To be paralyzed in the middle of the woods isn’t what KyungMin would call a good dream, but it isn’t a nightmare neither. She could tell that it is a dream because the familiar feeling of wariness is nowhere to be seen. The warm breath against my neck doesn’t affect her calmness, truth be told it even amplified it. Big hands find their way to her waist and she’s pulled against a hard chest. It isn’t the first time KyungMin is hugged from behind, but this time it made her tremble.

“KyungMin.” The man behind her says softly into her ear. Strangely his voice sounds familiar to her. That familiarity awakes in her an emotion that she identifies as endearment a few heartbeats later.

“NamJoon.” KyungMin sighs. The unfamiliar name gives her a peculiar feeling, but a feeling she quickly gets to like. KyungMin couldn’t understand why it feels like she has said that name numerous times even though she has never met a person with that name.

“I’ve missed hearing my name coming out of your dazzling lips, Freckles.” He rubs his bottom lip against my ear. “I’ve missed you so much, Freckles. Finally, my body feels at ease.” He sighed, satisfied. KyungMin shudders. She is trying to find the voice, she fought so hard to be heard through the years, but NamJoon’s presence induces her body to shut down everything that could burst this bubble. “You looks beautiful as always. Do you know how difficult it is for me not to kill all those boys who dared to touch what’s mine? I just didn’t do anything because of our situation. You like my hands on you, right?” KyungMin nodded slowly, feeling intoxicated. She feels goosebumps through all her body when his lips touch her neck. Unconsciously KyungMin tilts her head to the left, giving him more access.

“Who … are you?” She manages to slip away from her drunkenness enough to ask it.

“I may not be your first date, kiss or love, but I’ll surely be your last everything. I’m someone who doesn’t want anyone else to have your heart, kiss your lip or be in your arms because that’s only my place. I’m your today and all of your tomorrows. I’m Kim NamJoon, a man whose heart you have had in possession since our first meeting, whose goal is to make you happy and your true love.” KyungMin’s sceptical mind loses since the beginning its battle against the sincere-sounding words coming from NamJoon’s heart. Since her mind didn't question his words, KyungMin does nothing but agree with him, making him smile mysteriously. “You’re like a lantern, you lighten my mind, preventing it from getting dark. Ever since we parted, I’ve been alone in a labyrinth, looking for a way out. I tried to reach out to you, always getting fooled by an illusion. It felt like hugging air. I can’t seem to get freed from you. The more you shorten the distance between us, the more anxious my heart gets. I used to get trouble to breathe every time you came close to me. However, I would rather not be able to breathe than to part ways with you. I can’t do that to myself. You disappeared in front of my eyes, leaving me alone in a suffocative silence.”

“I’m sorry.” KyungMin apologizes, suddenly feeling bad for something she never did.

“It’s time to part, darling.” Her hands move instinctively to his arms on her waist, hindering any separation. “Don’t worry, love. We will be meeting soon.” His voice adopts a new tone. “Now, go back to your world. Don’t forget that I’ve always been by your side and I’ll forever stay. We’ll meet soon and you’ll remember.” His voice holds so much hope. “You’ll remember and you’ll come back to me, with teary eyes because you’ll be so overwhelmed. I’ll finally be able to confess everything to you. We’ll finally be together.” He turns her around. KyungMin tries to mesmerize as many details as possible. Even considering forgetting the man in front of her makes her chest hurt. It’s as if that pain has always been there, but only now she’s acknowledging it.

“Don’t let your insecurities cloud intuition. When we meet again, let your instincts guide you. Open up to me and let me enter your heart. Don’t push away. It will only hurt both of us.” NamJoon whispers the last two sentences before locking their lips. Her mind abandons her pessimist and suspicious thoughts. She doesn’t remember the last time she felt so wonderful and delighted.

Emptiness feels her heart when he pulls away. The same easiness she had to close her eyes was at some point replaced by heaviness. After a lot of effort, she manages to lift her eyelids slowly. The drunkenness lost its pleasing feeling. Now her head is hurting and the pain in her leg spreads quickly through her body and she lets a whimper out.

“Madame.” A face pops out in front of her. Kyungmin blinks a few more times before her view regains focus. “Madame, can you hear me?” KyungMin nods slightly to the man’s question. She hears him calling for someone, but her mind is still confused. She feels hands on her, but she hasn’t the strength to push them away. She is suddenly blinded and she moves her head away to the strong light. Her body becomes slowly more aware of her surroundings and the last moments before losing consciousness come back. She looks around, looking for a specific person, but the dizziness due to the nurses’ movements makes her stop.

“Do you remember why you’re here?” KyungMin pushes that vivid dream aside and looks in her memory for the answer. When the scenes before she passes out emerge out of the darkness of her mind, she looks her right arm where a cast is keeping her bones in place.

“Yes.” Her voice is raspy. A nurse approaches her and helps her drink water.

“The police is in front of the room, guarding your room. Do you think you feel well enough to answer their questions? Their chief seems quite insensitive.” The doctor warns KyungMin.

“I’m feeling alright. I can answer his questions.” The doctor orders one of the nurses to pass the message. “ How long have I been unconscious? When can I go home?”

“You’ve just been asleep for a day. Despite your situation, you got really lucky. The bullets didn’t touch any nerves. You have a partial fracture in your arm and the bullet in your leg didn’t touch the bone. No other organs were damaged and you don’t have any brain damage even though you hit your head pretty hard. You have no infection and your bruises will heal soon enough.” He summarizes KyungMin’s condition. “I would like to keep you at least for a few more days. Just to be sure that there is no complication.” Kyungmin accepts the doctor’s decision.

