Haneul's POV

Soyeon never used to be so selfish. In fact for the whole time I've known her since we both started school together, she was always the cute, kind and optimistic one that everybody loved. Strangely enough I was the emo, cold-exterior, spiteful type and it was Soyeon who changed me. In our first year of school, she was the only one who was brave enough to come up to me and make friends as I was the 'scary-glare' girl everyone tried to avoid. Soon, her quirky mindset brought me out of my shell and I was able to make friends and date without being afraid.

Us two became inseparable. We were rarely seen without the other even though I found her way of thinking absolutely irritating. I still remember one conversation that showed our differences...

*Flashback, Haneul and Soyeon aged 15*

"Soyeon? Why are you crying?" I asked my friend as I sat down beside her on the bench to eat my lunch. She stopped reading her book for a moment to peer up at me with flushed cheeks, watery eyes and a quivering lower lip. She looked a mess. Why is it always me who has to look after these hopeless creatures?! It's so annoying to have to come to this school!

"This story is so beautiful," she murmured, her voice croaky.

"Why? What's happening?" I prompted, not actually interested. She sniffed and sobbed a bit more before answering.

"Well you see," she began. I rolled my eyes and braced myself for the essay. "These bandits are chasing this poor guy's family so the guy told the girl that he likes 'let's run away together' to get away from both their parents' messed up lives and just be with each other far away. Isn't that just so beautiful? He wants them to run away together..."

I scoffed and looked her up and down. "Are you serious?! You do know that it's just fiction, right? In reality, those kinds of words are hollow and misleading. Guys don't hold their words. It's all lies since that kind of thinking will only lead to the relationship breaking down. I don't believe in that rubbish," I huffed. Soyeon wasn't really listening and continued to sob.

"Haneul, how can you say that...? Don't..." she trailed off, peering at me timidly to judge how I reacted. I raised my eyebrow and waved my hand, urging her to go on. "Don't let your breakup with Myungsoo ruin your hopes in romance."

I laughed coldly and shook my head. "I don't have hopes. I'm more free now without being tied down since I don't expect to like anyone else anytime soon. But you can carry on dreaming, Soyeon."

"I will," she smiled to herself. "And if a boy I liked ever asked me to run away with him, I'm not hesitating to accept his offer!"

*flash back ends*

I woke up to a warmly lit familiar looking room. It was confusing. Wasn't it that the last time I was here, I wasn't the patient? I rubbed my eyes, sitting up in the bed and looking around the hospital room that only a few days ago I was in, looking for Woohyun who had run away. Something tugged on my arm and I realized I was attached to a drip. That's new. This must be a dream. I must be wishing for him since I'm remembering the last place I saw him.

Suddenly a small movement caught my eye and I noticed Woohyun was actually in the dream with me, snoozing gently in my chair. He slowly opened his eyes and smiled at me.

"You're awake!" he sang, jumping up and wrapping his arms tightly around me out of nowhere. I felt him breathe a sigh of relief down my neck, sending shivers I had missed so much down my spine. Must be a dream. He broke away momentarily to beam exitedly at me. "You changed your shampoo to strawberry-scented! Haha...How are you feeling?"

I smiled gladly, thowing away my awkward self since this isn't reality anyway. "I'm feeling better," I said strangely, not really understanding why I was saying it.

"Thank goodness, I was so worried," he sighed, folding his legs up on the bed. "You don't have to worry about anything, Haneul. I'll look after you."

"About time!" I giggled shamelessly. I couldn't have been happier right then. "You ignored me all that time, I thought you didn't even care how I was feeling." He looked confused and worried by my words and I started to wonder whether Dream Woohyun would react just like normal Woohyun would. Would this version also not understand?

"What? I..I didn't....care about you....enough?" he trembled, his eyes slowly filling with hurt and regret. I shook my head and waved my hands frantically, not wanting to make Dream Woohyun upset. This might be the only time I get to spend with him.

"You know what I mean," I laughed. "Let's not worry about what happened before. We can just carry on like this, right?"

His eyes gleamed for a fraction of a second before the sparkle quickly died down and emptied. Regardless, he carried on smiling brightly. "Of course. You can carry on. I'm dealing with those two thugs since it was my fault. I'll be taking responsibility so you don't have to involve yourself, okay? Every thing will be fine now, trust me."

