Mr Love: Dream Date Chap 19 Pure White Winter

Chapter 19 was technically supposed to be unlocked only upon reaching level 68 but I lucked out. I guess the developers wanted players to be hyped up and ready for the new expansion coming May 25 so Chapter 19 – 21 had been unlocked for me! I was pleasantly surprised and very quickly jumped into chapter 19 even while the emotions from chapter 18 lingered. Quite a big mistake to be honest.

The next expansion entitled Daybreak consists of only 3 chapters. It breaks away from the conventional one chapter per character mould as you get to meet all the four guys within the same chapter itself, a little too much for the heart to take. It also requires you to collect jigsaw puzzle bits from missions in order to unlock the next scene. I like it that they decided to change up the pace a little and break the fourth wall.

Spoilers ahead!

You opened your eyes to an endless expanse of white. It seemed like you had been wandering for quite awhile now in this snowy landscape where there is no concept of time or space. Perhaps you were still alive but trapped in some unknown dimension. You heard a voice asking if you wanted to go back. You replied a resolute yes. Back to the world which you had saved, to the people you cared for, and to happy endings.

A new sensation came over you as if the ethereal had merged with physical and you found yourself standing in the middle of Loveland City covered in deep snow. Your sudden vision was blinded by the blanket of white. You looked around you at the beautiful landscape, taking in the festive air in the atmosphere, devoid of any threat of virus or destruction. In the midst of this blissfulness, you look forward to meeting…

At this point, you get to choose which character you would like to meet most in any order you want. You can choose to only meet one character or all characters before progressing to the next segment. Each character’s path is made up of 5 scenes and pretty much follows a similar theme but unique to the storyline of the guy you chose. Any guesses on the order I picked?

Lucien’s route – You received a call from Lucien in response to several missed calls from you. You must have accidentally called him in your sleep. You realised he was still awake this late at night and encouraged him to sleep soon so that he’d be energised for the day with the kids at the orphanage the next day. You woke the next morning ready to take on the new day. Lately you’ve been having nightmares of a depraved world where people fight and kill each other for survival, unlike the serene and beautiful world which you live in. The lovely smell of freshly baked bread and coffee filled the wintery morning. You bought some cream puffs on the way to meeting with Lucien at the Loveland University as he seemed to have a weakness for them.

At the university, you met up with Lucien just out of his lessons. He saw that you were quite frozen waiting in the cold so he brought you to his office to warm up over a cup of coffee. You learnt that he had also bought some limited edition puffs for you as you savoured them under his warm gaze.

While cleaning up after the children at the orphanage had devoured all the puffs you’ve bought for them, Lucien asked if the children had brought so much cheer to you. You retorted that he too was smiling ear to ear. In reply, he told you it was because you were smiling which brought redness to your cheeks. He also observed that you’ve been buying a lot of cream puffs lately and asked if there was something bothering you. It seemed like nothing ever escaped his attention with regards to you. You thought about sharing your nightmares with him but didn’t want to bother him about it so you changed the topic by asking if he knew of any healthier stress relieving methods. He leaned in very closely to you and whispered into your ear, that the best way to relieve stress was to share your burden with him, and he hoped that you wouldn’t stand on ceremony about burdening him with your concerns.

Flustered, you tried to change the topic and noticed that there was a little girl who was sitting by herself in the corner. You approached her to offer a cream puff but she looked at you blankly. Lucien suggested that she might only respond to imitative behaviour, hence you took a cream puff of your own and took a bite out of it. The girl followed suit. Observing this interaction, Lucien came over next to you and took hold of your wrist to wipe the cream spilling out of your puff. The girl offered the last bite of her puff to Lucien who took it with a smile. Then he looked at you asking if you were also going to offer your last bite to him. You quickly turned away to finish yours off, your heart swelling with sweetness.

As all the other children had ran outdoors to play except this girl, you felt for her and wanted to do something to help her. Lucien told you to quietly observe her and wait for her to invite you into her world. The girl sat down to draw while you looked on. Not too soon after, she noticed that you were still around so she came over and offered you a pen, a sign that she’s inviting you into her world. Lucien told you to go with her while he stayed behind to observe. You didn’t know how much time had passed while engrossed in drawing your ideal world but you found to your frustration that every pen you used ran out of ink. Soon the girl had finished her drawing and she showed it to you. It was a picture of Lucien but it was not the tender, loving Lucien you knew, rather one with a dark foreboding look. You looked up and saw that Lucien was no longer around. Did he leave because of an emergency?

