Silence flooded the atmosphere. Sehun inwardly groaned at his choice of words as Hyomin's face gave a look of utter confusion. He was about to explain when Hyomin put up a hand for him to stop talking. Her eyebrows knitted themselves together, "I didn't expect to like whatever you were going to say but damn, your sad excuse of an explanation just took the cake." 

Sehun sighed. He didn't expect her to believe him either. She was practically still a stranger. He kicked his foot against the gravel, "Alright. So I don't have an explanation. But I wasn't lying when I said you're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen." 

Hyomin crossed her arms and examined Sehun. She had to admit, this boy wasn't all that horrible looking either. But she still couldn't let this stranger waltz up to her, drag her halfway across the neighbourhood and expects her to be okay with it. She had had enough of boy drama that night. After all, this boy didn't seem all that dangerous either. Hyomin dropped her hands, "What's your name?" 

Sehun looked up from the ground, almost surprised. "My name? Oh Sehun." 

Hyomin nodded, "Then I guess 'Minho' was your evil twin?" 

Sehun blanked for a second but chuckled sheepishly. "O-Oh, I just thought of that name to-"

"Get rid of Kyunghee's annoying friend?" Hyomin completed his sentence and tilted her head to the side. Sehun awkwardly nodded and looked away as he felt his face burn up. This girl was almost perfect, even if he had just met her. Her round eyes probed him as she examined him like a lab rat. Usually, he'd hate it when girls at his school, even at the slightest, glanced at him. However, he didn't feel the least bit intruded with Hyomin's eyes on him. Hyomin chuckled as well, "I get it. That girl has some issues. One cute guy she sees and she pounces like a puma." 

She gets me, Sehun's heart raced. He gestured to the road, "Well, since we're not staying for milkshake, mind if I take you home?" 

Hyomin gave him a bored look, "Chivalry is dead, Sehun. You're not obligated to send a girl home anymore." 

Hyomin her heel to leave but Sehun called out, "Will I see you around?" 

She stopped in her tracks and looked over her shoulder, "I don't know, I hope not. People in this city are weird." 

With that, Hyomin turned a corner and left. Sehun sighed, dejected. He slapped his head and scolded himself for letting her leave so easily. But I can't keep her here, she'll think I'm a creep, Sehun whined mentally. Not in the mood to go back to the party, he sent Hoseok a text saying he'll be leaving early and headed home. 

--- 

Sehun sat up on his bed. He looked down at his wristwatch, slowly looking up again. It was one in the morning and he hadn't slept a wink. Most of it was because he couldn't bear to see Byul in his dream again. He knew she was going to appear. But the hectic night he has had, his run-in with Hyomin and the instant zap of connection after being with her for a mere half hour. 

He didn't want to see Byul again but he craved to see Hyomin. 

Sehun fervently shook his head and slapped his face once. Stop it, Sehun, what are you thinking? Sehun grunted. He stared into the dark void of his room before getting an idea. He searched the bed for his phone and switched to the notepad. His fingers swiftly tapped each letter, creating his very first entry of his dream journal. 

Today, I saw Byul again. Only this time, she was real. Byul had transformed from the sweet, lovely girl to a sassy, sharp-tongued delinquent named Hyomin. No long chocolate brown hair, though. She had short, choppy blonde hair and a face with an expression so annoyed, it made me feel inferior. Like I was a waste of space, an existence not meant to be created. It had only been no longer than an hour since I've met her and she has already made an impact so great, I wonder if she's real or not. 

Sehun starred at the blinking vertical line once he stopped typing. He wanted to continue so badly but he was afraid this would be too much for Professor Woo. But then again, there's nothing too major that a psychology professor can't handle. Sehun stopped there and locked his phone. He rested his head once again on the pillow and closed his eyes, slowly drifting back to sleep. 

---

"Sehun.." a voice sang. 

Wh-Where am I? Sehun eyes cracked open. He took in his surroundings. He was in a room- a dimly lit one, that is. All he could make out in the room was a small, round table with a thin white cloth covering it. There were five candles on the table, with pink rose petals scattered around it and of course, the chair that he was sitting on. 

