Kneeling for a Second 259

That night, Sebastian had a dream where he was back in college. But this time, he was a bystander watching from the sidelines. 

He watched a quiet, aloof young man walking a few steps ahead of a chubby young woman. 

They walked those paths at Stredview University together as the years slipped by. 

Sebastian wasn’t sure whether it was really a dream. In that strange dimension, he caught glimpses of things he had never seen before. 

He couldn’t tell if any of it was real, not knowing that it was from Jane’s eyes. 

She was behind the counter of a little dessert shop, making a mocha frappe. 

While she worked, she kept sneaking glances at her phone. It was as if she were waiting for something, though the disappointment in her eyes kept giving her away. 

Sebastian couldn’t help but walk closer. 

He thought he wouldn’t be able to see it, but then he did. He saw her sending a message to himself, asking which classroom he was in. 

However, he didn’t reply to her message. 

Sebastian, now at 29 years old, could hardly comprehend the choices his younger self had 

made. 

Jane was done making the mocha frappe and jogged across campus. He followed right behind 

her. 

When they reached the lecture hall, someone called out, “Hey, isn’t that the fat chick who works at the dessert shop? I can’t remember which faculty she’s from. I bought a mango slush there the other day.” 

“The strawberry frappe is pretty good, too. I actually like that place.” 

“Yeah, she makes it better than the owner. The drinks taste way better when the fat chick makes them.” 

It was just casual chatter, but each word hit Sebastian like a slap. 

He couldn’t stop himself from walking over. He wasn’t the type to hit a woman, but he couldn’t stomach hearing those sharp words. 

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He couldn’t believe it. That person couldn’t speak without throwing the word “fat” around like a weapon. 

Sebastian swung his hand, but it landed on nothing at all. 

The lecture hall was still quite empty as it wasn’t time for class yet. 

Jane left the mocha frappe on a desk. After glancing around, she slipped quietly to a seat farther away. 

A few minutes later, a young man with a cool, aloof air walked in. He sat at that desk and looked at the mocha frappe. When he laid down his books, he casually pulled the cup closer. 

He then opened his notebook, his pen in hand, and began to write. 

Sebastian froze. He was staring at his younger self. 

After a while, more students started coming in. 

A young woman slipped into the seat beside the one he used to occupy. She fanned herself, muttering under her breath, “God, it’s burning up in here. It’s so stuffy and hot. I think I’m about to pass out.” 

Her eyes landed on the cup of mocha frappe on the desk. She looked at the younger Sebastian and asked in a gentle and shy tone. “Hey… is this yours?” 

The 29–year–old Sebastian stepped forward, answering, “Don’t touch it. It’s mine.” 

However, his younger self didn’t react. He sat there with his headphones in and his eyes fixed 

on his book 

The young woman sitting next to him spoke again. “I think I’m getting heatstroke. Could I have this? Or, you can give me your number and I’ll pay you back on Venmo?” 

Then, she reached out and tugged at the young Sebastian’s sleeve. 

He finally looked up with a detached expression and snapped, “Don’t touch me. Suit yourself.” 

Sebastian lunged forward and grabbed his younger self by the collar. He barked, “Sebastian! What the hell are you doing? Turn her down!” 

The 19–year–old Sebastian stared at his 29–year–old self, the same defiance still written across his face. Neither of them spoke. They just locked eyes. 

Sebastian’s hand trembled as he demanded, “You know Jane made this for you, don’t you?” 

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His younger self scoffed. “And didn’t you always know that too?” 

His face blurred into a haze, but the smile at the corner of his lips only deepened. 

“I’m you.” His younger self met the fury in Sebastian’s eyes without flinching, his expression edged with cold defiance as he questioned, “What right do you have to question me?” 

Sebastian jolted awake. He shot upright, his body drenched in cold sweat.