Ha Neul's POV

"Don't go!" He desperately whispered into my ear. "Please! Don't leave me!"

Don't... go? He was dreaming, right? Did he confuse me with his girlfriend? …so they really did break up? I felt a lump in my throat and the guilt of being responsible for it squeezed my chest.

I tried to wriggle free from his hug but he just held onto me even more firmly. Realising it was useless I gave up. He was just too strong. Instead I tried to relax my body hoping that he would understand that I wasn't trying to leave. Now that I had stopped moving, I noticed that he was still mumbling inaudible things into my hair and I could feel his frantic heartbeat against my back. It made the hair on my neck stand up; I had never been this close to a man other than my appa or oppa. I could smell the alcohol. But beneath it his own scent was very clear as well; somewhat earthy yet sweet… I liked it… It felt save… It made me want to snuggle into his chest even more…

What the hell, Ha Neul?! What’s wrong with you lately?! This is not the time for such thoughts! I shook my head.

His chest was heaving up and down in short and shallow breaths and I instinctively raised my hand to pat his arms in a soothing manner.

"It's alright," I cooed. "I'm not going anywhere. I'll stay right here."

After a while his grip loosened a bit and I could turn around and pull him into a hug. I patted his back and kept repeating that I had no intention of going anywhere. I don't know how long we stood like that and it didn't matter. For whatever reason he was like that, be it his girlfriend or even something else, I couldn’t not care. I couldn't see his face, it was too dark, but there was no need to. His body language was clear enough. He was hurting. Badly.

While I continued telling him calming words and patting his back, I couldn't help but be taken aback by the extent to which he cared for his girlfriend. Somehow he just didn't seem to be the devoted boyfriend type to me. Of course, after two days of living in the same apartment I was in no position to assume things. But would he be able to behave that carefree around girls in public, if he never did so in private? I found it hard to believe.

But it looked like that because his distress right then was real. The way he clung to me like his life depended on it was no act.

I had by now managed to motion him into his bedroom and made him sit down onto his bed. "You should lie down," I told him softly and gently brought his hands that had still been wrapped around my waist in front of me. I made sure to hold onto them tightly to give him no reason to think I was leaving. To my relieve he complied and slowly put his head down onto the cushion. I pulled the blanket over him with one hand, never letting go of his with my other.

I watched him as his breathing gradually evened out and suddenly, with the tension gone, I felt my own tiredness catching up to me. Thinking of returning to my bed I tried to free my hand from his grasp. But upon noticing my attempt to free myself he tightened his grip and the frown returned to his face. So I stopped and sat down onto the floor leaning my head against the mattress next to our entwined hands. And as soon as I closed my tired eyes I felt myself drift off into a dreamless sleep.

Jonghyun's POV

I didn't want to wake up. I wanted to go back into the ignorance of sleep and not think about anything. Not having to remember her words or the remorse in her eyes when she'd looked at me. Not recalling the excruciating feeling of seeing her leave through our gate knowing fully well that she was returning to his and her home. And most of all, not having to think of a way to reject her for good knowing that it was the only way all of us could move on even though all I wished was for her to come back.

I covered my eyes with my arm and tried to will myself back to sleep. But it didn't work. I wasn't tired at all and I felt like I'd had a good night's rest. Which was rather surprising. Because usually, I'd have nightmares all night long and in the morning I would feel even more tired than when I'd gone to sleep. Then... did that mean I had no nightmares last night? I wondered. It was unlikely; why would the nightmares suddenly stop?

Well, either way, since I apparently couldn't sleep anymore, I decided to get up and do something to distract my mind. That's when my eyes fell onto the girl sitting beside my bed and sleeping soundly. Huh? What was Ghosty doing in here? Did she finally show her true nature and started stalking me?! I shuddered. But then I saw our entwined hands. What the...?!! I quickly let go and her hand fell to the ground. She stirred and slowly opened her eyes. She looked around the room disoriented and rubbed her eyes. Then, she seemed to remember something and turned to me. But seeing that I was awake and watching her, her eyes widened.

"Oh, you're awake...?" She asked awkwardly and somehow worried at the same time. "Gwenchana?"

"Yes... But why are you in my bedroom?" I asked even though I already knew the answer and didn’t like it. I hated this side of myself... Weak and stupid... Believing the same lie over and over again... I didn't want other people to know about it. It was my weakness... And I had come to learn that people use weaknesses shamelessly if it's for their own benefit. So, telling someone about it always made me feel like I was offering them my chest saying 'Here, shoot. That's how you kill me.'

"Well, you were having a nightmare and were sleepwalking and you wouldn't let go of me, so..." She trailed off and looked away uncomfortably. So I was right, she knew. But surprisingly enough, despite Ghosty knowing I didn't feel vulnerable at all. Maybe it was because she didn't know the reason why? But contemplating about it for a second I figured it wouldn't make me feel that way, even if she knew the reason… So why? Either way, I guess I owed her an explanation. I sighed. I really didn't feel like talking about it...

But to my astonishment she stood up and straightened her wrinkled cloth while smiling shyly at me. "I'll go to the kitchen now and prepare some breakfast. So wash up and come eat some, arasso?" And upon seeing my horrified expression she added: "Don't worry, I'm perfectly capable of pulling out some cereal and milk and whatnot without destroying your kitchen."

She disappeared through the door leaving me dumbfounded and confused. I had probably caused her a lot of trouble last night. Wasn't she curious why? And why would she suddenly become so nice and caring? I shook my head. That girl was a mystery to me!

But the breakfast she promised sounded good so I crawled out of bed, grabbed my cloth and went to the bathroom. When I arrived at the kitchen, Ghosty had really managed to assemble an actually digestible breakfast on the kitchen table. She was bending over a cutting board covered with all kinds of fruit I didn't know I had in my kitchen.

I halted in the doorframe and observed her as she cut a mango into perfect slices of exactly the same thickness. She was so immersed in it I wondered why she would put such effort into something as unimportant as this. They'd be eaten anyway... I couldn't help but smile at how she looked like she was solving a math problem instead of chopping fruit…

But seeing all the food waiting to be eaten I realised how hungry I actually was. So I decided to make myself noticed. I purposely slurped to my chair to create this scratching sound with my slippers, successfully getting her attention. She looked up and that same timid smile formed on her lips again.

I sat down and started eating. I really hadn't realised how hungry I was!

"So, um... what did I do last night when I was sleepwalking?" I asked after a while. I had no reason to ask this; in fact I shouldn't even want to start this topic! But somehow I just felt like asking...

She lowered her head and her cheeks pinked. Was she blushing?! "Well, you... err... besides hugging me you also told me not to leave you..." She told her plate. Great, just great! I groaned inwardly.

"Um... you see... I..." I struggled to find the right words to explain myself.

"It's okay," she then interrupted me. "You don't need to explain. Don't force yourself to talk about something you don't want to."

I blinked, surprised. There it was again. That behaviour of hers that I just could not understand. Why didn't she want to know? Wasn't she the one who blackmailed me to let her move in with me just two days ago? Wouldn't she jump at this then? Another secret she could use to her advantage? Why was she acting like a damn goody-two-shoe all of a sudden?!

But I guess I was glad that I didn't have to explain.

...

Or was I?

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Hey, dear readers!! I'm sorry for all the drama at the moment, I'll become better soon, promise! ><

And I guess everyone is busy at the moment, huh? It being Christmas soon...

But stil, please subscribe/comment if you have time! And most greatful thanks to those who do!!! <3