In Your Dreams (A DahMo Fanfic)

30: Shining light

Whatever months I spent struggling to be better and move on jump out the window as I clasp my hands and kneel as I cry. I definitely am not imagining this.

"Y-yeobo? Is that really you?"

The apparition smirks, her hair turning into that gradient I really hated. "How...I..." stammering, I wrap my arms around her.

"I don't know, I just found you here," Dahyun says, snuggling into my neck.

I try to come up with anything to say, cupping her cheeks as she furrows her eyebrows. It's her—it's really Dahyun! "But...how? I mean, I wasn't even thinking of you," I catch my breath, realizing that's so offensive.

Dahyun holds me by the shoulders, scoffs, and presses her tongue against her cheeks. It's these little things, her mannerisms, that convince me—this is the woman I love, the woman who left me a few months back. My shining light. "You weren't thinking of me? Ouch. Maybe I should be going then..." Yes, the humor, the way her head bobs when she pretends to take offense—these were the things I couldn't emulate.

"You know that's not what I meant. Stupid," I defend myself in between sobs chuckles. Just like that, I'm wailing like I did when I got left by the school bus when I was five.

She lets me break down on her shoulder, running her hand against my hair. "Aww, my yeobo is such a crybaby after all," she jests. I never thought I'd hear our term of endearment from the person I want the most ever again.

I slightly push away from her. "Wait—you are dead, right? Or is this another one of your pranks?" Absurd, but the thought of her hyper dreaming somewhere crosses my mind.

"I can assure you...I'm pretty much dead," she answers with a confident smile on that pretty face of hers. A pang of disappointment stabs me right in the chest, knowing that whatever this is, it's bound to end. "And yes, heaven pretty much exists," she adds.

My back straightens as I move my head away from her. "So...you're psychic now?"

Dahyun winces before shaking her head. "No...that's just how predictable you are."

"You could have just said 'Of course I know my yeobo', you know..." I say, pouting. God, the banter...I didn't realize how much I longed for her witticisms. Besides, it is predictable—any living person would ask the same question if a dead person returns to them. "What...is it like?" I ask, pointing up.

"There's no up," she counters. "Well, at least for me. I guess it varies from person to person. For me, it's all the places we went to...plus my dad. Do you know I even showed him the rooftop?"

I nod, trying to take all of it in. Maybe heaven is just a permanent state of mind after all. "Am I...not part of it?"

Dahyun immediately flicks her finger at my forehead. "Why...do you want to die already?"

"Yes, if it means being with—" Again, she hits my head.

"Don't. Don't do that. I'll never forgive you," she shoots back, her jolly expression gone in an instant.

The tears start falling once again. "But...I don't think I can live without you. God knows I've tried."

Dahyun closes the distance between us by squishing my cheeks and wiping away my tears. "You have—and you will. Be good at your job, have fun with your friends...patch things up with your family. Yeobo, you have yet so much to live for. Open yourself to people. Who knows? The One might just be around the corner. Marry, have a family—"

I vehemently shake my head. What is this girl saying?! "Are you getting rid of me? Do you want me to forget about you?!"

In a flash, her lips find themselves on my forehead. "I want you to live, okay? Can you do that for me?"

My bawling serves as the response. As I look down, Dahyun's toes chip away, like glowing sand being blown into the void. "Wait—what's happening?!"

She looks down as well and sighs. "Well, I guess this is just the time they've granted me..."

"What? No," I shriek, scrambling to embrace her. "You can't go just yet!" I try to manifest her calves back, but to no avail.

Dahyun shrugs. "It's not up to me. I guess, if you have something to say, better do it now."

The disintegration goes up to her thighs. Shit. Shit!

"I...I just love you, you know that, right?!" I cry into her shoulder. My hands try to claw at her waist, which has just disappeared. No, no...please, not yet.

"I know, and I'll always thank you for it," she whispers in my ear before kissing it.

"Yeobo, I'm really sorry...for not granting your last wish." My hands cup her lovely face, as I know it will be the last thing to go.

Dahyun chuckles, as she raises her left hand. "You mean this?" It's the ring—the transparent sapphire bespeckled band I tried so hard to put on her finger...glowing brigther than mine did. "I took it with me, if you don't mind. Hirai Dahyun has a ring to it, no?" she says, chuckling. "If you marry someone else, divorce him or her before you go. We don't want any trouble in the afterlife." Despite being a sobbing mess, I chuckle at the selfish demand.

Chest. Gone.

"One last thing," I mutter, before placing my lips against hers as hard as I could. How I've missed her sweet scent—I don't care if this a dream anymore; it's what my mind and heart are telling me right now.

Dahyun hums into my lips as we slightly part them. "For now, you have to—"

Suddenly, my upper body juts foward a few inches. She's gone...but, as a consolation prize, her scent faintly remains.