Almost instantly, the room brightened and Sehun realised he wasn't in a room after all. He was in yet another meadow, a place so familiar to him. He realised that even the slightest movement would result in his chair sinking slightly into the grass. Sehun looked down and noticed the excessive amount of dew on the grass, how shimmery the entire meadow was.

The meadow was wet, for the first time.

What's going on? Sehun thought as he heard a small sob in the distance. He stood up from the chair, water from the mud flowing over his toes ever so lightly. He whirled around, searching for Byul. 

"Byul?" Sehun called out. He took a few steps around, finding the source of the sound. 

"Sehun-ah." a voice came from behind him, making him jump. Sehun whirled around sharply and clutched his chest. He then sighed in relief as he saw Byul standing infront of him. He wondered why he was so reluctant to dream about her in the first place. 

He then saw tear stains on her full, soft cheeks. Sehun reached out and gently wiped the tears away. "Why.. are you crying?" 

Byul sniffed, her shoulders cutely bouncing up and down from her sniffles. "Y-You're starting to not want to see me, Sehun." 

Sehun's hand stopped mid-air. He wondered how Byul knew what he thought of before going to sleep but then understood how. Byul was a figment of his imagination, she came from the depths of his mind; of course she would know what he was thinking. Sehun shook his head, "I don't mean that, Byul. I look forward to sleeping every day just to see you."

Byul sniffled once again, "Please be careful, Sehun. Be careful of what you wish for, especially."

Sehun's eyebrows knitted in confusion, "What are you talking about?"

Byul shook her head, "People... they may seem distant but just know they're always protecting you."

Byul's feet started to gradually become translucent and Sehun knew she was going to disappear once again. Sehun reached out for Byul's wrist, "No, don't go. Not when I need you right at this moment."

Byul sadly smiled, "I'll see you tomorrow night, Sehun. Until then, just remind yourself... I love you."

With that last sentence, Byul has fully dissipated and Sehun was left with his hand clutching where Byul's wrist used to be. He clenched his fist and looked into the distance. He let out a defeated sigh, "Why do you never stay long enough to let me say 'I love you' back?" 

His vision started to darken and soon enough, it was pitch black. 

---

"So, I was thinking of a fresh turquoise colour for our bathroom walls next. You know, to brighten up that place." 

"Whatever." 

Hoseok stopped in his tracks, blocking Sehun's path. They were a few steps away from the milkshake parlour Sehun had visited the other night.. Sehun looked up from the ground with a genuinely confused look, "Why'd you stop?" 

Hoseok sighed and placed his hands on his hips. "Okay, you've been like this since yesterday. If there's any rule when you're around me, it's to not be gloomy on a Sunday morning on the way to a milkshake parlour. Plus, it was your idea to come here, we can always go someplace else."

Sehun shook his head and stopped Hoseok from turning around, "No, no. Let's go in."

Hoseok raised an eyebrow but followed Sehun in anyway, "Hmph, this guy."

The bell attached to the door handle jingled as the two of them entered. A wave of "welcome to Magic Milkshake!" came as Sehun and Hoseok picked a booth near the entrance.

Hoseok dramatically slid in the booth and gasped as he grasped the retro plush seat, "Sehun-ah! Let's get these seats as our dining seats!"

Sehun resisted the urge to roll his eyes at his friend but looked at the laminated menu. A quirky variety of milkshake concoctions filled the entire page. Sehun pursed his lips and flipped to the other side of the menu, "Aren't there any plain milkshakes, like vanilla or chocolate?"

Hoseok gawked at the menu, "Are you kidding?! These milkshakes are amazing! Look, choux cream puff volcano with chocolate ganache lava milkshake? Looks like I know what I'm ordering!"  

Sehun sighed and decided to order a simple vanilla milkshake, much to Hoseok's distaste. 

"One does not simply order a 'plain vanilla milkshake' at a store called Magic Milkshake, Sehun." Hoseok chortled, slightly bouncing in his seat as he waited for his milkshake to be prepared. 

Sehun shrugged and slowly sank into his seat. He saw a lonely notepad and pencil at the side of the table. He began to scribble small doodles on it as he killed time while waiting for Hoseok's monstrous milkshake to arrive. 

The bell jingled once again, emitting the same wave of 'welcome to Magic Milkshake!" once again. Sehun continued to nod mindlessly to Hoseok's animated babbling about giving their apartment a paint job. 

