Chapter 1: The Girl Who Only Exists in My Mind

Ren sat on the grassy hill, his fingers grazing the cool blades of grass, while Yuna laughed beside him. The sunlight bathed everything in golden hues, casting long shadows that danced lazily across the field.

They had always spent afternoons like this—quiet moments full of shared smiles and easy laughter, where the world around them seemed to disappear, leaving only the two of them in their own little bubble.

“Bet you can’t catch me!” Yuna teased, her voice light and full of mischief as she stood up and ran ahead, her hair fluttering in the breeze.

Ren’s heart skipped. "Oh, you're on!" He leaped up, his body instantly moving with a fluid energy he didn’t always feel. The sound of their footsteps pounding against the earth mingled with their laughter, filling the space around them with warmth and joy.

Yuna turned, her eyes glinting with challenge, and Ren’s world felt whole. In that moment, there was no room for doubt. No space for worry. It was just them.

The two of them.

As Ren finally caught up to her, they collapsed in a heap, breathless, laughing harder than they had in days.

“You’re getting slow, Ren!” Yuna teased, playfully nudging him in the ribs.

“Maybe I just wanted to enjoy the view,” Ren replied with a grin, glancing over at her. The way the sunlight caught her smile made everything feel like it was frozen in time.

But just as he opened his mouth to say something, a voice suddenly broke through the moment, sharp and uninvited.

“Bro, stop living in your dreams.”

The words struck like a slap, and Ren’s smile faltered. His heart sank, his laughter stilled. His eyes turned to the voice, but there was no one there. No one except Yuna.

For a long moment, Ren didn’t know what to say. The silence that followed felt heavy, like something inside him was beginning to unravel.

"Why… why can’t anyone see her except me?" he whispered to himself, his voice thick with doubt.

Yuna tilted her head, her expression softening with understanding. She reached out, placing a hand on his, her touch as warm as ever.

"Don't worry, Ren," she said, her voice as gentle as a lullaby. "As long as you believe I exist... then I exist. And nothing can take that away."

Ren blinked, the warmth from her hand grounding him, pushing the doubt away. Her smile, as always, was comforting, like a lighthouse in a storm.

For a moment, he felt foolish. But another part of him felt something deeper, something he couldn’t explain. As long as he believed—maybe that was enough.

"Yeah," Ren whispered back, his voice steadier now. "As long as I believe."

And with that, the world around him seemed to breathe again. The wind picked up, the sky stretched wide above them, and for a fleeting second, he wondered if this was the one truth he could hold onto forever.

Ren jolted awake, his head pounding as though a thousand voices were echoing inside his skull.

"Ahh... my head hurts," he groaned, rubbing his temples. He squinted at the morning light streaming through the window, trying to piece together the fragments of his dream. "I fell asleep again... while talking to her," he muttered to himself. A faint smile tugged at his lips as he recalled Yuna's warm presence. "And... once again, she carried me home."

He sighed, feeling both grateful and guilty. "I should apologize next time... for making her do that every time."

With a groan, he rolled out of bed and made his way to school, the fog of his dream still lingering in the back of his mind.

On the way, he ran into his close friend, Koi. His smile was easy and carefree, but there was a teasing gleam in his eyes.

"Yo, Ren! Good morning! So, enjoy your time with Yuna in your dreams again yesterday?" Koi’s tone was light, but the question hit Ren like a stone.

Ren’s smile faltered for a second, but he quickly recovered. “Hey, good morning. And she isn’t just a dream, idiot."

Koi raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. "Huh? So then, mind explaining? You’ll probably say you fell asleep again and she carried you home, right?"

Ren clenched his jaw, a wave of frustration washing over him. "Because it’s the truth," he muttered, trying to keep his voice steady.

Koi leaned in, crossing his arms and giving Ren a knowing look. “Bro, you always wake up in your bed, no?”

Ren shot him an irritated glance. "Yes, so what?"

Koi’s smirk deepened as he gave Ren a pointed look, his voice dropping to a more serious tone. "Bro, I don’t need to say it. You know it yourself."

Ren’s stomach dropped as Koi’s words hit too close to home. He knew exactly where this was going.

Koi took a breath, his expression softening with concern. “She died a year ago, Ren. Move on.”

The words hung in the air, cold and harsh, and Ren felt his heart tighten. Anger flared in his chest, his fists clenching at his sides.

“Mann,” Ren snapped, his voice rising. “If I’m telling you she’s real, then she’s real!”

But even as he said it, the doubts gnawed at him. Was Koi right? Was he just living in denial? Was Yuna just a figment of his imagination?

Ren bit his lip, his mind racing as his thoughts spiraled. What if Koi is right?

A cold shiver ran down his spine, and for the first time, the possibility of losing Yuna, of her not being real, felt like a crushing weight on his chest.

But then he remembered Yuna’s words, her warm smile, and the promise she had made.

“As long as you believe I exist, then I exist.”

Ren’s heart thudded. He had to hold onto that belief. He couldn’t let it go, not yet.

"She’s real," Ren muttered under his breath, more to himself than to Koi. "As long as I believe her, she’s real."

Author's Note:

Thank you so much for reading the first chapter of Whispers of a Forbidden Love. I hope you enjoyed the start of Ren and Yuna’s journey. more secrets will be uncovered and the story will continue to unfold.

Your support means the world to me, and I’m excited to share more with you soon. Stay tuned, and remember there’s much more to come!