The sea crashed upon the imposing cliff, daunting the stone with its powerful waves. The wind was strong, howling through the rustling trees. A small boy stood at the edge of the cliff, chasing a colorful leaf as it fluttered dangerously near the edge. A small bracelet he had jingled against his wrist. It was a thin silver band with four small charms. He ran faster. It was getting away. A small hawk screeched a warning. Too close. Turn back.

Small, rubber soles dug into the ground as the boy suddenly stopped in his tracks. Another boy was in the water. The waves would swallow him up. He flailed his small arms, his hair stuck to his face as he screamed for help. Yet, his screams were muted. The sound of the hawk and the gushing wind hissed in the boy’s ears, but his eyes remained fixed on the boy in danger. If he jumped, maybe he could help him. He had to do something. Anything. If he screamed loud enough, maybe someone would come to help. Would anybody hear him? The boy set his ground and tightly shut his eyes. His heart drummed in his ears.

Badump. Badump.

And everything turned black.

He could distinctly remember the cold sensation as his small body crashed against the water. First there was a gaping emptiness and all of a sudden, he was surrounded. Water enveloped his body, swaying him in a violent cradle. He raised his head above water, seeing the other boy not too far away. He swam with all his might, forgetting the coldness of the waves if only for a moment. The other boy barely had his eyes open and his lips parted weakly in a vain grasp for air. Slipping. He reached out and grabbed onto his hand tightly. The boy looked to be a bit younger than him, but not by much. Where had he come from? Why was he there? His eyes closed and his body fell limp. He needed to open his eyes.

Wake up!

 

---

 

Jimin woke up with a jolt, gasping for air. It was the same dream as always. Jumping off a cliff. Trying to save a nameless boy. Falling into endless, freezing waters. It felt all too real to just be a dream. He was still recovering from the burning sensation as his lungs filled with water. He had clearly drowned... Yet, last time he checked, he was still alive.

He pinched his arm, leaving a pink mark the shape of his fingers. That felt real. So, he must be alive. And if he was alive, he still had to go to class. The sunlight infiltrated his room, making him squint and ruffle his sandy brown hair. Jimin lazily turned to see the clock on the nightstand next to his bed. He had an hour. Groaning, he rolled out of bed and went to the bathroom to wash up. He stared at himself intensely in the mirror, using his fingers to prod at his cheeks. Was he really him? He brushed his hair, sighing at his dark roots creeping up again. He would need to dye his hair again soon. He squished his right cheek, tugging on his bottom eyelid in the process. His brown eyes still looked like this.

It wasn’t the first time that Jimin had had that dream. Yet, every time always seemed like the first. He couldn’t shake off the lurking feeling that he was a different Jimin. A fake Jimin? The real Jimin? These were the essential questions to ask when brushing teeth.

Fifteen minutes later, Jimin was fully showered, dressed, and ready to go. He had comfortable clothes today since he would be spending most of the day in the dance studio. A plain white t-shirt, black jeans and black boots. He slung his backpack on his shoulder and took one last look at his apartment.

Everything was in check.

He walked out, down the hall, down the stairs, and out into the bright sun. Cars driving by on the streets, people chattering as they passed by. Jimin focused his senses to ground himself. He wasn’t sure why that dream always shook him up like this. He had been at that cliff. That much was true. But he had never drowned. Or so he was told. No other boy in the area had drowned either. It was all in his imagination, they said. And he believed.

Well, he wanted to. He tried to.

He rolled up the sleeve on his coat to check the time. Thirty minutes to spare. He shoved his hand in his pocket, debating on how to spend his time. Though he stalled, he had already made up his mind.

There was a small café across the train station where he took the train to school. It was cozy but very popular. It was always bustling with active chatter, laughs, and sometimes the resounding stress of students studying at the tables by the windows. Jimin liked going there often to kill time and get his fix of tea or coffee. Their pastries were also delicious. Around this time, there was usually a girl on shift. She had small cat like eyes, and long, black hair that reached her waist. He would talk to her often and was working his way towards asking her on a date. She was also a dancer. It was a chance he couldn’t miss.

After such a rude awakening that morning, Jimin decided he might as well ask her out today. Carpe diem or something like that.

He walked into the café, the bells chiming in a familiar manner. He made his way over to the counter only to discover that his beautiful Seulgi had been replaced by a guy. A guy he had never seen before. Today was already such a terrible day that just kept getting worse.

The boy was taller than him and had black hair, parted halfway to let his hair fall to either side in waves. Jimin didn’t like the fact that not only was his future girlfriend replaced, but replaced by someone much handsomer than him.

The barista smiled at him, asking gently, “Mister, do you want anything to drink or eat?”

Jimin realized he had been standing there, obstructing costumers and staring blankly at the new guy. His eyes darted to the black-haired guy’s nametag.

Jungkook.

He quickly ordered a simple iced coffee and a muffin to go. While Jungkook was packing his pastry, Jimin asked, “Are you new here, Jungkook-ssi? I come here often and I’ve never seen you.”

Shameless was Jimin’s middle name.

The barista nodded, eyes wandering nervously. “It’s actually my first day today.”

Jimin made an “o” shape with his lips, nodding his head back.

Jungkook gave him his order after he had paid for it. Jimin, awkwardly unsure of what to say next, was about to turn to leave when Jungkook spoke up.

“I’m sorry if anything is wrong. I’ll do my best from now on!” He said with a look of determination before his lips stretched into a bright grin, revealing a set of bunny-like teeth.

Jimin felt his skin prickle with a feeling of deja-vu. He felt like he had seen that smile before...

He shook his head dismissively. It was probably his weird head space—AND NOW HE WAS GOING TO BE LATE! He shouted an apology and good bye to the shocked newbie and ran out the door.

He groaned as he saw his train leaving in the distance. The greatest enemy to Park Jimin was Jimin himself.