As you reached into your pocket for your phone, you felt the cool touch of a pen. It was Iridescent, the pen that Lucien had gifted you. As you looked at the pen, flashes of this other Lucien and a deja vu of danger invaded your memories. You began to realise that this pure white beautiful world belied the reality of another darker cruel world. You couldn’t reach Lucien over the next few days. It seemed he had fallen completely out of radar. The holidays have arrived and you decided to head out to the parade square to watch the fireworks. As you recalled all the lovely memories of times spent with Lucien, the hole in your heart grew bigger. You accidentally bumped into a man in front of you who reacted hostilely. Though you apologised, he didn’t seem appeased. Then you heard Lucien’s familiar voice coldly asking the man to back off.

Without waiting for any other response, he grabbed hold of your wrist and pulled you away with him. Lucien exhibited none of his usual gentleness, this time he was cold and rough. He asked if you wanted to stay to watch the fireworks or leave. It didn’t seem like a question and you followed silently behind him, wondering what had gotten into him. After you accidentally bumped into him, he pulled you next to him, seemingly struggling between holding you at a distance or embracing you. He then took off his jacket and draped it around you, then walked on ahead again. You contemplated walking after him, hesitating in your tracks. He turned around and asked if you were not following, and you told him despondently that your paths were never the same to begin with. Lucien smiled coldly at you and told you to remember this the next time you meet him. Then he walked ahead into the shadows never turning back. That literally just burned a hole in my heart.

Kiro’s route – You received a call from Kiro. He was still away recording his new album but looked forward to meeting you again and checking out your favourite food haunts. He told you to keep a look out for his latest music video at the big screen in town. You finally have a day off from work and took to the streets for a breather. Everywhere around you, things looked peaceful and surreal, people going about their own business with certain merriment in their step. Up to a week ago, you were like them, then the nightmares started. Nightmares of a dark and cruel world.

Amidst all the misery, you recall a radiant smile that would always brighten your day. You looked up at the huge billboard screen before you and saw that Kiro’s ad for his newest album was playing. That same smile in your mind was magnified on the screen to the screams of his fans who were frantically taking out their phones to snap photos. You whispered under your breath that he was ever the crowd pleaser. Then you heard the same voice next to your ear, asking how you liked his new album. You turned and saw that Kiro was next to you in disguise.

You chided him for escaping from work and that Savin, his agent, would have a fit that he wasn’t at hard at practice. Kiro pouted and told you that he had worked hard so that he could spend this short break with you. He noticed that you have been feeling down and wanted to cheer you up. There was a carnival taking place in the nearby park in time for the festivities so Kiro pulled you there. Swept up in his enthusiasm and the cheer in the atmosphere, the gloom that was hanging over you was soon blown away. Kiro excitedly brought you around the stalls to try out the different foods.

You heard your favourite song sang by Kiro playing on the audio system. Kiro quickly brought you up to the stage that was being set up in the middle of the park and offered to do a live solo performance for you. You clapped along as he serenaded the words of the love song to you under an umbrella as snowflakes fell around both of you. You saw your reflection in Kiro’s crystal blue eyes as he looked earnestly at you and felt all your worries melted away. You wished this moment would never end. Suddenly Kiro ducked behind you, whispering that his cover may have been blown. He told you to hold on to his hand as both of you made a dash for a small road to escape.

After the short sprint, both of you felt hot from the panic and exertion. Kiro offered to get you drinks from a nearby vending machine. He returned with two cans, excited that he found a rare brand that wasn’t typically sold locally. He then recited some lines from his latest character that first encounters were ordained by fate. This brought back memories about the first time you met Kiro and the bag of chips. It seemed that perhaps that was more like a reunion than first encounter, your fates being intertwined since childhood. Lost in your thoughts, Kiro took your half drunk soda and drank from it as well, embarrassing with you with action. Then he passed you the second can and told it in a childlike tone to take care of you. He told you to head back home and hoped that you are feeling better. You gave him a hug and thanked him for making the effort. As he bade you goodbye, you saw a forlorn look on his face.

As you took off in the taxi that Kiro called for you, you saw his reflection waving at you as it became smaller and smaller. You opened the other can of soda and accidentally cut your finger on it. You saw that you had won another can of soda. Thinking of the good fortune, you took a picture of the tab and sent it to Kiro. However you didn’t receive any reply from him. That night you had a dream of pure white landscape and the frantic search for Kiro. The next morning you were awoken by a call from Savin. He told you that Kiro was uncontactable and asked if you knew where he was. You tried to call Kiro as well to no avail. Thinking about where he might have gone and clues from your dream, somehow you determined that he would be at the Loveland TV station.

