Our Summer || NCT DREAM

Chapter 8. Worlds Away

"When are you leaving Lizzie's body?"

I slightly choked on my food and drink at Jaemin's words.

"Ah—here, drink this!"

He handed me his glass of water, to which I chugged down quickly.

Throat hurting, mouth wiped, and eyes a bit teary, I glanced at Jaemin with surprise.

"H—how did you know?"

He had an unreadable expression at first, before clearing his throat and motioning for me to lean towards him.

I did, heart beating fast at the thought of being caught red-handed.

"Your necklace," he said in a low volume, careful not to let anyone hear our conversation. "I've seen it before."

I took the silver chain from my neck and held the watch in front of us, gulping at his revelation.

"Where?" I asked, face serious.

He opened the lid, eyes confirming his thoughts.

"Renjun."

Renjun? This dimension's Rui?

"How?" I continued to ask in curiosity.

"Last week. I was with Renjun when I saw his eyes change colors, and he acted weird. I don't know how he got the necklace, I just suddenly noticed he was wearing it."

I creased my eyebrows.

Eyes changing colors. That's exactly what happened to Minhyung when he changed back to Mark. And the necklace—is that how it happens when I transfer to bodies? It just materializes out of nowhere? How's that even possible?

"When I asked him, he talked about looking for someone."

"Someone?"

"Yeah." He nodded. "It turns out, I wasn't supposed to see any of it, but I did. I know his secret, I know about the necklace."

I gulped again.

"I know you're from another dimension."

A million thoughts ran through my head.

How could that be possible? Who was that other traveler before us?

I only knew about the old man who gave this device to us, but I wasn't sure if he was the same person Jaemin was talking about.

"Did he say anything else, that Renjun?"

"Not Renjun. He was someone else, but in Renjun's body." He clarified, which I know already. "He didn't say much. Just that he traveled to this place using that necklace."

I nodded, staring at the watch in front of me.

"I'm sorry," I then said. I didn't know what to say exactly. "I'm sorry I pretended to be your girlfriend."

"It's okay. I just want her back. That's why I asked when she'll be coming back."

"Yeah... I know. She will come back soon, I just don't know when. I also don't know where she is right now, while I'm occupying her body."

His eyes were now serious, the earlier bright features gone.

"I'm Haneul, by the way. Moon Haneul, just so you know."

"Na Jaemin. But I think you already knew that."

We exchanged small smiles with each other.

"We didn't mean to travel here. It's just that this necklace—this device we have—we don't know how it works exactly. We only know to press this button when the alarm goes off, and then it sends us to a random place."