The doctor keeps on checking on KyungMin with the nurses’ help until someone knocks on the door. A man, KyungMin assumes in his late forties, enters the room with two young men following him.

“Hello, I’m Park SungWoo and the detective in charge of this case. I was told that you are willing to answer my questions. Is that true?” She nods. “These are Jeon JeongGuk and Kim TaeHyung. JeongGuk will write everything down. Let’s start easy. You’re Lee KyungMin and you’re 28 years old, right?” She nods again. “Could you please tell me what you remember?”

“I was running after a boy who stole my dreamcatcher.” When she remembers why she got herself in that situation, she looks around desperately. “Where is it?” She repeats it constantly, starting to feel nervous.

“Are you looking for your dreamcatcher?” The policeman named Kim TaeHyung asks her and she nods desperately. He moves around, then walks towards her with a plastic bag. KyungMin smiles widely, thanking TaeHyung when she sees her precious dreamcatcher in the bag.

“Can we continue now?” The detective asks, coldly. KyungMin immediately puts on her business face and looks bluntly.

“As I was saying, I was running after a boy who stole my dreamcatcher. I managed to get it back and had to run away. I tried to get back to the main street, but I ended up in that situation.” She explains.

“By any chance, have you met any member of the gang before?” KyungMin understands immediately what the detective is implying and refuses to fall for it.

“No. Last time I was in Seoul, I was seven years old. I moved to Incheon at that age and never came back. I moved to Seoul yesterday. You can tell your people to confirm it if you think I was a distraction for them to run away.” JeongGuk can’t help but smile at KyungMin’s smart mouth.

“I will. Did you see who shot the first bullet? We’ve already investigated our men and none of them has shot the first bullet. The bullet we found in the leader’s corpse doesn’t match with the ones we use.” KyungMin knows how to change her body language to make people think she’s thinking deeply. She knows the question to his answer, but she doesn’t know if she should tell the truth or not. On one hand, she should help the police investigation, but on another, the truth would put the mysterious man on danger. She remembers all his facial details and would be able to draw him if she wanted to. He is a stranger who walks around with a gun. That detail should make her rational side work, but her emotional side overpowers it. Few are the moments her emotions influence her decisions, but she couldn’t let go of that feeling of treason if she tells the truth.

“No. I’m sorry.” Surprisingly, peace invades when the thought of Namjoon being safe pops up.

“I have bad news for you. Unfortunately, one of the criminals, the man who held you, hostage, managed to run away. You might not remember his face, but he probably remembers yours. You’re a threat to him now, thus you’re in danger. Until we find him, TaeHyung and JeongGuk will guard you.” As she looks at the two young men, a memory, which doesn’t seem to be hers, comes to light.

“There was another person.” Her words surprise the three policemen.

“What do you mean?” The detective’s mind is working rapidly.

“Before that bullet touched the leader of the gang, one of your people was pointing its gun to another police officer.” She puts her memory in words.

“Are you saying that one of the team was about to shoot another?” She nods.

“That would maybe explain why JaeHyun was injured.”JeongGuk talks for the first time.

“Do you think you would be able to recognise the person?” She nods again. The detective gets up and grabs his phone.

“JeongGuk, go to the commissary. Hyungsik will have the list of the police officers involved in the operation ready for you. Go fetch it and come back to show it to her.” JeongGuk stands up and walks out of the room. “TaeHyung, you’ll guard the door of the room. No other officer than me, JeongGuk or an officer that I’ve specifically told that is allowed can come in. Every nurse and doctor have to show their identification.” The detective orders before calling someone. Both of them walk out of the room, leaving her alone to think about the whole situation.

She takes the dreamcatcher out of the bag and looks for any damage. She smiles when none is found. A wave of sadness rushes through her at the thought of the dreamcatcher being destroyed or stolen. It has been by her side since she was three years old. Every emotion or thought she hid from people was shown and heard by that dreamcatcher. It was present during all her failures and success. she sincerely couldn’t imagine what she would do without it.

KyungMin is brought back to reality when her phone starts ringing next to her. She grabs and accepts the incoming call.

“Hello, SeokJin oppa.”

“Thank God you’re awake now. I got scared to death when the hospital called me. How are you feeling now?”

“Still in pain, but it will get better eventually.”

“I hope so. I’m back tomorrow from my trip and will visit you with your new assistant.” KyungMin frowns confused.

“Assistant?”

“I knew it. You were daydreaming on our last call. You remember that photography contest we did?” He doesn’t even wait for her answer. “The winner was chosen last week and we agree that we would be your assistant for six months.”

“I never agreed to that.” She argues back.

“Yes, we did. I asked you if you were willing to take him and you said yes. I even sent you an email to confirm it and I’m sure that not knowing what I had talked about and not wanting to admit it, you simply accepted it.”

“Damn it.” She has nothing to defend herself since it is the truth. “Okay. I accept it.”

“Even if you didn’t, it would be too late. I’ll let you rest. See you tomorrow and I hope you’re nice to the boy. His name is Kim NamJoon by the way. Please remember. Bye.” There is no need to say that that name had an effect on her. She couldn’t understand why she gets excited and anxious to meet that boy. Her rational side makes sure to calm her emotions down. It’s only a name and it doesn’t mean that she would meet the man of her dreams, especially because it was a dream.