When you arrived at the roof of the TV station, you were relieved to see Kiro standing alone there. He was surprised to see you and you chided him angrily for disappearing like this and causing everyone to worry. Kiro walked towards you and asked you if you would still like him if he was not a superstar idol. You told them that you liked him as Kiro regardless of what occupation he had. He thanked you for the affirmation, then you saw his blue eyes turned amber gold. Kiro then spoke in a mechanical voice commanding you to turn around and go home. The next thing you know, you walked back down to the streets below hailed a cab and went home.

On your way back, you saw the billboard screen and Kiro’s familiar face on it. This time he was in a suit about to give an announcement. As the car passed by, you wound down the window to listen to what Kiro had to say. He solemnly announced that he would be temporarily retiring from public life. You couldn’t catch the rest of his words but this prompted you to quickly take out your phone. As you reached into your pocket, you were pricked by the soda tab you had kept there. As if broken out of a trance, you remembered why you had gone all the way to the TV tower. You asked the driver to let you off as you hurried back to find Kiro.

In the midst of running and frantically trying to call Kiro, someone bumped you causing your phone to skid onto the floor. It was kicked around several times by the crowd and finally landed at the base of a black boot. Before you could pick it up, the silver haired man reached down and picked it up. It was Helios. You stared dumbfoundedly at him as he asked if you wanted your phone back. You took it from him and he turned to leave. You instinctively grabbed him, afraid to lose the opportunity to see him again. He gave you an impatient frown. The only words escaping from your mouth was if he was really not Kiro. Helios pulled your hand away and told you to stop wasting his time. With that he walked away into the crowd. Just then you received a message on your phone – you will need to act to destroy it all.

Victor’s route – It was another normal work day as the usual crowd crossed the intersection in the commercial district. The scene before you conjured a feeling of normalcy and peacefulness unlike the recent scenes of terror and bloodshed that had been plaguing you. You couldn’t tell which was real or fake anymore, but you thought you might like this reality better. Lost in your thoughts, you didn’t noticed a patch of ice on the floor and almost slipped on it. Thankfully Victor managed to hold you up. He had seen you staring into space from his car and came out to find you. You thanked him for saving you. He told you he didn’t allocate much time to hear your proposal today so asked you to get on with it.

Both of you shared your usual banter – you forever trying to impress him with your heroics and Victor replying with his usual sarcasm. You realised that Victor would always be the sharp tongued man with a soft heart who wouldn’t tell you what’s actually on his mind. The proposal presentation went well and you returned to office after some guidance from him on improvements. Back at your office, you received a message from him that you deserve a consolation prize for your effort today and he would pick you up for dinner after work. That evening Victor asked if there was anything bothering you as you looked anxious. You didn’t know whether you should share your visions with him so decided to keep quiet about it.

The reward that Victor spoke of was a dinner at Souvenir. You followed Victor into the kitchen to see what he would be preparing for dinner. After realising that Mr Mills was away for the evening, you offered to be Victor’s sous chef. He told you as politely as possible to wait in the main hall but you didn’t want to appear useless or be left alone in your thoughts. In a bid to be helpful, you quickly took a broccoli from the counter and offered to wash it. Victor sighed in resignation then took off his apron and helped you put it on. You were touched by his thoughtfulness and set about to prepare dinner.

While asking you to pass him the butter, you accidentally knocked down several condiments, causing a mess on the counter. Victor scowled and you hurriedly apologised. He told you that nothing you can do would surprise him anymore. When the steak was finally ready, Victor asked you to pass him the plates. You realised that the plates were located out of your reach in the cabinets overhead and remarked that they were placed too tall. Victor noted the comment and said he would take that into consideration in future. You figured that Victor was really being considerate as he would probably have been able to complete dinner faster on his own than having you around.

Dinner was a romantic affair with just the two of you in the restaurant as Victor set the music to play. As you picked up the fork and knife, you noticed a shadow wound around the handle of the knife followed by sharp pain to your heart. You dropped the knife, the clanging resonating through the empty room. Frowning, Victor reached over to pick up the knife and wiped it off before returning it to you. He asked again if anything was bothering you. You looked at Victor. He should always remain this tall resolute man who can conquer the world if he wanted. You didn’t want him to ever change for you.

As you kept silent, Victor didn’t force the subject and told you to at least not waste the food. After dinner while cleaning up the mess in the kitchen, Victor did his best to comfort you in his own stoic way by advising you not to worry too about a future that may never happen. He also reminded you to hand in the revised proposal the next day and you mused at his ability to talk about work so naturally whatever the circumstances.

