The Star's Second Beginning

As I sank deeper into the ocean, I struggled desperately to reach the surface, fighting for a single breath of air. The icy darkness wrapped around me like chains, dragging me farther and farther away from the night light above. No matter how hard I pushed, the cold depths refused to let me escape.

For the first time, I truly believed I was going to die.

I would never reach the goals I had worked so hard for. I would never have the chance to say goodbye to my grandfather. Worst of all, I would never be able to tell my best friend how sorry I was.

As the darkness closed in around me, those regrets weighed heavier than the ocean itself.

My body grew heavier with each passing second. The little strength I had left slowly slipped away, and my movements became weaker and weaker. The light above faded until it was nothing more than a distant memory.

I closed my eyes.

Maybe this was the end.

But just as the last traces of hope began to disappear, a faint glimmer of light pierced through the darkness. At first, it was no bigger than a star in the night sky, but it grew brighter and brighter, chasing away the cold shadows surrounding me.

I reached out toward it instinctively.

The warmth of the light enveloped me, and the crushing weight of the ocean suddenly vanished.

Slowly, I opened my eyes.

A bright white light greeted my vision, forcing me to blink several times before I could focus. The steady beeping of a machine echoed in the room, replacing the sound of rushing water.

For a moment, I simply stared at the ceiling in confusion.

Then I realized I was lying on a bed.

The scent of disinfectant filled the air, and pale curtains hung around the room. It wasn't the ocean.

It was a hospital.

And somehow, against all odds, I was still alive.

I glanced around the room, trying to make sense of my surroundings. Everything felt unfamiliar. The steady beeping of the monitors and the faint scent of disinfectant were the only things grounding me in reality.

Then I heard footsteps.

At first they were distant, but they gradually grew louder, drawing closer and closer to my room. Moments later, the curtain surrounding my bed was pulled aside, and a nurse stepped inside.

The moment her eyes met mine, surprise flashed across her face.

For a second, she simply stared, as though she couldn't believe what she was seeing.

Then her expression brightened with relief.

"You're awake," she said, a smile spreading across her face.

Before I could respond, she quickly set the clipboard in her hands aside and hurried to my bedside. She checked the monitors beside me, making sure everything was normal.

"Please stay calm," she said gently. "You've been unconscious for two days."

(Two days?)

The words echoed in my mind.

The nurse glanced at me reassuringly before continuing.

"Could you tell me your name, miss?" she asked kindly. "You didn't have any identification with you when you were brought here."

"Serena Quinn," I replied, my voice barely above a whisper.

The nurse smiled warmly.

"Serena. That's a lovely name." She jotted it down on her clipboard before looking back at me. "Miss Serena, could I also have a contact number for a family member? We'd like to inform them that you've regained consciousness."

At the mention of family, my grandfather's face immediately came to mind.

I recited his phone number, and the nurse carefully wrote it down.

"Thank you," she said. "I'll contact him immediately when I get to the nurses' station."

A wave of relief washed over me. At least my grandfather would finally know that I was alive.

The nurse finished writing and placed the clipboard against her chest. As she turned toward the curtain, she paused and glanced back at me.

"Well then, I'll be leaving for now. I'll inform the doctor that you're awake, and I'll also call the girl who helped you."

"The girl who helped me?" I asked, unable to hide my curiosity.

The nurse nodded.

"She's the one who found you and called for help. Ever since you were admitted, she's visited every day."

Before I could ask anything else, the nurse offered me a reassuring smile.

"Try to get some rest, Miss Serena. The doctor will be here shortly."

With that, she stepped out of the room and pulled the curtain closed behind her, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

(Who was this girl, and why had she been visiting me every day?)

As I sat there, wondering about the girl the nurse had mentioned, the curtain suddenly rustled.

A moment later, it was pulled aside.

A young woman stepped into the room carrying a small bag filled with fruit. She froze when she saw me sitting upright in bed.

Her eyes widened.

She had striking red hair that fell past her shoulders and vivid blue eyes that seemed to sparkle beneath the hospital lights. For a moment, she simply stood there, staring at me in disbelief.

Then relief flooded her face so quickly that it was impossible to miss.

"Thank goodness... you're awake," she said.

She walked over to my bedside and took a seat in the chair nearby.

"I was worried," she admitted with a small laugh. "You've been unconscious for two days. I was beginning to think you'd never wake up."

As she spoke, she reached into the bag and pulled out an apple and a small knife. With practiced ease, she began peeling the fruit.

The atmosphere felt surprisingly comfortable despite the fact that we were complete strangers.

After a brief silence, she glanced up at me.

"By the way, miss, can I ask for your name?"

Then, as if realizing something, her smile turned sheepish.

"But it's okay if you don't want to tell me," she added quickly. "I know we've only just met."

"Serena Quinn," I replied without hesitation.

For a second, she looked genuinely surprised.

Then a bright smile spread across her face.

"That's a beautiful name."

She finished peeling the apple and carefully sliced it into pieces.

"My name is Yurika Mizuno," she said. "Can I call you Serena?"

She held out a slice of apple toward me.

"Sure, if you're okay with it."

I accepted the apple from her hand.

