Jongin’s mornings begin with the monotonous sound of his alarm clock. He wakes within a second and since he knows he’ll fall asleep again within minutes he rolls off of his bed, allowing the harsh impact of hitting the floor wake him up. When he opens his eyes his bedroom is still dark, a sign that the sun hasn’t even risen yet. But then again it was a Thursday morning and on Thursdays along with Tuesdays and Fridays, Jongin had dance practise. The thought of dancing excites him and he gets off of the floor while wincing at the slight ache in his bum. Jongin makes his way to the washroom while scratching his belly and he decides not to shower since he’ll probably do so after practise.

Once he’s freshened up for the day he returns to his bedroom and gets his things together. He’d already packed both of his bags last night and since he wanted to get a little extra time on the stage so he decides to leave early. Jongin usually doesn’t eat in the morning since it tends to make him nauseous so he makes his way downstairs, planning on greeting his parents quickly before dipping out the front door. His father is standing at the coffee machine when he enters the living room while his mother is sitting at the dining table, absentmindedly munching on some pancakes. Jongin was like his father in the way that they didn’t like eating breakfast, his older sisters were like his mother but they’d both moved out years ago when they established their own families.

“Good morning mom, dad. I have practise so I’m heading out now,” Jongin mumbles a greeting and he speeds over towards the door. His parents knew that he was on the dance team, after all they’d been the ones who reluctantly signed the permission forms when he’d begged them, but they weren’t happy about it. They tried to act nonchalant about his hobby, not really knowing when his practises were and not even caring about any recitals or performances he did. Jongin ends up taking his time when putting on his shoes however, his bad habit of just slipping on his shoes always left them in a tattered state the next morning. Jongin hears his mother clear and he turns to look at her,

“Midterms are coming up soon right? Don’t hesitate to take a break from dance if you need to study,” his mother reminds him and Jongin opens his mouth only to close it soon after. He gives her a curt nod and since his father doesn’t bother looking at him he doesn’t say another word as he exits. There were a number of things Jongin wanted to say to them, mainly that dancing made him much happier than studying did. But then again, dancing was his so called hobby and it wouldn’t be taken seriously unless he decided to pursue it. That thought was always so tempting but it was far past a line he didn’t want to cross for now. When Jongin walks out of his home’s driveway he sees a very familiar person walking ahead of him, that tuft of cotton candy pink hair was recognizable from anywhere.

“Chanyeol, wait up!” Chanyeol turns when he hears his name and upon seeing Jongin he smiles and pauses, waiting for his friend to catch up to him. It’d been awhile since they’ve talked really. Chanyeol’s house was two away from his own and they grew up playing together, there was another they played with and for once he wasn’t here which was strange. He and Chanyeol were never really apart but then again it was because he wasn’t here that Jongin even bothered calling out to him.

“You don’t have practise today do you? And where’s Kyungsoo?” Jongin asks as they continue walking down the street. Kyungsoo had been the other boy they played with. Kyungsoo’s house was between Chanyeol and Jongin’s and the three had spent the entirety of their childhood together. That was until middle school. Chanyeol and Kyungsoo were both a year older than Jongin was and that never served as a problem but Kyungsoo was weird. He was very weird. At some point he just seemed to always have his head in the clouds and he’d ask strange questions that Jongin didn’t know how to answer. And so Jongin had stopped talking to Kyungsoo, but he still talked to Chanyeol occasionally mainly due to the fact that Chanyeol was on the basketball team and they shared the gym for practises. The school didn’t have a studio for the dance team so they practised on the stage while the basketball team used the gym below.

“We have practise after school but I’m heading out early to meet with my boyfriend. Kyungsoo caught a bit of a cold yesterday,” Chanyeol explains and Jongin nods his head. From what he could recall Chanyeol was dating Baekhyun who was in the theatre club. They were completely different personality wise so Jongin didn’t even know why they were together but then again he didn’t know either of them that well. They continue their walk in silence and when they arrive at school they part ways with a wave. Jongin immediately makes his way to the gym and he drops off his things in the changeroom before he heads to the stage. He’s alone for a total of two minutes before Sehun and Taemin show up.

“Hey Jongin, where’s Kyungsoo? We went to the caf to buy some cookies and we saw Chanyeol and Baekhyun but no Kyungsoo,” Taemin asks through a mouthful of chocolate chip cookie and Jongin winces at the sight. Considering their school was pretty small it wasn’t too surprising that they’d noticed Kyungsoo’s absence but Jongin wonders why they bothered asking him.

“You know I don’t talk to Kyungsoo anymore right? How should I know?” Jongin huffs and he makes his way to the other side of the stage, hoping to get away from his friends but they follow him anyways. After all, they along with another student Yixing were the centres of the dance team and their routine heavily depended on one another anyways. Jongin glances at Taemin and he sees a very familiar eating grin along with raised eyebrows. Sehun on the other hand is eating his cookie like he doesn’t have a care in the world, even though he probably should because if Coach catches him eating a cookie for breakfast he’s going to get a lecture.

“Well, do you know?” Taemin asks and he takes a swig from his water bottle to wash down the remainder of cookie. Jongin sighs and he turns away from them.

“He has a cold,” Jongin answers and he tunes out their mockery. The Coach shows up seconds later and Jongin laughs at them for getting caught anyways but he also gets roped into the lecture because he was treated as an accomplice. Afterwards his day follows its usual routine, nothing is out of the ordinary. Jongin is at his locker, shoving in textbooks he doesn’t need when Chanyeol runs up to him, holding onto what looked like an envelope. Jongin can feel a lurch in his stomach and he can tell this won’t end well for him.

“Sorry Jongin but I have basketball practise and Baekhyun has theatre, do you mind giving this to Kyungsoo? Just drop it off for me alright? Thanks a lot!” Chanyeol pushes the envelope into Jongin’s arms and before he can say a word Chanyeol is running off again. Jongin looks down at the brown envelope in his arms and the messy scrawl that reads Kyungsoo Do is taunting him. Today just wasn’t his day was it. Then again it wasn’t like Jongin wasn’t going to fulfill the request, he had nothing against Chanyeol and he didn’t have to talk to Kyungsoo. Hell, maybe he could just drop it off in his mailbox and be done with it.

