Dreams

In the Moonlight.- Vernon Chwe

  It was a late night, 2 am to be exact. I was laying in my bed, messing with a bracelet a fan made for me. Jihoon was at my desk playing with the keyboard, trying to figure out a melody to go along with some lyrics I wrote. Soonyoung was lying on the floor petting my puppy Diamond.

  "Hey, how do you want the melody to go anyway?" Jihoon asked, spinning around in the chair.

  "I'm so glad that you guys could send me out here," 

  "Yeah!"

  "But like I was saying... I think the song should be like a Shawn Mendes, Ed Sheeran type deal. Ya know? Chill, laid back, calm, truthful, and raw," I explained looking up at my star covered ceiling.

  "Great, how about you, Soonyoung?"

  "I love it anyways,"

  As we got back to what we're doing, there was  a knock at the window. Getting up, I noticed a rock on the window pane.

  "Good grief, please don't be another neighborhood kid. I'm so tired of telling them twenty-one times a week that they're too young for me," I whined as I rolled in my bed. As I approached my window, there was another tap.

  "Those fanboys are serious!" Soonyoung giggled under his breath.

  "Quiet down Hosh," I huffed,"Go home kids. You're like a billion years younger than me!" I shouted as I opened the window. As I got ready to walk away there was a voice shouting back at me.

 "It's more like I'm a billion seconds older than you, Leia!" The voice laughed.

  I walked back towards the window, opening it again, looking down my eyes shot open wide.

  "Hansol Vernon Chwe! You scared the life out of me!" I shouted in a whisper, trying to calm my heart rate and breathing down.

  "Well what was I supposed to do, you thought I was somebody else!"

  "You could have called me, or sent me a text!" It was way too late to get my blood pumping that fast.

  After a couple of seconds, my phone went off, indicating that I just received a text message. Turning the screen on, the message read: 'How would you like to come walk with me?'. When I looked up at Vernon, he signaled for me to come with him.

  "You do know that I'm working on a song with Jihoon, right?"I said trying to indicate that I was not leaving my room.

  "Yeah, but I'm sure that he won't mind, right?" He asked, sassing me right back.

  "Go Leila, have some fun," Jihoon reasoned spinning in the chair again.

  "Don't leave me with the mean old man, nuna!" Soonyoung begged, knowing that I was younger. 

  "Come on Lelia, I have food!" Vernon begged.

  "But I have to change, so that will take some time," I whined.

  "You're not like most girls, so that won't take too long as you say," Vernon said spinning around in the moonlight.

*                    *                    *

  As we walked through the night, I noticed that he was wearing a black leather jacket. I could help but smile. He would kick any pebble on the side walk. We approached a park. Looked over at each other and knew exactly what the other was thinking. He sprinted down the wood-chip path towards a see-saw. We had done that every time we went to that park since we were kids.

 "Come on!" Vernon sang as he sat on the see-saw.

  "Really? Do you know what time it is?" I looked around, wishing I'd worn a thicker longer sleeve shirt.

  "What's the worse that could happen?"

  "And that's when the worst happens, Vernon. Can't we go to a 24 hour restaurant or you know, back home. You know I hate being out in the open late like this, and I know Seung-Cheol oppa would not like to know that his favorite maknae was not in her room safe, but instead she was at a park at 2 am with a very mischievous dongsae named Hansol Vernon Chwe. Now would he?" I asked twisting my feet in the path.

  "Now, I've known you since diapers, and I know you wouldn't do that to your best friend," He got up.

  "Last time I checked, my best friend wouldn't take me to a park at 2 am," I sassed, "Oh, wait a sec. Didn't you say you had food!" I realized.

  He froze dead in his tracks. Vernon knew I was unbearably love struck by food. And he lied to me saying that he was in possession of food treats. He turned around slightly, terrified.

  "I was...I was going to take you to a...a Coney, just like I always do." He was shivering.

  "Hyung! I thought you had food with you at this very moment!" Tears were welling up in my eyes, thanks to my amazing acting career.

  "No, no. Don't cry Lelia! I'll take you to a Coney, I'll take you to the down the street!" I could tell he was stressing.

  He took my hand and speed walked in the direction we had just arrived from. Vernon looked around frantic, mumbling about how he should have just taken me to the Coney first. After a few seconds, I gave up fast walking.

  "Vernon! I-I. Can't we just run? Please?" I pulled away.

  "Yes!" And he took off running.

  We continued running through the night, getting lost in the moment. I looked around, the world around me fazed past. It reminded me of the days when we were trainees. Vernon, Soonyoung and I would sneak out and go to a convenience store down the street back in Korea. We would get ramen, a bag of chips and soda.

  Soon enough, he and I arrived at the best Coney in the state. I opened the door, Vernon stopped me.

  "Here we are. But before we get in. I just wanted to tell you that-that. I'm really sorry for taking you to the park, without food. And please don't tell hyung that we left." He walked in and led us to our seats.

  Vernon looked around. I could tell he liked being able to be out in public without being recognized. While I, on the other hand, couldn't really go anywhere. I debuted as an international solo artist. I can't go anywhere unless I have a cover or it's at night. But it was nice that I could leave and hang with my best friend. He knew it would mean a lot.  Plus I really need the break.

*                                                        *                                                      *

  "Thank you Hansol!" I jumped on his back as we exited the restaurant. 

  He swung me around. I climbed off. Vernon ruffled my hair and pulled me in for a head lock. He looked up at the sky and smiled. He told me how it was nothing, and how he missed sneaking out just so we could eat.