His dream turns into reality.

“Are you okay?”

“Are you finally awake?”

“He opened his eyes dad..”

“I’m glad he’s conscious now..”

Voices could be heard faintly. What happened? Why is he feeling so dizzy? Where is he?

He opened his eyes. 

“V.. how are you feeling?”

It was RM’s voice. 

He looked around him. His uncle Soohyun was standing beside him while holding his hand.

Where is he? Why does it smell like he’s in the hospital? Why would he be in the hospital? He never got sick even when he was a kid.. he’s always been healthy..

“V.. can you hear us? Are you feeling okay?”

He looked at RM again.

“Where am I?” asked V touching his head. “Why do I feel sleepy and dizzy?”

RM sighed before answering.

“We’re at the hospital V..”

He knew the smell was weid. Why did he end up in the hospital?

What was he doing that he came to the hospital?

Jisoo.

He was at his house with Jisoo. They were eating together.. watching a movie together then..

The tea! 

He got up abruptly and touched himself. What.. what happened to the tea? Wasn’t there anything? He was sure he drank the tea..

“Where is Jisoo?” he asked worriedly. “Why am I here hyung?”

“You should rest more V.. later.. later I will tell you everything..”

V held his hand.

“Hyung..”

RM avoided his eyes as he gulped nervously.

“Did something happen to her? I.. I remember drinking the tea she prepared then-..”

“Let’s talk later V...”

RM pushed his hand gently but V held his arm instead.

“Tell me everything now.. where is Jisoo? Is she also here in the hospital? Did something happen to her? Why-..?”

Soohyun held his shoulders.

“Jisoo sent us all the evidences against her dad.. she also gave us the address where her dad lives but when we got there.. it was too late.. her dad hung himself.. it seemed like he had predicted that her own daughter would betray him..” said Soohyun. 

“She did that?..” V looked very sad.

The feeling of losing your parents is hard.. he knows that.. but betraying your dad to correct his wrong doings must have been tougher for her.. and she did that all by herself.. why didn’t she talk about it to him?

Was that the reason she was crying that time?

“Can you bring me to her hyung? She must be feeling lonely right now..” said V trying to stand up. “How long have I been sleeping? She must be waiting for me..”

“You slept for two days V.. the tea you drank made you sleep for a long time.. you were drugged..” RM replied. “Jisoo made you fall asleep..”

V could now understand that weird bottle of medicine he saw inside Jisoo’s jacket.  

But why did she want him to sleep? Why was she crying like she was not going to see him anymore? Did she.. perhaps leave him? Did she want to run away from him?

“Did she go somewhere hyung?” asked V, his eyebrows furrowed. “Where did she go? I’ll find her now.. I’ll go to her and-..”

“She’s gone V..” said RM. “She is not here anymore..”

“Then I will look for her.. I can’t let her cry somewhere alone.. that girl has been lonely by herself all her life.. I won’t let her-..”

“You won’t find her V..”

RM’s eyes started getting teary as he lowered his gaze to the floor.

“Why? Why won’t I find her hyung? If I need to travel all over the world just to find her I will-..”

“You don’t understand V.. she.. she isn’t here.. not anywhere.. Jisoo has passed away..”

V’s tears started falling without him noticing.

He must have heard his cousin wrong. There’s no way.. it can’t be.. it’s impossible..

“The tea.. the tea she drank had poison..” said RM holding V’s shoulders.

“Say it again.. she.. w-what?” V pushed RM’s hands away from him. 

He removed the IV drip administered to him and stood up heading towards the door but RM stopped him by hugging him.

“She’s dead V.. I’m sorry..” 

Soohyun couldn’t face the two of them as he sat down on the chair crying.

“No.. that’s not true.. why would she-..? Why..?”

V’s knees fell down on the floor as tears continued flowing.

“Jisoo’s friend called me and told me about you.. the ambulance had already taken her when I arrived and I found you sleeping on the couch alone..” said RM patting his back. “Then I saw Jisoo’s friend after talking with the police about her father’s case.. he said Jisoo’s body couldn’t handle the poison and died the same night..”

V couldn’t say anything. The word “dead” hasn’t sunk in his mind yet.. how could something like this happen? Why would she do that?

“He said Jisoo was feeling guilty because of what her father did to your parents and.. she wanted to end that revenge..” RM continued. “I’m sorry I misunderstood her.. she was only trying to protect you until the very end..”

RM regretted judging her. The moment he received the envelope from Jisoo two days ago, he wanted to say sorry to her but he was already late. 

“Her friend gave this to me..” said RM as he reached for a paper bag on the table. “He said he found this small book at her house.. he told me this must be yours..”

It was Jisoo’s fairy tale book.

He held it dearly in his arms. He remembers Jisoo talking about it the last time they met saying she found the owner of the book.

He opened it.. read it page by page.. and when he finally reached the very last page.. the cover of the book.. there was a note for him..

“I wish that I can be just like the little girl who passed by your life swiftly but gave you beautiful memories..”

She remembered everything he told her about.. she remembered him talking about her very first love.. he only talked about her a few times but she remembered it..

And on the lower part of the cover.. his eyes remained glued..

There were Jisoo’s initials.. 

He sobbed as soon as he saw them.. he was unaware that the little girl he was talking about.. that the little girl he wanted to see and was worried about.. was right beside him all along.. 

Jisoo was his first love.. how couldn’t he notice that? He fell for the same person twice.. he loved the same girl twice..

But why.. why did she have to leave him again this time? She disappeared back then and now.. she disappeared like foam.. just like the little mermaid in this book that she owned.. 

———————-

Three years later...

RM came inside V’s house and found all the windows closed. The lights were all turned off and it was very dark inside.

He sighed as he carefully looked for the switch. 

And on the couch he found his cousin sleeping soundly.

He’s always sleeping there.. he has a big bed in his room but he chooses to sleep on that uncomfortable couch.

It’s been three long years since Jisoo died and his cousin hasn’t moved on yet.