As Jongin walks along the sidewalk with his hands in his pockets and earbuds stuck in his ears, he doesn’t know how he feels about going back to Kyungsoo’s house. He hadn’t been there in months, their parents were all still really close and so they’d rotate and hold a monthly dinner, last months had been at the Do’s. Jongin couldn’t really remember the last time he’d been there voluntarily. He heads home like how he usually would but instead of passing by the Do’s house he stops in front of it. The house was pretty alike to his own, the size not too different. Jongin’s bedroom window was actually directly across from what seemed to be the Do’s storage room. At some point it had been Kyungsoo’s bedroom, he could remember how they’d talk through their window screens as children, but suddenly Kyungsoo moved to another room. It was around that time he’d been dubbed as strange in Jongin’s head.

Jongin approaches the front door and he rings the doorbell. He then politely knocks on the door but doesn’t hear anything and from what he could remember Kyungsoo’s mother was usually always at home. He waits for another few seconds before the door opens, Seungsoo, Kyungsoo’s older brother looks at him in surprise. Jongin doesn’t blame him, it’s been a long time since he came here. Seungsoo looks like he’s ready to head out and Jongin wonders if anyone was at home to take care of Kyungsoo.

“Hey Seungsoo, I’m just here to hand something off to Kyungsoo? I heard he has a bit of a cold,” Jongin says and he hopes he’s not being too awkward. Seungsoo frowns and he looks down at the shoe rack as if looking for Kyungsoo’s shoes, he makes a small sound of acknowledgement and hoists his bag higher on his shoulder.

“You can head right up then, his bedroom is up in the attic now. I have to go so, see you,” Seungsoo pats him on the back nonchalantly as he leaves. Jongin scoffs in disbelief and he shuts the door behind him, locking it out of habit. Seungsoo seemed like he didn’t even care. Now Jongin didn’t know what had changed but from what he could remember the Do’s were a family much warmer than his own. They were supportive of their children and they were the ones who usually took care of him when he was sick. Since Mrs. Do worked from home she was always there to take care of any of them when they were sick but now that her own son wasn’t feeling well she wasn’t around?

Jongin doesn’t bother dwelling on the thought for much longer, the sooner he hands off Kyungsoo’s homework the sooner he can go home and take a nap. Jongin climbs the staircase and he passes by the second floor. The next staircase is much more narrow and it leads towards another door that has a sign on it that reads ‘Kyungsoo’s Room’ Jongin smiles when he sees it. They’d all made one together, he’d stopped using his a long time ago but he still kept it in his closet. Jongin knocks on the door and he opens it soon after, a warm gust of air leaving the bedroom as he does. Jongin steps inside and he closes the door behind him, squinting as his eyes adjust to the darkness. There weren’t any windows and the only light source was a small lava lamp in the corner of the room.

Jongin approaches the bed since he can see that Kyungsoo is lying there and he sighs before putting the envelope on the desk. Jongin plans on leaving right away but he finds his eyes lingering on Kyungsoo’s features. It’s been awhile since he’s actually looked at him and his hair is longer now. Kyungsoo looks the same as he always has, the same long eyelashes and flawless skin, the same plump lips that were paler than their usual vibrant red due to his cold. Jongin turns to leave but he hears a whimper leave Kyungsoo’s lips. He steps closer to Kyungsoo’s sleeping form and he can see how there’s a sheer layer of sweat lining his forehead. Jongin can barely react as Kyungsoo’s hand holds onto his own, he’s pulled onto the bed and he feels his consciousness slipping away as he’s pulled into a dream.

Jongin screams as he falls from the sky. The darkness surrounding him changes into a vibrant blue in seconds and he turns so that he’s facing the Earth, his eyes wide when he sees what seems to be a meadow beneath him. Jongin braces himself for the impact and although he hits the ground with a thud, it doesn’t hurt. He feels as if he’s landed on something fluffy like a cloud or a mattress and he bounces off of the ground before rolling off to the side. Jongin sits up almost immediately and he notes how the sky isn’t one uniform colour. He looks at the sky in wonder, watching how the blue hues melt with the oranges and pinks, creating a kind of purple where the colours met. It was like a live acrylic drip painting was being created above him.

Once he’s finally able to tear his eyes away from the sky above he notes how the meadow wasn’t all that was around him, for in the distance was a vast wall of trees that lead to what Jongin guessed would be a long stretch of forest. It looked magical but not comforting in the least so he finds no curiosity in those woods. Jongin touches the blades of grass beneath his fingertips and they feel soft to the touch. His breath is heavy as he tries to process where he is and he sees a small cottage in the near distance. There’s a line of smoke dancing from the chimney and Jongin opts to head towards it, smoke meant that it was occupied right? Jongin forces himself to stand and although his legs are weak he manages to find his balance.

Carefully he follows the flower lined pathway towards the cottage. As he walks the soft melody of the wind graces him and he finds himself smiling. A gentle humming catches his attention and Jongin inches closer, curious. Once he reaches the cottage he notes how it looks exactly like that from a fairy tale. The features are exaggerated on the outside and he wonders how practical it truly was on the inside. Cautiously, he makes his way up the small steps leading towards the door and he curls his toes on the welcome mat beneath his feet. Suddenly he regrets not growing into the habit of wearing socks. Jongin holds onto the small knocker and he knocks thrice, waiting.

“Come on in!” Jongin feels chills run up his spine and he can’t remember the last time he heard Kyungsoo’s voice directly. He does as he’s told and hesitantly turns the doorknob before he opens the door. Initially Jongin is overwhelmed with the warmth coming from inside of the cottage, along with the familiar scent of kimchi stew, so eerily similar to what his grandparents make in Seoul. Jongin enters and he looks around, seeing how cozy the cottage is. The main colours are a mixture of browns and reds, oranges and yellows. Everything was so warm and inviting. Jongin sees a small fireplace running and around it were two armchairs, each adorned with their own cushions and blankets. Above the fireplace sits a number of framed photos, ones he can’t make out from where he is.

