TUNED IN (Wattys2021 WINNER)

PART THREE: SHE WHO VANISHED

"WOW, SO MARAMING WORLDS OUT THERE SIMILAR TO WHAT WE HAVE HERE?!"

One of the students asked and no one was making any move. All of them were waiting for the reporter in front to clarify the question.

"Based on the theory," the man wearing a school uniform said. "Probably."

"Woah..." bulong ng ilan. "Paano? I mean, how does that thing work?"

Lahat ay tumingin muli sa lalaking nasa harapan at naghihintay ng susunod na sasabihin nito.

Kung titingnan kung paano s'ya tumindig, everyone will agree that the man possessed a nice figure; not that hunk, not that skinny either.

Kung tutuusin, nasa kalagitnaan s'ya ng pagiging cute at hot since he could do both at once without even trying. His white skin complexion and brown eyes were his best assets, not to mention his brain.

His name is Axes, my ex.

I sighed and looked at my wristwatch. Ten more minutes at dismissal na.

As I looked once again in front, I noticed how Axes pushed his glasses upward.

I gulped. It looked so manly for me.

My lips curved into a smile.

Would you believe that this hot yet smart guy in front used to be the man I thought I'd end up with?

And would you believe me if I would say in the parallel universe where I accidentally tuned into five months ago, I was the candidate for valedictorian and not him?

I shook my head.

Limang buwan na ang lumipas simula nang nangyari iyon at minsan ma'y hindi na iyon na-ulit pa.

Every single day, I was waiting for it to happen again, for me to tune into a different frequency but it never happened at all.

Habang tumatagal nga ay napag-iisipan namin ni Zero na baka isa lang 'yon sa mga delusions namin. Sinubukan naming magtanong sa iba kung may naranasan ba silang kakaiba nang araw na 'yon. Turned out, tanging kaming dalawa lang ni Zero ang nakaranas niyon at hanggang ngayo'y naaalala pa rin namin ang lahat.

Posible bang nag-hallucinate lang kami at some point?

I sighed.

"Well," Axes cleared his throat. "The possible creation of a different universe boils down to the explosion of a singularity that we all know as what?" he asked and he smiled. "The Big Bang Theory."

Axes followed, "After the explosion of the singularity 13.7 billion years ago, theoretically speaking, our world was not the only universe that was born," he said as he continued to walk at the center of the room. "It was suggested before na kung ang space-time ay nabuo as flat, it would stretch and will create countless universes na identical sa kung anong mayroon tayo ngayon. At 'yon ang tinatawag nating..."