"Two...thugs?" I quizzed him. Then came the moment of realization. I was in the hospital because I had fainted; earlier on I was kidnapped. "Wait....I was kidnapped. That really happened.....I'm not dreaming right now?!"

Woohyun laughed nervously and stared at me as if I was crazy. "Of course this isn't a dream. You're really in the hospital." I paused for a while to let the news sink in.

"Oh," I muttered. "And you're actually here..."

"Yeah, I am here," he laughed in awe. "What did you think I was?"

"A dream," I whispered to myself, but he was quick to hear and picked up on it. He sighed tiredly and turned away, his face dark and fierce.

"Haneul, don't start anything. I don't want to misunderstand what you're feeling," he said through gritted teeth.

"You're not misunderstanding if you think I like you," I cringed, finding enough courage to say what I had always denied. I was just too scared before. "Because I do."

"You can't say that right now. You're not confessing and neither am I."

"Why?! Why can't I? I was waiting for so long and now you're here so why can't I tell you?" I said. He snapped and turned back to me, grabbing hold of my shoulders with force.

"Because I can't be here!" he yelled into my face, making me wince. "I don't want to start anything since I can't be with you. You saw how dangerous being around me can be. I got you into a mess that almost killed you and that guilt is literally eating me alive!"

"But you said you'd look after me-"

"There's only so much I can do for you, Haneul. I'm not a superhero. I can't always save you," he sighed, choking up slightly from his passion. I wanted to cry for selfish reasons...something Woohyun had taught me. Silently, like every other time, those tears spilled over and trailed down my cheek uncontrollably. Woohyun didn't even bother to notice.

"So you won't accept me?" I asked him, disbelievingly. He nodded, looking away and biting his bottom lip to hold back his tears.

"It's not that I'm not accepting. I'm just not going to acknowledge you ever brought it up; that way we can both walk away from this." I nodded and the tears stopped. He was right, but it doesn't mean either of us wanted this.

"Fine. There's nothing I can do anyway is there?" I sniffed. He nodded and closed his eyes. " Okay well there's one last thing I need to know."

"What?" he choked out.

"When you were away in Japan.....it's very far away isn't it?" I laughed nervously. I swallowed dryly and put on a brave smile. "Did that distance make you miss me....or forget about me?"

Woohyun looked at me in my eyes with a crazy grin I couldn't understand. He laughed bitterly and shook his head. "What a funny question."

"And is the answer just as funny?"

"Haneul, you....." he shook his head again, stalling. "You don't even realize. Every singled second I missed you. And every single passing second made me miss you more than the last; so much so I was going crazy from it. How could I forget you when you were the only thing I could think about?!"

"You-!"

"No, Haneul. Stop-"

"Hey! You're confessing-"

"No. Don't. Don't mention anything, Haneul I beg of you," he whispered harshly. "I don't want you to bring this up again, okay? For us, this kind of thing is a nuisance. Don't be an inconvenience to me, please."

"But....why are you like this. You said....." I trailed off, frantically searching his eyes for answers. Any doors to his feelings were locked and he had closed himself from me again.

"One last thing," he said. "Get along with Sungyeol for me. He's my best friend and I want you two to be happy together, okay?" I nodded and shoved him, playfully.

"Of course, stupid. We're fine so don't worry yourself," I laughed. He nodded but I could see he was hurt behind the mask. "He's probably worrying right now so I should contact him, right?"

I found my phone on the table and phoned Sungyeol quickly to tell him I was okay. Woohyun waited patiently but the awkwardness returned to the atmosphere and he got up to pace pointlessly around the room. It's his fault he feels this way.

"Hello? Sungyeol?" I spoke. Instantly I was greeted by screaming and squeeling from the other end and I had to quickly pull the phone from my ear. "Hello?"

"Haneul?! Are you alright?! We were sooooo worried about you, you suddenly disappeared!" Sungyeol blurted out in a frenzied stream.

I laughed light-heartedly and genuinely smiled. "I'm fine now. I'll tell you about it when I see you." Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Woohyun biting his thumbnail nervously and then ruffle the back of his hair, irritated. I frowned and stuck my tongue out at him behind his back, then continued to talk to Sungyeol who sounded like an anxious parent checking up on their child.

"Hey, I'm going out for fresh air," Woohyun whispered to me before abruptly marching out of the room. I panicked and began to say something to make him wait but he had already gone. I suppose he'll be back though. He has to say goodbye at least.