“The show must go on.”

Chanyeol stared at him with furrowed eyebrows. He could no longer tell what was real and what was not. For all he knew, everything could be a figment of his imagination. Time had been turned back for his sake in his mind, just so he could feel better. Perhaps he was experiencing a false awakening and it was all just a lucid dream. The possibilities seemed endless, to the point it was unbearable for his innocent mindset.

“Why is everyone in my room?”

Tao’s voice pulled Chanyeol back to ‘reality’.  

“I’ve come to make sure that you’re getting ready for school.” Kris smiled, walking up to Tao to adjust his tie and collar. Whoever Kris was, he seemed to be taking in the idea of ‘exomnia’ rather well. It was convincing to Chanyeol that he was the real Kris; the elder had always been composed regardless of the situation.

Chanyeol continued to stand there, unable to comprehend what was going on. Question after question suffocated hm, trying to stretch the limits of his brain.

‘What was this ‘exomnia’ that he spoke of? Is Tao real? What was he supposed to do?’ he thought to himself. It felt better for him when he was completely oblivious.

Before he knew it, he was already shoved out the door by Kris with Tao by his side. He let out a sigh before pivoting his head to see that Tao had already started walking without him.

Tao was taking things in relatively well. Maybe he was too relieved with the fact that Kris was still alive to think deeply into it. He appeared a lot happier than before. Just seeing his cheery face lightened the pressure on Chanyeol’s chest. Butterflies fluttered in his stomach when he realised that his time with Tao had prolonged.

Whatever the exomnia was, it was comforting.

-

After taking a couple of steps down the road, they stumble across an eighteen-year-old boy. Tattered rags hung over his well-built frame. Tao’s head tilted to the side as he watched the boy from scooting the scattered pennies on the floor to gawk at them.

“Chanyeol?”

Tao’s gaze instantly switched to his friend who grinned widely and took the boy into his embrace. An unpleasant feeling erupted inside him, as if he was experiencing hurricanes inside his ribcage.

“Hyung!” Chanyeol exclaimed, ruffling the boy’s hair. “It’s been awhile!”

Tao stood there with a quizzical look. He’d never met the boy before. Maybe those four years were a dream after all, since it eliminated the possibility that time had turned back for him.

“Ah right. Xiumin hyung, this is my best friend, Tao. Tao, Xiumin hyung works at the bread shop in town. His steam buns are the best!” Chanyeol put his thumbs up, patting Xiumin on the back who seemed to be embarrassed from all the praised he received. The two gave a timid bow to each other.

Tao noticed how Xiumin kept staring at the concrete, and realised that his gaze were fixed on the odd pennies on the ground. The younger one bent down to pick up the remaining few before handing it back to him.

“Are these yours?”

Xiumin nodded, accepting the money with another bow.

“Thank you so much. I just came from a delivery and bumped into Sehun.” He mumbled, whilst Chanyeol released a long sigh.

“That kid is such a brat. I swear he has a persona of a diva.”

Tao raised an eyebrow. He’d never heard of this ‘Sehun’ from Chanyeol before. He felt like he was missing something.

“Sehun is a year younger than you. The genius in our school. Most people see him as snobbish and unapproachable, but to us, he’s a diva, really. He wants to be a rock star though. Confusing, right?” Chanyeol explained. “Don’t take it the wrong way! He’s a naturally nice kid. It’s just that he’s been with some bad people lately. The three of us used to be rather close.”

Close, he said. Tao wondered; doubted, in fact, the closeness between him and Chanyeol. He wasn’t even aware of the existence of Xiumin and Sehun. Oddly enough, Tao had never heard of this ‘genius’ in school. Not only was he confused about the four years he seemed to have ‘imagined’, but also his life before. Nothing seemed to match up to what he remembered.

Everything seemed disjointed, and he couldn’t understand why. It was as if he wasn’t Huang Zitao to begin with. He was just using someone else’s body, seeing through their eyes and living their lives for them. It felt strange and unsettling for him.

