Fais de Beaux Rêves | Markmin

3 - Sparkling Crystals

"Jaemin. Jaemin. You are Jaemin? Are you not?"

Not ever, not once, not a singular time, had anyone ever known his name while walking into this mall. Not one of the millions of spirits that Jaemin had interacted with showed any familiarity with him or their surrounds.

"Why do I know that name?" the boy followed up, cocking his head to the side in a curious manner as he leaned forwards. Jaemin felt a blush creep up his neck and he took a step back, scratched at the back of his head. "That's your name? Isn't it?"

"Y-yes." was the first thing that came out of Jaemin's lips - a stutter - and he was embarrassed. "Yes, that's my name. How do you know it?"

"It's the only thing that I know," the boy replied innocently, and he let out a puff of air, turning his gaze to look around at the mall. "Although this place seems familiar. Do you remember anything?"

Did Jaemin remember anything?

Jaemin remembered too much.

But Jaemin also didn't remember enough.

"I'm not like you," the guide responded softly, furrowing his eyebrows and the boy mimicked his action.

"Not like me?" the boy echoed and Jaemin nodded. "Well, of course you're not like me. We look completely different! And we have different names. I'm Mark, and Mark is much different from Jaemin, is it not?"

Mark smiled coyly and Jaemin rolled his eyes, looking to the side and then side-eyeing the boy in front of him. Who was this boy? He seemed familiar, and Jaemin was sure that he had dealt with this boy's spirit before. His eyes seemed familiar, and eyes always held the key to a person's soul.

"That's not what I meant," Jaemin said carefully, then held his hand out for the boy to take as he always did with the spirits, "Let's take a walk, shall we?"

The boy's cheeks burned a bright red and he looked at Jaemin's hand for a moment before sliding his fingers between Jaemin's and clasping them together. The sensation was different and, as Jaemin pulled Mark to begin their journey through the mall, he felt a bit ruffled.

Hands tightly clasped together, the two walked in silence for a moment before Jaemin began his spiel as he always did, despite the clear differing circumstance. "If you see a store that calls to you, point it out to me and we can check it out."

"Calls to me?" Mark questioned and Jaemin turned his head to gaze upon the boy's face.

"If you feel a sensation, a sort of pull to go to that specific store," Jaemin explained routinely, gesturing to the stores around them, "Maybe the aura will be stronger to your eyes or you'll hear a humming noise that gets louder as you go towards it. If yes, then point it out to me."

"So that I can go to the store?" Mark clarified before he paused in his tracks, pulling Jaemin to stop next to him. He frowned at the floor and his bottom lip stuck out. It was a moment before Mark looked up at Jaemin and Jaemin's head jerked back in surprise. The boy was crying. "I don't want to go into any of the stores. I want to stay here. In the mall."

This was unexpected.

And Jaemin did not have a prepared answer for this jarring and bold declaration.

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