Over the following weeks Hyori and Yoongi got to know more about each other through their dreams. They realised that they could change their setting as they pleased, everything looking and feeling like it was real. The only limit was that they could only go wherever they had memories of. The dreams haziness had also disappeared as they continued to meet. Another important fact they had come to realize was that whatever they fell asleep in is what they wore in their dreams. This dawned on them after several other dreams in which Yoongi turned up shirtless. They had both tried to change their clothes within the dreams like they did with their surroundings but it never worked.

Yoongi was sitting on the beach in Thailand, a spot that had quickly become a favourite for the pair, waiting for Hyori to turn up. After waiting for over an hour she finally appeared. She sat down heavily next to him. He turned to face her and noticed how tired she looked. “Everything ok?” he had never spoken about some of the things he had seen in his dreams of her over the years. She was unaware that he knew about her situation with her father. She had mentioned that they fought a lot, but she had never told him about her father hitting her. He understood why. They may have been soulmates that had been sharing memories for years, but they were still technically strangers and that wasn’t exactly the type of information you share with just anyone, especially when you’ve only just met.

She nodded, her gaze focused on the shimmering ocean in front of them, her knees pulled up to her chest. “Yeah, just another argument.” She said with a heavy sigh. Yoongi discreetly looked her over for any new injuries, she was wearing long pyjama bottoms and a tank top. Satisfied that she didn’t have any more injuries, he turned to follow her gaze out to the ocean. “How’s the new job?” he asked, hoping to change the subject and lighten her mood. She let out a loud sigh, leaning back on her hands. “I quit. The boss was a ert.” Anger flared throughout Yoongi. “What did he do?” he asked, his voice laced with venom. Hating the thought of anyone hurting her.

“He didn’t do anything to me. Hana and I were closing up the café last night and he thought I was in the back and he outright grabbed her and said some awful things to her. I yelled at him and he just said some nasty things back. I grabbed Hana and we walked out.” The frown remained on Yoongi’s face although he did feel a little relieved. He was unhappy about the boss’s treatment of her friend, but a small part of him was glad it hadn’t happened to her.

She let her head tip back, the sunlight beating down on her face. Yoongi watched her as her frown eventually turned into a small smile. She finally opened her eyes, catching him staring. He looked away, an embarrassed look on his face. “So what are you going to do about a job?” he asked, trying to cover up his embarrassment. She pulled her knees against her chest again and wrapped her arms around her legs. “I’ll find something.”

They stayed that way, sitting side by side, neither feeling the need to fill the silence in the warm light until a loud banging sounded all around them. They both jumped at the sudden sound as the scene around them faded in and out. “What the hell is that?” Yoongi asked. He turned to Hyori who was starting to hyperventilate as the banging increased in tempo and volume, she looked right at him, a look of terror in her eyes. “It’s my father.”

Everything turned black.

Yoongi shot upright in bed. “Hyori!” he shouted. He looked around but he was back in his own bed, back in reality. He swore loudly. The look on her face burned into his mind. He could see her when he closed his eyes. The terrified sound of her voice ringing in his ears. He threw off his blankets and started pacing his bedroom. He knew her name, but because they met every night in their dreams, they had never exchanged any means for contacting each other when they were awake. He racked his brains for any information that would help, but he came up blank.

He swore loudly again. Hating the fact that her father was probably once again hurting her and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do to help her. He checked the time, too frustrated to go back to sleep even though it was just after five in the morning. He remembered Namjoon telling him that he went for a run every morning to clear his thoughts for the day ahead. He wasn’t really the running type, but he thought that maybe a run would help clear his head and help him think of a solution. The thought of waiting until that night to talk to her again left a bad taste in his mouth.

He dug out some running shoes from the back of his wardrobe and threw on some sweatpants and a hoodie. He put in his earbuds and put his music on full blast as he exited his apartment. The air was already hot as he set off in the direction of the park that was close by. He tried to focus on his breathing and the loud music playing in his ears instead of thinking about what was potentially happening to Hyori at that exact moment.

He made one lap of the park and after promising himself that he would run more in the future, he slowly headed back towards his apartment. He pulled out his headphones as he entered the elevator, using his hoodie to wipe the sweat from his face. “I can’t believe I’m this exhausted after one lap around the park.” He grumbled to himself as the elevator doors slid open. He stepped out of the elevator and froze. There was a figure huddled up by his door.

He hesitantly walked up to the person, his phone in hand, ready to call the building’s security if he needed them. He wondered how on earth they had managed to slip by the security in the first place. When he reached the figure his jaw dropped in shock. “Hyori?” she turned her head to look at him. Yoongi swore loudly at her appearance. Her right eye was swollen, her lip split, and blood was soaking through the material of her hoodie on her right arm, dripping and pooling on the floor below her. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know where else to go.” She said before she passed out.