A/N: long chapter! last chapter will be updated soon

I always feel like I need to search for something, for someone. I don't know who or what, but it felt like I had to keep going… since that day when the stars started to collide.

It all started when I was in my senior high school. The news came out that there would be a stellar collision at midnight that summer. They said that the neutron star and the flare star would be meeting visibly in the night sky especially in Yeongju, Gangwon Province where I live.

I came from a family of astronomers, although I lost my father in a car crash when I was six and my mother left me with my grandmother to pursue her work as an astronomer in Seoul.

So it was just me and my grandmother to see the stellar collision that night. Grandma was really eager to watch it with me.

Midnight fell in the midst of doing my homework. The TV was loud at the living room, it was noisy outside and Grandma was busy preparing snacks for me. She called me hurriedly once she heard our neighbours cheering outside of our house. The stellar collision had started.

Grandma dragged me outside in our little town and we watched two unfamiliar stars joining together with our neighbours.

Grandma was fascinated. I have never seen her so passionate about something like this before.

Whereas I soullessly watched the collision before my eyes, not caring anything about astronomy.

I saw two stars slowly moving towards each other, they became a brighter and bigger star once they’ve met, everyone was mesmerized. But soon they started to slowly fade when people began to go back to their houses. Two stars were shattered before my eyes and it felt like it was only meant for me to see it.

It started that night. I kept dreaming about a stranger whom I have no clue who he is nor where he lives.

It was strange how we don’t talk in my dreams, but only gave glances with each other when we had the opportunity.

His hair was in the shade of dark brown, his eyes gives a soft gaze, his face flawless and the way he looks at me is like he has known me for a long time.

I dreamt of him for most days. Dreams are said to be forgotten, but somehow I couldn’t forget these strange dreams with him. Every dreams I have vanished from my memory, but dreams I had with him remains in my thoughts.

Something possesses me to search for him, meet him and ask him questions that are left unanswered where I obliviously wondered why he kept appearing in my sleep since that night.

***

During my first year of college, I didn’t went to a big university in Seoul just like my high school friends. I was stuck at Gangwon. I went to a small college near my house, not many college students went here since studying in a province makes no better future for you, they say.

I’m at the peak of poverty at the moment. Mom’s company bankrupted, I didn’t have any source of wealth at this time and mom seems to be not going home from Seoul as she tries to find a new place to work.

Meanwhile, I was forced to work as a waitress in a fancy restaurant near the main city of this province. It usually takes me about an hour to commute there from my town and I usually work at night after classes and it’s pretty exhausting.

One night, a boy I like whose name is Joonmyun helped me a lot with my work. We were the ones left in the restaurant and the others left early before us. We’re co-workers and he gives me a helping hand when I had troubles moving the tables from left to right.

“You look tired.” He said, smiling genuinely at me.

“College hates me.” I simply reply, returning a forced smile.

Once we successfully placed the tables to its right position, Joonmyun dusted off his uniform and briefly checked his phone for missed calls or unread messages.

“It’s eleven o’clock already, aren’t you in need of going home now?” He asks. “Want me to walk you to the bus station or something?”

I giggled at his awkwardness and my cheeks were red for a second. “No thanks, sunbae. I’m fine.”

“You sure?”

“I’m sure.”

Joonmyun sighs. He was worried and it was charming of him to be worried about his co-workers. “Alright then, text me when you get home.”

I gave him a thumbs up and a smile before I bid him goodbye.

Once I finished changing into my ordinary clothes I calmly walked outside my workplace. The security guard looks pissed off since it took me a while to clean up the place.

I headed to the bus stop by foot. It was dark. There were a few post lights on the streets and people are already at their homes, sleeping.

It was just basically me who’s left alone in the lonely streets of the city. It was scary, but I had to pretend I’m brave for a while. 

As I walk, I heard running footsteps from behind. I halted from walking, my eyes were in terror and I couldn’t move a single step. I looked back but all I see was a pitch black streets and a dim post light twenty meters away from me.

