𝘼𝙂𝘼𝙄𝙉? 𝘼𝙂𝘼𝙄𝙉! || 𝘖.𝘥𝘦

On the other side

In the real world...

"Seungmiiiiin? Wake up, we're already late for the interview!" Jungsu knocks at the door.
Seungmin opens his eyes in a rush, looking around. "Ugh..."

He gets dressed and they leave the dorm to get into their van.
"Are you sick? You don't look very good." Jooyeon asks jokingly.
"I didn't sleep very well, that's all." Seungmin answers, leaning on his side of the window.
He closes his eyes, hoping that nobody will disturb him further.
"The dream world is so relaxing compared to the reality... here we go again."
He feels a bit better as he checks his Bubble, seeing his fans cheering for him, he missed them.

"How far is the office?" Jooyeon asks the driver.
"One hour more or less."
"Ugh... I'll take a nice nap then." He mutters, getting comfortable in his seat.

"Seung, did you read the new chapters?" Someone whispers.
"Hm? There's new ones?" Seungmin asks, checking on the phone.
"What was the last chapter you read?"
"I read only the first two..."
"Continue it! It's so good."
He hesitates on the app's icon, but doesn't click it. "To be honest, I don't think I will read it anymore. It makes me feel... sad."

They finally arrive at the interviewer's office, a woman welcomes them.
"Nice to meet you guys! I'll be interviewing you today. You can take a seat there."
They respond to common questions about their inspiration and new songs, then the interviewer asks some more personal questions.

"Did you have any particular experience that could influence the lyrics for a future song?"
Seungmin tries to think of something. "Should I talk about that?"
"Recently I had a strange experience, I didn't even tell it to the members yet."
They all look at him with a perplexed gaze.
"I had a vivid dream, it felt like I spent months there. So maybe I could take the memories I made there and put them in some lyrics."
"Uhh! This is very interesting! What kind of experiences did you have?"
Seungmin presses his lips, feeling embarrassed. "Ehm, maybe I should leave them for the songs..."
"No spoilers!" Gaon giggles, wondering what kind of dream did he make.

"Okay guys, let's move to another question. Villains, your fans, are very important to you. Have you ever had any memorable fan encounters that have left a lasting impression on you?"
Everyone says an answer, Seungmin smiles and nods.
"What about you O.de?"
"Every moment spent with Villains is special to me, they are my strength and my source of happiness. I always recognize the fans that I meet, so I hope to see every Villain all around the world!"
"Is there a specific country that you would like to visit?"
His heart beats faster. "Well, I'd love to visit..."

"Good job everyone! Let's have a nice meal now!" Gunil exclaims, entering the van.
Seungmin sits near the window again, looking at the running cars on the street. "I'll go back to the dorm, I need to rest a bit more."
"You don't want to eat first?"
"I'll eat later."

While everyone has lunch in a nearby restaurant, Seungmin goes back home. He takes off his makeup and wears more comfy clothes before locking his room's door.
He stands in front of it, his fists clenched. "Why... why... WHY!"
Tears start forming in his eyes, he lets go his sobs freely.
He takes his phone, desperately searching for a certain name everywhere. "Tell me it wasn't just my imagination..."

────⋆⋅☆⋅⋆────

As soon as I realize that I'm awake, I keep my eyes closed. "Please, let me be in the real world!" I whisper.
It's feels weird to say, considering that I've always hoped to stay in the dream as long as possible.
I slowly open my eyes, still sleepy, and take my phone. I can't even look at the time that my alarm is already ringing.
"YEEEEEES I'M BAAAACK!"