"Can I have a cotton candy bubblegum milkshake, please? Oh, and make it to-go." 

The body-piercingly familiar voice rang in Sehun's head. He froze in his seat, his hand clutching the pencil with so much force, he could feel the wood begin to give out. His heart began to palpitate the same way when he first saw Hyomin turn around, 

Hoseok realised this and grew alarmed, "Hey, hey, hey, you're going to break the pencil!" 

Sehun shook out of his immobility and slowly turned to the counter. His eyes widened as he saw her once again. This time, her short hair was tied into tiny pigtails at the sides of her head. Sehun's mouth opened and closed, as if trying to say something but he couldn't. Why was he always shaken into silence when he looks at her? 

Hyomin paid the cashier with a slight smile and turned around, catching Sehun's stare. She blinked and her shocked expression changed into a bored look. Part of Sehun died because he was slightly hoping for her to burst in happiness and jump into his arms but that'll be asking too much. 

Hyomin looked around and stood in a corner as she waited for her buzzer to buzz. She noticed Sehun slowly getting up and exiting the booth. He was coming her way. 

This guy is impossible. Hyomin thought to herself and resisted the urge to scoff right there. 

Sehun gave a meek smile, "Hello, again." 

Hyomin straightened up and looked him in the eye, "Are you stalking me?" 

Sehun blinked, taken aback at Hyomin's sudden attack. "W-What are you talking about?" 

Hyomin rolled her eyes and folded her arms, "I'll ask you again, are-you-stalking-me?" She paused in between words as she looked Sehun up and down. 

Sehun fervently shook his head, "No! Absolutely not. I came here before you, by the way." 

With a slight chuckle, Hyomin clicked her tongue against the roof of , "Careful, kid. Don't put your nose where it doesn't belong." 

Sehun, slightly offended, straightened his back, "Who are you calling 'kid'? You look no younger than me. I'd say we're the same age." 

Hyomin gave a sarcastic nod and mouthed, "You're totally right.". At that moment, her buzzer sounded. She looked up from her buzzer and gave an innocent tilt of her head, "I'd love to stay and chat, kid, but I'm afraid I have to leave." Hyomin blew a mean girl type of kiss and left to pick up her milkshake. She was halfway to the exit when Sehun grabbed her by the elbow. 

"Can you please stop grabbing me like that? You almost made me drop my precious milkshake." Hyomin irritatedly breathed out. 

Sehun quickly retracted his hand, "I'm sorry. But I have to ask you, do you live in this neighbourhood?" 

Hyomin smirked and pondered out loud, "Hm, let me see. Kick this half stranger in the balls and make a run for it with my milkshake or tell him I live in this area and risk the possibility of being stalked into oblivion? Decisions, decisions." 

Sehun looked down and back up, defensively protecting his nether region, "Look, before you do anything harsh on me and my future offsprings, I don't plan to stalk you." 

Hyomin gave a playful smile but still squinted an eye in distrust. 

"I may look like a with absolutely no life but I mean no harm," Sehun sighed and removed his hands slowly from his nether region, "I'd just really like to see you again." 

Hyomin looked Sehun up and down once again, chuckling humourlessly, "Wow, for someone who seems timid, you're really determined."

Sehun shrugged and sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. Hyomin sighed, "I'm only telling you this now only because my milkshake is starting to liquefy completely and I hate my milkshakes just being flavoured milk. But I'm staying with my cousin, I won't tell you how long though." 

"Your cousin as in Kyunghee?" Sehun asked, getting a nod from Hyomin. 

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have to freeze my milkshake all over again." Hyomin rolled her eyes and stormed out of the parlour. 

Sehun watched her leave with a smile slowly spreading across his face. His racing heart began to calm down, at last. He proceeded back to his booth where Hoseok was already half done with his milkshake. 

Right as Sehun sat down, Hoseok bombarded him with questions, "Who's the hottie and why did that conversation look extremely intense?" Hoseok looked at his friend and gave him a judgemental look, "Whoa. You talk to her for five minutes and you're already smiling like an idiot? I've been talking to you for two days and you haven't cracked a smile!" 

All Sehun did was gave a small chuckle, already waiting for the next time he'll bump into this mysterious and sassy girl.