I assumed I was alone… or so that I have thought.

I stared at the streets behind me observing possible situations may happen to where I am standing until a hand suddenly cupped my mouth from preventing me from screaming loudly.

I screamed, nevertheless I knew that no one would hear me. I had the urge to bit his fingers with my own teeth until he spoke.

“Please, save me.” He whispers.

My eyes were wide open and abruptly removed his hand out of my face and turned around to see him.

“I need your help.” He said and I was struck for a while.

It’s him, the boy who I have been dreaming often for a whole year. His hair was in the shade of dark brown, his eyes gives a soft gaze, his face flawless and the way he looks at me is like he has known me for a long time. It’s him.

The world around me suddenly went to a stop. I stared at him for the longest time. After months of dream often about this boy, finally he talked to me.

“Wait..” I finally snapped out of my thought. “I’m sorry, but I’ve been wondering for a long time now but—“

“We’ll talk later. I’m being chased right now. I’m not from here and I assume you are.” His expression looked serious. “Will you help me?”

I startled. “But, you’re the boy who keeps appearing in my dreams! Who are you?!” I panicked, my breathing was abnormal and my heart was racing. He did not answered my question, but rather he held my wrist instead.

“This is a dream.” He emphasized. “I have a lot of questions for you too, but right now, let’s get running.” He reassured me which made me surprised even more.

He ran fast while I’m being dragged. I looked back once again while he pulls me for a run. A middle aged man holding a gigantic knife appeared right before my eyes. He was chasing us and I was beyond horrified with the situation that's going on.

"Who's chasing us?!" I asked as I turned my head towards him. He was still pulling me and we were still running.

"My dad, we had a fight last night and now he's haunting me in my dreams." He said between pants as he catch for air.

My eyebrows furrowed. "I'm inside your dream?!?"

"Well, you could say that." He inhaled as he catches his breath.

We ran in a narrow streets where there were no lights nor houses around us. He halted from running and looks for directions to hide. "Where do we go now?" He faced me still panting.

I was the one who looked for something to hide this time. It was dark and it was impossible to look around unless you have a night vision. But I still looked deeply through my black vision, all I see were silhouettes and the night skies above.

After a while a small house with a dim light attached near its door slowly appeared in my vision as if it magically showed up out of nowhere. "I see a house." I hastily ran towards it and he followed from behind.

When we reached the house I silently prayed it’s not locked and with my luck, it’s open.

We entered the house without the owner’s permission, but knowing that I'm in a dream I couldn't care less anymore.

We intruded the small comfy home of a stranger and quickly locked the front door. "Do you think he followed us?" I asked the boy I'm with as I placed my ear near the door to hear if there are footsteps following us.

I suddenly felt a warm body pressed behind my back. I gazed upward to see him peeking through the door hole, checking if the strange man saw us coming to the house. "No, I don't think so. Looks clear outside."

I sighed in relief and relaxed my leg muscles. I collapsed near the door and rested my back on it. "That's some intense running."

He chuckled and open the lights of the tiny house. It was a traditional Korean house where we dropped by. It reminded me so much of the house me and my grandmother lives in Yeongju.

A sudden realization hit me hard. My eyes wandered the house. It was all too familiar.

"Oh, this is my house." I said unconsciously.

"Really? Looks very comfy though. This is where you live, huh. What province is this?” He comments.

I snapped out of my thoughts again and got up to face the strange boy I have been curious about. That strange boy who has been appearing in my thoughts for the past year. "Why don’t you tell me who you are first?! Why are you appearing in my dreams?!" I exploded and he was overwhelmed with my sudden outburst.

I was desperate. I was at my peak and I could control my emotions anymore. It’s been months—a year rather—that he’s been popping out of my dreams wordlessly. My dreams with him were too silent for words and his gazes were the only thing I could remember.

We hadn’t have the time to talk in my dreams. He appears randomly at the end of it and it makes me curious more about his existence—his reason of showing up to me through the strangest way.

“Who are you?” I calmed down a bit.

"I was going