Fearless Voyage | Soonhoon

The Last Nightmare

"Hoshi!" The boy shouted, struggling to keep his head out of the water. "Hosh-" Water pulling him down, gushing his pleading calls. The drowning boy could feel the liquid invading and burning his lungs, pushing his bones to the point of implosion. He struggled to kick the gravity away, but its strength was too much for him. With the last struggle, he actually succeeded in reaching the surface. Then, his eyes met with his friend's ones.

Hoshi...

But the boy couldn't move. Hoshi couldn't. His best friend was drowning in the river right in front of his eyes, but he couldn't do anything. His feet were like frozen to the ground, not reacting to his mind's commands. He wanted to save his friend, really.

But he couldn't.

Because Seokmin was bound to die today.

Hoshi knew it. It was written on his friend's neck.

Tears flooded his face, distorted by fear and pain as he watched his friend's body being pulled away by nature's forces.

Seokmin...I'm sorry...

Hoshi's eyes flew open as he straightened himself in his bed, breathing hastily. Slowly, he wiped away the cold sweat that had gathered on his forehead.

It was always the same nightmare.

However, it wasn't really a nightmare, since it had really happened.

Seokmin had died because Hoshi didn't help him. It was Hoshi's biggest regret. His worst demon.

Trying to regain his senses, he cupped his own cheeks but then felt some wetness on it.

He cried.

I'm so sorry Seokmin...

But some things can't be erased with "sorry"s.

Slowly, he got up from his bed, looking for his bathroom's door in the dark. When he finally reached the doorknob, he opened the door, switching on the light.

He was met by his crestfallen reflection on the mirror in front of him, and swollen eyes.

As always, his gaze fell on his neck, right where his numbers were. With the tips of his fingers, he caressed each curl, holding his breath.

His death date...

"A promise that you'll stay with me during this long life."

I'm sorry, Woozi...

Suddenly, a buzzing sound extracted him from his thoughts. His phone was ringing. Crawling back to the room, he quickly found it.

It was Woozi.

"A video call?"

He clicked on the invitation call sign but almost dropped his cellphone when he was met with the image of a pale looking Woozi.

"Hoshi..." The boy managed to mumble under his mask. "Hoshi please..." His breathing was hoarse and not consistent.

"Woozi what's wrong?!" The said one started to panic as he could hear the pulse-oximeter in the background beeping wildly.

"Please...come..." The smaller boy croaked.

"I'm coming to Woozi. Don't hang up, I am coming!"

Hoshi didn't bother putting on clothes, hurrying outside his bedroom. He didn't bother using proper shoes, simply putting on a pair of sandals that were randomly waiting at the corridor to be put away. He didn't even care about the fact that it was still dark outside, and when he comes home, his mother would surely kill him. He didn't even care about the fact that he had to run kilometres before reaching the hospital.