At Hudson Prep Middle School, the graduation ceremony drew to a close. Balloons swayed in the breeze and confetti littered the floors, adding to the festive atmosphere. The air was filled with excitement as families took photos of their graduating children in their gowns. Students were saying their goodbyes to one another, as they prepared to embark on their separate paths in the future.

A crowd began to gather, and at the center of it all stood Kristine. Her straight blonde hair glowed in the afternoon sun, cascading down her red graduation gown. Her golden pupils peeked out from behind her crescent eyes as she smiled from all the adoration she was receiving. She was gaining Love Points in record numbers.

999 Love Points from Li An Yue

999 Love Points from Peter Aronakis

999 Love Points ..

999 Love Points ..

Classmates, both boys and girls, surrounded Kristine and showered her with compliments and requests.

"Kristine, can I shake your hand," a female music student asked, reaching out her hand through the crowd of people.

"Can I get a selfie with you?" another boy asked with a blushing face.

Kristine accepted each request, her photogenic smile never faltering. Even the teachers and school staff were not immune to her charm and they came to ask the same. They wanted a memento. She was a perfect model student and they hoped to never forget her.

While Kristine basked in the spotlight, Christopher stood alone on the sidelines. He hesitated to approach his middle school basketball team and say his farewells. They had barely managed to win the championship without him. The final game was a nailing-biting Game 7, and they had managed to pull off the win despite the many injuries their players sustained.

Christopher had been suspended from the team due to his fight with Jake and the guilt was gnawing at him. But If he had been there, some of his teammates' injuries could have been avoided and the victory could have been secured with less effort.

Kristine noticed Christopher's reluctance from afar and spoke to him telepathically. "Meet your teammates and apologize," she urged him. "No more regrets this time."

Upon hearing Kristine's words, Christopher's mind drifted back to their past life. He remembered the crush he had on Lily, a girl in middle school. Her parents were friends with his parents. As such, they had gone to the same kindergarten together and had been in the same school for most of their lives. He remembered the days when they were young and carefree, playing together at dim sum gatherings.

Christopher remembered the way she smiled, the way she laughed when they fought for the food on the restaurant table, and the way her eyes would light up when she talked about Beethoven or Bach. As he grew older, he remembered the way his heart would race whenever she was near, and the way he would turn around with a red face whenever she looked at him at school.

But she was too different from him. Her parents pushed her to excel in music and made her attend piano lessons. They would constantly brag to everyone about their daughter's accomplishments. His own mother had tried to do the same for him. But it soon became clear that he had no musical talent, and he knew he could never match up to her. He had always felt inadequate in comparison and never mustered the courage to confess to her.

Eventually, she left for a prestigious high school on a scholarship and grew more and more distant. He would never find the courage to confess his feelings. He had watched from afar as she blossomed into a talented musician. Years passed, and she went on to marry and start a family, becoming a successful music instructor at a prestigious university, while he lived a life of mediocrity.

He remembered the day he had received her wedding invitation, and how he had almost thrown it away. But he had gone to her wedding. It was a terrible idea and it had destroyed him to see her marry someone else. He couldn't help but wonder what might have happened if he had only had the courage to tell her how he felt.

What if he had confessed his feelings and she had said yes? Would it have pushed him to strive for more, just like his new father, Garrett had done?

He might have been more motivated to become somebody, to make something of himself, instead of feeling like a disappointment to his family

Christopher knew his sister was right. He couldn't change the past, he could make sure he didn't repeat the same mistakes. "No more regrets this time," he muttered to himself.

He pushed his way through the crowd, searching for his former teammates. He spotted them huddled together, laughing as they took selfies together. He took a deep breath and approached them, ready to apologize for his actions

If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

His former teammates spotted him and turned to him with surprise and hesitation. But then, one of them, limping with a knee brace, stepped forward. He was one of the players injured during the finals a few weeks ago. He clapped Christopher on the back. "We missed you, man," he said, a smile spreading across his face. "We were wondering when you would show up. You missed the basketball team photo shoot for the school yearbook."

