Lost In The Dream

6 | La Vie En Rose

At 2AM, people were expected to be sleeping, but I was awake. I've been tossing and turning when my phone rang loudly that I had to answer quickly, even though I wasn't used to answering calls. His voice sounded breathy and every breath rhymed with the beat of my heart. I kept asking him why and what but he just giggled, I was about to drop the call but I was forced to get out of my bed, not minding what the hell I was wearing when his voice brittled. Taking a cab at this hour was harder than I thought, so I had to bargain with the driver just to help me get him. I told him to not drop the call and wait for me while the driver scratched his head saying it was too far, and I needed to shut him up so I told him I would add 2,000 won. My heart tried to get out of my chest in every red light and green light, my ribs were numb but there was nothing running on my mind in specific. I was uncertain what this was all about and if I can handle this situation. I tried to listen to his breathing, and I heard voices of women and camera shutters.

"Don't photograph me," I heard him say on the other side of the line, the next thing I've heard made me scream to the driver who seemed to be taking his time slowly.

A loud bang on the table was heard, and repeated kajimas or stop in korean according to Google. When I finally arrived the restaurant on a tent, sea of girls were there murmuring and taking photos. The sound of the ocean meeting with the shore can also be heard, as well as the owner trying to shoo the crowd away. I tried my best to get inside using my small body, I took all my energy so I could push through bodies and bodies. I can't believe my eyes when I saw him there, lying on his arms that rested long on the table. Three bottles of liquor lying beside him as well.

I silently talked to the owner, I bowed down and greeted her but she thought I was one of the fans outside so she pushed me back outside and closed the entrance of her tent. My knuckles turned white as I clench my fist too hard, I gritted my teeth and tried to calm down and think of a way but extreme rage formed inside of me that made my face burn. When I realized that the crowd was not even the fans, I used my body to shove them back in their place and I made my way to him, the transparent sides of the tent in between us.

There's a lump on my throat that I've been trying to swallow, "K-Kihyun," I mumbled, hoping to be heard.

Fortunately, he heard me and turned his head, his eyes twitched trying to study my face and when he saw that I'm the one that he called, he asked the owner to let me in. I stormed to him when I got my pass, his breath smelled a hundred percent of rubbing alcohol. "Don't try to scold me," he pleaded.

He doesn't need to plead, I'm not in the right place to do that. I let out a heavy sigh, "let's go home." With that, he tried to stand but he slumped back on the chair so I helped him stand back up, his foot on the ground but the ground swayed back and fort so I put his arms on my shoulder so he can find his strength.

The owner did her best to shoo away the crowd and she did pretty well. The crowd decreased a good number and I can smell the sea breeze finally. Kihyun and I both thanked the owner as I paid her from all the damage and chaos.

I don't really know the reason why he let himself drown in alcohol, but I thought it was his free will to do so. I can't tell him to never do this again because who the hell I am? I guided him on the stone wall that was barriering the shore to the road. He sat there and looked up with his eyes closed as I watched him. I let his sadness and loneliness enter my body and it gave the same feeling to my veins. I'm personally not a good comfort but I realized tapping his shoulders was a good start.

He gave me the same glare the day we first met, but the more I looked at him, the more the glare became softer.

"Did you ever work hard for something but it came unrecognized?" He asked under the light of the moon that was his only friend earlier.

I don't open up to people but I got desperate to make him feel better, "I always worked hard for something, my studies for example, but they took away all the recognitions I know I deserved." I stated, still looking at him. He pursed his lips and his eyelids drooped.

His question gave me the idea on his struggle, I carefully chose the right words to say. "You know people would soon recognize all your hardworks," I started turning away from him because the lump just got bigger and I tried so hard to swallow again and again but it was just too hard to swallow.

Then his hand stretched out, inviting mine to wrap itself on his. I gave him a confused look and he sighed in disbelief and reached for my hand, this time he straight away pulled me down to run the shore with him. Then there was a moment of small laughter, our eyes both sparkled. He let go of my hand and turned to talk to the horizon.

We're going to get more wins!

He screamed his lungs out. I stare at him in awe, I never actually tried doing this but I've heard it was effective. Tell your worries to the ocean. Tell it to the ocean and let it cross a hundred pacific until it's gone.

"You will, Monsta X's Yooki." I whispered at the sea, still cautious the he might have heard.

"Yooki?"

I turned to him only to see his face widened. "I-I found it awkward to say your-"

He pulled me in and a hundred fireflies were wrapped around me. There's too much of him on me and we were the most invincible that time. I heard a short thank you under his breath that made my lips form a curve.

The craziest thought came to my mind, that I wished to always encounter a drunk Yooki. Just realized how crazy that was so I thought of it only to forget about it on the way to their dorm. I needed to make sure he comes home safe because the toll is on me if people would know I just left him alone.

I knocked three times on their door as he patiently waited there, leaning on the bars. Minhyuk opened the door with his half-closed eyes, "Hi, Im... He's here." I pointed to Kihyun who was still there just looking at us.

Minhyuk looked at me and Yooki alternately, then he closed the door right on my face. I've had enough for this day. Give me a life. When the door opened again, all six members were crowded on the entrance and I just shrunk like an atom. I prepared a great explanation on what happened to Kihyun and for the nth time, my fear of getting summoned somewhere hit the top. Although they welcomed me inside, to what I can't honestly say no to.

Shownu scratched his nape and sighed a few scary times, "he usually call us in times like that."

All the members were gathered around me while they wait for my well-prepared essay. I told them everything that they needed to know. Silence was deafening after I spoke, it seemed as if they were waiting to hear something specific.

"Let's get her home," Wonho, the beefiest and the softest sunshine proposed.

"Sorry for the troubles Zimmy-ya." Jooheon apologized, and the others started apologizing as well. I told them I can just get a cab, I insisted for a lot of times and in the end, they can't do anything so they let me do what I wanted.

There was too much of him on me and on my mind.