The next morning you submitted the revised proposal to Victor after pulling an all-nighter. Then you headed for another shoot noticing that the snow was falling harder and harder. While busying around on getting your guest to the studio amidst a traffic gridlock, you were surprised to see Uncle Chuck at the door. He wanted to speak to you urgently. Over tea, he advised you that while you are running around trying to focus on work, to not forget to take a look at the outside world. His words cut deep into your heart. You wondered if there was a hidden meaning to his words as you recollected the visions of a violent world filled with bloodshed. Was that the outside world he was talking about?

The shoot didn’t go very well. By the time you left, it was late at night. You took in the quiet and serene surroundings, giving thanks to the person who made the world so beautiful. As if on cue, you had sudden flashes of memories of you calling the shots to save the world. As these images interspersed with reality, you didn’t notice that you had walked onto the road. The sound of a car horn rend the skies and then everything froze including the snowflakes falling to the ground. Victor rushed up to you and scooped you up in his arms, panic and fear on his face. You realised that only you could make this unflappable man lose his cool.

As both of you walked down the streets, you came upon a square decked up for the celebrations. You took in your surroundings and asked Victor what if everything around you was just a dream. Victor told you resolutely he would turn it into reality. As you looked at his face, you saw a pained expression of despair and tears in his eyes followed by the difficult decision he had to make as he plunged the dagger into you. You asked Victor if he found you to be a burden. He didn’t reply. Your heart ached as you realised that in running ahead in your own ways, you had inflicted an endless hurt on him. The snow around you began to fall harder and harder blurring your vision into whiteness as Victor faded away.

Gavin’s route – You were working late into the night, a typical work week coming to an end. Life was progressing as per normal until just a week ago when a blotch of your memory seemed to have been lost. You had made an important decision but you couldn’t recall what was it and its impact on you. You received a call from Gavin. He had just returned from a mission. As he was passing by your office, he noticed that the lights were still on and wondered if he could give you a lift home. Noticing the fatigue in his voice, you contemplated the offer then lied that you had already gone home. You told Gavin to have a good rest instead. He told you not to be too concerned with him and that the recent missions had been easy. Not believing him, he made a bet with you that if you find a new scar on him when you next meet, you can choose the forfeit.

Later as you left your building you were surprised to see Gavin still at your lift lobby. Embarrassed that you were caught in your lie, you quickly changed the topic and took Gavin up on his bet. You held his hand and hunted for new scars and found a small light one on his finger. Gavin gave an uncomfortable cough and said meekly that this one didn’t count as he got it while preparing a meal. You stifled a laughter as his face turned red. Not many people see this side to Gavin, the awkward shy boy behind the man who chose to face danger everyday to protect humanity. That was pretty cute.

Gavin told you he knows of a great place to catch the festivities. It was the Central Square where all the shopping malls had decorated its facade with the festive lights. You were enthralled by the light show but very soon the mall entrances started to close in succession. Gavin apologised that he had misjudged the timing. You told him it was okay and both of you could come visit another time. Gavin would have none of it. He put his jacket on you then asked you to hang on tight. With that, he flew you into the air to look at all the light decorations at each floor of the mall up close. You relished at the opportunity to have this private excursion and both of you mused at the colorful displays, comparing your favourites.

Time passed and soon you heard the clock tower chime. At 12 midnight, a wooden band marches out of the clock tower to announce the new day. You’ve always wanted to see the display. Seeing your excitement, Gavin flew you over to the clock tower. You danced along to the rhythm of the band and invited Gavin to dance with you. Initially awkward, he gave in finally and you laughed childishly at how stiff he looked. Not too soon after the crowds thinned as people started to head home. Gavin heard your stomach grumble and learnt that you had skipped dinner for work. He was determined to have you fed so he brought you to a nice place for supper.

While flying you there, you noticed how cold it must be for the wind to be whipping Gavin without his coat. You attempted to take off his jacket to return it to him but you were immediately hit by the chill. Gavin told you to hang on to the jacket and just hold on to him tighter if you were concerned about him catching a cold. Both of you remained in such an embrace for the rest of the journey, seeking warmth from each other in this blistery cold. Gavin landed at a eatery near your place which you had not noticed before. He told you he usually dined here in between missions and you mused that this was neither near his place or the police station. Gavin gave an awkward cough and quickly changed the subject by ordering the food.

As both of you enjoyed the supper, you realised that the big celebration was coming up in two days’ time. Since Gavin was off mission, you figured it would be timely to invite him to attend the celebrations together. He agreed to meet with you at the Central Park in the evening. You smiled gleefully in anticipation of the date. After dinner Gavin walked you home to help you digest the heavy meal and dropped a call after to wish you goodnight.

