— 003: Hiori Yo.

Finally, two years of your long-distance relationship had passed.

Everything was virtual for the two of you.

The gifts, the photos, the videos, and the dedications were all sent through technology. You longed to see him one day.

You always wondered, while sleeping deeply and wrapped in your sheets, what his skin would feel like, his touch, his eyes up close, and what it would be like to touch his hair. To mess it up a bit until you laughed at the little cowlicks left behind.

Will that ever come true? you wondered. You dreamed of what it would be like to have him in front of you. How he would react and what silly expression he would make.

He felt the same. It would be the best moment of both your lives if you could actually meet.

—"Mom, I can't today, I'm going to have a call with my boyfriend."

You told your mother through the phone's microphone. She already knew how happy talking about him made you.

—"Oh yes, of course. And when is that boyfriend of yours coming to meet his mother-in-law?"

You laughed softly, and after hearing someone knock on the door, you said goodbye to your mom.

The first thing you saw as you took the steps toward the door was Hiori. You stood still for a few moments. It wasn't an illusion; this time, it was real.