o o o

 

 

My time stops, I can’t move,
My heart is spinning again
In the same spot.
Daydream, I’m dreaming,
This dazzling welcome, this sweet illusion.

[ Monsta X – Dramarama ]

 

 

Hoseok | 2047

His alarm rings. Hoseok wakes up, reaches over his bed to stop it. It takes a while; the alarm clock is further than he remembers. The bed feels strangely wide. Blurrily rubbing his eyes, Hoseok sits up, gets ready to start his day.

For a while, Hoseok does everything on autopilot. His body feels a little heavy, his mind fuzzy. He doesn’t recall drinking the night before, nor does he remember what could have gotten him so tired or hare-brained. Still, Hoseok goes about his day, does his errands, works through a light cardio routine at the gym before cooking instant ramyeon for lunch. It’s only at 3pm, when he sits down at his couch, does he realise –

He’s supposed to do…

Something.

He always does… something at 3pm. The thing is, he’s not too sure what this something is. All he remembers is that he has to do it, and that he’s always done it before. Hoseok looks around, feels around his couch, even removes the covers from the cushion before he finds what he’s looking for. Or, well, he doesn’t remember what he was supposed to be looking for, but he knows – he knows – that this is it once he finds it:

A watch.

It’s a heavy thing, the face big and round, the year shown in silver analogue dials against the beige back. The weight of it is familiar enough even though Hoseok can’t remember whether he’s seen it before. Still, it seems his body already knows what to do, and he finds himself clicking on the button before he realises he’s done it.

For a while, nothing happens.

Then, suddenly, there’s a sinking feeling in his stomach, and Hoseok has to squeeze his eyes shut –

 

 

When he opens them again, the scene has changed. Hoseok’s no longer in his one-room apartment. Instead of carpet, the floor is smooth worn timber, and there’s sunlight filtering in from large windows at the side. Hoseok doesn’t remember this place but he knows where he is, somehow.

It’s a kendo dojo.

This place isn’t like the one he frequents, but it’s not… unfamiliar. A man appears from behind the equipment then, tall, well-built, and dressed in navy blue robes for practice. It’s the same shade of blue as the ones Hoseok has in his apartment, hanging out to dry. In the guy’s arm is the protective helmet they’re supposed to wear for sparring, a similar one to Hoseok’s lying at home, and somehow the way he carries it seems familiar.

In fact, now that he thinks about it, the guy himself seems familiar even though Hoseok can’t quite place him or remember where he’s seen him before. His mind is still a fuzzy blank. Despite that, it seems like Hoseok knows him, because the moment the guy says, “Hi, Hoseok,” eyes curving into crescents, Hoseok finds himself replying with an automatic –

“Hi, Hyunwoo.”

The second the words are out, a little of the fuzziness in his mind clears, and Hoseok recalls something.

“Son Hyunwoo. This… this isn’t the first time we’ve met, am I right?”

“No,” Hyunwoo says with a smile, and it’s more dazzling than a slight curve of the lips should be. Hoseok his dry lips, tries to wrap his mind around the little snippet of information he had just recalled.

“Correct me if I’m wrong but… this isn’t the year 2047, is it?”

Hyunwoo’s eyes widen a little, then laughs.

“I thought I’m not supposed to mention it anymore?”

“Humour me,” Hoseok says, his tone coming out more familiar than he should be with Hyunwoo even though he still can’t quite remember how or why he knows him. Somehow, something in his gut tells him that they’re close, and the feeling is only affirmed by Hyunwoo rolling his eyes good-naturedly at the comment. Unfortunately, it doesn’t quite prepare him for Hyunwoo’s answer.

“Hoseok-ah, you were the one who told me not to say it again. But if you must know, it’s the year 2017 here.”

 

 

 

o o o

                                                                                                                                                           

 

In time, can time please stop
So I can see that beautiful light?
In time, in this time and place,
You can come into my arms.
Wait for me.

[ Monsta X – In Time ]

 

 

Hyunwoo | 2017

Hyunwoo doesn’t dream often. When he does, once in a while, he tends to find himself waking up with the niggling feeling like he’d forgotten something. He never once remembers his dream. This one though… this one today seemed a little different.

Or maybe, something just feels a little different about today.

 

 

The dojo is empty when Hyunwoo gets there for morning practice. It’s not unusual, perhaps, given that it’s seven in the morning, but Hyunwoo finds himself looking over his shoulder every now and then, feeling like he’s supposed to…

He can’t remember what he’s supposed to.

Shaking his head, Hyunwoo gets back to practice but doesn’t quite manage to rid himself of the odd feeling. It’s only looking forward to Hoseok’s appearance in the afternoon does he end up staying in the dojo the whole time, going through moves he’s long grown familiar with. A little past three, the air tingles, that strange sensation Hyunwoo’s grown to associate with Hoseok’s arrival, and he peeks his head into the next room where Hoseok usually appears.

“Hi, Hoseok,” Hyunwoo says, more than glad to see his sparring buddy. It’s been really boring practicing alone by himself today even though he’s not sure why he would think so because he usually practices alone in the dojo anyway.

“Hi, Hyunwoo,” Hoseok says, and Hyunwoo’s about to comment on his attire – tracksuit instead of the kendo robes he’d usually wear – when Hoseok adds, “Son Hyunwoo. This… this isn’t the first time we’ve met, am I right?”

“No,” Hyunwoo confirms, a slight smile on his lips. So Hoseok had been right. He really seemed to have forgotten some things after, just like he’d said he would.

“Correct me if I’m wrong but… this isn’t the year 2047, is it?”

Hoseok sounds hesitant, and his nervous gestures are so familiar that Hyunwoo laughs, even as he remembers vaguely what Hoseok had said the last time they’d seen each other.

“I thought I’m not supposed to mention it anymore?”

“Humour me,” Hoseok insists, and Hyunwoo rolls his eyes but gives in. It’s probably not a good thing, but he’d always been easy, especially when it came to Hoseok.

“Hoseok-ah, you were the one who told me not to say it again. But if you must know, it’s the year 2017 here.”

“20…17?”

Hyunwoo nods instead of replying. He picks up his wooden sword, feels the weight in his hands as he waits for Hoseok to wrap his mind around it. Hoseok had guessed that this would happen too. Why Hyunwoo remembers, while Hoseok does not, he doesn’t know. But still, this was what Hoseok had asked him to do before… well, before, and Hyunwoo would do what he can to help.

“... Do you remember anything at all?” Hyunwoo eventually asks, when it seems