-

In school, Tao was finally acquainted with Sehun in the school corridors. His heart sunk once his eyes traced the outline of the boy’s distinct features; they were spellbinding. Curiosity exploded inside of Tao. How was he not able to notice someone as mesmerising as Sehun when he was unbelievably handsome?

Tao was so immersed in his own thinking that he wasn’t aware of Sehun being right in front of him. His eyes widened and his breath hitched when he realised how close they were. His puzzled eyes were met with his cold, dark ones.

“Move it,” he said before slamming his shoulder onto Tao’s, causing him to stumble a few steps. “The least you could do is to make yourself useful by not getting in the way of others.” He spoke in a snobbish accent that was able to irritate anyone.

The air seemed to have the ability to pinch Tao’s eyes, causing them to sting. His lips trembled, shocked that such words were delivered to his ears.

“Unbelievable.”

Sehun turned around slightly and glowered intensely at him. Tao swallowed hard under his gaze.

“Just because you’ve got the looks and brains, it does not mean you have the right to mistreat others.” Slowly and quietly, Tao walked away from the crowd that was forming.

Chanyeol on the other hand, just leaned his back against the wall casually, observing the scene. A slight grin surfaced his lips, because he was starting to understand what an exomnia was.

It was like déjà vu; the way Sehun acted and how Tao responded. Everything was a part of a memory, his memory.

Tao was experiencing sections of Chanyeol’s mind.

-

The day seemed to pass a lot quicker after the encounter between Sehun and Tao. The dark blue canvas in the sky seemed to create a tranquil atmosphere in the neighbourhood. The moon illuminated the area with the aid of a couple of dim streetlights. The only sounds that could be heard were the rustling leaves that were casting a mystical spell so everyone were able to sleep soundly throughout the night.

Everyone – but there are always a couple of exceptions.

Chanyeol glanced up at the building before him, waiting for Kris. His hands tucked naturally into his pockets as the night grew colder. His eyes finally widened in delight once the door swung open, welcoming him in.

“It’s about time. I thought I was going to be an ice statue!” The younger grumbled.

“Tao is asleep,” Kris announced, ignoring his friend’s complaints like how he always did. “It’s very nice to have you here again.” As always, sarcasm dripped from his slurring words and Chanyeol rolled his eyes.

“Can you please tell me what an exomnia is instead of me continuously trying to play this guessing game? Nothing makes sense.”

A sly smirk appeared on the elder.

“Have you still not figured it out yet? The nonsense business, you should really ask yourself that question.”

Chanyeol sighed in defeat. It was extremely frustrating for him how he’d waited hours in the cold and ended up with an answer that didn’t satisfy him. Kris appeared to have read his mind. The elder had an annoying demeanour, but at the same time, he was incredibly wise. He always knew the right time to say the right words.

“You created this exomnia, Chanyeol,” he said, patting Chanyeol on the shoulder. “You created this for Tao. Apart from us three, other people are merely actors waiting for your instructions. You’re the one in control of this. The nonsense you saw was all created by you. It’s something you want to give Tao.”

-

For one reason or another, Chanyeol wasn’t there in the morning to accompany Tao to school. He felt his insides doing summersaults; his instincts were telling him that something was wrong.

‘Run,’ he heard out of nowhere. The voice seemed so close as if someone was right beside his ear, but no one was. Tao scanned his surroundings, cautious with every small movement his vision detected, but he couldn’t find anything. Just when he finally let his stance down, he heard it again.

‘Run.’

His heart leapt forward as the word kept repeating itself amidst his sea of thoughts.

‘What are you doing still standing there? You need to run!’ The voice sounded urgent, and his legs obeyed the commands without his permission.

He started running; sprinting, in fact. He sprinted across the town with a blank mind, completely forgetting about school. Beads of sweat squeezed from his forehead before plunging for the floor. His rapid contact with the concrete echoed in his ears, making his heart pound louder than it had ever done before.

He was running aimlessly. He wanted to stop, but he’d forgotten how. He was simply a machine that was following the instructions of some sort of script, as least that was how he saw it.