“Silly, why’d you knock?” Kyungsoo says to him with a light laugh and Jongin turns to look at him. He’s wearing his glasses along with a blue shirt and a brown apron. He looks positively adorable and he looks much brighter than Jongin has ever seen him. He can’t bring himself to answer and Kyungsoo’s smile begins to fade, his expression changes to one of concern and Jongin clears his throat.

“Umm hey Kyungsoo, where am I?” Jongin asks awkwardly as he scratches his head. Kyungsoo pauses for a moment. The two look at one another and Jongin just feels even more awkward so he looks at anything but Kyungsoo. He decides to get a better look at the pictures on the fireplace but before he can Kyungsoo holds onto his wrist. There’s a small smile on his lips and he gestures for Jongin to follow him outside. They exit the cottage and Kyungsoo closes the door behind him. Jongin can’t help but stare at the skies again and he takes a seat beside Kyungsoo on the front steps. He wonders who Kyungsoo had been waiting for.

“How did you get here Jongin?” Kyungsoo asks quietly and his tone is so different from before. Jongin swallows hard and he looks down at his fingers.

“Chanyeol passed me your homework, said he didn’t have time to drop it off. So I went to your house and Seungsoo let me in, he left before I could pass it on to him. I went up to your room and you were asleep so I placed your homework on your desk but before I could leave you grabbed my wrist and then I was here,” Jongin explains and he leaves out the part about him admiring Kyungsoo’s features. His explanation doesn’t explain why he was close enough to get grabbed but he hopes that Kyungsoo won’t pay attention to the details.

“We’re in my dream right now,” Kyungsoo says and as he does another gust of wind passes them by. Jongin closes his eyes at the sudden impact and when he opens them again suddenly it seems as if they’re somewhere else entirely. Jongin looks around and he sees how the once blue skies were now a flaming red, not as if the world was ending but as if the world was ready to fall asleep. The once dancing grass was now still, the wind was gone and the world was slowly dimming as the sun said its farewells. Jongin looks over at Kyungsoo and he can’t read his face, one half of it is covered in shadows but he looks sad. So sad.

“I can control my dreams. But I’m also able to pull others into my dreams as well, if they’re too close. It’s why my parents moved my room to the attic, so that I’m far away from them all,” Kyungsoo sounds lonely Jongin thinks as the skies begin to darken. Soon enough Kyungsoo’s face is completely hidden by the darkness and Jongin feels scared, unable to see his own hands. That is until he sees a small light in the sky and when he lifts his head he sees miles upon miles of stars shining above, brighter than the average stars. Jongin clears his throat and he coughs.

“Is that necessary?” Jongin can’t bring himself to look at Kyungsoo for some reason.

“No, I can only pull someone into my dream if they touch me,” Kyungsoo reveals and Jongin nods his head slowly. He’s still trying to process whether or not this is reality. Well to be fair he is in Kyungsoo’s dream right now but everything felt so surreal. It couldn’t be real. Jongin cautiously turns his head and he can see Kyungsoo’s honest eyes looking at him through the dark. His breath hitches and he struggles to maintain eye contact. Kyungsoo smiles gently and he shakes his head.

“Come on, it’s time to wake up,”

When Jongin opens his eyes his whole body feels stiff. He blinks rapidly to grasp a hold of his surroundings and he registers how his body is bent awkwardly considering he’d fallen into Kyungsoo’s dream earlier. Jongin yawns and he looks up seeing how Kyungsoo was now sitting up tall and how they were still holding hands. Jongin feels his cheeks heating and he pulls away gently, standing up a little too fast and regretting it when he feels his body protest. Kyungsoo holds out his arms in case he falls and Jongin reassures him that he’s okay. Only when he notices how sweaty his hand is does he remember that Kyungsoo was ill.

“Are you feeling okay? Have you eaten? Have you taken your medicine yet?” Jongin blurts out and his hands flail around. Kyungsoo shakes his head and his usually fluffy hair is a little on the greasy side.

“I’ll be okay. Thank you for dropping off my homework. You can go now Jongin,” Kyungsoo sounds polite but he also sounds a little tired. Jongin wants to protest but then he remembers that they’re not friends. He and Kyungsoo were mere neighbours and childhood friends. They didn’t talk in school or in general. Jongin usually avoided Kyungsoo when he could. He feels guilt building up in his stomach and he finds himself wanting to say more but he decides not to.

“Feel better soon,” he mumbles quietly and he doesn’t look back as he exits Kyungsoo’s bedroom, sure to close the door behind him. Jongin heads down the stairs and he feels a little uneasy considering how quiet the house is. He leaves quietly and he takes one last look at the narrow staircase that lead up to the attic before he steps outside. Jongin hurries back to his own house and he opens the door, hearing the familiar sound of his mother cooking.

“Jongin you’re late, where have you been?” his mother inquires and Jongin removes his shoes with a sigh. She usually wasn’t one to pry considering he only ever went to school and to practise but since she expected him to spend every ounce of his free time studying whenever he was late she’d ask. Jongin was usually the type to text his mom informing her of whether or not he was going to be late as well. Jongin stretches and his bag almost slips right off of his shoulders as he does so.

“I was just dropping off some homework to Kyungsoo, Chanyeol asked me to,” Jongin adds. His parents are well aware of how he’d drifted from his childhood friends despite spending every minute glued to their sides when they were all children. Jongin’s mother smiles and her expression grows fond.

“You used to follow Kyungsoo around all the time. I remember how you used to cry when you had to leave his side, you used to throw a tantrum anytime someone separated you from your Kyungsoo,” Jongin’s mother says with a loud laugh and Jongin’s eyes widen, his cheeks burning as he pouts.

“No I didn’t!” he protests and she only laughs louder. Her laughter is clear as she stirs whatever it is that she’s cooking in the pot. Jongin assumes it’s another stew, she liked to make those since they lasted a long time.

“You always used to play outside together. I still remember how much you cried when Kyungsoo started school first-”

“Okay mom I’ll be in my room if you need me!” Jongin cuts her off entirely and he rushes up the stairs towards his bedroom. Closing the door loudly behind him to effectively block out his mother’s loud laughter. Jongin finds himself smiling though, it’d been awhile since she’d joked around with him like that. Jongin tosses his bag beside his desk and he proceeds to remove his uniform, changing into a simple t shirt and sweatpants for maximum comfort. As he throws himself onto his bed his mind wanders back towards Kyungsoo. He wonders if he’ll be okay on his own.

