[CONTENTID3]THE DREAM AND REALITY[/CONTENTID3]

[CONTENTID2]Yoon Mirae - Always (Descendent of the Sun OST)
[/CONTENTID2]

[CONTENTID1]Jihoon looked around in the darkness. He’s pretty sure he fell asleep by the bed just now but not sure whether this is his dream or someone did kidnap him or something. But Jihoon noticed he could actually look around without any restrain so he wasn’t blindfold that made him seeing darkness. Jihoon moved forward, walking and walking. He tried to search the end so that he could go back to the place he was belonged. A dimmed light was shining his view at the end of the dark road. Jihoon walked towards it and it was getting clearer. He saw a reflection. ‘What-’ Jihoon baffled when he saw himself. Trying to touch the light, his hand went through it and Jihoon realized it was some sort of a layer of light as if it’s a big screen. The Jihoon in between that light was smiling and slowly the background was showing and Jihoon wrinkled. He felt familiar but not knowing where it was. It was a room and Jihoon just watched everything unfold before his eyes.

“Get up you lazy .” The small guy jumped on the bed, shaking the cocoon of blanket. A groan heard and Jihoon giggled. He pulled the cover. “Yah, leader. Get up, we have practice today!”

“Give me a minute.”

Jihoon startled when he heard the voice under the cover. ‘Seungcheol?’

“I warn you if you’re not waking up in a minute, I’m gonna call Seungkwan in to wake you up.” The groan got louder and the cover was pushed down. Jihoon who was already standing up beside the bed, laughed. “Good boy.” The guy in the bed pouted.

“I’m your hyung, okay?”

“Seungcheol.” Jihoon called out. The scene was changing and Jihoon silently watched all the forgotten memories before his eyes. Slowly he began to remember his past lives and Seungcheol. His tears were flowing down the whole time. The light dissipated into the dark when Jihoon remembered almost all of it.

“Hi.” Jihoon jumped and turned. He blinked. It was his past lives, himself.

“You guys.” A smile plastered on their lips.

“You need to meet someone. The one you can’t remember.” They parted and let a person walking through. Jihoon watched the person came closer.

“Nice to meet you again.” Jihoon wrinkled.

“Again?” The guy just smiled.

“Yes. We have met but you don’t remember. Don’t worry about that.”

“Which one are you?” Jihoon asked.

“The first life.” He held out his hand. “You need to remember everything. Take my hand.” Jihoon blinked.

“Are we going somewhere?” The guy smiled.

“Literally.” Jihoon looked over the rest and they were nodded, wanting Jihoon to take that hand. Jihoon slowly took it and a bright light from the connected hand hurt his eyes as soon as the skin got a contact. Jihoon closed his eyes and felt he was floating.

Noises filled his ears and Jihoon opened his eyes. He blinked few times to adjust with the light. His head was hurting and he felt a hot liquid flowing out from his body. “Jihoon, oh no. Please, stay with me.”

“Seungcheol?” Jihoon tried out to say the name but his throat was hurting too.

“Jihoon, please. Don’t die on me. I will get the medicine for you, please stay strong.” Jihoon grabbed Seungcheol’s hand who was about to leave.

“N- no, stay.” Jihoon didn’t know how but his body was moving autopilot as he stopped Seungcheol from going. Soon he realized he wasn’t himself. This was just another life. The life he didn’t remember.

“No, I can’t. I need to safe you.”

“Seungcheol, just give up.” The other was crying at this point. A string of no was kept rolling out his lips. Jihoon felt his heart crushed to the sadness but then a sharp pain on his head made him felt limp and soon he succumbed to the darkness.

Jihoon was awake to another scene but this time, he was standing before Seungcheol who couldn’t see him. He was drawing something on the floor. Jihoon wrinkled, he tried to call Seungcheol but as if his mouth was sealed he couldn’t croak a voice. Seungcheol was done with the drawing and began to light up the candle in the middle of the big circle he drew. Jihoon watched the scene unfold. He gasped when a black feather suddenly appeared and gush of winds started in the empty room. Jihoon startled when he saw a big creature that had a face of human with short horns and big pitch black wings. The skin was tanned and the creature was wrapped with all black stuffs. Jihoon heard the creature talked. The voice was rough and scary but Seungcheol seemed didn’t fear the other.

“I know you will summon me. Our connection is strong no matter how hard he tried to change it.” Jihoon couldn’t understand the line but Seungcheol didn’t give a damn and started talking.

