Song: D (Half Moon) by DEAN and Gaeko

You took a shower and put on your clothes in haste, wanting to leave already. What occurred earlier gave you the goosebumps.

Was it a dream? Oh yes. It's got to be a dream.

“Hey,” Chanyeol looked up to you as he ate his breakfast. “Aren’t you going to join me? I prepared food good for the both of us.”

“I have work, Chanyeol,” you murmured as you put on your shoes. The emotions you had from that dream still lingered in your body, and you hated every bit of it.

“But…”

You glanced at him, and he only stared at you. You knew what that look meant. You knew he’s pissed.

You let out a sigh then went back to the dining area. “What did you prepare?”

“Toast and some coffee. Come, eat,” he put the plate and cup in front of you. “Do you want a new cup? I can prep another one. That might not be so hot anymore.”

“I…I’m good,” you nodded.

That time, you almost forgot how Chanyeol would be extremely attentive to you whenever you are together. It was one of the things that made you fall for him when he pursued to win your heart back then.

“Uhm…it’s my birthday in a week…” he said carefully.

“I know.”

“Can we go somewhere quiet? Have a little couple trip, just the two of us? I...I really miss you,” he requested.

You clearly remember declining his invite as you had his party organized and you needed to cover the night news at the last minute prior to going to the party. Then you were called to cover the arcade fire, at the last minute again. All those while Chanyeol ed another woman. Wait. Was everything just a dream? Maybe? Your mind was clouded that time.

“I don’t know, Chanyeol…I might be--” 

“Might be what? Let me guess, working?” he let out a heavy exhale.

You were quiet.

“Minna. It’s my birthday, for s sake. Can’t you take the day off or something? Spend time with me.”

“And what if I don’t? You’ll spend time with someone else?”

“Excuse me?” his eyes widened.

You looked away and repeated yourself. “What if I can’t spend time with you that day. Will you be with someone else instead?”

“Of course not. The hell are you talking about?”

“I don’t know. You have a lot of lady friends who are more than ready to accompany you.”

“You’re crazy. Like I said countless of times, there’s no reason for you to be like this. They’re like my siblings.”

You shook your head. Liar! You’re a liar!

You couldn’t comprehend anymore if you can distinguish that dream you had from real life. Yes, the dream felt that real.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” he rubbed your arm.

“Sorry, I had a bad dream. And I feel like it actually happened…”

“About what?”

You ignored his question. “Nothing. I’ll go to work.”

“Huh? You haven’t even touched your breakfast yet.”

You knew that in your dream, he got mad at you when you proceeded on leaving without partaking the toast he prepared for you.

“I’ll…I’ll eat it. Of course,” you did differently this time, but you ate it fast.

“Why are you always in a hurry?”

“I’m not,” you took big bites of the bread.

“You’re always like that. Always in a hurry. You don’t even have time for me anymore. It’s always work with you. It’s as if your boss Heechul owns you, you know that?”

You were amused; those were the exact lines he told you in your dream when you didn’t eat the toast. And he still said those even if you actually ate it.

“Chanyeol, please…”

He scoffed. “I don’t know…I don’t know why I’m sticking around, actually.”

“The are you saying?” your eyebrows gathered in the middle. The argument was too familiar.

“You’re taking me for granted, Minna. I’m sorry to say this but…yeah…it’s the truth. I feel like this relationship is too one-sided.”

“That’s not true. Come on!” you started raising your voice.

“I would cater to your every need, and would get so little in return. I’m not asking for anything back, but a little affection would be much appreciated. To be honest, I feel like I’m the woman in this relationship, always catering to your every need like this,” he pushed the plate and the cup of coffee towards you recklessly.

“You know what my work entails, Chanyeol. You knew from the beginning that I barely have time for myself. What more a serious relationship?” you reasoned out with him.

“I understand. But I didn’t force you to be in this relationship with me. It was mutual, Minna. So I would expect you to exert the least effort to keep it afloat if you still want this,” he looked away as he let out a cathartic exhale. “Crap, I’m a man. I’m sorry to be blunt, but I have needs, too.”

He was about to add something, but you beat him to it. You knew what he was going to say, anyways. That his friends had been wanting him to meet someone else because you as a girlfriend. It was what happened in your “dream.”

“What were you going to say next? That your friends keep insisting you can do so much better?”

“I never thought of that,” he denied.

“I know what’s on your mind, Yeol. I know your lady friends keep introducing you to other women, on the hopes of breaking us apart!”

“That’s not true! Where the hell did you learn that?”

In my dream, ! You shouted in your head. Everything felt eerily familiar. The red flags here and there did not change at all.

“I know a lot of things, Chanyeol, and only kept silent about everything,” you came up with a random excuse.

“Well, if you already know those things, why aren’t you doing anything about it?” he was so good turning the tables on you. “We both know we’re falling apart, and we’re not doing something about it? At least I’m putting effort into saving what we have. But you? It’s always work, work, work! You don't take the initiative to spend time with me! If I don't ask you, nothing will happen! What the is the point of this relationship, then?”

“You know what?” you stood up. “I don’t have the time, nor the energy to deal with you right now!”

“Of course, you don’t. When did you, anyways? Our issues keep piling up and being hidden away because we barely talk! I am actually surprised that we lasted this long!”

You took your coat and bag from the chair beside you. “I’m going now. Lock the door when you leave later.”

