In Your Dreams (A DahMo Fanfic)

26: Regression

It has been a week since the funeral. I decided to go back to my apartment, since I couldn't bear the idea of Mrs. Kim staying with someone like me. Though I'd still give her a text everyday—just around two messages, just to let each other know we're still alive.

To attempt self-distraction, I immediately went back to work. But it proved useless, as almost every spot reminded me of our little trysts in the office. Ms. Park was at least kind enough to allow me to use up all my leaves since I hardly took any before, and Sana gladly volunteered to cover for me.

I just want to be alone...and sleep. I just want to be with Dahyun—even if it means doing something unthinkable.

***

"I'm your wife...Hirai Dahyun. But I'm also known as Dahyunie or your yeobo," she recites repeatedly as we sit across in the diner where we first met.

"Yes. You're the best woman in the world," I tell her, fiddling her fingers.

Dahyun looks around, observing her surroundings, running her finger against the metallic tabletop. She also examines her hand. "If I'm your wife...where is my ring?"

"Ah yes, how smart of you, yeobo," I respond, manifesting the same ring on my finger. She automatically extends her left hand to me. History will not repeat itself, so I move with the speed of a dog going for a ball.

Her eyes shift between her ring and mine. "Why is yours glowing?"

I shrug my shoulders. "What's important is that you have it, okay?" She gives the two rings another glance, and slightly nods.

"Anyway, you must be starving." Jihyo appears as soon as I snap my fingers, ready to take our orders.

"What would you like to eat, my love?"

Dahyun stares blankly. "Whatever you would like. Whatever that would make you happy." I don't know what it is about the way she answered, but it sent a chill on the back of my head.

***

"This is where you would be living," I explain as we stroll along all the places that we frequently visited in the real world. For enhancements, the pagoda and my version of Dahyun's meadow has also been included.

"Wait...I'll just be living here...by myself?"

Ah, right. How inconsiderate of me. "Yeobo, meet Boo—my dog," I say, swirling my hand, bringing my canine companion into existence. "He talks, too, so you won't get bored."

Boo immediately growls at Dahyun. "I don't like her, Momo-chan," the dog says.

Embarrassed, I hold Boo's head, turning him docile. "Sorry, he still knows the other you," I tell Dahyun the construct. My breath stops, mentioning the word "other" when I'm just talking to a clone. Forgive me yeobo, you know that you're still the best for me.

"Anyway," I add, handing Boo over to her. "I'll always be here after work. During weekends, we'll be together the whole day, okay?" She curtly nods, attempting to pat Boo on the head.

That's right, yeobo. You'll always be safe in here—the only way we'll be apart is the day I die.

***

If there's something I hate about Sana, it's how she hardly cleans her workstation...and mine, given that she took over. She jumps off her seat upon seeing me.

"Why are you here?! You're not supposed to be back until...next week?"

"Well, it's kind of boring at home. Besides..." I glance over at my desk full of unfinished snacks and paperwork. "...it seems like you really did a great job while I was gone."

She looks over her mess and scrambles to tidy it up. "Sorry, still not used to the abundance of space," she justifies. Right.

Ms. Park leaves her desk, briskly walking towards us. "Momo-ssi! Are you really back?" she asks, giving a short glare at my friend. I nod, and Jihyo lets out a sigh. Seriously, how messed up was Sana?

As soon as things simmer down, Sana slides her chair over to my area. "Why'd you throw away the chance to take a long vacation? What an idiot."

I scoff at this simpleton. "Clearly, I couldn't have come back at a better time." If we left Sana in charge of the whole HR department, the company would implode in less than a week.

"Well, your humor seems to be on point, isn't it? What's going on, huh?" Sana grabs onto my forearm, preventing me stacking the resumes on the right tray.

"What? What's wrong now?"

"Momo-ring, you," she pauses, moving her chair a few inches back. "You were inconsolable..." Sana was, of course, referring to the time I immediately reported to the office after the funeral—all the meals I passed up on, the times they caught me bawling inside the toilet.

I hum, turning to face her. "Uhm, let's just say that...I found a coping mechanism that works for me."

While I know I'm smarter than Sana, she isn't one who misses subtext. Her eyes widen as she straightens her back. "No, you didn't. Momo-ring," she chides in a hushed tone.

"Hey, whatever works, right?" I'm through justifying my actions to people who can't even do what me and Dahyun do.

Sana shakes her head, rubbing her temples as if she had an acute migraine. "It's wrong...didn't her doctor say that, even if you had no faulty genes, you could end up like Dahyun-ssi in the long run?"