“My lord Lucifer, I summon you because I had a wish.” The creature nodded. “Please bring back Jihoon from death. I will put everything on the line as the sacrifice for this request.” Jihoon startled.

‘What?’

“I can do that, my precious. But it’s always a bit pricey you know. To change the fate.”

“I will take anything. I love Jihoon so much that I can’t live without him, I’m dying. I need him.” The creature snickered.

“I know that very well. Okay, wait for my return in two days. I will let you know what the price is after I bring him back. In the meanwhile, put his death body in a coffin with black roses and I will cast the spell.” Seungcheol nodded and did as he was told. The creature, Lucifer put the dark magic on the coffin before he left Seungcheol. Jihoon who watched everything was curious and scared in the meanwhile. The surrounding changed again and this time Jihoon was back to the body.

“Jihoon?” He blinked. Seungcheol was smiling with tears. “Jihoon! I’m glad you’re back!” Seungcheol hugged the blank Jihoon. He saw the same black feathers falling behind Seungcheol and he looked up. As if he could see, he saw the black wings flew above and disappeared. “I love you, Jihoon. I promise you we won’t be separated anymore.” Seungcheol pulled away and kissed Jihoon. Jihoon closed his eyes and kissed back. He had many question but one kiss that he had been longing shut him off completely. Jihoon was pulled away from the body when he was lost in the feeling. Once he was standing in the room watching the couple making out with salty tears, his head swirled with memories. He was in daze before he was snapped from it by a hand on his back.

“Do you remember now?” Jihoon saw the first past life of him stood beside him. The surrounding had return to the darkness.

“That… is your life?” The eldest past Jihoon nodded. “Seungcheol…”

“This is not the end.” Jihoon startled when the eldest past Jihoon suddenly disappeared and someone appeared few steps away said those words. His body was glowing and Jihoon couldn’t see who it was. The person stepped closer and once Jihoon could see the face, he startled. The person smiled. “Yes, you’re readily remembered me once you remembered your first life.”

“You…”

“The actual you.” The glowing guy gave a smile. “Hi, Lee Jihoon.”

“Woozi.” The guy smiled. “We-”

“I will tell you what goes wrong in the fate I created.” Woozi said and flashed a sad smile. Jihoon stood there, listening to his story.

“I’m very wrong. I don’t know anything about the connection in between devil. So when Lucifer went to make a change in the fate, everything I write had been changed as he put the curse and bring back the first Jihoon to life.” Jihoon heard he sighed after the last word. The guy stared at Jihoon. “Thanks for making everything right.” Jihoon wrinkled.

“Huh?” The guy nodded.

“The curse that Lucifer had put on us was unable us from saying our love sincerely, to say that Seungcheol is very important for us, to counter-back on the first born Seungcheol’s purpose of bringing Jihoon back to live. I think it was one of it. But your life reflected what goes wrong in the fate I had done and it’s another thing that allowed you break the curse.” Jihoon stared at the guy. “The rule of fate was the bad should come first. Good and bad should be balance, in one life.”

“One life…” The guy nodded.

“Yes, I misunderstand that. I thought it was one person’s lives but it was in each one life of that one person. Jihoon and Seungcheol’s fate was the first and last fate I had written on my own without my superior supervision. I had secretly done this… and it turned out like this. Some sort of my punishment for breaking some rules as a fate keeper I guess. I’m sorry to you and the rest.” The guy looked down.

“Woozi.” Jihoon called out. “The curse…”

“It’s gone now. If the fate is still the same as what I had done, Seungcheol and you will reunite and have a good ending in this life. And I’m sure in the next life too.” The guy smiled. “We will be with Seungcheol forever even in the afterlife like how I wanted it to be. Just I’m not sure about being the keeper after our lifeline ended.”

“Woozi.” The glowing figure hummed a tune. Jihoon smiled. “Coups…”

“Devil is not the same as keepers. They’re not eternal. So…”

“But you…”

“I will eventually become one of you in the end of your lives. And Seungcheol carried him inside. So when the time comes, I will reunite with him again.” Jihoon nodded.

“Woozi, thank you.” The guy startled. Jihoon smiled. “It was a hell journey but I’m glad you make us. Because there’s nothing precious than Seungcheol for me.” The guy smiled.