Finally, his legs slowed down and a new source of noise attacked his sensitive ears; an irking screech.

His legs stopped at the entrance of an eerie alleyway, where fresh crimson blood tainted the filthy brick walls. A pungent smell reached his nose, sending shivers down his spine. His fists clenched when he saw a group of men hitting someone with the same uniform as him.

Without even thinking twice, Tao grabbed a metal pipe on the ground and used it to attack one of the men that was about to abuse his schoolmate again. More blood splattered across the alleyway when Tao hit them with his weapon.

The sound of clanging metal resounding in the alleyway as Tao dropped the pipe when he noticed that another man had pulled out a gun with his finger already on the trigger. Tao’s eyes were fixed on their index finger, watching as it contracted. His body froze and the only that was moving was his frantic beating heart.

Everything was in slow motion. His eyes followed the fired bullet that was aimed towards the frail looking boy beside him. He wanted to dive in front of him, but there wasn’t enough time; he couldn’t react fast enough.

Suddenly, his body shifted just in time before the bullet could make contact with his skin. A low bang could be heard once the bullet drilled itself into the wall, causing Tao to snap back to reality.

It was Xiumin who’d saved the boy.

Tao kept staring at the two figures a couple of meters from his position. Xiumin pulled him away from his trance with his strong gaze. As if they were communicating through their eyes, Tao gave a small nod before slamming one of assaulter’s head into the brick wall. Xiumin threw the injured boy onto his back before quickly running away with Tao.

For some reason, the gang didn’t follow them.

After running for some time, the three finally collapsed onto the field, trying to catch their breaths. Awkward laughter filled the air as they watched the birds pass by.

“Thanks…for much f-for saving…us,” Tao said between his gasps. “I think we would’ve died if it wasn’t for you.”

Xiumin just chuckled.

“What are friends for?”

His head then turned to the boy whom Tao never paid much attention to during the chaotic scene. Tao’s eyes and mouth hung agape when he recognised the boy; it was the infamous Sehun.

“You risked your life…for him?”

“That’s friendship,” the elder sighed, smiling at Sehun who had streaks of waterfalls trailing his beautiful flawless face. “You learn to forgive and accept their bad sides.”

Sehun covered his eyes with the palm of his hands, pressing harshly onto his swollen eyes whilst drenching his hands in his own tears.

“I-I’m sorry,” the boy managed to croak out. “H-hyung.”

Xiumin let out a hearty chortle before sitting upright. “Where does it hurt? Shall we go to the hospital?”

Sehun shook his head, continuously apologizing until the dusk.

“Chanyeol, is so lucky to have friends like you guys.”

-

'Chanyeol, it's time to go. You did well.'

-

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

Tao rubbed his throbbing head. The repetitive beeping noises were driving him insane. He groaned and tried to roll around on his bed, but he felt restricted.

He forced his eyes to open, allowing them to slowly adjust to the light. The beeping noise quickened when he saw the wires attached to his arms and a breathing mask around his face.

His brain instantly tried to search for answers, but ended up with nothing.

A women in pure white clothing entered the room in a flustered manner, bewildering him even further.

“Mr Huang, you’re awake! The doctors will be on their way immediately,” she said as she attempted to make him comfortable by tucking him back into his blanket. “Don’t worry, I’m a nurse. You’re safe now.” She smiled benevolently, yet her next set of words almost caused his heart to stop.

“You have been unconscious for three days.”

Once again, Tao buried himself in his sea of thoughts.

What was real and what was not? Was he continuously living in his dreams? Did Kris die? Does Xiumin and Sehun exist?

He was desperate for answers, but he knew the nurse wouldn’t be able to provide them.

Apparently he has fainted due to the excessive amount of carbon monoxide leaked in his apartment. They didn’t know whether it was a suicide attempt or if it was an accident. He couldn’t remember.

