His Obsession Began After Losing Her-Chapter 36: Back in Time

After what felt like an eternity of sleep, Noran's eyes fluttered open slowly.

His light blue eyes glanced around, slightly disoriented.

Had he been dreaming again of the days spent with Shuri?

Since her passing, such dreams—vivid recollections of their joyful times together—had become a nightly visitation.

Yet, each morning brought the same heartache, a cruel reminder that she was no longer there to greet him.

He wished he could just sleep forever; he didn't want to get up.

However, unlike other days, he noticed something strange about his body.

As he rose slowly, his dull eyes widened a bit, taking in the surroundings.

The place felt both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time.

Wasn't this place his old practice room?

"Ugh!"

He suddenly felt a sharp pain throbbing in his head.

Clutching at his temples, Noran tried to make sense of his situation.

Was he still dreaming?

Obviously, he had died under the divine tree, but now he was back in his old practice room?

However, as he uncurled his fingers and looked down, he saw a pink petal resting in his palm—the unmistakable mark of the divine tree.

This small, delicate token was proof: this was no dream.

As he tried to make sense of his situation, there was a knock on the door.

Before he could respond, the door flew open.

"Noran, wake up! You're going to be late for your rehearsal..."

Noran was shocked to see Roy, looking much younger and wearing a school uniform.

He stared at Roy in disbelief as Roy continued, "And can you clear up all these gifts at your door? They're blocking the entrance."

Roy stopped talking when he realized Noran was staring at him as if he had seen a ghost.

He waved his hand in front of Noran. "Hey, are you still asleep? Why are you staring at me like that?"

"What... are you doing here?" Noran managed to utter his first thoughts.

Roy frowned. "You told me to wake you up for your rehearsal. Don't you remember?"

"Rehearsal..." Noran murmured, trying to comprehend what Roy meant.

"Geez, you can't have forgotten," Roy said, disbelief evident in his voice.

"You're performing at the Grand Philharmonic Hall next week!"

"The Grand Philharmonic Hall?" Noran repeated, and the name rang a bell.

Memories started flooding back.

The hall was one of the most prestigious venues, known for hosting the annual Spring Serenade Festival.

This festival was a grand event, attracting top musicians from around the world to perform their most celebrated pieces.

As Noran's mind raced, he suddenly remembered performing at the Spring Serenade Festival—13 years ago.

It was one of the highlights of his career.

If he was getting ready for the Spring Serenade Festival now, then...

"What's the date today?" he asked anxiously, as Roy gave him a puzzled look.

"What? You can't even remember today's date? It's March 20th, 2010."

Noran's heart pounded upon hearing the date, which was a day before he had met Shuri.

The significance of the moment hit him hard when he realized that he was back in time.

Without another word, he ignored Roy and rushed out of the school, his thoughts focused on one thing.

He had to get to Shuri's café.

He didn't care how he had traveled back in time—whether it was the work of fairies or a reward for finding the divine tree.

Even if this was part of a dream, he had been given the chance to meet Shuri once more.

Racing through familiar streets, he felt a strange mix of nostalgia and urgency.

Everything looked just as he remembered it until he stopped at where her café was supposed to be.

The place was closed off, looking rundown and unused for a long time.

The windows were dusty, and the door was boarded up.

There was a rental sign hanging crookedly, with a poster stating to call a number to rent the place.

Noran stood in disbelief.

He was sure it was here.

He had been here so many times in the past.

How could this be?

His mind raced as he stared at the worn sign, trying to process what he was seeing.

With shaking hands, he dialed the number on the poster, hoping for some kind of explanation.

The call rang for some time before someone finally picked up.

A gruff, old man's voice came through the line. "Hello?"

"About the café at this address, what happened to the people renting it?" Noran went straight to the point, anxiety evident in his voice.

The landlord sounded puzzled. "A café? No one's rented that place for many years."

"No one has rented it for years?" he repeated, his voice barely above a whisper.