Jongin looks over to Kyungsoo’s house from his window and he frowns, the house had been so empty when he’d visited. Jongin knows that he’ll be fine, he was a teenager after all but the thought of Kyungsoo sitting alone in the attic made him feel sad. Whenever Jongin was sick his whole family would fuss over him and take care of him until he was well again.

Two days have passed since Jongin had last seen Kyungsoo and he finds his thoughts constantly going back to his childhood friend. Had he recovered from his cold? Well he guessed not considering he hadn’t come back to school yet. How did his ability work? Or would it be called a skill? A power just sounded weird. Either way, it was much too complicated for Jongin’s teenage mind to contemplate but he couldn’t help it. He also couldn’t help but think about how Kyungsoo had blossomed. Since they were young he could remember being envious of Kyungsoo for his pale skin and long lashes, the other kids used to make fun of him for being tanned, never Kyungsoo though.

Jongin shakes his head and he decides that he needs to stop thinking about his childhood friend for his own sanity’s sake. Since Jongin wanted to stay on the school’s dance team he needed to make sure his grades were high and so after school he’d usually spend time at the library. Thankfully his practises were usually in the morning. Jongin looks around the decently sized school library and he searches for his favourite table. It was a four seater table in the corner of the library, people usually avoided it because the sunlight was always so strong there. Jongin loved it though. It was so warm there and if he needed to he could easily take a break from his studies to take a nap plus it was on the other side of the library so the librarian usually avoided it. Jongin emerges from between the shelves of History books and he’s surprised to see someone at the table.

Upon closer examination Jongin sees that it’s Kyungsoo. He hadn’t been expecting to see anyone there, to be honest Jongin was used to seeing the table empty. He doesn’t want to find another table however but he doesn’t exactly want to share the table with Kyungsoo either. Jongin steps closer with hesitation and he realizes that Kyungsoo was asleep. His eyes widen as he sets down his things in front of Kyungsoo’s open textbook that was now being used as a pillow. Lost in his own thoughts he doesn’t take a seat just yet. Compared to a few days ago Kyungsoo looks much healthier, he definitely didn’t look as pale nor gaunt however he didn’t glow as much as he had when Jongin saw him in his dream. Speaking of dreams, Kyungsoo’s ability was the only thing on Jongin’s mind for the past few days.

He didn’t expect to see him asleep in such a public place though. Jongin looks down at Kyungsoo’s hand, seeing how it twitched from his dreams but was otherwise relaxed. It was tempting. Jongin knew that Kyungsoo probably wouldn’t appreciate having his dream interrupted like that again but his curiosity was hard to fight. Jongin decides to sit in the seat beside Kyungsoo’s and he lies down opposite the other, eyes fluttering as he looks at Kyungsoo’s sleeping expression. He closes his eyes after deeming his behaviour creepy and he feels around the table, searching for Kyungsoo’s hands. Once he holds it, he’s pulled into another dream.

This time Jongin doesn’t find himself falling through the sky, he’s falling through space. It’s positively surreal he thinks as he watches asteroids fly through the nebulas in the distance. Jongin’s breath is taken away when he looks down and he sees the moon coming closer and closer. And even though he’s well aware of how the moon would have frozen him by now, he’s reminded that he’s in a dream when he sees Kyungsoo standing on the surface of a crater. His eyes are comically wide as he watches Jongin descend. Jongin looks over him and he can see that Kyungsoo was dressed very casually, he was donning a Hawaiian style shirt along with shorts and flip flops. He had a pair of sunglasses on his head and he was still as pale as always, contrasting against the dull colours on the moon. Jongin can see that Kyungsoo’s holding a golf club and he can see another in the near distance, but there was no one around.

“Jongin? What are you doing here? How’d you get here?” Kyungsoo doesn’t seem angry per say but he is very confused. Jongin doesn’t really know why he decided to come back either. He feels a little guilty about barging into Kyungsoo’s dreams like this even though they were most certainly not friends. But Jongin couldn’t deny the wonder he felt while he was here. Maybe it was because he envied Kyungsoo, for having this ability. Jongin lands on the moon and he notes that it felt like gravel beneath his shoes. He looks over to Kyungsoo and he sees that his cheeks are pink.

“Hi Kyungsoo, you were sitting at the table I usually sit at in the library and I guess I accidentally touched your hand while I was setting up my things,” Jongin lies and Kyungsoo, to his guilt, seems to believe him. For a second things are quiet between them and Jongin looks at the way Kyungsoo was leaning on the golf club awkwardly. With a squint of his eyes he finds the other golf club and he approaches it, bending down before picking it up from the ground. Kyungsoo watches him with those same wide eyes and Jongin clears his throat.

“Wanna continue?” Jongin has no idea how to play golf but he assumes it’s not that difficult. Kyungsoo seems hesitant but he slowly smiles before walking over towards the golf ball that Jongin hadn’t even noticed. Together they return to the crater Kyungsoo had been standing in before and when Kyungsoo sets down the ball, they begin the game. The game of golf is more than difficult considering the fact that the lack of gravity doesn’t work on them but it does work when they hit the ball too hard. Jongin had asked whether or not he could control it but Kyungsoo had said he couldn’t after Jongin had gone after the ball for the nth time. Turns out Kyungsoo didn’t exactly know how golf worked either, because they really just ended up hitting the golf ball with no purpose.

At some point the golf ball goes way past the imaginary gravitational pull that Kyungsoo had created for them and it goes flying off into space. The two stare at it as it flies away and Jongin’s eyes widen when he sees that the sun is coming towards them. Once the golf ball hits the sun’s atmosphere it bursts into a bundle of sparks. Jongin’s jaw drops and he steps back in fear but Kyungsoo holds his hand. Their eyes meet and Kyungsoo grins, gesturing towards the sun with a little tap of his foot. Jongin doesn’t even have a chance to protest as he’s pulled along with Kyungsoo who’s jumped off of the moon. They’re now flying towards the sun and Jongin can’t help the yelp that escapes his lips as the violent rays of the large star comes closer. He wants to shield his face but the speed they’re travelling at makes it impossible.