Another one of his teammates noticed Christopher's apologetic look and jumped in with a playful jab, "Don't worry about it, man. We won the championship without you. Not that your shitty playing would've helped," he joked.

Christopher's feelings of guilt and regret lifted off his shoulders as he hugged it out with his former teammates and even posed for a group selfie.

Kristine watched Christopher through the crowd of people as he reconciled with his former basketball teammates. She was glad that he was able to make up with them and graduate without any regrets. As she continued observing, memories of Lily flooded her mind. She remembered how they had both been too afraid to confess their feelings to her during their middle school graduation. Lately, she had begun to realize that she had been living her life as a copy of Lily, following in her footsteps and mimicking her actions and personality. It had taken the harsh accusations of her brother, Christopher to make her see the truth.

"It's true. I've been wearing a mask," she thought to herself. "This is not who I truly am."

Kristine remembered the moment when she got the piano skills from the Angel and Devil system, and how she started to imitate Lily's personality. She had thought it was out of admiration and love, but now she saw that it had been a coping mechanism. She was lost in this new world as someone who was a man in their past life.

But even though she realized the truth, Kristine couldn't help but feel grateful to Lily. Without her, it would have been so much harder for her to navigate this new world. She had been her guide for the past few years but it was different now.

She thought back to the moment when she had broken down in tears a few days ago. She felt trapped in the career path she had chosen. A prisoner of her own actions and decisions. When she heard about the military school from their father, she felt a sense of hope.

"But it's not too late," she thought, more determined than ever. "I can still choose my own path. I'm comfortable with my body and femininity now, and I want to challenge myself by attending a military school."

"Kris, did you hear me?" interrupted Anne, one of Kristine's music students. She was joined by Peter, another of Kristine's students, as they waited for her answer. The crowd of students was beginning to disperse, and her music students were among the last to say their farewells.

"I'm sorry, I was lost in my head. What did you say?" Kristine replied with an apologetic smile.

"I was asking which music high school you're going to. St. Barnaby? Manhattan Academy of Music?" Anne listed off several well-known music schools before Kristine interrupted her.

"Actually, I'm thinking of going to a military academy," Kristine admitted.

"What?! Why?" both Anne and Peter replied in shock. "Is that why you've been working out so hard?"

"Yes. Christopher is going too. I want to follow him," Kristine explained.

"Are you crazy, Kristine?" Peter exclaimed. "Military school is not for you. You're a musician, not a soldier."

"I know it but I want to challenge myself. And Christopher is going, so I want to be there to support him," Kristine argued.

"But what about your music? You're so talented, you can't just give that up," Anne said, trying to reason with her.

"I'm not giving it up. I'll still play and practice. I just want to try something different," Kristine explained.

"But why military school? There are other ways to challenge yourself," Peter pointed out.

"I know, but this is what I want," Kristine said firmly.

"But what about your father? He'll never agree to this," Anne said with a serious tone. "He's so overprotective of you. I can't imagine him letting you go."

Kristine's father had always been overprotective of her and the students knew this. There was an incident where some students had even tried to take advantage of her during the first year. But they quickly disappeared and were never seen again. Rumors had circulated that her family had something to do with their sudden disappearance. She made no attempt to deny these rumors because she knew it was likely true."

"I know it won't be easy, but I have to try," Kristine said resolutely. "I'm sure I can convince him to let me go."

Peter and Anne continued trying to persuade her, but Kristine stood her ground.

They both sighed, still not entirely convinced, but ultimately they knew Kristine had made up her mind. "Just be careful, Kris," they said. "We'll pray for you every day."

"Thanks, guys," Kristine said, pulling them both into a tight hug.

The subtle scent of lavender and vanilla wafted from her, enveloping the two in a comforting aroma. They both blushed, holding their music teacher tight. This was the first time they had hugged Kristine, and it was an experience they would never forget.

Kristine smiled at their reaction and whispered, "And keep up your practice okay?" They quickly nodded their heads, still a little dazed by her scent.

She hugged them tighter, as she thought about the challenge ahead. She knew it wouldn't be easy to convince her father to let her join her brother at the military academy, but she was determined. She couldn't wait to confront him again when he got home.