It’s been a decade since you last had a good night sleep. It’s been years since the nightmares started, no one knew how or what happened for you to experience it. It just appeared. Your mom tried to put you in medication but that only helped you little. You needed a stronger dose but your small body couldn’t handle it, and so you were forced to live those nightmares most nights. As time passed, you learned how to live with it accompanied with constant headaches and mood swings. You were able to take strong medications, if you ran out of it, you purposely sleep late or only do when you’re extremely exhausted. When you do, the nightmares don’t come but something else. It was somewhat the same bittersweet type of dream.

Falling grey ashes.

A distant call of his name.

You spending time with him.

And out of nowhere, time stops.

"I'll come back for you."

Those were the usual ones you receive but when the nightmares happen, far worst things happen in your dreams. Things that you don’t want to imagine happening to anyone else especially to him. Hyuk. That name has always been stuck with you, you wondered if meeting Hyuk was ever real or was it just your childish imaginations fooling you. But even so, you could remember distinct memories with him. Hyuk disappearing was the most distinct one. The pain you felt when you were a child was still fresh. You blamed yourself for his disappearance. You also wondered if his disappearance was the result of your nightmares. Maybe. Just maybe.

The call of your name took your attention from your thoughts. You glanced in front and found your literature teacher staring at you displeased. He sighed, “I said please stand and recite the 5^th paragraph.”

“Oh. Sorry, sir.” You quickly took your rather unused western literature book in hand, rose from your wooden seat, and recited what was asked of you. “When night comes on and children still sit in good order around the table, or on their little stools, Ole Lukoie arrives. He comes upstairs quietly, for he walks in his socks. Softly, he opens the door, and flick! He sprinkles sweet milk in the children’s eyes—just tiny bit, but always enough to keep their eyes closed so they won’t see him.”

“Okay, thank you.” The teacher gestured for you to sit down; you did and found an origami placed on your desk. It was a small paper bear. You smiled to yourself. Whenever you spaced out or sleep in class, the moment you return to reality you notice an origami placed in your desk. The first one was bunny. The next was a flower. Then a bird. It was random but to you it held something deeper. You never throw the mysterious origamis, you keep it in your locker or bring some at home. Whoever was doing it, you were glad and thankful for it.

The literature teacher looked up from his copy and searched for another potential victim in class. He then pointed at someone in front, the popular kid busy with her phone. “You popular kid. Since you’re so famous around here and have been texting nonstop in my class, tell me, the other popular name for Ole Lukoie.”

“...” she looked down embarrassed. I guess no answer from her, you rested your chin on the palm of your hand, and quite bored with the class you’re taking the first thing in the morning. After a good minute, the teacher picked another one. This time, it was someone from the back who you did not bother to look at.

“Ah yes….” The teacher took the attendance sheet from his desk to take a look. “Sanghyuk? Han Sanghyuk…right?”

You’ve never heard a Han in your class before. You turned and found him sitting behind you. Perhaps he was the transfer student everyone was talking about and the person you did not bother to even to know since you were experiencing more nightmares since your first occurrence and only made you sleep most in your classes. He smiled at the teacher and nodded, “Yup. That’s me.”

“Alright then. Mind telling us what the name is?”

“Sandman.”

“Very well. How about you read the next paragraph.”

You listened a while with the lecture since it peaked your interest but what your eyes saw was entirely something else. Your eyes scanned his desk and found colored papers under his notebook. He was the one giving you the origamis. You looked up at him. He was tall and had a slim yet lean figure. He wore a white shirt under his bleached denim jacket. His hair blonde and messy. His hands long. His eyes glanced at you before reading.

Without knowing, you shed a tear. You turned away from him and to the front. You wondered what was happening to you. There was something with him but you couldn’t shake the feeling. You didn’t know what it was. But you were sure that it was something sad. Throughout the class, you didn’t look back. You didn’t know what would happen. You were afraid. Could it be? No. he’s gone and it’s my fault. The bell rang and you quickly gathered your things from your desk and dumped it in your bag, leaving the origami.

You hurried out of the room, walking straight to your next class. The whole day you seemed out of it. Memories of him resurfaced and it only made you feel bad. The early dismissal didn’t help either. You saw him waiting by the front gate of the school holding the origami he did earlier but you decided to go the other way. You didn’t want to see someone like him. You wanted to see him. You wished for him.

Would we grow up together?

Would he look like him?

It’s my fault he’s gone.

You sniffed. It was already midnight and there you were bawling your eyes on your pillow. You have never cried like that since that night. Was seeing someone who looked like him triggered your hidden emotions? You didn’t know. You didn’t want to think about such things. You reached for your pills on your bedside drawer but was interrupted by a voice you heard that morning.

“Please don’t take those. It’s bad for your health, I’m telling you.”

You glanced and found him standing in your bedroom. You squealed, immediately covering your mouth. I am going nuts. “Wha—how on earth did you come to my room?!”

“The window.” He gestured at the closed window. His blond hair remained messy just like before. Unlike earlier, he was wearing a white hoodie this time. His eyes focused on you. You were in the midst of crying once again. He looked just like him. He called your name. “Please don’t cry.” He slowly approached you with caution.

“You’re not…him…” you muttered, crying. “he’s gone…you’re someone else…he’ll remain a kid…because of me.”

“No. He’s not.” He knelt down on your bedside and carefully wiped the tears from your face. He smiled weakly, guilty that he was the cause of your sadness. He opened his palm. Nothing. Your eyes stared at his palm and noticed gold dust whirled in his hand to form a replica of the origami he made earlier. You gasped, dumbfounded. You turned to him and found him glowing weakly.

“I’m sorry it took me long. I’m here now.”

The nightmares ended that night with you in his arms.

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sorry for updating it just now after how many years? anyway, enjoy it guys. thanks.