing her glance made me feel a little embarrassed at my own changes.

"You too, I barely recognized you. 11 years really does change people, huh? You.. look really beautiful!" Staring back at her, she was the most beautiful oriental woman I've seen by far with long black hair going down to her waist and deep green eyes. She was like a perfect person, at least to me, wearing a blouse and above knee length skirt. Her body was also spectacular as I couldn't help but to glance at her huge breasts at least once.

Noticing my glance her lips curved into a small smile but disappeared as soon as it appeared. I didn't notice this small facial movement since I was enamored with something else for the time being.

"So why did you come back here after so long?" She asked innocently

"Oh, I'm just coming to sight see and think about old times, Where are you going right now?"

"Oh, I'm going home in those apartments over there." she says as she points over at the building around a hundred meters away.

Looking more closely at the building it seems like that's also the one I'm living in.

"Wait, you live in that one?! One second!" Pulling out my phone I find a picture of a apartment building which looked the exact same as the one in front.

'Awesome I get to live near such a beautiful woman that I knew too at least I won't be lonely, hopefully.'

"Hey, are you going to live in the same apartment complex? That's amazing, we have so much to catch up on! Here, just so you won't be lonely I'll even walk you to your apartment." She said excitedly.

As we walked over a few people stared at us for some reason, but I just ignored it until we got to my apartment. Her apartment also just happened to be right next to mine, once again very convenient. As we made it she had a small smile on her face.

"As you just arrived you probably have nothing in there besides the basics. Would you like to come inside mine for a chat?" As I was about to reject her I stared down into her deep green eyes. Her gaze was entrancing and seeing that it wouldn't cause me any harm to just peer around her apartment, I accepted.

"Sure, I'll come in. Why not?"

Entering the apartment it was a nice and clean 3 roomed layout, as you enter you would be in the kitchen/living room walking a bit farther would lead you to a side bathroom in the hallway and at the end is the door to the bedroom. Going to straight towards the bedroom I notice the room isn't filled with much clutter and is fairly simplistic. With the main features being just a bed, a dresser with a TV on top it, a nightstand, and two comfy looking chairs

It was almost like she had moved into the place not too long ago too. Taking off my supplies and just plopping it on the ground I neatly put it against a wall.

Sitting down we started chatting about our experiences we've had and just take some time to reunite with each other since we've met.

All of a sudden an earthquake appeared and as I was trying to stand my conscious slowly faded away, rapidly my body falls back to the floor, as my eyes slowly clamp shut, Yao Ya is the final image I see.

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"𝘋𝘢𝘮𝘯, 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘰 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭, 𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘰 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦!"

Sluggishly opening my eyes I see Yao Ya already awake, staring at me. 'Did I hear something earlier from her? Nah it can't be, it was must of been the wind.'

"Are you okay Cheng?"

"Yea, I'm fine how about you? Ugh, how long was I out for?" I asked rubbing my head

"I'm okay, I don't know how long it's been though since I was also unconscious, but I've only been awake for a minute or two. We should find out what happened just now."

Looking around for the remote I find it atop the nightstand and quickly try and turn to a news channel. *SSSssssssssssssss.....* Static is the only thing that appears along with it's eerie buzzing. Flipping through channels to find any sort of information, I rapidly click the remote hoping one of the channels would work.

'Huh, what's happening is the TV broken or something?'

As that didn't work I tried looking up information on my phone but to no avail as for some reason I had no signal.

As we sat there thinking about what to do a *Bang* echoed from the streets. Looking out the window for the sound I see a crowd of people outside starting to surround a man in a semi-circle with a government outfit, a pistol, and a mega phone. On the other side was a few police vehicles and armed officers trying to keep peace.

Figuring I might be able to find out what happened down there I rushed down there with Yao Ya in tow.

Reaching the crowd I asked one of them what happened.

"Well the official says that somehow our entire continent was just moved or teleported into another world, but I call bullshit. How would that even happen? They also want some volunteers for some kind of expedition, like why don't they just sent the military."

"When did you wake up sir?"

"Well I've been awake for an hour already, but I heard some woke up even earlier."

"Do you know where I can sign up for this expedition?"

"Yea, it's right over there. Do you really believe their words enough to sign up for that expedition?" The man says as he points over to a man near the speaker holding a clip board and pencil.

"Well it seems fun to me so why not?" I responded

Rushing over to the man I tell him I want to join. Immediately after Yao Ya also quickly signed up which shocked me.

"I didn't know you would sign up with me, aren't you scared of what might happen if you go out there?" I asked with some worry

"Well YOU went didn't you. Do you have any experience that would help you on this? Or even know what awaits you if what they say is true?" She brought up some good points, what did I have over her?

"...Uh-um, *Sigh* you're right, I'm sorry." Realizing what I said was just based on stereotypes I apologized.

"Hehehe, at least you'll have someone you know as company with you."