-

Later during that day, he forced himself to wander in the hospital corridors. His body was heavy, but moving was the only way for him to recover quicker. The doctors said it shouldn’t cause much of a problem as long as he didn’t push himself too much, so he took little baby steps whilst he leaned against the sterile scented walls.

He saw a date circled on a calendar which conveniently resided on the receptionist’s desk. The date was of no concern to him, but the numbers that told him the year, was.

He was in the year 2012 again.

His legs felt numb, and if the wall was not there to support him, he would’ve fell. Yet the appearance of two individuals distracted him from his thinking. They both dressed a lot differently from what he could remember, but he knew it was them nevertheless.  

“Xiumin! Sehun!” They turned around as Tao limped his way through. “It’s so nice to see you two again!”

They glanced at each other with their foreheads creased.

“Who are you?” Sehun asked dubiously. “We’ve met?”

“C-Chanyeol’s friend,” he managed to say in an almost inaudible.

A coral colour immediately tainted Xiumin’s upper face. It was then that he’d realise how both their eyes were puffy.

“You came to see Chanyeol too?” The elder gasped in his hoarse voice.

“H-he’s back? He’s in the hospital? Why?!”

“You didn’t know?” Sehun asked, to which Tao shook his head. “You’re too late. He died this morning.” The younger one bit his knuckles, hoping it would be able to constrain his tears. He even tried to roll his eyes back, but to no avail. Those horrid teardrops fell softly from his miserable eyes; soft like snow, closely resembling the way the snowflakes fell outside.

Tao’s expression was unreadable to the both of them, yet the tears that continuously appeared from his eyes were more than enough to tell them how he felt.

He was devastated, mortified, shocked; but probably none of the words were able to fully describe his feelings.

Those who had never experienced that feeling before would never be able to understand.

-

When they all calmed down, they decided to have a cup of coffee in the café. Tao told them about Kris’ death and his dream.

They were incredibly intrigued with his story, since they were certain that they’d never met. Once Tao finished, he caught them glancing at each other again. A fragile smile curved on their lips.

“What you said,” Xiumin began, fiddling with his fingers. “They did happen, but not with you, but with Chanyeol.”

It turned out that they were actually Chanyeol’s friends in nursery. Sehun always isolated himself from the others and had developed an attitude just so he would feel better. He would play on his own, and the elder could always imagine him crying silently inside because he couldn’t fit in with the rest. He was quiet and unapproachable. No one really knew what to say to him since he always had his stoic expression on.

When Chanyeol tried to befriend Sehun, he shoved him away coldly.

They got closer when Chanyeol and Xiumin saved him from the bullies. They were best friends after that, but Xiumin was starting his business at the time and Sehun dropped out of school.

“Maybe it was a sign.” Xiumin smiled as he drank his coffee. “Maybe he wants us to treat you the same way we treated him. I mean, the moment you woke up, Chanyeol died. Perhaps it wasn’t a coincidence.”

“Perhaps it was exomnia,” Sehun added. “I’ve read that from a book. Apparently, if someone has a strong message to deliver to someone before they die, they create a different dimension parallel to the real world. In there, they can invite the people whose lives they wish to change and they would control that dimension, so things so according to their plan. People here will only see it as a dream though.”

“For someone who’s trying to be a rock star, aren’t you a little too…geeky?” Xiumin laughed.

“For a founder of a large bread enterprise, aren’t you a little too…shabby?” Sehun pointed to the elder’s clothes.

“Diva. But anyways,” Xiumin said, desperately wanting to change the topic. “If what the diva said is true, Chanyeol must really like you.”

It was like they were all too exhausted to think of other possible explanations. It was probably a lot more comforting to believe in something supernatural than rummage the depths of their brain for a different explanation.  

“Whatever it was, I’m thankful, because I know that Chanyeol was worried about me even to his last second.”

They said that before Chanyeol died, he wouldn’t let go of Tao’s letter.

It was only when his heart stopped beating, did he release the paper. 

Author's Note: I'm sorry this is so rushed. I'm hoping I can proof read this before it's too late T_T (I was too busy during the week because uni started >