𝐃𝐀𝐘𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐌

SHE sighed, her lips pursed as the black pen in her hand glided over the thick pages of the book. Though she had once believed this style of art would make her uncomfortable, she had been practising it for a year now, always for the same reasons.

The sketches were monotonous-what some might call edgy and indifferent. She sketched the same alleyways under the same dark nights, as though each memory slipped away from her in silence. Yet, despite her efforts, the act didn't bring her any solace.

Nightmares, after all, were never supposed to carry meaning. At least, that's what Yiseo had come to believe over the years. Her dreams were nothing more than a relentless sequence of terrifying events.

At times, she felt herself being strangled by faceless figures, tossed around violently until blood seeped from her lips. Other nights, she found herself inflicting harm upon her own body, only to wake in the morning, disoriented and disconnected from the memories that haunted her sleep.

Lost in thought once more, the girl began to sketch-dark alleyways where her nightmares often took place, complete with bruises, blurred faces, and ominous shadows.

Each stroke of her pen replicated the disturbing images that plagued her unconscious mind.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the persistent vibration of her phone.

"How pathetic can I be, finding peace in this?" she muttered, a hollow laugh escaping her as she glanced down at the screen.

"Damn it! Why is she coming home so early these days?"

Grabbing the book given by the Choi guy that led her to hope, she bolted, her heart pounding as anxiety coursed through her veins.

"Near the metro station, please!" she called out frantically, flagging down a cab.

As the sky darkened and the evening descended, she struggled to come up with an excuse for her mother, who was supposed to return home late at night-yet here she was early in the late afternoon, certainly confusing the girl that rushed into the cab.

๑

"What are you doing out so late, young lady?" The driver asked, his face illuminated by the car's rear view mirror, revealing a honeyed complexion that irritated her even further.

"I said near the metro station," she emphasised, spitting her words out at the driver. His playful eyes lingered forward, a slight grin tugging at his lips. To her discomfort, he had been chatty ever since she got in.

Is this a trend now? Acting mysterious and cryptic? she thought, massaging her temples as tension built up. I don't find this charming at all.

"Come on, why the rush? Let's just talk for a bit," he said with casual indifference.

She scoffed in annoyance as he steered off the route to her villa. By now, she knew it wouldn't end well, regardless of where they went. Somehow, her mother would find a way to find her and most importantly blame her.

As the car moved through desolate streets, she caught sight of a lone figure, masculine, walking through the dimly lit road just some miles away infront of her.

A strange, reckless thought flashed through her mind, tightening the knot of anxiety that had been building.

"Would falling into the arms of a stranger really be such a bad idea right now?"

Her eyes focused on the shadowy street, barely lit by a few flickering lights. A sigh escaped her lips-resignation, or perhaps desperation.

"Sorry?" the driver asked, confused. But by the time he turned to look, her foot had already kicked the door open. She leaped out into the night, falling on the man who had caught her attention hoping to draw the attention of any passerby.

๑

Her eyes fluttered open to the fluorescent light and greyish wall as she found herself in the intense smell of disinfectants and sterile.
A sigh of relief and a perplexed emotion filled her in the early morning.. .

"What do we have here?" Jung Hosu's eyes shifted to the bruises on the girl's head before he grabbed her hands, much to her revulsion.

"Why? Worried I won't be able to draw anymore, and there won't be enough cash to cover up your messes, big brother?" she said, her tone sharp as she quickly pulled her hands away.

"Be a little grateful you brat, Mother is angry with you and I am the only one to care about you . He uttered as his eyes examined the girl's belongings.

Is that anything new ? " the girl uttered, silently observing her brother's usual annoyed face as he went through the book to suddenly stop at a page .

" What's this ?! "

The guy uttered suddenly,his lips trembling and hands holding the book as the girl shrugged it off feeling annoyed to wake up to such a scene in the morning .

I guess you didn't like the book ?
Falling on me from a car I see..

3202 ^^

" I said, What is this ?!"

" Keep your temper down" she said , "did you forget what you said yourself? We have a reputation".Her tired eyes shifted to the note in the book , a little surprised how she had jumped on the boy turned out to Choi Beomgyu.

" Why do you have this number imprinted in this stupid book out of everything , why ?" His voice turned more and more desperate only making the the girl grow complex , now taking a deep breath.

" Your friend Beomgyu gave me this book " the girl uttered, as Hosu took steps back .

"Are you out of your mind, Yiseo? Friend ? " His voice trembled slightly.

"What do you mean? You're the one who introduced me to him," she said, her tone calm and casual.

He grabbed her shoulders, his grip tightening as his eyes widened in panic. His hands were icy, shaking as they held her.

"Yiseo... nothing you're saying makes any sense. Do you even realise that?" His voice cracked, the fear unmistakable.

Yiseo chuckled softly. "What is this? Are we in some kind of melodrama now?"

"He's dead, Yiseo! Choi Beomgyu died three months ago!" His breath quickened, voice breaking. "How... How do you even know him? Have your nightmares completely taken over?!"

Right now, nothing made sense to the girl,to be exact nothing did .

A gasp left her lips as the girl wished she could laugh out loud but she couldn't, her eyes now widened and perplexed , gazed at her brother, his eyes in an emotion she had never seen before .

" Read it, that's my last...nope second last gift to you, since I am seeing you don't want to write about your experiences , just draw like your hobby. It might help you more than you think,Good luck!!"

A sudden realisation gripped her, and her mind became fixated on it as she couldn't focus on anything her brother was exclaiming.It had been usual for the girl to reminisce her dream slowly and vividly like this but today, it had been very different.

There had been no nightmares last night-just as he had promised. The thought reverberated in her mind, a strange mix of relief and confusion settling in.

It lingered there, much like the dream itself, haunting her with its eerie sense of calm. It felt so real, yet it was unlike anything she had experienced before as the memory of her dream from last night became clearer .

But in this very dream when suddenly everything was chaotic why him ?

Why Yang Jungwon of all people? Why now?

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NOTES - ♡ (1.3K)

• This chapter was so hard yet fun to write , but i worry i could have done better since I haven't updated in so long .

• Preference,theories and feedbacks are fully welcomed and appreciated<33

• I guess it will be a veryyyyyy confusing to read this but I will try my best to write as chapters go on .

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