“Jongin open your eyes, it’s alright,” Kyungsoo’s voice soothes him and Jongin does as he’s told, albeit without hesitance. His eyes flutter open and when they do he sees that he’s on the surface of the sun. However, unlike the realism of documentaries he’d stayed up late watching, Kyungsoo’s sun is but a sandy beach with a red sky. Jongin lets go of Kyungsoo’s hand and he steps forward, feeling the wobbly sand underneath his shoes. When Jongin turns around he sees Kyungsoo standing on a small court risen from the sand and he recognizes it to be a tennis court. Kyungsoo is now wearing what he recognizes as the uniform from one of the animes’ they used to watch as children and when Jongin looks down at himself, he’s wearing the same uniform. He accepts Kyungsoo’s challenge and enters the other side of the court.

Playing tennis together was much more fun than playing golf. They still didn’t really know what they were doing but at least they could both reenact scenes they could recall from their childhood. Jongin found himself laughing loudly and Kyungsoo’s laughter rung like a bell in the midst of the solar flares dancing above them. Just as Jongin successfully hits the ball over the net to Kyungsoo’s side, the sand below them shifts and Jongin falls through the sun.

“It’s time to wake up,”

“Jongin? You’re hurting me,” Kyungsoo’s sweet voice is what wakes Jongin. He opens his eyes too quickly and it takes a moment for his eyes to adjust, when they do he can see Kyungsoo’s face close to his own, scrunched up in pain. Jongin sits up with haste and he looks down at their joined hands before quickly letting go, also did he just think that Kyungsoo’s voice was sweet? Kyungsoo sits up slowly afterwards, rubbing his hands together with pouty lips. One side of his face was red from being squished against the table and Jongin has no idea why he finds that cute. There’s an awkward silence between the two and Jongin’s brain isn’t even trying to help him come up with an excuse as to why he invaded Kyungsoo’s dream again.

“It was an accident! I was setting up my things and I touched your hand,” Jongin’s mouth works faster than his brain does and he spends a minute congratulating himself for avoiding a possible mishap. Only then does Jongin remember that he’d already explained his reason for entering Kyungsoo’s dream, in the dream. Kyungsoo isn’t even looking at him, he’s looking at Jongin’s things that have been set up in the seat across from him rather than beside him. It wasn’t hard to tell that Kyungsoo wants to ask why Jongin’s things are so far from where he decided to sit. Jongin feels his face heat up and Kyungsoo smiles,

“Would you like me to show you a dream tonight? So far you’ve been interrupting my dreams, would you like me to create your own?” Kyungsoo offers and Jongin blinks in surprise. Why would Kyungsoo do that for him? There weren’t friends, there weren’t anything really, aside from neighbours and childhood friends. Jongin can’t deny that it’s tempting though. He’s been so stressed with his high school years coming to an end and all that’s coming for him right after it. School applications have been too much to consider and he’s not even in his last year yet. Kyungsoo’s dreams have been an escape from everything and he wonders if he’s unconsciously using him. Possibly so but he wouldn’t be able to deny that he’s enjoyed Kyungsoo’s company. They don’t talk about anything real, anything bothering them and Jongin quite likes that.

“Sure, I’d like that,” Jongin smiles and they begin gathering their things. It’s already well into the afternoon now, bordering evening as they leave the library. Jongin will have to study at Kyungsoo’s but he doesn’t mind, if anything Kyungsoo could probably help him out. They begin their walk home but as they do they hear both of their names being called from the near distance. Jongin turns to find Chanyeol and Baekhyun rushing towards them, as well as Taemin. Why was Taemin even here so late?

“We’ve been looking for you two! Why are you together?” Chanyeol asks with bated breath, it was a shock to see them together at any given point. But after two hours of being unable to reach them? It was highly suspicious. At least to Chanyeol. Taemin on the other hand was just grinning, a little too widely for Jongin’s comfort.

“We were in the library. Chanyeol, Baekhyun, Jongin will be joining us on our walk home,” Kyungsoo says quietly and everyone present drops their jaws. Jongin is still busy trying to figure out what his friend was still doing here.

“Audition forms are up dude, if you want a chance at a scholarship this will be it. There’s always the year end performance but the spaces are limited since they start giving out scholarships at the auditions,” Taemin waves around a form for Jongin to take and he reads the top. It has to do with a dance scholarship at a well renowned music school. He finds it awfully tempting but he can’t let anyone know that. So he scrunches up the sheet and shoves it into his pocket. Taemin had always secretly known that he wanted to study dance even though he’s spent majority of their high school years denying it. Taemin was the sole reason why Jongin had even joined the high school dance team, his parents had pulled him out of ballet when he was in the fifth grade and he’d been told to focus on his studies.

“Thanks Taemin, we have to go now. Kyungsoo?” Jongin looks down at Kyungsoo who nods and leads the way. Jongin doesn’t look back at Taemin and he even hears a faint complaint from Baekhyun, reminding them that they’re still there. From what he could remember, Baekhyun had moved into the neighbourhood about a year ago and had quickly become friends with Chanyeol and Kyungsoo, more so Baekhyun, since they were dating. Jongin walks close to Kyungsoo and they don’t say a word, embracing the evening atmosphere of busy cars rushing home for dinner and students hanging out after clubs or just until their parents call and yell at them to come home. Jongin knows he’ll have to head over to his own place since he needs to get his stuff and tell his mom that he’s staying over at Kyungsoo’s for a night.

They reach their neighbourhood within minutes and soon enough Baekhyun is saying goodbye to the group before parting to his own home. The three childhood friends walk side by side for the remainder of the walk. They don’t really speak but it’s a bit difficult to when Jongin and Kyungsoo’s only means of conversation is one that Chanyeol isn’t familiar with. As for Chanyeol he can’t fathom why the two were together in the first place. They reach Chanyeol’s home first and they wave him goodbye as he rushes into his home. Jongin can hear barking as soon as the door opens and he smiles, remembering when Toben had been a mere pup. They reach Kyungsoo’s house next and they pause for a moment. Jongin plans on just meeting Kyungsoo back at his house but Kyungsoo walks with him to his house.

