A Glitch in Memory – Cosmic Chemistry Class

The dream began the same way it always did.
Kai stood at the edge of a shore that shimmered like liquid sapphire, the sea alive with hues of emerald and stardust. A gentle breeze ruffled his clothes, salty and familiar. There, standing ankle-deep in the glowing surf, was a boy—his back to Kai, humming something haunting, something ancient. The lullaby drifted like mist, low and soothing, stirring something deep in Kai’s chest.
He wanted to call out. To ask who the boy was. But every time, the dream ended before he could reach him.
And this time, when Kai awoke in the pre-dawn light of the suite he shared with Ren, the melody clung to the corners of his mind like a shadow he couldn’t shake.
He turned his head slowly on the pillow. Ren slept peacefully on the other side of the shared suite, curled slightly, mouth barely parted, soft breaths rising and falling like ocean tides. For a moment, Kai just watched him—unsettled by the familiarity blooming in his chest.
“Get it together, Kai,” he muttered, throwing the covers off.

---
Later that day, the pair arrived at Studio Sphere Delta for what was euphemistically called "Cosmic Chemistry Class" by their manager, Mira—a fancy term for intensive duet rehearsal.
The room was all glass and holograms, engineered acoustics thrumming with residual resonance. Floating scoreboards blinked in the air, displaying their vocal metrics and harmony thresholds. A sleek AI voice welcomed them.
"Welcome, Kai Virell. Welcome, Ren Arakawa. Emotional Synchronization Sequence initialized."
"Don’t forget to breathe this time," Kai said flatly, adjusting his mic-skin collar. "Or trip over your own feet."
Ren’s glare was immediate, a spark of fire in his usually gentle gaze. "Maybe if someone didn’t sing like a condescending robot, I could focus."
Kai smirked. "Condescending robot? Bold of you to assume I’m not upgraded."
Their instructor, a holographic vocalist named Serin, floated into the space like a ribbon of light, clapping softly. "Let’s begin, stardust sweethearts. Today’s track: Stellar Dive. High harmony, interlinked choreography, and—my favorite—intimate harmonics."
Ren blinked. "Intimate... what?"
Serin purred, "You’ll see."

---
They began. The first few tries were clumsy, chaotic. Ren’s voice cracked on the sustained bridge. Kai missed a step and shoulder-bumped him off balance. But the fourth run-through was different. Their voices wove together, Kai’s precision fusing with Ren’s raw warmth, sending tremors across the holographic grid. The room dimmed, reacting to their synergy.
Kai’s body moved on instinct now, circling Ren, hand brushing his waist during a particularly close formation. Ren stumbled—but didn’t break the note. Instead, his voice surged, aching and powerful, and Kai... Kai forgot the choreography. He stared, completely undone by the boy in front of him.
He knows that melody.
Ren sang the lullaby again during their cooldown.
Kai froze mid-step.
"Where did you learn that?" Kai’s voice was rough, too sharp.
Ren blinked. "It’s... my mother’s. A lullaby from my hometown. Why?"
Kai didn’t answer.
His chest was tight. That melody wasn’t just from the dream. It was from his real past—a sliver of childhood on some long-forgotten coast. But he’d never remembered it until Ren.

---
That night, back at the suite, Ren entered the shared bath with a towel slung low and wet hair sticking to his cheeks. Kai looked up from his tablet, throat dry. "Seriously? Put some damn clothes on."
"It’s a towel," Ren deadpanned. "We literally just synced to a song that made the AI cry."
Kai swallowed. "You make everything complicated."
Ren stepped closer, water droplets trailing along his collarbone. "Do I? Or are you just scared to feel something real, Mr. Interstellar Icon?"
It wasn’t just the proximity. It wasn’t just the soft light catching on Ren’s lips. It was the way Kai’s pulse sped up when Ren leaned in and whispered—
"Next time I sing that lullaby, maybe you should listen harder."
Kai didn’t kiss him.
But he wanted to.
So, so badly.

---
Later that night, as Kai lay in the dark, the lullaby returned. And the ocean boy from his dream finally turned to face him.
It was Ren.