“Oppa! Oppa!”

“Yunjae-yah! Yunjae-yah!”

Yunjae felt a strange movement on her shoulders. They were shaking. Were they shaking because I am crying?

“Yunjae-yah! Wake up!”

What? I am awake!

The shaking grew harder until Yunjae was yanked from the garden and found herself lying down on the floor.

Where am I?

“Yunjae-yah, are you alright?”

Yunjae turned to the direction of the voice calling her. Her eyes took a few moments to register who it was.

“Choi ahjusshi?” she whispered.

“Neh. What happened to you?” Sergeant Choi asked.

“I-I don’t know…”

“I left you only yesterday and now I find you sleeping on the floor? You’re funny.”

“Yesterday?” Everything that happened…was a dream? And overnight dream?

Then she remembered the last part of her “dream.”

“Oppa! Hyuk oppa got carried off by some huge tornado!” Yunjae exclaimed. She leapt up and shook Sergeant Choi by the shoulders. Her eyes were wild with worry.

“Yunjae-yah, calm down. You’re oppa is still here. Look,” said Choi ahjusshi. He pointed and Yunjae saw her brother sleeping peacefully on the white hospital cot. Then she remembered where she was.

I’m still here? But what of my journey?

Sergeant Choi took notice of Yunjae’s bewildered expression. He didn’t know what was wrong, but he somehow had to get her out of the room.

The kid must be having delusions. Tornadoes, indeed! It’s been a while since Korea witnessed a hurricane. And what is that, her brother taken by a hurricane? Nonsense.

“Yunjae-yah, do you feel like some coffee?”

Yunjae looked up at the elder man and nodded. The two went out of the hospital and went to a nearby café. Yunjae found the “real” world strange, just as she thought when she first saw Changjo.

Had that been real?

Sergeant Choi treated Yunjae to some hot chocolate while he got himself a cup of coffee. They sat down in a booth and drank their drinks quietly. It was sort of awkward, so Sergeant Choi broke the silence.

“Yunjae-yah, are you feeling alright this morning?”

Yunjae looked at him. “Uh-huh. Just a bad dream, I guess.”

“Must be so. Care to share?”

Yunjae shook her head slowly. “I don’t feel like it right now. Maybe someday.”

“Should I go so that you can think properly?”

“If it doesn’t bother you, I’d like that.”

Sergeant Choi smiled at her. “I have paperwork to do in the office anyway. You can go back to the hospital when you wish it.”

He left the coffee shop, leaving Yunjae to her thoughts. She reminisced what happened last night. It seemingly took a long time. How could a dream like that just happen overnight?

“Had that been real? Changjo… Ricky… Niel… L.Joe… Chunji… CAP… Had they been real?”

“Of course we have, You hurt our feelings.”

Yunjae looked up abruptly and saw her six guides standing by her table, in the flesh. She jumped back. Was she dreaming again?

“Am I dreaming again?” she asked out loud.

Changjo reached out and gently pinched her cheek.

“Any difference?” he asked.

Yunjae shook her head.

“You’re awake,” Changjo declared.

“But you’re here! Are you real? Can other people see you?” Yunjae asked.

“I’m pretty sure that pretty cashier saw us come in,” said L.Joe. He shot a wink at the waitress who turned a dark shade of pink.

“May we sit?” asked Ricky. Yunjae nodded and the boys crowded into the booth. Changjo and Ricky sat with Yunjae.

“Explain to me why you are here and what happened,” demanded Yunjae.

“I let slip that I used to live here, remember? They called me Lee Joe/L.Joe in the U.S.,” said L.Joe.

“So, yes, we are real people too. We can exist there and here, and in that sense, we’re special,” said Changjo.

“But what are you?”

“Wait, you’re second demand is not satisfied yet. What happened to you is what they call a ‘dream’ here. But in out world, it was a journey you needed to take, not just to get someone back, but also to improve yourself as a person,” explained Chunji.

“I guess you have figured out my riddle, for if you didn’t you still wouldn’t be here,” said CAP.

Yunjae thought for moment. CAP’s riddle? The she got it.

“The answer to your riddle is memories?”

“Bingo.”

“Oh.” Pause. “What happens now?”

“Well, you’ve successfully done your quest. So you’ll get Hyuk back,” said Niel.

“How?”

L.Joe rolled his eyes. “Well, duh, he awakes. Soon.”

“How soon is ‘soon’?”

“Soon.”

Yunjae narrowed her eyes at him, then her phone vibrated in her pocket. Oh, it’s still there.

“Yoboseyo?”

“Yunjae-yah? Go to the hospital immediately,” came Sergeant Choi’s urgent voice from the other line.

“Why?”

“Hyukjae is awake?”

“WHAT?!” Yunjae stood up abruptly and said this in a loud voice, attracting attention from everyone in the café.

“Just go and see him!”

Yunjae looked at the six guys with her on her table.

L.Joe shrugged noncholoantly. “Told ya.”

Yunjae got out of the booth and out into the street, running to the direction of the hospital. The six guys looked on and smiled at her before disappearing.

Yunjae rushed to her brother’s room, but it was locked. She peeked into the little window, but all she could see were the backs of nurses and a doctor. While waiting outside, she relentlessly paced up and down the corridor, much to the annoyance of an old woman sitting on the wooden bench.

After a while, though is seemed like a whole decade to Yunjae, the doctor and nurses spilled out of the room. The doctor stayed behind when he noticed Yunjae.

“Ms. Lee, I have good news,” he said. “Your brother is awake.”

“He-He is?” said Yunjae.

“We’ve done a thorough check and he’s good to go after a few days’ rest. You may see him now.” The doctor smiled at her and went off to some other part of the hospital.

Yunjae’s hand was shaking as she turned the doorknob. She slowly opened the door.

Inside, Hyukjae was sitting up in his bed and looking outside the window. He looked pale, but otherwise, okay. For a while, Yunjae stood frozen on the doorway until Hyukjae turned his head and saw her.

“Jae~” he called her and smile. Yunjae stepped into the room and came closer to her brother’s bed.

“Jae, come here,” said Hyukjae. He spread his arms and Yunjae reluctantly cuddle against him. When she felt the familiar warmth of her brother, she cuddled in deeper and hugged his waist. Then she started sobbing.

“I-I m-missed you so much…” said Yunjae between sobs.

“I knew that…” whispered Hyukjae. “I’m sorry I ever left.”

Yunjae only hugged him tighter.

“But you got me back,” said Hyuk. Yunjae looked up at him, puzzled.

“How did you know?”

“Teen Top and I were quite close when we were still living in the U.S. You weren’t born yet then.”

“Teen Top?”

“They were your guides.”

Yunjae’s eyes rounded. “You-You knew them?”

Hyukjae chuckled and nodded. “I sent them to you while I was asleep. But time made me forget you for a moment.”

“It was all real?” said Yunjae, not really believing it. The things she saw in that alternate universe were too surreal to consider real.

Hyukjae’s face scrunched up in thought. “I’m not really sure. It’s too complex to explain.”

“Oh whatever,” said Yunjae and hugged her brother again. “I’m just glad you’re here.”

Hyukjae smiled and hugged his little sister back.

“I love you, Yunjae-yah.”

“I love you, oppa.”