"Really!?" Yurika's eyes lit up.

Her excitement was so genuine that I couldn't help but smile.

"Yes," I said with a small laugh. "And can I call you Yurika too?"

For a moment, she blinked.

Then her face broke into an even bigger smile.

"Of course!"

For some reason, seeing her smile made the sterile hospital room feel a little warmer.

And for the first time since waking up, I felt completely at ease.

But as Yurika's name lingered in my mind, it continued to bother me.

(Yurika Mizuno.)

(Why did that name sound so familiar?)

I felt as though I had heard it somewhere before, yet no matter how hard I tried to remember, the answer remained just out of reach.

As I searched through my memories, Yurika continued talking.

"You know," she began, taking another slice of apple for herself, "when I was heading home that day, I saw you lying on the ground."

I looked up at her.

"At first, I thought you were drunk," she admitted with an embarrassed laugh. "So I went over to check on you."

She paused before continuing.

"But when I got closer, I realized you didn't smell like alcohol at all. That's when I noticed something was wrong."

Her expression grew serious.

"You weren't moving, and no matter how many times I called out to you, you wouldn't respond."

I quietly listened as she recounted the events.

"There was no one else around except me," she said. "So I immediately called an ambulance from a nearby hospital and stayed with you until they arrived."

I frowned.

(Lying on the ground? .... Ambulance?......

I remembered the panic as I struggled to stay afloat. I remembered the darkness beneath me and the endless stretch of water surrounding the cruise ship. Most of all, I remembered being pushed overboard.)

A chill ran down my spine.

(I should have been in the middle of the ocean. Not lying unconscious on some random street. Nothing about that made sense.)

My grip tightened around the apple slice in my hand and was about to say something, Yurika tilted her head slightly.

"It was really strange, though."

"What was?" I asked.

She looked directly at me.

"You suddenly appeared out of nowhere."

My breath caught in my throat.

"What?"

Yurika nodded.

"I know it sounds unbelievable, but it's true. One moment the street was completely empty, and the next moment you were just... there."

She laughed nervously.

"Honestly, if I hadn't seen it myself, I wouldn't have believed it either."

My heart began to pound.

Suddenly, Yurika Mizuno.

The name.

The red hair.

The blue eyes.

The strange feeling of familiarity.

Everything clicked into place.

(No... That couldn't be possible.

Yurika Mizuno was a character from Idol of Starlight. The very game I had spent countless hours playing.)

The realization hit me like a bolt of lightning.

My thoughts were already spiraling out of control when the curtain suddenly opened again.

The nurse stepped inside, holding a clipboard in one hand.

For a moment, I thought she had returned with good news.

Instead, her next words made my stomach drop.

"Miss Serena, I tried calling the number you gave me, but it appears to be invalid. The number doesn't exist."

My eyes widened.

"What?"

The nurse gave me an apologetic look.

"Perhaps there was a mistake when you gave it to me?" she suggested gently. "Would you like to try another number?"

My heart began to race.

(That wasn't possible.

The number I had given her was my grandfather's number. I had memorized it years ago. There was no way I could have gotten it wrong. Unless...)

A terrible possibility crept into my mind.

(No.... That couldn't be it.)

Trying to keep my panic from showing, I forced a smile.

"Uh... I'll call him myself, Nurse. Maybe he's just busy right now."

The nurse studied me for a second.

"Are you sure?"

I nodded.

"Yes."

"Hmm... alright, if you say so, Miss Serena."

She turned to leave, but suddenly stopped as though she had remembered something.

"Oh! I almost forgot."

Reaching behind her, she picked up a purse and a transparent plastic bag.

"These are your belongings, Miss Serena."

She handed them to me.

"Since you didn't have any identification on you, we've kept these safe while you were unconscious."

"Thank you," I said as I accepted them.

The nurse smiled before excusing herself and leaving the room once more.

The moment the curtain closed behind her, my attention immediately shifted to the items in my hands.

Just as I was about to inspect them, a sudden scream made me jump.

"Ahh!"

I quickly turned toward Yurika.

She had jolted upright in her chair, her eyes wide as she stared at the phone in her hand.

For a brief moment, I thought something terrible had happened.

Then panic spread across her face.

"AHH—I'm sorry, Serena!" she exclaimed, nearly dropping her phone. "I completely lost track of time!"

She hurriedly stood up and grabbed her bag from beside the chair.

"I have a part-time job, and I'm already three minutes late!"

Watching her frantically gather her things was almost comical.

She shoved her phone into her bag, nearly missed the strap, fixed it, then rushed toward the curtain.

Before leaving, she stopped and turned back to me.

"I'll come visit you again tomorrow!"

A bright smile spread across her face as she waved enthusiastically.

"Get lots of rest, okay?"

I couldn't help but smile back.

"Okay."

"Okay then—Goodbye~!"

With one final wave, Yurika disappeared through the curtain and hurried out of the room.

The room suddenly felt much quieter.

My gaze drifted back to the purse and plastic bag resting in my lap.

The warmth left behind by Yurika's cheerful presence quickly faded as uneasiness crept back into my chest.

There was still one questio to be answereded.

"Why did my things get here?" I muttered under my breath.

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