The night of the celebration loomed. You stood in the middle of Central Park waiting for Gavin. The time to meet Gavin had passed yet you couldn’t get in touch with him. Suddenly some kind of scuffle broke out amongst the people gathered and your memories were jolted to a similar situation where people were screaming, shouting and hurting each other. In the midst of the commotion, a young boy had been pushed to the ground. You hurried to pick him up. He looked to be a 8 or 9 year old boy with very familiar features. He told you that he had been separated from his father. Then you heard over the PA system notifying you that a young boy fitting his description was lost and his father was waiting at the reception. You offered to bring the boy to find his father. When they finally reunited, you heard the boy’s father calling him Perry.

Immediately, you saw flashes of images in your mind. It was a barren wasteland and Perry was kneeling before Gavin with a tear streaked face. You saw Gavin raise his hands towards Perry and black swirls of power encircled Perry until he was no more. What was this that you have seen and yet Perry is standing all well and fine before you. Did the events in your memories happened or were they just fragments of a nightmare? You staggered away from the crowds not knowing what to believe suddenly. You finally received a call from Gavin. He apologised that he had been called up for an urgent mission who had taken too long. He was rushing to meet you now and hoped that he wasn’t too late. You looked at the celebrations that had broken out in the park and smiled sadly that it was alright.

When Gavin finally landed before you, he was shrouded in darkness. There was something different and almost alien about his disposition. As he walked towards you, you realised that he was now dressed in a uniform of stark black, the same one from your memories. Not knowing what to say, you asked him if he remembered Perry and that you just saw him. The look of hesitation and pain on Gavin’s face revealed everything. Once again there was something that Gavin wasn’t telling you. You asked him if you were so untrustworthy that he couldn’t share the truth with him. Gavin lashed back violently that this wasn’t the issue. He said the more you knew, the more danger you would be in. You thought back about the exchange he had that day with those strange men and wondered what kind of mental battle did Gavin go through and why he was so estranged now.

Gavin’s radio communication unit broke the silence. After some words, Gavin turned to you and told you he needed to go off. Somehow it felt like he was going away forever. As he turned to leave, you quickened your pace to catch up to him, tripping over the snow and falling in the process. Gavin ran over to you and crouched before you. He contemplated reaching out to you but finally settled for putting some of your stray hair behind your ears. Then he gently told you to stand up. As you got up, Gavin continued walking down the path towards the shadow. Your last words to him was that he still owed you a celebration and he replied grimly that it was a promise.

Regardless of whichever path you chose, the ending is the same. You came to the conclusion that everything beautiful in this world was just a dream and no matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t blotch out the painful realities of the changes and sacrifices each of these people had gone through for you. Lucien had against his better judgement invited you into his world and now faces the the constant battle between his duty and his love for you. Kiro’s inextricable fate with you from childhood required him to give up his ability to bring happiness to people around him as a superstar. In exchange he took on the role of a cold-blooded killer in order to protect you from danger. Victor who could have ruled the business world, the tall and proud man who had the determination and ability to take on any challenge was brought down low with the insurmountably painful responsibility of ending your life. And Gavin who had only ever lived his life for justice and righteousness was forced to undergo a transformation into an agent who treaded between light and darkness in exchange for your safety.

The snow came down heavier and heavier and soon it had transformed the scene before you. Another Loveland City that seemed to be completely frozen in ice with you as the only inhabitant. In the distance, a handsome man in a completely white suit unaffected by the snow around him walked slowly towards you. You asked him what he had done to Loveland City. In a rather mocking tone, he revealed that this world was of your doing. It was a world conjured by yourself to block out all the things you feared would happen. As a result everyone in this world were similarly frozen in time. You refused to believe him and yet you already knew in your heart that you had only been living in a fake world. Were you ready to face reality again?

From here forward, having realised that the world you were just in was fake, future missions are no longer related to film production. These missions now require you to pick the correct actions (like City News) instead of depending on having the right crew to determine your mission score. The higher your score, the more jigsaw puzzle pieces you get to unlock the next scene.

After exploring this icy city and reliving the memories created at the various locations, you finally found the mysterious man in white suit again. He was playing a tune on the piano that lulled you into a false sense of peacefulness. When you approached him, he asked if you were ready to accept this world which was perfect in every way. He told you it has been a really long time since he had the fortune of living in a world without strife and tribulation. You were almost bought over by his logic but then you recalled all the bonds you have created with these people that you had cared for. Do you only want to accept the pretty things and not the ugly truth that came with it?

The chapter ends with you making a decision to either stay in the fake world or finally summoning enough courage to face the harsh realities and to move forward even if it meant losing everything.