“Unbelievable. You’re going to leave in the middle of an argument? Why are you always like this? You’re unbelievable, Minna!” his deep, loud voice filled the room.

You rushed towards the door and banged it shut.

Chanyeol ran his hands on his face and hair with so much frustration.

The relationship is continuously spiraling down but why is it that he keeps holding on to you, still? Is it love? Is he hoping that one day, things will suddenly get better? If it does, can it really be considered all good, when he has done things behind your back, things he knew are completely unacceptable?

---------------------------------------------

“, , !” you ran the fastest you can but were still late for the bus which stops right in front of your office. You needed to wait for another ten minutes for the next one. You even wore rubber shoes that time.

You sat on the benches at the bus stop. An old lady took the space beside you and kept looking at you.

You smiled at her, and recalled what happened in your dream.

“Yes, I am that reporter from Chosun 7,” you told her.

“H-how did you know I was going to ask that, miss?”

You pursed your lips and looked at the floor. Geez, did it really happen? Why is everything in your dream so accurate?

“I…I get that question a lot, ma’am,” you said timidly.

“I always watch your segment. It’s very entertaining,” the old lady repeated her lines. “My favorite is when you reported that albino calf. It was so cute.”

You kept smiling at her forcefully. You didn’t know what to think that time. Did you just get a preview of the future in your dream? Is it even possible?

“Although you need a little more color, miss. Makeup, maybe?”

You pretended to be smiling at her, then took your phone and searched for it on Naver. Déjà vu, time travel, what else is there?

You let out a sigh at all the ridiculousness you that popped in your mind.

“Do you believe we can manipulate time, ma’am?” you asked the old lady out of nowhere.

“Huh? What was that, miss?”

“Nothing. It’s just that I dreamt of this exact moment already. I may have gotten back in time,” you told the old lady, not caring if she thinks you might be out of your mind.

“It happens to all of us. Precognitive dreams, you say?”

“Y-you know about it?” you asked.

“Hmmm, not much. Why don’t you use that little thing there to learn more about it?” she smiled and nodded towards your phone. “Anyway, my bus is here, see you, young lady…”

You stood up and bowed to her.

The old lady looked back to you as she rode the empty bus.

You were back to scrolling on your phone as her bus left slowly and faded away into nothingness.

---------------------------------------------

“You’re late,” Heechul said once he saw you in the office. “I have a list of things for you,” he put down some pieces of paper for you to review, it being your schedule for the week.

You knew already, but still asked. “Do I need to work on the 27th? I already filed for a leave of absence for this day, seonsangnim.”

“Just the night news, then you may enjoy your leave. Just offset the time. You know how it works here, Minna. We’re understaffed.”

“How can we be understaffed when I’m always the one you send to all these random places, and Sooyoung stays here like this?” you gestured towards her who has filing her nails.

She scoffed and turned her back on you through the swivel chair.

You continued, “There won’t be anything significant in the ‘world’ of celebrities this week, so can she take on some of these things assigned to me?”

“Not in a million years,” she murmured then slowly walked away. “I’m not touching your field, Minna.”

“How did you know that there’s less news for celebs this week?” Heechul raised an eyebrow.

“I just…I just know.”

He scoffed. “Sooyoung covers celebrities, and you…t-the rest…” he explained. “Of course, the seniors will take on politics and other important affairs. We have hierarchy here, as you know.”

“I’ve been stuck on this role for years, seonsangnim,” you walked with him and tried talking sense to him. “Where is the growth you promised when you hired me? I think I’ve done my fair share for the station.”

“You’re extra feisty today, Minna. Are you drunk?” he rested his hand on your forehead. “Or maybe sick?”

“I am not, seonsangnim.”

“Then why are you too vocal today? You usually just take in your assignments then go, go, go…”

Truthfully, you did differently this time, as you simply took the sheet of paper and studied your schedule for the week when you dreamt of it.

You rolled your eyes. “Please, seonsangnim? Can you at least consider what I’m saying?”

“Yeah, yeah,” he studied another print out he took from the photocopying machine.

“Please…seonsangnim…just one big break, let me prove myself to everyone.”

“I like this grit you’re showing now. Whatever you ate for breakfast, keep taking that.”

You were about to respond, but stopped when you remembered who prepared what you ate that morning.

“What’s your answer to my request, Heechul seonsangnim?”

“I’ll see what I can do.”

“Thank you, seonsangnim. I’m looking forward to it.”

“Sure…now will you please get out of my face?”

“Of course, seonsangnim,” you bowed to him deeply, then proceeded on leaving.

---------------------------------------------

You caught Chanyeol’s attention when you went to his place of work afterwards. You are to cover charity event at an orphanage in the afternoon, and squeezed this in before that.

Chanyeol is a writer and producer at Sour Entertainment, this up-and-coming agency for Korean alternative rock bands.

While he works with a team of creative minds and has several layers up to reach the director role, he is simply passionate about his job. Well, he is eager about almost anything, actually, quite the opposite of you who is generally steady and calm.

It can easily be said that his and your industries are a bit different, reflective of your personalities too.

It was an open office and there are no dividers in between the desks so you were easily seen by everyone.

His colleagues studied you from afar, the woman wearing the simplest clothes, but you made sure you were already dolled up by your company’s in house make up artist before visiting.

“I got you lunch…”