“Treat him better from now. Heal the wound that you give him. Don’t ever worry; he loves you as much as you love him.” Jihoon nodded, the sudden tears welled up in his eyes. All those bad memories from the first life until his flashed, his heart ached for the heartbreak they had gone through. Moreover, how he had hurt his precious Seungcheol in this life it was indescribably wrong. The guy pulled Jihoon in a hug. “You and he will be fine. Thanks for breaking the curse, Jihoon.” The guy whispered and slowly disappeared into the darkness in the form of twinkling dust.

Jihoon stirred from his deep sleep. He felt wet trails on his cheeks and his hand moved to wipe it away. Sniffles heard and Jihoon buried his face into the mattress. “I’m sorry.” Jihoon whispered as he kissed the hand. “I hurt you. I hurt my precious person. I hurt my love. I’m sorry.” Jihoon repeated few times, head still buried into the mattress and the hand. “I’m so dumb.”

Not that Jihoon noticed there’s someone who was staring intently at him. A soft smile was plastered on the lips. The free hand moved and touched the soft lock. Jihoon stiffened. “It’s okay; we have each other now master.” Jihoon startled and looked up. A pair of eyes that he missed so much was staring lovingly at him. Jihoon blinked away his tears and saw the same orbs.

“Seungcheol?” Seungcheol flashed a smile and tiredly blinked his eyes as a yes. Jihoon’s mouth fell and he gasped. “Seungcheol!” Jihoon moved and hugged the other suddenly. Seungcheol whimpered lightly but brought up his hand to give a hug.

“Master, I’m back.” Jihoon loosened the hug searching for the eyes that he longed for so much.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry I don’t remember you. I’m sorry that I realized all this too late. I- I love you. I can’t live without you.” Seungcheol smiled and held Jihoon’s face.

“It’s okay, it’s the fate. And it’s not too late. I love you too, master.” Jihoon closed his eyes, feeling Seungcheol’s warmth from the big palms.

“Jihoon.” Jihoon whispered. “Call me Jihoon again.” Seungcheol smiled.

“I love you, Jihoon.” Jihoon opened his eyes and smiled. He gave the one smile that had long ago lost from him. The smile that caught Seungcheol falling so deep for Jihoon and the same one smile that Woozi had given to Coups where they agreed to be born as humans. Jihoon leaned forward, kissing Seungcheol’s lips as tears slipped from his eyes, falling onto Seungcheol and mixed with Seungcheol’s. The kiss was slow and sentimental; Seungcheol felt the saltiest touch that reflected their sadness and longing. Jihoon felt the burning flame that ignited their love. Seungcheol tried to move his body a bit but being on the bed for more than a year surely made his limbs numbed except from his facial muscle and hands. Jihoon noticed that and pulled away. He gave Seungcheol a smile.

“I miss you so much but it’s better for me to call for your doctor now. I need to make sure you’re fine.” Seungcheol moved his head a bit nodding. “Don’t leave me ever again.” Seungcheol smiled.

“I won’t.” Jihoon gave Seungcheol a peck before leaving to get the doctor.

Seungcheol was left alone. He looked around the ward, pretty much reminiscing as far as he could of what had happened while he was in comma. As he was looking around, the light had becoming too bright and Seungcheol had to squeeze his eyes shut before opening it back when he felt the light became normal again. He startled to see all of his past lives and Jihoon’s were around him. “You guys…”

“Thank you, slave Seungcheol.” Seungcheol looked at the eldest past Seungcheol. He was linking his hand with his Jihoon. “You have broken the curse and we found our Jihoon.”

“You know you’re special since we noticed you have two versions of your life.” The idol Seungcheol said. Seungcheol smiled, remembering how the idol Seungcheol and Jihoon carried the real name of the devil’s disciple and fate keeper. He turned to look at the other past life that also carried the name. The pair smiled as if they could hear Seungcheol’s thought.

“Thanks for accompanying me while I was there, guys.” Seungcheol said. They nodded. The businessman Jihoon from the painter Seungcheol’s life stepped closer to the bed and held out his hand. Seungcheol took it.

“I’m sorry for being a coward.”

“It’s okay.” Seungcheol flashed a smile as they pulled away their hand.

“We’re here just to let you know what you have done and achieve for us.” The painter Seungcheol said as he took his Jihoon’s hand again.

“We want to thank you.” The eldest past Jihoon said and the rest nodded. In unison, they said thanks and Seungcheol nodded to them. One by one disappeared in the form of sparkling dust and Seungcheol was back to the normal ward. He turned to the door when it was pushed open. Jihoon had returned with the doctor and Seungcheol just gave them a welcoming smile.

“Oh my god, hyung.” Seungcheol look