After Midnight [Yeonbin]

4.✨️𝐷𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑚✨️

That night, Soobin lay awake in bed, staring at the ceiling, his thoughts filled with Yeonjun. Their conversation in the library played on a loop in his mind. Soobin felt like he had finally started to crack the surface of Yeonjun’s mysterious exterior, and for the first time, he saw a glimpse of the
kind, gentle person from his dreams. But something about Yeonjun’s words lingered in his thoughts.

Being kind doesn’t get you anywhere. It just gets you hurt.

Soobin couldn’t shake the sadness behind those words. What had happened in Yeonjun’s past that made him feel that way? Why was he so guarded?

As Soobin drifted off to sleep, his mind full of questions, he hoped the dream would return. He needed answers - if not from Yeonjun in real life, then maybe from the dream version of him.

***

Soobin found himself standing in a familiar place—his dream version of the school garden. The air was warm, the sky painted with the soft hues of twilight. He looked around, his heart pounding in anticipation. The garden was quiet, but in his dream, Soobin knew exactly who he was waiting for.

Then, like clockwork, Yeonjun appeared. But this Yeonjun was different from the real-life version. His expression was soft, a gentle smile on his lips as he approached Soobin. There was no hint of the guarded seriousness that Yeonjun wore at school. In the dream, he was free—free from whatever burdened him in the real world.

“Soobin,” Yeonjun said, his voice light and melodic. “You seem deep in thought. What’s on your mind?”

Soobin hesitated. It was strange, talking to a dream version of someone, but at the same time, it felt natural. “I’ve been thinking about you a lot,” Soobin admitted, feeling the weight of the words in the dream. “About how different you are here, compared to real life.”

Yeonjun tilted his head, his smile fading just a little. “Different how?”

Soobin stepped closer, his eyes searching Yeonjun’s. “You’re gentle here. Open. But in real life, it’s like you’re hiding behind a wall. Why is that?”

For a moment, the dream version of Yeonjun looked sad, but then he smiled again, the kind of smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Maybe it’s easier to be myself here, in your dreams. There’s no pressure, no expectations.”

“But why can’t you be like this in real life?” Soobin asked, frustration creeping into his voice. “I know there’s more to you than what you show at school.”

Yeonjun looked away, his gaze falling on the blooming flowers in the garden. “Maybe I’ve just been hurt too many times to let people in again.”

Soobin’s heart ached at those words. Even in his dreams, Yeonjun carried some deep pain. Soobin wanted to reach out, to bridge the gap between the dream and reality, but he didn’t know how.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” Soobin said quietly. “I just want to get to know the real you.”

Yeonjun looked back at him, his eyes filled with something unreadable - sadness, hope, or maybe both. “I know. But it’s not that simple.”

The dream began to blur, the edges of the garden growing hazy, as if the world was slipping away. Soobin reached out, trying to hold onto the moment, but the dream Yeonjun only smiled softly and said, “You’ll understand one day. Just be patient.”

And then, everything went dark.

***

Soobin woke with a start, his heart pounding in his chest. He stared at the ceiling, trying to process the dream. It felt so real, like Yeonjun was really talking to him, trying to tell him something important. But as the details of the dream faded, Soobin was left with more questions than answers.

He rolled over and glanced at his phone, checking the time. It was early, too early to get up for school, but there was no way Soobin could go back to sleep now. The dream weighed heavily on his mind, like a puzzle he couldn’t quite solve.

Soobin thought about texting Yeonjun. He hesitated, his fingers hovering over the keyboard. What would he even say? It felt strange to mention the dreams, especially after Yeonjun’s reaction in the library. But at the same time, Soobin wanted to reach out. He wanted to break through the wall that Yeonjun had built around himself.

Before he could second-guess himself, Soobin typed out a quick message.

Soobin: Hey, are you awake?

He stared at the screen, waiting. Moments passed, and Soobin was about to give up when his phone buzzed with a reply.

Yeonjun: Yeah, what’s up?

Soobin let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. His thumbs hovered over the screen as he debated how much to say.

Soobin: I had another dream about you.

The reply came faster than Soobin expected.

Yeonjun: What was it about?

Soobin hesitated. How could he explain the dream without making it sound too strange? But he didn’t want to hold back anymore. If there was any chance of getting through to Yeonjun, he needed to be honest.

Soobin: You were different in the dream. You were more open, more like yourself. We talked about why you’re so guarded in real life, and you said you’d been hurt before. I don’t know... it just felt so real.

There was a long pause before Yeonjun replied.

Yeonjun: Dreams are weird like that, huh?

Soobin frowned at the vague response. He could tell Yeonjun was deflecting, just like in real life. But he wasn’t going to let it slide this time.

Soobin: It wasn’t just a random dream. I think it means something.

Another pause.

Yeonjun: Maybe. Or maybe it’s just your mind playing tricks.

Soobin sighed, frustrated. Why was it so hard to get through to Yeonjun? He was so close in the dream, so open, but in reality, it felt like they were miles apart.

Soobin: I just want to understand you better.

The response took longer this time, but when it came, it was short and simple.

Yeonjun: I know.

Soobin stared at the screen, the weight of those two words hanging in the air. It wasn’t much, but it was something. Maybe Yeonjun wasn’t ready to open up completely, but at least he knew Soobin was trying.

And for now, that was enough.