“I should greet your mom, it’s been a long time,” Kyungsoo says in that soft voice of his. He’s as polite as he’s always been as well, Jongin notes. They make their way towards the Kim’s home and Jongin opens the door, not surprised to hear the sound of his mother cooking in the kitchen. It was almost as if she did nothing else but in reality she took a long time to cook because she often spaced out. Jongin enters his home first and he holds open the door for Kyungsoo to follow. His mother turns to greet him as usual but she freezes upon seeing the familiar face.

“Hello Aunt Kim,” Kyungsoo breaks out his perfectly fluent Korean and Jongin frowns a bit, he’d never really picked up the language that well. Jongin tries to slink away while Kyungsoo entertains his mother and although he feels slightly bad for doing so, Kyungsoo has always been amazing with moms and grandmothers alike. He rushes upstairs and he packs a second bag with clothes and his toothbrush as well as any other night time essentials. His school bag has all of his textbooks inside so he doesn’t bother unpacking that and he heads back downstairs, hearing the sound of his mother and Kyungsoo conversing.

“Going somewhere Jongin?” his mother inquires as soon as he sets his things down on the floor beside Kyungsoo’s and he clears his throat dramatically.

“Can I stay over at Kyungsoo’s place tonight? We’re going to study,” Jongin asks and explains all at once. Jongin’s mother looks skeptical and Jongin knows why. After all it’s not every day your son asks to stay over at his childhood friend’s house (a childhood friend he doesn’t talk to anymore) with the premise of studying. He also knows that his mother was still actively trying to get him to focus on his studies rather than dance. Kyungsoo seems perfectly calm and he smiles directly at her.

“Jongin has asked me to help him review some topics he’s confused with,” Kyungsoo says and it doesn’t sound like a complete sentence nor does it sound very convincing at all but Jongin’s mother is nodding in a heartbeat. Jongin sighs and he can’t help but roll his eyes when Kyungsoo grins at him. Then again it was a known fact that Kyungsoo was a model student. Although Jongin couldn’t say he recalls seeing Kyungsoo’s name on the top of any lists. They both stand and Jongin is given a pat on the back from his mother.

“I’ll let you go this time, next time I’d like more notice! Focus on your studies okay you two? I’ll tell your father when he gets home, study hard!” Jongin’s mother says in a flurry before she gently shoves them towards the front door. Kyungsoo steps outside first and Jongin follows soon after. The sun is setting now and the orange skies above are warm as shadows dance on the Earth below. Jongin is vaguely reminded of the first dream he’d entered and he can still feel the soft breeze grazing his skin. He looks over to Kyungsoo who is staring at the sky as well, he takes a deep breath and looks back at Jongin with an unreadable smile.

Not a word is spoken between them as they exit the Kim’s property and enter the Do’s. Jongin waits patiently as Kyungsoo unlocks the door and together they step inside. Jongin can hear the sound of the television and he wonders if Kyungsoo’s family was home. They remove their shoes and for a moment no one comes to greet them to Jongin’s confusion. Kyungsoo gives him a tight lipped smile and he urges Jongin to follow him into the living room. Jongin does as he’s told, juggling his bags awkwardly in his arms as he does. All of Kyungsoo’s family members are indeed in the living room, although his dad is in the kitchen. Jongin could remember how during their childhood Mrs. Do rarely cooked, Mr. Do had done it all.

“Mom, Dad, Jongin is going to stay over tonight,” Kyungsoo announces in a small voice and no one lifts their head. Jongin ends up having a coughing fit due to his inability to properly breathe with all the tension in the air and Mrs. Do looks away from the television, smiling when she sees Jongin. Mr. Do also leaves the kitchen and makes his way over, Seungsoo on the other hand remains unbothered as he sits and watches whatever show was currently playing.

“Jongin! It’s been so long since you came by, how are your parents?” Mr. Do asks and Jongin barely has a chance to answer because Mrs. Do is gushing about how much he’s grown.

“You’re free to stay over honey, would you bring up his things while I get the spare room ready?” Mrs. Do is clearly talking to Kyungsoo but she doesn’t acknowledge that she is. Rather than look at him she speaks like she expects him to do as he’s told. Kyungsoo makes no movement to grab his bags and Jongin’s grip tightening reassures that he wasn’t going to let him take them anyways. Jongin clears his throat and he steps back with a small bow, polite.

“Thank you but I’d like to stay in Kyungsoo’s room, we’ll be up late studying,” Jongin assures them but they clearly don’t want to hear it. Constantly telling him that staying in the spare room would be a better option. Jongin politely steps away and he holds Kyungsoo’s hand,

“Thank you again but Kyungsoo and I have some studying to do,” Jongin bows and he drags Kyungsoo up the stairs. It takes a moment for Kyungsoo to actually register what’s happening and he only regains his conscious when they reach the stairs, letting go of Jongin’s hand before he takes the lead, up towards the attic. It’s a long climb Jongin thinks. The attic in his own home was a place he’d never been before, the room wasn’t accessible via a stairway like the Do’s, it was a small door at the top of sister’s old room’s closet. He could remember the horrible stories his sisters would tell him just to see how scared he was. As they arrive in Kyungsoo’s bedroom Jongin finds himself finally being able to breathe and he drops his things with a thud.

“I know you want to study but truth be told, I don’t really care for studying,” Kyungsoo reveals with a small smile, as if he’d just told a joke. Jongin doesn’t say anything against that, it was Kyungsoo’s choice after all. Jongin takes Kyungsoo’s desk while the latter lies on his bed. After confirming that music doesn’t bother his studies Jongin puts his nose in his books while Kyungsoo lounges around, occasionally blessing the air with his shy melodies.

“What dream did you want to show me?” Jongin asks as they walk through the city. It’d been a first, seeing Kyungsoo conjure a dream that wasn’t completely out of this world or isolated from anyone else. It’s currently late evening as they make their way through an unknown city, it looks like a mashup or Tokyo and New York, then again Jongin had only seen either in movies and not even in great detail. There were numerous people passing by and they were all familiar but not in ways that Jongin could recognize. Maybe these people were just everyday faces he’d passed by? They reach a small alleyway and Kyungsoo opens a red metal door, tilting his head as he waits for Jongin to enter first.

