Love Code At the End of The World

“I… you said that only I can find that star…” My heart started racing faster and my face blushed harder. I looked at the starry night sky that was reflected on the surface of the lake. Could the star that Raffles had been talking about be in the lake?

A star that only I could find….

“I… I…” I became like Raffles. I had something to say but I couldn’t put it into words. Now, I realized that there were some things that would require a huge amount of courage to speak it out. “I want that star…” I finally said it out loud. God knew how hot my face was. My face had never been this hot. It wouldn’t even get that hot when I had a high fever.

Raffles slowly walked to me, coming so close that his body was leaning against mine. He slowly raised his right hand, his warm fingers so very fair under the moonlight.

I was so nervous that I didn’t dare to look at him. I could only hear my heart beating in my ears. Slowly, he extended his hand and looked away for a moment. Then, he held my shoulder gently and my heart immediately skipped a beat. My breathing almost stopped too. We… had never gotten this close. I was really afraid that I couldn’t control my superpower and would accidentally release radiation. I might hurt Raffles.

But my body seemed to know that there was an important person next to me. Even though my heartbeat was racing far faster than when Harry had stimulated me, no blue light spots appeared on my body.

He gently pressed my body and made me squat by the lake.

He slowly lowered my hand onto the surface of the water. The cooling water was under my palm. Then, he took back his hand and moved back to kneel on one knee next to me. He was so quiet, just like the blooming orchid in the night breeze that was giving out a gentle scent.

What is he trying to do?

Just as I was confused, starlights started swarming toward me from the middle of the lake, crowding towards my palm altogether. They were radiation blue light spots. Surprised, I raised my hand and the blue lights followed my hand upwards. It was a magical phenomenon that only happened to me. It meant that I was absorbing radiation.

Looking closer, there seemed to be a platform in the water. I stood up and took off my shoes, then stepped into the water. There was really a platform that connected to the middle of the lake. As I walked on the surface of the water, the star lights formed a blue line under my feet. The blue starlights encircled my feet like stars dancing around me as they entered my skin.

I brought them to the middle of the lake and the stars obediently followed behind me. As I walked on the blue path, the galaxy’s reflection lay beneath my feet.

Within the reflected galaxy appeared a single bright star. I slowly bent down and immersed my finger into the galaxy. From the brilliant galaxy, I picked a blue twinkling star. The starlight gradually immersed into the tip of my finger, revealing a ring set with a star-shaped gemstone. The ring glistened with a nebulous luster.

As I stood quietly in the wind, the color of the gemstone shifted from a depressing blue to a faint pink. I turned around in the night breeze and looked at the figure on the shore. He slowly raised his right hand. On his ring finger was a ring shining with the twinkle of starlight. 

I smiled sweetly. Maybe, Arsenal is right. How would I know if he is someone I like if I don’t try?

At least, at that very moment, I felt happy and sweet.

Thank you, Raffles. You taught me that being liked by someone was a happy feeling.

When I ran up and stopped before him, he looked deeply into my eyes. I immediately blushed and lowered my face. I held the ring in my hand. “I… am not used to it yet. Can we… be like before?” I didn’t dare to look at him but spoke with my head hung low.

“I’m sorry. I did this too early and I made you feel disturbed,” he said with guilt. “I wish we can still be like before. I feel happy that way…”

“Me too.” I smiled happily and finally felt relieved.

I lifted my head to look at him. The moment our gazes met, he and I averted our eyes bashfully. I held the ring in my hand and my heart started racing. Even so, the blue crystal energy in the area had been absorbed by me long ago.

For a very long while, we stood in front of each other. I didn’t speak nor did he. We stood in silence by the water, our shy reflections floating on the surface of the water. The night breeze stirred ripples on the lake surface, sending quivers across our reflections in the moonlight.

“Let me put it on for you,” he said gently. He took my hand that was holding the ring without looking at me. The ring was gripped so tightly in my hand, it seemed just about to shatter.

I loosened my hand and he took the ring from my palm. Before me, he slowly knelt down on one knee. The moment he knelt down, my heart was practically jumping out from my throat.

*Lub-dub. Lub-dub.* I looked away hastily. I was too shy to look at him.

He put the ring on my ring finger seriously. In this world, regardless if you were a dating couple or husband and wife, rings would be put on ring fingers, to represent both of you being bound together by the soul.

When the ring was put on my finger, I felt the inner surface vibrate. Suddenly, a light shone out from the gemstone and connected with Raffles.

I looked at it in surprise. “What is this?!”

Raffles stood up before me and smiled happily. “These are affinity rings. The ring can sense when the other party’s emotion changes. Within a certain distance, they would be able to find one another. I prepared one for Harry too.”

“What?!” I looked at him dumbfounded. “Why did you prepare for Harry too?!”

Raffles was suddenly embarrassed. He rubbed his head and smiled, his smile as bashful as before. “After you rejected me, I wanted to dissect the ring. But I found the ring rather useful so I made one for Harry. Because you are always on missions together, you’ll be able to find each other if anything happens.” He was Raffles after all. Although he had been defeated in a relationship, he would still keep the ring out of practicality. He had even found the best use for it.

I was instantly in an awkward position. “If… you really think so… then… can you…” I pointed at the ring on his finger.

He was embarrassed too. “Behind the ring… I engraved our names…” He looked away bashfully and let out a breath of relief. “Phew…” He looked really embarrassed. Suddenly, he couldn’t help but laugh. “I never thought you would…” He stole a glance at me and blushed again. “I thought I had no chance and no hope. So, I’ve been inventing many things in the lab. These two days have been my most efficient days! Oh yeah! I think I might know why the Day Monsters suddenly lost their strength all of a sudden!” He started babbling again, becoming the original Raffles that I knew.

I watched him happily while I touched the ring behind my back. Maybe… I might really like Raffles? Otherwise, why would I feel sad when he is sad?

My cousin had said that feelings were naughty sometimes. They would hide in your heart and play hide-and-seek with you. So, you wouldn’t be able to find them or understand them. When you finally found them, they would already be rooted very deep down in your heart…