His heart sank as he continued to look at the abandoned shop. "Then... where's my Rin?"

Disbelief washed over him as he struggled to make sense of the situation.

His memories of the café, of meeting Shuri there, were so vivid.

Yet, the reality before him was starkly different.

How could this be happening?

Noran's hand, still holding the phone to his ear, suddenly lost all strength.

His arm dropped limply to his side, the phone dangling from his fingers as the landlord's voice continued to echo faintly from the receiver. "Hello? Are you interested in renting that place?"

He stood there, stunned and overwhelmed, unable to comprehend the reality before him.

Time seemed to blur as he remained standing there until a voice interrupted his thoughts, calling out from behind.

"Mr. Noran, I have finally found you. Why did you skip rehearsal?"

It was Simon Summer, his manager, whose job was to keep Noran's schedule on track and his career running smoothly.

Noran didn't reply, his mind focused on one thing.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out the pink petal, a reminder of the divine tree and, maybe, the only connection that would lead him to Shuri.

Simon didn't know what Noran was doing or looking at; the pink petal remained visible only to Noran.

Despite being confused by his action, Simon still urged Noran, "Mr. Noran, we need to go. Everyone's waiting for you to start."

However, Noran didn't react.

With a determined look, he turned and walked away, leaving Simon puzzled and shaken behind him.

Noran wandered through the streets, searching aimlessly, just like he did the first time Shuri went missing.

It was déjà vu all over again.

He combed through familiar places, hoping for a glimpse of her, but found nothing.

Each passing moment felt like an eternity as he relived the pain and desperation of that time.

As the sky darkened, he finally noticed his phone ringing.

There were many missed calls from various people he wasn't concerned about, but he picked up Roy's call.

"Noran, where the hell are you? Do you know your family has sent out a search team to look for you?"

Noran looked up at the dark sky and realized it was useless to keep searching aimlessly like this.

Since he was given a second chance, he had to make plans.

So, he decided it was best to return to the Kingston residence for the time being.

"I'll head back now," he answered bluntly and hung up without waiting for Roy's reply.

When he arrived at the Kingston residence, he was greeted by the family butler, Alfred Harris.

Alfred's expression shifted from concern to relief as he saw Noran.

"Young Master Noran, thank goodness you're back," Alfred said quickly. "I'll inform Master Damon and Madam Julia immediately."

Noran barely acknowledged Alfred, his mind too preoccupied to offer more than a nod.

He walked past the butler and headed straight to his room, continuing to organize his thoughts.

He needed to think things through and understand what was happening.

As he reached his room, he shut the door behind him, seeking solitude.

But, as expected, his parents, Damon and Julia, were not ones to let him be.

Their voices soon echoed down the hallway, demanding his attention.

"Noran, open this door right now!" Damon shouted, his tone a mix of anger and worry.

"Why did you run off like that? We need to talk to you!" Julia added, her voice equally insistent.

Noran ignored them, leaning against his leather chair as he tried to gather his thoughts. The familiar surroundings of his room offered little comfort as his mind raced with questions.

He turned to his desk, where a calendar and his meticulously planned schedule lay.

Flipping through the pages, he realized that everything was exactly as it had been before.

Every event, every appointment, all matched the timeline he remembered.

Yet, the most crucial element was missing—Shuri.

Why hadn't she appeared? Where could she be?

Noran stared at the calendar, his heart heavy with uncertainty.

He had been given a second chance, but it seemed as if fate was playing a cruel trick on him.

Shuri's absence gnawed at him, leaving a void he couldn't ignore.

He pulled out the pink petal from his pocket once more and held it up, staring at it as if it might provide some answers.

The delicate piece of the divine tree was his only clue, his only connection to Shuri.

But how could he use it to find her?

As he pondered, a soft breeze swept through the air, carrying with it a whisper of ancient magic.

Suddenly, the petal in his hand began to shimmer, emitting a soft, ethereal glow.

Noran's eyes widened in astonishment as the petal started to quiver and pulse with life.