As soon as they enter, there’s a strong flash of light that causes Jongin to cover his face instinctively. When he finally opens his eyes again he’s on a stage. There are large spotlights shining down on him and there’s an audience in front of him. Jongin doesn’t know what to do and he can hear the beginning of a song he’d performed with his school dance team at the opening ceremony this year. Jongin makes out Kyungsoo’s face among many others and he sees him mouth the word, ‘Dance’. And so he does.

Jongin lets the music drown him as he dances in it’s waves. He makes use of the whole stage and considering he’d gotten a solo during their performance earlier this year, he follows the routine. However when the music keeps going and he’s gone through the whole routine in his head he continues on. Jongin allows himself to get carried away and he feels so alive. His smile is bright and even though he knows that in the real world he’d be a sweating mess right now, it doesn’t bother in him the slightest. Kyungsoo’s dream keeps him cool and comfortable throughout his whole routine and it reenacts the thrill of performing well enough. The music finally ends and Jongin is awarded with an applause, louder than he’d ever heard before.

Jongin exits the stage and Kyungsoo is waiting for him with a proud smile on his face. Together they enter another red door and this time they’re flying through space again. Jongin doesn’t have to hold onto Kyungsoo’s hand this time because he’s gotten used to travelling like this and they pass the sun and the moon. Jongin smiles at the memories as they do. Kyungsoo stops at what Jongin recognizes to be Saturn and they sit on the ring itself. Jongin isn’t too sure about the logic of it all but they sit side by side, staring out at the stars. It makes him feel so small, he unconsciously shifts closer to Kyungsoo, seeking his presence in a more tangible sense.

“Thank you for that. I’ve always suppressed wanting to become a professional dancer, my parents are…” Jongin doesn’t have to say anything else. One look from Kyungsoo and he knows that he’s understood. His elder sisters had gone on their own paths, his eldest sister owned a bakery while the other worked as a hotel manager. Jongin wasn’t sure what his parents were hoping for him but they were definitely urging him into the business field. He hated business and he had no clue how it actually worked.

“You don’t need to thank me, it’s just a dream. Although I do think you can make it a reality. You’re really talented Jongin,” Kyungsoo says quietly and his voice is tiny amongst the still spaces around them. Once again, Jongin feels so small and Kyungsoo suddenly feels so far away. Now that he thinks about it he doesn’t really know what Kyungsoo wants to be. Jongin was sure that he talked about wanting to become a dancer when he was younger, he has memories of Kyungsoo encouraging him back then as well. But he can’t recall Kyungsoo ever having a dream career, or maybe he just never asked.

“What’s your dream?” Jongin asks and Kyungsoo turns to him with wide eyes. Jongin watches as Kyungsoo’s expression grows unstable, shifting from shocked, worried and afraid all at once. The ring of Saturn begins to shake beneath them and Kyungsoo breathes heavily. Jongin looks around in confusion when the scenery begins to change and he can see the stars fading into what looks like flowers in a meadow before they fall through space.

“Wake up!”

Jongin sits in his bedroom with a conflicted expression on his face. It’s been a few days since he last saw Kyungsoo. After the night that Kyungsoo lost control of his dream he’d made it clear that he didn’t want Jongin to enter his dreams again for a long while, despite not saying anything. Jongin had never seen Kyungsoo so shocked before, maybe he didn't have a dream but that was okay. It wasn’t like he was the only one who didn’t after all. That morning had been tense for the both of them, they’d woken up in each other’s embrace since Kyungsoo’s bed with a humble twin size bed and Jongin they didn’t say a word to one another, parting when Jongin left early to go to dance practise. He’d wanted to talk to Kyungsoo during school but it’d been difficult to find him.

The time for submitting the audition forms were drawing near and Jongin had a plethora of thoughts on his mind. He wanted to audition, he wanted to take the chance but he needed his parents permission to do so. His parents had been hesitant about letting him join the dance team, he wasn’t sure if they were going to let him audition to do dance in post secondary. Jongin swallows hard and he has to remind himself that this was what he wanted. He didn’t want to sit around in an office somewhere, calculating numbers every day, that wasn’t for him. Jongin takes a deep breath and he knows that both of his parents are downstairs. He takes the form with a shaking hand and leaves his bedroom, taking the stairs slowly as if he could draw out the time before confrontation for a little longer.

As he enters the living room his parents immediately acknowledge him, a bit concerned as they look from his worried expression to the sheet of paper dangling in his hand. It’d been previously crumpled but he tried his best to straighten it out. Jongin clears his throat and his father turns down the volume of the television, wordlessly telling him that the floor was all his. Jongin was thankful for the background noise, it allowed him to think. His hands shake and he takes another deep breath, his toes curling on the carpet.

“I’d like to go for an audition for a dance scholarship. I want to pursue dance as a career. And I know that you’re against it but I want to do it. I won’t forget about my studies just in case it doesn’t work out but I want to try and I want to make it happen,” Jongin rambles ever so slightly but he tries to keep his shaky voice from wavering. His parents share a glance and Jongin doesn’t realize his breath is held until his mother stands and gently places a hand on his own. He unclenches his fists and she takes the permission form from him, smoothing out its new creases. She places a hand on his shoulder and Jongin exhales deeply as he looks at her.

“Jongin, you’ll be an adult soon and you have control over your future. We’re just here to guide you, but if you’re ultimately in charge of your life,” Jongin knows what this means. It means that they don’t approve of it but they won’t stop him either. And that was more than he really needed right now. Jongin looks at his father and he’s greeted with the same stoic expression that had been there for his whole childhood, he looks proud though. Jongin waits with bated breath as his mother reads over the form and fills it out. They don’t wish him a good luck but he supposes that their “approval” was good enough. Jongin hurries up to his bedroom and he only lets out the breath he’d been holding when he closes the door behind him. As Jongin looks down at the signed form he can’t help but smile.

He did it .

One step closer to his dreams he thinks. Jongin looks out of his window over at the Do’s house and he can’t help but sigh. He wants to tell Kyungsoo about this. Jongin places the signed form down on his desk before deciding to place it in his binder, storing it carefully in his bag so he won’t forget to bring it to school on Monday. Jongin goes to sit down on his bed and he flops down unceremoniously, his body protesting from the impact of his lumpy mattress. Jongin closes his eyes and he feels the silence ringing in his ears. He misses the sound of music but despite being a dancer, he never truly delved into the genre he was interested in. Kyungsoo’s music had been right up his alley.

Jongin closes his eyes and he has the sound of Kyungsoo’s music along with his voice playing in his head. His breathing slows and he finds himself falling asleep to the soothing memories.

Jongin can remember this as the park in their neighbourhood, it’s been years since he returned but he could recognize those beat up slides from anywhere. Jongin walks further and he leaves the playground before exploring more of the park, he can see children playing in the distance and he inches closer, curious as to who they were. His eyes widen when he recognizes the children to be him and Kyungsoo.

They couldn’t be any older than 3 or 4 years old but Jongin could recognize his bear overalls from anywhere, he used to wear those all of the time. He couldn’t really recall this day, he couldn’t remember a lot of days where he and Kyungsoo played alone. The moment Chanyeol moved into the neighbourhood, they’d always been a trio.

“I want a big house! In the woods! Like a bear!” Jongin watches with a fond smile as he and Kyungsoo lie down on the grass together, scribbling into a small notebook. Kyungsoo enthusiastically draws a house along with scribbles of trees and little Jongin is giggling at the sight.

“Like a cottage? What SnowWhite lives in?” Kyungsoo asks for clarification and little Jongin nods vigorously, his lips as he squirms. Jongin can vaguely remember that he never liked sitting still. He sits down on the grass and he watches the scene unfold. Kyungsoo was never the best artist and it shows, even when he was four years old. Jongin smiles.

“Lots of flowers Kyungsoo! Our dogs can play,” Little Jongin points to the paper and Kyungsoo humours him, adding in exactly what the boy wanted. Jongin’s smile begins to fade when he realizes that this was indeed a memory of his and that he’d seen a cottage in a “forest” of flowers before.

Jongin wakes up with a cold sweat and he’s panting heavily. It had been a short but important memory. One that he’d long forgotten. Jongin gets out of bed in a hurry and he throws on proper clothes just so he wouldn’t be cold when heading outside. He basically just throws on a hoodie and runs out of the house. His parents have already retired to their bedroom and Jongin doesn’t even look at the clock as he slips on his shoes and steps outside. He rounds the driveway and goes over to the Do’s before knocking on the door, a little too loudly he thinks but the door does open, revealing a very annoyed Seungsoo.

“Jongin what the hell?” Seungsoo doesn’t look pleased but then again Jongin doesn’t really care.

“Sorry, I just really need to talk to Kyungsoo, you won’t even know I’m here,” Jongin bows apologetically and he removes his shoes before rushing upstairs. Seungsoo doesn’t seem to care much because he doesn’t say anything else. Jongin is careful when he passes the second floor and he hurries up towards the attic, cursing his lack of stamina once he reaches the top. Like the first time Jongin slowly opens the door and he sees Kyungsoo all bundled up in his bed once again. Jongin knows that he’s being awfully creepy and he could probably talk to Kyungsoo about this in the morning, plus Kyungsoo would probably hate it if he invaded his dreams again but he needed to talk to him.

And so he takes hold of Kyungsoo’s hand and is once again pulled into a dream.

Jongin falls through the sky and he knows exactly what he’s seeing this time. The cottage, the meadow, the flowers, the forest, it’d all been a part of their plan as children. Jongin truly has to applaud Kyungsoo for creating the dream so vividly and he realizes that this future of theirs had taken place of Kyungsoo’s dream, it makes sense now, how he’d panicked when Jongin asked him. Jongin approaches the cottage but this time he doesn’t enter right away. Instead he decides to peer through the window. The scene is awfully like the first dream, Kyungsoo was in the kitchen waiting for someone but this time there was more. Jongin perks up when he hears the door open and he swore that he hadn’t seen anyone enter.

Kyungsoo greets the person with a bright smile and he receives a kiss on the forehead. Jongin finds the back profile of the person eerily familiar and only then does he see a small girl sitting at the dining table. She has tanned skin and large eyes, pouty heart shaped lips. She’s delighted to greet who had come home and Jongin sees five small poodles curled up by the fireplace. The scene is very domestic and he doesn’t want to ruin it but at the same time, he had to. And so he walks over to the door and opens it. The man as well as the girl and dogs all vanish and Kyungsoo is left alone, looking at him in shock.

“I’ve decided to pursue dancing as a career,” Jongin announces and Kyungsoo blinks slowly. He doesn’t say anything until he realizes that Jongin was waiting for a reply. Kyungsoo shifts nervously on his feet and Jongin steps back to avoid overwhelming him.

“That’s great Jongin, I’m happy for you,” Kyungsoo says with a shy smile. Jongin exhales deeply and he takes Kyungsoo’s hands in his own. He doesn’t meet his eyes but he looks down at their joined hands with fond eyes, running the pad of his thumb along Kyungsoo’s knuckles.

“I had a dream, a memory of our childhood. When we promised to live in a cottage together. I don’t know what it means but I want to keep you by my side Kyungsoo. There’s no one else I’d like to achieve my dream with. And no one else I’d like to support when they find their own dream,” Jongin confesses and Kyungsoo tenses. He looks scared and Jongin wants to know why but he doesn’t prod, he simply waits because it’s clear that Kyungsoo is figuring out how he’d like to express himself.

“Dreams… they don’t disappoint me. Reality is disappointing. I like being happy in my dreams. I’m content. Even if it isn’t the same when I wake up,” Kyungsoo meets Jongin’s eyes for a split second before he looks away once more. Jongin tightens his grip on Kyungsoo’s hands, not to hurt him but to reassure him that he was there and that he was listening.

“But why live like that? I promise to be with you, as long as you try, just like I did,” Jongin grins when Kyungsoo lifts his head and when he sees his heart shaped smile he knows they’ll be alright. For a moment they simply look into each other’s eyes and Kyungsoo tilts his head.

“It’s time to wake up.”